Arrangement

In another timeline, Princess Consort Gong was indeed martyred.

When the Emperor received the news of Zhu Youdun's death, considering that he had repeatedly petitioned against martyrdom sacrifice, he decided to honor his last wish and ordered that the childless Princess Consort and wives in Prince Zhou's Mansion need not be martyred.

By the time the imperial edict reached Prince Zhou's Mansion, Princess Consort Gong and the six wives' bodies had long since grown cold.

As soon as Prince Zhou died, Zhu Youjue, according to regulations, ordered Princess Consort Gong and the six wives to be martyred.

Because this was an ancestral rule, Zhu Youjue's actions, though swift, did not incur blame from the Emperor or the court. They could only sigh and posthumously bestow titles upon the Princess Consort and the six wives.

However, Pan Yun thought that compared to posthumous titles, they would have certainly preferred to be alive.

Seeing Prince Zhou looking at the cat in her hands with suspicion, Pan Yun quietly poked its belly with her finger, Speak human.

Pan Little Black: "Meow—If I could speak human with a cat's voice, why would I need to cling to you?"

Prince Zhou met the black cat's glassy eyes and suddenly zoned out. Only after it looked away did he snap back to reality. His eyes instantly lit up, and when he looked at Pan Yun again, he became much more solemn: "I believe you, little friend. Please, have a seat."

Pan Yun: ...

She also looked down at the black cat she was holding, What did you just do?

Pan Little Black was curious itself. Hadn't it just subconsciously retorted to Pan Yun?

Could it be...

Pan Yun and Pan Little Black looked intently at Prince Zhou. Could he also possess the ability to communicate with all things?

Pan Yun stared at his chest, wanting to know how many apertures his heart had, or what other innate abilities he possessed.

She opened her mouth, suppressing the urge to ask, and ultimately did not speak.

Didn't Tao Ji also have many curiosities about her spells and talents?

Yet he rarely brought them up, showing that people at this time were very hesitant about such matters.

Pan Yun repeatedly reminded herself internally: Be polite, be polite. There's plenty of time, plenty of time...

She then sat back down on the small stool.

Prince Zhou had lived his entire life; what kind of people hadn't he met?

In contrast, Pan Yun's environment, both in her past and present life, had been extremely simple. In her previous life, from birth to death, she had stayed within the confines of academia, a clear-eyed, foolish graduate student.

In this life, she rarely left her home and had few opportunities to scheme.

The most recent instance involved a battle of wits with Xuan Miao and Tao Ji.

Although her expression was largely neutral, her eyes seemed to speak volumes, and Prince Zhou guessed it with little effort.

He couldn't help but laugh heartily and proactively brought up the topic, "A person on the verge of death might perceive different things. Look at it, I can feel it."

Though nearing death, Prince Zhou was not trapped by it. Instead, he felt a sense of calm and acceptance.

He had been ill for too long. If in the early stages of his illness he had struggled, later on, he had simply accepted his fate, deciding to go with the flow of destiny.

When destiny decreed his death, he would die.

He only needed to do his best.

With this realization, Prince Zhou found himself able to perceive more.

Especially after experiencing a brush with death three years prior, upon waking, he saw the world with much greater clarity. He could more directly sense the true thoughts people around him held.

Resentment, hatred, affection, reluctance, and calculation—all sorts of emotions were present.

Take the young girl before him, for example.

She might indeed be a medium, but he still sensed a trace of calculation from her, faint, yet present.

What did this child want to exchange with him?

"I implore you, little friend, to guide me. How can I ensure that no one in my household will be martyred?"

Pan Yun, holding the black cat, deduced with her limited knowledge that there was a high probability of success.

The current Emperor was a fifteen-year-old boy who was easily swayed, favored his cronies, responded better to entreaties than demands, and was susceptible to softness rather than hardness. Therefore, pleading would be more effective than a formal memorial.

Although she harbored a deep hatred for him and Wang Zhen, Pan Yun still said, "Your Highness should personally write a letter of plea to the Emperor, and then, in the Princess Consort's name, offer a substantial sum of money to Wang Zhen, requesting him to intercede on your behalf. This would secure about eighty percent of the outcome. The remaining twenty percent will depend on fate."

Prince Zhou's face darkened, his chest heaving unevenly. "Wang Zhen... How can His Majesty be influenced by a eunuch?"

Pan Yun said calmly, "The Emperor cherishes Wang Zhen. We have no choice but to act this way."

Prince Zhou was unwilling. Wasn't this aiding and abetting evil, and unnecessarily bolstering Wang Zhen's prestige?

If this matter were to come to light in the future, it would be recorded in the annals of history.

Seeing Prince Zhou's reluctance, Pan Yun added, "Then you can submit a 'Letter from One Facing Death.' It all depends on whether our Emperor is soft-hearted enough."

Prince Zhou agreed with this method and loudly summoned his attendant, personally picking up the brush to write the letter.

However, he had been ill for a long time and hadn't held a brush in ages. As he grasped it now, his hand trembled, and he had to exert considerable effort to form characters, his strokes still shaky.

Prince Zhou glanced at it and felt like throwing it away and having someone else write it.

Pan Yun, however, felt this was for the best. It would allow the young Emperor to be convinced that his grand-uncle was truly on his deathbed.

Prince Zhou logically finished writing the letter, but Pan Yun felt his approach was incorrect.

She put herself in the little Emperor's shoes and felt that this letter wouldn't move him at all. So, she decided to write it for him and then have Prince Zhou copy it.

Prince Zhou: "..."

He read Pan Yun's letter, his brow furrowed. "Nonsense! This letter is inconsistent, rambling. You say I'm focused on cultivation, prefer quiet, and don't want Princess Consort and my consorts to disturb me, yet then you say I'm deeply devoted to them and can't bear to let them be martyred? Then you say the common people are suffering, and I can't bear to let my own family and servants suffer the pain of martyrdom. Which of these three reasons is it?"

Pan Yun: "All of them."

Prince Zhou: "But the first and second contradict each other. What do you expect the Emperor to believe?"

Pan Yun: "He'll believe both."

"Impossible!" Was the Emperor an idiot?

Pan Yun looked at Prince Zhou and sighed, "Your Highness, you write plays, so you naturally focus on logic. But we children don't care about that; we care more about emotions. This entire article is full of your affection—your love for yourself, your love for your wives, your sympathy for the common people. The Emperor is a man who values emotion; he will understand you."

Prince Zhou expressed his doubt.

Finally, Pan Yun compromised. "How about this: you copy it first. Then, we'll seal both letters and send them to the palace. We'll submit my version first. If the Emperor gets angry or it's ineffective, then we'll submit the one you wrote."

"No," Prince Zhou felt this letter would tarnish his reputation, making him seem like an unprofessional scriptwriter. So he said, "Submit mine first. If it's useless, then submit the one you wrote."

Pan Yun secretly calculated, her eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Alright, but I have a few things to tell the person delivering the letter."

Prince Zhou glanced at her sparkling eyes and agreed.

So, the attendant went to find Prince Zhou's confidant, while Prince Zhou himself took up his brush to copy the letter.

When he finished, the confidant was already waiting nearby.

Pan Yun sealed both letters, marked them differently, and handed them to the confidant. She instructed, "Deliver the first letter first. If there's no response after two days, have the Chief Clerk deliver the second letter, saying that His Highness is critically ill and unconscious, that Prince Zhou's Mansion is preparing for the funeral, and this is His Highness's last letter before he fell unconscious."

The confidant was dumbfounded and looked at Prince Zhou behind her.

The attendant couldn't help but exclaim, "How dare you!"

Prince Zhou's eyes, however, were filled with excitement. He said to the attendant, "Just say that. Tell the Chief Clerk that by the time you leave, I'll be in my final throes of life, with little time left. You should leave now and go catch up with the Chief Clerk."

The confidant agreed, took the letters, and left immediately.

Prince Zhou was still buzzing with excitement. He often directed others in acting, but this was his first time acting himself, especially when it involved his own life and death.

Sigh, if he had known it could be played like this, he should have started doing it two years ago.

Prince Zhou and Pan Yun exchanged a look, both feeling as if they had found a kindred spirit.

Pan Yun stayed with Prince Zhou, while Zhu Zijin went to the guest courtyard to ask Tao Ji and Xuan Miao to stay and treat Prince Zhou, giving him a chance to thank them for saving Zhu Tongqie. In short, he wanted to win them over and keep them there.

Tao Ji and Xuan Miao exchanged a look. They had already voted, so they agreed without hesitation.

Zhu Zijin breathed a sigh of relief. After looking around, he asked, "Where is Young Taoist Priest Pan? My son has been thinking of her. He just returned home and was frightened. Please have the young Taoist priest accompany him more often in the future to comfort him. Otherwise, perhaps they can play together from now on."

Play with a child? No, no, no. Pan Yun's playmates are people our age. Playing with a child means playing as a child, right?

Tao Ji's lips curved slightly, and he said gently, "She should be in His Highness's main courtyard right now, shouldn't she?"

Zhu Zijin was taken aback. He quickly got up to take his leave and hurried towards the main courtyard.

Prince Zhou was not in good spirits and slept most of the time. He was a light sleeper and hated noise. I hope the young Taoist priest doesn't disturb Prince Zhou.

Halfway there, Zhu Zijin was stopped by someone from Princess Consort's retinue. "Eldest Young Master, Princess Consort has something to discuss with you."

Zhu Zijin had no choice but to turn back to Princess Consort's residence.

Madam Gu was still feeding the child, so she hadn't brought the child with her. Princess Consort's courtyard was empty, with little sign of life. Zhu Zijin knew this was because she had dismissed many of her servants, leaving only a few by her side.

Consort Gong saw him and handed him several deeds of sale. "I originally wanted to let Xin Niang and the others go to avoid them... but life outside is hard, and I worry they wouldn't fare well. Since His Highness has officially recognized you as our child again, take these deeds of sale. If I were to follow your father to the afterlife, you would keep them to serve you and provide them with a place to settle down."

Zhu Zijin was stunned and quickly knelt. "Mother, why do you say such things? Since I've been recognized as your child, I am your child. I will certainly support you until your dying day."

They all dared not speak frankly about the martyrdom sacrifice, fearing that if overheard, they might be reported for harboring resentment. Zhu Zijin felt that the matter of Princess Consort's martyrdom sacrifice should have reached a conclusion, but Princess Consort was more cautious than he was.

Her eyes reddened slightly. "Good child, I know your intentions, but life is unpredictable. Nothing is fixed. No one knows if things will go smoothly. Take these deeds of sale for now. Remember, I do not need maids or servants to be buried with me. You will arrange for them properly in the future. If... then you can give them the deeds of sale and let them go their own way."

Zhu Zijin tearfully agreed.

The ten lucky numbers for this chapter are those ending in 4. Screenshot as proof. Screenshot deadline is before the next chapter is released.