Chapter 890
Squatting
As soon as the new posthumous title was announced, the Empress Dowager fell silent, and the court officials standing behind her also fell silent.
Zhu Qiyu breathed a sigh of relief.
The new emperor ascended the throne on the first day of the tenth month, changed the reign title to Jingtai, and decided to use the new reign title again at the beginning of the new year.
On the second day after the new emperor ascended the throne, he officially issued an edict honoring Pan Yun, a Taoist priest from Sanqing Mountain, as the national preceptor, ordering him to perform a ritual to pray for the deceased emperor and for the well-being of the country.
No one expected that the emperor's first edict after ascending the throne would not be to confer titles on meritorious officials, nor to deal with officials who accompanied him on his military campaigns, nor to confer titles on empresses, but rather to confer titles on the Imperial Preceptor.
Even Yu Qian didn't expect this.
He thought the emperor would at least wait until the matter was resolved and the court was stable before bestowing honors upon Pan Yun.
Zhu Qiyu: If the court was stable, why did he still bestow titles upon Pan Yun?
It was precisely because the court was unstable, with endless disputes between the court and the harem, and Zhu Qiyu, being the emperor for the first time and completely clueless, that he relied heavily on Pan Yun.
If Pan Yun could predict that he would become emperor, could he also predict other things?
Prediction can help avoid many mistakes.
Zhu Qiyu was initially afraid that Pan Yun would use him for personal gain, but since she entered the palace, she has basically not taken the initiative to talk about state affairs, nor has she taken the initiative to seek him out. She usually spends her time meditating and cultivating in the palace with her three junior disciples, and she does not even see her father, brothers, or family members.
Pan Yun neither met him openly nor secretly.
When Yin Song climbed up to the observatory, he saw Pan Yun sitting on the roof of the pavilion behind him, her legs dangling down and swaying.
Yin Song looked up at her: "Grand Preceptor, your father is lingering outside the Imperial Observatory again, wanting to see you."
Pan Yun waved to him: "Senior brother, come up here. There's a unique feeling to seeing the stars from up here."
Yin Song leaped up, stepped on the tiles, walked a few steps, and sat down beside her, exhaling a breath: "What do you mean by looking at the stars? It's stargazing!"
The two siblings glanced at the twinkling stars in the sky, and Yin Song turned to look at her: "You really don't want to see your father?"
Pan Yun: "I have severed all worldly ties and belong only to the nation."
Yin Song: "Speak like a human being."
“It’s best for them to have less contact with me,” Pan Yun said. “My father and brothers are kind-hearted and upright. If they get too close to me now, they will be drawn into the vortex of power.”
Yin Song: "Lord Pan understands very quickly. I spoke with him briefly when I came in. Now that the imperial decree appointing you as the Imperial Preceptor has been issued, he probably won't come looking for you again."
Pan Yun let out a breath.
Her father found out she was in the palace two days ago, and then he came to the palace to find her. He came three times a day for two days in a row, which made her feel very sorry for him.
Yin Song turned to look at her, hesitating to speak.
Pan Yun: "Senior brother, please speak your mind."
Yin Song looked conflicted: "Now that you've become the Imperial Advisor, can I resign and return to the mountains?"
Pan Yun glanced at him and sighed, "I know, I joined halfway through, so I'm not as important to Second Senior Brother as the eldest, third, and fourth senior brothers are to him..."
Yin Song said expressionlessly, "Speak like a human being."
Pan Yun: "Don't go back yet. Let me establish myself in the Imperial Observatory before I leave. If I can't stay, I'll still be counting on you to support Sanqing Mountain. If you resign now, I'll be squeezed out. Can I just go back to the Imperial Observatory like that?"
That's definitely not possible.
After thinking for a moment, Yin Song nodded and said, "Alright, I'll stay a little longer."
Pan Yun smiled happily.
"Then let Qingjun lead Miaozhen and the other two back." As soon as Yin Song finished speaking, Pan Jun's smile froze.
Yin Song said, "Eggs should be separated. If you put them all in one basket, what if they all break?"
That's true, but Pan Yun is used to being with them, and besides...
"Going back to Sanqing Mountain at this time? Shouldn't we be going back to Longhu Mountain?"
Yin Song gave her a deep look and said, "No, let's go back to Sanqing Mountain."
Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, about to ask for details, when Yin Song said, "You don't know yet, do you? Master Zhang has passed away."
Pan Jun's mouth dropped open.
Yin Song: "There's been a sudden change at Longhu Mountain. The third and fourth brothers were both involved. Now the Zhang family hates our Sanqing Mountain very much. Miaozhen and the others shouldn't go back." Pan Yun slowly closed her mouth, pondered for a moment, and then stammered, "Fourth Senior Sister's surname is Zhang... so it's only natural that she was involved. Third Senior Brother... is also half a member of the Zhang family. How can Longhu Mountain blame our Sanqing Mountain for this?"
Yin Song watched her silently.
However, Pan Jun did change his mind: "Alright, let's not go back to Longhu Mountain, let's go back to Sanqing Mountain instead."
After Pan Yun became the Imperial Preceptor, Sanqing Mountain received much attention.
Then, Xuanmiao and Tao Ji participated in the succession of the Celestial Master's Mansion, which in the eyes of the world seemed to indicate that Sanqing Mountain was about to seize the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Pan Jun had no intention of doing this, and Wang Feiyin and the others had even less intention of doing so, so naturally they did not want to cause such a misunderstanding.
As soon as Yin Song left late at night, Pan Yun squatted down at Zhang Zijin's door.
Zhang Zijin initially ignored her, since she had been waiting outside his door every day since she entered the palace.
He never paid any attention to her.
But today she was restless and refused to squat quietly; instead, she muttered to herself.
Zhang Zijin was highly skilled and had exceptional hearing. Even with his ears sealed, the sound continued to stream in.
Zhang Zijin knew he had to see her today, or she would nag him to death like Tang Sanzang.
Zhang Zijin sighed, and the door opened silently by itself.
Pan Yun, who was squatting in front of the door, immediately stood up, patted her bottom, and went inside.
This was her first time entering Zhang Zijin's room. She looked around and found it wasn't quite what she had imagined.
"What's the difference?"
Pan Yun then came to her senses, realizing that she had unknowingly expressed her own thoughts.
She raised an eyebrow, carefully examined the room, and discovered some traces of a formation.
“Your room is a bit empty.” There were only three bookshelves in the room, all filled with books. There wasn’t even a bed. On the north side, there was a mat with two futons on it. Zhang Zijin was sitting cross-legged on one of the futons.
Pan Yun sat down opposite him and asked, "Do you usually live here?"
Zhang Zijin looked at her with a "nonsense" gaze: "Speak your mind."
Pan Yun coughed lightly and said, "Senior Zhang, Master Zhang has passed away. Did you know?"
Zhang Zijin watched her quietly.
Pan Yun knew; he knew.
Pan Yun sighed, her face filled with sorrow, and was about to comfort him when Zhang Zijin suddenly spoke up: "Zhang Maocheng and the late emperor died on the same day."
Pan Yun exclaimed "Ah!" and suddenly remembered the connection between the Zhang family and the royal family, her brow twitching.
Zhang Zijin watched her quietly.
Pan Yun felt completely exposed under his gaze.
She was speechless.
Zhang Zijin then withdrew his gaze and continued, "I'll give you fifteen minutes."
Pan Yun said dryly, "I'm here to express my feelings to you, senior. I have no intention of competing with the Celestial Master's Mansion for power."
Zhang Zijin: "This is a matter between you and the Celestial Master's Mansion."
Aren't you all from the same family?
Zhang Zijin said, "I am a monk and do not concern myself with worldly affairs."
Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "Then you will stay and guard the palace..."
"Since I have accepted the order, I should fulfill my responsibilities and do my job well."
Pan Yun immediately replied, "Me too!"
Zhang Zijin couldn't help himself and let out a soft "humph." (End of Chapter)