Chapter 937
Chapter 937
Chapter 937
Pan Yun brought fifty wrapped skewers of mutton into the palace.
The Emperor and Empress were still engrossed in their work.
Each person occupied a corner of the main hall, handling official documents. One side was surrounded by eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial, while the other side was surrounded by palace maids. The groups were clearly separated, yet they were all in the same space, creating a harmonious and compatible atmosphere.
Pan Yun, who had been searching for them all along, never expected that they would be handling official business together, so she paused for a long time.
The eunuch guarding the door rushed into the hall, excitedly announcing, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor has returned and is requesting an audience outside the door."
Not only Zhu Qiyu, but Empress Wang also suddenly raised her head.
The emperor quickly said, "Please come in."
Pan Yun entered carrying mutton skewers, and both the Emperor and Empress stood up, looking at her with delight: "The Imperial Advisor is back—"
The reason they ended up working in the same office was because of Pan Yun.
Since the Yellow Talisman was acquired, the Emperor and Empress could contact Pan Yun in real time. Although they had never been there, they felt as if they were there when Pan Yun talked about her travels throughout Jiangnan.
Pan Yun's incognito visit was just like their incognito visit.
Therefore, although they needed Pan Yun very much, they did not urge her to return. They only contacted her through the Yellow Talisman Book. Over three months, Pan Yun had the Embroidered Uniform Guard send them three Yellow Talisman Books.
Fortunately, she had enough Yuan energy and could draw talismans quickly enough, otherwise there wouldn't be enough for them to make.
It is important to know that the Yellow Talisman must have one original and one copy, and the numbers must match in order to make contact.
Therefore, she had the Imperial Guards send them three copies, which meant she had to draw six copies.
It's really not easy at all.
During this time, Pan Jun missed her cell phone and computer, things that allowed her to contact others instantly.
Actually, it's not that it can't be done. Pan Yun's eyes flickered slightly. In her previous life, after the spiritual energy revival, a large number of base stations were destroyed. People in the city mostly used intranets, while outside the city, most used satellite networks without base stations. However, once you went to explore, going up to the sky or down to the ground, the signal became unstable. Therefore, it was only natural that magical artifact mobile phones appeared.
The magical mobile phone transmits information primarily through the air, mountains, and water. The magic array decrypts the information into different frequency bands, which are then transmitted through the air, mountains, and water. Once another mobile phone captures the information, it is decrypted into text, images, and voice.
However, such ritual implements are rarely used because the richness of their information is far less than that transmitted from satellites.
It will only be used in other spaces or other places where satellite signals are difficult to receive.
Pan Yun had prepared one in her previous life, which she would only take with her when she went out to gain experience.
By the way, what was the formation of the magic artifact phone again?
The formation was created by her two senior brothers from the previous two years. She had assisted them, but the core secrets were only in their hands.
Pan Jun lowered her eyes and decided to try again. She knew the principle behind it and was confident she could figure it out.
"Grand Preceptor, what do you think? Grand Preceptor, Grand Preceptor?" Zhu Qiyu waved his hand in front of Pan Yun's eyes.
Pan Yun lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, saying, "Your Majesty ascended the throne during a time of crisis, and all sides have doubts. Since they want to come, let them come. It's also a good opportunity for them to see that the emperor and his ministers of the Great Ming are of one mind and that the people love and support Your Majesty. They think that the Great Ming is in turmoil and weak and want to take advantage of the situation to invade. They are sorely mistaken."
Zhu Qiyu, however, was somewhat worried: "But, but the national treasury is empty..."
Since ascending the throne, the biggest problem he has faced has been an empty treasury, with all sorts of financial issues weighing heavily on him.
This gave Zhu Qiyu a feeling that the Ming Dynasty was weak at present. If he invited those vassal states to celebrate his birthday at this time, wouldn't it backfire if they found out?
“Your Majesty, even though the Ming Dynasty’s treasury is empty and not as wealthy as before, it is still the suzerain state of all the vassal states, a place they can only look up to. Moreover,” Pan Jun paused and then said, “the majority of the expenses for birthday celebrations have always been on waste and extravagance.”
"At a time when the nation is facing difficulties, why doesn't Your Majesty set a good example by taking the lead? There are ways to be frugal. Our great nation should be established by propriety, not extravagance."
Empress Wang immediately agreed: "Yes, Your Majesty, maintaining proper etiquette is the mark of a great nation."
Zhu Qiyu: "I do want to be more frugal, but I'm afraid that my subordinates will take the opportunity to amass wealth or try to guess my intentions and act recklessly."
Pan Jun chuckled and said, "Isn't this where His Majesty's Northern Garrison comes in handy? I'm not afraid they'll ask for money; I'm only afraid they won't. It's not a bad thing to take this opportunity to replenish the national treasury."
Pan Yun's gaze swept over Cheng Jing, the eunuch holding the imperial scribe, who was standing to the side.
Cheng Jing was startled and immediately knelt on the ground, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, I dare not."
Zhu Qiyu quickly added, "Grand Preceptor, Cheng Jing has always been by my side; he wouldn't dare do such a thing."
Pan Jun glared at Cheng Jing, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Idiot, I told you to spread what I just said. Who said you were the one who did that? Everyone knows how loyal you are to the Emperor. And with your guts..."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Jing looked up and gave Pan Yun a fawning smile before quickly glancing at the Emperor.
Zhu Qiyu paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "To intimidate others by first striking hard, to be polite before resorting to force, this is a good method. Cheng Jing, secretly leak what we just said, and let's see who dares to make a move."
Cheng Jing quickly agreed.
Pan Jun's gaze was deep as he said, "However, Your Majesty could indeed make use of the Northern Garrison Command to avoid the abuse of punishments, monitor all officials, and fill any gaps in the Censorate's operations."
Last year's personal campaign resulted in heavy losses for the Northern Garrison Command. Several of the commanders died on the battlefield, and many of the commanders and centurions were also killed or seriously wounded, leaving the new emperor with no one to rely on after his ascension to the throne.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Northern Garrison is now mainly responsible for protecting the Emperor and Empress and carrying out confidential work to transmit information between the Emperor, Empress and the Imperial Preceptor. Much of the intelligence work has even been transferred to the Imperial Guard, the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review.
Pan Yun remained silent, intending to let things take their course, but he discovered that the consequence of letting things take their course was that the emperor was gradually taken over by the court officials.
Of course, she held the most power over the emperor among them.
She could control him, but she didn't want him to be powerless to fight back in the future.
Pan Yun advised him, "Your Majesty, the Northern Garrison Command monitors all officials so that Your Majesty can better understand them and know what kind of people should be used in what positions. In addition, the Northern Garrison Command's intelligence network also involves local vassal kings, grasslands, overseas vassal states, and the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world)."
"Because of the lack of garrison commanders and deputy commanders, these intelligence reports are probably piling up and no one is handling them, right?"
The emperor then looked at Cheng Jing.
He was so busy every day that he didn't have anyone to report to the Northern Garrison Command, so naturally he didn't remember.
Cheng Jing quickly replied, "Some of the intelligence was handed over to the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, the Imperial Guards, and the Court of State Ceremonies for processing, but most of it is indeed piled up in one place and no one is handling it."
“This is just like border defense and military affairs,” Pan Yun said. “The lowest-ranking Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) are lurking everywhere, gathering information. They know everything, but are powerless to change anything; the middle-ranking Jinyiwei know a little about everything, but are not proficient, so they deceive their superiors and subordinates; the highest-ranking people know nothing, but think they know everything and believe they have everything under control.” Zhu Qiyu was startled upon hearing this. Since returning from Datong, Zhu Qiyu had been reorganizing military affairs without ever stopping.
The more the government cracked down, the more alarmed he became.
In particular, after a six-month investigation, military affairs reports from various regions were successively submitted.
The Censorate, the Ministry of War, and the local garrisons reported independently. By combining this information and reviewing it together, Zhu Qiyu was able to detect the enormous problem without the need for guidance from Yu Qian and others.
If the situation at the Northern Garrison Command is the same as that of military affairs, then who else can he use?
Pan Jun leaned forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, you need an arm, an arm that can be used as easily as your own arm."
Zhu Qiyu suddenly looked up at Pan Yun.
Their eyes met, and neither of them looked away.
Pan Yun stared into his eyes and said, word by word, "This arm will protect you and obey your will. One day, even if you want to kill me, they will obey you without hesitation!"
Zhu Qiyu's pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly said, "What are you saying, Grand Preceptor? How could I possibly want to kill you?"
Pan Yun smiled, straightened up and said, "I was just making a casual analogy. I am of one mind with His Majesty and hope that our Great Ming Dynasty will be peaceful and prosperous for thousands of generations. Of course, His Majesty will not kill me. I just hope that His Majesty has such a force that can completely obey your orders."
Zhu Qiyu was deeply moved, and tears were almost in his eyes.
Cheng Jing, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but look at the Empress. Seeing that Empress Wang was also moved, he was momentarily stunned.
The Imperial Advisor is truly remarkable.
The emperor and empress both trusted her so much.
Cheng Jing showed even more respect to Pan Yun. Seeing the faint fragrance wafting from the oiled paper, he was no longer afraid that the food was brought in from outside the palace. He bowed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I will go and get some bowls and plates to put the meat skewers in."
Zhu Qiyu nodded: "Go ahead and fetch some more wine. Meat tastes better with wine."
As soon as Cheng Jing left, Zhu Qiyu waved his hand, dismissing the others as well, leaving only the Emperor, Empress, and Pan Yun in the room.
Pan Jun tore open the oil paper, revealing another layer wrapped in lotus leaves. As soon as she opened it, the enticing aroma of meat wafted out, making the eyes of the three of them light up simultaneously.
However, Empress Wang was a composed and rule-abiding person, so she remained seated and did not move, offering a token suggestion: "Isn't it inappropriate to eat food from outside the palace in the palace?"
Pan Yun: "I watched him grill it, it was fine and clean."
Empress Wang nodded demurely: "Since they were brought in by the Imperial Advisor, it's alright for them to have some occasionally."
Zhu Qiyu had already taken two skewers. He handed one to the Empress and picked up the other himself. He continued the previous topic: "Grand Preceptor, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I have a candidate here. What do you think of Bi Wang?"
“Bi Wang?” Pan Yun shook his head directly: “This man is more loyal than intelligent. He can be a centurion or a commander, but he is not fit to be a commander.”
He added, “Since the Northern Garrison is His Majesty’s arm, I shouldn’t interfere with personnel appointments and removals. I can’t tell you who is suitable, but I can tell you what kind of people are unsuitable.”
Zhu Qiyu listened attentively, and Pan Yun said, "First of all, someone like Bi Wang, who lacks wisdom and ability, can be used as a deputy, and then a deputy, but he must not be used as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
“The leader must be His Majesty’s hands, His Majesty’s eyes, and His Majesty’s brain. Without such a broad perspective, even a good person can do bad things,” Pan Yun said softly. “In the court, we are not afraid of stupid people, but we are afraid of people who are both stupid and diligent.”
Empress Wang glanced at Zhu Qiyu and concluded, "Therefore, fools are not advisable."
Pan Yun nodded: "The second type of person is the maternal relatives."
Zhu Qiyu glanced quickly at Empress Wang, and became somewhat nervous.
Pan Yun, however, did not notice and continued, "Whether it is the Empress or the concubines in the harem, their fathers, brothers, and younger brothers cannot be in important positions."
“I know that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has always been a good place to place relatives of the emperor. But as long as they are not given important positions and have little real power, they are just paid a salary to support them. Once they are given important responsibilities, they will be promoted quickly. But are they really capable of doing the job and loyal enough to His Majesty?”
Zhu Qiyu said, "They are relatives of the concubines in the harem, so they will naturally be loyal to me."
Pan Yun smiled and said, "That's because His Majesty has never experienced a struggle for the throne. His Majesty is gentle and respectful to his brothers. You never competed with the late Emperor, nor did the late Emperor suppress you. Imagine if His Majesty had seven or eight sons in the future, and all seven or eight sons had the ambition to seize the throne. Coincidentally, the uncles of these seven or eight sons were all members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Would they be completely loyal to His Majesty, or would they be loyal to both His Majesty and their own princes and nephews?"
Zhu Qiyu opened his mouth wide, speechless.
"A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Therefore, the most direct way to avoid such a mistake is not to place relatives of the mother in an important position."
Empress Wang wholeheartedly agreed.
Zhu Qiyu whispered to her, "I also want to bestow honors upon your brother-in-law on your birthday, appointing him as the Vice Commander of the Northern Garrison."
Empress Wang refused, saying, "Why do you want to reward my brother on my birthday? He should be appointed to a position commensurate with his abilities. Your Majesty should not bestow extra honors upon him for my sake. That would not be good for him, but rather harmful. Moreover, officials are paid by the people and should only be promoted if they are capable of serving the people. He has not made any contributions, so how can he be promoted without cause?"
“My brother-in-law has always doted on you. I think the Wang family has done a good job in raising you…”
"I will repay my father and brothers in the future, but I cannot use my official position and national wealth to indulge in personal feelings," Empress Wang said gently. "Your Majesty, I am the mother of the nation, not a parasite on the country."
Zhu Qiyu was deeply moved upon hearing this, and he held Empress Wang's hand, speechless for a moment.
Pan Jun sat to the side, eating dog food and skewers, watching with great interest.
Empress Wang was indeed as impartial, dignified, and steadfast as she was in history.
She glanced at Zhu Qiyu, inwardly scoffing, "Men, ah..."
However, it is good that the emperor and empress are on good terms at this time, and we should take advantage of this opportunity to develop the domestic and foreign economies.
Pan Yun ate two skewers of lamb in one go, while Cheng Jing, who went to get the wine, had not yet returned.
She cursed the old fox inwardly, but had to cough lightly to steer the conversation back on track, saying to the emperor, "Your Majesty can think of more people. When selecting talent, there is no need to be too concerned about the person's identity. As long as they are capable and loyal to the imperial power, that is sufficient."
She clapped her hands, stood up, and said, "Your Majesty, shall we talk about something else?"
Empress Wang immediately stood up to give them space.
The emperor stopped her, saying, "You still have things to attend to. Let's go out."
Empress Wang glanced at Pan Yun, smiled and nodded, and watched the two of them leave.
Pan Jun pretended not to see the faint shadows cast on the window and walked with the emperor towards the main hall of the imperial court. The hall was spacious and high up, so there was no possibility of eavesdropping.
(End of this chapter)