Pan Yun touched the silver she had received and felt it was still a bit too little.
She needed to send some money to her father. Datong was impoverished, and they had left in such a hurry that they hadn't brought much with them.
Although her second uncle had entrusted people to send some things over later, it certainly wasn't enough.
Given their status, if they wanted to live a decent life, money was an absolute necessity.
Therefore, the more money, the better.
Secondly, her own cultivation also required silver.
She needed to become stronger. For now, cultivation was the most direct method, and the one she could grasp the most firmly.
As long as she was strong enough, she would eventually be able to rescue her father and brother.
So, she still needed money.
Pan Yun glanced at Xuan Miao, who had received a reward, and really wanted to step forward and unleash a wave of feudal superstition on Prince Zhou.
But, being too eager would make her look like a desperate peddler; there was no suitable opening right now.
Seeing Zhao Yuansong leave, the Princess of Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said to the people still crowding the room, "The Prince is tired. Zijin, have your wife take the child away. He has been terrified during this time; have a doctor look at him in a while.
You take good care of the three Daoists. We will thank them properly once the Prince has rested."
Zhu Zijin and Lady Gu quickly agreed. One stepped forward to pick up the child, while the other invited Tao Ji and his two companions to head out.
Zhu Youjue found it inconvenient to stay longer, so he said to the Princess, "I leave my eldest brother in your care, sister-in-law."
With that, he led his two sons away, head down.
Zhu Zijin stepped aside, respectfully letting his fourth uncle pass first.
Zhu Youjue paused in front of him, glanced at him sideways, and then turned and left.
This was the first time Zhu Zihao and Zhu Zitan had so clearly felt their father's displeasure toward their cousin, and both were quite shaken.
Zhu Zitan was better off; although his face was pale, he remained composed. Zhu Zihao, however, had red-rimmed eyes and his chest was heaving.
The two brothers hurriedly bowed to Zhu Zijin and then chased after Zhu Youjue.
Zhu Youjue did not usually live in the Prince Zhou's mansion; his fief was in Xiangfu County, and his own Commandery Prince's mansion was there as well.
It was only because Prince Zhou's illness had worsened recently—with rumors saying he didn't have many days left—that Zhu Youjue had come to Kaifeng Prefecture.
He was currently staying in a courtyard in the west corner of the Prince Zhou's mansion.
Before coming over, he had been napping in the water pavilion to escape the heat. When an informant from the main courtyard quietly came to report, he immediately got up, changed his clothes, and rushed over, but he hadn't expected to be too late.
Zhu Youjue returned to the water pavilion with a dark face. Unable to suppress his anger, he swept his sleeve across the stone table, knocking the fruit platter and tea set to the ground. The clattering sound terrified the surrounding servants, who changed color and bowed as they retreated.
Zhu Zihao’s chest heaved. He shook off Zhu Zitan’s hand and stepped forward to question him, "Father, why are you angry? Isn't it a good thing that Uncle designated our cousin as the heir to the Prince of Zhou?"
Zhu Youjue turned his head sharply to look at him, his face gloomy. "Zhu Youji disregarded human ethics, framed your grandfather, your uncle, and me, and committed so many unlawful acts. In the end, his son becomes the Prince of Zhou—this is heaven being unjust! How is that a good thing?"
Zhu Zihao insisted, "Cousin is Uncle's adopted son. Second Uncle never raised him for a single day, and Cousin only recognizes Uncle as his father."
Zhu Youjue sneered, "Your uncle is the Prince of Zhou, and Zhu Youji has been reduced to a commoner. Of course he only recognizes your uncle as his father."
Zhu Zihao disagreed, "Father, Cousin is not that kind of person."
Even Zhu Zitan said, "Father, although Cousin's personality is a bit weak, he is kind and filial. He is not someone who forgets righteousness for profit."
He paused and continued, "Regardless of the title, Cousin was raised by Uncle and Aunt since he was an infant. He was already twelve when Second Uncle took him away. There is no affection between his biological father and him. Second Uncle was already cruel to him when he was the Commandery Prince of Runan, often beating and scolding him. I heard that after he was demoted to a commoner, Cousin's life became even harder; in their house, he was treated worse than cattle or horses.
Could it be that Cousin respects Uncle only because of the title, and not because of the upbringing and love Uncle gave him?"
Zhu Zitan asked, "If you suspect Cousin respects Uncle because of the Prince of Zhou title, then why do my brother and I respect Uncle?"
Zhu Youjue was furious and slapped him, "Insolent!"
With a "slap," Zhu Zitan lowered his head, but his back remained stubbornly straight.
Zhu Zihao stepped forward to shield Zhu Zitan, also looking at his father stubbornly.
Zhu Youjue’s anger surged, and he suddenly realized: all these years, partly to comfort his eldest brother and partly because he had his own ideas, he had often sent his children to the Prince Zhou's mansion. As a result, they had become closer to his eldest brother and were now defying his own discipline as their father.
Especially Zhu Zihao and Zhu Zitan, who had lived in the Prince Zhou's mansion since they were two, only returning to the Commandery Prince's mansion once or twice a year.
The Prince Zhou's mansion seemed more like their home, while the Commandery Prince's mansion had become a relative's house.
This was a total loss. Zhu Youjue was so angry his chest hurt. He looked around for something to hit the children with.
Zhu Zitan thought for a moment, then pushed his brother and said, "Run."
Zhu Zihao hesitated, unwilling to run.
Zhu Zitan dragged him away, "Stay and get hit, run and get away. It’s clear Father wants to beat us to death. To keep him from regretting it later, we should run first. Otherwise, if he feels sorry for us later, wouldn't that make us unfilial?"
Zhu Zihao thought he made sense, so he ran with him.
Zhu Youjue was still looking for a suitable tool. When he turned back, the brothers were running away hand in hand. He followed them in a rage, "You little rascals, come back here! Ouch—"
Zhu Youjue slipped, and half his leg fell into the water.
Zhu Zihao and Zhu Zitan ran even faster, disappearing in a flash.
Meanwhile, Lady Gu, who had taken the child back to the room, was having someone fetch hot water for his bath while asking him about what had happened during this time.
In half a year, Zhu Tongqi only remembered his father and mother; he didn't remember much else clearly.
He didn't know how he had gotten lost, only remembering, "Lots of children. Bad people made us crawl through holes, and then lots of people came, holding knives and torches. I was scared, so I crawled everywhere, and then Third Grandfather took me away."
"Third Grandfather is a very good grandfather. Whenever he begged for food, he would share some with me, and then my tummy wouldn't be hungry." Speaking of this, Zhu Tongqi reached out to Lady Gu, reciting the lines he used when begging, "Give a bun, give a sip of soup, wishing you a long and healthy life~"
Zhu Tongqi raised a smiling face, looking at his mother with a fawning expression.
When Lady Gu heard this, her heart ached so much she couldn't help herself. She let out an "Ah" and pulled him into her arms, weeping uncontrollably.
Zhu Zijin had just arranged for Tao Ji and the others in the guest room. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard his wife's crying and ran inside, lifting his robes, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Zhu Tongqi looked scared and pulled his little hand back, completely unable to understand why his mother was crying.
Seeing his father, he also burst into tears.
Lady Gu hugged the child and threw herself into Zhu Zijin's arms, sobbing, "Husband, let's leave. Qi'er has suffered too much. I'm scared, I'm so scared..."
Zhu Zijin held the mother and son, his eyes red as he shook his head, "I can't. Father is critically ill; if we leave now, wouldn't that be betrayal? And Mother..."
He held Lady Gu tightly and said, "Don't worry, I—I will protect you both. Such a thing will never happen again."
Lady Gu shook her head, not believing him.
It wasn't that she didn't trust his ability, but there was a gap of over ten years between them and the Prince Zhou's mansion. They were strapped for cash and had no one to rely on. Even if Zhu Zijin had the heart, he could hardly ensure their safety.
Zhu Zijin said, "I will go beg Mother. Don't be afraid, and don't talk about leaving. Father has already submitted the memorial to request the title of heir; what would it look like to leave now?"
After crying, the grief in Lady Gu's chest eased a little, and her reason returned. She knew that mentioning leaving now was impossible.
Or rather, from the moment they left the village and the capital, there was no turning back.
Lady Gu wiped her tears and choked out, "I understand. Once I finish bathing him, I will take him to see Mother."
In this household, besides the Prince who would protect them, there was the Princess.
The Prince was now critically ill and had no extra energy, but the Princess could.
As long as she could win her pity, she would surely take better care of them.
Zhu Zijin accompanied her to bathe Zhu Tongqi, while asking him about the three Daoists.
Zhu Tongqi had just been frightened, so he was a bit timid, whispering, "Big Sister is a good person, very powerful..."
He said a few things about how powerful Pan Yun was.
He didn't remember much, but he remembered that as soon as Xuan Miao saw him, she called him "Heavenly Imperial Kin" and said she would take him home, and then she really did bring him home all the way.
Zhu Zijin was thoughtful, "There are always extraordinary people in the world. Although there are many swindlers, there are also many with true talent. It seems our Qi'er is lucky to have met someone with real ability."
Zhu Zijin was tempted. He looked at his young son, then at his wife, and finally took that step, gritting his teeth, "These three are capable people. I will ask them to stay; perhaps they will be a help."
Zhu Zijin had no one to use, and although Tao Ji and the others were Daoists, he was unwilling to give up.
Moreover, outsiders were more trustworthy, especially since they had this connection with Qi'er.
The couple discussed it quietly. After bathing Zhu Tongqi and feeding him a little, Lady Gu took the child to see the Princess, while Zhu Zijin went to win over the three Daoists.
The three Daoists were sitting at a table in a standoff—oh, Pan Yun wasn't a Daoist yet.
Xuan Miao believed they should leave, "The person has been delivered, why stay?"
Pan Yun: "I'm worried about the child. I need to ensure he can live safely in this mansion."
Pan Yun looked up at her, a half-smile on her face: "Daoist Xuan Miao is so powerful, you must have seen long ago that he had the face of someone who would die young, right?"
Xuan Miao: "From the moment he returned to the Prince Zhou's mansion, his death tribulation was resolved."
"Is that so?" Pan Yun looked skeptical, "I don't think it's resolved. Or rather, that death tribulation was resolved, but a new one has appeared."
Xuan Miao: "...Everyone has to die eventually. Can you wait here until he dies of old age?"
Pan Yun: "Didn't you see the half-house full of dying people, Daoist? With so many people about to die violent deaths surrounding him, how can this not be dangerous?"
Xuan Miao frowned at her, "That is because of the funeral sacrifices. Once the Prince of Zhou dies, according to the regulations, all concubines without children must be sacrificed. The personal attendants, the maids and nannies around the concubines, must also be sacrificed. But the Prince of Zhou has already submitted the memorial to request the heir, and we are just waiting for the imperial decree to save half of them.
This tribulation has passed; those remaining who are destined to face the tribulation cannot be saved."