The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun smiled, pinched his fingers and nodded slightly: "I, Pan Yun, meet your parents."

Before Cai Sheng could react, Master Qian, who was standing behind him, had already quickly pushed him and Master Wu apart, walked between the two of them, and excitedly stepped forward to hold Pan Yun's hand: "Pan Miaozhu, you are finally back!"

Seeing Master Qian, Pan Yun's smile became sincere, and she held his hand: "Long time no see, Mr. Qian, how are you?"

"Nothing is wrong, nothing is wrong," said Mr. Qian with tears in his eyes. "May the mountain god bless me and my family. Only then will everything be safe."

He turned around and said to Cai Sheng excitedly, "County Magistrate Cai, this is the temple priest of the Sanqing Mountain God Temple that I often mentioned to you. She is the direct disciple of the mountain god."

Cai Sheng had come back to his senses and said with a fake smile, "So it's the temple keeper."

He turned around and sat down under the plaque hanging high above the mirror. He straightened his clothes before looking up and asking proudly, "Why is Pan Miaozhu here?"

Pan Yun: "I came to help my parents with their urgent needs."

Cai Sheng said with disdain: "Pan Miaozhu also came for the rioters in Fenshui Village? I have promised your brother that I will not do anything to them until all the anti-party members are arrested."

"No, I came here for my parents and the people of Yushan County," Pan Yun smiled. "The guillotine has already fallen on my parents' necks, but you can still laugh and talk. You are really extraordinary. But common people like me don't have your steadiness, so I can only come to see you on behalf of the people."

Cai Sheng's face froze slightly, and he asked unhappily, "How can you, a mere Taoist priest, be qualified to represent the people?"

Pan Yun said with a compassionate look: "All the people are kneeling before the mountain god to pray, I heard it."

Miao Zhen said coldly: "My junior uncle is a temple keeper. The temple keeper can hear all the prayers to the mountain god."

"Oh?" Cai Sheng said with a sarcastic expression: "Then Pan Miaozhu, guess what I am praying to the mountain god for right now?"

Pan Yun looked straight into Cai Sheng's eyes.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Cai Sheng felt that her eyes could see into people's hearts. He suddenly felt naked, being peeled open from the inside out by her.

He looked away somewhat embarrassedly, not daring to meet her gaze.

Pan Yun smiled as before: "If your heart is not sincere, your wish will not come true. My parents do not believe in ghosts and gods, so why bother yourself to make a wish to the mountain god?"

"However, we all know the difficulties of our parents, without the guidance of the mountain god." Pan Yun's eyes became sharp, and the corners of his mouth dropped, looking much more serious: "You are facing a great disaster, why don't you make plans early?"

Cai Sheng subconsciously clenched his fists and said with all his strength: "Don't be so mysterious. What disaster is coming..."

"Jiangnan is the grain and money warehouse of our Ming Dynasty. Can Magistrate Cai pay the full amount of taxes this year?"

Cai Sheng choked.

"Not only are taxes not paid in full, but there are also riots under my rule..."

"That's because there are traitors who are stirring up trouble among the people and causing rebellion!" Cai Sheng shouted, "I will put down the rebellion and give an explanation to your majesty and the court!"

Pan Yun kept smiling: "It seems that my parents have already arranged everything. This rebellion may be a good thing. The taxes and account books of Yushan County can be pushed onto the rebels. After all, they have broken into the county government before. The loss and fire are all excusable."

Cai Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and he saw Pan Yun smiling sweetly: "But what if someone wrote to Your Majesty, saying that Yushan County was in chaos because of the harsh government and the officials forced the people to revolt?"

Cai Sheng slammed the gavel and was furious: "How dare you!"

Pan Yun took off the jade pendant hanging from his waist, waved it in front of Cai Sheng and said, "Master Cai, you can take care of Guangxin Prefecture, but can you take care of Prince Zhou's Palace in Kaifeng? Unfortunately, I have some connections with Prince Zhou's Palace, and I also have some connections with the Imperial Censorate in the capital."

Cai Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly: "Pan Miaozhu came to the county government today to threaten me?"

Lawyer Wu slowly retreated, and soon he led a team of yamen runners to rush up and surround the few people.

Master Qian was startled, and quickly stood between them and said, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, parents, Pan Miaozhu is a good person, he has always listened to the court, and has a lot of cooperation with the government..."

Pan Yun gently pushed Master Qian aside, chuckled, and walked towards Cai Sheng step by step: "Magistrate Cai, you have misunderstood. How can this be a threat? I am here to help you solve your problems."

Cai Sheng's eyes fell to the ground, and he saw that every time she stepped into a pit, a piece of the blue brick under her feet would be shattered.

Cai Sheng was so scared that he leaned back and fell into the chair.

Master Wu was also startled, and quickly pointed at her and shouted: "You you you..."

Half of the yamen runners were very familiar with Pan Yun, while the other half were new and had never seen her before, but they were all shocked.

But they still dutifully rushed forward with swords drawn to stop her, but Miaozhen and Miaohe stepped forward and held out their hands to stop them.

The two sides immediately started fighting, and the yamen runners' knives were knocked down.

Without even turning his head, Pan Yun walked directly to the table, placed one hand on it, leaned forward slightly to cover Cai Sheng, and said with a smile: "County Magistrate Cai, I told you that I came here because of the believers' prayers. I want Yushan County to be safe and the people to be safe, and you want to keep your head. Our goals are the same. Whether you believe in the mountain god or not, we can cooperate, right?"

A slight cracking sound was heard, and when Cai Sheng lowered his eyes, he saw a crack appear on the desk in front of him, which slowly penetrated the entire desktop.

He swallowed, looked up at Pan Yun, and said seriously: "How do you want to cooperate?"

Pan Yun took back his hand from the table and smiled with satisfaction: "That's right. We Taoists value harmony and win-win. I hate fighting and constant disputes the most."

Cai Sheng looked at the table which was still slowly cracking, and said nothing.

Pan Yun said, "Let's put aside the issue of defeating the rebels. The most urgent task is to appease the people. Magistrate Cai, do you know how many rebels there are now?"

Cai Sheng: "About 5,000 people."

"More than 5,000 people, that is to say, there are more than 5,000 families of rebels. Do you want to capture every family of rebels?"

"Of course it's impossible," Cai Sheng said, "We will only arrest the family members of the leaders to intimidate them."

"Then why did you arrest all the villagers in Fenshui Village?" Pan Yun said, "Except Wang Xiaojing and Wang Erliang who committed suicide, there are only five people left in Wang Xiaojing's family."

Cai Sheng snorted coldly, "There were six people from Fenshui Village at the mine, and no one returned to the village after the incident. It is obvious that they all followed Wang Xiaojing in rebelling against the court. Their behavior is so bad that they should be punished together!"

Pan Yun shook his head and sighed, "If you are innocent, you can use such a tough approach. If the news spreads to the capital, the masters may even praise you for your strong character. But, you..."

Cai Sheng quickly asked: "What did I do wrong?"

Pan Yun smiled and said, "I have not been in the county for a long time. I just entered the city yesterday morning, but I have heard countless rumors in just one day in the city. Your reputation among the people is not good."

Cai Sheng blushed and said angrily: "Someone is slandering me..."

"Whether it is slander or not, I know it very well, and I don't care," Pan Yun interrupted him: "I just want to ask you, sir, you have a very bad reputation among the people of Yushan County. Is this true?"

Cai Sheng opened his mouth and eyes wide, unable to speak.

Pan Yun said, "Since we want to save you, we have to change your reputation. Otherwise, once the imperial censor arrives, even if the county government's storehouse and account books are burned clean, the censor will hear about it and report it, and you won't have an easy life."

Upon hearing this, Master Wu walked up quickly and whispered in Cai Sheng's ear, "Sir, she is right."

Cai Sheng pondered: "Do you have a way to change the reputation of this county?"

"Of course you can," Pan Yun said, "The people have misunderstandings about you because they don't know you well enough. From now on, as long as you do things that are in line with benevolence, righteousness, and loyalty, and solve their predicament, all the past can be covered by the present."

Cai Sheng looked at Master Wu. Master Wu nodded slightly and asked, "What does Pan Miaozhu think the adults should do?"

Pan Yun held up a finger and said, "First, release the civilians implicated by the rebels and their families;"

Cai Sheng narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "You still say it's not for the people of Fenshui Village?"

Pan Yun: "Your Excellency can choose not to listen to me, but you have to know that there are 5,000 rebels, with 5,000 families behind them, plus the neighbors are implicated... Even if a considerable number of the rebels are not from Yushan County, the fact that tens of thousands of people are implicated will also make the rebels panic."

Pan Yun walked down the steps, stood across the table and faced him, and asked directly: "My Lord, why don't you put yourself in their shoes? The laws of this dynasty are strict. If you were among the rebels and learned that your parents, wife, children, and neighbors were imprisoned because of you, what would you do?"

Cai Sheng said without thinking: "I will go down the mountain and surrender immediately!"

Pan Yun sneered: "Really? After surrendering, will you go to the guillotine with your family and neighbors?"

Cai Sheng choked.

"I'm different," Pan Yun raised her chin slightly, stared into his eyes and said, "I will be more determined. I will do whatever it takes, even if it means breaking through mountains and rivers, to avenge my family!"

Cai Sheng: “You!”

Pan Yun looked at Master Wu next to him and pressed him, "Where is Master Wu? Is he the same as Magistrate Cai, or the same as me?"

County Magistrate Cai also immediately looked up at Lawyer Wu.

"I..." Master Wu swallowed and subconsciously avoided the gaze of Magistrate Cai.

Then they both understood each other.

County Magistrate Cai was very angry: "Why are you..."

"Master Cai," Pan Yun interrupted him with a smile, and said leisurely, "We are the ones who told the truth, and you did not speak from your heart."

Cai Sheng was silent.

Pan Yun: "Release the people and comfort the people. Not only can it calm the hearts of the common people in Yushan County, it can also sow discord among the rebels and restore your reputation. It's a three-pronged approach. Why not do it?"

Pan Yun raised his hand.

Miaozhen immediately walked forward with the box in her hand and opened it.

Pan Yun took out the painting from the box and spread it out on the table. "This is Li Tang's "Picking Wild Vetches". It was given to me by King Zhou when I left Kaifeng. I know that the county government is short of money after the rebels left, and money and grain are indispensable for the people's safety. I donated this painting to the county government, and you, sir, can exchange it for money and grain."

Cai Sheng's eyes widened when he saw the picture. He quickly stood up and held it carefully: "Is this real?"

"Of course," Miao Zhen said arrogantly, "It was given by King Zhou, so how could it be fake?"

This is not only an inducement, but also a threat.

Master Qian rolled his eyes, trotted over to Cai Sheng and whispered in his ear, "Dear parents, Pan Miaozhu has a distinguished background. You came late and didn't know her. She is the daughter of an official."

Cai Sheng's eyebrows jumped in disbelief: "The daughter of an official?"

"Don't you remember? At the beginning of this year, there was a big incident of Xue Pan's rehabilitation. The Jinyiwei from the capital came to investigate the case..."

Cai Sheng was shocked: "That was a case when County Magistrate Ming was here. What does it have to do with me?"

Master Qian whispered, "Of course it has nothing to do with you, and the case has been closed, but I heard that when she was seeking justice for her father in the capital, she not only met Prime Minister Yang, but also met His Majesty. The Zhou Palace and the Yunnan Mu Palace both pleaded for her father..."

Cai Sheng is not a fool. In other words, this painting may really come from the Zhou Palace, and Pan Yun has a really good relationship with the Zhou Palace.

He glanced at the broken bricks on the ground and the cracks on the table, his expression depressed. He couldn't beat them, catch the man, or control the information; he couldn't beat the enemy with his background either. What else could he do except be obedient and cooperate?

Cai Sheng accepted the map and said stiffly, "Pan Miaozhu is kind, I accept it on behalf of the people of Yushan County. I will exchange it for money and food as soon as possible to appease the people."

Pan Yun nodded slightly, looked outside at the sky and said, "It's still early today, so we should release them early so that they can go home. There's not much food in the city, and if we keep them here any longer, it will be even more of a problem to feed them."

Cai Sheng gritted his teeth, glanced at Master Wu and said, "Then let's go and release them at noon."

Master Wu agreed immediately.

Pan Yun nodded slightly, and said to Miao Zhenmiao: "You two should accompany Master Wu for a walk."

Miao Zhen Miao He responded.

Because Miaozhenmiao was accompanying him, Master Wu set out early and it was already noon.

Cai Sheng invited Pan Yun to stay for lunch to deepen their relationship and discuss future cooperation.

Since we are going to cooperate, it is of course impossible to just do this one thing.

For Cai Sheng, the most urgent task is to put down the rebellion.

Since Pan Yun said that she is a temple priest, represents the mountain god, and has the power of the mountain god, and she is an old acquaintance of Wang Xiaojing, is there any way to subdue the rebels?

Pan Yun asked him directly: "If I can recruit the rebels, can Lord Cai save the life of the bandit leader?"

Cai Sheng: "The county will do its best."

He practiced Tai Chi, but Pan Yun didn't know how to fight him, so he said directly: "That won't work."

Cai Sheng: …

As a person who works in the officialdom, he is not used to Pan Yun's directness. He hates her so much.

Mr. Qian, who was sitting next to him, lowered his head and ate voraciously.

Unexpectedly, Cai Sheng suddenly turned around and said to him, "Master Qian, what do you think about the donation?"

Master Qian almost spit out the words, and after coughing twice, he said vaguely: "I will do my best."

Pan Yun poured him a cup of tea and asked casually, "Are you donating money and food to the disaster victims?"

"Yes," Cai Sheng said angrily, "the rebel army stole all the money and food in the warehouse. Now we need to provide relief to the victims, but the county government has no money or food. If we don't provide relief, I'm afraid the number of rebels will increase again."

Seeing that he was extremely angry, Pan Yun felt that his understanding was quite accurate, but it was not possible to rely solely on donations from the gentry.

Pan Yun asked, "Have you asked the court for relief money and grain?"

Cai Sheng's eyes flickered as he said, "This year, all parts of Jiangnan have been hit by disasters, especially Suzhou and Songjiang. I heard that the water in Taihu Lake has overflowed. How can we let the court worry about it again?"

Pan Jun took back the above thoughts. This person's cognition was still a little different. Didn't he know his own weight?

He was still thinking of solving it himself. If he kept delaying like this, the rebels might really attack him and tear him to pieces. (End of this chapter)