Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 479 - 255 Prolonged Unity Leads to Separation_2

Chapter 479: Chapter 255 Prolonged Unity Leads to Separation_2

As soon as Assistant Pan and Pan Yang arrived home, Prince Consort Pan hastened to invite them to his Rongen Earl Mansion next door. Behind closed doors, he told them that Pan Yue was still alive and emphasized that this matter must not be leaked.

Both Assistant Pan and Pan Yang were thrilled to tears upon hearing the news. Pan Yang wept because his wretched sister was still alive, while Assistant Pan cried not just because his granddaughter was alive, but more so because he no longer had to live in constant trepidation.

Now among the five aristocratic families, aside from Pan Linfu himself sitting in the position of First Rank adviser, there is only one other with a rank of Third Rank official; all the others were below the fourth rank. Over the decades, the Emperor had almost crushed these great families.

His role as Secondary Assistant was anything but easy. To others, he might appear glorious, but only he knew its bitter sweetness. The Emperor hardly heeded his counsel and, when angered, would reprimand his eldest son as a way to squeeze him. In fact, he had contemplated resigning to enjoy his remaining years several years ago, but the other aristocratic families were reluctant, and the Emperor needed to keep him for appearances.

If Yueyue were still alive and pleased the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, they might also treat him with more respect. He could finally breathe easier.

When they learned that the son of Prince Ning was in fact Pan Yue’s child in that family, and moreover, that the mother and son had a wonderful relationship, they were utterly astonished. If this were so, their Pan family would be irrevocably tied to Prince Ning’s faction.

Assistant Pan was cunning and slippery. Outwardly, he firmly refused to take sides, but internally, he was considering how to subtly align himself with the Prince he saw as promising. Deep down, he hoped the Fifth Prince would ascend to the throne—not only because of the Prince’s modest and amiable nature but also because his in-laws, the Wong family, were one of the five aristocratic families and had covertly promised not to oppress them. Should he rise to power, the days of these five families would be much better.

Prince Ning was wise and resolute, holding considerable power in the military, but his methods were even more forceful than those of the current Emperor. His background was not considered prestigious, and he disliked relying on status to get things done. The five aristocratic families serving under him might have an even harder time.

Yet, because of Yueyue’s connection with Prince Ning’s only son, their Pan family would inevitably be marked as part of Prince Ning’s faction. Wouldn’t this mean opposing the other four great aristocratic families led by the Wong family?

He shared his concerns.

Prince Consort Pan didn’t pick up on Assistant Pan’s line of thought but expressed in a reflective tone, "My Yueyue, my Yueyue was once so exalted at home! You can’t even begin to imagine the kind of life she was living before. She subsisted on coarse rice and corn, with no certainty of her next meal. She wore rough cloth patched on top of patches. She lived in a thatched hut that offered no shelter from the wind in winter or rain in summer. She was even bossed around and spoken down to by rude people... Yet in such a harsh environment, Yueyue managed to survive, and not just that, she survived very happily. This was not only because the Qian family was kind-hearted, treating her like their own, but also because she had lost her memory, which naturally altered her mindset. Had Yueyue not lost her memory, had she still been the precious Commandery Princess Zhenyue, she could never have faced such an enormous disparity and continued to live on..."

Looking at his son wiping away tears and his father with reddened eyes, he went on, "I talked a lot with Sir Liang and Libationer Xu while in Guiyuan, and I thought a lot too. If we don’t cling to our aristocratic family’s pride and speak to those with less solid foundations, and genuinely listen to their voices, embracing their open-mindedness and their way of dealing with people, we really can learn a lot. During that half a year, I painted for only a dozen days, not even touching my brush for the rest. Aside from finding ways to bond with Yueyue and my grandson, I was reflecting. I was not lacking in anything, yet why has my life been so unfulfilling? Far less smooth than Old fox Liang, who is well-versed in human relations, and nearly everything goes his way. Nor can I compare to Libationer Xu, who can easily let go and remains optimistic despite losing almost everything and enjoying life to the fullest. Even less so with Yueyue’s father-in-law, who used to travel throughout the land as an Escort Army member, then was crippled, left extremely weak, and faced death several times. Yet, he never complained, and gritting his teeth, he survived, planning to make the best of life, still cherishing his wife and children, treating Yueyue as his own... I seem to have realized, one is breadth of mind, and the other is attitude... My mind has not been broad enough; although I have had great aspirations, I lacked inclusiveness... Nor have I had an optimistic and upward-looking attitude, blaming fate and others when facing adversity, instead of trying to overcome it or ride out the situation... Breadth of mind determines attitude, attitude determines fate... I was wrong, profoundly wrong for decades..."