Chapter 480 - 255 Long Union Must Part_3
He rambled on for a long while, then took a cloth to cover his face and wept. His words moved Assistant Pan and Pan Yang, who also began to reflect seriously.
After crying for a while, Prince Consort Pan wiped his tears clean, raised his head, and said, "As the saying goes, ’Everything that comes together must eventually part.’ The time for the five aristocratic families to split has come. If it weren’t for these five families acting in unison, influencing the rise and fall of the previous dynasty over the past hundred years, and swaying the politics during the late Emperor’s reign, the present Emperor wouldn’t regard us with such caution, wishing to remove us quickly. It is better to split than to be altogether destroyed. Soon, I will resign from my official duties, and my second and third brothers, who hold minor sixth-rank positions, are not of any concern. Yang should also resign... When Brother Jie grows up, he can then seek public office..."
Assistant Pan of course understood this rationale, but the bonds between the five families were intricate and complex after hundreds of years of intermarriages; his own wife was from the Wong family...
For the first time, Pan Yang stood on the same front as his father and said, "Grandfather, I think my father is right. It is better for us to split than to be destroyed together; it benefits everyone. Those four families cannot forget the glory of when the five aristocratic families united and continue to support the next monarch, striving to maintain our past glory. Little do they know, this has already incurred the Emperor’s displeasure... Moreover, my niece’s adopted son is the sole child of Prince Ning, and their bond as mother and child is profound. The Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother, who has been neutral, is very fond of my niece and might become biased once she knows the truth. I think the likelihood of Prince Ning ascending to the throne is much greater..."
Afterward, three generations of the family discussed these matters throughout the night.
The next day, the deeply emotional Prince Consort Pan, dressed in white hemp clothes and wearing a wooden hairpin, rented a small courtyard not far from the Elder Princess’s grave. He would go to the grave during the day to offer incense and reminisce, and only return to the courtyard to rest after dark. This went on for three months, during which he wrote a poem lamenting his late wife, titled "Quiet Night Thoughts." Full of poignant emotion, the poem’s somber beauty quickly became a beloved masterpiece that continued to be passed down through the ages.
During these three months, Pan Linfu defied the advice of the other four families and resigned from his position of Secondary Assistant. At first, the Emperor did not agree, but after Pan Linfu had severely injured his head from kowtowing, the Emperor finally agreed with tears in his eyes.
Following that, everyone from the Pan family who held an official position also resigned. Only Earl of Rongen, Pan Zi’an, and Protectorate General, Pan Yang, could not resign as these were hereditary noble titles, not official posts. Such titles could only be taken back if one committed an offense and the Emperor decided to revoke or demote the title or upon the death of the titleholder.
As for those who resigned from their official posts, Pan Linfu, Old Great-grandpa, and Pan Zi’an still received corresponding compensation—they were given silver.