Chapter 143: Little Wan Misses the Regent
“What exactly couldn’t they anticipate?”
Wei Wanlan woke from the dream, remembering only scattered words in his mind: something about “Turks,” “heavy snow,” and “couldn’t anticipate.”
But that was very strange.
The Regent had clearly told him that winters in the Turkic lands were bitterly cold, with frequent snowstorms affecting both people and livestock. He remembered shedding a tear of sympathy at the time.
It often snowed in the Turkic lands during autumn and winter.
So why would it be “unexpected”?
He turned over wearily on the bed. Sleeping had made him even more tired. He tried to sleep again, wanting to search for the answer.
But the Nine Dragon Mirror didn’t seem to intend for him to always have nightmares. His sleep became much more normal afterward.
However, the confusion regarding the dream weighed on his mind.
Wei Wanlan felt as if there was a stone in his heart.
It had been about ten days since the Regent went on the expedition.
The intense summer heat in Chang’an was finally coming to an end. Early autumn had arrived, and the temperature difference between morning and night was increasing, making it less unbearable to stay in Zichen Palace grading memorials.
Wei Wanlan obediently stopped eating too much iced fruit.
Though, in truth, even if he ate a little more, no one would dare stop him. At most, Eunuch An would offer gentle advice.
Now that the Regent was away, he had to play the part of a serious Emperor in front of many people. While he could adapt to this life, he didn’t particularly like it.
He began to miss the days when the Regent would occasionally discipline him, sometimes lecture him, and sometimes tell fables or play house with him.
When would the Regent return?
“Your Majesty. The procession to the Supply and Transport Bureau is ready. Chancellor Xiao is waiting for you outside the hall. You may depart.” An Ruyi said.
Wei Wanlan gathered his thoughts.
It was an early morning with a hint of chill. Little sparrows hopped about in the morning light.
Since the war began, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War had jointly established a wartime organization called the “Supply and Transport Bureau” (Du Yun Si) to manage logistics for the front lines. This bureau was directly supervised by the Emperor, and all matters were open and transparent.
Both ministries sent personnel to be stationed there, saving significant time on procedural exchanges and preventing corruption like that of the former Minister of Revenue, Cui Minghai, from affecting the distribution of pay and provisions.
This was the little Emperor’s innovation.
Once the Supply and Transport Bureau was established, the court officials admired the little Emperor’s wisdom even more. He had solved the problem of buck-passing between the two ministries with one stroke.
Moreover, everyone knew:
The military was highly valued by the little Emperor. As long as he held the gun tightly, hardly anyone could shake his foundation.
Wei Wanlan wore a light dragon robe.
He hadn’t been sleeping well lately, so despite being a small figure, his steps weren’t very light. He was trying hard to appear steady and dignified, but maintaining the facade was exhausting.
Today, he was going to check on the living conditions of the Regent and the troops.
Wei Wanlan stepped across the threshold of the Supply and Transport Bureau.
The first thing he saw was the back of many heads and backs. The officials of the Bureau were kneeling in neat rows.
Wei Wanlan was used to everyone kneeling whenever they saw the Emperor in this feudal era. It was a massive crowd; no matter how he looked at it, the room felt stuffed with people.
Ugh, too many people!
Wei Wanlan frowned.
Someone impatiently and eagerly tried to scoot closer to the Emperor, attempting to attract Wei Wanlan’s attention. When kneeling, he bowed his head lower, looking as if he were prostrating completely—an unusually heavy act of reverence.
The method was clumsy; Wei Wanlan felt it personally.
It couldn’t be said that he hadn’t grown at all in this political intrigue novel.
Wei Wanlan opened the System and calmly selected the “Character Hint Card.” As soon as the item took effect, bubbles popped up over the heads of everyone in the room, just like NPCs.
Wei Wanlan read their intentions:
Zhang Qian, Chang’an merchant. Offering supplies to the Bureau at below-market prices, intending to use this as a springboard to gain the Court’s attention.
Lu Cheng, wandering warlock. Flattering officials to gain entry to the palace, intending to predict the war’s outcome before the Emperor to seek the position of Imperial Preceptor.
Feng Shuangxi, palace eunuch. Intending to curry favor with the Emperor to seek a position as a close attendant.
Wei Wanqing, Prince of Cheng’en. A surviving branch of the imperial family, hoping to dispel the current Emperor’s suspicions through good performance.
…
It seemed some people had infiltrated the Supply and Transport Bureau with their own agendas.
They weren’t wholeheartedly serving the court, nor were they there to provide services for the Regent and the frontline soldiers fighting in blood.
Wei Wanlan scanned the bubbles over the heads of the kneeling people.
He told them to rise, his eyes glancing toward the Prince of Cheng’en. During Mission Two, he had used Wei Wanqing’s identity to sneak out of the palace. This was the original host’s only remaining relative, spared because he hadn’t participated in the rebellion.
Wei Wanqing was frail and thin, also very small, but he didn’t dare look at the Emperor at all, trembling with fear.
Wei Wanlan felt a bit lonely at the top again.
Sigh.
The Vice Minister of Revenue reported the military supply accounts to the Emperor.
The Emperor couldn’t understand them, but he knew how to pretend he did. Chancellor Xiao would check them later anyway.
Next was the report from the Ministry of War.
When the Vice Minister of War reported, his logic was clear, but his eyes were evasive, as if he was terrified of meeting Wei Wanlan’s gaze. This struck Wei Wanlan as odd.
He looked at the bubble over this person’s head:
“Rong Peiyuan, Vice Minister of War. Desires to achieve great things in his post, but his situation is awkward.”
Wei Wanlan suddenly remembered that the previous Vice Minister of War was Qin Zhen.
The traitor Qin Zhen.
This person was likely worried that the Emperor still had lingering trauma regarding the position of Vice Minister of War, right?
Wei Wanlan tilted his head, wanting to tell him that We aren’t actually that petty.
The Vice Minister of War said, “The armor and uniforms supplied to the front lines are light and breathable. They are the latest designs from the Great Wei Directorate for Armaments. We have fully considered the climatic conditions of the Turkic lands. They can withstand the morning and evening chill while ensuring breathability and comfort during the day’s march, preventing the soldiers from being affected by discomfort.”
Saying this, the Vice Minister called a clerk to bring samples.
The samples were brought on a lacquered tray.
The clerk knelt and presented them to Wei Wanlan. Inside were several armor plates. The metal was hard but very light. If Wei Wanlan guessed correctly, Great Wei might have figured out alloy technology.
There was also a palm-sized piece of fabric, neither thin nor thick, but soft and breathable.
Both were indeed good things.
Wei Wanlan nodded in satisfaction.
Putting on his public face, he praised, “We are very pleased.”
Inside his head, however, he was thinking: Is the Regent getting a new skin again?
Every time Great Wei’s military equipment was upgraded, did the Regent have to change his armor? The Regent must be a man with many cabinets of armor by now. Hehe…
After finishing his report, the Vice Minister of War suddenly fell silent, waiting for further instructions from the Emperor.
Wei Wanlan zoned out for a moment, then quickly pulled his thoughts back and asked, “Is there enough military grain?”
The Regent took good care of his diet, so he wanted to return the favor, ensuring the Regent and the soldiers could eat well even on the front lines.
The Vice Minister of War reported, “Regarding grain, this year’s wheat harvest was excellent. The court has ample provisions. New grain collected from various regions is constantly being transported directly to the front lines. Perhaps in a few days, the army will be able to eat new wheat.”
Wei Wanlan seemed to smell the scent of wheat and pressed, “Can they also get vegetables, fruits, and meat?” A balanced diet was important too.
Vice Minister: “They can. These will be supplied by the local areas closest to the front lines.”
Wei Wanlan nodded. Then, feeling this might burden the local people, he thought for a moment and said, “Do not forcibly requisition them. They must be purchased at market price. We will also appoint imperial censors to follow up on this matter.”
The officials listened and nodded with even greater trepidation.
The atmosphere in the Supply and Transport Bureau was too solemn!
It made Wei Wanlan very uncomfortable. He felt that if he stayed here any longer, everyone would be on pins and needles.
But since it concerned the front lines, Wei Wanlan wouldn’t be at ease if he didn’t ask clearly.
His pacifist nature kicked in, and wanting to find a topic to ease the awkward atmosphere, he brought up grain transport, asking the officials:
“How are military supplies transported to the front lines?”
The Vice Minister of War quickly answered, “Your Majesty, via this route!” He hurriedly guided the Emperor.
It turned out that behind the dense wall of people in the bureau, a military map was hanging.
The map depicted the area from Chang’an to the border with the Turks. While not as spectacular as the sand table in the Ministry of War’s Council Hall, it was still several square meters large, enough to bluff Wei Wanlan, a modern person.
Rong Peiyuan picked up a pointer, pushed through the crowd, and began to explain:
“Your Majesty, provisions will depart from Chang’an, pass through Lanzhou and Liangzhou, then go through the Yumen Pass, cross the Gobi Desert, and finally reach the Western Regions to rendezvous with the Regent’s main force.”
The tip of the pointer paused briefly as he mentioned these locations.
Wei Wanlan looked at the winding curves on the map. A trace of confusion flashed in his doe eyes. He realized that to feed the Regent, the supplies had to take a huge detour on the map.
So he pointed his finger, remembering that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and asked:
“Why cross the Gobi? Why not go directly over this mountain? Wouldn’t the transport of military grain be faster that way?”
What he didn’t expect was that after these words, the atmosphere in the Supply and Transport Bureau didn’t relax; instead, it turned cold, as if the air had stagnated.
The Vice Minister of War fell silent immediately, holding the pointer, unsure how to respond to the Emperor’s suggestion. He looked pitifully distressed.
“This—Your Majesty… this…”
He wanted to say, that is not an ordinary mountain.
That is Yin Mountain.
The Yin Mountain that “prevents Hu horses from crossing.”
The last military report indicated that the situation in that area was still unclear. If it was still in Turkic hands, it would be walking into a tiger’s mouth. That mountain really couldn’t be crossed!
But could he say this openly?
Wouldn’t saying it be contradicting the Emperor? Wouldn’t it make the Emperor hate the Vice Minister of War even more?
Rong Peiyuan felt like he was being roasted on a fire. He hesitated, his lips opening and closing. The transport convoy and the Great Wei army seemed to be in imminent danger. But even using all his wits, he couldn’t think of a suitable way to tactfully remind Wei Wanlan.
Just then.
Many people in the Supply and Transport Bureau knelt in unison and shouted:
“Your Majesty is truly a rare genius…”
“First, establishing the Bureau was an innovation, and now devising such a brilliant strategy. It is truly awe-inspiring!”
“Your Majesty’s civil and martial virtues shine over the four seas. Your Majesty is wise!”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
Vice Minister of War Rong Peiyuan: …
His silence gave many people a chance to perform. For a moment, the Bureau was like a pot of black water boiling over. It seemed lively, but what was being cooked up was foul smoke—everyone calculating their own interests.
The Vice Minister stood stiffly amidst this spectacle.
The situation was getting out of control.
More and more people joined the camp of flattering the Emperor, encouraging the grain transport army to bravely cross the mountain.
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