Chapter 144: The Plot Line Changed
Because of this disagreement, quite a few officials, large and small, popped up in the Supply and Transport Bureau advocating for crossing the mountain.
If judged solely by their voices, everyone sounded equally sincere and humble.
For a moment, Wei Wanlan’s ears were buzzing, unable to distinguish who was genuine and who was fake.
He cast his gaze toward the Vice Minister of War, seeming to seek an answer, but Minister Rong hesitated even more. The pointer in his hand was already hanging by his side. He knelt trembling: “Your Majesty, this official…”
A voice from the Bureau scolded:
“Rong Peiyuan has ulterior motives, attempting to slow down the grain transport progress! We ask Your Majesty to punish this man severely; perhaps he is in league with the Turks!!!”
“Previously, Vice Minister Qin Zhen had rebellious bones. Rong Peiyuan cannot be trusted either. Please be discerning, Your Majesty!”
Hearing the old accounts of the previous Vice Minister being dug up, the current Vice Minister became even more terrified.
He hurriedly tried to clarify himself. The bubble created by the “Character Hint Card” above his head became more obvious, its edges flickering:
—Rong Peiyuan, Vice Minister of War. Desires to achieve great things in his post, but his situation is awkward.
Wei Wanlan sympathetically focused on the words “situation is awkward” and pressed, “Since the Ministry of War formulated the plan, what does my beloved subject think is feasible?”
Rong Peiyuan raised his head. His pupils trembled, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
The little Emperor’s tone gave no hint of joy or anger. He had no choice but to state what was in his heart, his voice dry and hoarse:
“Along the Yin Mountain line, the situation is unclear, and it is difficult for a large army to cross. The plan formulated by the Ministry of War is rigorous and meticulous and has been verified many times. Until front-line intelligence is updated, this official insists on bypassing through the Gobi Desert.”
“Your Majesty! This man sticks to old ways and refuses to adapt! He is a treacherous villain just like Qin Zhen, Your Majesty!!!”
“…”
The group advocating for crossing the mountain caught Wei Wanlan’s attention again.
The bubbles from before reappeared over their heads, flickering before Wei Wanlan’s eyes:
Feng Shuangxi, palace eunuch. Intends to curry favor with the Emperor to seek a position as a close attendant.
Feng Zhao, Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. Plays both sides to seek promotion.
Zhang Qian, Chang’an merchant. Wants to win the court’s attention and seek cooperation for wealth.
Lu Cheng, wandering warlock. Flattering officials to gain entry to the palace, seeking the position of Imperial Preceptor.
…
The item exposed these people’s goals completely.
All the members advocating for crossing the mountain were sycophants of this sort!
Even though Wei Wanlan hadn’t recognized Yin Mountain on the battlefield map, he could sense through the information in the bubbles that those suggesting the mountain route were up to no good.
This matter concerned the front lines, and he already had a foreboding feeling in his heart.
The supply line absolutely could not go wrong!
Wei Wanlan took a light breath, coming up with an idea to “kill the chicken to scare the monkey.” He casually pointed to a location on the transport map and picked Feng Shuangxi to start with: “Eunuch Feng supports Our suggestion, so you must be familiar with the terrain. Tell We, what place is this?”
Feng Shuangxi was illiterate and had relied on maneuvering to get into the Bureau. He only knew how to please his superiors; how could he read a map?
“This—”
Feng Shuangxi was tongue-tied.
Wei Wanlan pressed on. Lifting his chin slightly, he asked several other members of the mountain-crossing faction in turn:
“What mountain is this? What place is this? How is the local terrain?”
“Your Majesty…”
“Since you know nothing, why say crossing the mountain is better? It shouldn’t just be because We proposed it, right? What if We were testing you?”
The common-sense error that had occurred was forcibly salvaged by Wei Wanlan, turned into a reverse “calling a stag a horse” to test the professional standards of the officials.
Wei Wanlan applauded himself in his heart.
As for the mountain-crossing faction, they instantly looked like geese being held by the neck.
Who could have thought this little Emperor’s mind was so hard to fathom!
They all widened their eyes in terror and then knelt even harder, a chorus of tongue-tied gasps sounding at Wei Wanlan’s feet.
The Vice Minister of War secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was his first time in such close contact with the little Emperor. Rumors said the Emperor was unusual, but now it seemed he was unfathomable. One couldn’t guess how many unexpected schemes lay behind that pointed little face.
“I am very angry that someone would use the lives of the entire army as a springboard for their own promotion. These opportunists who know neither geography nor arithmetic should not stay here.”
“If anyone dares to infiltrate the Supply and Transport Bureau and harm the frontline soldiers again, We will have their heads.”
The little Emperor’s voice was cold.
Super fierce.
After he spoke, the Imperial Guards entered, bringing a finality to his words:
The mountain-crossing faction was dragged out, their wails instantly filling the entire Supply and Transport Bureau.
The Vice Minister of War and the remaining officials who witnessed the whole process almost shivered.
Wei Wanlan helped the Vice Minister up, looking at the words “situation is awkward” in his bubble. Knowing he was an honest man, he comforted him sympathetically: “We only asked to ensure the implementation of grain transport. We do not suspect those We employ; you are you, no need to worry too much.”
We do not suspect those We employ; you are you.
The Vice Minister of War felt a rush of hot blood surge to his forehead and then flood his limbs, burning his fingertips. The knot in his chest loosened with this wave of heat.
His vision cleared, and even the text in the bubble over his head changed.
Wei Wanlan blinked:
—Rong Peiyuan, Vice Minister of War. Grateful for the Emperor’s recognition, intends to serve the court to the death.
The corners of Wei Wanlan’s mouth curved slightly, bringing a sweet smile. A good deed for the day, hehe.
The little Emperor was beautiful, held supreme power, and was wise and magnanimous. His inspection of the Bureau swept away the foul atmosphere in one go. Even after he ordered the return to Zichen Palace, the shock at the Bureau did not subside for a long time.
On the way back.
Xiao Ji thought about his wording before saying, “Your Majesty truly… gave this subject a scare just now.”
Although the fierce general vaguely knew the Emperor likely had other intentions, he feared Wei Wanlan might actually be swayed by others into ordering the army to cross the mountain, which would lead to an irreversible disaster!
Fortunately, Wei Wanlan was only testing the Bureau’s standards.
Xiao Ji was still shaken:
“It is fortunate Your Majesty pays such attention to the Bureau. This organization manages both money and grain, offers a chance to see the Emperor, and has the authority to bypass standard procedures due to military urgency. No wonder it attracts those with ulterior motives.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
Receiving this praise, Wei Wanlan gradually felt a bit ashamed, knowing it was due to the cheat item.
But since Xiao Ji always admired him so much, Wei Wanlan didn’t want to let his admiration be in vain. He waved his little paw and said lightly:
“We saw through their sinister hearts long ago.”
“They couldn’t even read a map, so how could they work solidly in the Bureau? Thinking flattery would win Our appreciation… even a wise Emperor cannot move a great mountain. We wouldn’t fall for it.”
“Indeed. The power of nature, wind, snow, and thunder are the work of gods, not something human power can resist. That Your Majesty was not blinded by sweet words is the fortune of the people.”
Wei Wanlan froze.
He felt Xiao Ji’s words land in his heart like a drop of water on paper window screens.
The water spread across the paper but didn’t puncture it, leaving a hazy thought in Wei Wanlan’s mind. He had been walking, but he slowly came to a stop, remembering the dream that had confused him for so long.
…Even a wise Emperor cannot move Yin Mountain.
So, in the book The Regent of Great Wei, was there also a dangerous plot point lying ahead like Yin Mountain, something unsurpassable?
Theoretically, there shouldn’t be, right?
Wei Wanlan’s eyes darted around. He knew the Regent was the male lead. 404 had said that in the original book, the Regent pacified the Turkic threat. The author would never let the male lead die in the Turkic lands. So why did the Nine Dragon Mirror repeatedly hint that the Regent would die?
Could the Regent’s plot line have changed?
!!!
It… It must have changed…
Wei Wanlan’s small face flushed red. His dragon paws instantly cupped his cheeks to cool them down; his palms were hot.
He thought about how the Regent, who should have imprisoned him by now, had become his boyfriend. The plot had long been changed beyond recognition by the transmigrator’s arrival. So, the original ending of the Regent’s expedition might not be preserved either.
Could Su Jingzhi’s protagonist halo fail?
In the weather where the summer heat was fading, what Wei Wanlan felt was a bone-chilling cold. The sense of danger and ominousness that had been invading him crept up his back like a venomous snake. Sorrow seized his emotions again. He felt cold all over.
“Little Wan.”
“Turks… heavy snow, we couldn’t anticipate…”
The image of Su Jingzhi falling in the snow in the dream became clearer.
Wei Wanlan quickly climbed onto the palanquin An Ruyi had prepared. He stopped his stroll and commanded the return to Zichen Palace immediately. The paper window in his mind was about to tear open.
All the clues were constantly reinforcing and reminding him.
The little sparrows spread their wings and chirped.
Wei Wanlan locked himself in the study and summoned the Wise Ruler System.
Currently, he only had the “Fragment of The Regent of Great Wei” reward related to the original book. He found the icon and clicked ‘Use.’
A complete page of the original novel appeared before Wei Wanlan, covered in dense Song typeface.
“Ancient poems said ‘The barbarian sky flies with snow in August’.”
Wei Wanlan murmured as he read:
“This year’s weather was strangely abnormal. Just entering the end of the seventh lunar month, the temperature in the Turkic lands dropped plummeting, and one terrible snowstorm after another struck.”
“Ashina Shali’s troops were hit by the blizzard, with countless people and livestock freezing to death.”
“In the court, Su Jingzhi summoned the ministers, planning to use this blizzard as an opportunity to bury Ashina Shali in the snow forever…”
Wei Wanlan didn’t blink, trying hard to digest the information in the book. He felt his brain was overloaded and about to explode.
The more he read, the stranger it felt. The original text clearly said it was a god-given opportunity, that the snow fell on the enemy, completely opposite to what he saw in the dream!
Why?
Filled with anxiety, he read the last few lines of the page word by word:
“At this time, the blizzard in the Turkic lands was already ravaging the whole territory. Su Jingzhi gave the order, and the Great Wei army set out at the end of August.”
“On the day of departure, the autumn air was clear and cold, and leaves fell whistling.”
But what Wei Wanlan felt was the lingering sultriness in the study as the summer heat retreated. The paper page tasted bitter from the heat.
—The expedition time was advanced by nearly two months!
The layer of thought blocking his understanding finally broke.
This was the butterfly effect brought by the transmigrator.
The snow in the original work was obviously written by the author to let Su Jingzhi win, allowing the male lead to dominate the world in the end.
But now…
He had been eager to push the progress of Mission Three and completed tasks extremely quickly. This caused the blizzard, which should have dealt a devastating blow to Ashina Shali, to fall upon Su Jingzhi instead.
Wei Wanlan’s heart tightened suddenly. What appeared in the dream was real.
“Your Majesty, the armor and uniforms supplied to the front lines are light and breathable.”
The military equipment samples the Bureau showed him—light plates, thin uniforms—couldn’t withstand the cold at all!
They wouldn’t last through a few heavy snows QAQ
He had to go save the Regent immediately!
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