Chapter 008: Wandering the Garden with the Regent
At this time, the system provided some background information:
[The original host was the Crown Prince of Great Wei, who ascended the throne at the age of twelve. He was willful, unconventional, and often committed shocking acts. The original host had transformed the Imperial Garden into a Menagerie, but this was not recorded in the books. However, this should have been something he was capable of doing.]
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
Wei Wanlan was upset in his heart. The system had only now confessed that the original host was a troublesome child, but all of his previous behavior had not at all been in line with that of a troublesome child. He had been completely out of character (OOC) the whole time.
[How could I have known you would take this long to kill the Regent?]
“…”
Nothing more to discuss.
Wei Wanlan puffed up his cheeks.
[You don’t need to imitate the original host’s words or actions. Su Jingzhi looks down on the original host, and imitating him would only cause trouble. You just need to align with the timeline and appropriately dispel his suspicion that you are a demonic entity that has possessed someone.]
“Understood.” Wei Wanlan blinked and said to Su Jingzhi, “We have your protection, there is nothing for Us to be distressed about.”
At this time, the scent of bloodshed from the slain animal had drifted into the dense forest. From within the woods, a fierce beast let out a long howl, causing dozens of birds to suddenly take flight in a panic, fluttering towards the outside of the forest.
There were still wild beasts in this forest!
Perhaps even fiercer than the leopards!
Wei Wanlan’s ears practically wanted to stick to his face in fright, and he wanted to hide again, but he dared not hide behind the Regent’s back, standing behind a pillar of the octagonal pavilion.
Su Jingzhi: “Not distressed?”
“Still a bit distressed.” Wei Wanlan corrected himself. There was no help for it, his life was the priority. He had just clung to the Regent’s leg, and he must use him to lead him out of this Menagerie filled with ferocious beasts. “Regent, have you finished your business? This place is so dangerous, We are concerned about the safety of you all. Can We accompany you?”
The Three Judicial Agencies were all stunned: When had the Emperor become so considerate of his ministers?
Only Su Jingzhi remained unyielding, understanding Wei Wanlan’s intention: “Each goes their own way.”
How annoying!
Wei Wanlan negotiated, “Then, can We issue an edict to abolish the Menagerie, no longer wanting to raise wild beasts here, and release them back to the mountains? Can We make this decision?”
Su Jingzhi suddenly paused.
The Menagerie’s expenses came from the Ministry of Revenue, being the money the original host had requested from the treasury three years ago, when Su Jingzhi was busy consolidating power in the previous dynasty and had no time to pay attention to the small Emperor’s use of this money. Thereafter, it became a fixed annual expenditure. The treasury had been paying money year after year for the Emperor to operate this Imperial Garden.
Now the young Emperor wanted to give up what he had obtained, equivalent to the treasury retaining that sum of money, so the Regent was naturally happy to go along with it.
Su Jingzhi nodded: “You may.”
This decision fell on the ears of the officials of the Three Judicial Agencies, and they all praised it in admiration, their eyes practically sparkling with stars:
“The Emperor is truly wise!!!”
The Imperial Garden was filled with unprecedented joy.
Previously, all the civil and military officials in the court had avoided the locust-like young Emperor, but now, although this young Emperor still seemed softer in his speech and actions than before, he was unexpectedly not as detestable.
Just this single act of “correcting the wrong and abolishing the Menagerie” alone deserved to be recorded in the national history.
The ruler of Great Wei, it seems, has truly reformed.
Wei Wanlan, with tears in his eyes, said, “Then… Regent, now that this is no longer a Menagerie but my own Imperial Garden, I cannot encounter so many wild beasts here. I am worried for your safety, so will you see Us and the ministers out safely?”
The little thing has made progress, and he has gotten the Regent to go along with it.
Su Jingzhi stood with hands clasped: “Mm.”
Wei Wanlan happily smiled, but almost bit his tongue.
***
In the subsequent journey through the former Menagerie, Wei Wanlan now felt a sense of inexplicable confidence.
Even when he suddenly saw a snow leopard with cold eyes glaring at him from the treetops, Wei Wanlan was no longer timid, but instead made a grimace at the snow leopard.
The snow leopard, feeling provoked, crouched down in a pouncing stance.
But it was scared away by a single glance from Su Jingzhi, swiftly retreating into the deep forest.
In that moment, Wei Wanlan thought of an idiom: “Borrowing the might of the tiger.”
However, the great tiger Su Jingzhi also didn’t give him a good look: The man was discussing matters with the Three Judicial Agencies, clearly to prevent others from overhearing, so Wei Wanlan suddenly interrupting was indeed not appropriate.
But there was no help for it. Wei Wanlan thought wistfully. Who could have known that the only savior in the forest was the Regent?
If there had been a second option, he would not have sought the protection of the Regent at all!
Fortunately, today was a holiday.
Wei Wanlan comforted himself in the current situation, repeatedly muttering: As long as I’m bold, the Regent will come to protect me. As long as I don’t lose my way of thinking, the Regent will be my manservant…
“Your Majesty.” Xin Bumi suddenly said.
“Manservant.”
“This?”
Wei Wanlan quickly pulled his thoughts back: “My ministers.”
The Grand Magistrate Xin Bumi continued: “Just now, we reported to the Regent that the first batch of Supervisory Censors has returned to the court with much information, pointing the spear towards the corrupt officials in the vicinity of the capital. Since this matter involves some high-ranking officials and imperial relatives, we had no choice but to choose the Menagerie as the special location to discuss it.”
Is this something he can tell me about?
Wei Wanlan showed some incomprehension.
Su Jingzhi inconspicuously observed him, but did not stop the Grand Magistrate from reporting state affairs to the Emperor.
Xin Bumi continued to report: “As the ruler of Great Wei, if Your Majesty could issue an edict with your golden words at the Grand Assembly, and have it written into our Great Great Wei Code of Law, it would definitely benefit the common people for generations to come, and the people would be deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s paternal love.”
The system immediately translated this into plain language: [Let you be the spokesperson to announce the new rules.]
Wei Wanlan: “We are willing.”
How could he agree so quickly?
Su Jingzhi suddenly turned his head, looking down at the side profile of the young Emperor who could only reach his shoulder, his eyelashes like raven wings, his nose bridge straight and exquisite.
[Well done.]
“It’s useful for the common people,” Wei Wanlan recalled, “I think there was a TV drama called ‘The Inspection Group’…”
The system praised in succession: [Just like that!]
But they did not know that the officials of the Three Judicial Agencies were even more delighted and surprised.
Previously, it had always been the ministers who came to audience, but the young Emperor would have palace eunuchs block them outside the palace, and even when they had the rare chance to see the Son of Heaven, the young Emperor would only talk about idle pleasures, never seen him agreeing to state affairs so quickly.
Xin Bumi was still fine.
The oldest Censor-in-Chief was almost moved to tears: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”
Heavens and Earth, the Emperor has truly awakened.
Wei Wanlan nodded. As a modern person transmigrated to the ancient times, he could not feel the extent of his own change, but for a court and its ministers below, it was such a shocking transformation.
In Su Jingzhi’s mind, the ancestral temple of the Su family suddenly surfaced, where he had once secretly determined to distance himself from Wei Wanlan.
But now, that determination was changing from solid rock to gradually dissipating dust.
Su Jingzhi realized he had the seeds of wavering, and forcefully pulled his thoughts back: “Your Majesty, do you still remember how long it has been since you last attended court?”
Wei Wanlan truly did not know, and shook his head: “We… do not know.”
This kind of heartless and brainless attitude inevitably made the heads of the Three Judicial Agencies’ hopes flicker, then turn into shallow sighs.
We still need to try a little harder, Your Majesty! We can wait!
Immediately afterwards, each official walked with their own thoughts, the forest rustled, the branches swayed, and several armed guards sensed danger.
Su Jingzhi’s gaze sharpened.
Wei Wanlan walked half a step ahead, and saw a huge black-and-white creature, burly and strong, weighing several hundred catties.
Wei Wanlan, instead of his previous timid nature, happily called out: “Wow, a giant panda~~~~~~~~”
This was the adorable national treasure of the Middle Kingdom, the star attraction in any zoo it was placed in.
Wei Wanlan’s eyes were shining. As a modern person who had to pay admission to see pandas, to be this close to a living, breathing giant panda was a privilege he could hardly even dream of in the present day, a pity he had no mobile phone to take a photo.
Giant pandas do not hibernate in the winter. The panda had its back to everyone, chewing on bamboo, making crisp cracking sounds as the green stalks broke, its back rising and falling.
Just as he was about to approach, the back of his collar was suddenly grabbed by Su Jingzhi, who sternly lectured him:
“Stay. It is a ferocious beast.”
“It’s a panda.”
“It’s a bear.”
“Panda!”
“Bear.”
I finally got a vacation, and he won’t let me see the pandas!
There was a difference in perception between the ancient and modern people.
[A panda’s biting force is not inferior to a tiger’s, though it appears harmless on the surface, its combat ability is terrifying, and wild pandas are even more dangerous.]
But clearly, this system was on the same side as the Regent.
However, that giant panda had already eaten its fill, its interest in attacking people waning, and hearing the voices not far behind it, it slowly, slowly turned its head, revealing its nose and two black eye patches.
Su Jingzhi picked up Wei Wanlan, intending to leave.
Wei Wanlan was being sternly tugged up by the Regent, his face suddenly turning deathly pale, his tear-stained little face facing the chubby panda face to face.
The panda moved. Everyone held their breath.
The panda looked at the people staring at it, tilted its head and pondered for a moment, then reached out its paw towards Wei Wanlan.
Waving and being cute was the ancestral skill of the giant pandas.
Wei Wanlan was overjoyed, finally realizing his dream, and despite being held by the back of his collar by the Regent, he still couldn’t restrain his excitement and greeted it: “Hello~”
The large and small exchanged greetings across dozens of feet: “We know you are uncomfortable staying in this garden, We just happened to come take a look at you today, and afterwards We will send you back to your old home, no, the Ba Shu region.”
Although the aesthetic appreciation of the ancients differed from the moderns, aesthetic sensibilities do have some commonalities. When Wei Wanlan praised the panda as cute, all present also began to carefully observe the panda.
Tang Tuan was the first to be led astray by the young Emperor: “Ah, it’s not that Majesty’s fault for liking it, look at it, its round head, chubby body, black and white, slow-moving, so fun to play with. I also think it’s quite cute.”
The senior officials of the Three Judicial Agencies were no better, Xin Bumi although silent, but clearly could not tear his gaze away.
And the Minister of Justice, stroking his big belly, squinted and smiled: “Endearing and tranquil, it puts one’s heart at ease.”
—He put more hearts at ease.
Su Jingzhi’s mind was inexplicably struck by this sentence.
It seemed to recall many scattered fragments with Wei Wanlan, his brow furrowing, the Regent blurting out another sarcastic remark: “Your Majesty has never cared about anything other than reckless pleasures, how would you know this beast comes from Ba Shu?”
The system, save me, I’m in a knowledge blind spot!
[“Takin, resembling a bear but yellow-black in color, originates from the Ba Shu region.”]
Wei Wanlan repeated it as instructed, that cautious enunciation making his parrot-like recitation seem as if he had truly memorized some famous passage.
The senior officials of the Three Judicial Agencies were all literary gentlemen, quoting classics and historical examples was nothing difficult for them, but for the young Emperor to bring out the Han dynasty’s celebratory “Ode to the Imperial Park” so apropos, the law enforcement group was extremely excited.
The group of officials again unanimously cupped their hands in salute: “Your Majesty is truly wise!”
The guards, of course, had to perform the courtesy of military officers: “Your Majesty is truly wise!”
Su Jingzhi’s gaze became even more deeply focused as he watched Wei Wanlan.
Was he truly wise?
Previously, he had thought the Wei royal family was benighted, but now, was the Wei Wanlan he was seeing still that benighted Emperor, or was he slowly changing for the better, step by step?
Su Jingzhi’s heart was filled with unease, and he no longer wished to converse with Wei Wanlan, continuing to lead the way with hands clasped.
But the repeatedly praised Wei Wanlan was overjoyed, and then became overconfident, his ankle twisting on an old vine, causing him to fall.
Wei Wanlan’s delicate face immediately turned pale with pain, falling at Su Jingzhi’s feet, large beads of sweat and tears sliding down: “Wuuuu, Regent, We’ve twisted Our ankle…”
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