Chapter 105: Teasing the Little Fool Again
The item Wei Wanlan chose had a self-explanatory name: “Local News Broadcast.” In short, it could broadcast the latest news and events happening in Luoyang City to the emperor.
This was very useful for the emperor to quickly understand the local situation, worthy of the Enlightened Ruler Development System.
He clicked on the broadcast icon.
Suddenly, a butterfly, seemingly from nowhere, landed on the tip of his ear. The golden butterfly fluttered its wings beside Wei Wanlan’s ear, pouring the news into his ear at a moderate volume.
“After the implementation of the Complaint Drum system, the satisfaction of Luoyang citizens with the imperial court has skyrocketed.”
Oh oh. This is quite comprehensive. Thank you for the recognition.
“The resettlement of the attendants after the closure of the Imperial Villa has been properly handled by the local government. All personnel have now been re-employed.”
Good. Hope you can also close the Jinling Imperial Villa, thanks.
“The government plans to release all the wild beasts from the Imperial Villa. Some injured beasts are currently being treated in a separate clean area in the government office. The release work will be completed by the end of this year.”
If you need money for feed, We will approve it, haha.
“Due to the effective intervention of the imperial court, the overall situation in Luoyang is stable and improving. The Eastern Capital Grand Pu will commence tonight, with great momentum.”
…What Pu?
The little butterfly could replay, dutifully broadcasting again:
“The Eastern Capital Grand Pu will commence tonight, with great momentum.”
…What is Grand Pu?
The unfamiliar term was like a bubble suddenly appearing before Wei Wanlan’s eyes, floating and attracting his attention. He finally found a legitimate reason to stroll into the Regent King’s office.
Ask for advice.
Theoretically, the Regent King had the responsibility and obligation to teach the little emperor. For a period, the Regent King did teach him, but at that time, he felt the man’s motives were impure. Making him learn random things was just to show he was guiding the little emperor well.
But now his view of the Big Bad Guy had changed. Wanting to approach the Regent King, it was a perfect opportunity to resume learning.
He hasn’t taught me lessons for a long time…
Counting various abnormal situations, Wei Wanlan couldn’t help but think deeply. The more he thought, the more he felt the Big Bad Guy was abnormal, and he had a strong urge to learn. He felt he was extremely motivated.
So he got up from the rocking chair, floating towards the Big Bad Guy like his feet didn’t touch the ground. The rocking chair rocked back and forth in the courtyard, making a rattling sound.
The study in the main building of the posthouse was on the second floor.
There were no soldiers guarding outside.
The door of the posthouse room was relatively simple, just ordinary wooden lattice without carvings. Wei Wanlan knocked on a spot where his finger could land and softly called “Regent King” a few times.
But unusually, Su Jingzhi didn’t respond. Wei Wanlan raised his eyebrows; this shouldn’t be.
Logically, a master of the Big Bad Guy’s level should have sensed him from the moment he stepped onto the stairs, let alone knocking. But today he knocked, and there was still no reaction.
Could it be the Big Bad Guy was distracted by something? Or maybe he worked continuously for many hours and fell asleep?
Wei Wanlan thought these were the only possibilities.
Although he felt regretful, the Regent King’s rest was important. Asking for advice could wait until he woke up.
Wei Wanlan obediently lifted his hem, about to go downstairs, when the door behind him suddenly opened—
He smelled the bitter scent of medicine. Woody fragrance. And a bit of the dry paper smell of books and memorials. Wei Wanlan frowned, looking past the Big Bad Guy to see a simple bed placed next to the desk.
The texture was smooth, and the bedding was neatly folded, indicating the Big Bad Guy slept here.
Wei Wanlan bit his lip, his heart contracting inexplicably. He wondered why he felt disappointed, and looking at the accommodation environment in this room, it was really bad. The bed was too hard and too narrow…
“Why did you come suddenly?”
“Did We disturb you?”
Su Jingzhi naturally thought he didn’t disturb him. He had just administered acupuncture and taken medicine, so his vision and hearing had recovered somewhat. Yes, his hearing had also begun to decline recently, so when Wei Wanlan knocked just now, he heard it vaguely, taking a while to confirm there was a visitor outside.
Just a moment together shouldn’t be a big problem.
What’s wrong with the little fool, coming to find me on his own initiative.
Su Jingzhi felt comforted but didn’t put down his pen. After handling court affairs, he arranged some future matters. He knew Wei Wanlan wouldn’t understand, so to avoid appearing secretive, he handled them openly without avoiding Wei Wanlan.
This mutual frankness made Wei Wanlan much more comfortable. He sat down on the Regent King’s simple bed; it was uncomfortable.
“We want to know what Grand Pu means.”
He was also afraid of appearing surprised that pepper was worth its weight in gold, which might expose his identity as a transmigrator. But he had thought carefully and had never heard of it, so it shouldn’t be wrong.
Su Jingzhi said: “People voluntarily pooling money to celebrate is called Pu. Grand Pu means a large scale, difficult to organize. It is a grand event.” He didn’t stop writing.
—The Eastern Capital Grand Pu will commence tonight, with great momentum.
No wonder the little butterfly broadcaster’s voice trembled with excitement during the broadcast; it turned out to be a group party.
Thinking about the time from the execution of Governor Yuan Xizai to the organization of the Grand Pu, there must be a gap, which explains why the Grand Pu is held more than ten days after Yuan Xizai’s death.
Hehehe, ancient people know how to have fun…
Hearing the Regent King’s explanation, Wei Wanlan had actually achieved his goal of asking for advice, successfully sneaked into the Big Bad Guy’s office, and had no conflict with the Big Bad Guy.
Now, hearing about the Grand Pu, he really wanted to go to the scene to see.
Are there delicious foods? Good sights? Or fun things?
Some curiosity from a modern person made his eyes light up, but seeing the Big Bad Guy writing non-stop, his heart inexplicably tightened.
How long has he slept? Very tired, right? Should I take the Big Bad Guy out to relax? Why work so hard?
Wei Wanlan couldn’t quite understand the psychological needs of the Great Wei workaholic.
But the Great Wei workaholic understood him.
While Wei Wanlan was racking his brains on how to get Su Jingzhi out of the office to recuperate, the Big Bad Guy spoke first:
“Want to join the fun? Bring more people with you.”
“Eh…”
You saw through that too?
Wei Wanlan’s small face basically couldn’t hide anything.
Unless it was a life-or-death matter like the three main missions, he might accidentally blurt it out or be tricked into revealing it at any time.
Now that the Regent King saw through his thoughts, it saved him the trouble of paving the way.
So he took the opportunity to occupy a day of mission time, taking the Regent King who was cooped up in the study out for a trip. It could also relieve the uneasiness flowing in his heart since entering the door, and repay the Regent King for saving him twice.
Wei Wanlan convinced himself effortlessly, so he started to find a way to persuade the Regent King.
Directly asking for companionship seemed inappropriate. Not only was there a risk of being rejected outright, but he might also be blocked by “indulging in play, neglecting state affairs”.
Wei Wanlan naturally had his own ways.
He chose to cough facing the wind, rub his hands by the window, looking pitiful and weak, instantly like a peach blossom trembling on a branch:
“Cough, cough cough cough—”
“But it’s too dangerous outside. Since falling from Mianhua Lou, We still have lingering fears. We are afraid to leave the room alone.”
Wei Wanlan embellished his coquetry into reasonable exaggeration, completely unaware that he had come up to the main building of the posthouse alone. The Regent King kept his promise; saying no one was watching him meant no one was following him.
Su Jingzhi paused suspiciously, pen tip hovering. But didn’t look up: “Said to bring more people.”
“But having many people is troublesome. With such a big entourage, isn’t it disturbing the people?” He quickly put on a hat of worrying about the country and the people.
Sure enough, the Regent King couldn’t find fault, just quietly waiting for him to speak.
Wei Wanlan hurriedly continued, somewhat anxious but serious:
“We want to find someone who can ensure My absolute safety. He must have high martial arts skills, be able to see through various deceptive tricks, and be able to summon many people to save Me at critical moments, but We still haven’t found such a person…”
This was actually quite implicit.
If the Regent King refused to take the hint, Wei Wanlan would have no way.
But with such a clear indication, if Su Jingzhi still didn’t understand, he wasn’t poisoned, but possessed.
Su Jingzhi found it funny. Beating around the bush for so long was just hoping he would accompany him out. The little fool’s thoughts were not hard to guess. This bit of dependence was really enjoyable.
However, compared to dependence, what warmed the Regent King’s heart more was that Wei Wanlan, the little fool, had been staring at two things since entering the study: his pen and that bed.
He saw Wei Wanlan unconsciously furrow his brows slightly.
—He feels sorry for me.
Warmth made Su Jingzhi smile unknowingly.
As if born knowing how to tease Wei Wanlan, Su Jingzhi never had to think much about teasing the little fool. Bad ideas seemed to brew at any time. He liked interacting with the little fool, seeing the little fool at a loss.
So Su Jingzhi took out the medicine bottle and silver needle from the desk drawer and quietly put them into his purse, secretly preparing to accompany the little fool on the trip.
But verbally he still scared him:
“Mm. It is indeed quite dangerous. I heard Turkic soldiers have long infiltrated Luoyang City. Ashina Shali eats people, so his subordinates especially like to catch teenage boys who haven’t fully grown yet, offer them to him. Moreover, the nobler the meat, the more tender it is. Roasted, very fragrant.”
“QAQ!!!”
No, he really eats people???
So participating in a Grand Pu might be life-threatening???
Too easy to deceive, Wei Wanlan was always bewitched by the Regent King’s serious nonsense. Without thinking about whether it was possible or not, at that moment the air seemed to be filled with a strong smell of cumin, and the simple bed Wei Wanlan was sitting on felt hot.
Then… then… to join this fun, he could only win by wit.
Wei Wanlan planned vigilantly and cautiously, aiming to achieve the goal of taking Su Jingzhi on vacation while avoiding being offered to Ashina Shali by Turkic remnants and becoming a delicious dish in the Khan’s tent. He thought very hard.
In the end, he unconsciously lowered his voice, leaning closer gently, his movement like falling flowers brushing the face: “Shall we go in disguise?”
Su Jingzhi found it funny. Teasing the little fool was a tireless program. The Regent King scared him even more dramatically: “You have to change beyond recognition. Otherwise, you are quite suitable for a dish.”
Don’t want to be eaten QAQ!
Disguise was his forte.
Wei Wanlan quickly designed a script: “We can dress up as a dandy and a swordsman.” He explained further: “Both are young men. Although their identities and encounters are different, they regard each other as confidants and go to Luoyang to participate in the grand ceremony together.”
“Boring. This Prince was a swordsman in Chang’an when young. Tired of being a swordsman long ago.”
“Then We will play the swordsman, and the Prince will be the dandy!”
Su Jingzhi didn’t speak, just looked at his sword leaning against the wall.
So Wei Wanlan wilted again. That sword weighed at least several dozen jin. If they swapped roles like this, he wouldn’t be able to stroll through the Grand Pu; it would be a weighted march.
“Then activate Plan B. We will dress up as commoner brothers with you!” Wei Wanlan said. This way he wouldn’t be a noble boy.
But Su Jingzhi looked at him and didn’t speak again.
Wei Wanlan fell silent. The original little emperor was a foolish ruler, and the little emperor’s brother was a big foolish ruler. Su Jingzhi didn’t like the late emperor, so he couldn’t violate the taboo.
The Regent King sighed: “This Prince thinks it won’t work. Please think again, Your Majesty.”
“Okay! We will think!” Wei Wanlan hurriedly cheered himself up. It wasn’t easy to persuade the Regent King to have the intention of leaving this broken study. “We still have Plan C, Plan D, Plan E! Regent King, We can become sisters with you! Let’s call each other sisters!”
“Cough—”
Even the steady Regent King was startled by this “call each other sisters”. Cold wind poured down his throat.
Su Jingzhi frowned, completely unable to understand Wei Wanlan’s brain circuit. He was strangely stupid.
At this time, Wei Wanlan seemed to be inexplicably embarrassed by the atmosphere. He laughed dryly a few times, timely stopping this inappropriate idea. If he dressed the Regent King as a girl, she would be the most conspicuous girl in the city, right?
—The little woman is eighteen years old, nearly nine feet tall, broad shoulders and long legs…
“Uh.”
Wei Wanlan had to tentatively take a step back, asking aggrievedly: “You don’t agree to any of them. How should we dress up then?”
Su Jingzhi deliberately didn’t cooperate: “Your Majesty must come up with a suitable plan before This Prince will travel with Your Majesty. It must ensure safety and suit This Prince. This Prince loves cleanliness, can’t play sisters, can’t apply talcum powder on the face.”
Wei Wanlan thought, You have a lot of demands, muttering to himself:
“Do We have to let you play yourself?”
“Not impossible.” Unexpectedly, the Big Bad Guy heard it.
Wei Wanlan had to bite the bullet and continue, editing the script again, disregarding gender: “Then We will play a lady from a noble family, and you play My martial arts master, okay?”
“A noble lady shopping with a martial arts master?”
Oh, yes, right.
Noble ladies have strict upbringing.
The Regent King went online again with guidance, putting down the pen pretending to be lazy, turning his wrist, speaking slowly: “Who can shop with a noble lady without being noticed by outsiders? Luoyang main street is full of such people walking together?”
Wei Wanlan then had a flash of inspiration: “That is… husband and wife?”
The Regent King was silent.
But he didn’t seem to object. Wei Wanlan thought deeper about this script. Playing husband and wife seemed acceptable.
Because this way, he wouldn’t be taken by Turkic spies as a noble boy, nor the Great Wei little emperor, nor be caught and roasted to eat. It works.
So Wei Wanlan said firmly: “Then We decide this. We will dress up as husband and wife. Trouble the Regent King to accompany Me.” Saying this, he was about to get up.
Su Jingzhi smiled imperceptibly. If I knew he was so easy to deceive, I should have let him play the mother of my children next time.
How could Wei Wanlan hear the dark inner activities of a certain Regent King? He immediately wanted the soldiers to prepare a wig for the Regent King:
“We will play an old couple, an old lady and a little old man… We can be a white-haired old lady, you be the little old man.”
Su Jingzhi: “…”
Although he wanted to grow old with him, the benefits he could get now must be taken.
Su Jingzhi decisively put down the pen, and then decisively cut off Wei Wanlan’s words: “Stooped and hunched, poor posture. This Prince will play himself. Your Majesty please suit yourself.”
Didn’t want to be roasted and eaten, and had to play a fake couple with the Regent King. Wei Wanlan looked at Su Jingzhi’s appearance, scratched his dragon head and said: “Do We have to play a young wife?”
Recommended Reads
