Chapter 69: Escape from the Perverted Power Minister
Wei Wanlan poked his dragon head out of the carriage again.
The carriage was tilted, so he couldn’t stand steadily. Fine snowflakes hit his cheeks, cold and prickly.
Wei Wanlan had delicate skin and shivered in the cold wind: “Coachman, what’s going on…”
“The road conditions are too bad. The carriage is broken.” Su Jingzhi got out to check.
Wei Wanlan followed the coachman’s words and looked around:
Ancient official roads were different from modern ones. They weren’t paved, so after severe rain and snow, they became muddy and impassable.
In weather like this, a thin layer of snow fell on the mountain road, creating a layer of frost on the brown road surface, masking the swamp-like condition beneath.
So, although it looked passable from afar…
The road was actually extremely difficult to travel.
Wei Wanlan wanted to get out and have a look. As he leaned out of the carriage, his shoe tip just touching the ground, his foot was stopped by a hand. His foot was suddenly caught, held in a palm, his toes curling inside his boot.
A soft, muffled sound escaped him:
“Mmm…”
The coachman put his foot back on the carriage floor.
Wei Wanlan’s foot was directly above a muddy ditch, very dirty.
From this angle, Wei Wanlan could see the coachman’s shoulders and the top of his head.
It was only someone he had known for two days, he didn’t even know their name, yet he blushed again. He felt strange.
Wei Wanlan asked softly, “Is the carriage problem serious?”
The coachman replied, “The carriage is stuck in a mud pit, there’s a hard object at the bottom, it cracked the wheel.”
“Oh, can it still be repaired?”
“I can only try to put the wheel back in place, but the carriage won’t last long, barely enough to reach Luoyang City.”
“Fortunately…” the investigation of Yuan Xizai was urgent, Wei Wanlan breathed a small sigh of relief, and then tentatively asked, “Then while you repair the wheel, shouldn’t we get down? With two less people, it will be easier for you to work.”
“Left side.”
“Okay!” He nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
He felt strange, being ordered around by a coachman, and inexplicably felt he had to obey.
Wei Wanlan went into the carriage to help Xiao Ji.
They both got out to find a place to rest.
Xiao Ji had vomited and been carsick, and his condition was truly terrible. When helped out by Wei Wanlan, his face looked like a crumpled piece of xuan paper.
If anyone liked him because of this, they would be a sicko, because compared to his spirited self when leaving Chang’an, Xiao Ji now looked like a fallen phoenix, without any competitive edge.
But this system-certified outside expert, when opposing the Regent King, was different:
Since Xiao Ji deduced that the coachman was possibly Su Yan’s man… considering the strained relationship between the Regent King and the young emperor, and the coachman’s unusual behavior…
Xiao Ji could basically conclude that the coachman was definitely not a good person!
Although he didn’t know what kind of dirty work Su Yan, his master, had assigned him, the young emperor’s life was crucial; he couldn’t stay by this person’s side for a moment!
Xiao Ji didn’t want to alarm him.
As they were in the wilderness, they were no match for the coachman. Since the carriage had broken down, and they had gotten out, Xiao Sheren thought:
“Young Master,” Xiao Ji whispered.
“Yes?” Wei Wanlan also whispered, “What is it?”
“Let’s go,” Xiao Ji said.
Wei Wanlan, looking at the figure of the coachman repairing the carriage, was still worried about whether he could manage on his own. The carriage body partially obscured the coachman, and he slightly raised his toes.
He had never even considered abandoning the coachman to escape.
Wei Wanlan shook his head firmly: “No, we haven’t paid yet.”
“Your Majesty, please rest assured, I’ve already left several times the fare in the carriage. If the coachman is a good one, he should understand our desire to leave quickly, he won’t mind.”
Xiao Ji always had a way with his words when comforting the young emperor.
Having spent some time with the young emperor recently, understanding his kind heart, Xiao Sheren knew that maintaining such innocence in the court was precious. Therefore, he had to resolve all of Wei Wanlan’s concerns before mentioning his speculations and suggestions:
“He’s Su Yan’s subordinate, I guess.”
Wei Wanlan’s back tensed, his spine stiffening: “Are you serious?”
If he was a subordinate of the Regent King, a soldier, it was no wonder he had a strong physique like the Regent King.
Wei Wanlan hesitated, opening his mouth: “Then… what are his intentions?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Su Yan had given him instructions beforehand. Your Majesty is traveling incognito without the Regent King’s permission. Now that he’s found you, given the Regent King’s temperament, he probably won’t let you off easily.”
Xiao Ji said.
Before Xiao Ji finished speaking, Wei Wanlan was already on the verge of being overwhelmed by empathy, wanting to shout “He definitely will.”
The Regent King—
Would get angry, go crazy, bite his lip, kiss him…
In any case, all the above scenarios Wei Wanlan thought of could actually happen!
Last time, he was almost suffocated.
The time before that, porcelain shards almost killed him.
At this point, Wei Wanlan finally understood: he could be punished at any time, his life was in danger; he must not be caught by the big bad guy, the consequences would be very serious QAQ
So don’t worry about whether the coachman would be sad if they couldn’t find them.
Deal with Yuan Xizai first, then return to Chang’an. Every little progress counts. It’s early spring now; only ten months are left until the anniversary of the Good Ruler Cultivation System.
His life was important. Finish the task!
Wei Wanlan felt strong gratitude towards Xiao Ji, who had cleverly helped him avoid disaster:
“Then… then… let’s go, let’s go quickly QAQ…”
——So, sorry coachman.
I also made you fail your mission.
But I really can’t stay by your side for long.
At this moment, the coachman’s figure was completely blocked by the carriage. Wei Wanlan and Xiao Ji moved away from the carriage.
Further away, even further.
Wei Wanlan made up his mind to escape and put more distance between himself and the broken-down carriage.
As if feeling guilty for running away, Wei Wanlan frequently looked back. During one of these glances, the coachman seemed to get up to search the carriage for repair tools. His tall and straight figure appeared between the mountains.
But Wei Wanlan was afraid of being seen, so he quickly ducked.
The coachman was facing the direction Wei Wanlan was running, but he didn’t react, perhaps because of the falling snow in Luozhou, the weather obstructed his vision, he couldn’t see clearly.
Hopefully, this coachman could repair the carriage and leave this hellish place early…
“Da Wei’s official roads connect various prefectures and counties. If we use an analogy, the official roads are like the main stream of a river, and the many small roads branching off from the official roads lead to various places, they are the tributaries of the river,” Xiao Ji said.
Wei Wanlan understood this even without the analogy; as a modern person, he had seen maps and traveled on highways.
Xiao Sheren meant:
Not far along the main road, they would encounter a fork, small roads leading to nearby villages and towns. If they could hire a carriage in a village, it would save them a lot of effort.
And this time it would be a random carriage, the driver definitely wouldn’t be a person from the Regent King.
Wei Wanlan considered the feasibility of this, thinking it was the best option.
They walked farther and farther, and it grew dark.
The sleet and wind whipped their faces like knives. The early spring cold was particularly noticeable in these mountains. Wei Wanlan widened his eyes, surveying his unfamiliar surroundings. This was a valley, and the snow was getting deeper.
The brocade boots, clean from the carriage ride, were now sinking deep into the mud and snow.
The snow soaked through the boots, the cold pricking like needles.
Wei Wanlan curled his toes in his boots, pursing his lips in the cold. Looking down at his snow-covered boots, he inexplicably remembered the coachman holding his foot. He felt that the coachman was somewhat similar to the big bad guy in some ways, but he was also certain that he wasn’t the big bad guy.
The big bad guy was busy; how could he give up his cherished power, disguise himself, and personally come to play with him?
So the coachman was at most a subordinate sent by the big bad guy.
At this moment, Wei Wanlan sneezed, “Achoo!”
He covered his nose with his hand; he was sensitive to cold air. In the carriage, the temperature was suitable and he hadn’t reacted, but not now, he kept sneezing.
“Achoo—Achoo achoo achoo…”
After a dozen sneezes, his breath nearly shook his head dizzy, Wei Wanlan’s eyes were about to see stars, his deer-like eyes were watery.
“Hero QAQ”
Wei Wanlan didn’t realize that when his eyes were red, it was more likely to evoke people’s desire to protect him.
Xiao Ji’s heart pounded; he wanted to touch his head and wipe his eyes. Could the young emperor be touched casually?
He could only suppress this impulse, offering a handkerchief, wanting Wei Wanlan to wipe his face.
The handkerchief was plain white, embroidered with a few bamboo shoots at the corners. He said softly, “Your Majesty, please calm down, we’ve walked far enough, there must be a turning point.”
But Wei Wanlan didn’t take the handkerchief. Ancient people’s personal items were precious, he was worried about getting it dirty. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. His voice was muffled:
“A turning point would be nice, I think I’ll be sleepy soon. But don’t worry, I can hold on.”
Wei Wanlan slept early and got sleepy on time. Xiao Ji had only recently found this out.
Seeing the young emperor freezing, like a pitiful little snowman with wide eyes, Xiao Ji felt even more distressed: “Not for long, soon.”
“Mmm.” Wei Wanlan mumbled, “That would be great. When we find a place to sleep, I want to sleep well. The Regent King isn’t here, I don’t have to get up at Mao time…”
So they didn’t just sleep together!
——The Regent King even controlled the young emperor’s schedule!
Xiao Ji had another astonishing discovery, breaking into a cold sweat. He was surprised by Su Yan’s possessiveness and secretly called him a “perverted power minister.”
However, Xiao Ji tried to remain calm on the surface.
He tried to gather more information indirectly:
“Your Majesty, what was Su Yan doing in the Zichen Palace?”
Because he didn’t know Xiao Ji’s reaction to these words, Wei Wanlan answered without thinking:
“He asked me to treat his illness.”
“How? What illness?” Xiao Ji was dumbfounded. He met the Regent King at work every day; aside from his problematic head, he didn’t seem to have any physical illness.
“Grabbing clothes, sleeping together, it cures illnesses, a cure-all.”
Wei Wanlan couldn’t describe it to Xiao Ji.
Xiao Ji’s political intrigue brain couldn’t associate this with romance; because he couldn’t understand, he simply put a question mark in his heart.
The snow was getting heavy.
The snow in the valley reached their calves, making walking incredibly difficult. Wei Wanlan’s energy was severely drained, he was preoccupied with the turning point mentioned by Xiao Sheren, and he tripped, falling into the snow.
Wei Wanlan’s figure was reflected on the snow surface. His hands were outstretched, his chest and face hitting the ground.
After falling, Wei Wanlan felt a burning pain in his knee.
It was a hard object. His eyes were already teary, but he didn’t let any tears fall. He clung tightly to Xiao Ji’s arm, barely standing up.
Don’t cry. Can’t cry. Don’t be a burden to others outside.
Wei Wanlan pursed his lips.
Xiao Sheren bent down, patting his leg. Luckily, he was dressed warmly, and the young emperor’s clothes weren’t torn, but were covered in snow. Xiao Ji discovered that this was a strong young emperor, his lips slightly upturned, he asked softly,
“Young Master, are you alright?”
But Wei Wanlan’s face was full of uneasiness.
He pointed to the snow:
“Inside… there’s something. It tripped me just now.”
Xiao Ji was startled.
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