Chapter 93: Thatâs a Whole Lot of Love
The side effects of the Person-Finding Talisman lingered for about two days.
Two days later, at the Luoyang Posthouse. Outside the window, the fallen blossoms of a warm spring looked even more brilliant; it was the third or fourth month, a time when a hundred flowers vied for beauty.
When Wei Wanlan woke up, he felt clean, dry, and brand new.
He sat on the bed, tilting his head in a daze. He vaguely remembered that Fu Jun had been accompanying him these past two days. Fu Jun hadn’t been killed by the Turks in that great battle at the Hanyuan Hall; Fu Jun was alive.
But when he woke up…
The woody fragrance still lingered in the beddingâWei Wanlan took a deep sniffâbut the other half of the bed was empty. There was no sign of anyone.
Wei Wanlan started to get a little anxious.
His doe-like eyes blinked rapidly. He slipped on his shoes and stumbled toward the door. Li Jiucheng, who was standing guard outside, bowed immediately upon seeing the little emperor, calling out respectfully, “Your Majesty, what are your orders?”
Wei Wanlan said, “Rise.”
Li Jiucheng offered his thanks.
Wei Wanlan stood there, even more bewildered. His memory was fragmented.
That Person-Finding Talisman from the Wise Ruler Development System had turned him into a little fool. Recalling anything made his head ache; he only remembered Fu Jun being by his side, but the rest was like a silhouette behind a thick fog, the details blurry.
“Where is this place?”
“This is the Luoyang Posthouse,” Li Jiucheng replied.
Wei Wanlan was even more dumbfounded.
Who brought him to the Luoyang Posthouse? Was it Fu Jun? Where were the disciples of the Heaven Sword Manor? Why didn’t they go back to the branch temple?
Countless questions brewed in his chest, making him feel suffocated.
Wei Wanlan tidied his appearance and walked toward the posthouse courtyard.
The courtyard was extremely elegant. Before him lay a path paved with cracked-ice pattern stones, lined with fragrant grass. There were pavilions, towers, and green trees. Swallows with fluid movements darted across the sky above the courtyard.
Wei Wanlan felt an inexplicable surge of happiness. The sun was up; there was no danger here.
The scenery at the Luoyang Posthouse was no worse than that of the Heaven Sword Manor.
His mood improved a little.
His mind, previously exhausted by the Person-Finding Talisman, recovered further.
But he missed that person even more. He inexplicably wanted to see him again. He wanted to go on adventures with him, to be carried flying through the air. That man was the best hero.
Wei Wanlan crossed the courtyard and arrived at the main hall of the posthouse.
Beyond the main hall should be the main gate, right?
At this moment, he noticed something different about the posthouse compared to his expectations.
Logically, a posthouse should be equivalent to a civilian inn, and even though it usually hosted officials and scholars and might not be bustling, there should at least be a hum of human voices. It shouldn’t be so quiet that apart from his favorite bird songs, there was no other noise.
A small bird hopped along the eaves.
Wei Wanlan looked back at the bird, then turned around to face the two large soldiers guarding the main entrance. They were fully armed, dressed just like Li Jiucheng.
“Please return to rest, Your Majesty. It is cold outside.”
“âŚEh?”
The first half of the sentence sounded like a dutiful suggestion.
The second half, however, sounded awkward no matter how he listened to it.
Wei Wanlan tilted his head, trying to find the source of this awkwardness. Besides, it wasn’t cold outside; it was warm spring, flowers were blooming, and he wanted to go out and stretch his limbs.
But suddenly, just as the guard finished speaking, the main doors were pulled open from the outside.
The two guards immediately dropped to their knees, their voices booming so loud they made the air tremble and scared the bird off the eaves:
“Greetings to the Regent King!!!”
Wuwuwu, the Big Bad Guy QAQ.
Why is the Big Bad Guy here QAQ?
The Regent King and the Little Emperor faced each other across the threshold.
The Regent King was very tall. In the spring, Su Jingzhi had shed the long cloak with the gold chains. His princely robe was black with a cross-collar, embroidered with golden python patterns. He had to lower his eyes halfway to look at Wei Wanlan.
But Wei Wanlan didn’t know why… He noticed a faint darkness under Su Jingzhi’s eyes. He also noticed that when Su Jingzhi approached him, his shoulders opened slightly, his arms extending a bit, as if he intended to hug him right there.
How could that be the Big Bad Guy?
The Big Bad Guy doesn’t do hugs!
So Wei Wanlan stopped in his tracks and obediently drooped his head. He was going to play the ostrich.
He remembered that he was standing in Luoyang right now because he had run away privately to investigate Yuan Xizai’s case. He hadn’t told the Big Bad Guy anything before leaving the palace.
He also remembered that before that, the reason he ran away was that the Big Bad Guy had bullied him, biting and pinning him down, which made him unhappy…
Now the Big Bad Guy had followed him here.
Wei Wanlan thought, This is bad, and immediately adopted a fawning look of “I’m afraid the Regent King will settle the score and punish me severely.” Like a clever little ghost, he spoke softly: “I bid greetings to the Prince. You’re back?”
Su Jingzhi’s expression faded. He felt inexplicably dejected, yet inexplicably relieved. Hearing the word “Prince” (Wangye), he knew Little Wan had truly recovered.
But recovery meant that the little fool’s defenses were back up.
He could no longer reap the benefits of being “Fu Jun” to do this and that with the little fool.
Moreover, there would be no Fu Jun from now on!
The Regent King had gone out just now to return the Heaven Sword Manor completely to his friend, and casually left a few instructions, telling the real Fu Jun he could come out of seclusion.
Although the real Fu Jun had endless complaints about the Regent King’s behavior, he didn’t dare voice them. He wondered which family’s girl had such great influence to make the Regent King mobilize resources from the imperial court all the way to the martial arts world just to protect and please her.
Setting aside the real Fu Jun for now.
When the Regent King saw the little fool, he had indeed intended to reach out and hug him. But wearing the identity of the Regent King, he was restricted, and so was the little fool.
The little fool always kept a layer of distance from him as the Regent King.
And he couldn’t completely drop the pretenses either; after all, this identity represented too much, and he couldn’t act recklessly.
So, Su Jingzhi maintained his unshakeable, cold demeanor:
“So you’re awake? Are you going to run off again? If This Prince hadn’t saved you, you would have been dragged off to the Turks to eat sand.”
Wuwu, it really is the Regent King’s way of speaking…
Too familiar! He never speaks nicely to anyone!
Wei Wanlan pouted. He wanted to force a cry to look pitiful.
But the other party was scaring him. The Big Bad Guy is so annoying:
“Ashina Shali eats people.”
“QAQ!”
His doe-like eyes instantly turned red from fright. The tips of Wei Wanlan’s ears trembled. He looked like a pear blossom bathed in rain, terrified. The Regent King was in a great mood.
If “Fu Jun” could bring care and help to Wei Wanlan.
Then his identity as the Regent King also had a unique way of interacting with Little Wan. Teasing the little fool occasionally was quite fun.
A certain Regent King put away his dark thoughts.
He had his own objectives. It wasn’t easy coming to Luoyang, and he had to make good use of the opportunity. First, business:
“Let’s go. Put on your clothes,” Su Jingzhi said.
“Where to?” Wei Wanlan asked.
“You’ll know when we get there. Follow This Prince.” Su Jingzhi clasped his hands behind his back.
Wei Wanlan was used to this bossy attitude.
No. He wasn’t a boss; he was everyone’s ancestor. A living Yama, a living ancestor.
Wei Wanlan cowered: “Oh.” Then he whispered very quietly, “Actually, I’m already wearing enough…”
“Mm?”
“I’ll wear it! I believe in bundling up in spring to prevent freezing!”
Despite the falling blossoms dancing in the wind outside the posthouse and the bright sunshine, it was actually quite cold.
Wei Wanlan, having just recovered from a weakened state, was particularly afraid of the cold. Following the Regent King back into the Luoyang Prefectural Governor’s Office, even though he was sitting in a carriage, he still rubbed his little dragon claws together; his hands were a bit icy.
“Greetings, Your Majesty, Regent King.”
Soldiers opened the gate.
The Luoyang Governor’s Office had been taken over by the military. The square in the front courtyard had now been turned into a temporary base for storing stolen goods.
Under the sunlight, it was dazzling and brilliant; gold and silver glittered, and rare treasures were displayed.
Wei Wanlan saw it from afar. The treasures were piled up like a small mountain. Back then, Yuan Xizai had offered a paltry ten thousand gold to the Regent King as military funding for Great Wei; it was truly stingy. This was a case of the woodworm being too fat while the country was too poor.
A large number of corrupt officials in the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, had been taken down. Everyone on the ledger who had colluded with Yuan Xizai was removed from office. New officials hadn’t been appointed yet.
Xiao Ji was temporarily conscripted to tally the accounts.
The Great Wei’s Chief Secretary was fully utilizing his talents. Dressed in green robes with a loose sash, able to speak foreign languages and write memorials, he was now making the abacus crackle loudly. However, when Xiao Ji saw Wei Wanlan and the Regent King approaching, he inexplicably felt the Regent’s expression was a bit off. His gaze lingered on them.
Maybe the Valiant Warrior feels guilty about running away from the palace just like me!
Wei Wanlan waved like a panda: “Valiant Warrior~”
Xiao Ji was startled, and his hand slipped, knocking a bead on the abacus to the wrong place. The Chief Secretary hurriedly pushed the bead back and hastily called out, “Greetings, Your Majesty.” Then, he cautiously and inscrutably scrutinized the Regent King.
Ever since Xiao Ji discovered the Regent King’s feelings for the little emperor, he had been bursting with the desire to denounce the Regent as a rebellious subject. Not only did he covet the little emperor’s throne, but he even coveted the little emperor’s body.
Xiao Ji only believed about twenty or thirty percent of the absurd notion that the Regent King was in love with the little emperor. He mostly thought Su Yan was acting on a whim, or perhaps was blinded by lust. After all, the little emperor possessed sufficient beauty to be captivating.
As the little emperor’s ally, Xiao Ji felt compelled to help him see clearly. If Su Yan was just playing around, but the little emperor fell in love for real, losing both his kingdom and his heart, the little emperor would be too pitiful.
In that instant, Xiao Ji transformed into the Captain of the Scumbag Extermination Squad.
Using official business as a cover, Chief Secretary Xiao began a friendly “scumbag identification” session for Wei Wanlan:
“Countless treasures have been confiscated from the thief Yuan’s warehouse. Just the silver ingots alone amount to two million taels. Not to mention the priceless antiques, calligraphy, paintings, gold, and jade stored in the Luoyang Imperial Villa…”
Xiao Ji stopped halfway through his sentence.
Wei Wanlan couldn’t help but look around again. He remembered that in many cartoons from his childhood, the protagonists’ ultimate mission was to find treasure. Now, these various treasures before his eyes were the treasure he had found.
Xiao Ji reported again with surprise in his voice: “âThere are even five crates of pepper!!!”
Soldiers cooperated by opening a massive wooden crate large enough to fit two people.
Plump white peppercorns were piled high inside. As the lid opened, a rich, pungent aroma wafted out, dispersing into the air.
Wei Wanlan sniffed, feeling his entire lungs were being marinated by this breath.
“Achoo.” He covered his nose with his dragon claws. Wei Wanlan was extremely puzzled. Is pepper expensive? Isn’t it in every supermarket?
Fortunately, he didn’t blurt out “pepper is cheap,” or his identity as a transmigrator would have been exposed on the spot.
This time, the Regent King spoke up, answering Wei Wanlan’s unspoken question: “Pepper enters the Central Plains from the Western Regions via the Silk Road; each grain is worth its weight in gold.”
Wei Wanlan nodded internally: “Oh!”
At this point, Xiao Ji revealed the purpose of his long setup: to test the Regent King on behalf of the little emperor:
“Logically, the money in Yuan Xizai’s private vault was stored in the Luoyang Imperial Villa, and the Villa is royal territory. Therefore, regarding how the money should be divided between the national treasury and the Emperor’s private treasury, we await the Regent King’s decision.”
Using money to test feelings is indeed inappropriate.
But precisely because discussing money hurts feelings, Secretary Xiao wanted to see: regarding this huge sum in the Luoyang Imperial Villa, of which the little emperor had the right to take a part, how much would Su Yan be willing to give him? Thirty percent? Fifty percent? Seventy percent would be the absolute maximum, right?
Truly, if the little emperor could receive seventy percent from the Regent King, he, Xiao Ji, would willingly wave the flag and shout to play matchmaker for the Regent King. He would consider it his betrothal gift to the little emperor.
Xiao Ji held his breath. He tossed the hot potato out.
Su Yan remained composed and tossed the hot potato back.
“What is Secretary Xiao’s opinion?”
Xiao Ji: “…” I wasn’t asking you to ask me.
But how could Xiao Ji be stumped by the Regent King? He tested his sincerity in reverse: “Ninety percent? All under heaven belongs to the King. The Emperor’s money is for the Emperor to decide.”
Wei Wanlan twitched his ears. He didn’t understand the verbal sparring, only feeling that the Valiant Warrior seemed to be fighting for some pocket money for him.
But it’s not necessary, I still have some money in my private treasury. Don’t provoke the petty Big Bad Guy over this.
Wei Wanlan was just about to signal Xiao Ji with his eyes to stop.
But unexpectedly, as the spring breeze brushed past, the Big Bad Guy’s voice followed. The Regent King said indifferently: “Since all under heaven belongs to the King, the money naturally is for His Majesty to decide. Count it all clearly and give it to His Majesty; he can handle it himself.”
Ehhh?!!!!!
Wei Wanlan was dumbfounded. A windfall from the sky…
But he wasn’t the only one dumbfounded.
Xiao Ji was even more stunned. He never expected that while he thought the little emperor would only get a tiny bit, the Regent King was actually willing to give the little emperor everything.
Is it lust? Is it love?
If it’s lust, the little emperor is certainly valuable.
If, by chance, it really is love… Hiss, that is a whole lot of love.
“Better not. I don’t need that much money. Since we encountered Turks in the Luoyang Imperial Villa, border defenses will inevitably need strengthening in the future. I want to donate it. Let’s count it as military funding,” Wei Wanlan suddenly decided.
!!!
Outside the main hall of the Luoyang Governor’s Office, a psychological shockwave no less than an earthquake swept through everyone’s hearts.
Xiao Ji had just been shocked by the Regent King; now the target shifted to the little emperor. Xiao Ji confirmed: “Your Majesty, are you serious?”
Wei Wanlan nodded: “Really. My words are golden, aren’t they?” The Big Bad Guy borrowed money to fight wars back then. How would I dare take this money? The Big Bad Guy must be testing me, right?
Besides, Mission Three is to destroy the enemy nation. If I donate some money in advance and let the Big Bad Guy help destroy the enemy nation, it’s not a losing deal no matter how I think about it.
But his internal monologue was unknown to others.
Consequently, everyone looked at the little emperor with even more awe after receiving his affirmative answer.
Cries of “Long live” resonated in unison throughout the entire Luoyang Governor’s Office, buzzing in people’s ears:
“Your Majesty is Wise! Your Majesty is Wise!”
Wei Wanlan looked around and quickly told everyone to rise.
He didn’t see Su Jingzhi.
But Xiao Ji did. He saw Su Yan actually smiling. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a very subtle curve, flashing for just a second.
“Sing for Little Wan.”
“Little Wan is tired. Hug me.”
Xiao Ji began to doubt his reality. He asked his ally in his heart:
No, Your Majesty, given how good your relationship is, do you really need this humble subject to advise you on killing the Regent King? Are you sure you didn’t just have a lovers’ spat with Su Yan and were deliberately toying with this official???
Xiao Ji stood in the spring breeze, a mess.
ăDingââă
Beside Wei Wanlan’s ear.
The long-lost system notification sound chimed.
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