Chapter 50: Getting to Know Ten Court Officials
The Zhongshu Province.
Was that a place he could just casually enter?
Compared to the grand court meeting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, filled with official rhetoric and routines, the Zhongshu Province was the true core of decision-making in the empire.
The Regent King actually brought me to the Zhongshu Province, which involves his power. How could he be so kind?
He must want me to make a fool of myself, and then mock me with harsh words.
He also wants all the officials in the Zhongshu Province to know that the emperor doesn’t even remember their names, that the officials work diligently, but the emperor doesn’t know who those serving him are.
Wei Wanlan gnashed his teeth secretly:
How vicious!
In this way, when the Regent King seizes the throne, all the officials will know that the emperor is incompetent, so he will be replaced by the Regent King, which is the will of the people. The virtuous and capable will take their place.
What to do, what to do?
The second task of the Sage Emperor Cultivation System was still vividly in mind—to quell internal strife.
With my small physique, how can I quell internal strife?
Considering the specific content of the second task—eliminating corruption, cracking down on evil, and ensuring the succession of talent. The steps are progressive.
Wei Wanlan considered it and felt that if he wanted to complete the second task, his focus must shift from eliminating the Regent King to rallying the officials, and he must win over more people in the court.
At this moment, Wei Wanlan regretted it a little.
This morning, because he was having fun, he forgot to review the “Roster of Officials,” which was a great opportunity to understand the court officials. It was wasted.
But now it was too late to undo it; he had to make amends, trying to leave a good impression on everyone in the Zhongshu Province to facilitate the future tasks.
While thinking, they had already left the Zichen Palace.
Without attendants or guards, only Wei Wanlan followed the Regent King, with about half a step between them. But the sleeves of the dragon robe and king’s robe were wide, and the fabrics occasionally touched each other, making a rustling sound. The distance felt closer than half a step.
Like walking side-by-side, Wei Wanlan thought.
However, the big bad guy’s shoulders were broad and strong, taller than him, so they weren’t really side-by-side. Wei Wanlan secretly tiptoed, trying to save face, a little unhappy.
—Don’t make me look like a child brought to the Zhongshu Province to pay New Year’s greetings by the Regent King… and you don’t even give lucky money.
At this moment, the Regent King turned his head.
Wei Wanlan was startled and quickly forced a smile, “Regent King, what are your instructions?”
Su Jingzhi: “For this trip, this King sets a goal for you: get to know ten court officials in the Zhongshu Province.”
You underestimate me!
Wei Wanlan perked his ears. He felt offended.
Honestly, modern civilization grants every citizen the right to have eleven phone numbers. Even eleven, he could easily memorize them.
Now, asking him to get to know ten court officials, this is one less than remembering eleven phone numbers. Memorizing ten? An idiot wouldn’t be able to do it!
Wei Wanlan pouted.
The Regent King always seemed to think he was smart and looked down on him. He couldn’t bear it!
Wei Wanlan planned to use practical actions to prove to the Regent King how foolish it was to underestimate the Great Wei monarch, this enlightened human from the 21st century.
With a little plan for victory brewing in his mind, Wei Wanlan confidently replied, “Then I will definitely not disappoint the Regent King’s expectations.”
“Ten court officials, their surnames, positions, and responsibilities; this King will not give you any hints. You must find out yourself through observation.”
The Regent King added the assessment conditions.
It wasn’t just remembering names; the difficulty increased.
Wei Wanlan blinked his deer-like eyes. Although the difficulty increased, it was still within an acceptable range. Even if a modern person memorizes ten phone numbers, they need to know who each set of numbers belongs to.
If this phone number example isn’t appropriate… anyway, people always have to remember various kinds of information in life: ID numbers, email addresses, student numbers, house numbers, which are much more than ten.
He was confident in himself. There are no difficult tasks, only brave emperors!
At this time, the Regent King’s voice, along with the chilly wind, struck him:
“If you can’t remember, if you fail this King’s assessment, then together with your laziness in not reading the ‘Roster of Officials’, this King will punish you.” Su Jingzhi slowly spoke. He was actually applying some learning pressure to Wei Wanlan to learn his lessons.
The Regent King’s education of the emperor required painstaking efforts.
Unexpectedly, Wei Wanlan’s thoughts turned quickly; without thinking, he blurted out:
“—Then please punish me, Regent King, and never let me share a bed with you again!”
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Su Jingzhi coughed a few times, as if choked by the cold wind. He suppressed a wave of speechlessness and palpitations.
Wei Wanlan’s eyes were full of anticipation, and his words were always difficult to discern whether they were true or false. Punishing him from sharing a bed with him, he didn’t know whether this was actually punishing him or someone else.
The Regent King couldn’t see whether Wei Wanlan was willing or unwilling in his heart. Without showing any emotion, he rejected it:
“If Your Majesty can’t get to know ten court officials, you’ll copy the ‘Roster of Officials’ three times.”
“…”
Annoying, the big bad guy didn’t take the bait, didn’t respond to his words TVT
And Regent King, you’ve probably eaten ten Chinese teachers in your life, why do you always punish people by making them copy books!
Wei Wanlan felt distressed, curling his dragon claws in his wide sleeves; no, he absolutely didn’t want to copy books, his wrists ached.
The monarch and minister arrived at the green tiles and red railings of the Zhongshu Province.
The overall style here was solemn.
The thick wooden red-lacquered pillars outside the gate were all as thick as a man’s embrace, all cut from ancient trees hundreds of years old. Between the pillars was the main gate. Standing at the entrance, the view was wide open; looking inwards, everything was visible. This was the core of the Great Wei’s power.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Hmm.”
The Regent King was tall and conspicuous. The small official who led the way first paid his respects to the Regent King, and then the small official saw a slender figure in bright yellow clothes behind the Regent King. This dragon robe, of course, belonged to the emperor.
“Your Majesty—”
“No need for ceremony.”
Wei Wanlan deliberately sought to win over the court officials to help him complete the second task, not missing any opportunity.
His method was simple. Wei Wanlan thought: The Regent King has a gloomy face in the office all day; when I come to the Zhongshu Province, I must be different from the Regent King; I must be gentle and kind, so that everyone feels the warmth of spring, to make the big bad guy mad.
Sure enough, the small official was frightened, bowing and cupping his hands, his eyes glowing with emotion.
Officials like the registrar, a low-ranking official, had little presence and were often ordered around by the big shots of the Zhongshu Province.
Unexpectedly, he was treated so well by the young emperor?
The gatekeeper felt absolute admiration and worship for Wei Wanlan, expressed in his trembling voice:
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I don’t dare. Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years to Your Majesty…”
—See, I told you it works!
Against the big bad guy, target acquired +1
Wei Wanlan had a smug expression.
According to the custom of the Zhongshu Province officials.
In the afternoon, they would first meet with the Regent King for a small court meeting, then determine what to do, then take action, and report back before leaving work.
This small court meeting was held almost every day. When the officials came to the Regent King’s desk, they originally intended to directly start their work reports.
However, the officials of the Zhongshu Province never expected:
The Regent King brought a rare guest today.
In front of the map of the Great Wei Empire, beside the Regent King’s throne, there was another soft chair with a backrest, and on it sat the golden little emperor.
The two soft curls of hair on the little emperor’s forehead drooped softly. At a glance, he looked small, if you didn’t mention his striking appearance and adorable appearance, just his size, he actually didn’t have much of a presence.
But he was sitting next to the Regent King.
And the Regent King, such a proud man, actually moved his throne to the side, making room for the little emperor. The Xuan-gold king’s robe and the bright yellow dragon robe shone brightly together, making Wei Wanlan look formidable.
The officials of the Zhongshu Province were full of doubts.
Their thoughts exploded:
…The puppet emperor can actually sit on an equal footing with the Regent King?
What are these two up to today?
Have they secretly reached some unspeakable political agreement?
The emperor clearly has no cards in his hand, and yet he could persuade the Regent King to bring him to the Zhongshu Province? This place has access to more secrets than the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Since the grand court meeting, the emperor has frequently shown his ability. How should we choose our sides in the future?
The officials of the Zhongshu Province are the most shrewd people in the court of the Great Wei.
Even if the emperor and the Regent King didn’t speak at this moment, the officials below could still imagine a power struggle drama comparable to “A Song of Ice and Fire,” political fighting in their minds, like a grand feast.
But on the surface, it was calm. The officials of the Great Wei each looked at their noses and their hearts.
Their thoughts were interrupted by the Regent King’s light cough; the small court meeting of the Zhongshu Province began.
“Regent King, big bad guy.”
【Login successful.】
A golden screen instantly popped up in front of the spacious desk in the Zhongshu Province. Wei Wanlan’s external system was online.
Having learned from his mistake of using the Sage Emperor Cultivation System last night, Wei Wanlan was careful to keep his voice very low, almost whispering, when entering the login password, for fear of being discovered.
Then, the voices of the political discussions slowly entered his ears. Among the myriad of props, Wei Wanlan searched for those that could be useful.
This was Wei Wanlan’s plan for victory, just as the “My Emperor’s Reassurance Pill” had saved his life yesterday…
Today, using the system to help should be fine, right?
His sleeves were on the table, his hands hidden in his sleeves, quietly swiping back and forth. Wei Wanlan was certain that the Sage Emperor Cultivation System must have props to enhance the emperor’s memory.
Because the system cultivates good monarchs, and good monarchs couldn’t be like a forgetful fish; brain supplements are essential supplies!
With such certainty in mind.
Wei Wanlan actually did find a good thing, a prop with an icon of a brain:
Eidetic Memory Oral Liquid.
That’s it!
His eyes lit up, a flash of intelligence in his pupils. His dragon claws carefully dragged the icon to the front, placing his finger on the confirm button.
Instantly, a few drops of light blue liquid appeared on his fingertips.
He had tea prepared by a small official of the Zhongshu Province at hand; it was perfect. With tea fragrance wafting before him, Wei Wanlan pretended to drink tea, gently lifting his sleeves to reveal the teacup, using the oral liquid without any incongruity.
The tea water mixed with the external aid went down…
Wei Wanlan felt refreshed.
As if his parched brain had been moistened; Wei Wanlan took a deep breath of the air in the Zhongshu Province, already sensing a change in his brain; he would definitely be able to easily handle the upcoming memory tasks.
Regent King, big bad guy, I don’t want to copy books; I’m going to show off to you today!