Chapter 194: White Marsh Arrives

After a day out running errands, before returning to the manor Wei Ke said tomorrow he would let him go with his maternal grandfather and maternal uncle to the military camp to play; the Great King, when returning to the manor and alighting from the carriage, always jumps down with both feet together. Although the cousin's wedding is the day after tomorrow, frankly they can't help much.

After entering the courtyard, the Great King walked a stretch and felt something was off; is the atmosphere in this courtyard a bit strange?

The Great King asked Wei Shen: "Do they look at me with strange eyes?"

Wei Shen saw nothing unusual and casually said: "They just haven't seen someone as noble as you! We're from the poor, remote backlands of Prosperous Prefecture, with no prince; seeing you for the first time, they're amazed."

The Great King: "... I guess I have to believe it." The Wei clan has been entrenched here for years, already a local emperor. Which king would refuse to take Prosperous Prefecture? Only he doesn't disdain it, yet they stubbornly refuse to give it up.

Upon reaching the main hall, he quickly understood: their rear logistics team had finally arrived.

His White Marsh crouched in the largest hall of Marquis Wei's courtyard; the servants who hadn't fled walked close to the walls, and Marquis Wei and his son huddled together, sitting as far from the White Marsh as possible.

The Great King, ignoring everything else, bore the sky-obscuring and shouted the White Marsh's name at the top of his lungs as he ran over: "White Marsh~ White Marsh~ You've finally come~ I've missed you so much~"

The Great King disregarded the White Marsh's disdain, went over and gave it a good rub; this was the first time they'd been separated for so long.

The maternal uncle couldn't help but come over and ask him: "Your Highness, what exactly is this...? Did you really raise it?" The entourage carrying Prince You's luggage arrived at the manor, and this big fellow jumped down, as if knowing the way, slowly swayed his way to the main hall of the Wei manor.

The accompanying guards said it was Prince You's beloved pet, too eye-catching, so they came by carriage.

One cannot deny that this creature gives off a strong sense of oppression, and it looks quite extraordinary; only he and the old gentleman held their ground without fleeing, and even servants bringing in tea kept to the edges.

The Great King formally introduced the White Marsh to his maternal uncle and maternal grandfather: "It's called White Marsh; I've raised it since childhood. You needn't fear it. It's very sensible, understands everything, and is even smarter than I am!"

After thinking, seeing that everyone in the hall was family, he whispered to his maternal uncle: "It's a divine beast~"

His maternal uncle, with a loving expression, patted his head, truly adorable, still at an age that believes in immortals: "Good, good, good, it's a divine beast!"

The Great King: ……

The Great King hesitated about whether to tell the truth to his beloved maternal uncle; when he finally spoke, his maternal uncle simply didn't believe him.

This made him hesitate for a long time, gathering his courage……

Since it's truly his pet, things are easier; the old gentleman relaxed considerably, stepped a few paces closer to examine the White Marsh, accidentally met its gaze, and felt the creature bore a greater presence than his grandson's stature, as if it were a princely lord.

"It has quite an aura, truly extraordinary!"

The Great King didn't care what he thought; the arrival of the rear troops meant his gifts had arrived as well.

The Great King took his maternal grandfather and maternal uncle outside to see the gifts he'd prepared: "I've prepared several fine horses for you, Grandfather and Uncle—aside from the Black Wind Horse, there's also a Leike Horse, extraordinarily spirited; it's a jumping genius, clearing ordinary obstacles in a single leap!"

Upon reaching the front courtyard, the Scout Cavalry Squad Leader brought out the four fine horses destined for the Wei father and son: one Leike Horse, three Black Wind Horses of excellent appearance.

"Although the Black Wind Horses are the same breed as our personal guards, these three are outstanding…"

Before the Great King could finish, Wei Shen interjected: "Don't be modest—even an ordinary Black Wind Horse sells for eighty thousand taels; our Southwest Army has never had anyone ride a horse worth eighty thousand taels."

Besides him, the eyes of several Wei family members were already glued to the horses.

The horses the Great King intended as gifts were, of course, cleaned up spotless; the Leike Horse came with its own tack, and he equipped the Black Wind Horses with a high-end set fit for a commander.

Now these four horses have saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes complete. Just standing there motionless, they could steal the souls of these people.

Marquis Wei walked around them once and said, "You brat, with money you don't save for yourself, why buy us such expensive horses!" These horses are extraordinarily spirited; he wants them, but he has no money to spare.

Wei Peng had already gone up and rubbed each one, saying, "Don't talk about uselessness—Father picks first, I'm second!"

Upon hearing that, Wei Ke said, "Still pulling rank? …Fine, grandfather, hurry up—third uncle will be back soon."

Wei Shen smirked on the side: "Old man, don't stand on ceremony with our Great King—after hauling this all the way here, it's a sincere gift! What big shots you are; you don't even know how long I begged for my White Gold Horse, and you're not cherishing it properly!"

The Great King nodded along with those nearby, repeating: "You're welcome, it's a sincere gift~"

Having coaxed Marquis Wei into a beaming smile, "My great-grandson is truly adorable!"

The Great King's expression changed, and he wondered aloud: "Isn't he truly filial?"

He's all grown up—who's cute anymore?!

This made several people burst out laughing……

…………

Besides the fine horses, the Great King also brought seeds of high-yield crops like corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes for the Wei family. From Wei Shen he learned much about the Southwest Army's situation; this force is effectively less the court's and more the Wei family's.

Now the Wei family sustains these eighty thousand troops, whose expenses outweigh the Wei clan's income; fortunately, their deep foundations and land prevent starvation. Since last year, following Wei Shen's letters, they have begun military colonies, so the Great King brought them some seeds.

Also brought out was the recipe for white sugar, letting his maternal grandfather produce more sugar to sell to him as military rations.

Incidentally, he also sketched out with his maternal grandfather a plan for lightweight battlefield rations.

Without fat and calories, people would eat more; with sugar and oil, no one needs to carry so much dry rations!

Marquis Wei was truly beside himself with joy; this child has grown up well on his own. He's clever, lively, and responsible, even considering matters like this for the adults.

The Great King also distributed the other gifts he'd prepared for everyone, including jewelry for his cousin's trousseau.

While sending them to the rear courtyard, he also asked Wei Shen: "What kind of person is your cousin marrying? Is she satisfied with him?"

"How so? What does 'satisfied' mean?"

"Anyway, if my sister isn't satisfied when the time comes, I'll get her another one."

"And if she's dissatisfied after marrying him?" Wei Shen asked without shame.

The Great King raised his hand in a chopping motion: "Crack~"

Wei Shen nodded: "Learned it."

Wei Ke had a black line across his face behind them; the old gentleman's assessment of them was spot on—they were two troublemakers.

"Can you two get a divorce?" He couldn't help but say, thinking of violence all the time.

Upon hearing that, the Great King quickly advised his older cousin: "A divorce looks terrible, makes us seem picky; better to be dead."

Wei Shen thought of his sister, agreed wholeheartedly: "Makes sense! We're not lacking the ability to do so!"

Wei Ke: "……" No hope.

The Great King again gossiped with Wei Shen about the cousin's husband: "A prominent local clan in Prosperous Prefecture, he's the second son; by then she won't have to be the clan wife, so there's little pressure, and we're not after status or property. As for the fellow himself, he's just an ordinary person, uglier than my brother, still studying. Fortunately, after long inquiry his character is said to be good; I've met him twice, we don't click, but his personal integrity should be fine."

Upon hearing that he still studies, the Great King lamented: "Then I won't get along with him either! Do scholars not act all sour and pretentious?"

Wei Ke: "……Maybe not seeing eye to eye with you two is a good thing."

Your Majesty: "Elder cousin, you make me feel heartbroken like this!"

Wei Ke: ……

Being heartbroken is just lip service; the next second he asks why they don't find a Southwest Army person on their own turf—wouldn't that be easier to manage?

Speaking of this, Wei Chen began to sigh, "Wei Yi has strange tastes; he doesn't like hanging out in the camp."

Your Majesty finally understood, and he mysteriously said: "Then… should the men of the Wei family reflect a bit? Being born into such a family and not seeking military partners—you bear great responsibility!"

Wei Ke: ……

You sly person!

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Your Majesty's betrothal gift to his only female cousin is a set of Youzhou pearl headwear from Luofu Tower, and a golden phoenix crown bought from Bai Yang that is popular in modern weddings.

As soon as it was taken out, the whole room felt illuminated; anyway, the few female compatriots all took a deep breath.

It is that kind of extravagant golden phoenix crown, with a full fringe of tassels in front that can cover the neck, a splendid design mixing phoenix tail and flowers where you can't tell how many tails, and thus there's no problem of violating regulations.

The entire phoenix crown is so exquisite that even people of the Great Jin gasp in admiration; Your Majesty feels that even if not worn for the wedding, it could serve as a precious heirloom kept in the chest.

Or rather, the paternal aunt first came to her senses, "Your Highness, you need silver in more places; this… is really too precious."

Wei Yi also felt this thing was too dazzling; although the Wei family is a great clan, they have overextended themselves these years, and her dowry altogether lacks such a precious piece of jewelry; instead, her paternal brothers trained some martial-skilled maidservants to accompany her as dowry. She was delighted by its absolute beauty yet felt it too precious—this cousin's fief is Youzhou, after all; if it were Jiangnan she would surely accept it with delight.

No matter how Wei Chen says Your Majesty has been doing well in Youzhou, nobody thinks Your Majesty has much spare money.

Your Majesty waved his hand generously: "Already bought, there's no reason to take it back. This is also sincerely given to the cousin."

This item is quite expensive; Bai Yang spent over six hundred thousand, which converts to six thousand taels of silver. The wedding date was set early; this was bought last year when Your Majesty's silver reserves were abundant, the price is also reasonable, and compared to the price of the horses given to the Wei family, it's not worse.

Wei Yi felt a bit moved; although he is a close cousin, he is ultimately someone she has never met. A cousin she has never met, staying in that kind of place in Youzhou, still sending her such precious dowry—even though she is usually bold and spirited, thinking of her aunt also makes her inevitably moved to tears.

Wei Chen saw that the atmosphere was not good, so he hurried out to smooth things over.

"It's really splendid, I like it too! Your Highness, did I also have one when I got married?"

Everyone in the room had a black line.

Your Majesty nodded along: "If you get married, that would definitely be a bride I don't know, and definitely not as good as the cousin my mother likes. But I like the second elder cousin; if you wear it yourself, I can also give it to you!"

Everyone unconsciously looked at the gorgeous, beautiful phoenix crown, then at Wei Chen who already had a tall and imposing trend, and involuntarily looked away at the same time.

Oh! What a waste of something!

Wei Ke voiced everyone's thoughts: "You want everything, but you don't even look in the mirror more." With his sun-darkened face, better not joke like that.

Your Majesty burst out laughing: "Hahaha just thinking about it makes the eyes sting………"

Wei Chen: ……

Who am I doing this for?! Fine, sacrifice me to entertain everyone.

The Great Jin Southwest Army, due to years of no large-scale conflict with the opposing Western Qiang, and its most recent deployment still being to support the northwest, the court's demands for this army are whatever can be delayed, will be delayed.

When there are military expenses, the court prioritizes the Yumen Pass Northwest Army, then the Duke of Sukoku of the northern Shuofang and the Marquis of Dongdu of Shangguan Pass; the relatively stable Southwest Army keeps getting delayed, so only the Wei family can barely support it. The court has already tacitly accepted that Changzhou's tax revenue is being siphoned to support the troops—this is unavoidable, and the Great Jin's finances now rely on the Central Plains and Jiangnan.

Your Majesty knows the Southwest Army is practically the Wei family's, so when he goes to play there's nothing to avoid; after all, they're his own people, and he puts it nicely as learning military affairs from the experienced.

Wei Chen reckons that in these two years in Youzhou he has undergone a rebirth and progressed rapidly; as soon as he goes there he starts stirring up trouble to hold a martial contest.

"Can my turnaround at home depend on today? After I defeat Wei Ke, even at home I'll walk sideways, do you understand?"

Your Majesty nodded frantically: "Understood! Second elder cousin, go for it!"

Wei Peng, who came out to meet them: ……

"Take a look at you two, so promising—what can walking sideways at home even get you?!"

Wei Chen gave his father a proud little glance: "You don't know how formidable the martial arts at Your Majesty's place are! Call out all the capable ones in the army; I alone, plus Your Majesty and Ling Yin, the three of us will sweep sideways! Today whoever beats us, Your Majesty will give rewards to all!"

As soon as Wei Ke came out, he heard his younger brother spouting wild talk, and he laughed: "Fine, the second brother has lost his bearings; call the brothers out to straighten him out!"

Only Your Majesty, who cared, pulled Wei Chen aside: "Elder brother, what reward do I get? We came empty-handed!"

Wei Chen, in front of his father, whispered: "You… couldn't you avoid boosting others' morale? Will we lose? Having no prize is fine; it seems we must win, so don't hide things—you brought the Sun-shooting Bow, right? Also let your uncle who has never seen the world witness your prowess. Practicing in seclusion deep in the mountains every day, you're…" He couldn't find the right word, and Your Majesty supplied: "Out of touch!"

Wei Chen: "Exactly, out of touch!"

Uncle who has never seen the world: ……

Your Majesty, belatedly looking at his uncle, reminded Wei Chen: "…Elder brother, after you finish your raving here, will your days be okay?" Looking at your father and brother's gazes…

Wei Chen: ……

We must win; the bull's been blown away, and moreover… gone far.

If we don't win, we'll definitely be ganged up on and dealt with!

All the capable ones of the Southwest Army were summoned; they gathered at the Grand Martial Arts Arena, hearing that a temporary grand martial contest would be held, with prizes for the victors.

Marquis Wei Ting and a few of his close aides soon arrived; Your Majesty saw the crowds pouring in and pulled Wei Chen aside: "Are you sure there are no experts? We also can't really use Ling Yin, that would be a bit shameless."

Wei Chen looked at the eight Elite Cavalry following behind him, smiled and said: "I've got it; I learned that body-refining technique from the Elite Cavalry system, I'm confident fighting them. If I get tired, you go up; if you get tired, we switch to an Elite Cavalry person."

Your Majesty instantly lifted his little neck, brimming with confidence—does he have it or not!

Wei Ke observed the two for a moment, something felt off—these two fellows really seem quite confident?!