Chapter 142: My Dynasty Is So Poor

“What are you worrying about?” Yan Lao’er pointed in the direction of Old Yan and spoke mysteriously, “If the sky collapses, your eldest uncle will hold it up! Haven’t you said it before? As long as he’s the protagonist, fortune favors him. One person gets an official post, and the whole family wins by lying down…”

Yan Yu: …

Dad, why do you remember these unreliable words so clearly?

Just heard it once, and it’s engraved in your brain, huh?

“Eldest Uncle’s choice at the time… it can’t really be considered wrong. Sigh! I should find a chance to ask him about it. He did say that if there’s anything we don’t understand, we can ask him.” Yan Yu saw Li Xuemei looking a bit weary and stopped talking at the right moment.

Pulling her father out of the carriage, she asked, “Dad, if Eldest Uncle asks why you were lying on the ground listening to sounds, what will you say?”

Yan Lao’er: Stuck.

Yan Yu sighed, “Just say you were looking for a water vein by listening for it.”

“There’s a method like that?” Yan Lao’er asked in surprise.

“Who knows!” Yan Yu shrugged. “Just act like you have some special talent. Later, when we’re looking for water sources, are you going to say you can read the landforms instead?”

Yan Lao’er got nervous. “I hope your eldest uncle doesn’t ask. My ears are fine being just ordinary ears.”

But of course, whatever you fear will come true.

Sure enough, Yan Huaiwen asked his younger brother why he was lying on the ground.

“Brother! I remembered hearing somewhere that some water diviners can either see or hear where water is. So, I thought I’d give it a try—who knows, maybe I could hear something?” Yan Lao’er said earnestly.

Old Yan, please look into my eyes and see my sincerity!

Yan Huaiwen ignored his silent plea and gazed northwest instead.

Then he asked, “So, what did you hear?”

Having the courage to try is good.

“I can’t really explain it, just a feeling… Maybe if we change direction, we might find water.” Yan Lao’er hinted subtly.

Yan Huaiwen looked at him solemnly. “Tianyou, you know my shortcomings. You’ve always been the one to set our routes. But circumstances have changed. Now, we may need to alter our course. I need to ask you—if we avoid the official roads and the direct path we were taking, is there another way?”

“Eldest Uncle!” Yan Yu suddenly interrupted.

“Are we still going to Guanzhou?” she asked the question that had been on her mind.

“Of course.” Yan Huaiwen turned to look at her, not minding her interjection at all.

On the other side, Heng’er had been keeping his head slightly lowered, his brows practically knotted together. But as soon as Yan Yu asked the question, he suddenly looked up, his eyes burning as he waited for the answer.

“Father!” Yan Xiangheng abruptly asked, “Who were those people? Were they soldiers from the Leshan Garrison?”

“No,” Yan Huaiwen’s expression remained calm as he said flatly, “If my guess is correct, they should be private soldiers.”

Private soldiers?

Yan Yu’s eyes immediately lit up.

Yan Xiangheng had always been reserved and respectful in front of Yan Huaiwen. Ever since he could remember, his father had been more dignified than affectionate.

His father’s dedication to studying was unwavering—he spent more time at the academy than at home. Ironically, after Yan Xiangheng himself started school, he actually saw his father more often.

But nothing compared to the closeness and liveliness of this journey.

For the first time, he found himself speaking freely, just like Second Sister.

“The uniforms they were wearing didn’t seem fake—the material looked authentic. And they had identification plaques.”

Yan Xiangheng pulled a brass token from his sleeve. “I examined it closely. It’s definitely cast from pure brass.”

Yan Lao’er and Yan Yu stared at him in shock.

Boy, you might not have much presence, but your attention to detail is incredible!

You not only checked the fabric but also managed to steal a badge without anyone noticing…

Yan Huaiwen chuckled softly, took the badge, and pulled another one from his own sleeve, casually knocking them together.

The crisp sound echoed in the minds of one elder and two juniors.

“There are too many inconsistencies. I don’t even know where to start pointing them out.”

Yan Yu, quick-witted as ever, caught on immediately. She had already grasped the key points and felt a lot more at ease.

“Eldest Uncle, have some water to moisten your throat.” She fawningly handed over a bamboo tube. When the lid was lifted, two wild chrysanthemums floated on the surface.

Yan Huaiwen tapped her forehead lightly.

Then he said, “Let’s start with the horses.”

“What’s wrong with the horses?” Yan Lao’er asked.

“There’s nothing wrong with the horses themselves—the problem is with their numbers.” Yan Huaiwen took a sip of water before explaining, “Our dynasty doesn’t have horse farms. We rely on military settlements to breed them, and production is limited. Very few make it to the open market. Any horses for sale are usually brought in by merchants from outside the borders.”

“If they were real garrison troops, forget horses—they’d be lacking in every kind of equipment. I’ve never heard of a garrison so well-off that they could send out over a hundred men, all fully mounted. Haha…

Weapons, uniforms, badges—all the same story.”

Yan Yu’s eyes sparkled. “Eldest Uncle, are you saying… it’s not that they’re bad, but that they’re too good?”

Yan Huaiwen nodded. “The swords are excellent, the uniforms are brand new, and the badges… are cast from pure brass.” He chuckled and shook his head. “By regulation, everything is correct down to the last detail. But in reality, the national treasury is empty. Over a decade ago, the government even reissued new official seals and tokens, and the provincial military commands were included in the recall.”

“So… everything is fake? The people are fake, the items are fake… Hahahaha! The fake ones are actually better than the real ones? Hahahaha…” Yan Yu was about to die laughing.

What kind of ridiculous dynasty is this? It’s so poor that they had to take back all the official seals and badges? What did they even replace them with?!

“Big Brother, what do real official seals and badges look like?” Yan Lao’er asked.

“Official seals are carved from local specialty stones. Badges can be made of wood, iron, silver, or gold—but gold and silver ones are only plated.”

Yan Yu: Plated?

Is that what I think it means?

They’re just gilded!

Now that’s economical.

“Hahahaha…”

Yan Yu asked, “Eldest Uncle, if these people are private soldiers, doesn’t that mean they’re wealthier than the regular army?”

Yan Xiangheng pressed his lips together, his expression serious. “They guard the mines, so of course, they’re rich.”

Right!

They were chasing them down because they had destroyed the bandit stronghold that trafficked people, cutting off their supply chain.

Everything clicked together in Yan Yu’s mind.

The illegal mine owners had deals with the bandits. The bandits kidnapped people from the main roads and sold them to the mines, where they worked day and night. Whatever they extracted was pure profit—nearly cost-free. The mine owners got richer and richer, built their own private armies, and equipped them far better than the government troops.

Wait… was she missing something?

“Dad! If they have private soldiers, why do they bother imitating official troops?” Yan Xiangheng asked seriously.

Yan Huaiwen answered gently, “Operating illegal mines, trafficking civilians, impersonating government forces, forging official insignia, privately manufacturing weapons… These repeated offenses can only mean one thing—treason.”

Yan Lao’er: …

Yan Yu: …

Yan Xiangheng: …

Did you really just say something that serious in such a casual tone?!

Yan Yu felt like a groundhog screaming internally—

AHHHHHHHHHH——