Journey to the West: Starting from the Imperial Horse Stable

The atmosphere in Sun Mingyuan's duty room was somewhat tense.

Feng An stood aside with his hands at his sides, reporting in a low voice what he had seen that morning: "Old Qian returned all those magical herbs to the storeroom early this morning. The accounts are clear and there's nothing wrong with them."

Sun Mingyuan sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously. His face was expressionless, but his eyes darkened.

Then Feng An added, "Old Zheng also handed over the herb at noon. Although he seemed reluctant and dawdled for a while, he eventually handed over everything he was supposed to according to the new rules."

Sun Mingyuan stopped tapping his fingers on the table. This result was somewhat unexpected.

In his original calculations, he believed that Lao Qian and Lao Zheng, two veterans who had been operating in the Imperial Horse Administration for many years, would not easily comply with Wang Chen's new rule that cut off their source of income.

Even if they don't confront him directly, they should at least come to their "former master" to complain and ask for help, or at least dawdle and delay, making it impossible for Wang Chen's plan to be implemented.

At that time, I can step in to "coordinate," which will not only suppress Wang Chen's arrogance but also make Lao Qian and Lao Zheng feel indebted and further win them over.

But now, these two old guys handed over the items without saying a word.

Old Qian even handed over the money readily and decisively. Didn't they know to come to him? Sun Mingyuan believed that as long as they asked, he would definitely "help" to mediate.

The current situation made Sun Mingyuan feel a little uneasy. What methods did Wang Chen use? In just a few days, had he already subdued these two old foxes?

If no action is taken and Wang Chen continues to act as he pleases, I fear I will gradually be sidelined in the Imperial Stables.

Can't wait any longer.

In the afternoon, Sun Mingyuan walked out of his duty room, came to the courtyard, clapped his hands, and summoned everyone from the Imperial Horse Administration.

"I've been busy with trivial matters lately, so I haven't been able to communicate with you all as much."

With his usual slightly aloof smile on his face, Sun Mingyuan glanced at everyone and said, "I happen to have some free time today, so I'd like to chat with you all."

Everyone stood quietly listening, but they knew very well that Supervisor Sun had specially summoned them for something more than just a "chat." Why had they never seen him come out and chat with everyone before?

Sure enough, Sun Mingyuan changed the subject, his gaze falling on Zhou Quan and Zhao Deshun, his tone becoming concerned yet with a hint of scrutiny: "Zhou Quan, Chief Zhao. How are the spare warhorses that I asked you two to take care of? Although they are not needed by King Li for the time being, military affairs are ever-changing, and we must be prepared at all times without the slightest slackness."

It's this matter again. Ever since Sun Mingyuan set a trap for Zhou Quan and Zhao Deshun, he always uses this incident to give them a warning.

Zhao Deshun's expression changed slightly, knowing that Sun Mingyuan had come out to cause trouble because of the matter of establishing the charter. He was about to speak when Wang Chen stepped forward first.

His expression remained calm as he met Sun Mingyuan's gaze and said, "Supervisor, I just went to see those horses yesterday. Although they are not as fit as young, fine horses, they are much better than they were a month ago, and their spirits are much stronger. Brother Zhou Quan and Brother Deshun have indeed put in a lot of effort."

Now, he is the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, jointly managing the Imperial Horse Administration with the Supervisor, and he can help Zhao Deshun and Zhou Quan resolve this matter.

Sun Mingyuan's lips twitched into a half-smile: "Oh? Wang Bi, the stable master, thinks things are improving? But to my eyes, those horses are still weak and unable to move. If King Li or any general urgently needs warhorses and sees these spare horses in such a state, and blames the Imperial Horse Administration for being perfunctory and delaying military operations, who will bear the responsibility?"

His words already carried a clear sense of accusation.

"Ha, the same old tricks again," Wang Chen sneered. "I couldn't do anything about it before, but things are different now."

"If Li Tianwang wants to blame me, I'll go and explain things to him."

Wang Chen remained calm and composed.

"The total number of celestial horses currently in the Imperial Horse Stable is clearly recorded in the registers, totaling 13,221. Previously, when Li Tianwang campaigned against Huaguo Mountain, 13,200 strong celestial horses were transferred to serve as war cavalry, as was customary. Only 21 horses remained in the stable, all of which were inferior horses that had been eliminated over the years, or were old, or injured, or were no longer of great use. This matter is documented and verifiable by both the Tianxiantai and the Chejiasi."

He paused, then looked at Sun Mingyuan. "These twenty-one old and weak horses, thanks to the meticulous care of Zhou Quan and Zhao Deshun, are much better off than when we took them over. This is a fact. Even if Li Tianwang himself came to check the registers and inspect the horses, he would only acknowledge that we had fulfilled our responsibilities in maintaining them. How could he blame the entire Imperial Horse Administration for twenty-one old, unusable horses?"

Sun Mingyuan was momentarily speechless at these words. Wang Chen presented the specific number of horses and allocation records, providing solid evidence and effectively blocking Sun's attempt to accuse him of "delaying military operations."

Wang Chen didn't give him a chance to think further. He turned to Zhao Deshun, raising his voice so everyone in the courtyard could hear him: "Steward Zhao, have you and Zhou Quan done your best to feed those twenty-one heavenly horses?"

Zhao Deshun immediately straightened his back and said loudly, "Reporting to Wang Bi Ma Wen, Zhou Zhu Shi and I have been taking care of them day and night, without daring to slack off in the slightest. We have indeed done our best!"

Wang Chen then looked at Zhou Quan: "Zhou Quan, please briefly describe how you usually feed them, what kind of feed you use, and how many times you check on them each day."

Zhou Quan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice clear and steady: "Every day at Chen, Wu, and You hours, the horses are fed carefully selected Yunxia grass, mixed with a small amount of bean feed. At Si and Shen hours, they are led for a half-hour walk each time to stretch their muscles and bones. There are also guards at night to check on the horses' condition. The amount of feed and labor used are all recorded and can be checked."

Finally, Wang Chen's gaze fell on Old Qian in the crowd, his tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure: "Old Qian, you have the deepest seniority and the most experience in the Imperial Horse Administration. In your opinion, if those twenty-one old and weak horses were cared for by you personally, they might be better than those currently being raised by Zhou Quan and Zhao Deshun?"

All eyes were on Lao Qian. Lao Qian's facial muscles twitched. He looked up and glanced at Sun Mingyuan, who was staring intently at him.

Old Qian looked at Wang Chen again. Wang Chen's face was expressionless; he just waited quietly.

Old Qian recalled the cup of tea from yesterday, the promises made about the cultivation elixirs, and the sense of relief he felt this morning when he returned the immortal herbs.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his eyelids lowered, and his voice, though not loud, was clear enough: "Reporting to Wang Bi, those twenty-one horses are in very poor condition and are quite old. Even if I were to take care of them, I fear... it would be difficult to make much progress. Zhou Quan and Master Zhao have indeed done their best."

These words silenced the courtyard even more. Even Old Qian, whom Sun Mingyuan thought would at least remain neutral, clearly stated that he sided with Wang Chen.

Sun Mingyuan's face darkened completely.