Having been bullied, Yun Ye planned to hide at home and not go out.

Unfortunately, the tree may wish for calm, but the wind will not cease. If Li’er wanted to find you, even if you hid at the edge of the world, he would drag you out.

A light imperial decree fell upon his head—Assistant Administrator of the Left Martial Guard and Director of the Great Tang Academy of Investigation, with Li Chengqian concurrently serving as Dean. Searching through all the institutions of the Great Tang, no one knew what this Academy of Investigation actually was.

Finally, after asking Li Chengqian, he found a huge compound beside the Yanxi Gate of the Imperial City. The entire compound was thickly wooded, occupying a full five mu. Even in the Imperial City, it counted as a substantial courtyard, though naturally it couldn’t compare with the neighboring Secretariat and Chancellery.

It was just too old. Some of the doors and windows had fallen off. Standing inside the buildings, one could look up and see the azure sky. Having been in the Tang Dynasty for some time now, Yun Ye knew Li’er was currently very poor. Especially after being extorted by Jieli, he was even poorer. He’d heard that the Zichen Hall where Li’er handled daily affairs was stuffy and hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter. The newly constructed palace was still an unfinished building, standing awkwardly in the Imperial City.

But how was he supposed to work in a place like this? This was an institution, a scientific institution he had mentioned to Li Chengqian, a place that needed solid work. What did they expect to research in a scientific institution without even windows? This wasn’t Chairman Mao’s era where enthusiasm and dreams alone were enough to conquer everything.

Yun Ye was a complete pragmatist. To produce results, there had to be corresponding compensation. The current situation was far too different from the Academy of Investigation he had imagined.

Only thirty-some people, and these were investigation experts found from the Guanzhong region. There were grandfathers, uncles, older men—just no brothers. Young investigation talent was what Yun Ye urgently needed. Among these people were specialists in civil engineering and architecture—architects, which was at least somewhat reliable. There was someone who specialized in reading feng shui and determining grave sites for people—why had they sent a feng shui master? There was someone who specialized in digging irrigation ditches—fine, this one was a hydraulic engineer. A blacksmith? A tile mason? A carpenter? A bamboo craftsman? There was even one shameless fellow who insisted he could “investigate principles and exhaust nature to reach destiny.” Yun Ye didn’t know what that meant. The veins on his forehead throbbed. This was the place where his dreams were supposed to take flight?

He had the architect calculate how much money was needed to repair the entire compound, had the feng shui master find the room with the best orientation in the compound for his office, had the various craftsmen summon their apprentices and descendants to help with repairs, and had the “investigate principles and exhaust nature” uncle serve as secretary to record his orders and relay them. It must be said that Tang people’s obedience was first-rate. Working together, they spent three days repairing six rooms.

His Majesty Li’er was generous—he approved a total of two thousand dan of grain as capital for Yun Ye to start with. Money? None. If there was money, what would he need you for? This was His Majesty Li’er’s answer.

Standing in the court ranks, Yun Ye’s mind was entirely focused on how to get one thousand strings of copper cash from the Ministry of Revenue Minister later. At worst, he needed eight hundred strings for emergencies. If he couldn’t get money, the Academy of Investigation would run out of supplies. He himself didn’t matter—even if they didn’t pay him salary for a hundred years, it was fine. But the thirty-some people under him couldn’t make it. One couldn’t survive in Chang’an with only grain, and he didn’t dare sell the grain—that was the great crime of illegal grain selling.

“Ten thousand strings? Minister Wen, my Ministry of War’s Chariot and Cavalry Department has over ten thousand horses rendered useless each year. If we don’t replenish with new war horses, are you telling the Great Tang cavalry to degenerate into infantry?” Li Ji’s eyes were wide with fury as he loudly refuted the Ministry of Revenue Minister’s stinginess.

This person was asking for ten thousand strings and still wasn’t satisfied. Yun Ye very much hoped his one thousand strings wouldn’t catch Minister Wen’s attention.

“Fifty to sixty percent of war horse wastage is caused by hoof wear and cracking. This is also a major factor hindering cavalry deployments. These past two years, Great Tang soldiers have been sleeping on their weapons, ready for battle, vowing to avenge our shame. So the training has been somewhat rigorous. Losing some war horses is worthwhile.” Li Jing stepped out to support Li Ji.

“Ten thousand strings is already the Ministry of Revenue’s maximum capacity. Any more will have to wait until next year.” Wen Daya didn’t yield an inch.

The court of the early Tang Dynasty was relaxed. As long as you had reason, you could freely present your case. His Majesty Li’er sat on the high imperial throne watching his ministers debate. This was a scene he loved to see. Everyone’s reaction was his observation target. He noticed that Yun Ye, hiding in the corner, seemed to have something to say. He stepped forward a few paces, then retreated again.

Wasn’t he busy establishing the Academy of Investigation? How did he end up in court? Watching him whisper with the Crown Prince, Li’er knew that the difficult matter Li Jing just mentioned, this fellow probably had a solution for. Remembering the passage about youth he had recited with the Crown Prince and Cheng Chumo a few days ago, strange thoughts arose in his mind. Young tiger roaring in the valley? Rare flower first conceiving? Hidden dragon soaring from the depths? I’ll just see what capability your vaunted Academy of Investigation has to solve problems that haven’t been solved for a thousand years.

After Fang Xuanling reprimanded the clamoring ministers, Li’er began to speak. “Marquis of Lantian, Yun Ye, I see you seem to have something to say. You might as well speak boldly. As long as you have reason, anything can be said. Though the Academy of Investigation you and the Crown Prince have newly established is somewhat crude, isn’t it more distinguished for young people to forge their own path through hardship?”

There was no way out. Yun Ye gritted his teeth, stepped forward, extended his right hand, and flicked out three fingers: “Give me three thousand strings, and this subject will solve the problem of hoof wear.” This was the first time he had voluntarily taken responsibility upon himself.

Li Chengqian nervously watched him, breaking into a cold sweat for him. This wasn’t like privately bragging among brothers. This was court, where words had weight. Once the words were spoken dead, there was no room to turn back.

Li Jing glanced at Yun Ye and said nothing. Li Ji was somewhat surprised. Wen Daya stepped forward and said to Yun Ye: “Do you know that once these words leave your mouth, this old man will not treat you as a teenage child, but as the Marquis of Lantian of my Great Tang?”

Gratefully bowing to Minister Wen with cupped hands: “You may take this statement as the words of the Director of the Great Tang Academy of Investigation. Three thousand strings, I want them now. Six days—this is the deadline to solve the problem. This is the Academy of Investigation’s promise.”

Extraordinary light flashed continuously in Wen Daya’s eyes. He clapped his hands together loudly and said: “Good! Truly heroes emerge from youth. Hoof wear not only causes massive waste but also leads to lost strategic opportunities. As long as you solve this problem, this old man will grit his teeth and squeeze out another thousand strings from the Ministry of Revenue’s funds to help your Academy of Investigation quickly get on the right track.”

Yun Ye extended his hand and struck palms with Wen Daya. Each returned to their positions with satisfaction.

Li’er smiled, watching the ministers’ wager take shape, and said: “Marquis of Lantian, I am very curious—how do you plan to solve this? To what degree must it be resolved to count as success?”

Yun Ye had already thought it through and said with full confidence: “The round trip from Chang’an to Luoyang is a full fifteen hundred li. This subject plans to have a rider with two horses depart from Chang’an, have the Luoyang garrison affix their seal to prove actual arrival at Luoyang, then return by the same route. After returning to Chang’an, if the horses’ hooves are found intact and undamaged, this subject wins. Otherwise, I lose. What does Your Majesty think?”

“Five hundred li per day—is this the reason you want six days? But do you have time to develop what you need?” Niu Jinda was somewhat worried.

“This subject doesn’t understand why such a simple matter hasn’t been solved for a thousand years. We humans know that walking barefoot injures our feet, so we invented shoes. Why can’t we put shoes on horses?”