Chapter 130: The Great Tang Daily

Upon waking, Logan had already prepared everything and eagerly woke Yan Shan and Xiao Zhi. The three were ready to return to Chang’an City.

Upon entering Empress Xiao’s residence, Wan’er handed over a letter for Logan and the others to deliver.

Yan Shan remarked, “That’s quite a journey for just delivering a letter.”

Xiao Zhi replied, “What choice do we have? It’s all by horse and foot, dusty and tiring all the way.”

Logan conceived a plan: “We could imitate Zhuge Liang and create wooden oxen and flowing horses—just press a button and travel without worry.”

Yan Shan burst into laughter, while Xiao Zhi didn’t feel mocked; instead, he seriously pondered the idea of wooden oxen and flowing horses.

“This thing’s legend is quite mysterious. Some say it’s a manpower-powered walking cart; others claim it moves automatically with just one button. I don’t quite believe the latter, but a convenient walking cart sounds worth trying,” Xiao Zhi mused, lost in his thoughts.

Logan and Yan Shan exchanged smiles, deciding to let Xiao Zhi have his free rein at this moment.

They procured several horses from Dingxiang City. The horses, bred by the Hu people, were somewhat wild but of excellent quality—obviously sturdy steppe horses capable of enduring long journeys. Passing by the “Hu-Han Dining” tavern, a Hu hostess warmly offered them slices of mutton and dried meat.

The hostess said, “We prepared these provisions for you; you’ll need them on the road.”

Logan replied, “I hope your business flourishes even more.”

“Flourishes?” the hostess asked.

“Yes, more and more people! And of course, more and more money!” Logan explained.

Understanding at last, the hostess smiled happily. The kitchen had many helpers, and the tavern’s tables were clean. Patrons chatted excitedly, exchanging glances and clinking cups, immersed in joyous camaraderie.

The steamed mutton was clearly presented, some cups had dried meat beside them, and the customs borrowed from Han traditions made Logan want to step inside for a drink.

The hostess continued, “Not only have we adopted your Han dining habits, but we also started some sort of food reviews. Many guests find our approach novel, and returning customers are increasing. Business has improved notably in just a few days.”

Seeing this small establishment become a bridge connecting the Hu and Han people, where both could share meals and drinks, gave Logan a sense of satisfaction. Although leaving the city still brought various troubles, here was a peaceful sanctuary.

Yan Shan found it hard to believe: “This shop is amazing. In less than two days, their lazy work attitude completely changed. The place is spotless, almost like new! Incredible!”

Logan was already accustomed to such sudden transformations.

“Life is sometimes just a game. If you get too serious about the reasons within, it turns into a win-or-lose contest. After all, the process is what matters most.”

Xiao Zhi said, “Brother A’Luo is right! Whether or not I’m the best carpenter in the world doesn’t matter; what matters is how I squander wood and entertain myself. Do you get that?”

Xiao Zhi’s playful remarks made Logan feel as if he were shooting himself in the foot.

Logan opened the game system and, on the homepage, unexpectedly found a news section featuring the “Tang Dynasty Daily.”

Even more surprising, it was produced by a rival group. Using their influence, they gathered various pieces of information from the Tang territories and broadcast them, forming a small electronic newspaper faction.

“Can this really be a game clue?” Logan asked Li Chuanglai within the system, puzzled.

Li Chuanglai replied, “Absolutely. By exposing personal information safely, players can earn points. This risky approach accelerates game progress and point accumulation. But remember, if a character dies, they’re out of the game. So, while the rewards are high, so are the risks.”

Logan asked, “What about the Bamboo Grove Guild I set up before? Can it earn points too?”

Li Chuanglai said, “It could have, but since you didn’t achieve anything substantial and only completed main quests, you earned no entrepreneurial points, just main quest points.”

Logan felt deeply discouraged but suddenly wondered if restarting his work in Chang’an might yield better chances of success than in Anping County.

The system gave no further hints, leaving only the homepage news section.

Opening the “Tang Dynasty Daily,” the first headline read: “Duke Liang Fang Xuanling Proposes Relief Granary and Irrigation Construction Plan; First Five-Year Plan Before the Zhenguan Era Begins.”

At first glance, Logan saw nothing amiss. Building relief granaries was inevitable, as severe droughts within the borders had long been a pressing issue. Then, a scene appeared—grain falling from the sky in vast quantities, nearly overwhelming Du Langzhong. This clearly related to the granary construction, hinting at momentous events ahead.

Continuing through the Daily’s reports, Logan found a civil survey noting that Liang Shidu’s popular support was unstable, the military and civilians were impoverished, and the chance of war breaking out was 80%. Approaching the year 628, no major historical events were yet recorded, but warfare was expected to grow more frequent.

Logan’s curiosity deepened. Beneath the Daily was a player-submitted information section. Unsure of its function, he clicked and was shocked.

It turned out players shared their observations here to earn points.

Clearly, game progress was not meeting the designers’ expectations, so they hastened adjustments this way. The advantage was sharing players’ memories and clues; the downside was that poor play might expose oneself.

On screen appeared a large image of Emperor Taizong’s face, with the caption “The New Emperor Is Troubled.” The report detailed severe drought, internal and external turmoil, and rebellion within the court.

Scrolling down, a scene showed an oasis in the Western Regions’ desert, with people joyfully dancing around a giant cactus, “Western Region People Sing ‘Unforgettable Tonight.’”

Another report read, “Wildfires Consume Everything, Leaving No Straw Houses in the Village,” followed by images of villages burned to the ground, revealing only sly grins.

So far, only three players had submitted information and earned points. From these reports, it seemed one player was a high-ranking official at court, another was located in the Western Regions posing little threat, and a third appeared to be a professional arsonist—motives unknown.

This suggested the player at court was the most dangerous. Logan’s own path was toward Chang’an, and if obstacles lay ahead, he hoped they were not powerful officials, or his journey would be fraught.

Lost in thought, a strange idea crept into Logan’s mind...