"This way, we can avoid offending the royal family. At the same time, by dividing the land among everyone, they will be encouraged to restrain one another to prevent another from claiming a larger share of the land," Wang Chong said.
The War of the Princes was a huge whirlpool that was far deadlier than anything else. Even with the Wang Clan's strong foundation, it was still unable to withstand the violent tides.
Ever since ancient times, many were the prestigious clans who had died from being embroiled in the fight for the crown, and a handful of them were even bigger than the current Wang Clan.
Since even those powerhouses ended up being crushed by the whirlpool, there was little hope to believe that the Wang Clan would be an exception.
Taking the initiative to divide and give out the spirit vein was the best solution to resolve this crisis.
Even though it wouldn't satisfy anyone, at the very least, it could guarantee the Wang Clan's safety. Furthermore, through this method, the Wang Clan could also become acquainted with the princes and princesses, and this could prove to be beneficial to the Wang Clan.
After sending Zhao Jingdian away, Wang Chong sat quietly in the room, thinking about Fifth Prince Li Heng's affairs.
Trading for the Blood Reformation has cost me 30 Destiny Energy, but it brought me a reward of 45 Destiny Energy in return. This is really an unexpected gain. It seems like my conjecture is right; the greater the danger and impact of the matter, the more generous the reward will be!, Wang Chong thought as he recalled the voice he heard from the Stone of Destiny when he was back with Li Heng.
Obstructing the Goguryeons' assassination plot and getting rid of King Sosurim had brought him 10 Destiny Energy. Reversing the fate of the Wang Clan had brought him 25. These were far more troublesome than a mere Blood Reformation, and yet it was the latter which brought him 45 Destiny Energy.
This was really an unexpectedly generous reward.
Wait, something is wrong!, a sudden thought flashed across his mind. He realized that he had neglected an extremely important piece of information.
The Crowning of the True Dragon!
On top of mentioning the War of the Princes, the Stone of Destiny had also mentioned the Crowning of the True Dragon. The former was still understandable, but the latter...
In other words, this is only the start. By participating in the process to Li Heng's inauguration, I will be able to earn a steady stream of Destiny Energy!
A tempest broke out in Wang Chong's mind.
This was truly an alluring deal, but as someone who had witnessed the outcome of the War of the Princes before, he knew that it would surely be fraught with danger. It wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Wang Chong had stepped onto a dangerous path that most nobles and prestigious clans would flee in fright from.
And judging from the notice from the Stone of Destiny, Wang Chong had already been embroiled in the whirlpool, unable to escape anymore.
On most paths was an endless abyss, and on the last was a path to greatness. There was no middle ground in between!
"I can only count my steps as I take them now!" Wang Chong sighed.
Soon, the shadows in the royal court would move. Hidden beneath the facade of calm and tranquility would be an immense hurricane that would sweep one off their feet should they be caught off guard. Who knew how many prestigious clans would be ripped apart by that hurricane soon? And who knew how many powerful officials would have their heads lopped off their necks in the days ahead?
Getting involved in the War of the Princes meant that he would soon find himself standing at the very eye of this hurricane.
But Wang Chong knew there was no other alternative anymore.
Even if he hadn't met Li Heng today, he would still be swept in eventually.
With such thoughts in mind, Wang Chong closed his eyes.
Hu!
The candlelight was extinguished.
------
Just as Wang Chong was sitting silently in the Deflecting Blade Manor, a certain residence in the capital was brightly lit.
Before the dim candlelight, Wang Gen could be seen with a deep frown on his forehead.
As the eldest son of the Wang Clan, a grade-2 official of the royal court, there were rarely any matters that could induce a frown on his face. However, Wang Gen was truly troubled this time around.
"Hmph, what is there to troubled about? Isn't it just a single spirit vein? Just have the lad hand it over and everything will be resolved. With the welfare of the clan at stake, do you think that lad will still dare to defy you on this matter?"
A sharp and harsh voice sounded suddenly by his side, Wang Chong's big aunt.
Wang Chong might not be the wastrel he was before, even sharing an intimate relationship with Wang Gen now, but the opinion that Wang Chong's big aunt had of him didn't change at all.
On the contrary, the more brightly Wang Chong shone, the more threatened she felt.
"How can a madam like you know anything about the affairs of the royal court? Don't spout nonsense," Wang Gen berated her.
"I spout nonsense? I can overlook it if it was any other occasion, but the First Prince is the future emperor! It is to our benefit that he wants the spirit vein, such an opportunity will not come a second time. What is there to hesitate over?" Xing-shi stood up from her seat and yelled in agitation. Even a madam like her could see this as clear as the day, and yet a man like Wang Gen was still hesitating over such a grave matter!
She couldn't stand watching this any longer.
"What do you know? The spirit vein belongs to Chong-er. If it is my possession, I would have long given it to the First Prince already! Besides, do you understand the significance of the spirit vein? Even the three training camps which His Majesty regards highly are built upon ordinary spirit veins only, and Chong-er's spirit vein is at least tenfold more effective than that!" Wang Gen said with a grim face.
Having participated in governance for numerous decades, he understood the significance of this large spirit vein to a clan.
This kind of spirit vein could allow a clan to groom a large number of powerful experts within a short period of time.
A clan with such a spirit vein in possession need not worry about their downfall for centuries to come!
If not for that, how could Wang Chong's spirit vein cause such a huge stir in the capital?
"Hmph, I think you are just getting muddle-headed. Let's see how you intend to account this matter to the First Prince without a spirit vein in hand!" After scolding her husband, Xing-shi flung her sleeves and stomped out of the room angrily.
With Xing-shi's departure, the entire room plunged into silence.
Staring at the flickering candlelight before him, Wang Gen sighed deeply. Following which, he took out a letter from his sleeves. It came from the First Prince.
There was only a single line on the note: I wish to meet Wang Chong!
A short message, but the First Prince's intention was clear. His goal was not the spirit vein, but Wang Chong.
The First Prince intended to rally Wang Chong to his side!
"Forget it, I should still call Chong-er over." Sighing, Wang Gen made up his mind. Xing-shi's words were harsh, but they weren't illogical.
No matter what, the First Prince was the eldest son of the Sage Emperor, and Great Tang would be his eventually.
With such thoughts in mind, Wang Gen raised his brush and before long, a pigeon flew out of the room through the window.
------
"Spirit vein! This is truly inconceivable!"
Deep in the night, two figures, one short and one tall, stood on an opposite mountain as they gazed upon the massive spirit vein.
A conspicuous dense white mist drifted amidst the darkness. It was concentrated spiritual energy.
A beautiful sight that one could only see at night!
The billowing white mist stretched for hundreds of li within the darkness, creating a majestic sight.
; If not for that the person who leaked out the news, no one could have imagined that there would be such a grand sight just a short distance away from the capital.
"That child from the Wang Clan sure is incredible!"
"Indeed! The malicious aura here is so thick that even seers would find it hard to divine this location. Furthermore, this area is filled with so many poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts, and the main route is more than ten li away. And yet he was still able to find this location!"
The duo couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
When the duo first learned that the owner of this spirit vein was Wang Chong, and that he had already bought the deed from the Court of Judicial Review several months ago, they found themselves rendered speechless.
This entire affair was simply way too fantastical.
Wang Chong had barely shaken the world through the regional commanders incident when in the blink of an eye, he became the owner of this gigantic spirit vein in the depths of the mountain.
At that moment, there was only one word running through their mind: shrewd!
It might just be a coincidence the first time, but two was one too many. The child of the Wang Clan was only a fifteen-year-old child, but he had already created an unfathomable image in front of them.
It would be no exaggeration to say that they even felt respect for that child.
No, calling him a child would be inaccurate!
To be more precise, he was the future head of the Wang Clan, Duke Jiu's successor!
"I heard that he had established a Deflecting Blade Manor at the Kunwu Training Camp, and it is in the midst of accepting members. Get Chou-er to join it. That child has a boundless future ahead of him. With such momentum, the Wang Clan could possibly grow beyond its previous peak, when it was under Duke Jiu. Perhaps striking this karmic relationship with him can bring us unexpected gains in the future!"
"Yes, clan head. I'll order Chou-er to ally himself with Wang gongzi," the other figure replied.
The former nodded and fell silent.
Glancing down from the starry skies, many shadows could be seen lurking in the vicinity of the spirit vein. Tonight, countless experts had come down here to determine the authenticity of the rumor.
And who knew how many would make the same decision as the two shadows from before?
________________________
TL Notes:
Xing-shi
Xing refers to her maiden surname, Xing Chunyuan, whereas -shi is just an address for her. It is often used within households to address one another, especially in regards to one's wife and concubines.
It is customary in China for one's eldest son to take over the father's inheritances (such as noble conferment, business, and such), and this applies to the imperial family, too. Of course, the decision is ultimately dependent on the father, but such is the traditional practice.
Chapter 317: Meeting Big Uncle!
Chapter 317: Meeting Big Uncle!
Silence drifted in the night.
The shadows in the vicinity of the spirit vein slowly retreated.
“AHHH...!”
From time to time, a shout of agony would sound, but peace would swiftly be restored to the mountain range.
The spiritual energy in the spirit vein was extremely concentrated, but no one dared to approach it. After the emergence of dozens of corpses after the first day, everyone learned a formidable existence occupied the spirit vein.
It was as if those who had dared to barge onto the grounds had disappeared into another world. The area would be completely silent for a few moments before a corpse was abruptly tossed out of the mist. These corpses revealed the gruesome manner in which those invaders had died, and it sent shivers down the spines of those watching.
Thus, those foolish enough to barge in rapidly halted.
As dawn slowly set onto the world, the crowd gradually retreated.
---
On the mountain where the spirit vein was centered, in the midst of a thick layer of mist, the Demonic Emperor Old Man gazed into the distance beyond the mountain before exhaling deeply. From the onset of the night until now, he had dealt with many waves of malicious spies.
However, the number of men beyond the mountain only continued to increase. Even the Demonic Emperor Old Man couldn't help but feel a little troubled over this matter. Without any forceful methods, it would be difficult for him to keep them under control. It was fortunate that he had managed to deter most of them after putting his heart into slaughtering a few of the invading experts.
Otherwise, if anyone could come and go freely from the spirit vein, it would be a huge mess.
The training regimes that Wang Chong had planned would be affected as well.
"Let's hope that they will be deterred with this," the Demonic Emperor Old Man sighed, before fetching a pigeon from his loose sleeves. Lifting his hands up, he sent the pigeon into the sky.
Whether the matter here was a blessing or a disaster, he would inform Wang Chong and allow him to decide for himself.
------
As the day approached afternoon, a green carriage slowly drove through the bustling streets and eventually stopped at the residence of an influential official of the royal court, Wang Gen.
Opening the carriage, Wang Chong walked out.
After spending half a day dealing with other crucial matters, Wang Chong finally arrived at Big Uncle Wang Gen's residence.
Towering walls surrounded the residence, and two massive crouching lions stood at the gates. By the sides hung two large red lanterns.
Through the slit in between the gate, he could vaguely see a refreshing and elegant bamboo garden.
Big Uncle Wang Gen was an academic official, and perhaps due to Duke Jiu's influence, he had great interest in aesthetics as well. The bamboo garden was laid out in a fashion identical to that in the Four Quarters Embassy, seemingly revealing his inclination toward the plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo*.
This wasn't Wang Chong's first time here, but the emotions he harbored at this moment were very different from any other occasions.
It is also about time to talk to big uncle about that matter, Wang Chong thought as he gazed upon the majestic residence. He had received Big Uncle Wang Gen's pigeon yesterday, but he didn't reply immediately. Instead, he chose to pay him a visit personally.
Flinging his robe behind him, Wang Chong walked up to the entrance.
"Gongzi!"
Four sturdy Wang Clan guards stood at the entrance to the residence, two on each side. Upon seeing Wang Chong, their faces tightened, and they hurriedly bowed deeply in respect.
This gesture had come from the depths of their hearts, and it felt very earnest.
When Wang Chong was younger, he spent his time fooling around and causing trouble in the streets, so everyone couldn't help but think lightly of him.
But in the past half a year, Wang Chong seemed to have changed into a very different person. Seeing his great accomplishments, their initial contempt had transformed into respect and awe.
Thus, upon seeing Wang Chong, they immediately bowed deeply to pay their respects.
"Is my big uncle inside?" Wang Chong asked.
"Yes. After old master learned that gongzi would be arriving, he has been waiting for you in the study. Should we report gongzi's arrival to him?"
"There's no need for that. I'll head straight there." Wang Chong waved his hands and stepped across the gate. Passing by a pond and a garden, and crossing through a bamboo garden and a gazebo, he finally stopped outside Wang Gen's study.
A familiar breathing rhythm sounded from the room. Glancing at the purple doors of the study, many thoughts flashed through Wang Chong's mind.
There were many matters which he had avoided talking to big uncle about, but the letter big uncle sent left him with no other choice.
Big uncle would have never imagined that what he was doing now was completely wrong!
The closer he came to the First Prince, t
he more danger he was exposing himself to.
In his previous life, under grandfather's grand halo and outstanding accomplishments, even after falling for the Yao Clan's ploy and offending King Song, the Wang Clan should still be able to hold its ground.
However, the relationship between big uncle and the First Prince had shattered this final hope. Given big uncle's long years of contribution to the royal court, even if he were to choose the wrong side in a political face-off, the worst that should occur was just a demotion.
However, what he was roped into was the most dangerous War of the Princes. That was what that resulted in the Wang Clan losing favor with the royal family. This was the true reason why the Wang Clan declined swiftly, as if falling into an endless abyss, never to stand up again after grandfather's passing.
The entire Wang Clan fell from the heavens to become a lowly speck of dust in the mortal world.
Understanding big uncle's beliefs and convictions, Wang Chong had been trying to put off this matter. However, considering the current situation, he had no other choice anymore.
Sigh, I can only hope that big uncle will be willing to listen to my words!, Wang Chong sighed deeply.
"Chong-er, you are here." Just as Wang Chong was deeply immersed in his thoughts, a deep and authoritative voice sounded from the room.
Recovering from his daze, Wang Chong pushed open the door and walked in.
"Big uncle!"
As soon as Wang Chong walked in, he saw his big uncle sitting behind a rosewood table. Placed on the table was a thick stack of documents and scrolls. The latter seemed to have been organizing the files of the royal court before his arrival.
"Chong-er, you are here!" Wang Gen smiled and he put the brush in his hands down. After busying himself for an entire afternoon, he was feeling a little fatigued. "Sit!"
Wang Gen stood up from his seat and headed toward a round tea table in the center of the room. There was a pot of tea and two teacups on it.
Wang Gen first poured two cups of steaming tea before beckoning Wang Chong to take a seat beside him. The fact that he was willing to allow Wang Chong to sit so close to him bore testimony to the intimate relationship that the uncle and nephew pair possessed.
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