The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  "Hmph!" Unaware of Wang Chong's thoughts, Li Siye harrumphed coldly.

  He had less than a favorable view of the nobles of Great Tang. He had known them as despicable men who oppressed the weak and engaged in decadent lifestyles.

  "Speak, what do you want me to do?"

  "You will know when," Wang Chong chuckled softly.

  How could he possibly know what he wanted Li Siye to do for him at the spur of the moment? The three months was just a means for him to keep the latter by his side for the time being!

  He would just have to think of something later on.

  Of course, Wang Chong had considered giving him a longer deadline, such as two or three years or something. However, considering the resentment Li Siye harbored towards him at the moment, that was probably out of question.

  I will just have to think of something later on…, Wang Chong thought as he walked under Li Siye's arm and into the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  ...This fellow was simply too tall!

  ________________

  Translator’s Notes:

  Fu Jiezi was a figure from Western Han era. He was known for assassinating the King of Loulan Kingdom, thus breaking apart a collaboration them, the Xiongnu, and the Kucha.

  Ban Chao is a figure in the Eastern Han era. He was a famous general who helped the Eastern Han empire gain control over the Tarim Basin and stabilize the Western Regions.

  For reference purposes, the Western Han era (~late BC) came right before the Eastern Han era (~early AD). The Tang Dynasty was founded in AD618 and the current timeline should be around AD700+.

  Chapter 390: Huang Qian-er's Feelings!

  Chapter 390: Huang Qian-er's Feelings!

  After some contemplation, Li Siye decided to just go along with things for the moment, so he turned around and followed Wang Chong into the Deflecting Blade Manor as well. Since Wang Chong had already deployed him here, he couldn't return to the army at the moment, anyway.

  So until Wang Chong fulfilled his promise and sent him to the Western Protectorate Manor, he would have to stay here for the time being.

  And if this fellow dared lie to him, he would make sure to teach the little punk how fearsome his wrath could be! So what if Wang Chong was a scion? All of that meant nothing to him!

  "To think that huge guy would be convinced by gongzi so easily. I thought that there would be a huge fight!"

  "Heh, look at that fellow's size! A Wootz steel sword forged to his physique should at least be twice as large as an ordinary one. That's several tens of thousands of gold taels over there, would you reject the offer if you were him?"

  "Stop spouting nonsense over there. When have you encountered anything which gongzi has been unable to resolve?"

  "Indeed. Abutong is the son of Great General Abusi, but he was still subdued and hung on a tree, and he didn't even dare to retaliate after that!"...

  Discussions could be heard from the crowd. Most expressed disappointment after seeing the matter resolved so easily, but there was one question that plagued their minds. Why did gongzi have such a high appraisal of that huge fellow?

  Li Siye? They had never heard of this person before!

  If the other party was truly capable, surely his name wouldn't go unnoticed in the capital. Yet, Wang Chong was using a Wootz steel sword to get on good terms with him!

  During the discussions, no one noticed a beautiful young man possessing extraordinarily fair skin and slender limbs watching the entire scene by the corner.

  "It seems like that fellow... does possess some capability. To think that he would be able to overcome this crisis as well!" Xu Chong, or to be more exact, the disguised Xu Qiqin, gazed at the entrance of the Deflecting Blade Manor with a peculiar glint in her eyes.

  She had been around the past few days while that towering man made a fuss. However, she didn't get involved in the matter, choosing to just watch the spectacle from afar.

  It was not out of disdain for Wang Chong that she chose not to help, but because Xu Qiqin had noticed the exceptionally powerful military aura that the man commanded.

  There had been many complaints in the Deflecting Blade Manor during the past few days over this matter. Everyone was saying that when Wang Chong returned, they would get to deploy the experts of their own clans to teach that bastard a lesson, so as to vent their frustrations.

  But Xu Qiqin had always viewed the fellows who made those comments with scorn and disdain, thinking that they were simply too incapable.

  They didn't even bother to gauge the depths of the other party's capability before challenging him, thinking that they could win just by outnumbering him.

  If they were to really do so, Xu Qiqin was certain that they would have spent the next dozen days lying in bed.

  Even the old nanny by Princess Ni Huang's side was unable to subdue that man, how could a bunch of youngsters possibly be a match for him?

  "Young mistress, it seems like the show is over," a maid standing beside Xu Qiqin remarked.

  "Hmph, what's the hurry? I don't believe that I won't be able to defeat him!" Xu Qiqin replied confidently.

  While Wang Chong was carrying out his mission, she hadn't been slacking around either.

  Over the past month, she had been devoting her time to refining her chess skill. Under her hard work, her proficiency on the chessboard had risen several notches.

  No matter what, she was determined to destroy Wang Chong this time around, and return the humiliation from before.

  "... Also, lass, how many times have I told you not to call me young mistress?" Xu Qiqin berated as she slapped the latter on her head.

  "Yes, young mistress!! I-I mean, yes, gongzi!" Under the slap, the maid immediately answered obediently. Nevertheless, a slight smile still remained on her face.

  The master and servant followed behind the crowd into the Deflecting Blade Manor, and after turning some corridors, they arrived at the majestic Chess Hall and headed right to the second floor.

  ------

  It didn't take long for the mess in the Deflecting Blade Manor to be cleaned up. In just a few short moments, a huge amount of resources were transported into manor.

  Those broken tables and chairs were replaced, and seasonal fruits of differing colors were laid out all over the manor, allowing any passers-by to take a bite of them.

  The archery field, cavalry field, training grounds... These were also tidied up.

  This was the first time Huang Qian-er had visited the Deflecting Blade Manor, so everything she saw felt extremely novel to her.

  Within the Three Great Training Camps, the most popular area at the very moment was none other than the Deflecting Blade Manor. It had drawn in a huge number of recruits, not just from Kunwu, but from Shenwei and Longwei as well.

  Its reputation was synonymous with prestige, not just because of Wang Chong's halo, but due to the existence of the spirit vein behind it as well.

  More importantly, prestigious nobles from the upper echelons of the capital were gathered in here, and even an esteemed princess was a frequent guest here.

  However, what was unique about the Deflecting Blade Manor was that even youths from humble backgrounds were accepted into it! Rumors had it that this was the intention of Duke Jiu.

  It was known that Duke Jiu liked to promote and groom capable youths, so many thought that it was Duke Jiu's intention that Wang Chong do so.

  Those talented individuals strived hard in the Deflecting Blade Manor, hoping that they could gain an opportunity to meet Duke Jiu and win his favor. If they could impress Duke Jiu and possibly win his recommendation, they might even get a chance to seek an audience with the venerated Sage Emperor, and forge their path ahead in Great Tang.

  It was just a matter of time before a man like that rose to become an influential figure of Great Tang. In view of that, background and that sort of thing seemed to pale in comparison.

  As a result of that, it was only in the Deflecting Blade Manor where one could see the bizarre sight o
f esteemed scions of the most prestigious clans getting along with the recruits from the humblest of backgrounds.

  Huang Qian-er had long heard of such rumors, but this was the first time she saw this in person.

  "Has the Wang Clan's wealth reached such an extent?" Huang Qian-er gasped as her gaze swept across the resplendent buildings, exquisite architecture, and extravagant refurbishment of the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  The pillars were coated with a layer of real gold, the roofs were embedded with invaluable Night Illumination Pearls, and the stairs were crafted from white marble with agate and red coral to accentuate it.

  Any single one of those could easily fetch an exorbitant price if sold outside, but in the Deflecting Blade Manor, there were merely the simplest of ornaments.

  And those colorful fruits as well; they were literally worth gold in the capital. The price for each of them were counted in taels. Yet, carriages and carriages of them were transported into the Deflecting Blade Manor, free for anyone to take.

  Pomegranates, grapes, and walnuts from the Western Regions, date palms and figs from the Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu, as well as blueberries, apples, and lemons from even further places... They were all readily available in the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  Huang Qian-er might not have a thorough understanding of the circumstances surrounding the Wang Clan, but she did know that the Wang Clan was known for its incorruptibility. However, all of these things were worth an astronomical sum, and it shouldn't be a cost which the Wang Clan was able to bear.

  And in truth, the cost was indeed not borne by the Wang Clan. It was earned single-handedly by the young man walking beside her.

  Had another incorruptible clan suddenly been found with such a huge mass of wealth, they would have surely been furiously impeached by the censors in the royal court by now. However, such a thing didn't happen to the Wang Clan.

  That was because everyone knew that the young man had obtained everything through legitimate means.

  A single Wootz steel sword could be sold from seventy to several hundred thousand gold taels. That was a sum comparable to the total wealth of a fairly large merchant clan in the capital!

  In other words, the wealth Wang Chong possessed as an individual had already far surpassed the combined wealth of many prestigious clans in the capital!

  "What are you thinking of?" a voice suddenly sounded beside Huang Qian-er.

  Huang Qian-er turned to the side and saw Wang Chong staring at her with an intrigued look on his face. Ever since entering the Deflecting Blade Manor, Wang Chong noticed that the other party hadn't spoken a word at all, and her mind seemed to be drifting somewhere far away.

  "Nothing much." Huang Qian-er shook her head as she reverted to the usual cold face she wore, seemingly unwilling to speak a single word more to Wang Chong.

  "Heh!" Wang Chong chuckled, paying no heed to Huang Qian-er's coldness.

  With many hands working together under the coordination of Wei Anfang, order swiftly returned to the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  The current Deflecting Blade Manor was slightly different from the one Wang Chong remembered before leaving for his mission.

  He noticed that there were many additions to the refurbishment, such as pearls, agates, and jade here and there... Wang Chong had initiated this, but before long, with the momentum of a rolling snowball, more and more items were added into the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  Without a doubt, these were brought here by the scions registered under the Deflecting Blade Manor.

  Wang Chong had no qualms about such happening; if anything, he welcomed it with open arms. Even though he had founded the Deflecting Blade Manor, he had intended to build it with a warm atmosphere, so as to cultivate a sense of belonging to it among the members, letting them view it as their second home.

  For this custom to continue, the effort shouldn't just come on his part. If he were to choose to center the Deflecting Blade Manor around him, it would surely fall swiftly with his departure.

  What Wang Chong wanted to construct was an organization that could continuously produce rising generals skilled in the art of warfare according to his design and vision, even without him facilitating the operations.

  "Right, I forgot to ask you. With your capability, you should have enrolled into the Three Great Training Camps, right? Which one did you join?" Wang Chong asked.

  It was just a casual question, but Huang Qian-er's complexion immediately darkened. In that instant, Wang Chong realized that he had spoken wrongly.

  "Shenwei, but I am no longer a recruit there." Huang Qian-er spat coldly as she glared at Wang Chong with eyes that could kill. "My clan has already forced me to withdraw from it!"

  Wang Chong was immediately plunged into an awkward situation. There was no doubt that the Huang Clan had forced her to withdraw from Shenwei due to his matter.

  "I can help you get back in if you want to..."

  "There is no need for that! The ladies of the Huang Clan abide by their promises. Since I have already chosen this path, I won't look back anymore!" Huang Qian-er interjected without any hesitation, but her eyes were still filled with resentment.

  In truth, she had already planned out her future perfectly, but this conflict had abruptly changed the trajectory of her life.

  For the respected Fairy of Dainty Hands to be forced to pull out from Shenwei Training Camp to serve as Wang Chong's bodyguard and servant, how could Huang Qian-er possibly not feel any resentment towards him?

  But she was an extremely proud person. Indignant as she might be, since she had already given her word to her clan, she would definitely carry it out, regardless of whether she liked it or not!

  Chapter 391: Subduing Xu Qiqin!

  Chapter 391: Subduing Xu Qiqin!

  Wang Chong was also put in an awkward position. Huang Qian-er was an unexpected victim from the conflict between the Wang and the Huang Clan, and even Wang Chong didn't have the power to reverse it.

  However, he had no intention of chasing her away, either.

  If the renowned Fairy of Dainty Hands were to serve as his bodyguard, he would be much safer then before. On top of that, there was a fatal flaw in the Thunderous Resonance of the Dainty Hands that Huang Qian-er cultivated.

  However, Huang Qian-er was filled with hostility for him, so it was unlikely that anything he said would be able to get through to her. He would have to find a suitable opportunity to warn her of the matter.

  "Gongzi, gongzi..."

  Just as Wang Chong was in deep thoughts, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Turning around, he saw Wei Anfang panting heavily by his side, seemingly having sprinted anxiously to get to him.

  "Anfang, what is wrong?" Wang Chong asked.

  It couldn't be that Princess Nihuang or Li Siye was causing trouble for him once more?

  The only ones who could leave Wang Chong with a huge headache in the Deflecting Blade Manor were those two!

  "Gongzi, do you remember Xu Chong?" Wei Anfang asked anxiously.

  "Xu Chong?" Wang Chong blinked his eyes blankly. Wasn't that the name Xu Qiqin of the capital's Xu Clan assumed to sneak into his Deflecting Blade Manor?

  The previous time she challenged the Chess Hall, he had intentionally made things difficult for her, passing the others except for her. Could she be up to something once more?

  "As gongzi was out for too long, I made arrangements for the recruits to be tested in the Chess Hall today so as to sort out the next batch that would be heading to the spirit vein. However, Xu Chong, making use of gongzi's absence, took the initiative to challenge the students of the Chess Hall and defeated all of them!

  "That isn't all! He also challenged the examiners of the Chess Hall and defeated them as well. Now, he is waiting in the Chess Hall, saying that he wants to challenge you!" Wei Anfang said.

  Wei Anfang wasn't sure what the relationship between Wang Chong and Xu Chong was, but it was clear that gongzi seemed to be bent on preventing Xu Chong from passing his test. Oth
erwise, given Xu Chong's proficiency in chess, he couldn't have failed the examination while so many other recruits passed.

  Perhaps due to that incident then, Xu Chong had decided to return to make things difficult for Wang Chong!

  "What?" Wang Chong frowned in surprise.

  He hadn't expected Xu Qiqin to go to the extent of challenging everyone in the Chess Hall. However, he soon understood the intentions behind her actions.

  She was likely to still be holding a grudge over the matter back then, so she chose to defeat everyone in the Chess Hall so as to prove her abilities. If Wang Chong were to pass someone else, but still fail her, that would bring his judgement into question.

  On the other hand, if he were to pass her, that could be considered her 'victory' in this fight.

  Xu Qiqin was using such a method to protest against him, as well as to corner him!

  "What an arrogant fellow she is!" Having understood Xu Qiqin's intentions, Wang Chong couldn't help but chuckle softly inside..

  He had known that the talented young lady of the Xu Clan was a proud person and wouldn't sit idly in the face of injustice, but he hadn't really expected her to come back at him in such a manner.

  However, she had made a major miscalculation.

  To challenge him in a match of weiqi... Not even the legendary old general of Great Tang was able to defeat him, let alone her!

  "Haha, let's go and take a look." Placing his hands behind his back, Wang Chong began walking towards the Chess Hall leisurely with a smile on his lips.

  ------

  Boom!

  Wang Chong could feel the incredible bustle in the Chess Hall from the moment he stepped through the doors. All of the examinees and the examiners of the Chess Hall were squeezing in on one another, seemingly observing something.

  Through the slight gaps in between the crowd, Wang Chong saw a composed young man with a beautiful facial features, and an upright back playing a game of chess against one of his examiners.

  The beautiful young man had a calm and relaxed expression on his face, but the examiner opposite to him had his body drenched with sweat, his face was pale without the slightest tinge of red on it.