In Wang Chong's mind, his big brother Wang Fu had always been a persistent, determined and extremely decisive existence. He would never hesitate or be slow to act, and it seemed like there was nothing in this world that could hold him down. As a result, Wang Chong had worshiped his big brother from a very young age.
Even Wang Chong's rebellious second brother Wang Bei would act more obediently around Wang Fu.
It was commonly said that the eldest son was like the father, and Wang Chong had always been of the opinion that his big brother almost perfectly matched this phrase.
But this time was completely different.
Wang Chong had never seen his big brother like this. His palms were icy cold in Wang Chong's hands and his complexion was as white as paper. He was exhaling more than he was inhaling, and even more chilling to Wang Chong's mind was that a part of his chest had clearly caved in.
This was definitely not normal!
"Aye!"
Chen Shusun sighed and gazed toward the canopy of the tent as he began to recall.
"With things at this state, there's no need for me to hide anything from you. As you see, Eldest Young Master has been injured and is currently unconscious. There are no military doctors in this army, and a military doctor wouldn't be able to cure his illness. As a result, we're at a loss for what to do!"
"What sort of person managed to injure Big Brother?"
Wang Chong clenched his fists until they cracked, and his eyes glowed scarlet as he spoke words of ice.
Brothers were joined at the heart. In this world, those who he was closest with and he most cherished were his parents, his two older brothers, his younger sister, and his other relatives in the Wang Clan. No matter what, he would never let those close to him be injured.
"It was a general under Huoshu Huicang: the Swordfang Beast Jiaosiluo, the second-ranked general of Ü-Tsang's Ngari Royal Lineage! Eldest Master was pursued by Jiaosiluo during the breakout from Lion City and was injured when trying to cover for the rest of the army."
Chen Shusun paused as he glanced Wang Fu's collapsed chest, then he continued, "However, the true person who injured Eldest Master was Huoshu Huicang! While defending Lion City for these ten-some days, Eldest Young Master was heavily wounded by Huoshu Huicang, but he had kept it hidden all this time. Otherwise, Eldest Young Master wouldn't have been injured while fighting Jiaosiluo. Eldest Young Master managed to hold for more than an hour before his injuries finally broke out and he fell unconscious. There was no commander on the front line, so I took matters into my own hands to prevent morale from collapsing. I found a soldier who looked similar to Eldest Young Master, and I had him wear Eldest Young Master's armor and sit beneath the banner.
"As long as Eldest Master is present, morale will be maintained. Otherwise, disaster is certain to occur!" Chen Shusun profoundly said.
Only those people who had held the fort in Lion City, who had advanced and retreated, fought and died with the army, would understand what significance Wang Fu's existence held toward this beleaguered army. The combined armies of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang were many times the size of the Great Tang army. In this situation, a staunch and passive defense was practically the only choice, but the only ultimate result was still death.
There were many times when the oppressive mood caused the army to collapse before the battle had run its full course.
The only reason Lion City had not fallen, but had persisted until now and been able to maintain a vigorous fighting spirit against several times their number, was his Eldest Young Master, Wang Fu.
Unlike Xianyu Zhongtong and the other generals of the Annan Protectorate, Wang Fu was the only commander in the entire army who would command the army to attack while defending a city. When he was commanding the defense, the army would never passively defend, waiting for the enemy to attack. At set intervals, he would sally forth and kill the Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan soldiers.
It was precisely because of Wang Fu's existence that the army in Lion City was not passively accepting a beating, that it had always been able to maintain its morale and will to fight. Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao had also become apprehensive, not daring to act too rashly!
Xianyu Zhongtong could not do this, and not even Wang Fu's father, Wang Yan, was able to do this.
Chapter 526: Stabilizing Morale!
Chapter 526: Stabilizing Morale!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Wang Chong said nothing. All his focus was on Wang Fu's body. Although he wasn't skilled in medicine, Wang Chong still had rich experience in martial arts.
His meridians are in chaos and his internal organs injured. Three important acupuncture points, the Tianchi, Qujing, and Shangfu, have all been damaged. As for his chest, it's only a superficial wound, and not a very serious one! The important thing is the Stellar Energy that Huoshu Huicang left in his body.
Wang Chong's mind whirred as a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.
There were two foreign Stellar Energies in Wang Fu's body. One belonged to Huoshu Huicang, so the other naturally belonged to Jiaosiluo.
Jiaosiluo's Stellar Energy was tyrannical and fierce, but it was still rather lacking when compared to a Great General like Huoshu Huicang. It had definitely not been lucky for his big brother to run into Huoshu Huicang, so that he had been able to escape with his life was actually rather decent.
"Huoshu Huicang, Huoshu Huicang…"
Wang Chong muttered to himself, his heart filled with worry.
His big brother's situation wasn't very optimistic. He had been struck by a supreme technique from Ü-Tsang Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple, a technique completely alien to the traditions of the Central Plains. If that foreign Stellar Energy were not expelled, his big brother's fate was sealed. Probably not even Chen Shusun understood this.
It was hard to say just how many of the empire's generals Huoshu Huicang had killed using this tyrannical Stellar Energy. This technique wasn't very well-known right now, but it would be no secret in the future.
There's a way, there must be a way.
Wang Chong raised his head, his mind running through countless ideas. In order to expel the strange Stellar Energy of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple, one had to know the paths this Stellar Energy traveled. But the distance between the two lands meant that few people in the Central Plains knew of this. Wang Chong, however, was the exception.
That's right, Sanzang, Liuquan, Ziling…
Suddenly, Wang Chong understood and began to move.
Swooshswooshswoosh!
Without hesitation, Wang Chong held his fingers like a sword and sent out thin strands of Sword Qi through them. Like lightning, he jabbed at Wang Fu's Sanzang, Liuquan, and Ziling acupuncture points. He had no needles on him, so Wang Chong had to use thin strands of Sword Qi as their replacement. With these three strikes, three spurts of blood immediately burst out of Wang Fu's body.
"Young Master!"
Wang Chong's sudden moves had stunned Chen Shusun.
"Is there any water? Bring some over."
Wang Chong ignored Chen Shusun, not even deigning to turn his head.
Though Chen Shusun was astonished at first, his expression slowly softened. He had originally wanted to stop Wang Chong, but for some reason, he decided to do otherwise after hearing Wang Chong's firm voice.
"Bring some water over!"
On a rainy day like this, there was no lack of water. A bowl was used to collect some rain water while Wang Chong took two thumb-sized pills from a brocade box in his bosom. Using the water, he helped Wang Fu swallow the pills.
Success will depend on these two pills, Wang Chong said to himself as he looked at Wang Fu's pale face.
The injuries inflicted in a battle between experts were not something any normal wound medicine could cure, and even some higher-level medicines were powerless. The two pills that Wang Chong had taken out had been extremely high-class medicines refined by the alchemists of the palace. Such pill
s were normally meant to be used for the Emperor's children, as well as the consorts and concubines.
Such items weren't even seen on the outside, much less sold. Not even the Imperial Princes could enjoy this pleasure.
Wang Chong had taken great risks to purchase these pills from the alchemists of the palace. These were all divine medicines that could save one's life, even more effective than the pill that he had given to the Demonic Emperor Old Man on their first meeting. Wang Chong had been saving them for himself, but he couldn't pay that any mind right now.
Wang Fu's breathing markedly improved after he ingested the two pills, and blood gradually began to return to his pale complexion. At this sight, Chen Shusun immediately took back whatever he had planned to say. No matter how slow he was, even he could tell that Wang Chong's methods had worked.
"Leave two people here to take care of Big Brother!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, Wang Chong stood up and left the tent.
His big brother had already consumed the divine medicine of the palace, so he was out of danger for now. His urgent mission was now to resolve the army's crisis.
Whoosh!
The rain was still pouring down, showing no sign of weakening.
Wang Chong's gaze swept over the battlefield like an eagle. He was completely unaware that his body was now exuding an intimidating aura, causing all the messengers and guards in the area to inadvertently lower their heads, an inexplicable respect emerging in their minds.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Wang Chong asked without turning his head, "Uncle Chen, does Father know that Big Brother fell unconscious?"
"No." Chen Shusun shook his head. "Our army is a mix of infantry and cavalry, and isn't capable of escaping from the Tibetans. Given how the Tibetan army was nipping at our heels, Master and Eldest Young Master decided to set up a defensive line on these mountains as soon as they saw them and start the battle with the Tibetans. These mountains span over too great a distance, so Master took charge of the eastern defensive line while Eldest Young Master took charge here…"
"Than what of Protector-General Xianyu and the other southwest generals?" Wang Chong asked.
"This… we didn't see Lord Xianyu Zhongtong. The rain is so fierce that even the Tibetans lost quite a few of their people in the storm, and so did we. I'm afraid that we've temporarily lost touch with Lord Xianyu Zhongtong," Chen Shusun sternly said.
Their breakout in this downpour hadn't come without a price. It was no easy task for so many people to escape in an orderly fashion.
As expected!
Wang Chong couldn't help but furrow his brow upon hearing about what had happened to Xianyu Zhongtong, but he quickly regained his composure.
Wang Chong gaze swept over that nearby soldier who was substituting for his big brother, and he suddenly ordered, "Take off your armor and give it to me. Starting from now, this army is under my command!"
"Young Master…"
"Now is not the time to argue!"
Wang Chong waved his hand and took out King Song's golden token. Raising it high in the air, he spoke in a voice that brooked no objection. "This is King Song's token. Given King Song's temperament, do you think he would give me his token on a whim? Moreover, from north to south, Tibetan cavalry have completely covered the southwest. Uncle Chen, do you think that I got through them through sheer courage? I know that you have your doubts, but now is not the time to talk about that."
Chen Shusun was momentarily speechless.
This was truly a general's tiger cub. Even though Wang Chong was still young, he was still a descendant of a clan of generals and ministers, so he had at least some understanding of strategy. Moreover, everything Wang Chong had said was correct. King Song had always made a clear distinction between public and private when it came to military affairs. If he had given Wang Chong his token and allowed him to come south, he had to have had his reasons.
He also must have felt that Wang Chong was suited for this job, and this judgment would not have been stained by his friendship with the Wang Clan.
Chen Shusun suddenly pointed at that young soldier and ordered, "Didn't you hear? Take off that armor!"
I hope that Young Master is right! Chen Shusun said to himself.
This was a desperate move at this point. There were few in this army who understood battlefield formations, and there were none who could reach Wang Fu's level. Otherwise, he would have been the one sitting there, and he wouldn't have needed someone to act like his Eldest Young Master.
Wang Chong said nothing, and his mind was not as distracted by such thoughts as Chen Shusun's. The urgent task at hand was to quickly take control over this battle.
"How many people do we have?" Wang Chong asked as he swiftly equipped the armor.
"There is no estimate, as we lost quite a few people in the storm. But it should be forty or fifty thousand, and some of the soldiers should be with Lord Xianyu Zhongtong," Chen Shusun said.
"How many people do the Tibetans have? And did Mengshe Zhao send any soldiers?" Wang Chong asked.
"It's around seventy or eighty thousand," Chen Shusun immediately said with lowered head. "For the moment, we've seen no one from Mengshe Zhao. The Mengshe Zhao army is made primarily of infantry, and their training is lacking compared to ours. For the 300,000 soldiers of Mengshe Zhao to pursue in this pouring rain while still maintaining order is simply impossible. This was why Eldest Young Master said that we're only facing Tibetans for the time being. However, The Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao, Fengjiayi, is leading several thousand cavalry in pursuit of our army!" Not even he realized that he had already accepted Wang Chong's role as commander of the entire army in place of his Eldest Young Master.
"Fengjiayi…"
Wang Chong's eyes narrowed and began to exude a cold light.
The prosperity of Mengshe Zhao was simply not comparable to the Great Tang. It could not be like the Great Tang and establish so many protectorates and deal with so many enemies at the same time. Even now, Mengshe Zhao was only dealing with the imperial protectorate on the empire's southwest corner.
And to need an entire kingdom to deal with only a corner of another country, it was clear which was stronger.
Moreover, the distinguished generals in the Great Tang was far superior to Mengshe Zhao's, and they were more numerous as well. But Fengjiayi was one of Mengshe Zhao's distinguished generals.
Fengjiayi was no mediocre and incompetent crown prince of some small state, but a valiant crown prince rarely seen in Mengshe Zhao's history. Moreover, he was both courageous and wise. In addition, Mengshe Zhao, as a vassal of the Great Tang, had a custom of sending its crown prince to the Imperial Court as a hostage—though the Great Tang did not call them hostages.
Any normal royal descendant or crown prince would be unwilling to be a hostage, but Fengjiayi was different. He had volunteered, expressing his desire to go to the Great Tang. He had yearned to go to the Great Tang ever since he was a child, but his yearnings had a completely different purpose from what many had imagined.
As the crown prince of a foreign kingdom, Fengjiayi was surprisingly diligent. Fengjiayi maintained an intense curiosity for everything: strategy, tactics, martial arts, the imperial household, the common people. While he was a hostage in the imperial capital, even his teachers praised his diligence and talent, even presenting a petition to the Sage Emperor requesting that Fengjiayi be made an official so that he could stay in the Great Tang and enter the court.
This break in custom was quite the accomplishment for Fengjiayi.
But Fengjiayi had sternly refused this gesture.
Fengjiayi's courage had been famous throughout the capital, and his talent had been praised as being the best of the best. He had come from the royal lineage of Mengshe Zhao, and now he had the Sage Emperor's blessing, so he was able to learn a great number of martial arts. He also had access to many resources that no normal person could ever get ahold of, so he grew with astonishing speed.
In the capita
l, even the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi, had been full of praise, hailing him as both an excellent scholar and general, a potential Great General. From this, one could easily imagine how talented he was.
But Fengjiayi had a goal in mind, one that was clear to himself, though perhaps not to the Tang.
He wanted to use what he had learned from the Great Tang to strengthen Mengshe Zhao.
And when compared to his father, Geluofeng, Fengjiayi was even more ambitious. He was young and bursting with energy and talent. He had studied the strategy texts, been taught by Wang Zhongsi, received the martial arts manuals of the Great Tang imperial household, and had access to countless resources. Fengjiayi wanted to use all this to strengthen Mengshe Zhao and accomplish his goal of completely breaking free from the Great Tang.
In the offense against the Great Tang, Fengjiayi commanded the vanguard of the allied army. He and Mengshe Zhao Great General Duan Gequan were the two sharp daggers that Mengshe Zhao planned to thrust into the heart of the Great Tang's southwest.
The crown prince of the foreign kingdom that the Great Tang had raised had now become its greatest foe, ringing the bell of its demise!
Chapter 527: Taking Command of the Army! The Astonishing Retreat!
Chapter 527: Taking Command of the Army! The Astonishing Retreat!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Fengjiayi, hmph, he should probably have reached the Profound Martial realm by now, perhaps even higher! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
It had been many years since Fengjiayi had been a hostage in the capital. The current Fengjiayi had probably already reached the level of an Imperial Great General, or at least a level very close to it. However, wars were never decided by pure strength. Otherwise, Su Zhengchen would have singlehandedly united all the foreign kingdoms in his era.
Wang Chong waved his hand and decisively ordered, "Disregard the matter of Fengjiayi for now. Listen to my orders and gather all of our cavalry!"
"But all of our cavalry have already entered the front lines. If we summon them all, the front lines will be in even greater peril!" Chen Shusun said in surprise.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 361
