The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  He could not address this deficiency no matter what he did.

  Wang Chong had done his utmost to conceal this flaw, but in the end, Dalun Ruozan had still managed to realize it!

  Standing under the banner, Wang Chong suddenly ordered, "Call Sir Zhang Shouzhi over."

  "Young Master."

  Zhang Shouzhi arrived faster than he had expected, bowing to Wang Chong's back. Zhang Shouzhi's complexion was still pale, but his condition had still much improved after being forced into sleep.

  In addition, Wang Chong had given him pills that could strengthen his body and supplement his vitality, which had also proved useful.

  After a long period of silence, Wang Chong said, "Sir Zhang, how much water do we still have left? How much did Xu Qiqin prepare for us, and how long can the army last with it?"

  "Lady Xu has already done her best to prepare for us a large number of water bags. But water is a very special thing and cannot be transported like armaments. In addition, we arrived here in advance and, as Young Master ordered, dug out many water-storing pools on the summit. We managed to collect a good deal of water from that downpour.

  "In addition, Young Master had us arrive here in advance, and we managed to excavate a water source nearby, prepared before the battle. Thus, our water situation is actually rather decent.

  "In addition, we stole quite a few water bags from the Mengshe Zhao camp in the night raid.

  "However, the amount of water consumed by eighty to ninety thousand soldiers is no small sum. No matter how much water we could have stored up, it would still be a cup of water being used to put out a burning cart, utterly insufficient," Zhang Shouzhi explained.

  Only he and Wang Chong knew the water situation for this army of ninety thousand, with everyone else unaware. This was for the express purpose of avoiding a panic. Water was not like food. Although it seemed insignificant, one had to use water every day.

  One had to use it to make food, and drink it every day, as did the horses.

  Without ample supplies of water, the army would encounter difficulties even more fatal than a lack of provisions. Crucially, by choosing this mountain as the site of the decisive battle, Wang Chong had foreordained that water would always be an innate and irreparable flaw.

  He could have one or the other, but not both.

  Dalun Ruozan had seized upon his lethal weakness.

  "Tell me how long we can endure," Wang Chong calmly said.

  "T-… twelve days!" Zhang Shouzhi said.

  Wang Chong frowned and asked once more. "Just how long is it?"

  Zhang Shouzhi hesitated before gritting his teeth and finally speaking the truth. "Ten, no, at most nine days!"

  Old Eagle, Chen Shusun, and the guards and messengers on the summit all paled. A moment ago, when Dalun Ruozan had come to speak with Wang Chong, they had already realized that something was wrong.

  But only when they realized that they only had water for nine days did all of them understand that the problem was far more severe than they had imagined.

  The atmosphere on the summit instantly became extremely oppressive.

  Yet the entire summit was quiet. Everyone kept their mouths shut, not daring to say too much.

  "So, in nine days, they'll begin a large-scale attack?" Old Eagle worriedly said.

  "It won't be nine days. In five, at most six days, they'll begin their attack. Dalun Ruozan won't wait for us to run completely out of water to begin his attack," Wang Chong sternly said.

  Dalun Ruozan wouldn't wait that long, nor would Geluofeng. In five days, the army would begin to feel the strain from the lack of water, and these changes would be clearly expressed through the state of the army.

  If they hadn't known about this beforehand, the army would have remained unaffected. But it was precisely because Dalun Ruozan knew this that he had sought a meeting with Wang Chong.

  And by the sixth day, the situation would have worsened, and the morale of his soldiers would clearly be wavering. The amount of water allowed to horses and soldiers would rapidly decrease, and everyone would be able to feel this.

  But Wang Chong would be forced into this course of action.

  Because the moment he altered his plan and continued to consume water on a large scale, Dalun Ruozan would alter his plans and wait for the seventh day. If he believed that Wang Chong would continue, then he would wait another. At the very most, given the normal rate at which the Annan Protectorate army consumed water, he wouldn't even have to wait until the ninth day.

  And the moment the army had no water, the only thing awaiting it would be death.

  "Young Master, what if we begin water restrictions? We might be able to last for twelve days," Zhang Shouzhi ventured.

  "There's no need!"

  Wang Chong immediately rejected the proposal.

  "If we alter the plan, morale will drop, and we won't even have to wait for day five. Dalun Ruozan will immediately begin the assault. In addition, have you forgotten our objective here?"

  Old Eagle and Chen Shusun both shivered, immediately reacting.

  Wang Chong had once told them that a war had both a tactical and strategic side. Tactically, their goal was to resist the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army and delay them here.

  And strategically…

  The result of this war was not merely decided by the outcomes of one or two battles. In Wang Chong's view, there was still one more factor that could decide the southwest war: the Imperial Court!

  I wonder if Big Uncle or King Song have been able to do anything yet? Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

  The Great Tang truly was on the decline, the long peace having caused it to slowly lose its initial sharpness. The current Great Tang, Wang Chong was sure, was definitely now facing troubles on all sides.

  The Turks, Goguryeo, the Abbasid Caliphate, Charax Spasinu, and the kingdoms of the Western Regions—these were the Great Tang's past foes or potential foes, and they were all working with Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang to hold down the Great Tang's armies.

  But the Great Tang was still the Great Tang, and the resources it had accumulated over the centuries were still there.

  Wang Chong was confident that as long as he could delay the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army for a period of time, the Imperial Court would eventually dispatch reinforcements.

  ……

  "How is it?"

  Outside the Tibetan commander tent, everyone had gathered for a meeting. Dalun Ruozan and Geluofeng stood at the fore while Huoshu Huicang and Duan Gequan stood in the rear, and behind them were the other generals. Nearby, the mountain upon which the Great Tang was encamped loomed like a primordial beast, spanning their field of vision.

  But everyone's eyes followed Dalun Ruozan's gaze to the smoke rising from the summit.

  When the Great Tang army had its three meals each day, the commanders of both armies would promptly appear to observe the sight together. This had become one of the strange scenes in the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.

  "The number of cooking fires hasn't decreased at all. The Tang are still not implementing water restrictions!" Fengjiayi said on the side.

  As a hostage of the Great Tang, he had lived in its capital for a time, so he had an understanding of all aspects of their culture, from the art of war to Confucian learning. Thus, he had also somewhat understood how to determine the number of cooking fires.

  "This is a reflection of the wisdom of that son of the Wang Clan!"

  Dalun Ruozan sighed. Putting aside their opposing standpoints, Dalun Ruozan actually felt a deep admiration and praise for Wang Chong. This was certainly a powerful foe, and if he were allowed to completely mature, not even Dalun Ruozan knew just how far he would go.

  But it was precisely for this reason that Dalun Ruozan could not allow him to leave alive.

  "The current Tang army has already has its doubts stirred by my words. If he begins to implement water restrictions now, he might be able to stretch his water for a little longer, but the army will definitely start t
o panic. And this will only grow more severe as time passes, resulting in an even worse outcome than if he didn't implement water restrictions."

  "But will this way actually work?" Fengjiayi asked in surprise.

  "Of course it won't."

  Dalun Ruozan chortled.

  "No matter what he does now, it's all useless. This is his lethal weakness. Not even if he were the smartest person in the world would he be able to do anything about it.

  "Your Majesty, the moment you've waited for is coming. In at most seven days, we can begin the general offensive."

  Geluofeng roared with laughter.

  Chapter 602: The Decisive Battle! A Clash of Ten Thousand Generals! I

  Chapter 602: The Decisive Battle! A Clash of Ten Thousand Generals! (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The second day and the third day passed, Dalun Ruozan and Geluofeng spending every day watching. However, the number of cooking fires in the Annan Protectorate army remained the same. Yet the atmosphere was beginning to subtly change.

  Just when Geluofeng and Dalun Ruozan believed that this would continue, the unexpected occurred on the fourth day.

  Flapflap!

  A massive pitch-black messenger bird landed in front of the Tibetan commander tent.

  "News from the northeast!"

  Dalun Ruozan glanced at the symbol on the bird's leg as he untied the message, a hint of confusion in his eyes. To the northeast of the Ü-Tsang Empire was naturally the Great Tang's Longxi.

  We Tadra Khonglo and Dusong Mangpoje were currently stationed there, the two of them engaged in fierce battle against Geshu Han's Big Dipper Army.

  We Tadra Khonglo was perfectly capable of holding down Geshu Han. The Big Dipper Army was definitely in a state where it could only defend, not counterattack. Dalun Ruozan didn't understand why he would be receiving any news from We Tadra Khonglo's side.

  With a hint of confusion, Dalun Ruozan unfurled the message. Buzz! Dalun Ruozan instantly paled.

  "What's happened?"

  Huoshu Huicang walked up from behind.

  "See for yourself."

  Dalun Ruozan passed the missive to him. The paper had a very short message: Great Tang War God Wang Zhongsi had left the capital and was on his way to Longxi.

  Huoshu Huicang instantly paled.

  "This is a problem," Huoshu Huicang muttered to himself, an extremely grave look on his face.

  If there was one person that everyone in the Ü-Tsang Empire feared, including the Tsenpo, it would have to be the Great Tang War God, Wang Zhongsi.

  In Ü-Tsang's wars against the Great Tang in which Wang Zhongsi led the Tang armies, Ü-Tsang had almost always been dealt a heavy defeat and been forced to retreat. Even the King of Generals We Tadra Khonglo had suffered a bitter defeat at Wang Zhongsi's hands.

  The Great Tang army led by Wang Zhongsi had even almost fought its way up to the plateau and occupied the royal capital.

  When the news came out that Wang Zhongsi had entered the palace to be the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, the entirety of the Ü-Tsang Empire had celebrated, everyone exhaling a deep sigh of relief.

  To the Ü-Tsang Empire, the news that Wang Zhongsi was moving out was a veritable earthquake.

  "We don't have much time left. The King of Generals won't be able to last for long," Dalun Ruozan said with a grimace.

  There was one person in the Great Tang that Dalun Ruozan had no means of controlling, and that was Wang Zhongsi. This person's level completely surpassed Dalun Ruozan's abilities.

  Although Dalun Ruozan had no desire to boost another's morale while diminishing his own, impartially speaking, We Tadra Khonglo was no match for Wang Zhongsi.

  He had heard before that Wang Zhongsi had only entered the palace to be the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian because of some hidden disease. It was obvious now, however, that this had been erroneous information.

  This was an ill omen for Ü-Tsang.

  "Wang Zhongsi will need ten days at most to travel from the capital to Longxi. In other words, we only have ten days to completely annihilate the Annan Protectorate army and pacify the southwest."

  "It seems like we'll have to move our operation up!" Huoshu Huicang solemnly intoned.

  ……

  "Old Shi, do you still have water? Let me use your water bag."

  Behind a high steel wall, a veteran soldier of the Annan Protectorate army licked his dry lips and stretched his hand out to the veteran at his side.

  "I've got nothing, nothing…"

  The old soldier turned his water bag over, the last drop of water within falling into his mouth.

  "See, I don't even have enough for myself. If you want to drink some water, wait a couple of hours for them to send more down from above."

  "I remember that our water wasn't this limited before," a voice butted in from the side. "Do you think what they're saying is true? Is the army really running out of water?"

  The soldiers instantly fell silent, all of them looking at the soldier who had spoken.

  "You're seeking death! What nonsense are you saying!"

  A veteran kicked the guilty soldier onto the ground, but his eyes were fixed on the summit. Although he was doing his utmost to remain calm, even he felt an intense unease.

  All around him was silence. None of them noticed that an air of unease was spreading over the army.

  "Young Master, the situation isn't looking good," Old Eagle worriedly said as he peered down the mountain.

  What everyone had worried about the most was taking place. Their water was running out, forcing them to implement water rationing. This alone wouldn't have done anything, but Dalun Ruozan's words had changed everything.

  Even Old Eagle, ignorant in the art of war, could sense that the army's morale had begun to shift over the last few days. This was a very worrying sign.

  "I know," Wang Chong indifferently said, his face devoid of emotion. What had happened had happened. Right now, he had to think about how to resolve this problem.

  "Reporting! The enemy army is showing signs of activity."

  A messenger suddenly charged up to the summit and kneeled to the ground.

  Buzz! Everyone began to look down the mountain. The inactive Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army had suddenly begun to mobilize, tens of thousands of soldiers surging in from all directions, dust roiling and banners flying as they came with a truly astonishing momentum.

  And those mountainous elephants standing out from the army were particularly frightening.

  "Not good!"

  Old Eagle instantly paled.

  "The Tibetans are going to attack."

  "Pass on my order. The entire army should stand ready."

  Wang Chong's cool voice was particularly clear in the chaos, and his order was completely passed down the mountain. Bong! With this heaven-shaking strike of a war drum, the army stretching from the summit of the mountain to the base became somber and stern.

  Clangclangclang!

  A clattering of metal could be heard from below. With the two commanders of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army as the center, blazing and dazzling lights began to ripple out to spread over the entire army.

  Thousands of halos of all kinds began to fill the army's field of vision.

  This was an unprecedented large-scale operation of the united Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were about to attack together, their momentum like a heaven-reaching wave. This formed a stark contrast with the silent Tang ranks on the mountain.

  But even though the mountain was silent, the atmosphere was only growing more fraught with tension.

  Each Annan Protectorate army soldier was tightly grasping his weapon, an extremely grave expression on his face.

  "Chong-er!"

  On the summit, as Wang Chong solemnly observed the situation down below, a voice rang out at his ear.

  "Father!"

  With a start, Wang Chong immediately responded, subconsciously turning
to that tall and mighty figure. By using a sound transmission ability, his father was perfectly capable of speaking to him with his back turned.

  "In a little while, when the battle begins, leave Huoshu Huicang and Duan Gequan to me and Protector-General Xianyu. Don't move, and don't approach. Opponents on this level are not people you can deal with," Wang Yan said, his voice infused with a few different meanings.

  From the moment they arrived at this mountain, Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong had observed the battle like two bystanders, passing almost all their authority to Wang Chong. But this time… their demeanor had clearly changed.

  "Your child understands." Wang Chong nodded, his heart extremely heavy. It was clear that even his father and Xianyu Zhongtong had felt that the situation had gone sour. There were no probes and no signs of contempt. Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao were prepared to utilize their full strength to exterminate them.

  And they had chosen the moment when the Great Tang army was running short of water, its morale beginning to fall.

  Rumble!

  Dust stirred. While the Tang army stood ready for combat, to the southeast, southwest, east, west, north… in all directions around the mountain, one valiant figure began to appear after the other, all of them exuding a storm of energy.

  Old Eagle took a step forward and blurted out, "It's Longqinba!"

  "No, there's also Fengjiayi, Duan Yangyan…" Chen Shusun said.

  As they looked on, figure after figure began to appear at the base of the mountain. Longqinba, Fengjiayi, Duan Yangyan, Ciren Xiangxiong, Tumi Sangzha… and there were also the generals of Mengshe Zhao, the fierce generals of Ü-Tsang. All of them were in high spirits as they emerged from the roiling dust, followed by tens of thousands of soldiers.

  All the generals of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army had finally appeared, completely shrouding the Great Tang army in an invisible energy!

  Chapter 603: The Decisive Battle! A Clash of Ten Thousand Generals! II

  Chapter 603: The Decisive Battle! A Clash of Ten Thousand Generals! (II)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325