The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

Dalun Ruozan's brow was deeply creased, a pensive look on his face.

  "You saw that boy's abilities. Although his words might not all have been real, there's no guarantee that all of them were false. In addition, at this stage in the battle, he has no need to play small tricks…

  "Pass on my order to keep the entire army ready. For this period of time, arrange for ten groups of soldiers to keep a rotating watch on the Tang. In addition, use kerosene to set up campfires around the camp. I want all the blind spots clearly lit. All patrols, including if the Mengshe Zhao soldiers approach, are required to use secret signals. We can't give them a single chance."

  It hadn't been too long ago that Wang Chong had disguised the Tang soldiers as Mengshe Zhao soldiers and attacked the Tibetans. Dalun Ruozan did not want any sort of flaw to appear at this time. If Wang Chong were allowed to raid the camp again and steal enough water to delay another day, the chance that the Tibetans would fail would increase by another percent.

  Wang Zhongsi had already departed the Great Tang capital. The situation was completely different from what it had been at the start. Right now, Dalun Ruozan was even more worried than Geluofeng.

  "Yes, your subordinate will go."

  Several Tibetan messengers quickly left to carry out Dalun Ruozan's orders.

  ……

  "Great General, what do we do now?"

  On the other side, in a camp very far from the Tibetans, two figures were meeting. One was the King of Mengshe Zhao and the other was the Great General of Mengshe Zhao. Not even Crown Prince Feng was privy to this meeting.

  "In today's battle, Your Majesty already witnessed the fighting power of the Tang. If we continue to force the assault, our casualties will be grievous. Even if we succeed, the massive price we would have to pay would not be worth it. Dalun Ruozan has already destroyed their water stores. In this point, I agree with Dalun Ruozan. We should halt the fighting for three days. Although we no longer have much time, we have to wait out this period."

  Duan Gequan's voice could be heard within the tent.

  The sole general of Mengshe Zhao had always remained behind the curtain, rarely speaking. Only now was the truth exposed. The true commander of this battle had been Duan Gequan, not Geluofeng.

  "The crucial point is still that youngest son of the Wang Clan. If not for him, we would have won long ago," Geluofeng said.

  Right now, whenever he thought of that brat, that son of the Wang Clan, Geluofeng would feel like there was a dagger at his back. Sometimes, he even found it hard to swallow his food. In terms of strength, a martial artist of Wang Chong's level was an ant to Geluofeng, not even qualified to carry his shoes.

  At any other place, Geluofeng would have easily squashed him to death.

  However, Wang Chong's expertise did not lie in martial arts, but the art of war which was so crucial on the battlefield. In addition, while the two armies were fighting, the sides were clearly divided. Wang Chong standing on the summit would be surrounded by an impenetrable defense, protected by countless experts including Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong.

  Thus, no matter how much Ü-Tsang or Mengshe Zhao wanted to kill him, none of them could do anything against him, not even the wise and intelligent Dalun Ruozan.

  It was no easy task to kill the opposing commander.

  "Be at ease. Wait for three more days. In the final battle, the Annan Protectorate army will be wiped out, and Wang Yan's youngest son naturally won't be able to escape," Duan Gequan indifferently remarked.

  "Did Great General notice something today?" Geluofeng hurriedly asked, noticing something.

  "Although it is not to the level that Your Majesty has imagined, it is not far."

  Duan Gequan nodded.

  "That son of the Wang Clan might have an almost absurd grasp of the art of war, even surpassing Zhangchou Jianqiong, but he is not the true commander of the Annan Protectorate army, nor did he train it up. For him to raise the Annan Protectorate army to be such a powerful fighting force in such a short time is enough to leave a deep impression.

  "However, there are some flaws that cannot be covered," Duan Gequan indifferently said, a frightening light in his eyes. However, this light quickly died away, all returning to stillness.

  And the tent also fell back into silence.

  ……

  Whether it was the Tibetans, the Mengshe Zhao, or the Tang, all of them felt this day to be almost unbearable. While the commanders of Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao were separately convening to deliberate on their plans, on the summit, the core commanders of the Great Tang had also gathered together.

  However, this time, it was not just Wang Chong, Old Eagle, and Chen Shusun. Xianyu Zhongtong, Wang Yan, and Sun Liuyue were present as well.

  The six of them sat cross-legged in a circle.

  In the center was a crude model. The mountain in the center of this model was surrounded by models displaying the disposition of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.

  To make a crude model was extremely easy when one had the vantage of the summit.

  Wang Yan was the first to break the silence.

  "Chong-er, no matter what happens, that you could bring us to this point has already surpassed our expectations. Neither your father nor Lord Xianyu will blame you."

  The casualty report was already out. The Annan Protectorate army had taken significant losses in this battle. The army that had neared one hundred thousand when adding in Wang Yan's reinforcements and Wang Chong's reinforcements now numbered a bit more than sixty thousand.

  Yet the critical point was not this, but water.

  With the water sources of the Annan Protectorate army destroyed, sent gushing over the sides of the mountain, even the slowest soldier had realized the state of the army.

  "Lord Wang is correct. No matter the result, no matter how things end, none of us will blame you," Xianyu Zhongtong consolingly said, a sense of understanding in his voice.

  The Annan Protectorate army had been vanquished long ago on the shores of the Erhai. That it could last until now was already enough of a miracle. The army of the southwest was now plagued by problems internal and external. It was a dragon trapped in shallow water, its back against the wall.

  And the existences of Huoshu Huicang, Dalun Ruozan, Geluofeng, and Duan Gequan completely cut off any retreat.

  There was no need to speak of what awaited the Annan Protectorate army.

  Sun Liuyue also spoke up. "That's right. Young Master, no matter what happens, we won't blame you. At the very least, we've already made the Tibetans and Mengshe Zhao pay a price."

  Sun Liuyue was a taciturn fellow who didn't like to speak. For him to say such words, it was clear that the youngest son of the Wang Clan had truly obtained his respect and acknowledgment.

  A bright light flashed across Wang Chong's eyes as he sternly said, "No! Father, Lord Protector-General, I know what you're thinking. However, this battle is far from reaching that level. At the very least, it's not there yet."

  "Young Master, you don't need to comfort us…"

  Chen Shusun finally couldn't help but speak, patting Wang Chong's shoulder as well.

  "Uncle Chen, I'm not joking."

  Wang Chong solemnly shook his head.

  "The words I spoke to Dalun Ruozan were not the bluff that all of you think they were."

  Buzz!

  For a moment, the entire summit was silent. Everyone was looking at Wang Chong, dumbstruck.

  "Chong-er, your meaning is?"

  Wang Yan frowned.

  Even though he was Wang Chong's father, not even he had understood those words. With things as they were, was there still any chance to counterattack?

  "Young Master means that we still have a chance to defeat them?" Sun Liuyue said in surprise.

  He was no great expert in the art of war, but he could still tell strong from weak, victory from defeat. In the current situation, with their water stores ruined, Dalun Ruozan only needed to keep up the siege to almost guarantee the defeat of the Annan P
rotectorate army.

  In addition, Great Tang armies were skilled in infantry battles, not cavalry battles. If they abandoned the steel walls on the mountain and left the mountain to fight, that was tantamount to cutting off their own hands and feet. The Tibetans wouldn't even need three days to wipe out the Annan Protectorate army.

  "Uncle Liu, you've misunderstood my meaning."

  Wang Chong shook his head.

  "War has never been purely a battle between soldiers, but a continuation of politics. The outcome of a war is not solely decided by victory or defeat on the battlefield, but victory and defeat outside of it as well. The Great Tang has never been fighting Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao only in one place—at least, not in my view."

  The remaining people looked at each other in consternation. Much less Xianyu Zhongtong, even Wang Yan, Wang Chong's father, was rather astonished by these words, baffled as to what he meant.

  War was war, and to pure soldiers like them, war had always been about simply defeating the opponent before them. Nothing else was involved.

  As for this 'war is a continuation of politics', not even an experienced and famous general like Wang Yan had ever heard of such an argument, much less anyone else.

  The circle of people looked at Wang Chong, struggling to find words to say but not knowing where to start.

  In terms of understanding of the art of war, no one present was fit to carry Wang Chong's shoes, not even Wang Yan or Xianyu Zhongtong. Wang Chong resided on a completely different level.

  Chapter 612: The Decisive Battle! Wang Chong's Hidden Move!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Old Eagle, do you still remember Li Siye?"

  Wang Chong suddenly turned his head to Old Eagle.

  Boom!

  As if a clap of thunder had rung out in his head, the moment he heard Li Siye's name, Old Eagle immediately felt energy course through his body, the dark clouds in the skies parting. As if recalling something, Old Eagle became very excited.

  Li Siye!

  Of course—how could he forget Li Siye?!

  When leaving the capital, his young master had not had so few people with him. And this was the mighty general who stood at his young master's side!

  Upon careful recollection, he remembered that before they had reached the Erhai plains and joined up with Wang Chong's father, Li Siye had already taken some soldiers to carry out another mission.

  But the continuous intense battles and the passing time had made him forget about Li Siye's troops.

  "Young Master, you mean…"

  "Mm."

  Wang Chong sternly nodded.

  "The general who makes many calculations before battle is victorious and the one who makes few is defeated. Since Ü-Tsang is so burning with ambition that they wish to use the strength of Mengshe Zhao and Geluofeng to deal with the Great Tang, they can't blame me for dealing with them. If they want to break relations with the Great Tang, then they should prepare themselves well for this break-up!

  "War, to Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang, might only be victory or defeat in a single war or decisive battle, but this has never been the case for me."

  As Wang Chong spoke, his eyes began to burn with an unprecedented brightness.

  The Great Tang had its flaws and the Annan Protectorate army had its flaws, so how could Ü-Tsang be immune?

  He who was raised by Xiao He was cast down by Xiao He.

  Dalun Ruozan had only focused on the weak points of the Great Tang, never realizing that his own side had its massive weaknesses that were even more severe than the enemy's.

  "It should be about time. By tonight at the very latest, we should be seeing the result!"

  As the others looked on in astonishment, Wang Chong stood up and looked to the west, speaking a sentence that none of them understood.

  Strategies planned out in the campaign tent could decide victory one thousand li away!

  Neither his father nor Xianyu Zhongtong understood that the true outcome of this war would not be decided here, or even on this battlefield. Not even Dalun Ruozan knew that Wang Chong had already set up another battlefield.

  And unlike the battlefield here, on that battlefield, the Tibetans had been utterly routed!

  And Dalun Ruozan had no idea.

  War was cruel. This was a fact that every general needed to know. But as Wang Chong understood it, war was far crueler than anyone could imagine.

  Li Siye! It's up to you now!

  Wang Chong's mind turned through countless thoughts, but slowly, he began to calm down.

  ……

  Baaaaa!

  A confused sheep bleated over the plateau. It was surrounded by piles of rotting cow and sheep corpses. There were no wounds on these corpses, only the black mottling of disease.

  Black smoke plumed from blazing fires. These pillars of smoke extended all the way to the horizon, making the place seem like the end of days had come.

  In a place not far from this sheep, around the ruins of a tent, a group of black-armored cavalry with shining sabers and swords were currently keeping a close watch on their surroundings.

  Leading them was a giant of a man, more than two meters tall. He was a head taller than a normal man, and his constitution was abnormally muscular and striking.

  A cavalryman rode up behind that powerful man and suddenly reported, "Milord, this is the 107th batch we've encountered in these last few days. Starting from five days ago, we haven't been able to find a single Tibetan shepherd grazing their flocks. It seems that we've achieved the desired result. The plague has already spread across the entire part of the plateau ruled by the Ngari Royal Lineage. The only thing that awaits them is a massive disaster!"

  "You find this difficult to bear?"

  Li Siye sat on his muscular steed, his face emotionless.

  "Yes!"

  The cavalryman gritted his teeth and nodded. The cavalry behind him shared the same expression. They were all elites chosen by the great clans, and their purpose had been to fight for these clans on the battlefield. Although they were not members of the army, all of them treated themselves as pure soldiers.

  If they were fighting on the battlefield, they wouldn't have complained even if they died. However, their task this entire time had been nothing of the sort. As warriors who had very high opinions of themselves, they would have never done such a thing.

  The only thing these elites had done in this period of time was slaughtering cows, sheep, and shepherds, and spreading the plague!

  "All of you think the same?"

  Li Siye turned to look at the other elite cavalry. All of the soldiers lowered their heads, as all of them shared the same thoughts.

  A cavalry captain suddenly gathered his courage and asked, "Milord, do you not feel this way?"

  Li Siye instantly fell silent.

  This cavalryman was correct. He also had once doubted, had once found the task unbearable. And unlike the cavalrymen behind him, he was not only a proper soldier, but a commander in the regular army.

  'A pure soldier' was his view of his place in society.

  But it took only a few moments for Li Siye's eyes to clear up.

  "In the past, I would definitely have been thinking the same thing as the rest of you."

  Li Siye's voice was clear and bright, his first words immediately attracting the notice of his men.

  "However, have you forgotten who we are? Soldiers! No matter who you were before, the moment you came to this place, entered this battlefield, you became soldiers, pure soldiers. You represent others, not yourselves. You represent the Great Tang!

  "Let me ask, what is the most important thing for a soldier? Is it glory?"

  The soldiers raised their heads and looked in a daze at Li Siye.

  The most important thing to a soldier was naturally glory! Was this not the case?

  "Milord, did you misspeak?" another cavalryman asked.

  Li Siye shook his head, his thoughts on Wang
Chong's message in the silk bag and the words he had once said to him. At that time, Li Siye had not treated things very seriously and had even jeered a little at Wang Chong.

  But Li Siye no longer had these kinds of thoughts now.

  "All of you are wrong. The most important thing for a soldier is following orders and loyalty to the Great Tang. When each one of you steps onto the battlefield, your individual wishes, your honors and disgraces, are no longer important.

  "If the Great Tang is defeated, even if you manage to preserve your honor and die gloriously on the battlefield, what meaning would there be in that? But if the territory of the Great Tang is occupied by foreign kingdoms, that is the true disgrace. In contrast, what does it matter what you feel?"

  Li Siye harshly spoke, his deafening voice stupefying all of them.

  None of them had expected that the one who should have found this task the most unbearable would say these words. Yet none of them could retort. He was right. If a soldier died a glorious death on the battlefield but the war was still lost, what did the greatest glory matter?

  Moreover, the southwest right now…

  Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao, these foreign kingdoms, truly had invaded the Great Tang's territory!

  In an instant, all of them fell silent.

  "Once soldiers enter the battlefield, they should no longer have individual reputation, individual wills, individual gains and losses… All of these concepts should cease to exist. Our objective has never been to bring glory to any individual, but to defend the Great Tang, defend the empire behind us. Have any of you ever thought about what sort of sight would greet you if the southwest really was lost and Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang really did occupy this land?

  "How do you think they will treat the people of the Great Tang's southwest? Will they act with a light hand and emphasize the glory of their soldiers? Let me tell you, if we don't win this war, what we'll see in the southwest will look exactly like this place, or maybe even worse!"

  Li Siye's voice grew louder and louder, more and more excited.

  As the soldiers listened, they slowly began to raise their heads in shock.

  None of them had ever seen Li Siye so agitated, but none of them were able to refute his argument.