“Yes, putting aside everything else, does he even fulfill the requirements in terms of martial arts? This proposal cannot be allowed to pass!”
One official after another voiced their objections, and by the end, more than half of the court was standing opposed to King Song.
“Your Highness…”
Even Wang Chong’s big uncle Wang Gen was staring speechlessly at King Song. This proposal was simply too bold. Not even he would have had the nerve to say such things. In terms of qualifications and record of service, wouldn’t Wang Chong’s father, Wang Yan, be more suitable? Wang Gen couldn’t understand why King Song had proposed Wang Chong instead.
Meanwhile, the new Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong and Yang Zhao were exchanging flabbergasted gazes.
Not even they had anticipated this proposal from King Song. But at this time, the two wisely chose to remain silent and see how the situation developed.
During all this, King Song remained calm, a smile on his lips. As he listened to the fierce objections from the court, that indistinct idea in his mind grew clearer and clearer, and his smile grew larger and larger.
“Your Majesty, and my colleagues of the court, I believe that not only is Young Marquis Wang Chong suitable for the post of Qixi, but that he is also the best candidate. There is no other person in the entire empire more suitable for this position.”
King Song had a composed expression, and his every move exuded a formidable and infectious confidence.
“I know why all of you oppose him: age, shallow record of service, inability to persuade the masses, and Wang Chong’s quarrels with the Hu living within the empire. However, I believe that one is qualified for Qixi Protector-General based on ability, not on minor details like this. Qixi occupies a very unique position, the vital throat that connects the interior to the Western Regions. To the west is the Tibetan Plateau, soaring into the clouds. The Tibetan cavalry could charge down from there at any time to plunder the Central Plains. Meanwhile, to the east is the Turkic steppe, the land of the Western Turkic Khaganate. These two factions have always been a serious danger for our Great Tang, and our previous discussions to select a Qixi Protector-General as quickly as possible were also because the forces of these two empires might avail themselves of the chaos to strike.
“But now, everyone can see what Qixi is like after Fumeng Lingcha’s departure. To the west, after the battle at the triangular gap, the Tibetans have lost one hundred thousand men and Brigadier General Dayan Mangban, with even Dusong Mangpoje fleeing in defeat. It will probably be some time until they finally gather enough soldiers to invade the interior once more. As for the east, the greatest problem had always been the Black Wolf Yabgu, Agudu Lan, but now, even Agudu Lan is dead. And this was while Wang Chong was not even Qixi Protector-General… Before he was even Qixi Protector-General, he already finished everything that a Qixi Protector-General should do, resolving the threats to the west and the east. If he is not suitable for Qixi Protector-General, then who is?”
King Song’s mind grew clearer the more he spoke, and he grew even more confident in his recommendation of Wang Chong as Qixi Protector-General.
“And have my honorable colleagues forgotten about the war of the southwest, how Wang Chong snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and routed both Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang? Even Duan Gequan, Huoshu Huicang, and Dalun Ruozan lost to him, and now we can even add Dusong Mangpoje to this list… he even managed to salvage this sort of difficult situation against such formidable adversaries, even killing more than four hundred thousand soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army. If this cannot be considered an accomplished record of service, what can? More than a thousand years ago, Gan Luo of the Great Qin Empire was made a minister at the age of twelve. What is unacceptable about Wang Chong’s being made Qixi Protector-General at the age of seventeen?”
King Song’s voice grew louder and louder, ringing through the hall. Once King Song spoke his final words, the entire hall was silent, no one able to answer his questions.
______________1. The tiger tally was a two-part object used for military identification purposes. One half was given to the officer in question, while the other half would be kept so that it could be matched with its counterpart.↩
Chapter 835 - The World Stunned—the Youngest Protector-General!
Chapter 835: The World Stunned—the Youngest Protector-General!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Everything King Song had said was true!
Wang Chong’s record of achievements was definitely not something any other seventeen-year-old youth could produce, and his actions could not be measured purely by his age. King Song’s words had left the assembled officials dumbstruck, and even King Qi found himself momentarily unable to find a good retort.
After some time, one of the generals who had fiercely opposed King Song’s suggestion finally stepped forward, though his voice was much softer. “But it was previously said that according to the laws of the empire, a Protector-General must at least be an Imperial Great General, at the peak of the Saint Martial realm. Moreover, his conflicts with the Hu go so deep that they definitely won’t agree. How will these problems be addressed?”
“Hahaha, those are easy to take care of,” King Song said with a chuckle.
“I recommend Wang Chong because he was able to stabilize Qixi. Since he still has not reached the sufficient level of martial arts, have him temporarily occupy the Qixi Protector-General post. As for the native Hu, they can be treated as a test. If he cannot even deal with a problem like this, then it will show that I made a poor judgment and that his abilities are not sufficient to be Qixi Protector-General. When that time comes, Your Majesty can remove him from the post.”
The general was rendered speechless by King Song’s rebuttal.
Unable to suppress his temper any longer, King Qi blurted out, “Absurd, ridiculous, preposterous! Proposing for a seventeen-year-old boy to become Qixi Protector-General—you’ve gone mad! In any case, no matter what you say, I won’t agree.”
“Haha, we’re only nominating candidates. In the end, His Majesty is still the one who decides who the next Qixi Protector-General will be. As for your view, it is not important. Let us leave everything to His Majesty’s judgment.”
King Song laughed and chose not to wrangle with King Qi, instead turning to that most revered sovereign behind the bead curtain, his expression confident.
The hall was quiet as all the chattering died away. After seven to eight days and more than two hundred candidates, it was about time to finally choose the most suitable candidate.
As everyone silently waited for what seemed like an eternity, that majestic voice rang out through the hall like that of a god speaking from the high heavens.
“Granted!”
At this moment, everyone, including King Qi, was dumbstruck, their minds blank.
“This subject will carry out the decree!”
King Song’s voice echoed through the hall. He had an excited look on his face, and though he tried his hardest, he couldn’t stop his smile from getting larger and larger.
Success!
The Emperor had actually accepted his proposal to have Wang Chong serve as temporary Qixi Protector-General. This was the best news King Song had heard in these last few days, and he was exuberant.
Wang Chong, I’ve done all I can to help you. The rest is up to you, King Song said to himself with his head lowered, his thoughts on Wang Chong in distant Qixi.
……
“What?”
In the City of Steel, when Wang Chong heard about what happened in the capital, he was dumbfounded, not daring to believe his ears.
“King Song recommended me as Qixi Protector-General, and His Majesty actually permitted it?!”
He had spent three to four months in Wushang and fought several large battles, but no news had come as such a shock and surprise to Wang Chong as this one. He had thought of many possible candid
ates, but never had he believed that King Song would recommend him, and that the Sage Emperor would even take this recommendation. Even though Wang Chong was someone who could make plans in a tent that would decide a battle a thousand li away, he was still left bewildered and stupefied by this news.
“How could this be? I’m only seventeen. Given the style of the officials in the court, how could they permit a seventeen-year-old to take on an important post like Protector-General? Where’s King Song’s letter? Let me take a look!”
Wang Chong’s mind was in turmoil as he struggled to digest this news.
“Haha, Lord Marquis, although you might only be seventeen, no one in the City of Steel would dare treat Lord Marquis as such. And Lord Marquis, if we asked the surrounding countries, whether it was Ü-Tsang, the Western Turks, or the distant Mengshe Zhao in the southwest, would any of them dare say that Lord Marquis was a mere seventeen-year-old?”
Xu Keyi couldn’t help but chuckle as he handed over King Song’s letter, and the other people in the room reacted in much the same way.
“Regardless of what other people think, in our eyes, no one but Lord Marquis is more appropriate for the position of Qixi Protector-General. In truth, the court should have made this decision ages ago.”
Cheng Sanyuan could no longer hold back his opinion.
“When holding an office, one should ponder the duties of that office. The Imperial Court emphasizes ability, not age, so why is Lord Marquis suddenly so lacking in confidence?”
Li Siye had finally decided to speak, his voice as loud as a bell.
Wang Chong gave a bitter smile. He was rather surprised to see all his subordinates so dissatisfied, all of them believing that he should have been made Protector-General ages ago.
“Heheh, right now, you’re probably the only one still confused about all this. Even His Majesty thinks you’re good enough, so why should you not feel the same? At the very least, I believe in you.”
Xu Qiqin was sitting next to him in an elegant pearwood chair, her delicate fingers covering up the smile on her face.
King Song’s letter, though shocking, was not surprising, at least not to the people at Wang Chong’s side. This was someone who could salvage and pacify the southwest; one who could crush the White Braves, kill Dayan Mangban, and frighten away Dusong Mangpoje; one who could lure someone as cautious and crafty as the Black Wolf Yabgu into a trap and bury him in Qixi…
If someone like this could not become Qixi’s Protector-General, then no one in the Great Tang was worthy of that seat. This was a view shared by Xu Qiqin and everyone else in the room.
Wang Chong felt a warmth in his heart as he smiled, and he quickly made a decision and began to read King Song’s letter. Within, King Song had given a recount of the proceedings and mentioned that this was only an advance notice. The formal decree from the Imperial Court would be following soon, and the emissary meant to announce the decree had already left the capital.
However, the news had already been delivered to the Qixi Protectorate as well as to all the Great Generals, Protector-Generals, and titled generals on the border, both Hu and Han. From a certain perspective, Wang Chong was already the Qixi Protector-General.
In addition, King Song had also mentioned that because Wang Chong’s martial arts were still lacking, this was only a temporary post. But if nothing unexpected occurred, as long as Wang Chong didn’t make any mistakes, then once Wang Chong reached the appropriate level of martial arts, the Imperial Court would formally appoint him as Qixi Protector-General.
Never in the history of the Great Tang had such a young individual taken up such an important post as Protector-General.
King Song had also warned Wang Chong that the Qixi Protectorate army was currently in a state of chaos, having splintered into numerous factions. In addition, by toppling Fumeng Lingcha, Wang Chong had enraged no small number of people within Qixi. At the very least, many of the Hu would not accept his command, and many of them would probably regard him as their enemy.
This was a problem that Wang Chong had to resolve.
If he could not, then Wang Chong’s tenure as Qixi Protector-General would probably be very brief, as substantial as the moon in the water. Thus, Wang Chong’s seat as Qixi Protector-General was unstable from the outset.
However, King Song had vouched to the Sage Emperor that he believed Wang Chong could find an ideal solution for this problem. Thus, if Wang Chong encountered any difficulties, King Song’s name would be dragged into the mud.
His Highness truly has a lot of faith in me. If this is how it is, then I’m basically forced into being Qixi’s Protector-General!
Wang Chong’s lips perked into a confident smile.
……
“Bastard! Wang Chong, how could it be Wang Chong?”
“Has the court lost its minds? They could have even selected a random person on the road, but definitely not that brat!”
“That scoundrel was the one who got Great General into prison, and this bastard also wants to expel us Hu! Did they really think we already forgot?”
“Unacceptable! This won’t be happening! No matter what the Imperial Court says, I’ll never accept him as Protector-General!”
“Everyone who still remembers how well Protector-General treated us, stand with me! I don’t believe that that bastard can deal with all of us!”
Around three hundred li away from Wushang, in the Qixi Protectorate headquarters, the news that Wang Chong had been appointed as Qixi Protector-General had the effect of poking a beehive, making the entire place essentially explode. Within the protectorate, the hawk-eyed, high-nosed, and bearded Hu officers had gathered together and were making a terrible ruckus.
Even though they had struggled against each other for the position of Protector-General, almost to the point of actually fighting over it, at this very moment, all of them had agreed on how to treat Wushang’s Wang Chong.
While the Hu commanders were fuming and grumbling, a blue-eyed and thick-bearded Hu leapt onto a table. “Everyone, listen up! I don’t care what all of you thought before. The new Protector-General could be you, could be me, could be anyone else amongst us, but it absolutely cannot be a Han. The Qixi Protector-General must be a Hu. This is the prerequisite for our compliance. Even if the Imperial Court appointed that brat as the Qixi Protector-General, who cares? Don’t forget that saying, ‘the heavens are high and the Emperor is far away’!”
This man’s expression was savage, like a beast that had eaten nothing for ten-some days. His gaze alone was enough to make people tremble in fear.
Most frightening of all was the sharp energy rising off him in waves. It was clear that he was a level above the other Hu commanders, a crane amongst chickens. The Hu commanders had gathered around him, clearly regarding him as their leader.
Chapter 836 - Earthquake! Winds Stir, Clouds Gather! (I)
Chapter 836:Earthquake! Winds Stir, Clouds Gather! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Gudu Li, what are you planning? Don’t forget, that brat is a marquis of the Great Tang. Would you really dare to attack him?” a Hu commander in the crowd suddenly called out.
“Hey hey, all of you might be afraid of him, but I’m not!”
Gudu Li stood on the metal fretwork table, a fierce expression on his face and a savage light in his eyes.
“As long as all of you are willing to dare with me, I dare to make him pay attention. A mere teenager who hasn’t even managed to grow some hair over his lip—do all of you really want to listen to the orders of someone like that? And don’t forget, how did Lord Fumeng Lingcha treat us? If there was a good post, wouldn’t he always give it to us? Now is the perfect time to take revenge for our lord, but are all of you getting cold feet now?”
“That’s right! Our lord treated us with favor as weighty as the mountains. If we don’t avenge our lord, won’t be we be just like those timid Han?”
“Right on! Avenge o
ur lord!”
“No matter what the Imperial Court decrees, we should submit a memorial asking for the release of our lord.”
The mention of Great General Fumeng Lingcha immediately had everyone following Gudu Li’s tune.
“Hey hey! Good, as long as you follow me, we won’t kill him just yet, but I’ll at least make it impossible for him to stand firmly within the Qixi Protectorate so that he’ll slink out of here in shame! The Hu should make the decisions in the territory of the Hu!” Gudu Li loudly declared, striking while the iron was hot.
“Good! Hear hear! We Hu should make the decisions in the territory of the Hu!”
The already riled-up crowd of Hu commanders immediately exploded into cheers.
The explosive cheers shook the roof of the hall and traveled far, very far. Several hundred meters from the main hall of the protectorate, several cavalrymen had gathered together. A young Hu amongst them turned his head in unease toward the Hu general behind him.
“Milord, what do we do?”
“This is quite the problem…”
Heba Ye appeared to not hear his subordinate’s worried question, his eyes still fixed on the distant hall. Gudu Li was one of Fumeng Lingcha’s trusted subordinates, but at the start, he had not wielded any actual power. However, by using his status as a trusted subordinate and his ability to rile up a crowd, Gudu Li had managed to raise his reputation in the Qixi Protectorate army until it had surpassed his own, even though he was the general overseeing the defenses on the Tibetan border.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 549
