The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Your subordinate will do so!”

  ……

  As the surrounding foreign countries made their moves, Wang Chong returned to his family’s residence. Despite the storms taking place around him, Wang Chong’s mind was calm and placid.

  “Chong-er, don’t worry too much about this matter. I will definitely think of a way to submit a memorial to the Sage Emperor. You raised soldiers and opened up the armory for the sake of the Great Tang. Without those weapons, all of Qixi and Longxi would be in a state of dire peril. I am confident that His Majesty and all the people of the realm will understand.”

  Within the Wang Family Residence, Wang Gen sat across from Wang Chong, his face fraught with concern. Wang Chong was simply too calm, and the calmer he was, the uneasier Wang Gen felt.

  From the war of the southwest to the Battle of Talas, from Marquis to King, Wang Chong’s path had been smooth and easy, but suddenly, he had been tossed into the bottom of a valley. Even his title of King of Foreign Lands had been stripped away. Wang Gen was truly worried that his nephew would not be able to endure all this.

  After all, great joys and great sorrows had both come too quickly, and no ordinary person would be able to endure it all. Besides that, Wang Chong was only eighteen and truly too young.

  “Heh, Big Uncle, I know what you’re thinking. You don’t need to worry about me! I can still deal with it!” Wang Chong indifferently said.

  The door to the hall was tightly shut, and all was quiet within. There was no one in this room except for uncle and nephew.

  “Ha…”

  Wang Gen couldn’t help but sigh.

  “Chong-er, there’s really no need to put so much pressure on yourself. Our Wang Clan is a clan of ministers and generals, and with the wealth that you saved, we have more than enough to feed ourselves for a generation. From another perspective, your retirement from the Imperial Court and the army could be considered a good thing. At the very least, you can live a more relaxed life and not have to face so many dangers. As for the realm, you’ve already done your best. Just like you said, as long as the people of our Wang Clan have no regrets in their actions, that is enough!”

  Wang Chong was startled. As he gazed at his big uncle’s worried face, a hint of warmth surged through his heart. No matter what the time was, family was family and relatives were relatives. His big uncle had always diligently put all his effort into the affairs of the court. In his mind, this person was always someone who encouraged the people of the Wang Clan to work for the sake of the Great Tang, the Imperial Court, and the people of the empire.

  When his little uncle Wang Mi chose to stay at Heaven Pillar Mountain and serve as an instructor for the Imperial Army, even though his big uncle had always had a cordial relationship with him, they got into such an argument at the time that they almost completely broke off their relationship.

  This was also why his big uncle had given Wang Chong such a cold eye when he used to idle around in the capital and mix together with people like Ma Zhou, becoming nothing more than a hedonistic good-for-nothing.

  But now, for his sake, his big uncle was saying things like ‘your retirement from the Imperial Court and the army could be considered a good thing’ and ‘you’ve already done your best’. Wang Chong was well aware of how difficult it was for his big uncle to say such things.

  “Big Uncle, thank you,” Wang Chong sincerely said.

  While sending off his big uncle, Wang Chong realized to his great consternation that his big uncle had gotten much older. He was immediately filled with sorrow. With his withdrawal from court, his big uncle and King Song would have to somehow manage in the court by themselves.

  But Wang Chong blinked his eyes and quickly calmed back down.

  “Come!” Wang Chong suddenly said.

  Two figures immediately appeared behind Wang Chong: Old Eagle and Zhang Que.

  “What have the great clans had to say about my impeachment?” Wang Chong said, his back continuing to face the two.

  “……”

  “This…”

  The eyes of Old Eagle and Zhang Que immediately dimmed at Wang Chong’s question.

  “Upon learning that Milord was impeached, many great clans have begun to cut their relations and distance themselves from us. We sent people over, but they were refused at the door.”

  When Wang Chong’s star was rising, all the great clans rushed toward him like sharks that had smelled blood. But now that Wang Chong’s power was in decline and he was being criticized all around, all these great clans had abandoned him. This left Old Eagle and Zhang Que furious.

  Chapter 1310 - Laying Plans!

  Chapter 1310: Laying Plans!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Heh, let them go!”

  Wang Chong waved his sleeve and chuckled, not worried in the slightest.

  As someone who had been reincarnated, he had experienced both the cold and warmth of human emotion, so he didn’t care that much about such things. In fact, he had expected this.

  “How many are left?” Wang Chong calmly said.

  “There are still seven hundred and thirty-eight clans!” Old Eagle said. “These are all great clans who have worked with us for a long period of time!”

  “Oh?”

  This number took Wang Chong by some surprise. It was much greater than he had expected.

  “Why didn’t they all leave?”

  “I asked them the same question, and they answered that all the people of the world have witnessed the abilities of the King of Foreign Lands, and this momentary setback could not be considered much of anything. All of them believe that Your Highness will rise again and ascend to an even higher position in the future,” Old Eagle said, his body bowed.

  “Heh, it’s probably all for their own profit!”

  Wang Chong laughed, but despite his words, he still felt a hint of warmth in his heart.

  The people who could remain at his side at a time like this were all true allies.

  “Pass on my order. Tell them that each clan should send one elder as a representative. After the Zi Period, have them come to my residence. We have a new project that requires their cooperation,” Wang Chong said.

  “Yes! Your Highness!” Old Eagle hastily replied.

  “Zhang Que, make preparations. The hybrid rice project has been prepared for long enough that it should finally be ready to be implemented! But this matter will need the assistance of the great clans. Inform Xu Keyi and the others to prepare a set of contracts for each clan head to individually sign. This will assure their secrecy, as this matter cannot be leaked to outsiders. In addition, tell all the clans we are working with to prepare several large warehouses to hold grain. Once we begin to promote the hybrid rice to the world, we should immediately begin to buy up large amounts to stockpile it. Besides that, we also need to be buying up cows and sheep and other foodstuffs from the surrounding countries. In the future, these things will be able to save all of our lives.”

  Buzz!

  Old Eagle and Zhang Que were both startled by these words, and they instinctively felt that there was some kind of hidden danger.

  No one understood what Wang Chong meant when he said that these things would save everyone’s lives, but they could tell that Wang Chong was preparing for something. Moreover, this was undoubtedly a matter of extreme importance, or else he would not require the assistance of so many great clans.

  He even needed secret warehouses to be constructed.

  But despite their confusion, the two of them did not inquire any further. No matter when, no matter how excessive Wang Chong’s orders seemed, they would never question them.

  “In addition, are Su Hanshan and Li Siye both at the triangular gap?” Wang Chong asked.

  “Yes! Generals Su and Li have already sent a letter saying that they plan to return to the Qixi Protectorate headquarters soon,” Old Eagle said.

  “The plan has changed. Tell them that the
re’s no need for them to return to Qixi. Have them remain with all the Wushang Cavalry at the triangular gap and work together with Bahram to train soldiers. Tell Bahram to recruit soldiers from Khorasan and send them to the triangular gap. We will handle the duty of training them.

  “Tell Great General Gao Xianzhi and the Gangke King to think of a way to select elites from the Anxi Protectorate army and the tribes of the Western Regions. Prepare to have them trained as Mo Saber soldiers at the triangular gap,” Wang Chong sternly said.

  A gust of wind blew in, causing Wang Chong’s robes to flutter and snap. As he gazed into the darkening skies, his eyes seemed incredibly deep and farsighted.

  “We obey!” Old Eagle and Zhang Que replied in unison.

  The Great Tang could no longer tolerate him. The moment the First Prince had rejected the proposal to send soldiers to Khorasan, Wang Chong knew that the Sage Emperor had completely withdrawn and that there was no hope of ever realizing his aspirations through the Imperial Court.

  The impeachment of Wang Chong and the stripping of his posts had been a victory for Li Junxian, but for Wang Chong, it had been a release.

  Overall, the Imperial Court had never been his only choice when it came to saving the Central Plains, to saving the world.

  Even without the support of the Imperial Court, Wang Chong had still dared to venture into the southwest with only several thousand men. After taking ten million taels of gold and without any further support from the Imperial Court, he had dared to recruit an army of one hundred thousand soldiers in the Western Regions and set off for Talas.

  There had never been only one road to save the Great Tang.

  If he couldn’t do so through the court, he would just have to take a detour so that he could save the country.

  The triangular gap was a no-man’s land that was not within the Central Plains. No matter how many soldiers appeared there, they were not under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. Not even Li Junxian could interfere.

  Since the Imperial Court wanted to reduce the army and Wang Chong could do nothing to stop it, all he could do was train soldiers outside the borders to create one last line of defense for the Great Tang.

  “Pass on my order. If the soldiers being disbanded from the various armies do not wish to return home, have them gather at the triangular gap. In addition, I’ve already finished the negotiations with the Kings of Greater and Lesser Balur. We can set up military forts in their territory. One reason is to help them fight back against the Tibetans, and the second reason is to train soldiers out of sight of the Imperial Court. If too many soldiers gather in the triangular gap and remain there for too long, they will attract far too many spies.”

  Old Eagle and Zhang Que were both stunned. Not even they had known that Wang Chong had negotiated the construction of forts in the territories of Greater and Lesser Balur.

  Wang Chong did not explain any further, but with money, one could do anything that one liked. The Kings of Greater and Lesser Balur had their own worries, and their greatest worry was the nearby Ü-Tsang Empire.

  These two kingdoms had been attacked and ruled over by Ü-Tsang innumerable times. Given how they had worked together once, his promise to protect the two kingdoms and the additional sweetener of gold had both kingdoms agree to demarcate a large area on the border between the kingdoms for Wang Chong to build a fortress.

  And the two kingdoms had agreed that Wang Chong could mobilize the armies of both kingdoms under certain conditions.

  “In addition, notify all the boat-building clans of the south. I will give them two hundred million taels of gold. I need to construct thirteen hundred large-keeled ships. I have already provided them with the diagrams. These boats must be finished as quickly as possible. And the clans that finish their boats first will be able to obtain an additional reward of ten million taels of gold from us,” Wang Chong calmly said.

  Zhang Que and Old Eagle glanced at each other, both of them seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.

  Two hundred million taels was an enormous sum. This much capital was enough to make all the boat-building clans of the southeast go crazy.

  A massive great clan working for an entire year would be astounded if it made one hundred thousand taels of gold. The immense sums of money Wang Chong was offering were difficult for any great clan to resist.

  “But, Your Highness, might two hundred million taels be too much?” Zhang Que hesitantly said.

  Although Wang Chong had kept much of the gold obtained from Arab Caliph Mutasim III, two hundred million taels of gold was still no small sum.

  “There’s no need to worry about that. Money is only useful when spent, and we will need many boats in the future. The value of them might even be more than two hundred million taels of gold,” Wang Chong said.

  All these boats and his other plans were the final hope of survival that Wang Chong was preparing for the world. Moreover, many boats would be needed to transport the Sindhi.

  “Yes!” Old Eagle and Zhang Que replied in unison.

  Wang Chong continued to issue numerous orders. Finally, after a little less than thirty minutes, Old Eagle and Zhang Que emerged from Wang Chong’s room. A few moments later, countless birds took off into the air, scattering in all directions.

  As time slowly progressed, everything proceeded according to plan.

  And amidst the people, the news of Wang Chong’s impeachment only intensified the ideological conflict. After it was learned that Wang Chong had privately recruited soldiers and opened the armory without the Sage Emperor’s decree, many voices arose in criticism and rebuke of him.

  “Did all of you see the Imperial Court’s announcement? You see!? The Great Tang’s laws forbid any great clan from recruiting more than one thousand soldiers, but the King of Foreign Lands has recruited far more than ten thousand. And still no one knows exactly how many soldiers he’s actually recruited. In this peaceful age, why is he recruiting so many soldiers? You should all understand now why he wanted to write his ‘Might Makes Right’, right?”

  “Sovereigns, subjects, fathers, sons—every person has their own duty in society. This is the principle of the world. Yet the King of Foreign Lands, without the decree of the Sage Emperor, opened up an armory of the Great Tang, emptying out the armory that the Sage Emperor wasted thirty years to fill. Does the King of Foreign Lands still have any regard for the Sage Emperor? If he doesn’t even have any regard for the Sage Emperor, does he even care about the people of the realm?”

  “Privately recruiting soldiers and defying imperial decree to open the armory—what sort of hero is this? This is nothing more than an ambitious Demon King of Slaughter plotting rebellion! The King of Foreign Lands wants war, wants to cast the entire world into the fire. He has no intention of letting us live peaceful lives!”

  In a restaurant in the western part of the capital, many people had gathered and were voicing various complaints and rebukes against Wang Chong.

  “Don’t speak nonsense! The King of Foreign Lands is not that sort of person. If not for the King of Foreign Lands, the southwest would be occupied by Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang by now, and countless people would have been slain in battle!”

  A rational voice would occasionally emerge, but it would quickly be drowned out by the crowd. And the pushing and shoving of several people quickly had these naysayers expelled.

  Whoosh! Whoosh! As the anger of the crowd reached its peak and they began to ever more loudly rebuke the King of Foreign Lands, several figures made strange smiles and withdrew. These people rambled around the streets of the capital for a few rounds before making a sudden turn, silently vanishing into an estate.

  Chapter 1311 - A Moment of Darkness (I)

  Chapter 1311: A Moment of Darkness (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  ‘King Qi Residence’!

  These three words were written in bold and vigorous calligraphy atop the gate to the estate.

  �
�Has everything been taken care of?”

  A muscular figure loomed in the dim light of the hall, his body exuding a dangerous aura. King Qi, in his dragon robe, had apparently been waiting for some time.

  “Your Highness, everything has been taken care of. Wang Chong is now the Demon King of Slaughter in the capital and the city clamors with the accusation that he is a bloodthirsty devil. No one supports him now!”

  The two spies of the King Qi Residence kneeled on the ground.

  “You weren’t discovered, right?” King Qi asked.

  “We were not! We were extremely cautious. But we noticed Tibetans and Goguryeons around the crowd. It appears that they hired people to mix with the crowd and guide the conversations. We also noticed five or six other factions besides this!” the two spies reported.

  “Oh!”

  King Qi was somewhat taken aback. But he quickly regained his composure and smiled.

  “Haha, good! Don’t worry about them. This is just everybody hitting a man when he’s down. This kid offended so many people that even if I do nothing, he’s doomed!”

  King Qi was satisfied to hear this report, a sinister smile appearing on his face.

  With Wang Chong’s impeachment and Master Zhu’s appearance, he now had a rare opportunity to suppress King Song and deal with the Wang Clan, resolving these problems that had plagued him for so long. And King Qi could certainly not pass up this excellent opportunity to beat a man while they were down.

  “Hmph, Wang Chong, let’s see what you do now!”

  King Qi turned around, staring into the darkness as his eyes flashed with vicious light.

  ……

  Day after day passed. After being stripped of his positions, Wang Chong was forbidden from leaving the Wang Family Residence for a period of at least two months so that he could think over his errors. But even so, everything proceeded according to plan as his orders were transmitted through Su Shixuan, Zhang Que, and the others.

  “Milord, the first batch of five thousand people from Sindhu have set off for the promised land. The others are boarding the boats to follow.