In the silence, Wang Chong suddenly said, “I understand!”
With a long sigh, he slowly stood back up. Sometimes, words were not necessary. A single look was enough for Wang Chong to understand.
“Your Highness, rest well. Leave the rest to me!”
With these words, Wang Chong left, his heart heavy.
Almost immediately after he left, there was a rush of footsteps from behind him.
“Have… have things truly gotten that serious?”
Zhangchou Jianqiong had followed him, his brow tightly furrowed and a dark cloud of worry on his face.
Wang Chong stopped and said nothing, but there were some things that didn’t need to be said.
“So it really was the First Prince?” Zhangchou Jianqiong still couldn’t help but ask.
“I can’t think of another answer.
“Moreover, what I’m worried about is that this is only the beginning!”
Buzz!
Zhangchou Jianqiong trembled in shock, his face paling.
“This, but, how…”
Zhangchou Jianqiong began to mutter, his entire person dispirited, as if he was unable to accept this answer. The First Prince was the Sage Emperor’s eldest son, the first in line to the throne, and even the appointed regent. The meaning of everything was extremely obvious.
If all went as expected, he would be the future Sage Emperor!
Why would he do such things?
And besides, this was King Song! How could he possibly dare? Did he fear nothing?
Zhangchou Jianqiong had been through many storms, but he still felt his heart go heavy. Even though nothing could be seen, Zhangchou Jianqiong could sense that a massive wave was coming.
This massive wave would obscure the heavens and completely transform the Great Tang!
Wang Chong said nothing. Zhangchou Jianqiong might have found this matter shocking and difficult to accept, but Wang Chong keenly understood what was going on.
The harem incident, the recruiting of the great clans through the Great Buddhist Temple, the recalling of Gao Xianzhi and seizure of the Anxi Protectorate army, the attempted transfer of Wang Chong to Lingnan… all of it pointed to one person.
Wang Chong could think of no other person with the means and motive to do such a thing to King Song.
You’re too impatient! It’s not yours, and it never will be!
With this thought, Wang Chong left the King Song Residence.
……
King Song’s condition was still extremely poor.
According to Divine Physician Zheng and the other imperial physicians, the other party had used an extremely fierce poison that no one had ever heard of. Curing its severe and lingering effects was far from a simple matter.
However, King Song had already managed to get through the most difficult point with Wang Chong’s help. What he needed to do now was get a good rest.
Besides that, even after King Song woke up, he still refused to give any details on his attacker and how he had been poisoned, not even when Wang Chong questioned him. Everything remained wrapped in a massive ball of mystery.
If the First Prince had sent the assassin, why would he remain quiet?
Wang Chong decided to send men to investigate the matter. He needed to find that mysterious poisoner no matter what.
But not even Wang Chong had expected that while he was investigating King Song’s incident, there would be progress on another front.
“Your Highness, we’ve got a clue!”
Wang Chong was within the main hall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, presiding over the investigation into the attempt on King Song’s life, when Zhang Que entered with an eagle on his shoulder, his face red with excitement.
“Your Highness, you remember that piece of jade you had us investigate? We found someone who knows where that jade came from!”
A few moments later, as Wang Chong stared in shock, a jade artisan of around eighty years old, wearing a gray robe that was turning white from being washed so many times, tottered into the hall.
“Commoner Du Jiangcheng pays respects to His Highness!”
The old jade artisan immediately gave a deferential bow to Wang Chong.
“Old Sir, please rise. There’s no need for such courtesy!”
Wang Chong hastily rose to welcome the man.
“Old Sir, do you really recognize this piece of jade?”
Wang Chong had already questioned all the aged and experienced jade artisans of the capital about this piece of jade, but none of them had recognized the Ghost King’s jade token. He had believed that the chances of learning anything about it were slim, never expecting a good development at a time like this.
“This commoner had a vague recollection of Your Highness’s drawing, but there are a few questions that Your Highness must answer before the answer can be known,” the old artisan said.
“Oh?”
Wang Chong raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Old Sir, please ask.”
“In Your Highness’s drawing, the jade token was 7.64 inches long. Your Highness, was the size of the token in your drawing the same as the real token?” the artisan asked.
Wang Chong was slightly shaken by the question. He had never imagined that the artisan would ask about the size of the token, nor that this old man would have actually measured its length, even down to the hundredth place. This old jade artisan clearly possessed astonishing experience and insight.
“The drawing was not made according to the actual size. The real token was about 8.2 inches,” Wang Chong said.
“No wonder! Then it’s right! If my guess is correct, its length should actually be 8.17 inches.”
The old artisan muttered, his worry finally resolved.
“There is still one more question!”
The artisan thrust a wrinkled hand into his bosom. There was a rustling sound as the jade artisan slowly took out a piece of paper with a drawing of a jade token upon it, clearly the one that Wang Chong had made.
“Your Highness’s drawing is very good, but it is still lacking in some details. This commoner would like to ask Your Highness: on this place in the jade token, were there any extremely thin patterns similar to web-like plant roots in this area?”
“This…”
Wang Chong was stunned. This old artisan’s questions were far too specific, things that he had never even thought about before. For this drawing, it should have been enough to get down the primary patterns and motifs. How could he have drawn such fine and minor patterns?
Moreover, it had been night at the time, and he had only gotten the briefest glance, so how could he have noticed such a minor detail?
“Wait a moment!”
Wang Chong had just been about to say that he didn’t remember clearly when he suddenly frowned and remembered something. Although there hadn’t been enough time to inspect the token carefully, he was a Subtle realm expert, which imbued him with formidable observation abilities that allowed him to sense the most subtle shifts in energy.
And his formidable Psychic Energy allowed him to brand these tiny details into his mind.
Although the Ghost King had left in haste, Wang Chong clearly recalled a faint gleam of rainbow light from that ancient token.
“They weren’t web-like plant roots. They… were tiny, blood-colored, vein-like patterns!” Wang Chong suddenly said.
Hearing Wang Chong’s words, the jade artisan trembled as if he had been jabbed by a needle, his head turning upward in agitation.
“Vein-like patterns, exactly, blood-colored, vein-like patterns! It’s right! That must be Gaochang Jade!”
The shriveled face of the old man blushed red with excitement, as if he had encountered the object of his dreams.
“To think that in his eighties, this old man would be able to interact with something as precious as Gaochang Jade!”
Wang Chong and Zhang Que glanced at each other in surprise. The jade artisan’s reaction had been completely un
expected, but it was clear that he understood this object’s origins.
“Old Sir, you said that this is Gaochang Jade? What is special about this jade?” Wang Chong asked.
“Haha, the token you saw with the vein-like patterns was Gaochang Jade. The people of Gaochang call it Blood Jade, and it is an extremely precious kind of jade. If this old artisan were able to touch a piece of Gaochang Jade even once, I could truly die without regrets,” the old jade artisan happily said, his demeanor completely transforming.
Wang Chong’s brow creased. He had never heard of Gaochang Jade before, but given the old man’s reaction, it was clearly very valuable.
“Gaochang Jade is one of the highest qualities of jade, and in the past, it was only used for tribute, for the particular use of the imperial household. Ordinary people could never own such a thing!”
Buzz!
Wang Chong and Zhang Que were stunned once more. It had never come to mind that this jade token might be a tribute offering.
Only the Sage Emperor’s consorts, a few favored Princes, and extremely important officials of the court could ever have access to tributes made to the imperial household.
If the Ghost King possessed such an object, then the entire matter took on a completely different tone!
Chapter 1659 - The Ghost King? Hou Junji!
Chapter 1659: The Ghost King? Hou Junji!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Zhang Que’s brow creased as he suddenly asked, “Old Sir, you said that this was a tribute offering, but there don’t seem to have been any such tributes of Gaochang Blood Jade in this government.”
“Hahaha, of course not!”
The old jade artisan couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Gaochang is a small and weak country, and Gaochang Blood Jade is its most unique export. Although the Gaochang Jade is of extremely high quality, it is extremely rare, and due to its physical properties, the majority of Blood Jade is only about the size of a thumb; those larger than this are few and far between. This is primarily because it’s more fragile, making it difficult to form large slabs. Any piece of Blood Jade more than three inches long is of the highest grade, and those eight inches or longer are known as Royal Grade Jade. I only heard about this kind of jade from a few old jade artisans when I was five or six years old.
“It’s said that there are only three pieces of Royal Grade Jade, and they were all offered up by Gaochang to Emperor Taizong during his reign. Ever since then, as Gaochang’s jade mines were exhausted, Gaochang Blood Jade has basically become extinct, and not even those thumb-sized pieces of jade can be found, let alone Royal Grade Jade.”
This man was in his eighties and was already getting rather decrepit, his voice rather unclear. But when he spoke of Gaochang Jade, his entire body teemed with energy.
“Old Sir, do you know where those three pieces of Royal Grade Gaochang Jade ended up? Or are they still all with the imperial household?” Wang Chong asked, frowning slightly.
“Logically speaking, all three pieces should still be in the imperial household’s treasury, but this old man recalled a certain matter from the past.
“During Taizong’s reign, there was a Great General who excelled in battle and conquest, and who rendered many great achievements. Moreover, back then, when the Central Plains had not had any relations with the Western Regions for nearly one hundred years, he was the first to invade the Western Regions and subjugate Gaochang. Emperor Taizong was delighted by this, so when Gaochang made its first tribute, he awarded one of the three pieces of jade to that Great General. This is probably the only piece of Royal Grade Gaochang Jade outside of the imperial household.”
The old artisan stroked his beard and smiled.
“Great General!”
On the other side, Wang Chong was nothing like as happy, and his brow had only furrowed further. The only part of the old man’s words that stood out to him was ‘Great General’. His eyes blinked as countless thoughts ran through his mind.
“Old Sir, do you still remember the name of the Great General who was awarded that piece of jade?” Wang Chong suddenly asked.
The mood in the hall suddenly changed, and Zhang Que raised his head and stared at the old artisan.
Although he didn’t know why his lord had asked this question, he had followed Wang Chong for long enough to know that he never asked questions without reason.
“This… It’s been quite some time, and this old man can’t remember too well, but this person seems to have been one of the twenty-four meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion1.”
The old artisan’s brow furrowed in strenuous thought, but his words had already left Wang Chong reeling. He sensed that he was extremely close to the truth now.
“Right, this old man remembers that he was called Hou… right, Hou Junji! The illustrious Army-Shattering War God of Taizong’s era!”
Wang Chong fell into a long silence.
The old jade artisan soon took his leave, having brought Wang Chong the most progress he had made in quite some time.
“Your Highness, given the jade artisan’s words, Hou Junji should be someone from one hundred years ago. He shouldn’t be the man we’re after, right? Is there a chance that the other two Royal Grade Gaochang Jades managed to get out of the palace?” Zhang Que asked.
“Let’s not rush to any conclusions yet. There are portraits of all twenty-four meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion, all of them hung up within so that those who came after could view them. Zhang Que, take my order to the Imperial Academy and ask them for several copies of those twenty-four portraits. In addition, try and get in touch with Chamberlain of Palace Revenues Yang Zhao. He administers the treasury of the inner court, so he should know if the two Royal Grade Jades are still present,” Wang Chong pensively said.
It was difficult to find any useful clues from a drawing of a jade token, but now that he knew that this was a tribute offering from the kingdom of Gaochang and there were only three such pieces in the world, things were completely different. He just needed to see what Yang Zhao said and the truth would be revealed.
There was probably no one more familiar with such precious tribute objects than Yang Zhao.
The results came very quickly. The first to arrive was the reply from Yang Zhao. Less than an hour after Wang Chong had sent his men to ask the question, Yang Zhao had sent back his reply.
The jade Wang Chong was asking about truly was Royal Grade Gaochang Jade. One piece was missing, but the other two remained in the secret treasury of the Imperial Palace and were ranked as the highest class of tribute offering, which were rarely used as rewards. Yang Zhao had gathered that those two pieces of Royal Grade Gaochang Jade had been untouched since Taizong’s era.
Not long after he received this reply, he received the copies of the portraits in Lingyan Pavilion. The other portraits were nothing special, but when Wang Chong saw the portrait of Army-Shattering War God Hou Junji, he was struck dumb.
At first glance, the man seemed extremely strange and not at all related to the man he was investigating. But when he saw the scar across the eyelid of that young face, Wang Chong’s mind exploded.
“It really is him!”
Wang Chong’s mind was tossing and turning with great waves. This portrait of the Army-Shattering War God was much younger than the Ghost King he had seen, but the scars they had were in the same location and the same size.
Moreover, even though the faces were different ages, their appearances were seventy to eighty percent similar.
Although it seemed unbelievable, this was still the most likely explanation.
“Impossible! This can’t be! How could someone live for so long?! Shouldn’t he already be dead?”
Zhang Que turned to Wang Chong in disbelief.
Their investigation had revealed that Hou Junji was a master of commanding soldiers, and he had experienced several hundred campaigns of various sizes in his life, rarely encountering defea
t. In almost every case, he had defeated his foe.
And the investigation had also revealed that the Army-Shattering War God had never been picky with his methods. He cared about the results, not the process, making him one of the thorniest foes to deal with.
But for some reason, some information about Hou Junji was limited, important matters passed over with little detail. There was a large blank in the middle of his life, and even some of the records that all officials should have possessed were vague and ambiguous. It was as if they had been intentionally hidden.
By knowing oneself and knowing one’s enemy, one could win one hundred out of one hundred battles, but Wang Chong needed even more information than this.
Wang Chong suddenly thought of a person. Perhaps I should go and see Master!
Although the information he had obtained was fragmentary, intentionally concealed, Wang Chong had found a surprising clue.
Army-Shattering War God Hou Junji had existed in the same generation as Great Tang War God Su Zhengchen. Both of them had been valued officials under Taizong, and Hou Junji had only been second to Su Zhengchen. Thus, the two of them had probably met before, perhaps were even very close to each other.
In the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the Ghost King at the First Prince’s side had played an extremely important role. He was undoubtedly the First Prince’s overall strategist, perhaps even connected to the attempt on King Song’s life.
To understand his flaws and understand his style, Wang Chong would have to see his master, Su Zhengchen.
……
In the night, the Su Residence was quiet.
In the same old place, a red teapot had been placed on the table, with fragrant steam rising from it and washing over the garden.
After hearing Wang Chong’s words, Su Zhengchen took a pensive sip of tea.
Wang Chong’s visit was extremely surprising. He had lived for many, many years and through the reigns of several sovereigns. Even the wise and powerful Emperor Taizong was now dust, let alone anyone else. Those acquaintances who had worked alongside him had ceased to exist long ago.
Thus, when Wang Chong mentioned the name ‘Hou Junji’, Su Zhengchen was clearly taken aback, even rather moved.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1022
