Moreover, through this method, the First Prince could reach his goal all the same.
But what Wang Chong cared more about was the name of the successor, ‘Kong Wu’.
To think that everything is returning to the original course!
A dark cloud of worry appeared on Wang Chong’s brow.
Wang Chong knew about this Kong Wu, a man who had spent almost his entire life in the Bureau of Military Personnel. His greatest goal in life was to become the Minister of War. Unfortunately, when he first entered the Bureau of Military Personnel, he had not had enough seniority, and it had not been his turn to be Minister of War. Later on, when the old Minister of War retired and Kong Wu had an extremely senior position, he thought that this would be his chance. But to his surprise, Zhangchou Jianqiong had entered the fray and invalidated his efforts.
Moreover, Kong Wu was more than fifty years old now, and based on the customs and laws, his chances were growing slimmer and slimmer. Thus, back in another life, the First Prince had exploited this point to recruit Kong Wu, and Kong Wu had played an extremely important role.
He had a deep understanding of the army and the Bureau of Military Personnel. Without Kong Wu, the First Prince would have never advanced with his rebellion so smoothly.
Without the Commander Tally, he can’t easily mobilize the soldiers, or at least not the number of soldiers he wants. So he thought of Kong Wu? Wang Chong wondered to himself, raising his head.
He still didn’t have Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Commander Tally, but if the Bureau of Military Personnel was being controlled through the decrees of the court, he could at least partially achieve the effect of the Commander Tally.
But Wang Chong was more worried that Kong Wu had a rather brutal and fierce personality. When he served in the army, he was said to punish his subordinates with hot branding irons. He had become more restrained after entering the Bureau of Military Personnel, but mountains and rivers were easier to change than the nature of men. This had been one of the reasons the court had rejected him.
Moreover, the many failures and the years he had spent waiting to become Minister of War had caused many evil tendencies to accumulate in Kong Wu’s heart. This had resulted in the rebellion’s being extremely bloody and many lives being lost.
If Kong Wu were allowed to smoothly assume the position of Minister of War, it would lead to rivers of blood in the future. Moreover, the First Prince had exploited the fact that Zhangchou Jianqiong had just begun his isolation at home for recovery. Even if Zhangchou Jianqiong came out again, the First Prince would insist that he go back and rest up.
It seems like there are some things I have to do!
With an idea in mind, Wang Chong put down the letter and stood up. One incident after another had been cropping up in the capital, and he had hardly had time to rest. He found it proper to go out for a bit to relax.
“Zhang Que, ready my carriage.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
A voice came from outside the hall, and a few moments later, Wang Chong’s opulent carriage with its golden dragon insignia left the estate.
“Tanghulu! Get your tanghulu! Sweet and delicious tanghulu!”
“Customer, buy mine! My stools are exquisitely crafted and built of sturdy materials. You can’t go wrong if you buy my products!”
“Meat buns! Meat buns, fresh from the oven!”
The capital clamored with peddlers hawking their wares, and pedestrians packed the streets. Even though danger and rebellion were imminent, they remained completely unaware.
When he thought of this, Wang Chong couldn’t help but give a long sigh. The common folk of the Great Tang had been happy and safe since its founding, and such scenes had persisted for many years. The imperial armies had resolved all the dangers, protecting the innocent common folk of the Central Plains. This was precisely what Wang Chong and the generations of generals and officials who had come before them had given their lives to protect.
Once the Rebellion of the Three Princes took place and the capital was turned into a bloodbath, all of these scenes would become nothing. Wang Chong was filled with emotion upon thinking this, and his mind became even more determined.
I have to stop this disaster! Wang Chong said to himself.
His carriage aimlessly wandered around the capital as Wang Chong’s mind churned. He seemed to be pondering countless thoughts, but on closer inspection, there was nothing really there. Time slowly passed in this dazed stupor, and by the time he had come back to his senses, the carriage had already driven out of the city gates.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
There was a firm knocking on the carriage door.
Wang Chong returned to his senses and called out, “Enter!”
The carriage door opened, and a familiar and travel-worn figure entered with a light breeze and sat across from Wang Chong. This man had a handsome face and a stately bearing, and while he was dressed in casual clothes, he had an erect posture, and his every move exuded a domineering air and an energetic majesty.
This man could compare to even the high officials of the court. Anyone else present would certainly have called out in alarm, because this was none other than the man who had been called from the northwest by the First Prince to assume the post of Left Great General of the Imperial Army, former Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi.
Much time had passed since the order had first been issued, and Gao Xianzhi should have arrived long ago. But for some reason, it was only now that he had finally appeared.
Gao Xianzhi looked across at Wang Chong and said, “I presume you’ve been waiting a long time.”
It had been a very long time since their last meeting, and this youth seemed to have greatly matured. Moreover, there seemed to be a tinge of solemnity on his face, as if he was deeply worried and concerned.
Though he had been in the Western Regions, Gao Xianzhi also knew of the heavy pressure placed on Wang Chong. All the pressure from the court down to the border was on him alone, and it had only increased after the attack on King Song. At times, if one weren’t paying close attention, one would forget that Wang Chong was only eighteen.
“I only just arrived!”
Wang Chong smiled at his sudden visitor, his expression not at all surprised. In truth, he had received a letter from Gao Xianzhi and come here to wait for him.
“Where are the others?” Wang Chong said.
“There are a lot of gossipers in the capital, so I had them take another route back to the capital. I was a little faster than they were, so it probably won’t be long after this meeting that they arrive,” Gao Xianzhi said.
One was a King of the Imperial Court and one was a Duke, and they were both highly influential Great Generals of the army. A private meeting between them could easily serve as evidence that could be used to impeach them in the court. And the times and situation had changed, their statuses becoming much more sensitive. They could no longer casually meet as they had done in the Battle of Talas.
“Where is Lord Feng?”
Wang Chong was naturally talking about Feng Changqing, Gao Xianzhi’s friend to the end. Everyone knew that the Twin Walls of the Empire were inseparable, but Gao Xianzhi didn’t seem to have Feng Changqing at his side.
Gao Xianzhi was silent for a few moments before answering.
“I left him in the Western Regions. Once everything there is settled, he will return to the capital.”
Wang Chong was surprised to hear this, but he quickly realized what was going on. The situation had changed in the Western Regions too much. First, Wang Chong had been removed from his position of Qixi Protector-General, and then shortly after, Gao Xianzhi had failed to avoid the same fate.
West from Qixi, all the way to the Cong Mountains, even past them to the Arabian Empire’s Khorasan, Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi had fought together. After losing countless soldiers and expending great effort, they had annexed a large tract of land, but their efforts had been for naught. The land had either been retur
ned to the Arabian Empire or fallen into chaos.
Given how long Gao Xianzhi had been Anxi’s Protector-General, he felt deeply sentimental about the area. Even though he had been called back, he couldn’t put his worries aside, so he had left Feng Changqing behind to preside over the situation. He was no longer the highest officer of the Western Regions, but with the influence he had built up over many years in the Western Regions and in the army, if he wanted Feng Changqing to remain in the rear and stabilize the Western Regions, it probably wouldn’t be a major problem. After all, this area was Feng Changqing’s expertise.
“Right, how is King Song doing?” Gao Xianzhi quickly asked.
“His condition has been stabilized, but it’s still not good. Even now, the poison has not been completely expelled, and he still can’t move around. Besides that, he’s easily exhausted, so we usually don’t mention what’s happening in court to him,” Wang Chong said.
“King Song… there’s a rumor going around that the First Prince paid a visit to him before the incident, but it seems that they didn’t part on good terms. Do you know of this matter?” Gao Xianzhi asked.
The mood instantly froze, the carriage going still.
Wang Chong immediately fell silent. Although the two were talking about King Song, Wang Chong knew what he really wanted to ask.
“Haaah…”
Before Wang Chong could answer, Gao Xianzhi gave a long sigh and raised his head as he spoke with sorrow.
“It seems like we both have the same idea in mind.”
Wang Chong had said nothing, but for Gao Xianzhi, his hesitation was enough.
Chapter 1671 - The Retired Grand Commandant! (I)
Chapter 1671: The Retired Grand Commandant! (I)
“To think that so quickly after the Sage Emperor withdrew, the empire would reach this stage!”
Gao Xianzhi sighed once more, a complicated look on his face. Gao Xianzhi had experienced the golden age of the Great Tang, and could even be said to have been one of its architects. He had played a major role in the Great Tang’s push into the Western Regions and the stabilization of the area.
But the situation had changed as time passed, and the Great Tang was beginning to show signs of decline. Gao Xianzhi was well aware that an empire that began to feud with itself would weaken itself.
“These are all just rumors that can’t be verified,” Wang Chong finally said. “And King Song has refused to say a word about his poisoning, so not even I can determine the truth. But there are simply too many things taking place in the empire right now. The First Prince has proposed having Assistant Minister of the Bureau of Military Personnel Kong Wu temporarily replace Lord Zhangchou. I’m afraid that King Song’s matter is also connected to that man!”
“That man is simply too impatient. He is, after all, of the Sage Emperor’s bloodline. Won’t the realm still be his after one hundred years pass? It’s not even worthwhile for him to do such a thing.”
Gao Xianzhi repeatedly shook his head and sighed.
“If he were really that sort of person, he would never have done something like this, nor would His Majesty have still not named him Crown Prince!” Wang Chong coldly said.
If the First Prince had been a kind and benevolent sovereign, Wang Chong would have never urged his big uncle Wang Gen to distance himself from the First Prince. Perhaps if he had been a little gentler and kinder, then even if his abilities had not been very formidable, the Sage Emperor would have long ago made him the Crown Prince on the basis that he was the eldest son, and Wang Chong would have had no need to recommend Fifth Prince Li Heng.
Alas, the First Prince was simply not that sort of person. The death of Jade Consort Xiao was proof enough of that.
“The Great Tang is entering an autumn of many troubles. I worry that this is only the beginning, and the ending is far in the distance. Although I’ve been called back from the Western Regions, as long as the successor dispatched by the First Prince is able to stabilize the area, I wouldn’t have too many complaints. Matters of state are much more important than personal losses.
“But I worry that the First Prince is underestimating the ambition of the Arabian Empire. Before leaving, I had received word that the Arabian Empire was already growing restless. We advanced all the way to Khorasan last time, but in the end, we still didn’t enter Baghdad. The Arabian Empire still has its vigor, and if Arabia starts trouble again, I truly don’t know who will be there to stop them!”
Gao Xianzhi emotionally sighed. The thought of that bitter campaign made him take another glance at the youth seated across from him.
After the battles of Talas and Khorasan, the prestige of the Anxi Protectorate army had risen to a whole new level. Many people said that the Anxi War God truly deserved his title of the Wall of the Empire, and if he had not been there, victory would have been impossible.
But only Gao Xianzhi understood that if not for the reinforcements and strategies of this youth, the war would have been lost long ago.
His strength alone would have been wholly insufficient to resist the Arabian Empire that had top-class generals like Abu Muslim and Qutaybah!
On the battlefield, this youth had stabilized the entire western border, and now in the court, all the pressure in the empire had been laid on his shoulders. Gao Xianzhi had only heard about all the things that had happened while he was in the Western Regions, like King Song being poisoned, Zhangchou Jianqiong being attacked, and the various incidents concerning the Confucian Sect, but Wang Chong had been through all of them. Gao Xianzhi didn’t dare to imagine what the empire would look like if Wang Chong hadn’t been there.
The empire needed this youth more than anyone else at a moment like this!
Unknowingly, without even the man himself realizing it, Wang Chong had become the center of the empire.
This was why, rather than following custom and reporting to the Imperial Court and the First Prince upon his return, he had chosen to have a private meeting with Wang Chong.
The carriage was quiet as Wang Chong thought.
At this time, the two Great Generals were deeply concerned about this massive empire that had prospered for several centuries. In truth, this was a concern shared by all the generals on the border, but it had remained pent up in their hearts.
“Did you bring the thing I asked of you?” Wang Chong asked.
“Mm!”
Gao Xianzhi sternly nodded.
“I thought that you didn’t want it. You need only ask, and I and all the generals on the border will support you.”
As Gao Xianzhi spoke, he took a prepared letter from his bosom and passed it over. Wang Chong didn’t even glance at it before putting it away. Gao Xianzhi did not ask and Wang Chong did not look. The two seemed to share a tacit understanding.
After giving the letter to Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi opened the door and left. The entire process had taken place without alarming a single bystander.
I should go and see that man now.
As this thought ran through Wang Chong’s mind, the carriage began to turn toward another part of the city.
After passing through various streets and thronging crowds, the carriage finally arrived at a restaurant.
Creeeak!
The carriage door opened, and Wang Chong walked out, dressed in casual clothes. In front of him was an ordinary restaurant made of gray brick, and even the roof tiles were drab and gloomy. Only the restaurant banner hanging from the second-floor balcony, black words on a red background, appeared to stand out, but even this was mottled black, appearing rather old.
‘Zhiyi Restaurant’!
Wang Chong glanced at the words written in ancient script on the placard. This was an extremely ordinary restaurant, and thousands like it could be found in the capital. They catered to the wealthier common folk.
The majority of the prices in this restaurant were very agreeable. For a few strings of cash, one could get a large bowl of food. While the quality, appearance, or variety of the food co
uldn’t compare to Vast Crane Pavilion, it was very tasty.
“Young Master, do you plan to eat inside?”
Wang Chong had just entered when a waiter with a white towel tossed across his shoulder came up to welcome him. He examined this youth with great curiosity. Normally, only ordinary commoners ate at the restaurant, and the likes of noble scions, members of great clans, or major merchants were incredibly rare. From the luxuriousness of Wang Chong’s clothes, one could tell at a glance that he didn’t belong here.
“Mm!”
Wang Chong grunted and strode inside.
This waiter clearly didn’t recognize him. Ordinary commoners only worried about basic necessities of life and would pay little attention to the affairs of the court. It was very normal to not know his face.
“Waiter, why isn’t my food ready yet?!”
“You rotten old man, you really did come here to get drunk! You come back this instant!”
“Shopkeeper, three jin of white spirits and five jin of beef to go!”
The restaurant was packed and noisy. As Wang Chong made his way through the restaurant, he inspected his surroundings.
Little care had been given to the arrangement of the restaurant, and the decorations were not lavish, but the place was extremely clean. When the occasional child caused a mess on the ground, the waiters would quickly clean it up. The people here were happily chatting with each other, drinking and gambling, and some of them were so relaxed and easy that they put their feet up on the chairs as if this place was their own home.
Wang Chong didn’t find this sight strange. Smiling, he continued onward.
Going past rows of tables, he walked onto the second floor. In a corner on the eastern side of the second floor, Wang Chong finally saw the man he wanted to meet.
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