Wang Chong chuckled as he pointed at the seat across from him.
Wang Zhongsi hesitated for a moment, but he finally sat down across from Wang Chong.
Wang Chong smiled. In no rush, he lifted the wine jar and filled Wang Zhongsi’s cup.
Wang Chong raised his cup and respectfully said, “Wang Chong has always respected Milord. With this cup, Wang Chong gives a toast to Milord!”
These were words spoken from the heart. Although Wang Chong didn’t much agree with Wang Zhongsi’s decision to retire at the height of his career to protect himself, Wang Zhongsi had, through his many conquests and achievements on the battlefield, made an indelible contribution to the current peace of the Great Tang. There was no disputing that.
This alone had made Wang Chong always respect Wang Zhongsi, and it was why the two of them were meeting today.
“Your Highness is too polite.”
Wang Zhongsi hesitated before taking up the cup. He lightly clinked it with Wang Chong’s cup and then drained the liquor.
With this toast, the mood warmed.
“Your Highness is a talented youth who has rendered great service for the Great Tang. Wang Zhongsi is filled with admiration. If all the youth of the Great Tang could be like Your Highness, the common people would be able to sleep safe and sound for generations to come!” Wang Zhongsi returned with his own compliment.
Although Wang Zhongsi usually refused guests and intentionally distanced himself from the powerful nobles, this did not mean that he did not pay attention to the political scene. On the contrary, this War God cared more about the safety of the empire than anyone else. Otherwise, during the war of the southwest, he would have never put his armor back on and ridden off to Longxi to fend off the White Lion Great General of Ü-Tsang, We Tadra Khonglo.
Frankly speaking, the only person in the empire that Wang Zhongsi had any regard for was Wang Chong.
Ever since the emergence of Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han, ten-some years had passed without such a dazzling military talent in the Great Tang. Although the deceased Li Zhengyi had been called the most brilliant commander of the younger generation, he had still not earned Wang Zhongsi’s attention.
Wang Chong had appeared out of nowhere, and his existence, his illustrious feats, and his brilliant strategies were enough to make any general of this era seem dim by comparison. In just a couple of years, Wang Chong had suddenly risen from obscurity to become the first King of a different surname in the Sage Emperor’s reign, surpassing Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han in a single move.
Even in the palace, Wang Zhongsi had been paying close attention to Wang Chong’s achievements and growth. But unlike what others might have imagined, Wang Zhongsi felt no envy, only admiration for this junior of his.
It was for this reason that he had made an exception and come to meet Wang Chong.
“But if Your Highness has something to say, please speak frankly,” Wang Zhongsi added.
Those without problems did not visit the temple, and he didn’t believe that Wang Chong had invited him just so that they could drink tea and liquor. What he cared most about was Wang Chong’s goal.
“Heh, in truth, besides meeting with Lord Junior Guardian, I have nothing else in mind. I just wanted to meet and ask a question. Lord Junior Guardian, how long has it been since you’ve seen the First Prince?” Wang Chong casually asked as he put down the wine jar.
Buzz!
The mention of the First Prince immediately made Wang Zhongsi raise an eyebrow. Although he had been inconspicuous in the last few years, remaining deep within the palace, becoming so unknown that one would hardly notice him on the street, this did not mean that Wang Zhongsi was a fool.
Wang Chong’s question was incredibly abrupt. Wang Zhongsi immediately knew what Wang Chong meant when he mentioned the First Prince, and he could see that today’s meeting would center on this figure.
Countless thoughts ran through his mind, but Wang Zhongsi quickly calmed down.
He stared at Wang Chong and sternly said, “For what reason does the King of Foreign Lands ask this question?”
Everyone knew that Wang Zhongsi was the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian, who was the First Prince’s teacher. In other words, Wang Zhongsi and the First Prince should have been frequently meeting. Wang Chong’s question was a very strange one.
“Heh, in other words, Lord Junior Guardian truly hasn’t seen the First Prince in some time.”
Wang Chong chuckled, his sharp senses immediately picking out the truth.
Wang Zhongsi trembled. Wang Chong’s intuition was truly too frightening. But Wang Zhongsi did not attempt to deny it.
“It is true that I have not seen the First Prince in several months. With the Sage Emperor withdrawn, the First Prince is serving as the regent and is so busy with government affairs that we have no time to meet. This is normal,” Wang Zhongsi coldly said.
Ah! As expected!
Wang Zhongsi failed to notice Wang Chong mentally sighing in relief. His greatest concern was that Wang Zhongsi would get caught up in the Rebellion of the Three Princes because of his relationship with the First Prince.
That had probably been the most regrettable thing about that entire incident.
In the Rebellion of the Three Princes, three of the Sage Emperor’s own sons had started a rebellion to seize the throne. This was a grave violation of the ethical and moral code.
This incident would lead to countless tragedies and deaths, Wang Zhongsi amongst them. In Wang Chong’s heart, this man was the most unfortunate and most pitiful loss.
The First Prince had tried to kill his father and led the army in killing numerous major officials. As the First Prince’s teacher, the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian could not escape responsibility.
The illustrious War God of the Central Plains was banished, and not long afterward, he died of depression.
This was the greatest loss the Great Tang had ever suffered.
The deaths of some people were as light as a feather, while others were as heavy as Mount Tai. When Wang Zhongsi died, everyone felt immense regret!
Chapter 1684 - Wang Zhongsi’s Fate!
Chapter 1684: Wang Zhongsi’s Fate!
Wang Chong’s greatest worry was that Wang Zhongsi would somehow get involved in the incident, or perhaps knew that it was happening and had given it his tacit consent.
If this was the case, the Sage Emperor’s rage after the Rebellion of the Three Princes would mean that Wang Zhongsi would still be unable to avoid the tragedy of his last life.
But it now seemed that Wang Zhongsi was simply too honest and upright, and the First Prince was rather apprehensive about him, so he had begun to distance himself some time ago. Wang Zhongsi had never been able to get close to the core of the First Prince’s group, which could be said to be fortune amidst misfortune. If the situation had been different, this meeting would have been meaningless.
Wang Zhongsi raised an eyebrow as if he had suddenly understood something.
“King of Foreign Lands, I know that a few things have happened between you and the First Prince. If you’ve come to me for these matters, then I’m afraid you’ve found the wrong person. It has been a very long time since I last participated in court matters. I rarely intervene in the Bureau of Military Personnel, let alone anything else.”
Wang Chong momentarily froze, and he immediately knew that Wang Zhongsi had misunderstood. He believed that Wang Chong had invited him so that he could assist in smoothing out Wang Chong’s relationship with the First Prince, putting in a good word for him.
Wang Chong inwardly gave a bitter smile, but he did not explain.
Wang Zhongsi’s talent in the art of war was unquestionable, but his political sense and intuition were far from that.
After all, the Rebellion of the Three Princes had already reached this stage without Wang Zhongsi realizing anything!
The reason for this was closely related to Wang Zhongsi’s art of war. Wang Chong had once carefully rese
arched this man’s style of fighting.
Military strategies could be direct, or they could rely on surprise. Some people excelled at surprise attacks, and they had unconventional styles that never adhered to a single pattern. They were capable of frequently attacking from unexpected places, catching the opponent off guard and inflicting upon them a major defeat.
But others excelled in direct confrontation, leading vast and grandiose armies. These armies did not constantly shift around, but they could excel in both defense and offense, leaving behind no weakness and giving the enemy no opportunities.
Wang Zhongsi was this kind of direct general, and he had trained in this aspect to the very apex.
In battle, Wang Zhongsi didn’t shift around his tactics too much, and when enemy cavalry suddenly attacked from an unexpected angle or used some strange tactic, Wang Zhongsi would remain as steady as a mountain and would always seem to have a counter. So-called surprise attacks would only lead to defeat when used against Wang Zhongsi.
As for direct confrontation itself, a man had attempted to imitate Wang Zhongsi, arranging his forces in exactly the same way, but in the end, Wang Zhongsi had routed them and dealt them a massive defeat. And this man had been one of the renowned generals of his generation.
Once this matter got around, it became the foundation of Wang Zhongsi’s legend, and it had also created a befuddling riddle around Wang Zhongsi.
With Wang Chong’s experience and cultivation, he could now see that this was because Wang Zhongsi’s ability to handle the small details and to look at the overall situation were simply better than his opponent’s. In other words, Wang Zhongsi had a greater understanding of the art of direct confrontation than any other general of his generation.
And as a direct general, Wang Zhongsi had the personality to go with it.
Wang Chong quickly shook himself from his stupor.
“Milord has misunderstood. Wang Chong did not come here for this.”
Wang Chong gently smiled.
“Wang Chong once heard a story. A family had three sons and one adopted son. One day, the eldest son decided to rebel and topple the family patriarch, taking his place. Milord, what do you think the adopted son who was on good terms with the eldest son should do?” Wang Chong spoke in a casual and relaxed tone, but on the other side, Wang Zhongsi paled.
Wang Zhongsi was different from any other Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian in the history of the Great Tang. Everyone in the Great Tang knew that Wang Zhongsi’s parents had both died when he was a child. His father had been a renowned general with a list of achievements, but he had eventually ended up outnumbered and surrounded. He had refused to surrender and fought to the death, earning him the respect of the Great Tang’s people.
At that time, the Sage Emperor had only recently ascended to the throne. He was moved to pity by this story and took Wang Zhongsi into the palace, taking him as his adopted son. Thus, Wang Zhongsi had grown up in the Imperial Palace, and even the name ‘Zhongsi’ had been granted by the Sage Emperor.
Wang Zhongsi held the Sage Emperor in extremely high regard, and the Sage Emperor also cherished him as a son of his own blood. It was for this reason that Wang Zhongsi died from depression after being banished in the aftermath of the Rebellion of the Three Princes.
Wang Chong’s meaning was crystal-clear with his talk of the eldest son, adopted son, and rebellion. Moreover, as Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi truly did have the closest relationship to the First Prince.
Wang Chong was clearly not talking about a simple story.
“Your Highness, what are you saying? Please speak clearly!” Wang Zhongsi sternly said, his expression turning grave.
“Heh, the First Prince has many strange faces around him now. Lord Junior Guardian probably knows of this,” Wang Chong indirectly answered as he put down his wine cup.
“There have been more people lately, but the First Prince is the eldest son and is currently running the government in place of the Sage Emperor. It’s only normal for him to recruit a few advisors. As they say, one who listens to both sides will be enlightened and one who only listens to one side will be kept in the dark. This is a good thing for the Great Tang, and His Highness will ascend to the throne of the Sage Emperor in time. It’s reasonable for him to do such things. Does Your Highness think differently?” Wang Zhongsi said.
“What if I told you that there was a Goguryeon among them who betrayed Goguryeo for the Great Tang and was recruited by the First Prince to gather information, and that the capital was now filled with his spies? In addition, there’s an old man at the First Prince’s side that you might have already seen before. He’s fond of wearing a black robe and frequently comes in and out of the Eastern Palace. What if I told you that his true identity was a man of Taizong’s era who attempted to start a rebellion and was rumored to have been executed? What if I told you that this man was the Army-Shattering War God of Taizong’s era, Hou Junji?” Wang Chong asked.
“What?!”
The mention of Hou Junji’s name had Wang Zhongsi trembling in shock.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Hou Junji was executed ages ago, so there can’t be another one. King of Foreign Lands, could you have gotten the wrong person?”
No matter how honest and upright Wang Zhongsi was, he also knew that the renowned official Hou Junji of Taizong’s era had tried to start a rebellion, causing him to be removed from Lingyan Pavilion and personally executed by Emperor Taizong.
It was one thing for the First Prince to recruit officials, but entirely another to collude with the traitorous official Hou Junji.
Wang Chong gently smiled without remark. Wang Zhongsi’s reaction had been entirely expected.
Wang Zhongsi was older than the First Prince. When the Sage Emperor took him into the palace and adopted him, he placed Wang Zhongsi in the Eastern Palace, where he grew up alongside the First Prince. The First Prince had only been seven at the time. Later on, Wang Zhongsi became the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian and taught the First Prince martial arts and the art of war, further deepening their relationship.
If one simply claimed that the First Prince wanted to start a rebellion, someone of Wang Zhongsi’s personality would never believe it.
To talk intimately with strangers was a taboo, and Wang Chong and Wang Zhongsi barely had a relationship. Wang Zhongsi would not carelessly believe him.
“I’m just saying. There’s no harm if Lord Junior Guardian just listens. Whether it’s true can be determined by Lord Junior Guardian yourself. And there’s another matter. Within the inner palace, Eunuch Gao, Gao Lishi, was attacked not too long ago and was heavily injured. Does Lord Junior Guardian know of this?” Wang Chong asked.
“What?!”
Wang Zhongsi’s face twisted once more, his eyes going wide as if he had been electrocuted. He could no longer sit still, and instantly rose to his feet.
“Eunuch Gao was injured? How is that possible? King of Foreign Lands, is what you say true? When did this happen?”
All the other words could not compare in effect to the news of Eunuch Gao being injured.
Eunuch Gao was the Great Tang’s Director of the Inner Court, the Sage Emperor’s most loyal aide. He had served at the Sage Emperor’s side ever since his ascension to the throne. He could be found wherever the Sage Emperor was.
After so many years, Eunuch Gao had essentially become the Sage Emperor’s shadow. If Eunuch Gao had been injured, it meant that the Sage Emperor was in grave danger, and the entire situation took on a different character.
Wang Chong raised his head and asked, “What? Does Lord Junior Guardian not even know of this matter?”
“King of Foreign Lands, please forgive this one for his rudeness. I must return to the palace.”
After saying this, the anxious Wang Zhongsi impatiently turned and left.
Wang Chong didn’t take offense at this sight. It was rumored that Wang Zhongsi treated the Sage Emperor like his own father, and from
the display right now, it seemed that the rumor was true.
It would have been far stranger if he had been able to sit still after hearing about the attack on Eunuch Gao.
Wang Zhongsi’s carriage quickly rolled away. Wang Chong watched him leave from the balcony, his smile slowly fading as his expression turned solemn.
You have to find out the truth for yourself. I can only help you to here.
Wang Chong internally sighed as he stood back up.
“Destiny has begun to shift! User’s attempt to persuade renowned Tang general Wang Zhongsi has produced an initial effect! User is rewarded 200 points of Destiny Energy. Further results pending on developments with the target!”
The Stone of Destiny’s familiar voice resounded in Wang Chong’s mind, but Wang Chong didn’t care. After leaving a few taels of silver on the table, he left.
……
As Wang Chong was leaving the restaurant, Wang Zhongsi’s carriage had rolled into the Imperial Palace. An hour later, Wang Zhongsi stepped into the Eastern Palace for the first time in several months.
“What?! The Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian is requesting a meeting?”
In the Eastern Palace, the First Prince was left flabbergasted by the guard’s report.
“Tell him that I’m too busy to have a meeting with him. Say that I’ll go and meet him some other day,” the First Prince almost immediately replied.
“But, Your Highness, the Junior Guardian has already come inside!” the guard anxiously said.
He had barely finished speaking when both of them heard forceful and somewhat anxious footsteps approaching.
Chapter 1685 - Exile!
Chapter 1685: Exile!
“Wang Zhongsi pays respects to Your Highness!”
From a distance, Wang Zhongsi clasped his hands and bowed. His expression was solemn and his eyebrows were locked together. He looked entirely different from his usual self.
“Haha, Lord Junior Guardian, what brings you here?”
Surprisingly, the First Prince, who had been ashen-faced and unwilling to let Wang Zhongsi come in just a moment ago, immediately began to smile the moment Wang Zhongsi walked in.
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