The Tibetans definitely did not hold that much respect for Geshu Han, but they were simply forced to act for the sake of their own well-being.
Pagur took a few steps forward and sternly said, “Thank you, Your Highness! When the Tsenpo and the Imperial Minister dispatched me, they had a small request. They hoped that I would be able to enter the spirit hall to pay respects to Great General Geshu and display the reverence of all Tibetans.”
Wang Chong shook his head and firmly said, “That’s not necessary. It’s best if you quickly take your leave!”
These Tibetans hadn’t even gone inside the city, but had already provoked such rage. What would happen if they entered Geshu Han’s spirit hall?!
“Get out of here! Leave!” cried the surrounding crowd of soldiers and common folk.
A complicated expression flashed in Pagur’s eyes. He knew that it was impossible for him to enter Geshu Han’s spirit hall.
Swish!
At this moment, a completely unexpected development took place.
Pagur’s subordinates suddenly took out their Tibetan daggers, turned around, and cut the throats of their horses. Blood gushed out as the stalwart highland steeds shrieked and thudded to the ground!
“Your Highness, generals, I know that you do not believe us, but this is all irrelevant. Time will show that Great General Geshu’s death had nothing to do with us! Even though we and Great General Geshu regarded each other as enemies, we would never resort to such a shameless and despicable method.
“These warhorses were divine stallions of our Ü-Tsang. We Tibetans do not harm our own warhorses, as their souls are the purest and most loyal, and they serve as the most loyal comrades to our warriors. Only when a most revered hero passes will we offer the souls of our steeds to accompany the hero in death!
“This is the greatest ritual our Ü-Tsang Empire can offer to a deceased hero!”
After saying all this, Pagur made a gesture. A moment later, all the Tibetans prostrated in the direction of Geshu Han’s spirit hall, kowtowing three times. This action was so sudden that there was no time to stop it.
“Your Highness, thank you for letting us say our piece!”
After the kowtows were done, the party stood up and bowed to Wang Chong.
Wang Chong looked at Pagur and calmly said, “The Imperial Minister has truly gone through great pains!”
Even though he had understood Dalon Trinling’s intentions from the start, he could not help but express his praise.
The deceased were of utmost importance. Regardless of what the true intention of these Tibetans was, no one could criticize them for the respect they had paid to Geshu Han.
“Tell your Imperial Minister and Tsenpo that respect is not found in words, but in the heart. Clever words and a fawning countenance are futile gestures. If Ü-Tsang still has designs on the Great Tang and Longxi, a day will come when we meet on the battlefield! At that time, this one might not just stop at Zhangzhung, but will personally meet with your Imperial Minister in the royal capital!” Wang Chong coldly said.
Pagur’s face paled at Wang Chong’s words.
At this time, almost all the foreign countries around the Great Tang paled at the mention of the King of Foreign Lands, and Ü-Tsang had keenly felt the pain he could inflict.
Not only had Dusong Mangpoje been defeated and the triangular gap seized, Wang Chong had even attacked their heartland and destroyed one of their three training camps. This was a pain that all Tibetans had felt, a humiliation that all of them wanted to redeem.
However, no matter how angry he was, Pagur had to admit that the youth’s words were not some empty threat, but something completely capable of being realized. In this world, only this youth had the ability to threaten an entire country with just himself!
“This one will relay your message to the Imperial Minister and the Tsenpo.”
Pagur took in a deep breath and turned around. They mounted their remaining horses, several of them sharing mounts, and after one last glance at Big Dipper City, they rode off.
After watching Pagur leave, Wang Chong turned around and said to the Big Dipper generals, “Let’s all go back. No matter what Ü-Tsang is planning, they won’t engage in any large-scale attack on the Big Dipper Army and Longxi in the short term. If the Tibetans truly show any abnormal movements, I will personally handle the matter. At that time, the Tibetans won’t just be facing the Big Dipper Army.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” the generals gratefully said.
With Geshu Han and his top-class generals dead, the Big Dipper Army was in a perilous state. If the Tibetans took advantage of this opportunity, Big Dipper City and Longxi would be in great danger.
With Wang Chong’s guarantee, all the members of the Big Dipper Army were emboldened. The Great Tang was in chaos, with Gao Xianzhi’s recall, the Setting Sun Villa incident, and Geshu Han’s death all happening in close succession. Even simple soldiers were vaguely able to sense something.
But this youth’s promise had singlehandedly stabilized the situation in Longxi!
As the Big Dipper Army generals returned, there was a flapping of wings. A black silhouette was rapidly moving across the gloomy sky toward them.
Wang Chong hadn’t noticed at first, but when he saw what sort of bird was flying toward him, his pupils constricted and his eyelids twitched.
Chapter 1707 - General Amnesty!
Chapter 1707: General Amnesty!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The eagle had belonged to Old Eagle, and with Old Eagle still unconscious, it was under Zhang Que’s command. This eagle had wings as tough as steel and could fly extremely quickly. It was only used to deliver extremely important news.
Whoosh!
Wang Chong immediately reached out with his hand, and the eagle quickly descended into his palm.
With a light raise of his finger, he removed the letter from the eagle’s leg and glanced down. From the date, it seemed the letter had been sent three days ago. In other words, it had been sent almost the day he had left the capital.
“What’s going on here?”
Wang Chong’s heart sank as he hastily opened the envelope.
‘Your Highness, the situation is bad…’
The first line immediately made Wang Chong’s heart plunge, and by the time he reached the last line, his face had turned into a nasty scowl.
Zhang Que had not mentioned too many matters in his letter, only that the day after Wang Chong had left, the Imperial Court—or perhaps one could just say the First Prince—had announced a momentous decision.
The First Prince, using the Sage Emperor’s illness as his reason, had issued a general amnesty, and many criminals had been released from prison. This included Wang Chong’s former foe who had been caught in Wang Chong’s trap and charged with the crime of deceiving the sovereign, Fumeng Lingcha.
At the same time, the First Prince had said that, as Geshu Han was dead and the army could not be without a commander for a single day, he had decided to place Fumeng Lingcha as commander of the Big Dipper Army in order to fend off any potential attack from Ü-Tsang. The report said that Fumeng Lingcha had assumed the post on the same day as his release.
The capital had been deeply shaken by the news, and while major officials had objected, the First Prince had forced the proposal through.
Geshu Han was dead, and Longxi still faced the threat of Ü-Tsang. This was a real and present danger that no one could deny. There were no reliable candidates in the court besides Fumeng Lingcha, and his objectors had no alternative solution.
Finally made his move!
Wang Chong looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, his mind just as gloomy. Crack! His hands clenched together, his joints crackling as the letter was scrunched into a ball.
In the Setting Sun Villa incident, An Sishun was ordered to be escorted back to the capital, and he had not been included in the list of those pardoned. As for the other one hundre
d generals, they had already been replaced by the First Prince’s men. With Geshu Han now dead, the man in the Eastern Palace had used the excuse of seeking divine favor for the Sage Emperor to pardon Fumeng Lingcha so that he could replace Geshu Han and take the mighty Big Dipper Army for his own.
The man in the Eastern Palace had planned things out meticulously, leaving not a single flaw.
The First Prince did not have this level of strength, and it was already obvious who the schemer was!
Whoooah!
In the middle of his thoughts, he suddenly heard a commotion, the voices of several Big Dipper Army generals mixed into it.
Wang Chong came to his senses and looked over.
Those high-ranking Big Dipper Army generals making their way toward the spirit hall had apparently been blocked by several figures.
These people wore silk robes and had fair and beardless faces. Wang Chong instantly recognized them as court eunuchs, but somewhat different from those normally found in the palace.
It was not merely the subtle difference in the patterns on their clothes. They each had a sandalwood token on their waists, on which he could faintly make out a cinnabar insignia.
Eunuch army supervisors!
A thought suddenly occurred to Wang Chong.
There had been a longstanding precedent for the court to send eunuchs to supervise the armies, ensuring that it could gather information on the border and hear the voices of the generals. Bian Lingcheng had been one of these eunuchs. Upon its ascendancy, the Confucian Sect had used this precedent to expand the supervisory system so as to restrain the generals.
Once he became the regent, the First Prince also used this point and secretly replaced some of the Confucian Sect supervisors with his own eunuchs. Wang Chong had heard about this some time ago.
“Generals, please restrain your grief! Great General Fumeng will be here soon, and everyone must prepare to welcome him!” a tall and thin eunuch with pronounced cheekbones said in a shrill voice. He led the other eunuchs in placing themselves in front of the generals.
“Orders from above must be followed, and we have already read the decree from the Imperial Court. Do you seek to defy it?” another eunuch sharply said, his expression proud and aloof.
“Bastards, you go too far!”
“The general just died, and his body isn’t even cold yet, and you’ve already sent someone to replace him! Even beasts are better!”
“What Great General Fumeng? Our Big Dipper Army has only one commander. No matter the time, only Great General Geshu is fit to be our commander!”
The Big Dipper Army soldiers were enraged. The Great General hadn’t even been buried, his body still lying in state in the spirit hall, and these people were already rushing to replace him. How could they possibly accept this? Were these people not worried about the blow they were dealing to the people’s morale?!
“That’s right! There is no Great General Fumeng in our Big Dipper Army!”
“You eunuchs, get out!”
The Big Dipper Army soldiers in the surrounding area knew the whole story, and their red eyes were almost popping out of their sockets in rage. Some of them even gripped their weapons and surrounded the eunuchs.
“Rebellion, rebellion!”
“What is your Big Dipper Army’s intent? Treason?!”
“Great General Fumeng replacing Geshu Han is a decree from the court! Do you even dare to ignore the court’s decree?!”
The eunuch supervisors were startled and frightened, backing up as they angrily yelled.
“Impudent! Simply absurd! You, you, you! I will definitely submit a memorial to the court and have you all locked up in the imperial prison for your disrespect!
“I’ve remembered everything you bastards said! Just wait and see!”
The leading eunuch glared at the soldiers and fumed.
“Hmph!”
In the distance, Wang Chong sneered, and before anyone could react, he vanished.
Clap!
Wang Chong suddenly appeared and gave the eunuch a vicious slap to the face, the force in the palm deforming the man’s face and sending him flying into the distance.
Neeeigh! A distant warhorse was struck by the eunuch and staggered backward several dozen steps. The eunuch dropped to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and a few teeth dropping out.
Whoooah!
The other eunuchs were shocked and immediately began to cause a ruckus.
“King of Foreign Lands, you dare!”
“We’re army supervisors, representatives of the court! You dared to strike us!”
“Wang Chong, do you still have any regard for the laws and the court? I will report this matter to the regent and have you charged with crimes of major disrespect!”
Wang Chong had seemingly enraged a beehive with his palm, and the eunuchs began to angrily rebuke him. If not for the fact that they could never beat Wang Chong and were also surrounded by the threatening Big Dipper Army soldiers, they would have rushed over and started to beat Wang Chong up.
“King of Foreign Lands, you’re starting a rebellion!”
The eunuch who had been knocked flying by Wang Chong staggered to his feet, his expression cold and vicious.
“You even dare to strike an army supervisor! Just wait and see! I will report everything that happened today to the court!”
The eunuch’s face was pale with rage. Ever since he had been made an army supervisor, everyone had to bow to him. This was the first time someone had dared to hit him.
“A few eunuch supervisors dare to flaunt their strength at Great General Geshu’s funeral? That is the true disrespect. This palm was a small lesson, but if you continue to speak nonsense, this king will kill you all. I’d like to see if the First Prince and the court will speak on your behalf!”
Wang Chong stared at the eunuch with his domineering eyes, his entire body radiating immense and murderous energy.
Wang Chong had forged this aura through his life on the battlefield, and he was a Subtle realm expert besides. While the eunuch supervisors sent by the court had their own cultivation, it was nothing compared to Wang Chong’s.
These eunuchs immediately felt the suffocating aura of Wang Chong’s energy and began to tremble in fear.
“King of Foreign Lands, you dare?!”
A thin-lipped eunuch lost his composure and bellowed, but the other eunuchs pulled on his sleeve and told him to stop.
“Stop talking,” the shivering eunuchs whispered.
The trends were stronger than the man, and they were in the territory of the Big Dipper Army. If they truly managed to enrage the soldiers, they might not come out alive. Moreover, Wang Chong’s status was not something that mere eunuch officials could touch.
His titles of ‘Son of Heaven’s disciple’, ‘King of Foreign Lands’, and ‘the Great Tang’s new War God’ were enough to crush them to death.
In addition, Geshu Han had only just died, and the entire world was watching. If they actually reported this to the court, there was really no telling whether the First Prince cared if they lived or died.
“Reporting!”
Amidst this awkward tension, a Big Dipper Army horseman with a white band across his forehead rode in.
“General, we’ve spotted a force of ten-some soldiers approaching from the east. They have raised the banner of former Qixi Protector-General Fumeng Lingcha. They are less than thirty li away! They should be here in another hour!”
The scout dismounted and swiftly kneeled on the ground.
Chapter 1708 - Fumeng Lingcha’s Show of Strength!
Chapter 1708: Fumeng Lingcha’s Show of Strength!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Whoosh!
The Big Dipper Army soldiers instantly paled, and Wang Chong’s brow creased as his heart slightly sank. In contrast, the eunuch supervisors surrounded by the soldiers sighed in relief.
The new master was here, sav
ing them some breath. They would no longer need to provoke these ‘fiendish gods’ and turn themselves into targets.
“It came very quickly!”
According to Zhang Que’s report, the First Prince had only announced the amnesty the day after he had left. No matter how fast Fumeng Lingcha was, he should have arrived at Big Dipper City only tomorrow.
But these eunuch officials had only just announced the decree when Fumeng Lingcha appeared. Just how fast could Fumeng Lingcha have been to make such a thing happen?
In other words, the First Prince and the man behind him had already planned everything out. Even before the amnesty had been issued, they had already secretly released Fumeng Lingcha from the imperial prison.
In order to prevent any mishaps, they were trying to take over the Big Dipper Army as quickly as possible.
Wang Chong quickly broke out of his pensive stupor and looked eastward, his face growing cold. Visitors did not come with good intentions, and those with good intentions did not visit. The First Prince had released Fumeng Lingcha to subdue the Big Dipper Army, but from another perspective, it was to control Wang Chong.
Back in Qixi, Wang Chong had Fumeng Lingcha locked up in the imperial prison. The two were old enemies!
“Don’t act recklessly for now. Just wait and see!” Wang Chong softly said to the Big Dipper generals without turning his head.
Fumeng Lingcha got along with Wang Chong like fire and water, but his relationship with the Big Dipper Army wasn’t that good either. When Geshu Han had still been alive, they could not have been described as friends.
But at this time, the Big Dipper Army was a pack of dragons without a leader. Not only was Geshu Han dead, but almost the entire upper echelon had been wiped out. There was no one left in the Big Dipper Army that could oppose him.
Everything had been planned down to the finest detail!
By now, the news that the court had already appointed a successor for the Big Dipper Great General had spread throughout the army, and all was still. Everyone stared together with Wang Chong toward the east.
Time slowly passed under a stifling atmosphere…
Rumble!
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