The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  But Gao Shang had underestimated the new Emperor. His actions were fierce and decisive, far more than Gao Shang had predicted.

  This was not the mediocre Son of Heaven Gao Shang had anticipated!

  This isn’t right! He alone doesn’t have so much daring! Even if he does, this reaction is too fast. Someone must be instructing him from behind the scenes, facilitating all of this!

  With this thought in mind, Gao Shang quickly came up with a person.

  Wang Chong!

  The King of Foreign Lands was good friends with the current Son of Heaven. In fact, he had helped Li Heng onto the throne. If one said that this was all Li Heng’s decision, Gao Shang would never believe it!

  Of course, what truly allowed him to conclude that this Wang Chong’s work was that declaration of war.

  An Yaluoshan was a meritorious official of the Great Tang!

  The Great Tang truly did not dare to act against him!

  But the declaration had perfectly avoided this point, causing Gao Shang’s previous calculations to completely miss.

  This truly is too rushed. Four months is a vise around our Youzhou army that will swiftly force us into passivity. In truth, His Excellency’s unease is already clear.

  Truly the King of Foreign Lands! Gao Shang couldn’t help but think.

  But if Wang Chong thought one declaration of war was enough to deal with him without bloodying his blade, he was being a little too simpleminded.

  After some thought, Gao Shang finally said, “Your Excellency does not need to be anxious!

  “Our concern should not be the lack of soldiers, but the attitudes of the other countries. Dalon Trinling is a very formidable individual, and the other countries also have their own ideas. But I believe that Your Excellency should go and see Genesis Supreme. I sense that he must have a way of fulfilling Your Excellency’s desires and making the other countries willing to join your side!”

  There was a bright flash in Gao Shang’s eyes when he mentioned Genesis Supreme. This matter was caused by Genesis Supreme, so his organization’s strength was naturally needed to address it.

  Even if Genesis Supreme said that gods should not intervene in the wars of humans, nor should they reveal themselves to mortal dynasties, Gao Shang would not be fooled.

  These people were extremely mysterious, and not even Gao Shang had been able to gather any information on them. How could it be possible that they had never before intervened in the human world?

  Gao Shang sensed that these people’s involvement in the human world was already at a frightening level.

  The generals fell silent, their eyes looking toward An Yaluoshan.

  Only their liege could communicate with Genesis Supreme.

  “I’ll deal with this matter!” An Yaluoshan said after a few moments of silence.

  ……

  Putting aside the response from Youzhou, the Great Tang’s war machine began to spin to life.

  All the world knew of the Great Tang’s strength, but in the Sage Emperor’s era, quality was emphasized over quantity so as to reduce the burden on the common people. The regular army only numbered six-hundred-thousand-some soldiers, which took up not even ten percent of the country’s strength to maintain.

  But Li Heng did not have time for such concerns.

  Extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures.

  Li Heng recalled the words Wang Chong had spoken to him. An Yaluoshan was certain to be the Great Tang’s greatest threat in the future.

  Li Heng didn’t know why Wang Chong had such a ‘high’ evaluation of this man, but those words had a massive influence on Li Heng. Wang Chong’s judgment had never been wrong before.

  And this wasn’t even considering that An Yaluoshan had stolen Dragon Qi.

  These treasonous scoundrels should be wiped out with the full force of the country and not given a single chance to rise up.

  This was Li Heng’s style.

  As for Wang Chong, in the Sage Emperor’s reign, he was somewhat more restrained and unable to act as he pleased. Moreover, he had the war of the southwest, the Battle of Talas, the raids from Ü-Tsang and the Western Turks, and the war of the northwest keeping him occupied, leaving him unable to deal with An Yaluoshan.

  Now that Li Heng had taken the throne, Wang Chong no longer had such fears.

  All levels of the court, even the imperial censors, had approved of Wang Chong, and there was no one left to suppress him.

  The massive war machine of the Great Tang began to exert its full and terrifying strength for the first time.

  Not long after Li Heng’s war declaration, Wang Chong began the empire’s first large-scale recruitment. He wished to recruit eight hundred thousand soldiers, even larger than the regular army.

  Even so, the standards for recruitment did not drop. On the contrary, they were even harsher.

  There were tens of millions of Tang, and in Wang Chong’s view, the number of outstanding soldiers had to be greater than six hundred thousand.

  As Wang Chong issued his call, the realm came alive with countless Tang rushing to report for duty.

  These eight hundred thousand new soldiers together with the six hundred thousand regular soldiers would add up to an army of one million, four hundred thousand soldiers.

  In past dynasties, such large-scale recruitment would place an immense burden on the people and encounter fierce opposition from both within and without the court. It might even result in castigation from the people, with accusations of militarism and cruelty. The people might even rise up in rebellion.

  But this time was different.

  Not only did Wang Chong’s call not result in any denouncement, the people enthusiastically welcomed it. Even the imperial censors had few objectors, and those were drowned out by the cheers and cries of approval.

  A war was clearly imminent, but it received such a positive reaction. Wang Chong was probably the only person in the history of the Central Plains who could accomplish this feat.

  Any war led by Wang Chong had resulted in victory!

  And in the last few wars, Wang Chong had brought back great wealth that had benefited all the people of the realm. This was the reason for this change in response.

  Wang Chong was no longer just the War God of the Great Tang, but the supreme War God of the continent, the source of confidence for everyone in the realm.

  “Wang Chong, we’ve already recruited three-hundred-thousand-some True Martial realm soldiers, and the number is continuing to climb. We still haven’t even counted the one hundred thousand soldiers offered by the great clans. If this continues, we might not have enough staff!

  “In addition, we can also transfer soldiers from the reserves and the prefectural armies!”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong sat in an armchair in the King of Foreign Lands Residence, sipping tea as he gave the report from the Bureau of Military Personnel.

  Around him were Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi, Tongluo Great General Abusi, Beacon General Jiang Yunrang, and numerous titled generals and critical figures from the Bureau of Military Personnel.

  From the moment Wang Chong received the Emperor’s orders and was appointed as Supreme Marshal of the ‘invasion’ against Goguryeo, granting him control over all the soldiers of the empire, his personal residence started to become the center of the Great Tang.

  Almost every important member of the military was present.

  The response from the people was much more enthusiastic than anticipated. None of the generals had expected this, and they were all elated.

  Wang Zhongsi finally spoke. “I don’t have any objections to the expansion of the Bureau of Military Personnel, but the military is not the martial arts world, where only one’s strength matters. Once we recruit these soldiers, what is most important is their training.”

  Wang Chong turned to Beacon General Jiang Yunrang. “General Jiang, how is this being handled?”

  Jiang Yunrang was no Great General, nor did he have any i
llustrious achievements. However, he was considered the most outstanding of the titled generals.

  In truth, the fact that he could enter Taihe Palace and participate in court affairs was proof enough of Jiang Yunrang’s esteemed status.

  “Your Highness, everything is taken care of. According to Your Highness’s previous orders, we have already transferred out thirty-thousand-some high-ranking officers of various ranks from various armies. A significant number of these officers have fought together with Your Highness or participated in other foreign wars.

  “Once the recruitment is over, these officers will join the training and make sure that the new recruits are properly incorporated into the army,” Jiang Yunrang sternly said.

  He was not as good in combat and campaigning compared to Wang Chong or Zhangchou Jianqiong, but when it came to managing and training an army, he was outstanding. This was one of the reasons Wang Chong had brought him in.

  “Very good!”

  Wang Chong gave a slight nod. There was no disputing Jiang Yunrang’s abilities. With him managing things and the assistance of thirty-thousand-some high-ranking officers, the recruits could probably be trained up into basic soldiers.

  “Old Eagle,” Wang Chong suddenly said. “Order Li Siye and Su Hanshan to each select five thousand experienced officers and soldiers from their ranks to participate in the training of the recruits!”

  “Yes, Your Highness!” Old Eagle respectfully replied.

  “In addition, Lord Junior Guardian, is the forward base in the northeast ready yet?” Wang Chong said.

  As major figures of the Bureau of Military Personnel, Zhangchou Jianqiong and Wang Zhongsi both had important roles to play.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong was primarily focused on recruiting soldiers while Wang Zhongsi was in charge of setting up the forward base in the northeast.

  According to Wang Chong’s plan, in order to ‘deal with Goguryeo’, the Great Tang was to set up a large forward base and armory that was located within the Hebei Circuit, nearly one thousand li from the Cang Province, Ying Province, and the Heng Province. All the weapons and provisions would be stored there first.

  At the same time, to protect these weapons and provisions, the Great Tang had sent two hundred thousand soldiers to garrison the base.

  Of course, all of this was only the explanation given to outsiders. Everyone in the know understood that this base was meant to deal with An Yaluoshan.

  Chapter 2062 - Forward Base!

  Chapter 2062: Forward Base!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  An Yaluoshan’s intent to rebel was clear, and four hundred thousand Hu soldiers had already been assembled in Youzhou. The moment An Yaluoshan began his assault, those four hundred thousand soldiers would sweep out from the northeast like a flood and engulf the Hebei Circuit.

  At that time, this forward base would be a dike against the flood of soldiers, the greatest fortress to hold the rear against An Yaluoshan.

  This matter was of utmost significance, and two hundred thousand soldiers could never stand against four hundred thousand soldiers, so a peak Great General was needed to preside. And while Zhangchou Jianqiong and Tongluo Great General Abusi were completely capable of holding their own, they were far from enough when it came to resisting and intimidating An Yaluoshan and his four hundred thousand men.

  In the Great Tang, the only person besides Wang Chong who could do this was the previous War God, Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi.

  Wang Zhongsi had a divine grasp of the art of war and an almost unblemished battle record. Most importantly, An Yaluoshan was not familiar with him at all and could not predict Wang Zhongsi’s movements!

  “Everything is ready. The two hundred thousand men should arrive in a few days!” Wang Zhongsi quickly said.

  His voice was brimming with endless energy and majesty!

  Even though he had already retired from the army to take the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian post, he retained that decisive and iron-blooded demeanor from his career on the battlefield.

  This sort of aura was not normally perceivable, but whenever it came to war, Wang Zhongsi would reveal his sharp edge, as though a blade emerging from its sheath. He did not do this intentionally. He simply exuded a naturally intimidating aura.

  When it came to holding a fort, Wang Zhongsi was far better than Zhangchou Jianqiong or Abusi.

  When Wang Chong heard these words, he gave a slight nod.

  The arrival of two hundred thousand soldiers at the forward base, transferred from various regions, was a matter involving many details and excessive planning. Wang Chong had believed that Wang Zhongsi would need seven days at the minimum to complete this task, even as long as ten-some days.

  But in just four or five days, Wang Zhongsi had taken care of everything. One hundred thousand soldiers that had been garrisoned in the Cang and Ying Provinces had already moved into the forward base, and the remaining hundred thousand would arrive in a few days.

  Wang Chong couldn’t help but sigh at this efficiency.

  Wang Zhongsi paused a moment before adding, “But Youzhou has already noticed, and An Yaluoshan’s reaction seems to be that they wish to garrison their own forces in the forward base to assist the expeditionary force, and also observe the situation within the base.

  “I don’t know your specific plan, but if An Yaluoshan is set on making difficulties for us in advance, two hundred thousand soldiers won’t be enough to stop him. I suggest that we change our plans and first set up some defensive countermeasures. They can be somewhat simple, but we must have them. In addition, they also can’t be too obvious, or else An Yaluoshan might use them as an excuse to meddle with the forward base, or even just attack it.”

  Wang Chong nodded. “Alright, let’s do everything as Lord Junior Guardian proposes. I will inform all the great clans to cooperate!”

  The Imperial Court was already determined to deal with An Yaluoshan, but it needed to be amply prepared before moving out and could not stimulate An Yaluoshan beforehand.

  “…In addition, how has An Yaluoshan responded to the forward base?” Wang Chong said.

  A sharp and rude voice butted in at this time. “This is His Majesty’s decree. While An Yaluoshan has always wanted to try something, he is incapable of doing so. His Majesty’s decree and Lord Junior Guardian’s supervision leave him without the audacity. If he really tries something, he will essentially be committing rebellion, and His Majesty can take care of him directly!”

  The one who had spoken was a man standing not far behind Wang Zhongsi, Bian Lingcheng!

  This General of the Palace Gates who had brought Gao Xianzhi up through the ranks during the Sage Emperor’s reign and then personally destroyed his career later on had experienced a complete reversal of fate upon encountering Wang Chong.

  The new Emperor Li Heng had assessed him, and then surprisingly promoted him to deputy commander of the Imperial Guard.

  The commander was Li Jingzhong!

  Everyone fell silent in thought.

  Wang Chong nodded. He had been keeping a close eye on Li Jingzhong and Bian Lingcheng. If those two started to show any signs of their selves from his last life, Wang Chong would take care of them without hesitation.

  But it currently seemed that the two of them were still very useful, and perhaps because they were still fearful of Wang Chong, they had not made any strange movements.

  A thoughtful look appeared in Wang Chong’s eyes.

  Silence reigned in the hall.

  Everyone looked toward Wang Chong, even Wang Zhongsi, waiting for his decision.

  This was a sort of respect!

  This no longer had much to do with Li Heng’s decree. Wang Chong’s strength and character had naturally placed him on the spot of the Great Tang’s number one man.

  Wang Chong raised his head and looked to his right, at Tongluo Great General Abusi. “Abusi! The forward base doesn’t have enough soldiers yet, and
An Yaluoshan also has his Yeluohe that others can’t deal with! In a few days, set out with your army and march overnight to the forward base in the Cang Province!”

  “Yes! Your Highness!” Abusi respectfully said, lowering his head.

  Wang Chong gave a slight nod. Since the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the relationship between the two of them had significantly changed.

  The forward base already had Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi presiding, and now with Abusi and his ten thousand Tongluo Cavalry in reserve and Wang Chong providing support from far in the rear, they created a formation that was more than enough to intimidate An Yaluoshan.

  Once the discussions were done, the military leaders turned to a model of the northeast and began to play out various scenarios, confirming that there were not many flaws or weaknesses. It was only after this was done that they ended the meeting.

  Once King Song, Zhangchou Jianqiong, and the others had gone, having decided the specific steps and plans regarding Youzhou, Wang Chong was left alone with Old Eagle.

  “Has General Bahram given a reply?”

  Wang Chong quickly turned to Old Eagle.

  Bahram was the Sassanid Great General, and his Aswaran Cataphracts were not Tang. They had little to do with the Youzhou mission, but they played an important role in Wang Chong’s plans.

  “Great General Bahram has already sent a reply. He has gathered all the Aswaran Cataphracts and is proceeding along the Silk Road through Samarkand and into the Great Tang!” Old Eagle sternly said.

  Bahram shared a friendship with Wang Chong, and when Wang Chong gave the order, Bahram would answer the call without hesitation, not even considering whether the Sassanids needed him to hold the fort.

  But Old Eagle still felt rather confused.

  “What’s wrong? Do you have any doubts?”

  Wang Chong gave him a piercing glance and then took a sip from his tea.

  “Your Highness, this… Your subordinate simply thinks that the situation in Arabia is not entirely stable, and Great Generals Gao Xianzhi and An Sishun still need his support. To bring him over at this time might…”

  Old Eagle didn’t continue.