Qixi was completely deserted.
It was like the Tibetans had vanished from the northwest. Everyone had wondered if they had already withdrawn to the Tibetan Plateau.
But from the situation before them, it appeared that they had guessed wrongly.
Dalon Trinling had not led his soldiers very far, instead remaining in the vicinity.
From this alone, one could see that Dalon Trinling was truly an outstanding individual.
Most astonishing was that things really were happening as Wang Chong had expected. When that banner representing Wang Chong was raised, those missing Tibetans had appeared as if they were drawn to it.
Chapter 2260 - Ü-Tsang Surrenders!
Chapter 2260: Ü-Tsang Surrenders!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Bang!
Upon seeing the army outside, the army within the City of Steel grew restless, all of them preparing for a vicious battle.
The Tibetans were fearless, and it would be an arduous task to push them back.
Just when they were ready to welcome a great battle, a Tang commander noticed something and shouted, “A white flag! They’re raising a white flag!”
On the continent, every country had its own war banner, but ever since the Great Tang’s war with Arabia, due to Wang Chong, everyone had come to understand the special significance of the white war banner.
Surrender!
Perhaps there had been no such custom in the past, but everyone had accepted this by now.
The Tibetans wanted to surrender?
How was that possible!?
The soldiers glanced at each other in confusion. What was Ü-Tsang plotting with this? Trying to make them let down their guard?
Did they want to deceive them into opening the gates?!
But this was not the only thing that left them shocked.
Rumble! The Tibetan army drew closer and closer.
Everyone quickly noticed several dozen powerful Tibetan commanders amidst the Tibetan ranks. But what was most unusual was that they were escorting a prisoner cart.
“What are the Tibetans trying?”
They all looked at each other, confused as to what sort of scheme the Tibetans were attempting.
As the distance shrank and they saw who was in the prisoner cart, everyone paled.
“Dalon Trinling!”
On the walls, Young Master Qingyang, Li Junxian, and all of the Tang and Western Turkic generals were flabbergasted.
The figure in the prisoner cart was none other than that man who had placed so much pressure on their shoulders and had almost taken the City of Steel.
But he was no longer casual and elegant, graceful and handsome. The Dalon Trinling in the prisoner cart was disheveled and filthy, his hands and feet shackled. He presented the perfect picture of a prisoner.
“What are the Tibetans up to? Did they rebel and imprison Dalon Trinling in the hopes of buying a chance at survival for the Ü-Tsang Empire?”
On the walls, the Tang commanders, particularly the generals who had clashed with the Tibetans before, glanced at each other in immense shock.
“You’re all overthinking it. All of this is simply a play put on by our Imperial Minister of Ü-Tsang.” Wang Chong looked in the distance and chuckled as he solved the riddle.
The Tibetans rebelling and imprisoning Dalon Trinling?
How could that be?
This sort of person didn’t exist in Ü-Tsang.
Even the Tsenpo treated Dalon Trinling with great respect, let alone those below him. Anyone who tried anything on Dalon Trinling would probably be torn to shreds before they could even get close.
This was Dalon Trinling’s status in the Ü-Tsang Empire.
“And besides, you’ll know as soon as you look at his hands.”
Wang Chong grinned.
These words caused everyone to turn to Dalon Trinling. Most of them were confused as to what Wang Chong meant.
But Young Master Qingyang and Li Junxian immediately understood.
While Dalon Trinling was in a prisoner cart, the shackles on his hands and feet were not actually linked together, meaning that he still had free movement. Moreover, while his hair was filthy, his face was extremely clean.
All of this was clearly just a performance.
This should be a play Dalon Trinling is putting on specifically for the King of Foreign Lands! Young Master Qingyang mentally commented.
When experts exchanged moves, their blows were difficult to observe. Though these two were meeting for the first time, on the mental plane, they had already fought a few times.
“Come on—follow me!”
Wang Chong smiled as he floated down from the walls and toward the surging Tibetan army.
Behind him, Young Master Qingyang, Li Junxian, and Barshad followed.
Rumble!
The city gates opened. This was the first time in this intense war that the Great Tang had voluntarily opened the gates.
Wang Chong rode out with several thousand elite Tang cavalry.
On the other side, the hundreds of thousands of Tibetan soldiers noticed this. When they saw the young commander leading them, these fierce Tibetan soldiers seemed to deflate like a punctured leather ball, their energy plunging.
All of the Tibetan officers slightly dropped their heads, fear in their eyes.
Even Ü-Tsang’s sole remaining Great General, Namri Songtian, felt an invisible pressure weighing on his heart.
Wang Chong!
The only War Saint of the continent!
And he had another name: Ü-Tsang’s Bane!
Wang Chong’s appearance had caused the powerful and majestic Tibetan cavalry to swiftly decline, the empire to fall from the ranks of power.
The Ngari Royal Lineage had been rendered a no-man’s land through Wang Chong’s plague, and the revered Dalun Ruozan had also died at Wang Chong’s hands. And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that Ü-Tsang had lost its northern region.
Never in history had so many Tibetan cavalry died at the hands of a single Tang Great General. Not even Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi had achieved this feat.
Wang Chong was like the sun at its zenith, and after defeating An Lushan’s alliance army, he exuded a pressure that was as heavy as the seas.
Even a famous Great General like Namri Songtian felt like it was difficult to breathe in front of Wang Chong.
The current him is probably truly invincible!
Namri Songtian deeply sighed.
Ever since he had defeated Khatabah and the Arab army in the war of the northwest, Wang Chong had been acknowledged by the world as the War Saint. But the current Wang Chong could be considered a god.
Since ancient times, both the Great Tang and the surrounding countries had always boasted many fierce generals who had accomplished many great feats.
And while it was said that civil officials never claimed to be first and no generals ever claimed to be second, when compared to those renowned generals of past eras, no one dared to claim that they were first.
But through war after war, this youth had undoubtedly seated himself upon the throne of number one.
Because what he had done were things that none of those renowned generals of the past had ever done.
Even Namri Songtian could tell that this youth was about to achieve what no other empire in the continent had ever achieved, a completely united continent.
No one could stop his momentum!
“Imperial Minister…”
Namri Songtian’s eyes dimmed as he glanced in Dalon Trinling’s direction.
The Great Tang’s ascendancy was inevitable, and in this meeting with the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands, not even Namri Songtian knew what would ultimately happen to the Ü-Tsang Empire.
As for surrender, Namri Songtian had no idea if it was right or wrong, or what it meant.
Neigh!
At a distance of around three hundred feet,
Wang Chong’s army stopped.
Except for the howling of the wind, this vast region instantly fell silent.
After a few moments of silence, the ranks of the army parted, allowing the prisoner cart escorted by ten-some elite Tibetan generals, including Namri Songtian, to slowly emerge.
The world fell silent, all of the Tibetan soldiers waiting with bated breath.
“Imperial Minister, we finally meet!”
Wang Chong smiled as he broke the silence and looked at Dalon Trinling within the cart.
Dalon Trinling had a thunderous reputation throughout the continent. When War God Wang Zhongsi had led the Tang army to attack the plateau, he had ultimately withdrawn when he was about to attack the royal capital. Part of the reason had been altitude sickness, but another reason had been Imperial Minister Dalon Trinling.
All of the soldiers of the Ü-Tsang Empire, as well as the nobles and common folk, had withdrawn from the royal capital. This was a decision made by Dalon Trinling.
Wang Zhongsi and Dalon Trinling were some of the few people on the continent to have alarmed the western world.
Wang Zhongsi was renowned for his command of soldiers, and he was himself a very powerful general. As for Dalon Trinling, he had truly squeezed his way into the ranks of the top commanders through purely his grasp of strategy.
In certain ways, the entire continent acknowledged that Dalon Trinling surpassed Wang Zhongsi when it came to strategy.
Though Wang Chong and Dalon Trinling had long ago heard of each other, this was the first time they had actually met.
Wang Chong wasn’t surprised to see that Dalon Trinling had imprisoned himself. Given Dalon Trinling’s pride, he would never surrender to anyone except a peer, which was Wang Chong.
This was because no one else had the right to accept his surrender. That was why he had waited until Wang Chong had appeared to make his own appearance.
This was also the primary reason Wang Chong had appeared!
“What can a defeated general say about courage? Congratulations, Your Highness, for successfully defeating An Lushan and the alliance army. Starting from now, no one in the continent will be able to contend against the Great Tang.”
Standing in the prisoner cart, Dalon Trinling couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the youth before him.
In these words, Dalon Trinling felt admiration, regret, unwillingness, and also deep frustration.
In this war, both Wang Chong and Dalon Trinling had believed that there would be a clash between the two of them in the future, but in the end, Wang Chong had won without fighting and Dalon Trinling had lost without losing.
“Isn’t there still Imperial Minister?”
Wang Chong smiled.
Dalon Trinling’s face froze, and then bitterness appeared in his eyes.
“Dalon Trinling erred this time. I did not expect Your Highness to outplay me!
“The grievous losses inflicted on the City of Steel were all due to me. Someone must take responsibility for this matter. Your Highness can escort me to the capital or simply cut off my head and present it to the Emperor of the Great Tang, perhaps even hang the head from the gates so as to vent the anger of the people of the Great Tang!”
Chapter 2261 - The Tang Empire That Unifies the World!
Chapter 2261: The Tang Empire That Unifies the World!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Dalon Trinling spoke in a calm tone, as if he was speaking about someone else’s fate rather than his own.
“Dalon Trinling does not have many requests. I only hope that the King of Foreign Lands will understand that we each had to serve our own masters, and that Dalon Trinling never committed any unpardonable evils on the Great Tang, and on the account of these things, the King of Foreign Lands will spare the Tsenpo, the Tibetan soldiers, and the common people,” Dalon Trinling sternly said from within the prisoner cart.
“Oh? For what reason does Imperial Minister think I will let the Tsenpo and the Tibetan people go?”
Wang Chong grinned.
The two armies were enemies, and even if Dalon Trinling didn’t surrender, Wang Chong would have still been confident in his ability to annihilate the Tibetan army.
Moreover, an army that he allowed to live had to have some sort of worth.
Wang Chong’s casual words caused the Tibetan soldiers around him to grimace, and even Dalon Trinling lost some of his confidence.
After a few moments of silence, Dalon Trinling spoke.
“Did not the King of Foreign Lands appear here because you are already willing to accept them? Moreover, I know that behind An Lushan was a… Genesis Supreme.”
As Dalon Trinling said these words, he stared at Wang Chong.
As expected, the mention of Genesis Supreme caused Wang Chong to pale. He clearly understood what was being implied.
“It seems that my speculations were correct. You truly have always been wary of that mysterious faction behind An Lushan,” Dalon Trinling continued.
“Those unkillable Yeluohe are definitely not human, and there’s also that cold wave that can only happen once every several thousand years. This is probably not something as simple as a mere change in the weather. Just like me, the King of Foreign Lands should have had a few conjectures.
“This must all be linked to that Genesis Supreme and the faction behind him!
“If those Yeluohe reappear, or some new calamity appears, the Great Tang alone might not have the strength. Your Highness must borrow the strength of the other countries, and when that time comes, Your Highness will definitely be able to use the Tibetans.”
Dalon Trinling’s eyes shone with a wise and profound light.
Wang Chong couldn’t help but deeply sigh. Even he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of admiration. With these words, Dalon Trinling had managed to expose the reason he had to spare Ü-Tsang.
He had never mentioned the otherworldly invaders or the future calamity to anyone, but Dalon Trinling had managed to conjecture its existence.
As someone so revered by the Ü-Tsang Empire, he truly possessed outstanding talents.
“What in the world did the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple say?” Wang Chong asked, letting out a long sigh.
“Heheh, the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple truly did pass down some things, but isn’t this the same as conjecturing from the divinations in the Central Plains?”
Dalon Trinling smiled, not denying it. He naturally wasn’t able to predict this all on his own. He owed some of his conjectures to the prophecies of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple.
But it was clear that his words had achieved their desired effect.
“However, the High Monk has said that if the King of Foreign Lands has time, you may take a trip to the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple.”
Wang Chong slightly frowned in surprise at these words.
The Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple!
The High Monk!
Wang Chong was no stranger to that place and name. Many of the famous generals Wang Chong had fought against, including Huoshu Huicang, had originated from the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple.
The High Monk was the highest existence in the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple, the highest existence in all of the Ü-Tsang Empire.
This extremely mysterious place was said to have borne witness to the rise and fall of civilization after civilization. An unprecedented cold wave had descended, but those monks were probably not much affected.
“Is Your Highness done thinking? A man for a country! In the future, the Great Tang is certain to be an empire of unprecedented power, and the King of Foreign Lands will be its most renowned subject,” Dalon Trinling calmly said as he awaited Wang Chong’s answer.
All he sought was a single death.
The victor was king while the loser was scorned, and the strong ate the weak. In this battle with the Great Tang, in this battle with Wang Chong, he had lost.
Ü-Tsang had not appeare
d to be the loser in this battle in the northwest, and had even almost taken the City of Steel.
But he had not been able to follow the plan and meet with An Lushan in the northeast, meaning that he had actually lost.
If he had been there, perhaps An Lushan would not have been defeated so easily.
“Imperial Minister, you can’t!!!”
The Tibetan generals were stricken with grief, and Dalon Trinling pleading for death finally broke their restraint.
“If we must lose the Imperial Minister to ensure the safety of the Ü-Tsang Empire, we are willing to be buried together with you.”
Whether it was the prisoner cart or the army’s return to the City of Steel, this was all part of Dalon Trinling’s plan.
But no one had imagined that the Imperial Minister’s plan was to exchange his life for Ü-Tsang’s safety.
“Better to have a life-or-death struggle with the Great Tang!” a Tibetan general angrily said.
“Bastard! You dare!!”
Dalon Trinling flew into a rage at this general’s words.
This was not a negotiation. The Ü-Tsang Empire did not have the right to negotiate with the Great Tang!
He had said so much, even waited for Wang Chong to appear, because he wanted to use this chance to exchange his life for Ü-Tsang’s survival.
If they engaged in a life-or-death struggle with the Great Tang, all of his effort would have been in vain!
And what would happen to all of the Tibetan people behind him?
The cold wave had descended, and An Lushan had lost in the northeast. Their only hope was the Great Tang’s mercy.
Otherwise, the entire Ü-Tsang Empire would collapse into nothing, and an empire that had stood for several thousand years would be lost to history.
This was not something Dalon Trinling ever wanted to see.
At this time, Dalon Trinling was exploding with fury.
“Imperial Minister!”
At this moment, Namri Songtian strode forward. Clack! His precious armor thudded to the ground.
For a general, armor was their life, but at this moment, Ü-Tsang’s sole Great General did not care.
“If this is Imperial Minister’s choice, then please let me accompany Imperial Minister to the capital!” Namri Songtian firmly said, but in his heart, he felt a sense of relief.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1358
