The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 87
“Am I going mad? Who are they! The price outside is just 4800 gold taels, and this fellow actually offered 8000 gold taels! ——Are all of the Imperial Army members that rich?”
Wei Hao’s lower jaw was about to fall to the floor. He only spent up to ten gold taels in a month, but 8000 gold taels… Given his expenditure, it would be more than sufficient to last him for his entire life!
What is generosity? This is generosity!
This is what being wealthy means!
“Hurry up and agree to it!”
Wei Hao hurriedly urged Wang Chong by the side.
Only a fool would reject 8000 gold taels! If a single weapon could sell for 8000 gold taels, then the 90000 gold taels which Wang Chong owed the two Sindhi monks wouldn’t pose a problem at all.
He had truly struck it rich this time!
“No!”
Wang Chong stared at Zhao Fengchen with a calm expression. The single word that he uttered caused Wei Hao’s dream to be shattered.
“Why?”
Wei Hao and Zhao Fengchen spoke almost at the same time.
“Wang Chong, you’re insane! Why would you reject such a good deal?”
Wei Hao was about to go insane from his anxiety.
That was 8000 gold taels!
If he were able to sell the sword for that much money, he would have more than sufficient money to pay for the 1700 debt along with its interest, as well as the fee for the violation of the contract with the Sindhi monks over the Hyderabad ores.
Given the monthly expenditure of the duo, it was sufficient to last them for several decades.
Thousands of gold taels!
Yet, Wang Chong rejected it flatly! Wei Hao felt as though he was unable to keep up with this thoughts.
“Gongzi, surely my offer isn’t inadequate?”
Zhao Fengchen’s reaction was different from that of Wei Hao.
Honestly speaking, the youngster before him had left him surprised. Most people would find it hard to resist the overwhelming fortune of 8000 gold taels, yet the youngster before him rejected his offer without any hesitation!
Zhao Fengchen was shocked. At the same time, he found the situation incomprehensible.
“This is your first time here, so you might not be aware of the rules of the sales of my sword: The buyer isn’t allowed to view it, touch it, or unveil the black cloth covering the sword! Do you understand my words?”
Wang Chong said calmly.
Wang Chong wasn’t surprised by Zhao Fengchen’s generosity at all.
Possessing the memories of his previous life, Wang Chong was clear of the background of this Zhao Fengchen.
The person who stood before him was the son of the main family of the capital’s wealthiest clan. At the same time, Zhao Fengchen had a secret to him that very few people knew of:
——Zhao Fengchen actually possessed a sliver of the royal bloodline!
At his great grandfather’s generation, a princess of the royal palace married into the Zhao Clan. That was to say, Zhao Fengchen’s great grandmother was a member of the royal family. This sliver of royal bloodline had created a unique position for Zhao Fengchen, causing him to be highly valued within the clan. It could be said that the Zhao Clan’s support for him was relentless.
Regardless of what was it that Zhao Fengchen needed, the Zhao Clan would definitely provide him it!
The reason why Zhao Fengchen could reach such great heights in the future, becoming the marshal of the Imperial Army at such a young age, was closely related to the support of his clan!
The Zhao Clan had been concealing this secret all along, only exposing it many years later.
The Zhao Clan was known to possess wealth that rivaled the entire country, and they’re the number one wealthiest clan in the capital!
Whether it was to Zhao Fengchen or to the Zhao Clan, 8000 gold taels meant nothing at all. Thus, this was actually a good opportunity for Wang Chong.
However, this wasn’t what Wang Chong wanted.
No one knew more than Wang Chong how popular the Wootz steel would become in the future. 8000 gold taels may be a lot of money to ordinary civilians, but compared to the potential the Wootz steel weapon industry held, it was an unprofitable business!
How could Wang Chong be moved by such a small sum!
“Rules can be changed, and 8000 gold taels should be more than enough to make up for gongzi‘s loss, right? I just want to take a look, there shouldn’t be anything detrimental to you, right?”
Zhao Fengchen persuaded Wang Chong, attempting to get him to change his mind.
“Hehe, I just want to ask you a question then. If you aren’t satisfied with the sword after viewing it, will you still pay the 8000 gold taels?”
Wang Chong’s words were directed at the very core of the problem.
“This! …”
For a moment, Zhao Fengchen was at a loss for words.
He would be willing to pay 8000 gold taels for a good sword, but if the sword concealed within the black cloth was just a rotten lump of steel, he would be a fool to pay such a price.
Even though the Zhao Clan’s wealth could rival the country, they hadn’t reached the level of extravagance where they would dump 8000 gold taels on a rotten lump of steel.
Son of the main family:
As the clans inherit for generation, there will be ‘branch family’ and ‘main family’.
For example, in the Wang Clan, Wang Zhu Yan’s family can be considered as the ‘main family’ of the current generation whereas Wang Chong’s family is the branch family. This is because Wang Gen is going to inherit the bulk of Grandpa Wang’s influence, wealth, and power. Meaning, he’s going to be the new leader of the family -> Thus the title ‘main family’.
Wealth could rival the country:
By country, this usually meant the royal family. It is a typical saying in Chinese to show how rich one is.
Chapter 55: Rejection!
“Looks like you aren’t interested in buying my sword! You only hope to purchase a sword worth 8000 taels!”
Wang Chong shook his head.
“Does gongzi not think that your own sword is worth 8000 gold taels?”
Zhao Fengchen chuckled.
Wang Chong simply shook his head smiling, not arguing with him over the matter.
“I’ll still say the same words. You aren’t allowed to view or touch it. If you wish to buy it, you can take it for 4800 gold taels. By tomorrow, the price won’t be just this anymore! …”
After saying these words, Wang Chong flung his sleeves and left without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he had already walked out of the room.
“Lord, what do we do? That lad doesn’t seem to be interested in negotiating at all!”
After Wang Chong left, the a lanky member of the Imperial Army beside Zhao Fengchen couldn’t hold back his complaints any longer.
“Let me think it.”
Zhao Fengchen frowned and contemplated quietly.
8000 gold taels was more than ten times higher than Wang Chong’s initial offer. Yet, Wang Chong rejected his offer without any hesitation. His decisiveness was truly beyond Zhao Fengchen’s imagination!
This was something Zhao Fengchen never expected before coming over.
“Lord, why should you argue so much with that fellow? If he refuses to agree to it, we can just fetch the sword hanging on the Bluebottle Pavilion by force!”
The lanky Imperial Army member proposed. Wang Chong’s prior attitude had left him dissatisfied. They were from the Imperial Army, and the fellow was being way too arrogant.
“No! The Bluebottle Pavilion belongs to the Duke of Wei. Other people may not be aware, but don’t you know it? After so many days, have you seen anyone trying to steal the swords here?”
Zhao Fengchen rejected his proposal without any hesitation with a stern look.
“Besides, don’t you care about the reputation of the Imperial Army? If such a thing were to happen, how do the rest of our brother
s uphold their dignity?”
“But about Lord Huang…”
The lanky Imperial Army member protested, but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he realized that he had misspoken. He quickly covered his mouth, but it was already too late. Turning his head over to look at Zhao Fengchen, he saw that the other party’s complexion had already turned awful.
“There’s no need for you to worry about Lord Huang. I’ll handle it myself!”
Upon hearing the words ‘Lord Huang’, Zhao Fengchen became visibly irritated. His interest in the matter had already dampened greatly:
“I will leave this sword of mine with you. When they return, get them to hang it on the pavilion! ——Since I’m unable to buy the sword, I’ll join in the duel gamble as well.”
Zhao Fengchen removed the ancient silver sword from his waist and threw it over. Then, he left the Bluebottle Pavilion with large strides.
…
At the same time, outside the Bluebottle Pavilion, Wang Chong and Wei Hao were walking side by side.
“That bastard! I thought that he was generous. To think that he is just like everyone else!”
Ever since they had walked out of the Bluebottle Pavilion, Wei Hao cursed nonstop.
If not for Wang Chong’s question, he would’ve never known that Zhao Fengchen had such a condition behind his purchase of the sword for 8000 gold taels.
“There’s no need to blame him. Rather, it would be weird if he bought such an expensive sword without getting the chance to see it’s quality for himself.”
Wang Chong shrugged, not paying any heed to the matter.
In his previous life, Zhao Fengchen treated his money as though dirt. He offered more than hundred thousand gold taels for a single Wootz steel weapon, which left many people thinking that his wealth had gone to his head and that he was simply flaunting his money.
But the truth was the exact opposite. Through Wang Chong’s encounter with Zhao Fengchen just a moment ago, he could tell that even though Zhao Fengchen didn’t think much of money, he only bought the objects that he found valuable.
As for those ‘worthless’ objects, Zhao Fengchen shunned them more than anyone else.
In fact, if one were to think about the matter, how could the future marshal of the Imperial Army be a fool?
“… However, didn’t you leave too fast? You didn’t leave any leeway at all. No matter what, it was 8000 gold taels! To be capable of offering such price, he was a potential buyer.”
Walking alongside Wang Chong, Wei Hao commented in pity. He found it a shame that they simply get such a big fish escape.
“Don’t worry, he’s still on the hook. He’ll return soon.”
Wang Chong smiled.
Zhao Fengchen’s relationship with Wootz steel could be almost termed as destiny. It was impossible to sever the relationship between the two. Wang Chong believed that when he unveils the black cloth and showcased the Wootz steel weapon for the first time, Zhao Fengchen would definitely feel the summon of the weapon.
“Zhao Fengchen… Zhao Fengchen…”
Wang Chong muttered. Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind and he recalled something.
In his previous life, Zhao Fengchen was a legend. Regardless of whether it was his story with Wootz steel, that cultivation of his, or how he fought to his death with those foreign invaders, the entire world remembered his name clearly.
But compared to the outstanding position he held later on, the current Zhao Fengchen was still an unknown figure. Even though he was a leader of the Imperial Army, there were many of his equals within the Imperial Army.
Based on the memories of Wang Chong’s previous life, Zhao Fengchen would remain in the same rank for six to seven years, and the reason for this was because of a nemesis of his.
“Huang Xiaotian!”
A name flashed across Wang Chong’s mind.
Given that Zhao Fengchen was able to become the publicly recognized three greatest legends of the history of the Imperial Army was proof of the incredible talent and strength he possessed. Yet, for such an outstanding person to only become a marshal in his forties was inconceivable.
He only made his name for himself in the latter part of his life.
And the reason for that was because of another outstanding and talented Imperial Army commander.
That person was known as Huang Xiaotian.
Although he failed to match up to Zhao Fengchen’s accomplishments eventually, Huang Xiaotian definitely wasn’t much inferior to him.
In the Imperial Army, other than the current marshal, he would definitely rank into the top few in terms of strength.
As the saying goes ‘a mountain didn’t allow for the presence of two tigers’, two people of similar interest could become friends, but two people with identical personalities could only become enemies.
It was impossible for Zhao Fengchen and Huang Xiaotian to ever become friends!
It was because of Huang Xiaotian that Zhao Fengchen was stuck in as a captain for six to seven years. Eventually, due to his outstanding contribution and the talents he had displayed, Zhao Fengchen soared ahead, pulling the distance away from Huang Xiaotian. From there on, he forged his own legend!
The origin of the grudge between the duo came from an important Imperial Army general selection. Back then, Huang Xiaotian and Zhao Fengchen were strong competitors for the position.
But eventually, in the duel, Zhao Fengchen lost to Huang Xiaotian and this precious opportunity slipped past his fingers. After which, Huang Xiao Tian made use of his position as his superior to suppress Zhao Fengchen in his position, keeping his rank stationary.
Judging from the date, the Imperial Army selection should be around now.
Weng!
When the thought flashed through Wang Chong’s mind, he fell into a daze. Suddenly, Wang Chong understood why Zhao Fengchen had come to look for him.
“Wang Chong, what’s wrong?”
A voice echoed in his ear. Wei Hao stared at Wang Chong in shock, unable to comprehend why his friend had suddenly stopped halfway.
“Ah! It’s nothing.”
Wang Chong recovered from his daze and shook his head. Opening the carriage doors by the street, he and Wei Hao stepped in. With the cracking of a whip, the carriage started moving into the distance.
“Gongzi, wait a moment!”
Suddenly, flurried footsteps could be heard from behind.
Wang Chong and Wei Hao turned around, only to see a member of the Imperial Army rushing over in a panic.
Speak of the devil. Wei Hao turned around to look at Wang Chong with his mouth completely widened, seeming as though he had met a ghost. They had just spoken of the matter, and the other party came right after that. Could it be that Wang Chong’s words had caused them to change their mind so quickly? If that’s the case, Wang Chong was simply way too incredible.
But contrary to the expectations of the duo, the Imperial Army member asked about another matter.
“Gongzi, may I ask about the metal mountain outside the Bluebottle Pavilion? Is that for sale?”
The Imperial Army member asked while pointing to the metal mountain which was almost tall as a human.
The Bluebottle Pavilion wasn’t too far away from the royal palace. The events that occurred here had long caused a commotion in the Imperial Army. There wasn’t anyone else who loved swords more than the Imperial Army.
The duel gamble conducted by the Bluebottle Pavilion had long attracted the attention of the Imperial Army; otherwise, they wouldn’t have appeared today.
It was one thing for no one to know of the sword hanging on the pavilion. However, the purpose of the huge ‘metal tower’ at the door, or rather, the ‘metal mountain’, still remained a mystery.
Within the royal palace, all kinds of conjectures had been proposed by the Imperial Army members, and there were even people gambling on it.
This Imperial Army member was also overwhelmed by curiosity. Taking this opportunity, he qui
ckly asked about the matter.
“Hehe!”
Wang Chong understood what was going on and he chuckled:
“Why don’t you try guessing!”
Leaving behind these words, the carriage left the Bluebottle Pavilion.
…………
Returning from the Bluebottle Pavilion, Wang Chong quickly devoted his efforts to his martial arts practice once more. Judging from the time, the selection for the Three Great Training Camps should have opened already.
From the very start, the criteria for entering the Three Great Training Camps was high. Furthermore, it would only increase in the future. Without sufficient skills and the required cultivation realm, it was impossible for one to enter.
Other than this, Wang Chong also had to contemplate over the matter of his grandfather’s birthday.
The core of the entire Wang Clan, as well as the most authoritative person in the clan, was never his father, Wang Yan, or his big uncle, Wang Gen, and even less so, his big aunt and uncle.
There had only been one core to the Wang Clan, and that was his grandfather!
As a prestigious clan of generals and scholars, the Wang Clan possessed an enormous amount of resources. However, usually, it was impossible for the other members of the Wang Clan to notice these resources.
In terms of fortune, the Wang Clan was unable to match up to those smaller clans like the capital’s Zhang Clan. In terms of authority, it was unable to compete against the Yao Clan. In fact, the amount of resources which Yao Feng’s had access to far exceeded the amount which Wang Chong had.
Even so, the Wang Clan was still considered as a top-notch prestigious clan of the Great Tang Empire!
As for the reason for this bizarre sight, it was because only the clan members whom Wang Chong’s grandfather acknowledged would be granted a large slice of the resources.
This was the reason why Big Uncle Wang Gen could join the royal court, and why Father Wang Yan could become a general. The same held for big aunt and uncle as well!
Thus, in his previous life, when grandfather passed away and big uncle chose the wrong faction to stand with, the Wang Clan fell from grace swiftly!
‘The Wang Clan doesn’t tolerate sub-par talents’, that was his grandfather’s ideology.