Even for the descendants of powerful clans in the capital, the Leopard Hall was still a place that was difficult to enter.
“Oh, it just so happens that I’m preparing to establish a place for martial artists to spar and trade their martial insights called Origin Energy Pavilion. If Brother Guo and Brother Chai are interested, do come by when the time comes.”
Wang Chong suddenly interjected.
“Origin Energy Pavilion?’
Guo Feng and Chai Zhiyi glanced at one another in surprise.
“May I know where does Brother Wang intend to set up this Origin Energy Pavilion?”
“It’s here of course!”
Wang Chong pointed outside, leaving the bewildered Guo Feng and Chai Zhiyi staring at one another. For the first time, they found themselves unable to understand Wang Chong’s line of thoughts.
“Brother Wang, rest assured. We’ll definitely be here when the time comes.”
The pair could only reply.
After idling around in Wang Chong’s room for a moment longer, they decided to take their leave. Wang Chong walked them out. Then, returning alone in his room, he swiftly fell into contemplation.
The matter regarding ‘Origin Energy Pavilion’ wasn’t just a casual remark.
Guo Feng and Chao Zhiyi intended to pull him into their circle, but how could Wang Chong possibly agree to it. His purpose in attending Kunwu Training Camp wasn’t to join some powerful faction.
This was a place where countless great generals rose from. Wang Chong’s ultimate aim here was to unite all of them together! Then, using his prior knowledge, his experience, and his storage of cultivation techniques, he would help them surpass their previous limits and reach even greater heights.
First though, he needed a way to gather them all together, and the Origin Energy Pavilion was the most effective method.
“I’ll have to trouble Uncle Li Lin for this matter!”
Wang Chong concluded.
Lately, most of the people by his side had been dispatched for other purposes. Shen Hai, Meng Long, Li Zhuxin, and Miyasame Ayaka weren’t around at the moment. Tuoba Guiyuan was busy working with the Zhang Clan. He didn’t know his clan’s current affairs, so they could only assist him in his plans to an extent. As for Arloja and Ablonodan, they had left as per the prior promise, saying that they would contact him if there was any news.
Thus, Wang Chong suddenly found himself lacking in manpower, and a huge gap had appeared in his defense, caused by the training camp’s restriction on outsiders.
All these worries pressed at Wang Chong’s conscious.
Considering the threat from the Yao Clan, King Qi, and the Hu, before he amassed his strength, he would be in a rather vulnerable position.
“Perhaps I should get that person here.”
A figure floated into Wang Chong’s mind—Invincible Great General Li Siye!
That was a man who had definitely left a thick stroke in the history of Great Tang. During the era when countless great generals filled the skies of Great Tang, bringing it to the height of its prosperity, he had shone with the brightest radiance, winning him the respect of both his peers and the masses.
Out of all the generals of the Central Plains, he would be the only one with no knowledge of military tactics or strategy. Yet, based on just his personal achievements, he would be conferred the title of a ‘great general’. His standing in the military and Great Tang’s history, despite never leading an army, would be comparable to that of Zhang Shougui, Go Seonji, Fumeng Lingcha, and those others of the first tier.
Without overwhelming individual strength, background, and qualifications, especially in commanding a powerful army, it was impossible for one to be conferred such a title. Regardless of whether it was Wang Yan, Yao Guang Yi, or the other Conferred Generals, they had all failed to reach the position of ‘great general’. To be able to be conferred as the ‘Invincible Great General’ through just courage and strength alone, Li Siye’s prowess was nearly unimaginable.
History’s evaluation of him here in Great Tang would come to be: The man whom, through his courage and individual strength, across large-scale fields of battle, is able to determine the war’s final outcome!
A one-of-a-kind evaluation!
Li Siye’s battle style was to charge straight ahead without ever retreating, regardless of how powerful the enemies standing in his path were. This could perhaps be viewed as a reflection of his valor, but it would afflict his body with innumerable glaring scars, medals to his many victories.
A true man!
He will come to be the publicly acknowledged number one vanguard of Great Tang.
Among future great generals, the one whom Wang Chong wanted most as a vassal was him, but achieving this would be no easy task.
Firstly, there was little known about Li Siye’s origins, or his doings before enlisting in the army. It remained a huge mystery even after his death. Problem was he never seemed to talk about his own affairs around others. Even though Wang Chong knew the name, he had no idea where to start looking from.
On top of that, as the future ‘Invincible Great General’, Li Siye’s growth was also way too fast. Throughout his entire life, there was only this short half a year that he was ‘free’. If Wang Chong wanted to recruit him, he had half a year to do so. After that, the other party would have already been snapped up by some other great general. By then, it would be difficult for Wang Chong to pull him to his ship.
Two years from now, when Li Siye finally revealed his sharp edge, there would be no one who could tame him anymore.
Thus, Wang Chong had to grasp tightly to this opportunity. If he failed, there would be no second chance with this Invincible Great General!
“… If nothing went wrong, he should be enlisted in the military already!”
Wang Chong thought.
This was the first time Li Siye would appear on the stage of history. For now, he should be an inconspicuous, ordinary soldier, one of many troops heading to Anxi to supplement the forces there. This should be the most humble period of his entire life!
Humble or not, bringing Li Siye over to his side wouldn’t be an easy matter. As the saying goes, ‘A military commandment is unbending like a mountain.’ The latter’s deployment had already been recorded, and it would now be impossible for Wang Chong to mobilize him for his own purposes.
Redeploying someone already under orders to head for Anxi to the Kunwu Training Camp instead was no easy feat. Even his father, Wang Yan, didn’t have such authority.
“Looks like I can only ask for King Song’s help. He governs the Bureau of Military Personnel and has the power to mobilize others freely. He’s the only one I can depend on for this matter.”
Wang Chong ruminated.
Calming his thoughts, he quickly wrote a letter and sent it out by carrier pigeon.
The matter attended to, Wang Chong hosted a few more guests before heading to the center of the Kunwu Training Camp. He needed a quiet location, unbothered by further guests, to decipher the Art of Life Massacre that Su Zhengchen imparted him.
…
At the same time, somewhere on the Azure Dragon Peak.
“Hmph, Sun Zhiming, do you really think that you can betray me?”
Deng Mingxin led a group of his men and barged into Sun Zhiming’s quarters.
Due to being assigned to Azure Dragon Peak, he’d managed to survive last night’s ordeal. Yet, despite the assault being barely behind them, all Deng Mingxin could think about was the servant who betrayed him.
“Deng gongzi, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Joining Kunwu Training Camp is an opportunity that I vied for with my own hands. Whatever betrayal you spoke of doesn’t seem to apply here!”
Seeing the crowd that had just barged in, Sun Zhiming’s face paled. He clenched his fists tightly but showed no signs of compromising or backing-off in the slightest.
Having Sun Zhiming talking back to him, Deng Mingxin’s anger flared. In the p
ast, Sun Zhiming would act with complete obedience before him, doing all that he commanded. Such a sight had never been seen before, but now, in just the span of a single day, Sun Zhiming actually dared to straighten his back and refute him in public.
“Sun Zhiming, don’t be getting ahead of yourself! You’re just an insignificant servant of our Deng Clan! How dare you speak to me so rudely!”
Deng Mingxin’s face turned livid. There was a sense of storm clouds gathering around it.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Do you turn your back against your master in hopes of glory, or will you come back to my side!”
“Deng Mingxin, regardless of what you say, I will never be your servant again.”
Sun Zhiming grit his teeth in resolution.
It hadn’t been easy for him to escape from Deng Mingxin’s clutches. No matter what happens, he wouldn’t allow himself to return. Otherwise, given Deng Mingxin’s character, who knew what else would happen to him.
“Deng gongzi, there’s no need to be polite with him!”
“This fellow is itching for a beating! How dare he speak to Deng gongzi in such a manner?”
“Teach him a lesson! Make the fool understand what fear is!”
…
From behind, Deng Mingxin’s lackeys roared.
“Sun Zhiming, since you show no regret for your actions, don’t blame me for getting nasty then. Your father need not dream of staying on in the Bureau of Personnel. He should just retire and return back to his homeland!”
“Don’t imagine you’re some big shot just because you latched onto Wang Chong. He won’t be able to help you! From now onward, your Sun Clan also need not dream of making it big. You can spend your days plowing the field instead!”
Deng Mingxin flung his sleeves with an incomparably cold expression.
“Let me tell you, Sun Zhiming, you’re the cause of your clan’s downfall!”
“Deng Mingxin, you dare!”
Sun Zhiming’s complexion turned a ghastly pale color.
The Sun Clan was a family of farmers. They had come from the poor Annan region, and it was only through their diligence over several generations that they managed to walk out from the remote mountain. In the process, the Sun Clan hadn’t received any external assistance. It was with their own hard work that they managed to come so far.
This wasn’t the first time that Deng Mingxin had threatened him with such words. Just that, given the current circumstances, he had no way of telling whether Deng Mingxin would really go that far.
With the authority wielded by Deng Mingxin’s father, it was a simple task to eradicate all the hard work of the entire Sun Clan; a single word was all it would take. To the Deng Clan, the Sun Clan was just an insignificant ant that could be easily crushed beneath their feet.
“Hmph! You’ll know soon enough.”
Deng Mingxin sneered.
Hualala!
As if in answer, the sound of something darting through the skies came from above. Lifting their heads, they saw a black kite gliding down to land lightly on Deng Mingxin’s arm. It was the same kite he’d used to send a note to his father previously.
“Sun Zhiming, aren’t you arrogant just because you thought you managed to latch onto a higher branch? Let me show you the result of offending me!”
Shua!
He slipped out the note from the leg of the black kite and threw it toward Sun Zhiming.
“That was a man who had definitely left a thick stroke in the history of Great Tang.”
History books used to be written in ink during that era, and the more famous a figure was, the more detailed his description would be in the books.
Li Siye is a real figure in the history of Great Tang (you can Wikipedia it), but his description is different from that depicted in this book.
Anxi is the territory under the rule of the Western Protectorate Manor, Annan is the territory under the Southern Protectorate Manor.
Chapter 225: The Vexed Zheng Xuan!
Chapter 225: The Vexed Zheng Xuan!
With a pale face and a trembling body, Sun Zhiming slowly picked up the letter Deng Mingxin threw over. Mocking looks came from his accosters who took delight in his misfortune.
“Idiot. You should never have betrayed your master. Although the Wang Clan might be beyond Deng gongzi‘s means, did you really think you were too?”
“This is what happens to a fool who overestimates himself!”
…
Everyone in the surroundings sneered. They had all known that Deng Mingxin had written to his father, requesting that he strip the traitor’s father of his position. While an aide in the Bureau of Personnel didn’t possess a great standing, it was more than enough to deal with a puny Sun Clan.
Sun Zhiming’s fate was already sealed.
Enduring their mockery, Sun Zhiming’s face paled further. His hands trembled as he slowly unrolled the note.
Suddenly, his expression froze as he looked upon the very first line of words in disbelief. He couldn’t help but lift his head and stare at Deng Mingxin.
“What are you looking at? Regretting your actions now? It’s too late!”
Deng Mingxin also started to sneer along with his lackeys. Sun Zhiming’s only response was a strange look he turned on him.
Sun Zhiming’s gaze dropped back to the note and he continued to read on. Initially, his face was as pale as a corpse’s and his lips were quivering, but slowly, as he read the letter’s content, a healthy sheen returned to his face. By the end, he even looked completely revitalized.
“Deng Mingxin, this is what you call evil begets evil! Take a look at this note yourself!”
Standing now with a straight back, Sun Zhiming threw the letter back to Deng Mingxin triumphantly. It felt as though the shackles tying him down were all suddenly released.
“Brat, you must be insane! You dare speak to Deng gongzi this way?!”
Standing to Deng Mingxin’s side, a fifteen-year-old youth pointed his finger at Sun Zhiming arrogantly and bellowed.
“Deng gongzi, let us teach him a lesson for you.”
Another adolescent chimed in, seemingly dissatisfied with Sun Zhiming’s attitude.
“Hmph, I advise you to take a good look at that note. Deng Mingxin, even though you have threatened me again and again, I’ll let it pass. You’re on your own now!”
Leaving these words behind, Sun Zhiming turned and left. He strode off, looking completely different from before.
“Audacious!”
The followers flew into a rage, deeply offended by Sun Zhiming’s remarks and wanting to chase after him. On the other hand, the person in question, the culprit of this entire incident Deng Mingxin, felt an ominous weight suddenly pressing down on his chest.
He had known Sun Zhiming for a long time now and knew the latter’s personality well. Sun Zhiming was a capable person, but acting or lying were not amongst those capabilities.
The expression from before seemed genuine enough to cloud his mind with doubt.
“What could it be? …”
Worried, Deng Minxin’s forehead scrunched together in worry. Without thinking further, he bent down and sweeped up the letter Sun Zhiming threw his way.
“You beast, you better return right now!”
Seeing the first line of words on the note, Deng Mingxin suddenly seemed to hear thunder rumbling in the skies. He became dumbfounded.
“Impossible!”
Face pale and eyes wide in disbelief, he continued reading the note, but it granted him no relief and only served to cause his complexion to pale even further. His lips trembled, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
“Impossible… This is impossible!”
Deng Mingxin looked anxiously to where Sun Zhiming left, and this time, his gaze was devoid of all prior arrogance; it had been replaced by fear.
“No, this can’t be. I must meet with gongzi. I must meet with gongzi!”
He abruptly spun and dashed off in another direc
tion. He didn’t even notice that the note had slipped between his fingers, falling to the ground.
“What’s wrong from Deng gongzi?”
The rest of the crown looked at each other in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened. They’d been waiting intently for Deng Mingxin’s order to rush out and teach Sun Zhiming a lesson, but instead he just suddenly ran away with a look of desperation on his face.
“What’s written in the letter?”
A person from the group bent down and picked up the discarded letter. Everyone immediately gathered together to read.
“Re…relieved of his duties? Deng Mingxin’s father got sacked by the Bureau of Personnel?”
“How is that possible?”
“Didn’t gongzi say yesterday that he would have Sun Zhiming’s father sacked?”
…
The group glanced at one another. The contents of the note had left them all completely speechless. They finally understood the desperation and panic on Deng Mingxin’s face when he had rushed away, and by contrast, the strength and confidence on Sun Zhiming’s face when he had strode off.
But wasn’t this twist of events simply too abrupt?
Just a moment ago, it was that Deng Mingxin grasping Sun Zhiming’s father’s livelihood in his hands, but in the next moment, his own father was relieved of his duties instead.
“… Isn’t this way too sudden?”
A person among the group remarked in shock.
Although an aide of the Bureau of Personnel wasn’t a high-standing official and couldn’t even begin to compare with the standings of nobles and ministers, it still wasn’t a some small official either. It was no easy task to relieve an aide of the Bureau of Personnel of his duties. At the very least, it would require several influential officials banding together to push it through the proper channels. Not to mention, it would have at least taken half a month to do so.
Yet, here it was, Deng Mingxin’s father had been removed in the course of a single day. This speed was completely unheard of.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 171