The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  "Hmph, with the authority bestowed by His Majesty and the decrees of Emperors Gaozu and Taizong, the Chamberlain of Dependencies can act as it sees fit. After provoking such a disaster, you didn't think you could just leave, did you?"

  The official waved his hand. Countless Imperial soldiers and experts from the Chamberlain of Dependencies immediately filed in and tightly encircled Wang Chong and Old Eagle.

  The Ü-Tsang First Prince had followed the procedures, joined the diplomatic mission, and presented his credentials. Everything had been done according to regulations. Yet in a place so close to the Imperial City, in a small practice ground, he had been killed under the eyes of the Chamberlain of Dependencies.

  This was no minor crime.

  Not even the Chamberlain of Dependencies could bear the penalties for such a crime. Yet when one thought about the calamity that would ensue with the death of the Ü-Tsang First Prince, this incident was a trifle.

  If the Chamberlain of Dependencies wanted to smoothly dissociate themselves from this incident, they could not let the main culprit, Wang Chong, escape!

  "Anyone who dares to attack Young Master cannot blame Old Eagle for being rude!"

  Old Eagle's arms were spread apart while his eyes had gone red from worry. The surrounding guards from the Wang Clan and the Zhang Clan began to unsheathe their weapons.

  "Whatever, it's the only thing that can be done…"

  Huang Qian-er internally sighed, her right hand gripping the silver sword on her back as she moved in front of Wang Chong, but she did not unsheathe it yet.

  This battle was already unavoidable.

  The entire empire would begin to feel the ripples from the Ü-Tsang First Prince's death. The quakes were certain to shatter the earth and sunder the skies, and all of the great clans, including the Huang Clan, would be swept up in it.

  No matter what happened in the future, if she at least protected him today, she could be considered to have performed her duty to the utmost.

  "Bastards! Do you intend to rebel? Come; no matter what, we have to seize him today!"

  The official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies once more jabbed his finger at Wang Chong, this time with even more rage.

  Clangclangclang!

  In an instant, sabers and swords had left their sheaths, their cold lights glimmering. Two groups stood in stalemate, ready to fight at any moment.

  "Ha! Put these sabers and swords away."

  Just when the tension was at its worst, Wang Chong suddenly laughed and pushed his way past Old Eagle's spread-out arms.

  "Young Master?!"

  Old Eagle hurriedly turned his head, instantly nervous. The Chamberlain of Dependencies was not joking. If Wang Chong was taken away by them, if they didn't kill him, they would at least remove a layer of skin. And it was clear that the Chamberlain of Dependencies wanted to beat Wang Chong to death and make him a scapegoat.

  "Relax, Old Eagle; things won't reach that point."

  Wang Chong grinned and waved his hands to comfort Old Eagle, his face the picture of relaxation. Under the surprised gazes of the two groups, Wang Chong walked out from his side and to the official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies.

  "What's your name?" Wang Chong asked.

  "Zheng Chenzhou, what of it?" Zheng Chenzhou coldly said, believing that Wang Chong intended to remember his name so that he could take revenge in the future. But how could the Chamberlain of Dependencies possibly fear a threat from the Wang Clan?

  "Haha!"

  Wang Chong suddenly laughed. Under the stunned gazes of the experts from the Chamberlain of Dependencies, he stretched out a palm and patted Zheng Chenzhou on his face.

  "If these are the 'experts' of the Chamberlain of Dependencies, I can't blame them for not being able to see the forest for the trees and letting themselves be walked all over."

  "What are you trying to say?"

  Zheng Chenzhou evaded Wang Chong's palm and raised his head to fiercely glare.

  "Haha, the Chamberlain of Dependencies is responsible for receiving all the foreign countries, but are you not even able to tell the difference between a real and fake prince?"

  At Wang Chong's words, let alone the group from the Chamberlain of Dependencies, even Old Eagle and Huang Qian-er were dumbstruck.

  "What are you trying to say?"

  "After attending upon a fake prince for more than three months, are you still not able to tell the difference? Fool! Did you think that if that was really the Ü-Tsang First Prince, those armored Tibetan cavalrymen would have so easily left? Didn't you think that their reaction was too flat for the death of their First Prince? Attending on them for three months appears to be a waste. You couldn't even see that it was a fake prince. And you still let them kill so many people in the practice ground!"

  ……

  One stone could stir a thousand waves. Before Huang Qian-er or Zheng Chenzhou could say anything, the surrounding crowd immediately fell into a clamor.

  "A fake prince? How is that possible?"

  "Doesn't mean that we were all deceived by the Chamberlain of Dependencies, that it was a fake prince who killed so many of our people?"

  "Damn, can it be?"

  "How can it not be? If it weren't a fake, why would Young Master Wang dare to be so direct and kill that First Prince with a single blow?"

  "So we were all tricked?"

  "Bastards! That pisses me off!!"

  ……

  The crowd was buzzing with talk, everyone showing vexation and fury in their eyes. That 'First Prince' in the practice had not actually been that strong.

  But precisely because he was the Ü-Tsang First Prince and was constantly using his body as a shield, so many people were afraid of striking him and ended up being killed.

  If they had known his true identity, he would have already been chopped meat!

  In an instant, everyone was furious at being tricked.

  Old Eagle and Huang Qian-er speechlessly looked at each other.

  Hiss!

  Zheng Chenzhou took in a long breath as he looked in a daze at Wang Chong. He suddenly found himself unable to speak. He had originally intended to seize Wang Chong so as to give an explanation to his superiors.

  But now, catching him was no longer important.

  If what Wang Chong said was true, then the Chamberlain of Dependencies was guilty of a massive dereliction of duty.

  "How do you know?" Zheng Chenzhou sternly said. Although he did not nod, even he had already begun to believe. Killing the First Prince of Ü-Tsang was no minor matter, as it involved both countries.

  Wang Chong's actions had been far too straightforward, so straightforward that there had been no hesitation. If he had known the truth about this Ü-Tsang First Prince beforehand, known that the one on the practice ground was fake, then his actions were completely understandable.

  Moreover, if the First Prince of their empire had died, then Dusong Mangpoje and his soldiers had left too swiftly. Although they also had to think about their own safety, one had to consider the situation.

  If the same thing had happened to the Great Tang Empire, they would not have left so easily. Even the main culprit, Wang Chong, had not been removed.

  "This was never anything difficult. It was just that all of you treated the Tibetans too simply. This is the grand First Prince of Ü-Tsang, the future successor to the throne. How could he lightly expose himself to risk, and even use his body to block sabers and swords? Even if he agreed to it, Dusong Mangpoje was there. Do you think he would allow it? It was so obvious, yet none of you questioned a thing!

  "A simple game of 'Cat for Crown Prince'1 had you running in circles. If I didn't appear, how many more people were you intending to let him kill? Truly idiotic beyond compare! Is the life of a Tibetan more precious than the life of someone from the Great Tang?

  "There's no need to trouble yourselves with the matter of the Ü-Tsang First Prince. Our Wang Clan will take it on. Use this time to think about how you will e
xplain to His Majesty why you let thirty-some scions and young geniuses die in vain!"

  After saying this, Wang Chong pushed aside Zheng Chenzhou and left.

  And Zheng Chenzhou stood there, dumbstruck, not even trying to stop him. Wang Chong's words had already completely surpassed his imagination.

  Zheng Chenzhou's mind was completely blank. He simply couldn't accept that he had been fooled by a lot of Tibetans.

  "How could this be…!" Zheng Chenzhou muttered to himself, but Wang Chong was already far away.

  ______________

  1. 'Cat for Crown Prince' refers to a legend from the Song Dynasty. The Song Emperor Zhenzong was childless and one of his concubines, Consort Li, was pregnant. A rival, Consort Liu, plotted with a eunuch to have the newborn baby, the would-be crown prince, exchanged for a skinned civet cat. Consort Li was demoted, but the baby survived, the maid who was supposed to dispose of him giving him to an imperial prince to raise as his own son.

  Chapter 418: The Gathering of Dragons!

  Chapter 418: The Gathering of Dragons!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  When Wang Chong was leaving the practice ground, deep within the palace, the Fifth Prince, Li Heng, was pacing around, his head lowered and his heart full of worries.

  In front of him was a threshold that was not even a foot high. Yet this threshold was like a high and invisible wall, solid and thick. With a pressure that made it hard to breathe, it stood in front of Li Heng.

  Everything was quiet, but Li Heng felt cold sweat on his brow and an indescribable anxiety in his mind.

  More than two hours had passed since the audiences of the wei1 period had concluded, but Li Heng had still not received a summons.

  Li Heng knew that his destiny rested entirely on that small threshold.

  Suddenly, the door opened, and a sharp voice came from deep within the hall.

  "Report, Fifth Prince Li Heng is to present himself!"

  Bzzt! Like a heavy hammer had struck his heart, Li Heng began to quiver all over as he instantly broke out of his stupor. The long-awaited summons was finally here.

  Li Heng took a deep breath, steadied his mind, tidied his clothes, and then raised his feet and nervously crossed the threshold.

  Boom!

  The sounds of his feet falling seemed as heavy as mountains in Li Heng's ears.

  The hall extended so far that it seemed to have no end. Li Heng felt an icy cold under his feet. Other than solemn-faced palace guards, each of them five zhang tall, there was no one else on the path.

  It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

  After some time, though it seemed like both an instant and countless epochs, when Li Heng felt like he could walk no further, the world before his eyes suddenly opened and a dazzling bright light shone in front of him.

  At the same moment came that boundless, esteemed, and divine energy, as unfathomable and massive as the heavens and earth.

  This energy caused the pressure on Li Heng's body to increase by more than a thousand times.

  "This son, your servant, pays respects to Imperial Father!"

  Li Heng crossed the threshold. Not daring to raise his head, he kneeled on the ground, respectful and trembling in fear. Even though he was twenty years old, the godlike figure seated in the upper reaches of the hall still inspired just as much as respect in him as it had when he was a child, perhaps even more.

  The torches flickered, but the figure seated high above did not move.

  And below that figure, Li Heng felt energies both extremely weak and extremely powerful.

  These were the princes of the palace. It was obvious that he was far from the only person who had been summoned here today.

  The great hall was absolutely quiet. Cold and cruel gazes came in from all sides to fall on the main door, at the kneeling figure of Li Heng.

  There was no such thing as familial love in the imperial clan!

  Not even the wisest of sage kings or the most incompetent of tyrants could change this iron law. So it had been for dynasty after dynasty, generation after generation!

  Li Heng could not feel the slightest bit of warmth in the palace, only the deepest chill.

  "Rise!"

  After some time, a majestic voice resounded from the upper reaches of the hall.

  Still trembling in fear, Li Heng stood up, but he still did not dare to raise his head. Following the usual regulations, he walked with head lowered to the very end of the hall.

  Although he was the esteemed Fifth Prince, Li Heng had the least backing amongst the princes, and he was also the weakest. Thus, when being ranked, he always stood at the very end.

  The other princes had never cared about his status as the Fifth Prince, nor had the Sage Emperor.

  To Li Heng's surprise, after he took his place, the Sage Emperor did not immediately begin to question. He seemed to be forgotten.

  The other princes all began to look away, and the atmosphere suddenly seemed to move again, turning back to normal.

  Li Heng was like a ball of air, standing at the end of the line with no one paying attention to him.

  A massive energy like a towering mountain stood in the place closest to his imperial father. Although it was like the luster of a gem before the bright rays of the sun, to the rest of the princes, it was inconceivably strong.

  Li Heng knew that this was the energy of the First Prince.

  No matter how they were ranked, the First Prince, as the future heir, was always standing closest to his imperial father, right beneath his feet. No one could ever change this.

  In every audience, his imperial father would always question the First Prince on the politics of the court, renovations for the army, cultivation on the martial path, the lives of the common folk, and many other questions in every possible aspect.

  Each meeting was a test. It wasn't just the First Prince, but every other prince that was subjected to this test. As each person took on their imperial father's test, they would also be displaying their talents.

  There was none of the comfort and warmth found between the fathers and sons of the common people in the imperial clan. This was the reason Li Heng avoided the Imperial Palace.

  The politics of court, foreign relations, irrigation of farmland… Li Heng understood not one thing that came from the mouths of the other princes.

  It wasn't that his knowledge was too shallow, but that he had never had any sort of resources. He had never even had a tutor to teach him.

  Li Heng did not dare to hate or complain. As he usually did, he stood at his place, his head lowered, trembling in fear as he obediently did nothing.

  The First Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince… and then it was the Sixth Prince, the Seventh Prince—all the princes stepped forth to receive the Sage Emperor's test.

  And when it was finally his turn—

  "Very well, let's end things here for today!"

  In the upper reaches of the hall, that majestic and grandiose figure suddenly waved its hands.

  Just like that, Li Heng had been callously passed over. A strain of irrepressible disappointment flashed through his eyes. Though disappointed, he also felt rather fortunate, but he quickly regained his composure.

  This sort of thing had already happened many times in the palace.

  "…Today is a gathering of a father and his sons, so there's no need to talk too much of politics. Come, send out the dancers and music! We feast!"

  This order seemed to open the floodgates. The side doors of the hall opened and countless beaming maids and eunuchs filed in, carrying plates of fruit, tables and chairs, wine pots, and incense.

  In just a moment, a table and chairs of ancient style had been arranged before the princes, and atop the table were fruits, cakes, drinks, and fine foods.

  Once all the princes were seated, bong! With the ringing of bells, the music started, and several gorgeous palace maids dressed in white filed in, seem
ing like fairies from beyond the clouds.

  "Imperial Father!"

  Just when the palace maids were prepared to walk into the center of the hall and perform a dance, a voice suddenly interrupted the music.

  "Imperial Father, this soft palace music detracts from the iron-blooded style of my Great Tang. This lowly son of yours has heard that Fifth Brother has prepared a sword dance to perform before Imperial Father so as to entertain his brothers. I hope that Imperial Father allows it. Fifth Brother, don't you think so?"

  The Third Prince suddenly got up from his seat. After finishing his words to the upper reaches of the hall, he suddenly twisted his head to turn to Li Heng, his eyes shining with icy and aggressive light.

  For a moment, time seemed to stop. The sounds of music, dancing, talking, airflow, and eating… all vanished.

  The originally relaxed atmosphere instantly grew taut, brimming with the silent odor of swords and sabers in the darkness.

  All the maids and eunuchs almost immediately lowered their heads, fear in their eyes. The other princes, on the other hand, began to laugh as they turned to face Li Heng seated at the end of the table.

  Even the First Prince, seated at the front of the table, though not full of ridicule as the other princes, still put down his chopsticks and turned to look.

  The entire hall had become so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

  It's here!

  Li Heng felt that invisible pressure tightly closing around him, so powerful that he almost couldn't breathe. His complexion instantly changed.

  He had originally believed that he had escaped this disaster. Unexpectedly, his third brother refused to let him go. That he had not made trouble at the beginning wasn't because he hadn't paid him any mind. He had just left the opportunity so that he could use it now.

  The sneers, the laughs, the malicious satisfaction, and the hostile gazes made Li Heng suddenly begin to sweat.

  He had never experienced these things before.

  It was his first time being the center of attention, but it was never something he had wanted.