1. The two assassins referred to here are both assassins of the Warring States period and are two of the Four Assassins. The quotation is from 'Strategies of the Warring States', a collection of anecdotes concerning the political intrigues of the Warring States period. The anecdote in which the quotation arises is known as 'Tang Ju Completes His Mission'. The King of Qin, Ying Zheng, fresh off conquering Wei, desires to occupy Wei's vassal kingdom, Anling. The lord of Anling dispatches Tang Ju to convince Qin to do otherwise. During the negotiations, Tang Ju notes that before these assassins had even done their deed, ominous signs appeared in the heavens.↩
2. Qin lost the deer and all the world pursued it' is a saying from the Han Dynasty. The deer here refers to the right to rule Central Plains, and the line refers to how after the Qin Dynasty was deposed, everyone with ambition began to fight to conquer the Central Plains. The story behind this line is that Kuai Tong was an advisor who served Han Xin, who was a general to Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. At the time, Kuai Tong advised Han Xin to break his ties with Liu Bang and establish his own kingdom. Han Xin refused this advice, but later on, he was executed by Liu Bang for treason. Liu Bang heard that Kuai Tong had once advised Han Xin to rebel and summoned him to account for his crime. Kuai Tong's defense was essentially that the entire world was doing this at the time, so it was only sensible that he give such advice. Liu Bang accepted this defense.
Chapter 463: The Calm Before the Storm (I)
Chapter 463: The Calm Before the Storm (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The combined army of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang would annihilate the 180,000 elites of the Annan Protectorate, leaving the door to the south wide open and casting the common people into misery!
But this was not even the most serious consequence. When the tiger was old, even the monkeys would dare to ride on its back.
Pandora's box had already been opened, and what was waiting for this empire was an unprecedented catastrophe!
In less than a second, countless thoughts flashed through Wang Chong's mind. His entire body trembled as a shiver crept up his spine!
"No! None of this has happened yet; the Imperial Court has yet to make a decision! As long as the mobilization of the 180,000 elites can be avoided, there's still a chance!"
Wang Chong's mind quickly turned. In his last life, the Wang Clan had already fallen from grace and he had only been the insignificant scion of a fallen clan. It had simply been impossible for him to involve himself in such a large-scale war.
But now was different. The Wang Clan had not fallen and its alliance with King Song was still as firm as rock. As long as he could persuade his big uncle and King Song, there was still a chance.
"No! I have to meet Big Uncle and King Song right now!"
Wang Chong immediately turned around with the intention of going down the mountain. His big uncle and King Song wielded great influence in the Bureau of Military Personnel. As long as he could borrow their help to prevent the court from mobilizing troops, he still had time to salvage the situation.
The Nanzhao War did not have to start!
At the very least, as long as the 180,000 elites were not completely wiped out, everything would be different.
"Wang Chong! Where do you think you're going!"
Just when Wang Chong turned around, there was a flash of light, and a thunderous roar pealed through the heavens. A figure suddenly rose from the lush forests around the mountain like a great bird. With a boom, it landed in front of Wang Chong.
"The Chamberlain of Dependencies is handling a case. Please come with us!"
This person had a harsh expression, his white robe drifting in the air while his body exuded a thick aura.
Upon seeing the emblem of the Chamberlain of Dependencies on the man's clothes, Wang Chong instantly paled.
Without even thinking, Wang Chong turned and began running in another direction. He did not fear the Chamberlain of Dependencies, nor did he fear imprisonment.
But not at this time, not now!
Boom!
But right as Wang Chong was trying to run, there was another boom. Like a wooden pillar stabbing down from the heavens, another figure barred his path.
This person had an icy expression, and on his chest was the striking symbol of the Chamberlain of Dependencies.
"Young Master Wang, please!"
"You can't escape!"
"The country has its laws and the clans have their regulations! Even the Son of Heaven will be judged by the people when committing a crime. Do you still want to run?"
……
One icy voice after another resounded through the heavens like mighty bells. And with these voices came boom after boom as figures dropped from the sky.
Two, three, four… in a short time, six callous figures dropped from the skies at once. Like mighty gods, they surrounded Wang Chong, cutting off all his paths of retreat.
These people were all experts of at least the Profound Martial realm!
As a gentle breeze blew by, the mountain forests were suddenly packed. Near and far, Wang Chong could see the Imperial Army, the prison guards of the Court of Judicial Review, and the experts of the Imperial Clan Court in the morning light. All of them had surrounded this place. It seemed like they had just come from the summit.
After one night, they had finally reached Deflecting Blade Manor.
Wang Chong's heart chilled as he instantly came to a stop!
……
Boom!
When Wang Chong was arrested, the entire capital quaked.
Anyone with some standing in the capital knew of last night's turmoil, and everyone was watching to see how the matter developed.
And in the Imperial Court, this incident had become a major one. Seizing upon this excellent opportunity, the Yao Clan and King Qi truly did add fuel to the fire, doing their utmost to exaggerate the matter. But the most astonishing of all was that the Imperial Army, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Chamberlain of Dependencies had come together to arrest Wang Chong.
Such a thing had never happened before!
Once this matter became known, even the common folk of the capital began to chatter about it, and when more details began to filter out from the court, the entire capital fell into an uproar.
In the Imperial City, under the feet of the Son of Heaven, Wang Chong had led several hundred experts in broad daylight to Drunken Sparrow restaurant and begun killing without a word. Even if one went back three hundred years, such a thing had never happened in the Imperial City.
And this matter also involved many great clans and noble houses, as well as the students of Kunwu Training Camp, Longwei Training Camp, and Shenwei Training Camp, making the common folk of the capital go red with anticipation.
This incident was bursting with riddles.
It was understandable if one said that Wang Chong had attacked Drunken Sparrow restaurant for the sake of his older cousin, but to ignore all the people in the restaurant and chase after that little Hu soldier under Zhang Shougui was an almost absurd twist.
Wang Chong had even had that other Hu killed in front of Zhang Shougui, and this was a Hu that Wang Chong had never even seen before!
There were just far too many questions!
Why had Wang Chong done this? Was revenge for Wang Liang really worth such a big fuss? And why was it that Wang Chong loathed that Hu so much, even though they had never met?
On the second day of Wang Chong's imprisonment, further developments brought in another big character. Much less the common folk of the capital, even the Yao Clan and King Qi were left with jaws agape.
Three of the Four An Brothers were An Yaluoshan, An Wenzhen, and An Xiaojie, but their fourth sworn brother was actually An Sishun, Vice Protector-General of the Beiting Protectorate!
Boom!
When this news exploded onto the scene, even the mentally prepared Wang Clan was stunned.
Wang Chong's
operation had not only offended Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui, it had also offended Beiting Vice Protector-General An Sishun!
In the Great Tang Empire, An Sishun's status was inferior to the Han Zhang Shougui and Wang Zhongsi, and it also could not compare to the extremely senior Hu like Fumeng Lingcha, but as someone who had to deal with both the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, An Sishun's status was not one bit inferior to Geshu Han's!
And in some aspects, he even surpassed him!
Unlike what most people imagined, although An Sishun had the esteemed status of Beiting Vice Protector-General, he was still extremely young.
In the empire's six protectorates, he was undoubtedly the fastest-promoted and youngest Vice Protector-General. His future potential was endless.
It wasn't enough for Wang Chong to offend Zhang Shougui. He had even offended Beiting's An Sishun! No one had expected this.
The Imperial Court had already been engaged in the fierce quarrel, and now it threatened to overturn the heavens!
But no matter how intense the debate became, the Wang Clan was somehow extremely restrained throughout!
Chapter 464: The Calm Before the Storm (II)
Chapter 464: The Calm Before the Storm (II)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Old Eagle managed to get a meeting with Wang Chong six days later.
While this incident was causing a storm in the capital, only Wang Chong's faction maintained an extremely level head. It was not because Wang Chong had told them anything, but because they still had incredible trust and faith in him.
This was a powerful unifying source.
"Enter!"
Old Eagle heard a voice in his ears. An expert of the Court of Judicial Review coldly looked down from the steps at him, finally giving him permission to pass.
"Thank you!"
Old Eagle gave a long sigh, clasped his hands in thanks, and strode into the building. It had been four hours since Old Eagle had handed over the token from the Bureau of Military Personnel.
Before going in, Old Eagle took one last look at the place. This was a government office built in an ancient style. It was roofed with greenish-blue tiles, and the place was lush with plant life and tall, mighty trees. All in all, it was a very quiet and secluded place.
But in reality, this was an out-and-out prison!
This was not the Court of Judicial Review, nor was it the Chamberlain of Dependencies, and it certainly wasn't the territory of the Imperial Army. The place Wang Chong was imprisoned was one that no one could lightly approach, not even Old Eagle with the token of the Bureau of Military Personnel.
At this time, there was no matter more earthshaking in the capital than the incident caused by Wang Chong. One Protector-General and one Vice Protector-General, one clan of ministers and generals, the Yao Clan, and two Imperial Princes… No matter could possibly have more reverberations than this.
In the Central Plains, one wouldn't be able to find a game with higher stakes!
All the factions were fighting in the background, with the Imperial Army, Court of Judicial Review, and Chamberlain of Dependencies all fighting to take charge of the Wang Chong incident.
But none of those three factions ended up being satisfied. In the end, a temporary prison, managed by all three factions, was constructed in the northwest region of the capital to serve as Wang Chong's jail.
This 'government office' was surrounded by Imperial Army soldiers, mixed with experts from the Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies. They watched each other while also keeping strict guard. Outsiders found it impossible to get close.
"Young Master…!"
Old Eagle drew his gaze back, a tinge of concern in his eyes as he was led into this 'government office' by the Court of Judicial Review expert.
It was dark and quiet inside the office, with only a few dim rays of light trickling in. The floor was paved in gray bricks, cold air exuding from them.
The long pathway was lined with guards every few steps, the experts of the Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies keeping a vigilant watch. None of them viewed Old Eagle with any kindness.
In the current Imperial Court, it was the Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies that wanted to punish Wang Chong the most. Old Eagle's status was no secret in their eyes.
However, even though they both wanted to severely punish Wang Chong, the Court of Judicial Review and the Chamberlain of Dependencies were also still fighting with each other over the right to handle Wang Chong's case.
This had less to do with Wang Chong's conduct and more to do with the reputation of the Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies.
It was this that gave Wang Chong and Old Eagle a chance!
Old Eagle ignored those unkind gazes, proceeding with his head lowered. Deep below this government office, he finally met Wang Chong.
"Young Master!"
The moment he saw Wang Chong, Old Eagle's eyes ached. Behind a set of iron bars, Wang Chong was seated cross-legged on the ground, his long hair covering his face. He looked like some wooden statue.
Six whole days had made Wang Chong's skin ghastly pale, and he was so thin that his bones were showing. He had become a completely different person.
Old Eagle had been with Wang Chong for a long time, and his image of Wang Chong had always been of a person in high spirits. This was his first time seeing Wang Chong so haggard.
"Old Eagle, you're here!"
Wang Chong's body shivered at Old Eagle's voice as he slowly turned his head. His face was sunken and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles, like he hadn't closed them in some time.
He was surrounded by many sheets of paper, all of them densely covered in writing. It appeared that Wang Chong had been spending all his time in prison on these things.
"Young Master, relax; I'll definitely think of a way to get you out of here!"
Old Eagle shot forward and gripped the bars of the cell.
"Release me? Haha, you thought that was what I was worried about?"
Wang Chong smiled and shook his head, his long hair sloshing about like waves.
Although he looked extremely haggard and tired, Wang Chong was full of energy. His eyes were bright, and he seemed even more vigorous than the average person.
Yet the more Wang Chong appeared this way, the more Old Eagle was concerned.
"Old Eagle, let's not talk about this. Let me ask you, has there been any news from Solitary Wolf?" Wang Chong asked.
"No."
Now that Wang Chong was bringing up business, Old Eagle shook his head.
"All our connections with Solitary Wolf have been cut. If we want the latest news, we'll have to wait at least another six days."
A tinge of dejection flashed through Wang Chong's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.
"Although Solitary Wolf is fierce and brave, he's also extremely cautious. He followed my orders and excavated a secret passage to hide himself, so if nothing unexpected occurs, he will definitely be able to safely depart."
"Life and death are decided by destiny. Solitary Wolf and I are both people who have already died once. No matter what we encounter, we've already mentally prepared ourselves, so there's no need for Young Master to worry," Old Eagle calmly said.
Solitary Wolf was a formidable martial artist who had reached the Profound Martial realm ages ago. Killing him was no easy task.
In comparison, he was more worried about Wang Chong. There was clearly something off about him!
Moreover, there was a very profound confusion in the depths of Old Eagle's mind.
Whether or not the incident in the southwest's Jiange was true, it was just one city. Such incidents were commonplace in Beiting, Andong, Anxi, and Longxi.
A city would often be constantly fought over, cycling between lost, occupied, lost, occupied… There was nothing out of the ordinary about such a thing along the border.
>
But Wang Chong seemed to treat this incident as something completely different. Now that he carefully thought about it, when Wang Chong had finished meeting with Duke Jiu and Wang Gen in Four Quarters Embassy and returned to Deflecting Blade Manor, he was actually very normal.
Everything had changed with Solitary Wolf's letter.
Wang Chong said nothing. Inwardly, he hoped that both Solitary Wolf and Zhang Qiantuo would be fine. Solitary Wolf had already fought several campaigns with him.
He was no longer just a subordinate. In Wang Chong's mind, he was a kindred spirit, an ally. And there were far too few experts at Wang Chong's side that were both powerful and able to carry out his missions.
In Mengshe Zhao's assault on the city, Solitary Wolf had amply proved himself.
And though Zhang Qiantuo had an inflexible personality that wasn't good at adapting, he was a loyal minister through and through. A minister who could be loyal to his empire to the end couldn't be allowed to have this sort of end.
He was exactly the kind of person Wang Chong needed at his side.
In addition, Wang Chong had too many questions about this matter. Mengshe Zhao's occupation of Jiange had been a massive puzzle in his last life. At present, besides Solitary Wolf and Zhang Qiantuo, probably no one knew what had actually happened there.
Wang Chong had to find them and ask them what exactly happened.
As these thoughts flew through his mind, Wang Chong quickly resolved himself. Compared to the matter of Jiange, the situation in front of him was even more important!
Chapter 465: The Jailed Wang Chong!
Chapter 465: The Jailed Wang Chong!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Old Eagle, what's the situation outside?" Wang Chong asked, slightly raising his head.
"The Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies are currently on high alert, and there are also people in the Imperial Army opposing us," Old Eagle replied. "However, the Wootz Steel swords have meant that those opposing us have a very small voice. The majority of the Imperial Army still supports us. Without their help, I probably wouldn't have been able to get inside, and the Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies would have dragged Young Master into their own prisons." His voice brimmed with discontent.
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