Wang Chong smiled. He had begun unrestricted selling of Wootz Steel weapons in the Imperial Army some time ago, and it was now becoming one of his biggest advantages. Just like Old Eagle said, even if the Imperial Army was split into two factions, probably neither side hoped to see him die, only protect him.
After all, the secret of the Wootz Steel swords was still his alone.
"How is my big uncle doing?" Wang Chong asked.
"Not well!"
Old Eagle shook his head, grimacing for a moment.
"The Court of Judicial Review and Chamberlain of Dependencies have no intention of letting anyone from the Wang Clan in. It was only after King Song paid a massive price and got me a token from the Bureau of Military Personnel that I was able to get inside. Even so, I still spent a long time waiting outside. I'm afraid that Lord Wang won't be able to come inside for the short term!"
"Tell him that no matter what, he has to come in and see me!"
Wang Chong suddenly turned serious.
"In addition, tell Big Uncle that no matter what happens next, no matter what he hears, until he meets me, neither he nor His Highness King Song should issue any opinions! Not a single one! This is very important. Old Eagle, can you remember that?"
"Ah!" Old Eagle gave a small yelp of surprise. Wang Chong had spoken these words with incredible gravity, an attitude that Old Eagle had rarely seen from Wang Chong.
"Young Master, is something big about to happen?" Old Eagle asked.
He had spent quite some time with Wang Chong, and so he knew that every time Wang Chong got this look on his face, some major event was about to take place.
"Old Eagle, remember my words. Relay them to him, and leave not a single word out!"
Wang Chong shook his head, his face unprecedentedly solemn.
"Also, I have an important mission for you! I need you to finish it as quickly as possible!"
"Young Master, please speak, and your subordinate will do all he can to complete it!" Old Eagle solemnly replied.
"Excellent!"
Wang Chong's right index finger shot out, striking a thin slip of paper on the ground. This light jab caused this sheet of paper to immediately fly forward like an arrow into Old Eagle's hand.
"This is a map that I've drawn. Old Eagle, in this period of time, I need you to help me sell the spirit vein!"
"!!!"
Old Eagle's composed expression instantly dissolved at these words.
"Young Master!!"
Old Eagle recoiled in alarm, looking at Wang Chong in shock.
"Why does Young Master want to sell off the spirit vein?"
This news was so sudden that Old Eagle's first reaction was that he had misheard. Wang Chong possessed a massive amount of capital, like the Hyderabad ore, a huge fortune, and Deflecting Blade Manor. However, the most important and most unique of these was not the Hyderabad ore, but that spirit vein several dozen li from the capital.
The Hyderabad ore would be consumed eventually, but the spirit vein could continue to be passed on through the generations, providing an endless stream of talents for Wang Chong, and perhaps even the entire Wang Clan.
As long as it had the spirit vein, then no matter how the times changed or what dynasty reigned, the Wang Clan would always be able to maintain its status.
The Wang Clan perhaps had no foundation in the past, but ever since Wang Chong discovered the spirit vein, the spirit vein had undoubtedly become its foundation.
Only a madman would sell it off!
If he had planned to do this, why had he bothered to offend the First Prince at the start?
"Old Eagle, listen to me. I know what you're thinking. I'm not crazy, nor have I lost my sanity! As for the spirit vein, just follow my orders! You must carry this out," Wang Chong said.
His expression was calm, his eyes bright, and there was no madness in his appearance. And there was no way he wouldn't know what Old Eagle was thinking. In normal circumstances, he would have never made this decision.
But he had already been imprisoned for six days, and selling off the spirit vein had been a decision he had reached after long and careful thought.
It was impossible for the Wang Clan to continue for one hundred generations.
Old Eagle would never know that a terrible calamity was approaching. The crisis brewing in the southwest was not some local war, but the prologue to a worldwide catastrophe.
And when that catastrophe arrived, no one would be spared. If everything went as he expected, even that spirit vein would blow up. How could it be passed on for one hundred generations?
At the moment, Wang Chong's concern was not the benefits the spirit vein could provide to the Wang Clan, but that war in the southwest that was about to shake the entire empire.
'Preparedness ensures success while lack of preparation ensures failure.' Whether or not his plans were effective, if they succeeded in stopping this war, Wang Chong had to prepare for the worst scenario.
The entire empire was still ignorant. Many people didn't even know that Geluofeng had attacked the Great Tang and that a city in the southwest had been lost.
Solitary Wolf's information had arrived much faster than the Imperial Court's. The chess piece that Wang Chong had placed at the start had finally proved its worth.
Wang Chong had been informed of the events in the southwest before the ministers of the court, and he had known far earlier about what was to come.
But Wang Chong could not warn those ministers.
A matter of state could not be decided with only Solitary Wolf's letter. The Great Tang had its own channels of information, and Wang Chong could only quietly wait for that news to explode onto the scene.
After several decades of peace, the Great Tang, Mengshe Zhao, and Ü-Tsang were about to engage in a war of unparalleled scale.
This war would involve over 500,000 enemy soldiers and 180,000 Great Tang elites, totaling almost 700,000 combatants in all.
Such a war had never happened, not in Youzhou, Beiting, Anxi, or Longxi. Even if one surveyed the history of the Great Tang, the number of wars involving almost 700,000 soldiers could be counted on one hand.
The Great Tang was already sliding into the abyss!
What Wang Chong wanted to do was avoid this war as much as possible. And once this war became unavoidable, Wang Chong had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
A war of unprecedented size, involving 700,000 soldiers, was not something one man or one faction could resist.
To alter the course of this war and change the Great Tang's fate, he needed one thing: money! Massive amounts of money! A massive fortune that surpassed the imagination of any person!
War had never been a simple clash of weapons. It was a war of economies! In order to start a war, one had to have a thriving economy and enormous reserves.
Similarly, in order to intervene in a war, one had to have sufficient fortune, an unfathomably massive fortune.
The larger the fortune, the more right one had to intervene in a war.
In normal circumstances, the full fortune of any clan in the capital would be incapable of reaching this level, let alone Wang Chong's wealth.
This was no longer within the scope of a single clan, but at least several great clans.
For Wang Chong, only selling the spirit vein could allow him to gather sufficient wealth.
At present, the news that Geluofeng had attacked the Great Tang and taken a city was still on the road. It hadn't reached the capital yet, but it would before long.
So Wang Chong did not have much time.
Before that news reached the capital, Wang Chong had to completely sell off the spirit vein. Otherwise, the news of war in the southwest would dilute the impact of any activity in the capital.
When that time came, Wang Chong would have no chance to accumulate that enormous sum of wealth!
Chapter 466: The Insane Wang Clan!
Chapter 466: The Insane Wang Clan!
Translated by: Hypersheep2325
Edited by: Michyrr
"In addition, I have one most important duty for you."
Wang Chong spoke indifferently, but his expression grew even graver.
"Right now, gather all the wealth we have and send it all to the Zhang Clan. In addition, tell the head of the Zhang Clan that they can begin production with the Wootz Steel and Meteoric Metal!"
Slapslap. With Wang Chong's words, his index finger flicked twice, causing two sheets of paper near him on the ground to fly up and shoot into Old Eagle's hand.
"Without my handwritten order, they won't start," Wang Chong said.
"But, Young Master, did… didn't you order that the Meteoric Metal should be kept quiet and not used for any major operations, so as to avoid other people craving it and bringing us trouble?"
"I can't worry about that anymore! If we don't use the Meteoric Metal now, I'm afraid that we won't get another chance!" Wang Chong said with a sigh.
Old Eagle stared in stupefaction at Wang Chong. Though he understood every individual word that Wang Chong had said, when put together, they became incomprehensible.
But there was one thing that Old Eagle could be sure of. Wang Chong had thought long and hard before making these decisions. He had not made them because of any person, and nothing would make him change his mind.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Old Eagle slightly bent his knees and lowered his head. Between his doubts and Wang Chong, Old Eagle had still chosen to trust Wang Chong!
…Just like he had in the past.
"Also, gather Zhao Jingdian and the others and give this to him!"
Wang Chong took out another piece of paper.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Old Eagle asked no more questions.
With the pieces of paper that Wang Chong had given him, Old Eagle quickly left the jail.
The gloomy prison was quiet. Now that Old Eagle had left, Wang Chong lowered his head once more, his eyes focused on the ground.
If one carefully looked, one would discover that around Wang Chong were countless tiny, crisscrossing lines.
If one stood up and looked from above, one would realize that these tiny marks formed a map, a complicated and unimaginably detailed map of the Great Tang Empire's southwest border!
Countless papers were scattered on the ground, and the southwest was drawn on almost all of them.
"Not enough… it's still not enough. Just relying on these things is still far from enough! Just what am I missing!"
Wang Chong frowned and muttered to himself. Other than himself, no one knew what he was talking about.
The southwest border was already in great peril. The 300,000-strong Mengshe Zhao army, the 200,000-strong Ü-Tsang army… once the war began, the Great Tang's southwest border would appear to be in harmony, but those two powerful armies would be waiting like tigers to simultaneously strike.
A sword hanging over the head would drop down one day!
As a general, Wang Chong needed to find a path of survival for both the Great Tang and the 180,000 elites!
……
Boom!
Like a boulder smashing into water, Old Eagle leaving the prison with the news that Wang Chong was selling the spirit vein jolted all the great clans and noble houses of the capital.
"What? Wang Chong wants to sell the spirit vein? Has he gone mad?"
The Huang Clan head's eyes opened wide when he heard the news. His first reaction was to think that Wang Chong had gone crazy or that the news was incorrect.
Of all the Wang Clan's property, the most valuable was indubitably the spirit vein in Wang Chong's possession. How could Wang Chong sell it off?
"Hahaha, the Wang Clan actually wants to sell off their spirit vein. Buy, buy, buy! Buy like crazy! Without the spirit vein, let's see how arrogant the Wang Clan can get!"
In the Duke Su Residence, Su Bai was reclining on a couch, happily laughing at the letter in his hand.
Last time, Wang Chong had made him lose all his dignity. However, because Wang Chong had too much momentum, Su Bai could only swallow his anger, but he had never given up and kept constant watch on Wang Chong.
That the Wang Clan was actually willing to give up the spirit vein outside the capital presented an extremely rare opportunity. At this time, Su Bai was completely confident in his ability to convince his father to buy as much of Wang Chong's spirit vein as possible!
"Good, good, good! If the Wang Clan wants to sell the spirit vein, why shouldn't we buy? Carry out my order: gather all the money of our Cheng Clan that we can get our hands on, even if we have to borrow from loan sharks!"
In the estate of the Cheng Clan, one of the capital's four great sword-smithing clans, the head of the Cheng Clan was also looking at the letter in his hand, his brows flying up in elation.
"But father, didn't we offend Wang Chong last time? Might he…"
On the side, the only son and scion of the Cheng Clan, Cheng Xiaoshen, couldn't help but offer his opinion. He well remembered that the Cheng Clan had greatly offended Wang Chong when he was selling the Wootz Steel at Bluebottle Pavilion!
Slap!
Before he could finish speaking, a bump began to rise from his head.
"That was one thing and this is another! In terms of business deals, what does a stinking brat like you know? If that boy from the Wang Clan weren't willing, then why would he bring it out to sell?"
Similar events were taking place elsewhere.
"Father, what do we do?"
In the main hall of a general's residence, Abutong put down the paper in his hand and turned to his father, Great General Abusi.
Abusi was not a general with actual power. Unlike Zhang Shougui, Fumeng Lingcha, or Gao Xianzhi, he did not command hundreds of thousands of troops, nor was he bestowed with ultimate power over any region.
But the tens of thousands of Tongluo elite cavalry under Abusi's command were praised as the best in the world, and played a critical role in the empire.
Abusi silently contemplated his son's words.
Several centuries had passed since the Tongluo had surrendered to the Great Tang, and if one had to be more precise, it was all the way back in Emperor Taizong's reign. The favor that Emperor had showed them had dissipated long ago. Abusi had been able to lead the Tongluo to the summit hundreds of years later and forcefully suppress the other Turks and Hu through his loyalty to the imperial household and his extreme caution!
But the Tongluo were also a very proud people.
If not for their pride, the Tongluo cavalry would not have become known as the strongest horsemen in the world. In the Regional Commanders incident, the memorial that Wang Chong had submitted had greatly upset Great General Abusi.
Before the assembled officials of the court, civil and martial, Abusi had still been forced to kneel. Perhaps Abusi could have accepted this result if it had been the Wang Clan's Old Master.
But Wang Chong was just a teenager who was still wet behind the ears. How could Abusi be happy? How could he forget?
"Carry out my order: gather all the treasures of our Tongluo Tribe and exchange it for gold. Buy as much of the spirit vein as we can!" Abusi sternly ordered.
"Yes, Father!"
Abutong was ecstatic. He had immediately understood his father's intention, and he ran off like he had wings. The spirit vein was a priceless treasure, and the Wang Clan would end up regretting this one day.
That his father had agreed to buy part of it was clearly because he objected to Wang Chong and wanted to teach him a lesson.
As for wealth, the Tongluo had never cared much for gold or silver.
"Wang Chong, Wang Chong, you'll regret this in the future!"
Abutong heartily laughed as he ran!
The Yao Clan and the King Qi Residence were similarly confused.
"Father, what is that brat up to?"
In the Yao Clan Residence, Yao Feng frowned, suspicion on his face. Although he had already been beaten once by Wang Chong, Yao Feng was
no fool.
This move by the Wang Clan was very suspicious.
"If we want to know what they're thinking, we have to know what they want. There's no question that the Wang Clan wants to exchange the spirit vein for money, a massive amount of money!"
Yao Guangyi lowered his head, his eyes flashing with thought.
"But what does the Wang Clan need all this money for? Isn't that brat already as rich as a king? Where could he even use all that money?" Yao Feng asked.
At a certain level, wealth became a concept, a number. Yao Feng had come from one of the elite clans of the Great Tang, so he was more than clear on this subject.
When one accumulated a large enough fortune, it became simply impossible to spend that much money. Further adding to it would only serve to add to a number, but it would not bring any changes to one's life.
"Hmph, we definitely wouldn't be able to spend that much, so that brat definitely can't!"
Yao Guangyi raised his head and sneered.
Yao Guangyi was no fool. The Wang Clan had relied on the Wootz Steel to accumulate an enormous fortune, but part of this fortune had inexplicably vanished.
Although Yao Guangyi hadn't found out what was going on yet, the Yao Clan would probably be able to find some clues soon.
It was just that Wang Chong's thoughts were too profound and unfathomable. There were something that Yao Guangyi couldn't understand, even if they were discovered.
At the very least, Yao Guangyi could see no meaning in these moves!
"Father, if that's the case, then we can't let them succeed!"
A harsh look flashed through Yao Feng's eyes as he immediately replied.
"Hmph! Wrong!"
Yao Guangyi coldly laughed. As he put down the letter, his eyes turned deep and sharp.
"No matter what that brat wants to do with all that money, we should do what we should do. Even if he wants to use that money to start a rebellion tomorrow, we should still buy as much of the spirit vein as we can! Why shouldn't we do something that can benefit our Yao Clan?"
Yao Guangyi stuck out a finger and admonished, "Feng-er, remember this: never let your emotions affect how you do things!"
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 326