The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  "Jiaosiluo, let's go! Quickly! The Great General and the Mengshe Zhao elites are still behind us. They won't be able to escape!"

  Fengjiayi suddenly turned around and shouted, but he was surprisingly speaking in Tibetan.

  As the Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao, Fengjiayi was not only an accomplished warrior. By the time he had entered the capital of the Great Tang to become a hostage, he had already learned quite a few foreign languages. He hadn't only learned Tibetan, Turkic, Goguryeon, and the various languages of the Western Regions, he had also learned the language of the Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu. Fengjiayi was proficient in everything he attempted, a true genius of both the pen and the sword.

  The white tiger opened its mouth and replied in Tibetan, "Don't rush. Wait for me to kill this brat first!" Jiaosiluo had boundless strength, charging left and right as he stared at Wang Chong on the summit. The mountain range was currently covered in the corpses of Tibetans and their highland steeds, and all of it was because of that brat on the summit.

  Deaths were inevitable on the battlefield, and Jiaosiluo was never one to get sentimental. He wouldn't even feel much if all his subordinates died. But Jiaosiluo did have a deep desire for victory, and this brat on the summit had now become a stumbling block for the Tibetans, so Jiaosiluo wanted to kill him.

  I should have killed him from the start. I truly underestimated him too much! Jiaosiluo mentally bellowed in fury.

  His Ksitigarbha White Tiger Halo originated from the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple. It was one of the supreme martial arts that greatly boosted his power. As a result, he was actually much less hard-pressed than Fengjiayi. Although the Annan Protectorate army had many experts, as long as he was willing to pay a price, he was still capable of killing the brat.

  "Jiaosiluo, don't act on emotion! The Great General will be here soon, and this is a flat land, so they have nowhere to run. We'll have plenty of chances to kill them! As long as we can endure and meet up with the main army, their deaths are assured!"

  Fengjiayi was a perceptive person, so he knew what Jiaosiluo was thinking and immediately urged him to think otherwise.

  Jiaosiluo was a typical fierce general, his mind only on battle with little care for anything else. But though he didn't care about the deaths of the Tibetan cavalry, Fengjiayi did. The alliance between Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang would have other places to show its power in the future. Fengjiayi's ambitions were not limited to the southwestern corner of the Great Tang!

  ……

  "Don't let them escape; hold them down!

  "Master archer square, hear my order. Forward and to the left, thirty-eight hundred steps, fire as one!

  "Inform the cavalry to do all they can to pierce through the Tibetan ranks!"

  Although Wang Chong had never once participated in the fierce battle taking place before him, he issued order after fatal order. The superior general broke the enemy's schemes, and victory in a battle was far more important than victory over an individual person.

  "Congratulations to user for killing 45744 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 47915 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 48416 Tibetan cavalry!"

  ……

  A string of messages echoed through Wang Chong's mind. Of the almost eighty thousand Tibetan cavalry, Wang Chong's forces had killed almost fifty thousand. The whinnies of the highland steeds and the screams of humans could be heard all over the battlefield. With enemies at both the front and rear, there was no more room for cavalry to charge.

  Right now, the Tibetans were merely infantry.

  And what they were facing was the world's most organized, disciplined, coordinated, and powerful infantry force, the infantry of the Great Tang. The result of this competition between infantry and 'infantry' was easily imaginable!

  "We've lost! There are too many Tang soldiers!"

  "Impossible—we clearly had more soldiers, so how did it become like this!"

  "Retreat, retreat! We can't win… Why are there so many Tang soldiers!"

  "Quickly find the Great General. We've lost too many soldiers. Only the Great General can deal with them now!"

  ……

  The battle extended from the base of the mountains to the summit, and the morale of the Tibetans had reached an absolute low. None of them had ever expected this battle to turn out like this. They had clearly come with more soldiers than the Annan Protectorate army, but in the end, they felt like they were outnumbered by the Tang soldiers.

  It was like having a body filled with strength but no way to use it.

  Buzz!

  Seeing that the situation was dangerous, Fengjiayi suddenly took out a thumb-sized pill from his bosom and swallowed it down. His strength instantly swelled, and he pushed Wang Yan away with his sword and retreated back the way he came.

  "Stop fighting and leave! If we stay here, our forces will be completely wiped out!"

  Fengjiayi sent out several harsh streams of Sword Qi and then pressed his right hand against the ground, summoning nine more of those fearless metal men. After warding off the Tang soldiers, he pulled at Jiaosiluo, who had regained his human form, and leaped away.

  Boomboomboom!

  With these two fierce generals doing their all to break out, it was impossible for the Tang soldiers to stop them. It took only a few moments for the pair to force open a gap and lead their army down the mountain.

  "After them!"

  Wang Chong's expression flickered. Thrusting the banner back into the ground, he leaped onto the White-hoofed Shadow and began charging down the summit in pursuit.

  Wang Chong had never once participated in this battle, not even when Fengjiayi reached the summit. Now, however, he had immediately decided to charge down and enter the battlefield.

  "Young Master Chong, careful—a desperate enemy is dangerous…"

  In the army, Chen Shusun hastily shouted, worried for Wang Chong's safety.

  "The proper general knows when to pursue the fleeing enemy! Uncle Chen, all officers, hear my order! Pursue the enemy! Don't let them escape!"

  Wang Chong issued the order as he chased after the Tibetans.

  The Tibetan morale was broken, their commanders had fled, and their army was in complete disorder. This was the best chance to widen their gains in this battle. The Tibetans wouldn't give them this chance again the next time they met on the battlefield.

  On the summit, Wang Yan surveyed the battlefield with a profound and imposing gaze. He muttered to himself for only a few moments before immediately giving the exact same order as Wang Chong.

  "After them!"

  This time, the generals did not hesitate. The Annan Protectorate army rallied, their shouts to kill shaking the heavens as they followed the fleeing Tibetan army like an avalanche.

  "Kiiiill!"

  The heaven-shaking shouts were echoed on all sides!

  For the first time in this calamity of the southwest, they had finally achieved victory!

  Chapter 536: Argument! Zhangchou Jianqiong's Token!

  Chapter 536: Argument! Zhangchou Jianqiong's Token!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "After them!"

  The Tang army closely pursued the fleeing Tibetans. Only after chasing them for ten-some li and killing several thousand more Tibetans did the Tang army finally give up the chase. Vision was limited in this downpour, and the Tibetans were running with all their might, so not even Wang Chong could completely wipe them out.

  But the results of this battle had still completely surpassed everyone's expectations.

  Forty-thousand-some soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army had fought against a force of seventy thousand primarily made of Tibetan cavalry, yet for the price of only five to six thousand soldiers, they had eliminated more than fifty thousand cavalry. This ten-to-one ratio in casualties was something that no one had expected to see.

  The morale of the Annan Protec
torate army was high, and they were all eager to fight.

  "Young Master, what should we do next?"

  In a place ten-some li from the mountain range, the generals stopped and began to looked through the pouring rain at Wang Chong, respect in their eyes.

  Wang Chong was no noble or official, nor was he a soldier of the Annan Protectorate army.

  For such a person to take command of an army was unthinkable. After all, Wang Chong was probably the youngest person in the entire army, with many of the generals even being old enough to be his father. And this wasn't even considering the fact that around ninety percent of the Annan Protectorate army's officer core had never seen him before.

  But no one would quarrel about his command now.

  These officers had been fighting Fengjiayi and Jiaosiluo for quite some time, and they had always been on the losing side. Things only began to change when this youth ascended to the summit and took the reins of the army. One could say that without this youth, many of the people present would have died on that mountain behind them.

  Heroism did not consider one's background. By now, nobody paid any attention to Wang Chong's age or his lack of rank or title.

  This youth possessed a talent for command that far surpassed any of the other people present. If there was one person that could lead them all out of their current predicament, it would have to be this youth. This quality was far more important than the fact that he was Wang Yan's youngest son or that he carried King Song's token.

  This was the consensus shared by all the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army present.

  "We don't need to worry about Jiaosiluo and Fengjiayi for the moment. The urgent task should be to find Lord Xianyu Zhongtong and join up with him as quickly as possible," Wang Chong firmly said.

  He had come to this conclusion some time ago. The soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army led by his father and big brother were only forty thousand, only a part of the initial eighty thousand. If they did not find Xianyu Zhongtong as quickly as possible and combine with the army he commanded, they would be doomed if they ran into Huoshu Huicang.

  "But we don't even know where they are!"

  At this point, Chen Shusun rode over from the rear, his expression solemn. As the rain washed down his armor, it came away with a greenish-gray tinge.

  "In addition, our initial objective was to break out and leave, doing the utmost to preserve everyone's lives. If we turn around, we'll be taking a large risk. Without the protection of this mountain range, we'll be at the geographic disadvantage, and the Tibetans will just run us down over the plains. Besides, Huoshu Huicang and the bulk of the Tibetan army are hurrying over to this area. If we go back to find Lord Xianyu, the delay might mean that we run into the Tibetan army, and I don't think any of us will be able to come away from that alive. And the entire army will be wiped out with us! This isn't Lion City anymore! From the moment we left Lion City, we stopped having any walls or natural barriers to rely on."

  These words instantly caused the other generals to fall into deep thought.

  Another Annan Protectorate army officer voiced his agreement. "That's right—from the moment we left Lion City, we no longer had a way to go back. Since Fengjiayi has already found us, Huoshu Huicang and Geluofeng probably already know where we are and their armies are probably headed for us right now. Each moment we tarry here increase the danger that we're in!"

  "The Annan Protectorate army definitely can't be buried here. If the army is wiped, the Annan Protectorate will exist only in name!" another officer agreed.

  Another commander rode his horse forward and said, "In truth, before we attempted the breakout, everyone already understood. The combined army of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang is sweeping away everything before it, and it's not something any of us can stop. It's wishful thinking to hope that everyone can retreat. There are some people who simply won't be able to escape, everything depending on one's own luck. That's how it is for us and everyone else. I'm sure Lord Xianyu understands this principle as well. Everyone will have to depend on themselves to see if they can escape."

  What followed was a long silence.

  The only sound was that of raindrops plinking against armor. Wang Chong said nothing, but as his gaze swept over the surrounding generals of the southwest, his brow slowly furrowed.

  I didn't think that Xianyu Zhongtong would lose the confidence of the Annan Protectorate army so quickly, Wang Chong quietly said to himself. When Zhangchou Jianqiong entered the capital, Xianyu Zhongtong was hurriedly promoted. Perhaps it would have been fine if he had some merit to make up for his defeats, but after the defeat in the southwest and the loss of more than one hundred thousand elites on the Erhai plains, there are probably many people unhappy with him! They're just not saying it right now, that's all.

  He had never clearly understood what had happened with the Annan Protectorate army's mobilization, but now that he thought about it, there had probably been many dissatisfied voices in the army, and perhaps quite a few who objected to Zhangchou Jianqiong's choice for promotion. The loss at Erhai had caused Xianyu Zhongtong to completely lose the hearts of his soldiers.

  Many people were stepping up to oppose Wang Chong's decision now only because they wanted to vent their discontent.

  The army hasn't even gotten out of desperate straits and the Annan Protectorate army's officers are already arguing with each other. This definitely isn't a good thing!

  Wang Chong mentally sighed.

  He finally understood why a part of the Annan Protectorate army had followed his big brother and father while another part had followed Xianyu Zhongtong. Objectively speaking, Xianyu Zhongtong definitely held a great deal of responsibility for the defeat on the Erhai plains, but one also had to frankly admit that this was because Xianyu Zhongtong didn't have the ability to be a protector-general.

  And this was a result of Zhangchou Jianqiong's selfishness. But if one cast this aside, Xianyu Zhongtong was actually a rather decent commander. During this upheaval, he had never once thought about throwing in his lot with the enemy. This was the final result that could be expected when someone incapable was promoted to a high position.

  Thus, Wang Chong actually didn't have that bad an impression of him.

  Buzz!

  As these thoughts flew through his mind, Wang Chong quickly reached a decision. His right hand reached into his bosom, to a place very close to his chest, and extracted an object. It was not King Song's dazzling token, but some pitch-black object.

  "Ah! This is… the Protector-General's token!"

  At first, the officers had viewed Wang Chong's actions with confusion, but as they began to clearly make out the black tigerhead token that Wang Chong wielded high in the air, all of them felt a shiver in their bodies and hurriedly bowed. The officers who had protested the most even dismounted their horses in fright and got down on one knee.

  "I didn't think that Young Master would have Lord Protector-General's token. Does Milord have any order that he wished to pass on?"

  The officers all had their heads lowered, their voices tinged with respect, panic, and unease.

  This effect was not something that Wang Chong could produce using King Song's token.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong had been Protector-General of the southwest for several decades, ruling with an iron fist and gaining the title of Tiger of the Empire. When he stood guard, Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang remained apprehensive, not daring to act rashly. Geluofeng and Dalun Ruozan had waited for Zhangchou Jianqiong to move to the capital before starting their war.

  One could easily imagine Zhangchou Jianqiong's reputation in the southwest.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong had made the southwest his territory, a fact evident from the scene taking place before Wang Chong. Though he had now been Minister of War for months, the officers of the southwest still respectfully referred to him as 'Protector-General' and not 'Minister'.

  It seems that requesting Zhangchou Jianqiong's private token before leaving was the correct
decision.

  Wang Chong mentally sighed as he looked on.

  Xianyu Zhongtong had already lost the confidence of his troops, and the grudges they held were too deep. In other words, the southwest was actually in a leaderless state. Not even King Song's token could do anything about this. But Zhangchou Jianqiong's token… this was currently the only method to mollify all the current conflicts and have all the officers of the southwest listen to his orders.

  "To see the token is the same as seeing the person. I presume that Lord Zhangchou has told all of you this," Wang Chong calmly said, unaware that a faint coercive aura was slowly rising from his body.

  "Before leaving for the southwest, I discussed the matter with Lord Zhangchou. Milord said that once I arrive here, all the matters of the southwest will fall under my authority, and that I will handle matters in his place. Thus, anyone who dares to defy my orders will be executed. All will be carried out with his full authority. Do you understand?"

  Wang Chong's voice was composed and stern. At this moment, there was none of the childishness of youth. Not even the veteran officers of the army could compare to him right now.

  "Yes!"

  "Since Young Master has Lord Protector-General's token, we will naturally unflinchingly follow Young Master's orders! We will be at your beck and call!"

  ……

  The officers lowered their heads, none of them even daring to breathe too loudly.

  "Young Master…"

  On the side, Chen Shusun watched on in amazement, his entire person stupefied.

  King Song's token, Zhangchou Jianqiong's token…

  These two extremely important symbols of authority were not something that ordinary people could even dream of holding, but Wang Chong had both of them. Chen Shusun had always believed that Wang Chong had run off on his own to the southwest. Now, however, not even he understood what was really happening. The Youngest Master of the clan seemed to be hiding more secrets than he had imagined.

  "There's no need for you to follow my beck and call, but there is one thing that I must make clear. The geography of the southwest is relatively flat, with few mountains and many hills. Do any of you believe that we can really run faster than the Tibetan cavalry? From the start, escaping the southwest and safely retreating was an impossibility. We have no other choice but to fight.