This was a very strange feeling. They were clearly much older than Wang Chong, yet this smile was enough to make their hearts waver.
"Young Master Wang, His Majesty has yet to appear. Wait here for the summons!"
After passing on these words, the officials hurriedly left, not daring to delay.
But the mood in front of Taiji Palace only grew more lively, many people watching with anticipation.
This was Wang Chong's first time being rewarded by the Sage Emperor, so he didn't understand the entire process very much. But the old officials watching from the observation platforms knew the process.
Wang Chong's reward for his feats in the southwest was certain to be generous. Given what had happened just now, there would be three decrees in total.
The first decree was to announce the purpose of the Sage Emperor's decree, the Sage Emperor's pronouncement to the world of his intentions.
The second decree would be the true contents of the reward.
But even now, no one knew what sort of reward the Sage Emperor would give to Wang Chong.
"The victory in the southwest is no minor affair. The Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army lost more than four hundred thousand soldiers, far more than the Great Tang. Such a wondrous achievement, and the entire world is watching. I wonder what sort of reward he will be granted?"
"There will definitely be no small amount of silver and gold. To assist the southwest, the Wang Clan expended several million taels of gold. Whether out of emotion or reason, His Majesty should compensate him. But I wonder what other reward there will be?"
"The Great Tang hasn't conferred a noble title in a long time. The Bureau of Rites has been stubborn all this time, but I'm guessing that His Majesty will make an exception this time. But will it be baron, viscount, or… count? But aren't many first-rank officials in the court only counts as well? At his young age, can Wang Chong become one?"
"The people have also been saying that he could be made a general, but Wang Chong has never been in the military. Although the Kunwu Training Camp is also a part of the military, he has no assignment in the army, nor is he registered anywhere. To suddenly be made a general is too much of a promotion. I wonder how His Majesty will get around it?"
……
The officials privately began to converse with each other.
There was no one more interested in this matter than Wang Chong's big uncle, Wang Gen.
"Chong-er, starting from today, you'll ascend into the heavens!"
Wang Gen stroked his black beard as he gazed at the top of the jade steps, excitedly observing Wang Chong. His curiosity toward the reward the Emperor would give to Wang Chong was not one bit inferior to anyone else's.
But Wang Gen was absolutely sure that the reward would not be small.
Time slowly passed. Wang Chong gripped the edict as he stood silently on the jade steps.
After what seemed like both a second and endless years, Wang Chong heard footsteps in his ear, even though his eyes could see nothing new.
These steps were neither slow nor fast, each step made with confidence and ease. As these footsteps approached, Wang Chong suddenly felt like a massive golden wave, towering to the heavens, was sweeping toward him.
Rumble! The entire Taiji Palace and the whole of the Imperial Stairway seemed to shake before this mighty wave.
What a powerful energy!
Wang Chong blinked and broke free of his daze.
The Taiji Palace was the center of the Imperial Palace, the center of the Great Tang. It naturally couldn't shake, and with the Sage Emperor, the strongest expert in the land, presiding over all, nothing would be able to move it.
Not to mention the many officials watching on the Imperial Stairway.
There was no doubt that this had all been an illusion.
But for someone to shake him like this at his level of cultivation meant that they were incredibly powerful.
Wang Chong raised his head and saw a figure, slightly plump and dressed in the cloud brocade robes of a eunuch. His pace was steady and leisurely.
"Young Master Wang, we meet again."
This eunuch held a decree in his hand as he gave Wang Chong a refreshing smile. He was like a laughing Maitreya Buddha, naturally exuding an aura of warmth and affection.
"Eunuch Gao!"
Wang Chong's eyes widened. He instantly recognized this person as the eunuch who had paid him a visit in prison during the Regional Commanders incident.
Besides this, Wang Chong also knew him to have an earthshaking name: Eunuch Director of the Inner Court, Gao Lishi, Eunuch Gao!
While Li Jingzhong, the current attendant of Fifth Prince Li Heng, would be known in the future as a treacherous minister, Gao Lishi had a far more thunderous reputation as the most virtuous official throughout the ages!
In all the dynasties of the Central Plains, he alone was worthy of this reputation.
Gao Lishi did not originally have the surname Gao. His birth name had been Feng Yuanyi. By now, very few people knew of this name. The previous Emperor had conferred the Gao surname on him, resulting in the future Gao Lishi.
Gao Lishi had accompanied the Sage Emperor as he grew up. He was single-mindedly devoted to him, never abandoning him or leaving his side.
In his last life, Wang Chong had heard that when the Sage Emperor died and Eunuch Gao heard of this tragic news, he was so overcome by sorrow that he vomited blood and died. Across all the ages and dynasties, there was only one such person like him.
When Wang Chong heard of this news, he developed a very deep respect for this amiable and plump Eunuch Gao who seemed like the reincarnation of the Maitreya Buddha.
Chapter 551: The Sage Emperor's Intentions! The Storm Over the Capital!
Chapter 551: The Sage Emperor's Intentions! The Storm Over the Capital!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
After what seemed like a mere second and yet like countless epochs, right when Eunuch Gao believed that he would not be able to hear an answer, the great hall resounded with that revered and dignified voice.
"The southwest… It's not the right time yet!"
"Your Majesty!"
Hearing the Sage Emperor's voice, Eunuch Gao mentally shivered. He couldn't help but give a long sigh.
"Is it still because of that child…"
These words were earth-shattering, and if any of the ministers of the court were present, they would definitely have been stupefied. The southwest was on the brink of crisis, yet the Sage Emperor continued to express no stance. The heavens were unfathomable and the Imperial Court's conjectures were fruitless, yet no one would have expected everything to be related to a single youth.
The great hall was quiet, without a single noise. Beneath the many golden curtains, that figure remained unmoving, as towering as the mountains, as distant as the stars. No one knew what the supreme Sage Emperor of the Great Tang was thinking, not even Gao Lishi.
Although he knew many things, he did not know everything.
"Everything has its allotted destiny! Whether it is or it is not, we will quickly find out…"
Behind the curtains, the Sage Emperor did not directly reply to the questions, but these words were enough of an admission.
"But Your Majesty, can five thousand soldiers really change the fate of the southwest? Geluofeng is working together with Dalun Ruozan! The Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army numbers more than five hundred thousand!"
Eunuch Gao pressed his forehead against the ground as he kneeled, the distress evident in his voice.
After serving His Majesty for decades, Gao Lishi had never imagined that he would doubt the Sage Emperor. But the matter of the southwest involved tens of thousands of soldiers and nearly one million civilians! If all their hope was being placed on a single youth, to place their hopes on a hotheaded force that didn't know its own strength, wouldn't they be treating the southwest as a mere game?
The hall was quiet, with no response.
; Gao Lishi felt panicked, cold sweat seeping from his forehead, and even his palms were getting sweaty. This was the first time he had ever questioned the Sage Emperor, but as the eunuch who directed the affairs of the Inner Court and one of the Emperor's retainers, there were some words that he had to say.
"In this world, there is nothing that is impossible. Did you forget how We ascended to the throne?"
"Ah!"
As if given a jolt, Gao Lishi suddenly raised his head.
He naturally knew how the Sage Emperor had ascended to the seat of the Supreme Sovereign of the Nine and Five. No one had viewed the Sage Emperor optimistically back then, and none of the other princes had ever paid him any mind. In the end, however, the Sage Emperor had relied on his great talent in strategy to forge a resplendent and flourishing Great Tang, becoming the Emperor beloved by all.
Gao Lishi had also not expected the Sage Emperor to think so highly of that child that he would compare him to himself.
"We have not misjudged him. When the results from the southwest are made clear, all will naturally be understood. Everything has its destiny. Yuanyi, all you need to know is that it is destined that We have favored him. This is enough. Now, withdraw!"
With his last words, that supreme existence behind the curtains had spoken Gao Lishi's layman name.
Everyone knew of Eunuch Gao, Gao Lishi, yet few people knew that before Eunuch Gao entered the palace, he had the surname 'Feng'. 'Yuanyi' was his actual birth name.
His Majesty rarely spoke his layman name, but once he did, it meant that the conversation was over.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Your lowly servant withdraws!"
Gao Lishi didn't dare to further argue, and obediently took his leave.
After leaving the hall, Gao Lishi stood on the jade steps, gazing at the dazzling golden walls of the Inner Court, his mind in turmoil. Even though he had already seen His Majesty and received an answer, Gao Lishi's doubts had only increased, not decreased.
The southwest, the southwest… Ah, His Majesty's mind has grown even more unfathomable. Wang Yan, I hope that your youngest son won't disappoint His Majesty!
With this thought, Gao Lishi quickly descended the jade steps and left the Taiji Palace.
He had an even more important task to carry out.
……
While Gao Lishi was leaving the Taiji Palace, no one knew that an even more important event had taken place.
Flapflap!
In the last light of the setting sun, a flight of carrier pigeons flew in from the southwest. No one noticed that two of these carrier pigeons flew over the southwest walls, over the many buildings and roofs to enter the Imperial Palace.
"What?! Lion City has been broken!"
In the office of the Bureau of Military Personnel, a steely palm with veins bulging from it smashed against a metal table, almost breaking it in two. This was undoubtedly the most shocking news that had been received in this more than a month of war.
Lion City had been the final and greatest source of comfort for the people of the capital.
Although the Annan Protectorate army had been defeated, the steel fortress that was Lion City had saved almost one hundred thousand soldiers. This was the final barrier for the entire southwest. As long as those soldiers remained, the situation in the southwest would not develop into the worst-case scenario.
Everyone could still cling onto the last sliver of hope.
No one had expected that the Lion City that served as the last bastion of hope for countless people had fallen.
"You're sure that this is accurate? Could it be a mistaken report? Lion City was an almost impenetrable fortress. Wasn't it said to have been constructed with inscribed refined iron? The walls were more than thirty zhang high; how could they be easily broken? Moreover, weren't there almost one hundred thousand soldiers from the Annan Protectorate army there?" that voice harshly asked, tinged with a deep shock. It was clear that the owner of the voice had found this news impossible to accept.
"Milord, this matter has already been confirmed beyond doubt.
"Our people infiltrated the southwest more than a month ago, and this news was a result of their personal investigations and was confirmed three times. In addition, they managed to find a soldier from the Annan Protectorate army who got lost in the rain. This soldier personally confirmed these reports.
"Apparently, the provisions in Lion City were already completely consumed. In order to prevent the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army from starving them out, Protector-General Xianyu and General Wang Yan decided to give up the city and attempt a breakout. Everyone has already left that place, but without the protection of Lion City and with the pursuit of the Tibetan cavalry commanded by Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang, the current status of the Annan Protectorate army is unknown. Everything is up to fate!
"Understanding the seriousness of this news, we endeavored to send it as urgently as possible, without the slightest delay. We've run to death more than twenty top-notch horses! Exhausted to the breaking point more than ten elite scouts! We've also lost ten-some pigeons and eagles. I request Milord to make a decision!"
……
The reporting scout himself seemed very pale.
The Annan Protectorate army was the focus of the Great Tang, and its fate affected the greatest number of people. Although the other protectorates were under attack, the Annan Protectorate was far more important. All the Tang people would pale at the thought of all the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army being run down by the Tibetan cavalry as they fled.
The number of soldiers in the Annan Protectorate army was simply not enough to defeat the five hundred thousand soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army. This was something that everyone knew. No one had expected the Annan Protectorate army to meet a good fate, but once everything was on the verge of becoming reality, no one was willing to accept it.
The moment everyone received this news, their hearts sank, and they felt like a massive rock had been placed on their chests, making it incredibly difficult to breathe.
The Bureau of Military Personnel was eerily silent.
All the important officials of the Bureau of Military Personnel were looking at each other with ashen complexions.
Smash!
The sudden sound of porcelain shattering caused all of them to turn to the source of the noise. They saw that Zhangchou Jianqiong had just crossed the threshold into the room, and the tea cup in his hand had just been shattered to pieces.
At that moment, Zhangchou Jianqiong's face was a sickly green.
"It's over! The southwest is about to be lost!"
"The complete loss of 180,000 elites! How could this be?"
"Reinforcements! Reinforcements! Reinforcements! While we still have a chance, we need to send reinforcements!"
"It's too late! Even if we send troops, they'll be too slow. Moreover, where will get the troops?"
"Does it really have to be like this?"
"A disaster for the Great Tang!"
"This is the worst catastrophe the Central Plains has ever faced!"
……
The Bureau of Military Personnel, the Bureau of Personnel, the Bureau of Works… the news from the southwest seemed to grow wings, spreading within and without the palace, traveling to the offices of each of the Six Bureaus. Like a tsunami, the news of Lion City's fall shook the entire Imperial Court, flooding the entire capital in fear, unease, concern, and all other kinds of emotions.
The air over the capital seemed to freeze, and even the markets grew quiet, with none of their usual bustle.
……
"How could this be? It can't be, it absolutely can't!"
In the Wang Clan Estate, Wang Gen smashed a fist against the table, his chest heaving, his face as white as a sheet of paper.
Wang Yan, Wang Fu, Wang Chong!
The three most brilliant military figures of the Wang Clan were in the southwest, and no one in the capital had received a greater shock from this news!
&nbs
p; Chapter 552: A True Man! The Calm Before the Storm!
Chapter 552: A True Man! The Calm Before the Storm!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Of the four siblings of the Wang Clan, the eldest son was Wang Gen, the second daughter was Wang Rushuang, the third son Wang Yan, and the fourth son was Wang Mi. Wang Rushuang was a woman and had been married out of the family, making her count as half an outsider and unable to inherit the family line. Wang Mi was the leader of the Imperial Army's training camp. Although his rank wasn't low, he couldn't enter the court or the military, so he did not have the authority or status to succeed to the Wang Clan.
The only ones with enough influence to inherit the Wang Clan were the eldest son, Wang Gen, and the third son, Wang Yan.
Wang Gen was a civil official while Wang Yan was a military official, with the brothers occupying almost completely different domains. And the Wang Clan's influence in the military domain rested completely on Wang Yan and his sons.
Although they had competed at the start, their relationship ended up being like a person's left and right legs. Although the legs were aimed in different directions, no person could walk with only one leg. Whether it was the civil track or the military track, if one leg was missing, the Wang Clan's influence would be greatly reduced.
Wang Yan and Wang Fu had been in Lion City, and both of them were prominent commanders in the military and symbolic representatives of the Wang Clan.
With the fall of Lion City, the Tang army was left on the flat and shelterless lands of the southwest against the tens of thousands of Tibetan cavalry. It didn't take much to imagine the fate of Wang Yan and Wang Fu. And the fall of Lion City also placed Wang Chong in even greater peril. The freed-up Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army could now move north, and Wang Chong's army would swiftly be crushed if it were to encounter this force.
"No! Pass on my order! No matter where Chong-er is, find him for me and order him to return to the capital. No! Send people over and bring him back, even if you have to tie him up!"
Wang Gen gripped the edge of the table, his forehead caked in sweat, almost roaring the last few words.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 409