Let alone Xianyu Zhongtong, eight or nine out of every ten Tang generals would probably have suffered defeat at the hands of Geluofeng's sudden and large-scale ambush.
Perhaps some general in another army might be a strategic genius who could use 180,000 soldiers to defeat more than five hundred thousand, the weak overcoming the strong, but Xianyu Zhongtong clearly did not possess this sort of talent. And if this request were put to all the other commanders of the army, probably zero of them would have been able to realize it.
This was why Wang Yan didn't hold any preconceived notions regarding Xianyu Zhongtong.
"There's no need for General to comfort me. How can I not understand what sort of blame and responsibility I shoulder for this battle? One hundred thousand soldiers! Xianyu must bear the blame. Once this battle is over, if I am lucky enough to survive, Xianyu will go to the sacred capital and beg the Son of Heaven for forgiveness!" Xianyu Zhongtong said with a bitter smile.
Others didn't react much to these words, but Wang Chong's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but shoot a flabbergasted glance at Xianyu Zhongtong.
In his last life, he had not participated in this war, so he only knew that the 180,000 elites of the Annan Protectorate army had been wiped out, with Xianyu Zhongtong the sole survivor. After such a major incident, Xianyu Zhongtong actually wanted to whitewash his crimes, doing his utmost to avoid the blame and embellish his performance on the battlefield, engendering a deep disgust and shame in the people.
Wang Chong had heard these criticisms, so he naturally didn't have a very good impression of Xianyu Zhongtong.
But these words of Xianyu Zhongtong's before Wu of Han's Edict to Open Dian had come from the bottom of his heart. Wang Chong could tell that they were not feigned. Xianyu Zhongtong's attitude from his last life and this one were as different as heaven and earth. This was the true demeanor of a responsible Great General.
Is it because my interference altered the course of events, or is it that something happened in that war back then that I didn't realize?
Wang Chong glanced at Xianyu Zhongtong, his mind in turmoil.
Back then, Xianyu Zhongtong had been roundly abused by all of society. If he had acted so responsibly and heroically as he was doing now, then it wouldn't have been the case. As Wang Chong's mind turned, he suddenly thought about Zhangchou Jianqiong in the distant capital. With this flash of insight, Wang Chong understood.
It seems that everything still falls on Zhangchou Jianqiong!
Wang Chong suddenly gave a mental sigh, understanding the crux of the issue.
Mountains and rivers are easier to change than the natures of men. Given Xianyu Zhongtong's innate character, he would never change this much. But if Zhangchou Jianqiong gets involved, everything changes. Xianyu Zhongtong isn't a bad person, nor is Zhangchou Jianqiong, but his desire for authority far surpasses that of others. With such a big incident in the southwest, Zhangchou Jianqiong definitely hold some blame, and he definitely wouldn't be able to hold onto his position. Even if Xianyu Zhongtong is willing to accept the blame, Zhangchou Jianqiong definitely wouldn't. If he interferes, Xianyu Zhongtong would never dare to object and would probably change his mind overnight.
Wang Chong had only met Zhangchou Jianqiong a few times. Even in his last life, Wang Chong was not someone who could easily get in touch with an Imperial Great General. He had only been able to understand this 'Tiger of the Empire' through the mouths of others.
However, their few meetings had been enough for this former Annan Protector-General to leave an incredibly deep impression on Wang Chong's mind.
No one had ever managed to leave such a deep impression on Wang Chong.
Whether it was subsidizing Yang Zhao and sending him to the capital to get in touch with Consort Taizhen, obstinately entering the capital when the old Minister of War retired and beginning to build social connections to obtain the position for himself, or handing Wang Chong his private token after only a few words of conversation…
This Tiger of the Empire's southwest had a consistent desire for authority that was impossible to change.
The resolve and daring that had sprung from this driving principle was enough to make anyone sigh in praise.
In the southwest war, many people paid attention to Xianyu Zhongtong and the 180,000 elites of the Annan Protectorate, but they forgot about Zhangchou Jianqiong in the distant capital. Xianyu Zhongtong is Zhangchou Jianqiong's subordinate, his hand-picked successor. If Zhangchou Jianqiong makes a request, Xianyu Zhongtong won't be able to reject it, Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
Moreover… everything truly has changed!
When the 180,000 soldiers were wiped out, Xianyu Zhongtong, as the commander-in-chief, couldn't escape the blame and faced death. So he attempted to whitewash his crimes and avoid responsibility, as not doing so would mean death. But right now, eighty thousand still remained of the original 180,000, so though Xianyu Zhongtong still held part of the blame, his fate was not one of certain death.
As long as things didn't reach that state, Xianyu Zhongtong would clearly remain a self-aware commander-in-chief.
The times make the man!
Wang Chong inwardly sighed, not knowing whether he was feeling happiness or sadness, or some other emotion.
Xianyu Zhongtong was a straightforward man and a Tang commander, and he didn't have a bad nature. As long as there was a sliver of a chance, Wang Chong didn't want this general of the empire to become the reviled traitor from his last life.
"Hyah!"
Wang Chong took in a deep breath and urged his horse forward, riding past the stele and toward the base of the mountain. Over there, Wang Chong could already see a few familiar faces waiting for him.
"Hahaha, Young Master, you're finally here!"
Before Wang Chong could speak, a thin and short old man, fifty-some years old and dressed in green, strode forward, his eyes bright and his arms wide open in welcome.
"I just knew that you would succeed, definitely succeed!"
The old man beamed, the excitement in his heart evident through his words.
"Hahaha, Zhang Shouzhi, Sir Zhang, you truly didn't let me down… I've had you wait a long time!"
Wang Chong dismounted from the White-hoofed Shadow and tightly gripped Zhang Shouzhi's hands.
This graying old man before him was naturally the great craftsman of the Bureau of Works, the true architect of Lion City, and the greatest contributor to the southwest war: Zhang Shouzhi. Although the entire Annan Protectorate army had only broken out of the siege through yesterday's rainstorm, Zhang Shouzhi and his party had actually escaped much earlier.
"Haha, the defeat in the southwest truly had me worried for a while. But when I heard that Young Master was coming south, I knew that the empire's southwest would be safe. Young Master, seeing you is truly wonderful!"
Zhang Shouzhi energetically gripped Wang Chong's hands, his strength seeming to convey that he was placing all his hopes on Wang Chong.
Wang Chong said nothing, only released his grip and returned with a warm and grateful hug.
The old man before him had clearly grown much thinner since their last meeting in the capital, more than a year ago, and his complexion seemed much more haggard. To build an imposing city of steel that could hold off the attacks of more than five hundred thousand soldiers from nothing in around a year on this vast plain…
Such an impressive feat of engineering could not pulled off by anyone except this old man before him.
Wang Chong felt nothing but heartfelt respect for this old man. Nobody could deny that Zhang Shouzhi had played a large part in the survival of the eighty thousand soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army.
"I've put you through a lot of trouble!" Wang Chong said with deep emotion.
"Young Master's words are too much. In truth, we should be the ones thanking you!"
Zhang Shouzhi leaned his head toward the youth.
From his contemptuous gaze at the start to the shock
when constructing to the city, and then to the sighs of admiration now… only Zhang Shouzhi understood what he had experienced. In Lion City, he had been praised as a hero by the entire Annan Protectorate army, but Zhang Shouzhi knew that Wang Chong was the true hero behind the curtains.
When he had still been hesitating about constructing the city and was still only thinking about engineering as an art, Wang Chong was already seeing the entire fate of the southwest, already thinking about the lives of the 180,000 soldiers of the empire and the almost one million civilians. In the end, everything had proved Wang Chong's foresight to be correct.
Even Zhang Shouzhi had only realized what he was doing when he saw the more than one hundred thousand soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army rushing to enter the city!
Those high in the court should worry for the people, and those who live amongst the rivers and lakes should worry about the sovereign1!
On the face of this youth still tinged with a childish air, Zhang Shouzhi felt like he could see a pure affection for this country. This youth's heart seemed to possess a burning passion for the Central Plains, for the Great Tang… Zhang Shouzhi had never felt this passion on anyone else before.
"Haha, Old Zhang, there's no need to say any more. All of this was forged by the both of us! Without you, I would never be able to accomplish all this," Wang Chong said.
The two smiled at each other, saying no more. There were some things that they knew without needing to say them.
The appearance of Lion City was one miracle, its appearance altering the fate of the southwest. Both now and in the future, no one would be able to deny this. More importantly, this peril had tightly connected the two of them.
Wang Chong and Zhang Shouzhi were tied through an invisible cord.
Wang Chong had gained Zhang Shouzhi's eternal trust, and Zhang Shouzhi had gained Wang Chong's eternal confidence!
______________
1.This line is from 'Memorial to Yueyang Tower' by Fan Zhongyan, an eminent official and chancellor of the Northern Song Dynasty. Thus, historically, this line has not actually been written yet, though since this is an alternate reality, the time period may be a mixture of dynasties. The meaning of this quote is that while the officials should worry about ills of the common people, the common people should also worry about the fate of the country. The author seems to have mixed up this quote, as he put 'sovereign' in the first part and 'people' in the second part, just changing the intent to mean that the officials should only worry about pleasing the sovereign and the people should only worry about getting their due.
Chapter 555: The Final Plans! The Quarrel in the Tent!
Chapter 555: The Final Plans! The Quarrel in the Tent!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Eited by: Michyrr
"Young Master!"
"Young Master!"
……
Zhang Shouzhi was not the only one waiting at the base of the mountain. There were also Zhang Shouzhi's disciples and students, as well as the craftsman and foremen who had worked in the construction of Lion City and the merchants and guards who transported the supplies. Once Wang Chong and Zhang Shouzhi finished greeting each other, these people began to step forward to offer their greetings.
Wang Chong also began to greet them back.
"I've troubled all of you!"
"It's no trouble at all. How can it compare to Young Master's efforts!"
"That's right! Everyone is talking about how even though Young Master was far away in the capital, you already foresaw this war. For you to send us here to work for the sake of the Great Tang, for the sake of the Central Plains, it's our great honor!"
"Yes, Young Master! If you need us to do anything, we'll do our best to carry it out!"
……
This was actually their first meeting with Wang Chong, but all of them were excitedly chattering.
In Lion City, Wang Chong had practically become a legend. Moreover, as the war progressed and everything began to align with Wang Chong's predictions, these rumors and legends began to spread even more rapidly. Just like everyone, these craftsmen were very curious to see the leader who was behind everything, who had directed the construction of Lion City, the crucial point in this war.
And when they heard that Wang Chong was coming to the southwest, the craftsmen had all buzzed with excitement.
Compared to controlling everything from the distant capital, personally coming to the empire's southwest would be far more effective and influential.
"Mm!"
Wang Chong gave a firm nod, his heart soothed as he accepted these ardent gazes.
Once he had exchanged greetings with everyone, Wang Chong turned his head and asked Zhang Shouzhi, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Lady Xu has already informed me." Now that they were talking of a serious matter, Zhang Shouzhi nodded, his expression turning stern.
"Everything has already been delivered, though even I don't quite understand what their purpose is. I'm afraid that Young Master's instruction will be required."
Saying this, Zhang Shouzhi's expression turned a little strange. He was a grandmaster of civil engineering, yet he had never seen or heard of the items that Wang Chong had had Xu Qiqin send over.
If he hadn't seen it for himself, Zhang Shouzhi would never have believed that Wang Chong was an even more accomplished engineer than he was.
"Haha, there's naturally no problem with that!"
Seeing the look in Zhang Shouzhi's eyes, Wang Chong naturally knew what he was thinking, but there was no need to explain.
At least they were promptly delivered!
Not even Zhang Shouzhi noticed that Wang Chong had inwardly heaved a great sigh of relief. With Xu Qiqin having delivered the items, the most important phase of Wang Chong's plan was half-complete.
"Where are they? Take me to see them!" Wang Chong said.
………
On the summit of the mountain, many large metal boxes had been neatly lined up. These boxes were all placed in an obscured area of the mountain, and coupled with the fact that they were all black, they were very difficult to see unless one was close by.
As Wang Chong approached, he could make out the emblems of the capital's various sword-smithing clans, sword shops and sword smiths on the boxes.
And amongst all these boxes, the symbol of the Wang Clan was the most prominent of all.
These truly had been sent from the capital!
Seeing the familiar emblems of his clan on these boxes, Wang Chong gave a long sigh of relief.
"This is only a small part of what Lady Xu sent over. More of them have been concealed at the back of the mountain," Zhang Shouzhi commented.
Wang Chong nodded as he unsheathed his sword and thrust it into a chink in the box. With a pop, the box opened.
"What is this?"
At this moment, Old Eagle, Xu Shiping, Xu Andun and the others also arrived. As they looked at the strangely shaped objects in the boxes, everyone except Old Eagle revealed curious expressions.
Even Wang Chong's father, Wang Yan, and Xianyu Zhongtong also seemed curious.
From the moment the battle with Huoshu Huicang concluded, Wang Chong had pushed the army to march day and night, as fast as wind and fire, to reach this place.
But no one knew why he had chosen this place. Yet no matter what Wang Chong did, there was one thing that everyone could be sure of: it had to do with these large boxes on the mountain.
"This is… our last hope for survival!"
With these words, Wang Chong suddenly thrust his hands into the box, grabbed a piece of steel, and flung it out.
This piece of steel flew into the air, spinning several times before stabbing into the ground.
………
It was impossible to describe the thoughts of the Tibetan army as the storm clouds scattered and the sky began to clear.
"It's finally over!"
Longqinba looked up at the sky and mentally sighed in relief. This very normal si
gn of changing weather felt like it had taken ten thousand years in Longqinba's mind.
"I'd like to see where you can run without the help of the rain!"
The dark clouds had not completely scattered, only greatly thinned out. It was still a far cry from a clear sky, but this was enough for Longqinba and the Tibetan cavalry.
As long as they didn't have the cover of the pouring rain, the Tang ambushes were useless. The ambushes and raids they had used last night were an impossible task today.
As Longqinba drew back his gaze from the sky and looked around, he saw that his fellow Tibetan commanders shared the same expression.
"Haha, once my army catches up to them, I'll tear each of them to pieces! I can finally vent all my hatred!"
Longqinba's eyes were dark and sinister, and a killing aura suffused his complexion.
In the battle from last night, Longqinba had nearly been killed by an ambush from Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong, the two highest Tang commanders in the southwest. If the Great General hadn't come with reinforcements, he might have died.
Longqinba had grown up in the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple and had always had a high opinion of himself. This sort of disgrace was impossible for him to endure.
Boom!
While Longqinba was lost in his thoughts, the earth began to quake. A majestic energy spiraled up into the sky like a tornado as a furious roar reverberated through the entire camp.
"Bastard thing! You should be executed on the spot!"
Whoosh! A furious gale swept over the land as the power within that voice caused the air currents in a radius of several hundred zhang to be thrown into chaos. Great General Huoshu Huicang's furious bellows caused even Longqinba to suddenly feel stifled, a tinge of fear appearing on his face.
It's good thing that I wasn't the one pursuing Wang Yan last night! Longqinba inwardly rejoiced.
He suddenly counted himself lucky that it was Jiaosiluo the Swordfanged Beast and Fengjiayi the Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao that had been sent after Wang Yan while he had remained at the Great General's side.
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