The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  On that day, the long-extinguished flames of ambition began to burn within Fumeng Lingcha once more.

  The battle at the triangular gap was a rare opportunity that he could never let go.

  The messenger quickly left the hall, the clerk quickly drafted the memorial, and finally, a messenger bird soared into the air, flying toward the capital.

  ……

  "Lord Marquis possesses divine foresight. The Qixi Protectorate was brightly lit until the third quarter of the Zi Period, upon which a messenger bird flew off in the direction of the capital."

  Not long after Fumeng Lingcha made his decision, a scout quickly rushed away from the Qixi Protectorate headquarters and into Wang Chong's residence. After the battle at the triangular gap, Wang Chong had dispatched soldiers to keep an eye on the Qixi Protectorate. Just like how Fumeng Lingcha had sent people to keep a close eye on Wang Chong, Wang Chong had sent people to carefully observe Fumeng Lingcha's movements.

  "Lord Marquis, as expected, Fumeng Lingcha couldn't restrain himself."

  A chorus of laughter echoed through the room. Upon hearing the scout's report, Xu Keyi turned to look at Wang Chong, an unsurprised look on his face. The City of Steel had been just as brightly lit as the Qixi Protectorate. Li Siye, Su Shixuan, Cheng Sanyuan, and all the other officers under Wang Chong's command had gathered to silently wait for movement from the Qixi Protectorate.

  "I understand. You're dismissed."

  Wang Chong lightly waved his hand to have the scout withdraw.

  "Lord Marquis! Fumeng Lingcha has already moved. Should we move as well and send Dayan Mangban's head to the Imperial Court to give him a surprise?" Cheng Sanyuan inquired.

  Dayan Mangban's corpse had already been packed in a chest and secretly transported back. This was a crucial piece of evidence, and as long as it was turned over to the Imperial Court, it would definitely give Fumeng Lingcha a big 'surprise'.

  "There's no need."

  Wang Chong grinned and waved his hand to reject Cheng Sanyuan's suggestion.

  "Fumeng Lingcha is a crafty fellow. Whether it's when he let Dayan Mangban through his defenses or stole the credit from us on the plateau, he always has the proper excuses. Even if we report this matter to the Imperial Court, he would only be charged with giving a false report and taking credit for himself. This isn't enough to deal him a lethal blow. On the other hand, once this matter is exposed, Fumeng Lingcha will feel humiliated and then his humiliation will turn into rage. He'll throw everything aside and crazily try to get revenge. In the end, we would just end up overshooting and bring more trouble to ourselves."

  "Ah!"

  The officers all glanced at each other, momentarily speechless.

  "Lord Marquis means that we should be patient for now," Li Siye suddenly said. "But if we do so, then Fumeng Lingcha might become even more insatiable, which is certainly not a good result for us."

  "That's right!"

  "General Li's words are reasonable."

  The officers all voiced their agreement.

  Fumeng Lingcha had too high of a status, and between moving against him and not, both choices were wrong. Moreover, that he dared to so brazenly snatch the credit for the victory in front of them showed that he had no scruples. There was no telling what he would do next.

  "Haha, Fumeng Lingcha will have to be dealt with, but not through some minor itch like a lack of evidence for his reports to the court. Everyone, relax. I have everything planned out. If everything goes as expected, Fumeng Lingcha will be completely removed from his place as Qixi Protector-General in less than a month," Wang Chong indifferently said.

  These understated words were like explosions at the ears of these officers. All of them trembled, their eyes widening as they turned to Wang Chong in shock. Protector-Generals and Great Generals were not ordinary individuals, and it was definitely not an easy task to shift these people from their positions.

  That Wang Chong could so simply determine the fate of an Imperial Great General was a massive shock to these officers. Anyone who heard him would find these words difficult to believe, but deep within their hearts, these officers believed that Wang Chong really could pull it off.

  Wang Chong had already done far too many miraculous things. When everyone else was claiming that it was impossible, Wang Chong was singlehandedly making it into reality.

  Wang Chong only smiled at these stares, giving no further explanation.

  Fumeng Lingcha's presence in Qixi was now of dubious worth. He showed little initiative and was liable to hinder Wang Chong in many aspects. His desire for material gain meant that he would rarely put the interests of the Great Tang first, and in the future Battle of Talas, he was certain to be a massive obstacle.

  For the sake of the Great Tang, the soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate army, and the soldiers of Qixi, Wang Chong had to remove him from the position of Qixi Protector-General. But he said none of this to his subordinates.

  "Zhang Que, how is the matter that I asked you about?"

  Wang Chong turned to the corner of the hall, where Zhang Que had been lurking in the shadows. On his shoulder was that small but fierce rock eagle, its eyes exuding a searing light. Wang Chong's words quickly made Zhang Que the focus of attention.

  "Replying to Lord Marquis: everything is ready. We are following the target according to Lord Marquis's orders."

  Zhang Que walked out of the gloom, pressing his right hand against his chest as he bowed.

  The officers looked at each other, confused as to what Wang Chong and Zhang Que were talking about. This youth from the capital had studied under Old Eagle for seven or eight years and had arrived with a tender and immature face. But after the baptism of two battles, Zhang Que was now much more mature and steady, his childish face appearing a little more weathered, a little more reliable.

  "Mm. Remember to not expose yourselves. Do everything according to my orders," Wang Chong indifferently said.

  "This subordinate understands."

  Zhang Que bowed again and quickly left, vanishing into the darkness.

  The Tibetans won't be able to threaten Qixi for a short time, so I should begin on the other matter.

  Wang Chong looked forward, his mind abuzz with countless thoughts.

  The matter of the triangular gap coupled with that one future incident would decide Fumeng Lingcha's fate, probably toppling him from his position. He just simply needed to wait a little longer. In comparison, this other matter was far more urgent.

  "Xu Keyi, I have a silk bag here. I've written down all the orders and put them within. Just do as they say and finish this matter as quickly as possible."

  As Wang Chong spoke, he thrust his right hand into his sleeve and removed a green silk bag.

  "Yes! Lord Marquis!"

  Xu Keyi took the bag and immediately left. After the southwest, Zhangzhung, and the triangular gap, the officers had branded the image of the farsighted and invincible Wang Chong deep into their minds.

  No matter what Wang Chong said or what order he gave, they would immediately obey and carry it out to the utmost.

  Chapter 800: Progress on the Slurry Road!

  Around seven or eight hundred kilometers to the southwest of Wushang were mountains, a land of lush forests and precipitous cliffs. There were no roads here, yet starting from two months ago, more than one hundred people had traversed the area, cutting down thorns and brambles as they ventured deep into the mountains.

  No one knew what they were up to, only that they had spent more than a month opening up a path through the mountains. And then they had begun to dig as if searching for something.

  "Everyone, work hard! Lord Marquis has decreed that if we can find that lu ore, everyone will be richly rewarded! From that moment onward, all of you will be able to drink and eat as you please! This is a rare opportunity that might not even come up once in a thousand years!

  "Don't be discouraged, don't be dejected! If Lord Marquis says it's here, then it must be here!

&
nbsp; "Those of you who participated in the war of the southwest know that Lord Marquis has always been a god-like figure. He has never lied. If everyone works well, Lord Marquis definitely won't let you down!"

  A thirty-some-year-old supervisor was standing on a large rock, his booming voice ringing through the mountains as he exhorted the workers.

  "Milord!"

  As the digging continued, a panicked voice came from outside. A bare-chested man of some thirty years ran toward the supervisor, almost tripping over himself in his haste.

  "There are lots of people outside. You need to go and take a look."

  "What?!"

  The astonished supervisor quickly jumped down from the rock.

  "Just what nonsense are you babbling? There's no one but us in this place."

  "Milord, I'm not lying. Go and see for yourself."

  The bare-chested man had a panicked expression. Meanwhile, their conversation had quickly attracted the attention of all the other workers. A few moments later, there was a thunderous rumbling and a cloud of dust as horsemen began to ride up the road these workers had opened up.

  The supervisor felt suffocated as he looked at the massive cloud of dust. From the rumbling of the hooves and the size of the dust cloud, there were at least one thousand people in this group of outsiders.

  Just who are these people? There's no one else in these mountains but us. Could it be some nearby group of bandits?

  This was the first idea that came to the alarmed supervisor.

  Bandits and brigands were the tyrants of the Silk Road to the west, and if someone had appeared here, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that they were bandits from a nearby mountain.

  Could it be that we made too much of a stir and attracted these bandits?

  The supervisor's mind was overcome with his worries.

  "Lei Peng?"

  At this moment, a thunderous voice rose from the cloud of dust. As the confused supervisor was still trying to understand what was going on, a muscular and swarthy hand clutching a token was thrust out of the cloud of dust.

  "Yes!"

  Lei Peng was flabbergasted, but he immediately recognized the token. Only one person in all of the Great Tang would use this token.

  But why did Lord Marquis send them over? It's not the appointed time yet.

  Despite his questions, Lei Peng was now much more relaxed.

  "The battle on the western lines has concluded. Lord Marquis has decreed that the mining of the lu ore should be hastened."

  As the dust settled, an armored horseman rode out. His expression was grim, and a mustache sat atop his lips. He appeared to have some status, and as more and more figures continued to ride up behind him, one could see that he truly did have more than one thousand people with him.

  "But we've been digging for more than a month now and still haven't found any lu ore. Isn't it a little too much to begin expanding the work force? What if… it could just be wasting manpower and resources, and we would be greatly disappointing Lord Marquis."

  Lei Peng was a little nervous.

  Although he had been encouraging the workers this entire time, he really didn't know if this lu ore the marquis spoke of actually existed.

  These mountains were thick with greenery, and nobody knew which of these mountains actually had this lu ore, or perhaps if the entire range had no lu ore at all. If that really was the case, then wouldn't they have just wasted their time?

  "Lord Marquis says that there is, so there must be. There is no need to say anything else."

  The leader of these horsemen was as swift and decisive as a bolt of lightning. As soon as he spoke, he waved behind him, ordering the men behind to dismount. His subordinates immediately began to unpack their picks, shovels, and other mining tools, and stride over, quickly adding their numbers to the work force.

  A hint of helplessness flashed in Lei Peng's eyes as he rejoined the workers. One day, two days, three days… Just when Lei Peng had given up all hope, on the fourth day, a part of the mountain collapsed in a thunderous rumble, after which cries of joy filled the air.

  "Found it! Found it! We really found Lord Marquis's lu ore! Hahaha…"

  An old miner held up a large chunk of ashen-white ore with both hands as he excitedly shouted.

  Although the people of this era mistakenly called aluminum ore 'lu ore', Wang Chong had still succeeded in using his memories to find this treasure hidden deep within the mountains.

  If one's field of vision were pulled high into the sky to look down from incredible heights, one would realize that this was far from the only mining team. In other places along the Silk Road, to the southeast and southwest, Wang Chong had also dispatched teams. Moreover, after the battle of the triangular gap had concluded, he had increased the size of each team by ten times.

  With this increase in mining activity and the ensuing discovery of aluminum ore, those great clans that Wang Clan had allied with swiftly began to display their strength.

  Cart after cart of aluminum was extracted from these various areas and transported back to the capital. Within the capital, all the matters regarding aluminum were under the purview of a single person.

  "Milord, this is the one-thousandth carriage of lu ore we've received today."

  On the eastern outskirts of the capital, by the Silk Road leading to the west, a guard dressed in blue was standing next to Zhao Jingdian, watching as the carriages of lu ore drove past.

  Behind them were countless buildings made of crude brick. There was no furniture in these buildings, only endless piles of 'lu ore'.

  In the Great Tang, all iron and copper ore was sought after by the great clans, the sword shops and the blacksmiths, but nobody knew what to do with this brand-new 'lu ore'.

  Although many people regarded it as worthless, it was extremely valuable to Wang Chong, a fact which no one could dispute. And though the great clans still had their objections to Wang Chong's plan, the costs for this 'lu ore' and the lime were extremely low.

  To these clans, their losses on this investment would be extremely limited, and if they had gambled right, they would stand to receive endless benefits from Wang Chong.

  This was the true reason they had been willing to invest in this venture.

  "The amount we've received in this period is simply too much. It seems like Lord Marquis at Wushang has begun to work," another exceptionally quick-witted guard noted, his expression ecstatic.

  Zhao Jingdian slightly raised his head and said, "Mm, the two of you have reacted rather quickly. I only got the news a few days ago that Lord Marquis defeated Dusong Mangpoje and the Tibetans on the plateau, eliminating the threat from the west. Qixi should be free of any danger for the time being, so Lord Marquis has ordered us to pick up the pace."

  Zhao Jingdian had not accompanied Wang Chong to Wushang, because Wang Chong had given him an even more important mission. This lime, clay, sand, and gravel all appeared like extremely worthless things that the nobles of the capital wouldn't even glance at, but Zhao Jingdian knew that Wang Chong viewed these objects with unprecedented importance.

  This was why Zhao Jingdian had remained behind.

  "Have the masons in the rear progressed any further on the slurry mixtures?" Zhao Jingdian asked, continuing to look in the direction of Qixi.

  "All the most experienced masons have been working night and day to adjust the mixtures, and they've finally gotten some results," the guard to the left reported. "The newest mixture of slurry can resist the full-strength strike of a True Martial expert after hardening, but Master Kong believes that the toughness of the mixture can be further increased. He claims that the ideal mixture should be able to resist the full-strength blow of a Profound Martial expert."

  "In addition, several of the master masons believe that Lord Marquis's suggestion of adding iron bars into the slurry before hardening is very reasonable," the other guard added. "And they've also proposed that before adding the iron bars in, we could affix a few simple toughenin
g or defensive inscriptions onto them, further toughening the slurry and increasing the amount of strength it can endure."

  Unlike the world Wang Chong had come from, this world had many kinds of inscriptions, which meant that Wang Chong had probably underestimated the toughness his 'cement' could reach.

  Wang Chong could have never predicted this.

  "It's about time. We can't delay Lord Marquis. Inform the clans of the capital that it's time for them to comply with their contracts and put forward the money and manpower. After waiting for so long, they're probably even more in a rush than we are," Zhao Jingdian said, his hands held behind his back.

  In the days since Wang Chong had left for Wushang, countless people from the great clans had come with all kinds of excuses to inquire as to what was going on.

  This was a grand clan of ministers and generals supported by King Song, so no one believed that Wang Chong was trying to deceive them. But since they knew about this plan and Wang Chong wasn't willing to tell them, the great clans couldn't help but be worried.

  Bang!

  Zhao Jingdian's voice was like a peal of thunder exploding within the capital, stirring countless waves. The great clans and wealthy houses began to come to life like sharks that had smelled blood.

  Countless men and resources began to mobilize, immediately stirring up a storm in the Central Plains.

  Chapter 801: Cement Road! I

  Chapter 801: Cement Road! (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Buy, buy, buy! I want all the lime, clay, sand, stone, and whatever that lu ore is we can buy sent over! Give as many people as he wants! Give him as much money as he wants! We need Wang Chong and the Wang Clan to owe us a favor."

  In the estate of a small clan in the city's east, the clan patriarch of some forty years was roaring like thunder.

  "What? Risk? Are you worried that the mighty Wang Clan won't pay up? Just think about how much money they make from selling off those Wootz Steel swords. You can't even buy them now, and you're still worried about them lacking money?"