The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Zhao Qiang and Ye Zhun, who had begun this quarrel with some reservations and fears, saw that the Sage Emperor did not care, or at least wasn’t indicating such, and instantly began to intensify their bickering.

  In the middle of that fierce debate, a ringing voice drowned them out, echoing through the hall. “Your Majesty, this subject also recommends Great General Abusi! This lowly subject believes that Imperial Censor Hao’s argument is reasonable!”

  The Tongluo Great General was still kneeling, and his complexion immediately turned green as he heard someone once again endorse him for Qixi Protector-General. Bastard! Which of these blind fools has decided to recommend me?! He fiercely turned his head in anger, but then he shivered, his fury vanishing without a trace.

  The Prime Minister!

  Abusi’s body chilled, and he froze like a frog facing down a snake, his heart drowning in fear and unease. As a member of a long line of Tongluo Great Generals that had served the Emperors for more than a hundred years, from Taizong to the Sage Emperor, Abusi had very few people that he truly needed to fear.

  Many times, when Abusi was forced to kneel, it wasn’t because he feared the imperial censors or the other officials, but because he was worried about what the Emperor might think. In truth, the Emperor was the only person that the Tongluo truly needed to fear.

  Besides that, as an Imperial Great General, Abusi was a upper rank one official in his own right, above many other officials. However, Abusi had never been much of one to speak, never participating in any court debates, so many people had forgotten that his rank was equal to Geshu Han, An Sishun, Fumeng Lingcha, and Gao Xianzhi.

  Abusi feared none of these officials, except the Prime Minister of the Great Tang.

  “Lord Prime Minister, this subject understands your good intentions, but when Abusi inherited the position of Chief of the Tongluo, he swore an oath to always serve at the sovereign’s side, to guard His Majesty’s safety. Even if offered high status and reward, this lowly subject will never leave His Majesty! His Majesty is wise and divine, and even if Abusi must die, he will never leave His Majesty’s side.”

  Abusi pressed his head against the ground while his heart crazily thumped.

  Meanwhile, Abusi’s fierce oath had silenced all the officials. In particular, Imperial Censor Hao, who had been the first to recommend him, was greatly disappointed, but there was nothing that he could do. Abusi had already said that he would not leave the Sage Emperor’s side even if he died. Anyone who recommended him now would be forcing him to commit suicide.

  “Oh.”

  This was all that the tall and thin figure standing at the very first row said before he stepped back into the ranks.

  As if incited by the Prime Minister’s suggestion, another official, one with wise eyes and a kind face, seemed to think of something and stepped out of the ranks. “Your Majesty, if Great General Abusi is not suitable, this lowly subject would like to recommend Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong, the Tiger of the Empire. As Annan Protector-General, he oversaw the southwest for ten-some years with no problems and is greatly experienced. This lowly subject believes that if Lord Zhangchou temporarily takes the position of Qixi Protector-General, Qixi will be stable until someone else can be found.”

  Buzz!

  Zhangchou Jianqiong had been carefully listening to the arguments, but upon hearing his own name, he trembled, paling at the impact of this unexpected blow. Turning his head, he saw that one of the officials of the Bureau of Military Personnel was currently giving him a kind smile, but this smile only made Zhangchou Jianqiong turn green in the face.

  Zhou Cheng!

  Zhangchou Jianqiong immediately recognized this as a lower rank three official serving under him. When he had first entered the Bureau of Military Personnel, this fellow served his tea and many other tasks, following him everywhere and doing his utmost to serve him, unlike the others. Zhangchou Jianqiong could sense that this fellow had nothing but kind intentions, but it was precisely this that infuriated Zhangchou Jianqiong.

  This bastard—does he know what he’s doing?

  Zhangchou Jianqiong clenched his teeth in rage. He had finally managed to get himself transferred from the border to the capital and taken the position of Minister of War, so why would he abandon all he had worked for to go and be Qixi Protector-General? It might have been just a temporary post that he would eventually return from, but was the Minister of War a seat that could be left temporarily vacant? By the time he came back, the position of Minister of War would have been given to someone else.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong immediately stepped out of his rank and bowed, his voice resounding through the hall. “Your Majesty, this is not acceptable. This subject is currently serving as Minister of War and is not suitable for taking up any other post!”

  “Your Majesty, this subject also believes that Lord Zhangchou is not suitable. Your lowly subject recommends the Bloody Plunder General Liu Xiwei!”

  “Your Majesty, your subject recommends the Army Shattering General Jin Yuping!”

  “Unacceptable! Your Majesty, this subject recommends Border General Long Qianfan! This lowly subject believes that he is an even better choice!”

  The quarreling and debate continued in the hall. With one person offering their suggestion, everyone else began to add in their own opinion, recommending the candidates they had thought of beforehand. Chaos reigned in the hall, and as King Song watched the officials bicker amongst each other, his brow creased tighter and tighter, and he couldn’t help but give a long sigh.

  ……

  While the debate over the new Qixi Protector-General continued without end in the Imperial Court, in the distant City of Steel, Wang Chong was welcoming a guest he had never expected. He was enjoying breakfast when a scout rushed into his room.

  “Lord Marquis, there’s a Hu outside asking to see you. He says he has something that he wishes to negotiate with you.”

  “Oh?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed in surprise. The population of the City of Steel was almost completely Han, and he could count the Hu that he knew with his fingers. He truly couldn’t think of someone who needed to find him.

  “What did that person say his name was?”

  “It seems… it seems like he was called Hulayeg,” the scout finally managed after thinking for a few moments.

  “What?!”

  Wang Chong’s heart thumped in alarm as he immediately jumped to his feet.

  At this point, the familiar voice of the Stone of Destiny rang out in his mind. “Warning: user’s mission, ‘Warhorses of the Great Tang’, is on the verge of failure. User has only one chance to salvage this mission. Mission failure will result in a penalty of 2000 points of Destiny Energy.”

  Caught off guard, Wang Chong couldn’t help but shiver.

  What’s going on here? Didn’t we already advise Hulayeg on how to proceed, and didn’t he already implement the changes? Where did all these difficulties come from?

  By now, Wang Chong could tell that something had gone wrong on Hulayeg’s end, and it was jeopardizing the warhorse deal they had made with each other.

  “Where is he? Take me to go and see him,” Wang Chong immediately said.

  Outside an inn within the City of Steel, Wang Chong saw Hulayeg for the first time in quite a while. He was leading a horse and wearing a dress. He was restless, constantly looking in the direction that he had come from.

  “Hulayeg.”

  Wang Chong only needed to call out for Hulayeg to immediately tremble and turn his head. At that moment, Wang Chong could finally get a clear picture of his face. Hulayeg’s eyes were sunken, his cheek bones protruding. His face was haggard and he had clearly shed a great deal of weight.

  “Wang Chong, wonderful, you’re finally here!”

  Hulayeg had apparently seen his savior in Wang Chong, immediately rushing forward in agitation.

  “Save me, you, you have to save me! Or else I’m doomed for sure…”

  E
yes bloodshot and lips trembling, Hulayeg almost fell on his knees in front of Wang Chong.

  “Hulayeg, don’t rush. Let’s go inside and sit, and then you can tell me what’s going on,” Wang Chong said soothingly, placing his hands on Hulayeg’s shoulder.

  Wang Chong turned his head and ordered the scout, “Prepare some hot tea.” Hulayeg had seemingly suffered some great shock, so drinking some tea would help calm him down.

  Chapter 825 - The Western Turks' Black Wolf Yabgu!

  Chapter 825: The Western Turks’ Black Wolf Yabgu!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  In Wang Chong’s room, Hulayeg truly did calm down after drinking a few cups of tea, after which he was finally able to explain what had happened. Hulayeg had done exactly as Wang Chong had said. With that steward who had tried to betray him taken care of, Wang Chong’s gold, and Xu Qiqin’s help, Hulayeg felt like he was the master of the Great Steppe, living a truly refreshing and pleasurable life.

  And with gold opening the way, Hulayeg was able to climb to an even higher status. The deal with the Great Tang for three hundred thousand warhorses had left all the tribes of the steppe drooling, and he couldn’t even count the number of shameless tribal chieftains who chased after him for the sake of getting in on this deal. But a storm could always come out of the blue, and Hulayeg’s heedless buying of warhorses on the Turkic steppe and his enormous wealth had attracted the attention of a man: the Black Wolf Yabgu of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Agudu Lan.

  Agudu Lan had dispatched his subordinates to investigate this matter, and they quickly traced the matter back to Hulayeg. In addition, Agudu Lan had dispatched another subordinate to find out where the warhorses were going, who followed the clues until he finally found the City of Steel’s Wang Chong at the end. The two incidents added together swiftly made Hulayeg the target of the Black Wolf Yabgu.

  Hulayeg had sensed this danger and immediately fled, but the Black Wolf Yabgu’s assassins had been relentless in their pursuit. Hulayeg had barely escaped with his life, changing his appearance and disguising himself before finally succeeding. But he was still in trouble, because after escaping, he realized that he had nowhere to go. In the end, the only person he could think of was Wang Chong.

  “Wang Chong, you have to save me. I’m worked on the steppe for so long, put in my blood and sweat. I can’t just give it up like this. And besides, if I can’t get back to the steppe, we won’t be able to continue our transaction. Wang Chong, I already have nowhere else to go. Only you can help me now. If you save me from this disaster, I’ll definitely repay you many times over.”

  Hulayeg clutched Wang Chong’s right hand like he was holding onto his savior.

  Wang Chong’s brows were tightly creased as he silently contemplated the haggard and dejected Hulayeg. He had never expected Hulayeg to experience such a large incident, as it had not happened in his last life. His interactions with Hulayeg had caused many things to change, and the Black Wolf Yabgu’s hunting Hulayeg down was clearly one of them.

  “Hulayeg, are you saying that you are currently wanted by the entire Western Turkic Khaganate?” Wang Chong suddenly asked.

  “It’s not so bad as that.”

  Hulayeg hurriedly waved his hands.

  “I’m being hunted down purely on the Black Wolf Yabgu’s orders. As for the Khagan… I’ve basically bribed everyone at his side, and I’ve even bribed the people around the Khatun1. But the Black Wolf Yabgu is a relative of Ishbara, and imperial blood flows through his veins. Although he’s not a very close relative, he still has an extremely revered status. There’s nothing I can do if he wants to kill me, and none of the people I bribed would want to make enemies of the Black Wolf Yabgu for my sake.”

  “Understood.”

  After hearing all this, Wang Chong nodded and gave a long sigh. If Hulayeg was wanted by the entire Western Turkic Khaganate, even Wang Chong was powerless. But if it was just the Black Wolf Yabgu, things were different. As long as he took care of the Black Wolf Yabgu, Hulayeg’s problems would be smoothly resolved.

  “Hulayeg, you don’t need to worry. Leave this to me. In at most two months, I’ll take care of this matter for you and return you to the Great Steppe,” Wang Chong lightly said, his voice brimming with confidence, subconsciously making others believe in him.

  “Really?!”

  Hulayeg was overjoyed. He had originally come because he knew of no one else except Wang Chong that could help him, and wanted to try his luck, but he had never expected Wang Chong to so quickly agree. And he had even promised that the problem would be dealt with in two months, something Hulayeg would have never believed possible.

  “Heh, after working together for so long, have I ever deceived you?” Wang Chong said, his entire body slowly beginning to exude a powerful aura.

  After Hulayeg was escorted out, the smile on Wang Chong’s face began to fade.

  I didn’t think it would be him!

  Wang Chong began to quietly think, his brow slowly creasing. ‘Black Wolf Yabgu Agudu Lan’ was a name that Wang Chong was far too familiar with. In Qixi, there were two big threats. One was the Asura War God of the Tibetan Plateau, Dayan Mangban, who he had already killed, temporarily resolving any dangers from the west.

  The remaining one was the Black Wolf Yabgu of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Agudu Lan. This person’s style was in complete contrast to Dayan Mangban’s. While Dayan Mangban enjoyed direct assaults, the Black Wolf Yabgu liked to watch from the shadows, waiting for the right opening before delivering the fatal blow.

  But though their styles differed, they were equally threatening.

  Ever since the battle of the triangular gap, the Turkic steppe had remained silent. Wang Chong had never expected that this was how the Black Wolf Yabgu would present himself to him. The three hundred thousand warhorses were important to both him and the Great Tang. He could not allow this plan to be ruined by the Black Wolf Yabgu.

  It seems like I’ll have to bring that matter forward, Wang Chong silently concluded, a cold and harsh light in his eyes.

  ……

  On the distant Turkic steppe, seven to eight hundred kilometers from the defensive lines of the Qixi Protectorate army, a massive golden tent soared into the sky. It was guarded by thousands of Turkic cavalry, each of them stern and stalwart, like unsheathed swords. And not far from the Turkic cavalry, massive black wolves with bared teeth sauntered around the perimeter.

  Man and wolf worked together in harmony as if they were one.

  Only on the Turkic steppe could one see such a scene.

  “Have you found out where Hulayeg went?”

  A figure swayed within the golden tent, speaking in a crude and savage tone.

  “Lord Yabgu, Hulayeg is truly cunning. He actually disguised himself as a woman to escape, and our men were momentarily fooled and let him pass. He has already reached the City of Steel, the territory of that Great Tang youth. As Lord Yabgu previously ordered, we did not pursue him.”

  A thin Turkic scout kneeled on the ground, his face as white as a sheet of paper and his forehead glistening with cold sweat.

  “What?!! Nothing but a lot of bastards!”

  The Black Wolf Yabgu was furious, and with a crash, he smashed one of the large pearls seized from Hulayeg’s house into powder.

  “If you can’t even catch a trifling horse merchant, what good are you people! Someone come—”

  At these words, the kneeling scout instantly turned ashen, even his posture becoming unsteady. After serving with the Black Wolf Yabgu for so long, he knew what these words meant. Once the Black Wolf Yabgu began to call for someone, heads would roll.

  “Slow yourself!”

  At this moment, a youthful voice broke in. A young Turkic man dressed in luxurious clothing, evidence of his unusual status, walked out from behind the Black Wolf Yabgu and gently pushed down the Yabgu’s raised hand.

  “It’s just a little horse merchant. Is there a need
for Lord Yabgu to be so enraged? And besides that, it’s enough that we seized so many objects from his home. Is it necessary to be so angry with your subordinates? In comparison to this trifling merchant, what we need to do next is far more worth Lord Yabgu’s attention. Is that not the case?”

  The Turkic youth’s words greatly cooled the Black Wolf Yabgu’s temper. As he rubbed the frigid eagle ring on his index finger, he finally calmed down.

  “Get out of my sight!”

  “Many thanks, Lord Yabgu.”

  The scout immediately left the tent.

  “What news is there from the Qixi Protectorate?”

  The moment the scout left, the Black Wolf Yabgu turned to the Turkic youth. He had left everything regarding the Qixi Protectorate to this youth, and that he had spoken up clearly meant that there was new information.

  “Haha, everything is as Lord Yabgu predicted. With Fumeng Lingcha entangled in the Great Tang’s War of the Princes, Qixi is like a group of dragons without a leader. It has been divided into many factions, all of them opposing each other, all of them fighting for the post of Qixi Protector-General. Just as Lord Yabgu ordered, we have already begun to get in touch with a few of them and done our utmost to court them, agreeing to all kinds of conditions. The effects are already evident. A few of them have already indicated that they would bring some soldiers from Qixi and defect to us. This is an incredibly rare opportunity. We can use it to heavily wound the Qixi Protectorate,” the Turkic youth said, his voice exultant.

  “Not heavily wound the Qixi Protectorate,” the Black Wolf Yabgu said with a frown. “Our goal is not to enrage the Great Tang and start a great war with them. We would be just as foolish as the Tibetans if we did that. Moreover, heavily wounding the Qixi Protectorate isn’t that useful. The Great Tang will continue to send troops that way, and while the loss of some tens of thousands of soldiers won’t have too great of an effect on the Great Tang, it will incur its ire. The crucial factor is the Qixi Protectorate’s massive armory.”