The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Thump!

  Sensing everyone’s gaze, Wang Chong’s big uncle Wang Gen felt his heart thump and his complexion immediately turned green. There was no one in the Imperial Court with a more sensitive and awkward position than him. Wang Gen was a civil official, but Wang Yan, Wang Fu, and Wang Chong were all typical generals. The Wang Clan was a clan that straddled the line between civil and military.

  In the end, the root of this problem lay with Duke Jiu. Duke Jiu was a civil official, but he was also an accomplished military strategist who had led armies in sweeping away the Eastern and Western Turks as well as Ü-Tsang, rendering great military service.

  Of course, one could also say that this quarrel between civil and military had only reached such intensity that even the Grand Scribe had become involved because of the Wang Clan’s Wang Chong.

  “This…”

  Wang Gen felt an unprecedented awkwardness. In his long political career, Wang Gen had experienced many trials and tribulations, with some dangers even threatening to pull the entire Wang Clan out by its roots. Both the Regional Commanders Incident and the Consort Taizhen Incident had exceeded this Battle of Talas in terms of danger to the Wang Clan.

  But Wang Gen would prefer to face those incidents than get involved with the thorny issue of the conflict between civil and military officials.

  Civil officials hated war, a principle that had remained unchanged throughout the ages. Wang Gen only needed to say the word ‘war’ to be deluged by the objections of the other civil officials. In the future, he would be isolated from the other civil officials and deprived of their support, probably bringing an end to Wang Gen’s advancement on the civil path. And if Wang Gen supported the civil officials, he would bitterly disappoint all the generals of the Great Tang.

  This quarrel between civil and military officials was only so intense, old generals like Jiang Yunrang so unyielding that they dared to risk the censure of the civil officials, because the generals were all supporting the Wang Clan and Wang Gen’s nephew Wang Chong. If Wang Gen chose this moment to oppose the generals, not only would he make the Wang Clan look ungrateful, he would also be dooming Wang Chong.

  At this moment, Wang Gen’s mind was beset with difficulties, and he felt like he was struggling against the heavens themselves.

  “There is no need for Lord Wang to be troubled. I will speak on your behalf!”

  At this moment, an elderly and dignified voice came from the upper reaches of the hall. Wang Gen’s heart trembled at these words, and all the civil and military officials looked upward in shock.

  The Grand Preceptor!

  This same thought flitted through everyone’s mind as they stared at that robed figure seated upon his armchair. The motionless Grand Preceptor who had had his eyes closed in rest had at some point opened his eyes, which now shone with an intense light.

  The Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Grand Protector were known as the Three Dukes of the Imperial Court, and the leader of these three was the Grand Preceptor.

  The Grand Preceptor was a prestigious and highly respected individual who wielded enormous influence in the court. Even the Sage Emperor treated him with utmost respect.

  As a sign of respect, at each morning court session, while all the other civil and military officials would have to take up ranks, only the Grand Preceptor was permitted to sit on a sandalwood armchair positioned close to the Sage Emperor. The Grand Preceptor was very old and rarely interfered in matters of court, spending most of the sessions listening from above.

  Everyone had originally believed that the Grand Preceptor would sit on the sidelines in this Talas incident, not that he would intervene in this debate between civil and military officials.

  The Grand Preceptor was the leader of the civil officials, and his sudden intervention could change the entire nature of this debate.

  Damn it! What’s going on? Even the Grand Preceptor has come forth!

  Even Zhangchou Jianqiong was stunned, an ill foreboding in his heart.

  Although he was the Minister of War and wielded immense authority, he was still very far from the Grand Preceptor in terms of prestige and influence in the court.

  “Your Majesty, this old subject has only one thing to say…”

  The Grand Preceptor swept his wide sleeves and slowly stood up from his armchair. At this moment, an aura as vast as the seas exploded from his body. The entire hall became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop as all eyes focused on him.

  “A country might be vast, but if it is fond of war, its end is certain!”

  Rumble! The Grand Preceptor swept his gaze over the gathered officials as his dignified voice resounded through the hall. All the officials, even the old general Jiang Yunrang who had so vigorously opposed the civil officials, fell silent in trepidation.

  The hall was quiet, the air oppressive.

  Wang Gen’s heart sank like it was an enormous stone. Behind the colonnade, King Song also had an extremely nasty grimace.

  The Grand Preceptor had only opened his eyes, stood, and said a few words, but his words carried more weight than the words of all the civil officials that had spoken before him, and they were also much harder to refute. No general here could bear the weight of those words.

  “Grand Preceptor…”

  King Song’s body trembled, his heart turning to ice as he stared at the determined face of the Grand Preceptor.

  The Grand Preceptor was extraordinarily influential and prestigious. He did not lightly involve himself in court affairs, nor indeed frequently open his mouth at all. But once he spoke, his words were law. Not even an Imperial Prince like King Song could compare to him.

  King Song had never predicted that this conflict between civil and military would eventually draw out the leader of the civil officials.

  The court debate now leaned heavily against the generals. The progress that had been made in arguing for Gao Xianzhi and Wang Chong’s request for reinforcements had suffered a massive reversal, and the military officials had been forced into an extremely passive position.

  As King Song was overcome by gloom and unease, the Grand Preceptor suddenly turned his gaze upon him.

  “King Song, do you have something to say?”

  His expression was cold and aloof while his eyes were frigid ice. King Song was a firm member of the pro-war faction. All of the court knew, so how could the Grand Preceptor not know?

  It was clear that the leader of the Three Dukes was very displeased by the years of constant war that had plagued the Imperial Court, and this displeasure had been fully provoked by this ‘Talas Incident’.

  “Grand Preceptor…”

  King Song hesitated, but he had barely said a word when he was interrupted.

  “Your Highness King Song, do you wish to see the old matter of Wu of Han repeat itself in this dynasty?” asked the Grand Preceptor, waving his sleeve with seeming indifference.

  Stunned, King Song swallowed down the words he had planned to say. ‘The old matter of Wu of Han’ referred to that wise sovereign from one thousand years ago. Great Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had expanded the territory of the empire, rendering astounding achievements in both the political and military sphere, but his constant warmongering later on in life emptied out the treasury and left the fields without farmers to till them.

  The Grand Preceptor had clearly mentioned the old matter of Wu of Han as a hint to the Sage Emperor. The Sage Emperor was the wise sovereign of his generation and had brought the Great Tang to an unprecedented golden age, but if he repeated the mistakes of Emperor Wu, this reputation for wisdom would vanish.

  Not even King Song was willing to bear this responsibility.

  “Your Majesty, in the end, Talas is a land beyond our borders. Victory will bring us no joy while defeat might lead to the end of all our previous efforts. This old subject believes… that Lord Gao and the Young Marquis can retreat!”

  With these last words, the Grand Preceptor finally turned around to face the figure o
f the Sage Emperor seated behind the bead curtains.

  The hall was silent. After some time…

  “Mm.”

  Finally, the Sage Emperor spoke. This simple grunt contained a boundless pressure that made the entire hall tremble.

  “We understand.”

  These two words were devoid of emotion, but all the generals and pro-war officials in the hall, including King Song, Wang Gen, and Zhangchou Jianqiong, felt their hearts sink. The Sage Emperor had always allowed matters of court to be decided by debate amongst his officials. He rarely intervened, and even more rarely offered his opinions.

  If the officials could reach a decision on their own, the Sage Emperor would not speak a single word. Only when the court found it difficult to decide would he open his mouth and issue his divine decree.

  Chapter 1037 - Troublemakers at Court! (IV)

  Chapter 1037: Troublemakers at Court! (IV)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The Grand Preceptor was the leader of the Three Dukes, the guiding light of the civil officials. It was clear that his words had influenced the Sage Emperor. Although the words ‘We understand’ did not indicate a particular stance, they were a symbol of a major shift in the debate, a massive sign of favor.

  “Not good!”

  The generals in the hall all felt their hearts sink. With the weight of the Grand Preceptor, the Sage Emperor was clearly beginning to lean toward the civil officials. Talas was in the middle of a crisis and had sent many letters urgently requesting reinforcements. If this proposal could not be passed, Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi were almost certain to lose.

  This was two Imperial Protector-Generals!

  The Sage Emperor seemed on the verge of making his decision when suddenly, a gentle breeze heralded the entrance of someone into the hall. At the same time, everyone heard a voice in their ear.

  “Your Majesty, this old subject has something to say!”

  As this voice spoke, a gentle aura like that of warm sunlight shining over the earth appeared in everyone’s perception. At the entrance to the hall, a white-haired and straight-backed figure wearing a white cloth robe stepped over the threshold and slowly walked in.

  Waaaa! The sight of this figure immediately caused an uproar.

  “Duke… Duke Jiu!”

  As someone blurted out this name, the generals began to chatter amongst themselves while the civil officials were left dumbfounded. Even the Grand Preceptor, who had just been preparing to sit back down, felt his heart sink and his body shiver.

  The Great Tang’s Duke Jiu!

  The wise minister of a golden age!

  This was a most prestigious and most respected individual of the Great Tang. Even though he had retired decades ago to the Four Quarters Embassy, he still wielded enormous influence and reputation within society. Not even the Grand Preceptor could compare to him.

  The name ‘Duke Jiu’ was enough to symbolize his prestige.

  “Father!”

  Wang Gen was also shocked to see his father appear. Just as he planned to go over, Duke Jiu shot him a glance that made him immediately stop.

  “Grand Preceptor, it’s been a long time since we last met!”

  Wang Jiuling slowly stepped forward, holding a cane and smiling gently.

  “Duke Jiu!”

  “Duke Jiu!”

  “Duke Jiu!”

  All the officials in the hall respectfully lowered their heads to this elderly figure and retreated to the sides. Even Grand Scribe Yan Wenzhang had a solemn and deferential look on his face as he bowed and yielded the path.

  As one of the architects of the Great Tang’s golden age, Duke Jiu wielded an influence in court that was nigh unimaginable. Many of the important officials in court had even heard the legends of Duke Jiu while they were growing up.

  Tap! Tap!

  The white wooden cane in Duke Jiu’s hand crisply clacked against the floor as he slowly walked forward.

  “Jiuling pays respects to His Majesty!”

  After walking several zhang, Duke Jiu suddenly stopped and gave a slight bow to that figure seated behind the bead curtains.

  “You also came.”

  The voice resounded over the hall, still supreme and dignified, but there was also a tiny tinge of warmth.

  The Sage Emperor and Duke Jiu were sovereign and subject, one complementing the other. Together, they had created a thirty-year golden age for the Great Tang, and their feats had captivated the entirety of the Great Tang. Although Duke Jiu had retired decades ago, it was clear that he still had a high place in the hearts of the people and the Sage Emperor.

  The Grand Preceptor felt his heart sink. Although the Sage Emperor had only said a few simple words, the friendship expressed in them made the Grand Preceptor’s eyes go wide.

  “Jiuling, have you come for the sake of your grandson?”

  The Grand Preceptor cut straight to the point, his eyes sharp and fierce.

  Duke Jiu chuckled as he frankly admitted, “Yes, but also no.”

  “The Great Tang has a law that in a court debate, all those related, including by blood, should recuse themselves. Jiuling should know this.”

  Amongst the officials, only the Grand Preceptor, the leader of the civil officials, could directly address Duke Jiu as ‘Jiuling’. Both were old officials who had served under two Emperors, and both were over seventy.

  “When recommending talent, view even those you have grudges with and your own son with an objective eye,” Duke Jiu said with a faint smile.

  “But Wang Chong is your grandson!” The Grand Preceptor harshly stared at Duke Jiu.

  “Haha, Zhongmi hasn’t changed at all from how you were back then.”

  Duke Jiu softly chuckled, casting aside the Grand Preceptor’s accusations like they were the spring breeze. The Grand Preceptor was of such stature that even Imperial Princes like King Song and King Qi had to treat him with great respect, let alone officials like Jiang Yunrang and Yan Wenzhang. No one except perhaps Duke Jiu could speak the Grand Preceptor’s name in front of the assembled court.

  “Even though that naughty grandson of mine is the cause of this Talas incident, at its basis, it is still a matter of war and peace. Thus, Wang Chong might be my grandson, but that is no reason for me to recuse myself from this debate.”

  Duke Jiu extended his cane and continued forward.

  Everyone in the hall followed him. Duke Jiu walked very slowly but steadily. Every person felt an unusual harmony from his body, like the soft drizzle of the spring rain silently becoming one with the entire world.

  In the upper reaches of the hall, the Grand Preceptor’s face was ashen. This was no ordinary court debate, but one that concerned the root of the quarrel between civil and military officials. At a time like this, the person he least wanted to see was Wang Jiuling.

  “Jiuling also heard the Grand Preceptor’s words. Jiuling has broken the exception and left Four Quarters Embassy to step into court to speak of a single matter. To seek peace through war will allow one to live in peace, but to seek peace through peace will cause one to die in peace. It was on this basis that when this old subject was a minister, when the Eastern and Western Turks were raiding the border, this old subject chose to lead an army to subjugate the Turkic steppe and defeat the Turks, even though this subject knew that negotiation was an option. It is precisely this war that bought ten-some years of peace, as the Turks did not dare to recklessly raid our borders.

  “The Arabs have never had any relationship with this empire. If we seek peace before the war, the other party will think lightly of us, underestimate the Great Tang, and in the future, the Great Tang will be plunged into endless conflict. Thus, for the peace of the Great Tang and the people of the world, this old subject believes that Talas being reinforced as quickly as possible is the superior policy.”

  With these words, Duke Jiu straightened his body, tidied his sleeves, and gave a deep bow.

  The hall was so quie
t that one could hear a pin drop. Duke Jiu was a renowned and admired minister, the architect of the Great Tang’s golden age. With his status, his words held an abnormal amount of weight. This did not merely arise from his perspective on the situation at Talas, but also the fact that he was speaking from his decades of experience as Prime Minister, experience that no one could deny.

  To deny Duke Jiu was to deny the Great Tang’s golden age and its current peace and prosperity.

  For a moment, the hall was eerily quiet. Everyone had a thoughtful expression on their face. Even civil officials like Yan Wenzhang, Zheng Chengli, and Zhou Taiqin looked pensive.

  “Wonderful.”

  Beneath the colonnade, King Song breathed a long sigh of relief. Not even he had predicted that Duke Jiu would leave the Four Quarters Embassy and come to court. The Grand Preceptor was an old official who had served under two Emperors and possessed such status that not even he, an Imperial Prince, could say much in front of him. If not for Duke Jiu, the matter of Talas would have been settled and they really would have been forced to retreat.

  The Great Tang’s rule over the Western Regions would have been brought to an end and the trilateral alliance of the Arabs, Tibetans, and Western Turks would have inflicted endless disasters.

  “Damn old thing, ruining my plans!”

  No one was more furious than King Qi, his teeth clenched and his face twisted in rage. He had believed that he could use the power of the civil officials to thoroughly quash King Song and the Wang Clan. Little had he expected Duke Jiu to immediately wreck his plans. As for Grand Preceptor Zhan Zhongmi, his grimace was extremely unsightly.

  “Jiuling, don’t forget that you are also a civil official!!” Zhan Zhongmi couldn’t help but warn.

  In this most serious conflict between civil and military officials in the history of the Great Tang, the final reversal had not come from the military, but from a civil official. Zhan Zhongmi had never imagined this.

  “Haha, many years ago, Zhongmi was like this in front of our teacher. How have you still not understood? Why do you still cling so rigidly to the divide of civil and military? In Jiuling’s heart, there is no distinction between civil and military, only a single country. All this is for the sake of the Great Tang and its people. With regards to Talas, only through war can we obtain peace, while seeking peace will only cause us to suffer the chaos of war. This is why Jiuling supports reinforcing the northwest!”