“Truly incredible! So you mean to say that the events taking place inside and outside the court have all been the work of one young man?” Elder Ye incredulously muttered.
Old fellows like them had already withdrawn from the core of the empire, and so they only roughly understood what was going on in the Imperial Court, not that it had been so complicated. And at this moment, everyone understood exactly what Elder Ye was feeling.
Who could have imagined that the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, and Prime Minister, all extremely important officials, were all obeying a young man of twenty-six or twenty-seven? It sounded like a fairytale!
If it hadn’t been Wang Chong making this claim, none of them would have believed it.
But Wang Chong would never make such outlandish claims without reason. As long as he was speaking seriously, even if he said that the sun was going to rise from the west, they would probably believe him.
“This is also something I must speak to all of you about. A single young man of twenty-six or twenty-seven could never possess such abilities that he could order around the Grand Preceptor and King Qi. This is particularly the case for King Qi, who has always been conceited and unwilling to serve others. This can only be possible with the support of some enormously powerful faction. I hope that everyone can assist me with this. All of you are my seniors and have a wide array of experiences. Perhaps you might know something about the Confucian Sect’s backing and origin,” Wang Chong slowly said to the crowd.
His adversary was not a single person, and Wang Chong could not fight against an immense faction with only his own strength. This was also one of the reasons he had gathered these people here.
King Song did not reply, instead taking up the strange symbol Wang Chong had drawn out and asking, “Wang Chong, you’re sure that it’s this symbol?”
Everyone instantly focused on the ink symbol on the paper.
“Mm!”
Wang Chong nodded.
The room instantly fell silent as everyone inspected the thin sheet of paper. The black symbol was extremely strange. At a glance, it seemed like a soaring bird, but if one looked carefully, it didn’t seem like one at all. It was semi-drawing, semi-word.
“This old man has spent forty-some years out and about in the world, but I’ve never seen this symbol before. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have never even known that there was such a powerful faction in the Great Tang!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong emotionally sighed as he gazed at the symbol. After a slight pause, he added, “But the more hidden this faction is, the greater its ambitions.”
“I am also unable to help in this aspect,” Wang Chong’s little uncle Wang Mi said.
He had the least status of all the people gathered here and was also one of the youngest. He truly knew little about things of this nature.
“But I’m confident that such a large faction, no matter what it does, will have left behind some clues,” Wang Mi added.
Wang Chong said nothing, only turned to the others. The room was silent as everyone pondered the symbol.
“I actually do have a little impression of this symbol of yours,” a voice suddenly said, immediately grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Elder Zhao!”
Wang Chong raised his head and gazed in surprise at Elder Ye and Elder Zhao.
These two were both old subordinates of Duke Jiu. They were the oldest people here and probably the ones with the most experience.
“Elder Ye, do you remember forty-some years ago, when the Sage Emperor had just ascended to the throne? Didn’t he get a congratulatory gift from someone from the Confucian school?”
As Elder Zhao spoke, he turned to Elder Ye next to him.
“This…”
Elder Ye was taken aback, not having expected Elder Zhao to bring up this matter from decades ago. Both of them had lived for many years, and there were many things that he could no longer remember very clearly.
“Did you forget? That person even ran into you. He left before the Sage Emperor’s crowning ceremony was even finished,” Elder Zhao reminded.
Upon hearing this, Elder Ye raised an eyebrow, and his eyes flashed as if he had remembered something.
“I remember now. There really was someone from the Confucian school who went to have an audience with the Sage Emperor, and the Sage Emperor even met him alone in Taihe Palace. The ceremony even started fifteen minutes later than the Bureau of Rites had expected,” Elder Ye said.
He truly didn’t remember much about matters from so many decades ago, but it was hard to forget someone who had delayed something as important as the Sage Emperor’s coronation and even left before it started.
“I remember that the gift offered by that Confucian to the Sage Emperor had this symbol,” Elder Zhao said.
Buzz!
Wang Chong shivered upon hearing Elder Zhao’s words. As far as he was aware, the Confucian Sect had appeared after he had defeated Arabia. He had had no idea that they had appeared forty-some years ago and were even connected to the Sage Emperor.
“Elder Ye, are you sure? Were they really the same?” King Song suddenly asked. Elder Zhao’s words had also come as a great surprise to the other people in the room.
“I can’t be wrong. After all, not many things could delay something as important as the Sage Emperor’s coronation,” Elder Zhao solemnly said. “But I only saw it that one time. There was nothing else regarding those people after that. If Wang Chong hadn’t mentioned it, I would have never even thought about that matter.”
The clue came to an end there, and the room fell silent once more. But this information from Elder Zhao was already an unexpected harvest.
At this point, the hitherto-silent Academic Lu Ting spoke up. “Actually, I think that the thing at the center of that ink symbol is a word!”
These words left even Wang Chong surprised. He had been the first to discover this symbol, but not even he had realized that there was a word at its center. In a flash, everyone examined the symbol once more. After focusing only on the center and disregarding the lines and patterns on the edges, now that Lu Ting had mentioned it, they really did feel that it was similar to a word. But if it was a word, it was a very bizarre one.
However, Lu Ting was an erudite Academic with a vast array of knowledge. He undoubtedly had his reasons for this conclusion.
“The form is rather similar to Bird Seal Script, which is different from the characters we use today. It’s an extremely old style of writing, one of the earliest in use. Very few people know about it now, much less understand it. I also only happened to see a few characters of Bird Seal Script in an ancient text I was reading.”
As Lu Ting spoke, he rose, took a brush, walked up to the table, and began to write. But after only a few strokes of his brush, he stopped and raised the paper for everyone to see.
At that moment, everyone could see strange images on the paper, half word and half drawing. Although they were all different from the ink symbol of the Confucian Sect, they were seventy to eighty percent similar.
“I saw these characters in that ancient text, but I only know what they look like, not what they mean,” Lu Ting said.
“It’s much better now that we know that this is Bird Seal Script. If we can find out the meaning of this word, perhaps we can learn something about the Confucian Sect’s background,” Elder Ye commented. “Academic Lu, you have extensive experience in this subject. You must know of someone who understands this script.”
Chapter 1266 - Shift! Kunwu Training Camp!
Chapter 1266: Shift! Kunwu Training Camp!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“I truly do know an old researcher who likes to collect Bird Seal Script and various books about it. He has various books at his place, some of them more than one thousand years old. When I was young, I always wanted to visit him and sent him many calling cards, but I never had the opportunity to meet him. The ancient book I read was one that I imp
lored his servants to leave for me before he moved away. If that old gentleman is still alive, he would be nearly ninety now. Wang Chong, if you can find him, you might be able to find something,” Lu Ting sternly said.
That old gentleman had not been a part of the Confucian Sect, but a person who purely loved books. More importantly, he had a reclusive personality and did not like interacting with others. Otherwise, Lu Ting would have gotten a meeting with him in his youth. It had been twenty-some years since then, so no one knew if that old gentleman was still alive. Even Lu Ting felt that the hopes were minuscule.
“Academic Lu, what is the name of that gentleman? I will send people to look for him,” Wang Chong said. Although the hopes were small, Wang Chong decided to try.
The Central Plains was incredibly vast, and to find a single person, particularly one who didn’t like crowds, was like trying to find a needle in an ocean. This was also one of the reasons Lu Ting found the hopes to be very minuscule. However, Wang Chong had gathered nearly eighty percent of the empire’s great clans at his side, and the power of these factions was spread throughout the Nine Provinces. If he borrowed their strength, he really did have a chance of finding that old researcher.
“Wen Choushu!” Lu Ting said.
The room fell silent once more.
King Song suddenly broke the silence. “In truth, if we want to know more about them, I have another method.”
“Your Highness!”
King Song’s words took everyone by surprise, and Wang Chong turned his head in shock. Although the Confucian Sect was difficult to investigate, there was one person who was in the know.
King Song’s eyes blazed as he slowly scanned the crowd, and then he announced the answer:
“King Qi, Li You!”
King Song had spent many years in the court and experienced many storms. Even Wang Chong had to feel some admiration for his intelligence.
“The Confucian Sect can’t have remained completely hidden. At the very least, King Qi knows the truth. Given his personality, he would never listen to their orders unless he knew their background and knew that they were worthy enough to work with him. Moreover, King Qi has always been proud and conceited. Between the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, the Prime Minister, and the First Prince, King Qi is the one least likely to restrain himself and keep a secret. Old butler, I’ll leave this matter to you,” King Song said without turning his head.
“This old slave understands.”
The old butler, wearing a black robe, respectfully bowed, his face devoid of emotion.
Wang Chong saw this sight and breathed a long sigh of relief. King Song, his big uncle, Lu Ting, Elder Zhao… every one of these people here was extremely experienced and intelligent. This was precisely why Wang Chong had gathered all of them together.
A single thread could not make a string; one tree did not make a forest. In order to contend against this unknown faction, he needed to bring all his allies together. And reality had proved that King Song and the others really could offer Wang Chong important help.
Thunkthunkthunk!
At this moment, anxious knocks thumped against the door.
“Who is it!”
King Song grimaced and turned his head. The mood in the hall instantly turned grim.
“Your Highness, there is a subordinate of the King of Foreign Lands at the gates saying that he has an urgent matter to report!” A voice came from outside, belonging to King Song’s chief guard.
A few moments later, the doors opened, allowing a travel-worn Old Eagle to come inside.
“Milord, there’s a problem! It’s from Kunwu Training Camp.”
Old Eagle, his face solemn, got down on one knee and respectfully offered a letter to Wang Chong.
Wang Chong opened the letter, which only had a few lines of words. The first matter it mentioned was that Wang Chong’s instructor in Kunwu Training Camp, Zhao Qianqiu, had been arrested. The second matter was that the Confucian school had formally advanced into the Three Great Training Camps.
Bzzz! When Wang Chong saw this, he immediately paled and stood up.
“King Song, Big Uncle, Lord Zhangchou, my other respected seniors, I have some matters to attend to and must take my leave first.”
Wang Chong quickly took his leave, passing through the main gate of the King Song Residence and stepping into his carriage.
“When did these things happen?” Wang Chong asked.
“Not too long ago. I’ve already sent men to investigate. Kunwu Training Camp isn’t very far, so we should learn something very soon,” Old Eagle respectfully said.
Flapflap! In the few moments they had been talking, a carrier pigeon flew into the carriage, bringing with it more information, but the situation was not good.
The Confucian school’s announcements throughout the capital vigorously promoting their achievements had only been the beginning. While Wang Chong was gathering up King Song and the others to uncover the secrets of the Confucian Sect, Li Junxian had led the Confucian Sect in quickly setting their eyes on their next target, the illustrious Three Great Training Camps of the Great Tang.
Not too long ago, a momentous announcement had been made: a Confucian Hall of Righteousness was to be built in each of the Three Great Training Camps. Starting from now, besides training recruits in infantry, cavalry, and archery skills, as well as various strategies and tactics, the Three Great Training Camps would also add Confucian lessons to their curricula. If one did not pass a test of the Hall of Righteousness, one could not graduate from the Three Great Training Camps and thus would not be able to join any army of the Great Tang. And failing this test three times would cause one to be encouraged to withdraw from the Three Great Training Camps, denied any further study or training.
“Absurd!”
When Wang Chong saw this, he immediately crumpled the letter up in rage.
The reason the Three Great Training Camps had been established was to raise generals, so their primary focus was the art of war. The kind did not command soldiers, and the nature of war was inextricably bound to killing. For the Confucian Sect to set up Halls of Righteousness in the Three Great Training Camps and even require students to pass a standard examination was completely going against the initial goal of these camps.
It was precisely because Zhao Qianqiu, as an instructor of one of the training camps, could not agree with this proposal and forcefully fought against it that he was eventually arrested by the Imperial Court.
“Milord, the Three Great Training Camps were established by the Sage Emperor and have extraordinary status. Not even the army can approach it. How could they have such immense abilities that they could interfere with them and even issue such an absurd order?!” Old Eagle sternly said.
The more he understood this Confucian Sect, the more Old Eagle feared it. Their abilities seemed boundless and they seemed capable of interfering in any thing or place.
“It must be related to the First Prince!”
Wang Chong leaned against the carriage, his expression grave.
“The Three Great Training Camps are under the direct supervision of the Sage Emperor, and ordinary people are not allowed to meddle with them. But right now, the First Prince is the regent. As long as they have his decrees, the Confucians can get in. Moreover, the Confucians only need to use the reason of ‘cultivating both civil and martial’ to easily pass the decree to set up these Confucian halls!”
Although the incident had only just occurred and he was still lacking information, Wang Chong only need to think a little to guess at the crucial point.
Swoosh!
As he was speaking, another carrier pigeon flew in through the carriage window. At the same time, there was a light creak from the carriage as if someone else had gotten on.
“Milord, there’s a problem. We’ve just received news that the Imperial Court has passed a decree banning the construction of any private buildings within one hundred li of the Three Great Training Camps. All manors and pavilions must b
e dismantled. Milord, Deflecting Blade Manor… is in trouble.” Zhang Que’s voice came from outside, his voice getting softer as he reached the end of his message.
Too much! Far too much!
The problem of Su Hanshan and Li Siye in the northwest had still not been resolved, and now another storm was stirring in the Three Great Training Camps near the capital. Although he had no evidence, even a blind man could see that the Confucian Sect was coming with a surging momentum at Wang Chong.
The Three Great Training Camps were the foundation of the empire, and countless generals of the empire would emerge from those camps.
Wang Chong’s subordinates Chen Burang, Sun Zhiming, Su Hanshan, and others had all emerged from Kunwu Training Camp, and Deflecting Blade Manor was Wang Chong’s private land and gathering place where he brought together all the elite recruits of the Three Great Training Camps. Moreover, Wang Chong had used this opportunity to pass down his own strategies and tactics, using his own training methods to nurture these future generals of the empire.
Deflecting Blade Manor was incredibly close to Kunwu Training Camp and was well within the range prescribed by the Imperial Court’s order. There was no doubt that these orders were both targeted against Wang Chong.
Winds would herald a coming storm, and the Confucian assault had come much faster and fiercer than expected.
“…In addition, Milord, we’ve just received word that the Confucian school has sent many Confucians to the tea houses and restaurants of the capital to promulgate the concept of the Harmonious World, even more than they did before,” Zhang Que added.
The Qixi Protectorate army, Deflecting Blade Manor, Kunwu Training Camp, Confucian lecturers… the Confucian assault was coming in one towering wave after another. Old Eagle and Zhang Que both felt an immense pressure on their shoulders.
Wang Chong said nothing, only slowly closed his eyes. The clopping of the horses came from outside, matching with the rhythm of Wang Chong’s tapping finger.
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