The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Li Ying didn’t even glance at the memorial impeaching Li Junxian before passing it to a eunuch. After profoundly glancing at Wang Chong, the First Prince opened Wang Chong’s second memorial.

  He wanted to see what sort of trick Wang Chong would play after committing so many crimes, with so much evidence against him.

  Whoooah!

  When the First Prince opened the memorial, the tens of thousands of people in the vicinity all held their breaths and watched.

  ‘Your Highness, the subject Wang Chong has a memorial!’

  This was the first line of the memorial, and the words were square and rigid. Wang Chong had clearly made progress from his original bird scratch, but such words were still not worthy of the First Prince’s admiration.

  Hmph, it’s just like the rumors said.

  The First Prince inwardly sneered as he scoffed. He had long ago heard about how awful the writing of the King of Foreign Lands was, and today, he had confirmed the rumors for himself. Moreover, as the regent, he had seen openings like this thousands of times. Thus, at first glance, the First Prince paid no heed to this memorial.

  In truth, he was determined to ignore the memorial no matter what Wang Chong said.

  But two seconds later, the First Prince paled.

  ‘The subject has often heard that all things under the sun and moon are founded in loyalty and integrity. At present, the Great Tang’s might in the world is undisputed, and this is due to its emphasis on laws, loyalty, and integrity. Thus, when the Son of Heaven commits a crime, he is punished the same as a commoner. If even the Son of Heaven is treated like this, why should the Hu be different?

  ‘Whether they come from the east, west, north, or south, whether they are Arab, Characenian, Turkic, Mengshe Zhao, or Goguryeon, any who enter the land of the Han must comply with the laws of the Han. Those who defy this law must all be heavily punished so as to affirm that Hu and Han are equal. This is what it means to have loyalty and integrity!

  ‘Thus, this lowly subject established the Public Order Office so that all the realm may see and hear for themselves what is correct and proper! Let all the Hu in the four directions understand this principle!

  ‘With no norms or standards, nothing can be accomplished. If the Hu are allowed to commit crimes without punishment, the system of laws will collapse, and it will be made known to all the world that the Hu stand above the Han. Firstly, the Hu have always had proud personalities, fearing might and spurning kindness. Thus, previous dynasties have always chosen to subdue the Hu through force and not kindness. Secondly, the people of the Tang have begun to voice their scorn, their cries of complaint rising from all around. As time passes, the people will grow discontent, and they will accuse the imperial household, accuse the Imperial Court.

  ‘Taizong once said that waters can keep a boat afloat, but they can also sink a boat. Just as waters can keep a boat afloat at the start and sink it later, so can the will of the people change. Even if the Hu show favor, if the will of the people is broken, more will be lost than gained, and is this truly what the lord desires? If this policy is not changed, this subject fears that when there is an incident at the border, no one in the Great Tang will answer the call. This subject hopes that Your Highness and the gentlemen of the court will reconsider…’

  The memorial was full of sharp insights, and as the First Prince read more and more, his face turned green.

  Each sentence was well-reasoned, but each sentence was also aimed at him.

  “King of Foreign Lands, are you criticizing me?”

  The First Prince clenched his fists in rage. As he read these cutting words of the memorial, he felt like Wang Chong was standing in front of him and criticizing him for his dereliction of duty.

  The policy toward the Hu was to be as tolerant and openminded as possible, even ordering the City Guard not to intervene in disputes involving the Hu. Although this was the idea of Li Junxian and Confucian Sect, how could it have been implemented without the approval of the Great Tang’s heir apparent?

  Wang Chong’s memorial seemed on the surface to only be arguing on the merits and demerits of a policy, but the First Prince felt like Wang Chong was using the matter of the Hu to help out the Fifth Prince.

  If he admitted to his errors, would he not be saying to the people of the realm that he was not fit for the position of heir apparent?

  Truly ridiculous! the First Prince inwardly fumed.

  Buzz!

  As the First Prince inwardly raged, a turmoil broke out in the crowd. A few shouts soon turned into a clamor of discussion.

  “That’s right! The King of Foreign Lands is exactly right!”

  “The Imperial Court should have done this long ago!”

  “Isn’t it supposed to be a Harmonious World? They should have done this long ago!”

  Cheers could be heard from the distance, accompanied by loud exclamations and shouts.

  The First Prince raised his head in alarm.

  “What’s going on? What happened over there?”

  Ordinary clamor was one thing, but judging by the volume, something strange had clearly happened.

  Someone rushed away, and after a few moments, they returned.

  “Your Highness, someone has put up posters around the city, and from the contents, they seemed to be from a memorial. Moreover…”

  The gate attendant glanced at the memorial in the First Prince’s hand, swallowed, and then worked up his courage.

  “It seems… to be the memorial in Your Highness’s hands!”

  All the officials on the wall paled, and the First Prince instantly understood, his face twisting into a scowl.

  Wang Chong had been far more prepared for this than he had imagined.

  Boom!

  As the news traveled through the city, the kneeling commoners in front of the gate began to raise their heads and cry out.

  “Wonderful! The King of Foreign Lands is right!”

  “The Imperial Court has finally taken notice!”

  The crowd began to cheer.

  In the middle of the crowd, Li Junxian and King Qi were in a state of alarm, and the soldiers of the Penal Court had begun to panic.

  “Damn it! Just what in the world happened that has all these lowly commoners shouting?” King Qi angrily spat.

  Meanwhile, Li Junxian’s brow had furrowed. Although he didn’t know what was going on, it was clear that it was related to this incident and boded ill for him.

  On the wall, Zhangchou Jianqiong faintly smiled. He suddenly understood Wang Chong’s plan and finally understood why Wang Chong wasn’t anxious.

  Kid, good job!

  Zhangchou Jianqiong inwardly chuckled. It was now clear that Wang Chong had not only prepared the memorial, he had also posted its contents all across the city.

  The greatest discontent toward the matter of the Hu came from the people, so one could easily imagine the effects Wang Chong’s memorial would have on them.

  This is called turning passive into active. Even the First Prince will have to think twice now.

  “Bastard! Are you forcing this prince?”

  The First Prince’s face darkened. Although he had been determined to do something about Wang Chong regardless of the contents of the memorial, now that Wang Chong had published the memorial, the First Prince’s opposition would essentially put him at odds with the people. Even if he didn’t want to agree, he had to agree.

  But letting go of such an excellent chance to deal with Wang Chong was easier said than done.

  “Wang Chong, even if your words are reasonable, only the Imperial Court has the authority to establish the Public Order Squads. Even if it was for the sake of the Great Tang, you cannot overstep your bounds. You must still explain yourself to the officials and to the realm for this matter,” the First Prince sternly said.

  “That’s right! And there’s also Pusan Tuoye. Wang Chong, hurry and release them,” King Qi loudly called out.

  Chapter 1591 - The Law Code of th
e Great Tang!

  Chapter 1591: The Law Code of the Great Tang!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong didn’t even glance at King Qi. His expression was determined, as if he had been expecting the First Prince’s question.

  Ultimately, if Wang Chong didn’t give a good explanation for the Public Order Squad, it would be very hard for this matter to be brought to rest.

  “Hehe, Your Highness, in the law code of the Great Tang, in article one thousand, three hundred and sixty-four, section three, line two, it is clearly written that if the local government and city guard are incapable of performing their duty, and the prefectures, provinces, and capital are experiencing major disorder that affects the safety of the people, the Bureau of Military Personnel should expeditiously lead soldiers in taking over the duties of the local government and city guard to restore order.”

  Wang Chong’s voice loudly resounded above the gates.

  “This article was personally drafted by Emperor Gaozu, and Imperial Censor Zhou Yu edited it and added it into the Tang law code!”

  Bzzzz! The area in front of the Imperial Palace gates fell still.

  King Qi, Li Junxian, the First Prince, and the important officials who supported the Confucian Sect felt like they had been slapped in the face, and they were rendered speechless.

  Even Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong’s face froze. Not even he had known that the Bureau of Military Personnel also had the duty of public safety in addition to its duties of defending the borders and military campaigning.

  “Impossible!”

  The First Prince paled, and his first instinct was to reject these words. The various bureaus of the Great Tang all had their separate duties. The Bureau of Military Personnel was only responsible for war, while public safety was left to the local governments. How could such an article possibly exist?

  But from Wang Chong’s expression, he didn’t seem to be lying, nor would Wang Chong lie so boldly in front of so many nobles, ministers, and the people of the capital.

  “What’s going on here? Hurry and summon the law historian responsible for maintaining the Tang law code!” the First Prince ordered, fiercely waving a hand.

  A few moments later, a white-bearded and slightly bowed elder tottered up the steps.

  The law historians were different from all the other historians of the Great Tang. They spent their entire lives researching the classics and interacting with various texts, so they knew the various law books like the back of their hands.

  The First Prince got straight to the point. “Sir Kong, what’s going on here? Is there really such an article?”

  Everyone instantly focused their attention on this law historian.

  “Your Highness, this truly is the case!”

  The law historian’s words shook the officials and caused the First Prince to nastily scowl.

  He had never imagined that Wang Chong was speaking the truth. Meanwhile, the law historian continued to speak.

  “Emperor Gaozu lived at the end of the Sui. At the time, bandits were rife and not all the rebel armies had been pacified, so the local governments were simply incapable of handling everything. In many cases, the local government offices were even destroyed. Thus, Emperor Gaozu decreed that the Bureau of Military Personnel should lead the soldiers of the Great Tang army in occupying the local government offices and temporarily upholding public safety. Later on, it was appended to the Tang law code under the specific request of Gaozu. Thus, it was added in a supplement to Article 1364, in the second line of the third section, written in small characters.

  “The Great Tang has been at peace for so many years that there was no need for the Bureau of Military Personnel to use this law, so everyone gradually forgot about it.”

  The law historian went on and on, speaking very slowly.

  Li Junxian, King Qi, and the First Prince felt chills in their hearts.

  They had never expected this level of preparation from Wang Chong. It was obvious that he had settled everything before beginning this operation, making sure that he could counter any of their attacks.

  Li Ying’s face shifted between green and white as he stared at Wang Chong, his eyes showing a variety of emotions.

  In the end, a situation in which he had held the absolute advantage had turned into a complete rout.

  “Let’s go!”

  After one last glare at Wang Chong, the First Prince swept his sleeve and left.

  Whew!

  Nearby, Zhangchou Jianqiong breathed a long sigh of relief.

  He could finally relax.

  “Damn it!”

  In the distance, the ashen-faced King Qi angrily turned his horse around and rode away.

  “Let’s go!”

  His meticulously made plans had so easily been undone by Wang Chong, and King Qi was extremely reluctant to leave. It would be incredibly rare to encounter such an opportunity in the future, but even the First Prince had decided to call it a day, so what could King Qi do?

  “Brat, don’t get too cocky! This matter isn’t over!”

  After making some distance, King Qi turned to make one last glare at Wang Chong before leading his men away.

  In the end, only Wang Chong and Li Junxian were left.

  “Young Master!”

  Elder Song and the others worriedly glanced at Li Junxian.

  “King of Foreign Lands!”

  To their surprise, Li Junxian suddenly swept his sleeve and began to stride toward Wang Chong.

  Li Junxian stared at Wang Chong and coldly said, “The Public Order Squad is merely a pretext. I know what you’re trying to do, but let me tell you that you will never succeed. This matter won’t come to an end as easily as you think!”

  “Heh, is that so? That’s what I wanted to say. Your Harmonious World is impossible to realize! At least while I’m here, I can never permit your Confucian Sect to drag the Great Tang with you into the abyss of death.”

  “Hmph!”

  Li Junxian merely took one last glance at Wang Chong before turning to leave, exchanging no more words with him.

  Wang Chong grinned at Li Junxian, knowing that he had won. Whether it was the First Prince, Li Junxian, or King Qi, they had all probably sensed Wang Chong’s rage and ferocity. But this was only the beginning.

  He would never let these people bring devastation and destruction on the empire.

  Hiss!

  Taking in a deep breath, Wang Chong quickly turned to the crowd of fearful Hu in front of the palace gates.

  “Hmph, come and take them all away!” Wang Chong ordered, upon which his men descended upon the Hu like a pack of wolves.

  The Confucian Sect members turned ghastly pale.

  Wang Chong hadn’t even waited for them to leave the area before ordering mass arrests of the Hu. He was clearly not showing them even one bit of face.

  Bamboo Mirror turned to Li Junxian and asked with unwillingness in his eyes, “Young Master, what do we do? Is this really how it has to be? And Sword Ghost is still in his hands!”

  “He won this round! We didn’t prepare enough. As for Sword Ghost, the King of Foreign Lands prepared a trap for him, intentionally stirring his rage. The King of Foreign Lands won’t be letting him go for the time being.

  “However, even if he’s really trying to get at us, he won’t do anything too bad to Sword Ghost. After a few days, he must release him all the same.”

  After saying this, Li Junxian quickly took his leave. Although he had spoken in an extremely calm tone, everyone in the Confucian Sect knew that this meant that he was burning with rage.

  A few moments later, a shabby covered wagon emerged from the western gate of the capital and began to make its way along the Silk Road.

  This was an extremely common sight on the westward road. This was how many merchants of the Western Regions traveled.

  Unlike the merchants of Arabia and Charax Spasinu, the merchants of the Western Regions were not
as prosperous, and what they sold were grapes, pomegranates, dates, and other fruits of the Western Regions. Thus, these crude covered wagons became their ideal mode of transportation.

  “Damn it! I can’t stay any longer in the Great Tang’s capital! That man is truly as crafty as a fox and as vicious as a tiger. I thought that if I used both Li Junxian and the First Prince, I could end this threat to Ü-Tsang forever, but not even the pressure exerted by the Confucian Sect, the First Prince, King Qi, and all the Hu were able to do anything to him! No wonder Dalun Ruozan died at his hands.”

  Within the wagon, Mochi Xiangyang had disguised himself as a merchant. His scarf-covered face was stricken with fear.

  The thought of what had happened at the Imperial Palace gates still made his heart beat frantically in fear.

  The Public Order Squad cavalry led by the King of Foreign Lands had clearly come with a plan.

  The captains leading the squads each had a drawing in their hands which they used to search the Hu. At a glance, he had seen the faces of the various spy captains and also his own face.

  His portrait even had a red checkmark next to it. It was clear that he was an important target to be captured.

  Unlike the spy captains, who had worked in the capital for five or six years, even ten-some years, Mochi Xiangyang hadn’t operated in the capital for very long. And Mochi Xiangyang had always been reclusive, using the spy captains to realize his plans.

  One could say that the only people in the capital that knew his appearance were the foreign spy captains. Not even the Tibetans living in the capital knew what he looked like.

  But the portraits Wang Chong possessed had his exact appearance, even the small birthmark on the corner of his lips. This wasn’t possible unless someone had seen his face.

  But the two of them had never even met before. Just how had Wang Chong managed to do it?

  This man was simply too terrifying!

  “The Imperial Minister was right when he said that the capital isn’t a place to stay for the long term. I was rash with this matter.”

  Neeeigh!

  At this moment, a slight turmoil and the neighing of horses could be heard, and the wagon stopped.