The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  And Wang Chong sensed that this was merely the beginning, that this had been merely a minor display of ability. His enemy’s true strategies were still to come!

  Wang Chong had a sudden thought and turned to the nearby Zhang Que.

  “Zhang Que, now that you’ve gained control over the intelligence network, investigate the last carrier pigeon Old Eagle received. According to the spy team, this carrier pigeon was late by five minutes. I need to know what happened in those five minutes.”

  “Yes!”

  ……

  The Eastern Palace was dark, the main hall lit by only a few oil lamps.

  In this hall were First Prince Li Ying, Zhu Tong’en, the white-haired elder known as ‘Ghost King’ seated on an armchair, and Eunuch Yin hidden within the shadows. No one else was present.

  “Senior, forgive me for being blunt. I can accept the use of Tibetans against Wang Chong, but in this assault, why didn’t we choose any of his other subordinates, or perhaps those two generals, Li Siye and Su Hanshan, that he has at the triangular gap? Why did we choose this Old Eagle? I truly can’t tell. What’s so special about him?”

  Now that no outsiders were present, the First Prince got straight to the point. His brow was furrowed in confusion over the Ghost King’s actions.

  He had used his connection with the Tibetans, but he had lost several Imperial Martial realm experts to attack some lowly figure who played around with birds. Wasn’t this using an ox knife to kill a chicken?

  “Heh, the rations have to move before the army. Even that kid knows that. The person who makes many calculations before the battle will be victorious while the one who makes few will lose. There are some things that you can’t tell just by looking at the surface.”

  The Ghost King faintly chuckled from his sandalwood armchair, his every movement exuding confidence and assurance. Anyone who looked at him couldn’t help but be entranced.

  “You still don’t understand? In these previous clashes, you lost again and again because his eyes and ears are far sharper than yours. All of your movements are under his control. This was also how that boy from the Confucian Sect lost.”

  In a war of schemes, the first step was not to kill the enemy, but to cripple his eyes and ears, making him unable to accurately determine the situation. If one was not able to size up the situation and grasp all available information, even the wisest strategist was useless. This was a fundamental principle.

  “Although that Old Eagle isn’t very strong, his position at the side of the King of Foreign Lands is irreplaceable. As long as we can kill him, that kid will be running around blind, and it won’t matter how smart he is.”

  Chapter 1638 - The Eagle King of Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok!

  Chapter 1638: The Eagle King of Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  In the end, Zhu Tong’en overcame his hesitation to speak up.

  “But, we know that Old Eagle has a disciple called Zhang Que. With Old Eagle heavily injured, his disciple has already taken full control, and everything seems to be operating normally. Moreover, they’ve recently been removing many of our spies. Senior’s plan… seems to not be very effective.”

  The Eastern Palace became eerily still. Even First Prince Li Ying couldn’t help but turn to the Ghost King. Although the First Prince remained silent, it was clear that he had the same thoughts.

  “A disciple is just a disciple. If a disciple could so easily surpass their master, then they should have just switched places. Are you sure that Zhang Que can really replace him?”

  The Ghost King chuckled.

  “Reporting!”

  At that moment, one of the First Prince’s personal guards rushed inside.

  “Your Highness, the scout outside the King of Foreign Lands Residence reports that the King of Foreign Lands has begun to move. Many of our scouts and infiltrators have been eliminated. Of our forty-some infiltrators, only three are left!” the personal guard reported, getting down on one knee as soon as he entered the hall.

  Everyone instantly grimaced at these words. This was not the first time the King of Foreign Lands had taken action against the Eastern Palace’s men. They would occasionally allow the various parties to freely scout the area, even allowing them to jump over the wall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence. But in the space of a single breath and without any warning, they would unleash a thunderous strike that would wipe out all these spies.

  But this was not what was important. What was important was that in past operations, when the King of Foreign Lands took action, all the spies would be wiped out. This time, however, three spies had survived.

  One had to realize that for the purpose of intelligence gathering, as long as all spies were not eliminated, one was no different from one hundred. As long as a lookout was present, one could receive a constant stream of information.

  The Ghost King’s judgment had been correct. That disciple, Zhang Que, truly could not replace Old Eagle.

  A strange expression appeared on everyone’s faces.

  The First Prince smiled as he stepped forward. “Senior, this prince believes. No one should have any more doubts about your judgment. What should we do next?”

  “This old man has readied everything!”

  The Ghost King’s eyes flashed as if he had been waiting for these words from the First Prince.

  He suddenly rose from his armchair, and his body erupted with an immense pressure. Everyone watched as the Ghost King strode over to the model in the center of the hall.

  This was a model of the entire capital. Not only did it cover the entire Imperial Palace, but the residences of the nobles and common folk as well. Even Wang Chong’s King of Foreign Lands Residence was included.

  The model was simply enormous, a scaled-down version of the capital that was exquisitely detailed.

  The laws of the Great Tang decreed that it was forbidden for anyone to make a duplicate of the capital’s layout, and those who defied this law faced heavy punishment. This was not without reason, as no one who decided to make a model of the capital ever had good intentions. If the news of this model got out, the First Prince would be impeached by the entire court.

  Buzz!

  The Ghost King reached his right hand out of its sleeve and flicked a finger. Immediately, four small flags flew through the air and landed on four separate residences in the model.

  “As long as Your Highness follows my plan and does these four things, everything will flow as smoothly as water through a canal. Your Highness will be able to fulfill your desires and sit upon the throne to become the overlord of the realm!”

  The First Prince couldn’t help but be moved by these words.

  “Senior, what are these four things you refer to?”

  “Your Highness will understand when the time comes!”

  The Ghost King gave an unfathomable smile.

  ……

  Zhang Que’s investigation quickly produced results. Wang Chong’s judgment had been correct. There was a reason those Tibetans had been able to find Old Eagle’s location so quickly.

  According to Zhang Que’s investigation, the spy team member who had been delivering information to Old Eagle had abruptly disappeared in the aftermath.

  Not only that, when the carrier pigeon that Old Eagle had received right before the incident had been inspected, claw marks of a bird of prey had been found on its body, indicating that it had been captured. It was now apparent that the carrier pigeon Old Eagle used to send information had been watched, and someone had used a gyrfalcon or a similar type of bird to capture it.

  This was why the carrier pigeon had been five minutes late, and the enemy had used the carrier pigeon to find Old Eagle’s location.

  While all this seemed simple, it was easier said than done. The birds used by Old Eagle, even the carrier pigeons, had all undergone rigorous training that included aerial combat and escaping capture.

  Old Eagle had l
ong ago developed a unique training system that even involved feeding his birds a special kind of food that was mixed with herbs that would strengthen the bones and muscles of his birds. This would allow them to fly long distances and escape any sudden ambushes.

  Old Eagle’s birds were not something that an ordinary bird of prey had the strength to catch.

  And it wasn’t like all the birds would personally go to Old Eagle. It was only for certain special incidents that Old Eagle would receive them personally. Rigorous analysis and screening were needed to find the right bird, and it wasn’t something that those Tibetans could have done.

  While Wang Chong had some lingering doubts before, he was growing more and more certain as he obtained more and more intelligence that pointed to that man in the inner palace.

  After looking through the report, Wang Chong handed it to Zhang Que and coldly ordered, “That man in the Imperial Palace has too high of a status to do such a thing. Investigate anyone who has bought birds in the capital recently, particularly birds of prey like gyrfalcons. There can’t be many people like this. Find the man behind all this!”

  Zhang Que affirmed and left.

  Half a day later, Zhang Que found the news Wang Chong desired.

  “Around half a month ago, a Goguryeon merchant who could train gyrfalcons appeared in the capital. He began to sell various birds of prey, and a few days after that, the Imperial Army appeared at his store, but the man had already vanished. According to the information we gathered, that Goguryeon merchant was called Kim U-Seok!”

  “It’s him!”

  Wang Chong’s brow creased upon hearing the news.

  He had heard the name ‘Kim U-Seok’ before. There had been a Goguryeon on the execution list after the Imperial Palace incident concluded.

  For there to be a Goguryeon in the middle of this incident was far too bizarre, and it had drawn much curiosity at the time. Wang Chong only knew that this man’s name was Kim U-Seok. Wang Chong had never expected him to appear here.

  As the investigation continued, even more information was revealed. That Goguryeon merchant called Kim U-Seok was extremely famous in the Goguryeo Empire, known as the supreme Eagle King of Goguryeo. The gyrfalcons he raised were extraordinarily vicious, and according to the information from the spies in Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok was an extremely ambitious man. He had been an extremely prosperous merchant in Goguryeo and had even sold his gyrfalcons to the imperial household.

  But later on, those talks with the Goguryeo imperial household apparently fell through, seemingly because he felt that the price offered was too low. Based on what Kim U-Seok had said before, he seemed to think that the Goguryeo Empire was too poor. As the Central Plains was far wealthier, he turned his attention to the capital of the Great Tang.

  He was now on the wanted list of Goguryeo.

  So it was him. Old Eagle had no idea who he was facing, so it was no wonder he was caught!

  Wang Chong pensively raised his head.

  Wang Chong was sure that the matter of Kim U-Seok was no simple affair. It was obvious that the First Prince was beginning to recruit men. Kim U-Seok was a Goguryeon, but the First Prince didn’t care. It was clear that the incident from his memories was getting closer and closer.

  The Rebellion of the Three Princes!

  As the memories of that incident reemerged, a hint of sorrow appeared in Wang Chong’s eyes.

  Kim U-Seok had already entered the Eastern Palace, and he probably wouldn’t show his face again for some time, at least not after that attack. But Wang Chong was in no rush. No matter where Kim U-Seok was, his fate was sealed. When the time came, Wang Chong would make him pay the price, and that day was not too far off in the future.

  His first priority was still to treat Old Eagle’s injuries.

  “Pass on my order! Distribute posters with Kim U-Seok’s face. If he is discovered, kill on sight!” Wang Chong sternly said.

  This news traveled all over the capital and was even sent to the distant Goguryeo.

  Time slowly passed. The attack on Old Eagle had made all of Wang Chong’s subordinates wary. Moreover, following Wang Chong’s order, a password system had been implemented in the intelligence network. Even if the carrier pigeons were captured or the communication method used by Wang Chong’s spies were revealed through torture, the spies could use a secretive method to inform the others that they were in trouble.

  Old Eagle’s injuries were stabilized and slowly began to improve, marking a temporary end to the incident. No one knew Wang Chong’s plan, but after the incident, a map of the capital had appeared in the King of Foreign Lands Residence.

  While no one knew what Wang Chong was doing, he spent many hours each day pondering the map, occasionally drawing incomprehensible signs upon it.

  After the incident, the First Prince seemed to settle down, and the capital calmed down.

  Ten days later…

  After administering his usual treatment to Old Eagle, Wang Chong had returned to the main hall to ponder the map.

  Whoosh!

  There was a sudden flapping of wings. Wang Chong looked up and saw a mottled bird at the window. Wang Chong glanced at it and immediately raised an eyebrow. This bird was not one of those fierce birds of prey, nor was it the usual carrier pigeon. Rather, it was a beautiful lark.

  Many people in the capital raised birds, but none of them used larks to deliver messages.

  It’s her!

  Wang Chong gently smiled. This lark was extremely familiar to him. It was the one he had gifted to the young lady of the Bai Clan, Bai Siling.

  Chapter 1639 - The Great Buddhist Temple Incident!

  Chapter 1639: The Great Buddhist Temple Incident!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong had the lark land on his palm and quickly took the letter it carried.

  The familiar and elegant words written upon the letter elicited a warm smile from Wang Chong. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t gotten in touch with Bai Siling in a very long time.

  It’s rare for this girl to think of me. What sort of problem could she have encountered?

  With this thought in mind, Wang Chong glanced through the letter, and a moment later, his brow creased and his face grimaced.

  Bai Siling had started with a few pleasantries, and then she had gotten to the main topic. Apparently, First Prince Li Ying had recently begun constructing a large Buddhist temple outside the capital. This engineering project had mobilized more than one thousand craftsmen, and Phoebe Zhennan wood and other various precious kinds of wood were being shipped in from across the empire. The project was also proceeding very quickly, and it was predicted that it would only need six more days to be completed.

  When the time came, the First Prince planned to personally write the name of the Buddhist temple for its signboard and preside over the opening ceremony, and he had invited the Bai Clan to come.

  The Bai Clan was still undecided, but if they did decide to go, they would send Bai Siling as their representative. Given how sensitive the current political climate was, Bai Siling had asked for Wang Chong’s views on the matter.

  Bai Siling sought Wang Chong’s advice on whether the Bai Clan would attend or not.

  When constructing either a Buddhist temple or Daoist temple, it was custom to invite a few great clans and wealthy local officials to attend the ceremony. While it was called attending the ceremony, in reality, it was a request to donate incense, oil, and money. Constructing a temple was an enormous expense, and the majority of the ceremony attendees were extremely wealthy. When the time came to donate incense, oil, and money, they would donate significant amounts, enough to cover a portion of the expense.

  Although Bai Siling had written this letter, it was actually the Bai Clan asking for Wang Chong’s opinion. After all, Wang Chong had an unfriendly relationship with the First Prince, and many people knew just how enraged the First Prince had become after the Public Order Squad incident.r />
  But this was not what Wang Chong was concerned about.

  It’s coming so quickly?

  As he slowly looked up from the letter, Wang Chong’s brows began to furrow.

  The Great Buddhist Temple!

  How could Wang Chong possibly forget about that incident? When the First Prince invited almost every great clan in the capital to attend the ceremony, no one had thought much of it. They had all believed that this would be like the Buddhist temple ceremonies of the past, except that it was the First Prince constructing this temple, so they would probably have to donate more incense, oil, and money.

  But this matter was far more complicated than they would imagine.

  How could someone of the First Prince’s status build a Buddhist temple for no reason? He was even personally writing its signboard and holding the ceremony. It had to be known that the First Prince wasn’t a Buddhist!

  For the First Prince, the ceremony was merely an excuse. The construction of the Buddhist temple was to build up good will in the public and also find out just how many great clans in the capital actually supported him.

  When the ceremony concluded, all those great clans who had received the First Prince’s invitation but had not attended the ceremony were put on the First Prince’s blacklist.

  In the aftermath, the First Prince would make them the focus of his vengeance and suppression.

  Through various excuses, the First Prince borrowed the power of the Imperial Court, and many great clans that had gone on for centuries were shattered and broken.

  In the Great Tang, these great clans weren’t merely wealthy families. They were powerful factions in their own right, and in their centuries of operations, they had become one with the Great Tang.

  For the sake of a factional dispute, the First Prince destroyed these clans who would not submit, and in doing so, he destroyed the strength of the Great Tang.