The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Forget it. You did your best.”

  Wang Chong waved his hand. Although he was inevitably rather disappointed, Wang Chong knew that the two of them had done their best.

  Eunuch Gao was extremely important, and since the First Prince had dared to make such audacious schemes, he would naturally ensure that he left no clues.

  “Hurry; it’s up ahead…” As Wang Chong was talking with the pair, they heard soft whispers.

  Wang Chong’s heart thumped and he immediately stopped speaking. Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute noticed Wang Chong’s expression and also stopped speaking.

  A few moments later, a second voice came out of the darkness, slight resentment in its tone. “Isn’t His Highness being too careful? Is there a need to constantly change locations? And we already cleaned the place up, but he’s having us go and check again to see if we left any clues. But what sort of clues could have been left?”

  As the two spoke, light footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer.

  ______________

  1.The Taotie is a mythical creature, known as one of the four evil creatures, that was often used as a motif in ancient Chinese bronze artifacts.↩

  Chapter 1648 - Trap!

  Chapter 1648: Trap!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Your Highness…”

  Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute seemed to sense something and turned to Wang Chong. Before they could say anything, they were cloaked in Stellar Energy.

  “Don’t talk. Let them come in.”

  A familiar voice rang out in their ears, and as Wang Chong spoke, he brought the pair into a corner of the room while restraining his energy to the maximum.

  Creeeak!

  A few moments later, the main door to the hall opened and two figures walked in. Although the room was pitch-black, the two seemed extremely familiar with the place and walked up to one of the few tables left. One of them snatched a flint from the table, and with a crack, a dim light illuminated the room.

  “Search carefully, and take away any of those small objects that we can. We can’t leave behind a single clue. In addition, tomorrow, call the palace maids to have them sweep the place again. We’ll have them move away anything we can’t take from here.”

  In the light, one of the ‘Imperial Army soldiers’ took a brush rack from the table while carefully inspecting his surroundings.

  “Mm. What a pity. When the time comes, it seems we’ll have to get vicious again,” the other Imperial Army soldier replied as he inspected his surroundings.

  Whoosh!

  Just then, there was a gust of wind, and before the second soldier could reply, a slender white palm seized his neck.

  The soldier was alarmed and opened his mouth to call out, but his entire body was no longer under his control. At almost the same time, Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute shot out and seized the other soldier.

  The mood in the room instantly turned tense.

  “Answer me or die!” Wang Chong coldly said, lifting the man by his neck.

  The soldier nodded, upon which Wang Chong relaxed his grip and released his throat acupuncture points.

  “Don’t try to shout or bring anyone else here, as you’ll be dead before they get here.”

  “Who… who are you?”

  The Imperial Army soldier stared with fear-stricken eyes.

  “This isn’t something you should be worried about. Where is Eunuch Gao being held?” Wang Chong asked. Wearing his assassination clothes, he had left only his eyes exposed, and it was impossible to tell his identity through solely his eyes.

  “Eunuch Gao? I don’t know what you’re talking about, nor do I know where Eunuch Gao is being held,” the Imperial Army soldier said, shaking his head as if he was oblivious.

  “Hmph, I only said Eunuch Gao, but not which one, so why are you so quick to deny? It’s like you’re saying that there’s not three hundred taels of silver buried here.”

  Wang Chong coldly laughed.

  There were quite a few eunuchs with the surname ‘Gao’ in the palace, and the title of Eunuch Gao was hardly enough to determine which was which. But given how fiercely the soldier shook his head, it was obvious that he knew which one Wang Chong was talking about.

  Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute had been right. This really was the place where Gao Lishi had been held.

  The soldier Wang Chong had seized immediately paled.

  He had never imagined that his answer would reveal so much to Wang Chong.

  Kaclack!

  Wang Chong tightened his grip, and the soldier’s face turned red while immense pain emerged in his eyes.

  “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! We’ve already moved Eunuch Gao to Tianxin Palace! We were just following orders and don’t know anything else.”

  When Wang Chong relaxed his grip again, the soldier immediately told everything he knew.

  “Your Highness, he’s not lying,” Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute suddenly declared after staring at the soldier this entire time.

  This pair had reached an extremely high level of mastery in concealment and pursuit, and they were similarly accomplished in interrogation. They had a systematic and comprehensive method of determining whether what the other party was saying was a truth or a lie. When that soldier was replying, his heartbeat, blood flow, and Psychic Energy did not fluctuate, indicating that he was telling the truth.

  Wang Chong sent his Psychic Energy into the mind of the soldier. A few moments later, his eyes flashed and he subtly nodded. He slapped his palm, causing the soldier to collapse, and then he shot out the door like a bolt of lightning.

  “They aren’t real soldiers of the Imperial Army. Take them away and interrogate them about their origins! As for what comes next, let me handle that.”

  Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute glanced at each other in surprise, but there was already no trace of Wang Chong.

  ……

  In the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace, Wang Chong found the palace that ‘Imperial Army soldier’ had spoken of.

  Tianxin Palace!

  This was an extremely important building in the Imperial Palace, and when Wang Chong arrived, it was brightly lit.

  “Everyone, be careful! Put down the things and then immediately leave!

  “Do what you’re told and don’t look at what you shouldn’t! Move! Move!

  “Hurry, hurry! Get out of here!”

  At the door to the palace, several maids were carrying objects like blankets and cups into the palace while another set of maids was rushing out. These maids were staring at their feet and trembling in fear.

  Meanwhile, an Imperial Army officer was harshly scolding and driving them on.

  Farther off, countless Imperial Army soldiers had surrounded the entire palace.

  Although these people wore the armor of the Imperial Army, they exuded the same aura as the two men Wang Chong had previously captured. It was clear that these people were not part of the Imperial Army, at least originally.

  They had only moved Eunuch Gao here once night had fallen, and it was clear that many things had not been prepared.

  Wang Chong was in no rush and silently waited. But it was only a few moments later that all the maids left and Tianxin Palace calmed down.

  The palace remained brightly lit, and the countless soldiers continued to circle. It would normally be impossible for anyone to get inside.

  But for Wang Chong, as long as he could find Eunuch Gao’s location, it didn’t matter how heavily guarded the place was. No one would be able to stop him.

  Thwish!

  Once the time was right, Wang Chong shot forward into the darkness.

  He moved with incredible speed, and he was soon at the door.

  Wang Chong wasn’t even trying to hide himself from these guards.

  “Who goes—”

  The guards at the door began to speak in alarm, but a moment later, their bodies went numb and they blacked out. Wang Chong was at the Subtle real
m, and dealing with these experts of the Imperial Army was as easy as flipping his palm.

  Wang Chong quickly took control over these soldiers and used his Stellar Energy to freeze them in place, a feat that perhaps only he was capable of.

  Once this was done, Wang Chong continued deeper into the palace.

  Less than half a second had passed, and there was only a gentle gust of wind to indicate that anything had happened.

  The lights in the palace made the place gleam and shine. Wang Chong knocked two more guards unconscious as he advanced, and he was soon at the heart of the palace.

  To his surprise, despite the many guards outside, the inside was abnormally peaceful.

  The gentle light of the candles on the wall illuminated the rows of bookshelves, and not far from a bookshelf was a plump figure silently reading a book, his back to Wang Chong.

  It was an atmosphere of peace and calm.

  Eunuch Gao!

  Although Wang Chong couldn’t see the man’s face, his clothes, his aura, and the slightly plump figure were an exact match with Eunuch Gao.

  Wang Chong had far too many questions to ask Eunuch Gao. How was the Sage Emperor doing? Why had Eunuch Gao been attacked? And why was it that even though the First Prince had imprisoned him, he did not seem to have any restraints and was even able to read a book?

  Only Eunuch Gao could answer these things.

  “Eunuch Gao!” Wang Chong called out as he walked forward.

  The reading Eunuch Gao seemed to hear what was going on behind him and turned around in ‘surprise’.

  Buzz!

  Time seemed to stop. Wang Chong suddenly halted several steps away from Eunuch Gao, and when he saw the face of ‘Eunuch Gao’, he instantly paled.

  While the man had looked exactly identical to Eunuch Gao from the back, his face was not.

  “Your Highness, His Highness the First Prince wishes me to pass a message to you: We’ve been waiting a long time!”

  The man giggled as he spoke a set of disconcerting words. As he spoke, he put down his book, raised his hands into the air, and began to fall back.

  His meaning was that he was merely a messenger and had nothing to do with anything else.

  Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

  The soft sound of countless torches being lit came from outside, and marching footsteps began to get closer and closer.

  “King of Foreign Lands! Such audacity! To dare and intrude upon the Imperial Palace in the middle of the night!” A resounding and familiar voice came from outside.

  Creeeeak! In the darkness, numerous master archers nocked their arrows and aimed.

  These ‘Imperial Army soldiers’ had finally revealed their true selves.

  All fell silent, except for the crackling of the candles on the walls.

  Wang Chong’s heart sank. Even the slowest person could tell what was happening now.

  A trap!

  This was a trap, a trap targeted against him! All of this had been to lure him to this place.

  Entering the Imperial Palace at night was a heavy crime, and as he was an important official, the charges were even worse. He could even be accused of harboring disloyal thoughts and fomenting rebellion!

  Chapter 1649 - Li Heng Saves the Day!

  Chapter 1649: Li Heng Saves the Day!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Your Highness, you can’t run!” the man who had disguised himself as Gao Lishi suddenly said. “The First Prince has already completely surrounded this place! Just obediently accept your punishment!”

  There was a pitying look in his eyes, like he was looking at a frog that had fallen into a trap. Even the renowned War God was nothing before the First Prince.

  How could a mere subject oppose the future Crown Prince?

  Was this not suicidal?

  Sympathy appeared on his face. Even a sage who meticulously pondered everything would eventually make a mistake. The King of Foreign Lands… could not escape!

  Wang Chong said nothing, his face twisted into an unsightly grimace.

  Hiss! Crack!

  The torches burned outside Tianxin Palace, which was now surrounded by several thousand soldiers. The tense air seemed to indicate that tonight would be a restless one.

  The First Prince was dressed in his dragon robe, and behind him were Zhu Tong’en and the other Eastern Palace advisors.

  The Eastern Palace had almost completely mobilized to deal with Wang Chong, tightly surrounding the area.

  “Hmph, I’d like to see how you escape this time!”

  The First Prince coldly chuckled, his expression composed. For very long now, Wang Chong had been the greatest threat standing between him and the throne. Moreover, Wang Chong was simply too cautious and shrewd, too difficult to catch.

  The First Prince had never been able to do anything to him.

  But this time was different. For an important official of the Great Tang, a King, to intrude into the palace in the middle of the night, undoubtedly up to no good, was enough to allow the First Prince to strip him of his nobility and make him an outcast. Even the entire Wang Clan could be destroyed with a single thought.

  “Ghost King, you did well this time. This prince will richly reward you!” the First Prince said without turning his head.

  It was far too difficult to entrap a shrewd character like Wang Chong. There was probably no one that could do this besides the Ghost King.

  “King of Foreign Lands, you’re still not coming out? Must this prince come in and invite you? Or perhaps you think that you still have a chance to escape?”

  The First Prince jeered at the palace before him.

  There were several thousand torches here that made the place as bright as day. Farther off, there was a great clamor as even more Imperial Army soldiers arrived after ‘hearing the news’. Even if Wang Chong grew wings, he would find it very hard to escape.

  Silence!

  The torches flickered in the stillness as everyone waited for the man in Tianxin Palace to make his choice.

  Creeeeak!

  Just when the First Prince and his men were beginning to get impatient, the door slowly opened, and a golden boot emerged.

  A youth of eighteen, bereft of his assassination clothes and now wearing a silk robe, walked out, his eyes cold and domineering. It was Wang Chong.

  Upon seeing him, the First Prince and his advisors cracked a smile.

  This night’s operation could finally be said to have succeeded. Now that he had seen Wang Chong with his own eyes, everything was settled. The dour-faced Wang Chong looked like a fish on the chopping board.

  “Wang Chong, you’ve truly disappointed this prince. When this prince first learned the news, I didn’t dare to believe it was you. As an important subject of the court, you dared commit such an egregious crime!”

  The First Prince stared at Wang Chong while putting up an expression of distress and disgust.

  Everyone stared at the man standing in front of Tianxin Palace.

  Wang Chong said nothing as he scanned his surroundings. Seeing the dense crowd and the many torches, he knew that this incident would probably end poorly.

  The First Prince had gone to great lengths to lure him here, and he would never let him just escape.

  “Wang Chong does not know what Your Highness is talking about,” Wang Chong replied, still remaining extremely calm.

  “King of Foreign Lands, at this stage, with so many people watching, you still want to argue in front of this prince?”

  The First Prince’s eyes were brimming with derision as he scoffed.

  Regardless of what Wang Chong was trying to do, his current actions seemed extremely childish. Did he think that he could escape blame by acting the fool? He was underestimating Li Ying too much if so.

  No matter what he said, he couldn’t escape.

  “Come and seize the King of Foreign Lands! And inform the Imperial Court and the Prime Minister to immediately enter the palace to
discuss this affair. For a mighty King of the Great Tang to so flagrantly break the law, he must have some extremely important matter or secret. Have the Three Departments harshly interrogate him so that all the people behind the curtains can be arrested!”

  The First Prince shot a glance brimming with murderous intent at Wang Chong.

  Even the most meticulous of sages would make an error, and Wang Chong had offered himself up to the First Prince, so the First Prince would make full use of this opportunity.

  Wang Chong had gathered countless other powers around him, forming a massive faction. The First Prince wanted not merely to imprison Wang Chong and completely remove this threat, but also seize all of the people in Wang Chong’s faction and the Wang Clan, including Wang Yan, Wang Gen, Wang Mi, and everyone else!

  Without the Wang Clan, no one inside or outside the court would be able to threaten him.

  “Yes, Your Highness!”

  Several dozen Imperial Army soldiers rushed up with savage expressions, preparing to seize Wang Chong. But before they could get close, a shout rang through the air.

  “Wait a moment! Wang Chong will not resist if Your Highness plans to make an arrest, but Wang Chong would only like to ask: does staying the night at Tianxin Palace also require interrogation from the Three Departments?” Wang Chong said, his expression completely unlike someone who was going to be arrested.

  “Hahah, staying the night at Tianxin Palace? Wang Chong, you’re still trying to play tricks at this stage?”

  Wang Chong was still trying to act the fool, and the First Prince could only smile in anger.

  It seemed like he had overestimated Wang Chong. If Wang Chong thought an excuse like this would suffice, he was truly making a grave error.

  “Wang Chong, as a King of the Great Tang, you broke the law, putting on assassination clothes… Hmph, you think that taking them off is any use? So many people are watching and the evidence is firm. You think you can defend yourself against these charges?”

  The First Prince had suddenly paused in the middle. The report he had received not too long ago said that Wang Chong had entered the Imperial Palace in black assassination clothes, and this alone was enough to punish Wang Chong. What sort of King was this to engage in such conduct?