The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 1073
“Reporting!”
Suddenly, a guard rushed into the hall.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince and Third Prince have arrived!”
“What?!”
The First Prince’s eyes brightened, and everyone else in the hall rejoiced.
Second Prince Li Yao and Third Prince Li Ju were both members of the imperial bloodline. With their esteemed status, they each had a private army of one thousand soldiers. Moreover, with the First Prince’s approval, the two of them had been on the outside recruiting soldiers for this operation for a very long time.
With the assistance of these two, the operation had even greater chances of success!
“Hahaha, Imperial Brother, Third Brother and I have arrived!”
Even before the pair appeared, a loud laugh came through the door. A few moments later, the two brothers, clad in golden armor and leading a group of generals, strode into the hall.
“Second Brother, Third Brother, you’re finally here!”
The First Prince joyfully walked over, his arms wide open, and the three brothers embraced.
……
At the same time, the King of Foreign Lands Residence was brightly lit and brimming with tension.
“Warning! This is the last day of the True Dragon Plan! User must resolve this crisis quickly or be obliterated!”
The Stone of Destiny’s voice reverberated through Wang Chong’s mind, the third time he had heard it over the last few days, but he was unmoved. Even without the Stone of Destiny’s warning, Wang Chong had already received news that Zhang Zheng’s army would arrive tonight. The gruesome Rebellion of the Three Princes from his memories would take place today.
Wang Chong stared at the chessboard as he asked, “What is the state of our forces?”
“Your Highness, everyone is ready and awaiting your orders,” Cheng Sanyuan deferentially said.
Wang Chong slightly nodded and said little more. His eyes were focused on the chessboard, where black pieces crisscrossed in a giant net while the white pieces were perilously surrounded.
Creee!
The shrill cries of eagles could be heard above the residence, particularly loud in the night.
The birds from the Eastern Palace had come again and again, almost blocking out the sky. The King of Foreign Lands Residence had been almost completely locked down.
But Wang Chong had no time to worry about such things.
“Where is Zhang Que?” Wang Chong suddenly said.
“Zhang Que is currently leading the eagle team in fighting back,” Xu Keyi replied. Everyone in the hall felt their hearts sink.
In a battle, spies and information meant almost everything, and what was happening tonight would have far more influence than a single battle. Without a fast method of communication, the battle to come would be almost impossibly difficult.
Without the birds, the King of Foreign Lands Residence could only rely on manpower to send messages. This was an extremely primitive and ineffective method. More importantly, all the spies of the Eastern Palace were attacking the King of Foreign Lands Residence’s people in an almost brazen fashion. While the curfew was ongoing, almost every message came at a cost in life.
“In addition, Zhang Que just sent word that the Second Prince and Third Prince have entered the palace.”
This new development only made the air more oppressive.
Even though the Eastern Palace was still biding its time, everyone could smell the danger in the air, the storm getting closer.
“In addition, family members from the Duke of Guo, the Duke of Wei, and Imperial Censors Duan and Cao have come over. They said that this morning, the First Prince summoned almost all the officials to court to discuss an extremely urgent matter, but even though all the officials went this morning, the gates are already closed and they still haven’t come back,” Cheng Sanyuan reported, and Wang Chong’s heart sank.
In any dynasty, someone plotting rebellion would always have to seize control of the officials so that all the voices of protest could be strangled in the cradle.
And the ones who had suffered the most in the Rebellion of the Three Princes were the court officials.
Once the curfew was implemented, Wang Chong had warned the officials of the capital to find excuses to avoid attending morning court. But people like the Duke of Guo, the Duke of Wei, and Imperial Censors Duan and Cao all placed the state above all, and there was no precedent for a court official to refuse attending court.
But it was precisely the stubbornness of these loyal officials that made them so admirable.
“Tell them to be at ease for now. I’ll definitely find a way to save them!” Wang Chong said.
“Yes!” Cheng Sanyuan deferentially said.
After saying this, Wang Chong focused once more on the chessboard, where the black pieces had long ago transformed in his eyes into countless soldiers. An arrow on the bowstring had no choice over whether it was loosed or not. This was the First Prince’s situation. No one understood more than Wang Chong that the First Prince could not delay another day. But at this moment, the capital was shrouded in a fog of mystery, and there was a question in this fog that Wang Chong needed to answer.
When would the Eastern Palace begin its operation?
The one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, boosted by tens of thousands of additional soldiers, meant that time unquestionably stood on the Eastern Palace’s side, as did the initiative. But even though the Eastern Palace controlled all the gates, it had still not started its rebellion. It was definitely waiting for the right moment.
Until this moment, Wang Chong could not act carelessly, no matter how many soldiers he had. Carelessness could lead to accusations of treason that the Eastern Palace could exploit.
This would be the chance the Eastern Palace was waiting for.
But if Wang Chong was a beat too slow and waited until the rebellion had already firmly established itself in the Imperial Palace, then none of Wang Chong’s soldiers that he had prepared for so long would be able to do anything.
The slightest error in the time of deployment would lead to entirely different results. The fate of the empire was tied to a single order from him, and Wang Chong did not dare to take this responsibility lightly.
Hou Junji, just what are you waiting for? Just when are you going to deploy your soldiers? Wang Chong silently ruminated.
Zhang Zheng’s Beiting Protectorate army was on the road to the capital, but Wang Chong sensed that someone of Hou Junji’s personality would not wait for the Beiting Protectorate army. After all, the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army were more than enough to start a rebellion.
Time slowly passed, and the mood of nervous silence continued to grip the hall.
……
Whoosh!
Elsewhere, in the King Song Residence, the old butler, wearing his gray robe, stood at the entrance to the main hall. Behind him, half-hidden in the shadows, was the Guard Commander, Luo Tong. Farther back were the orderly and grim ranks of the residence guards.
More than half of the lights in the King Song Residence had been extinguished, leaving only the lights on the perimeter walls and around the main hall entrance. The light was dim, but in the gloom, one could see that the King Song Residence had many more soldiers than before. Bowstrings were pulled, sabers and swords unsheathed. Everyone was on their guard, ready for any sudden attack.
“What is the state of the King of Foreign Lands Residence?”
The old butler looked over in the direction of that estate, his robes rustling in the wind. He could see that more than half the capital was dark, and a suffocating mood was pressing down on the city.
Luo Tong’s sonorous voice came from within his armor. “The heavens above the empire are about to shift. Even the slowest person in the capital can sense this. The King of Foreign Lands Residence only has one thousand soldiers. Is there still no movement from him?”
“He’s waiting!”
&
nbsp; The old butler nodded. Calm would precede a storm, and the mountain would be quiet before its collapse. This was one of Wang Chong’s most outstanding traits.
The old butler had watched him mature from a hedonistic scion into a Great General, even a supporting pillar of the empire. Wang Chong was one of the proudest achievements in his life.
“There’s nothing we can do about this rebellion. The only person the empire can rely on is him! I hope he can succeed!” the old butler muttered.
Luo Tong said nothing, and both looked toward the King of Foreign Lands with hopeful eyes.
Time continued to slowly pass, and the capital turned more bleak and quiet with it. The already sparse lights more than halved, casting more and more of the city into the darkness.
But the murderous intent in the streets only increased, and even the barking dogs started to fall silent.
Chapter 1749 - A Gruesome Game of Chess!
Chapter 1749: A Gruesome Game of Chess!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Whoosh!
A messenger bird descended from the skies and flew into the Eastern Palace.
“How is it?”
A questioning voice came from the raised platform.
Kim U-Seok released the messenger bird as he reported, “Your Highness, there is still no movement from the King of Foreign Lands Residence!”
In the silence of the hall, the First Prince slightly frowned. The armies on the border and in the capital were under his control, but still he feared the youngest son of the Wang Clan.
Wang Chong had only revealed twelve hundred soldiers, but there was still no estimate on the soldiers he had hidden. Even though Kim U-Seok had done his best, he had still failed to find them.
This was undoubtedly an enormous threat to the First Prince’s ambitions.
“Damn! Damn! Damn! Why! Why do you insist on opposing this prince!?”
The First Prince slammed his fist down three times on the desk in front of him, the veins on his forehead bulging as he fumed.
If he didn’t handle Wang Chong, he would never be able to rest easy. He did not wish for any unknown factors to appear behind him while he was in the middle of his operation.
“Imperial Brother, in my view, there’s nothing we need to fear. Just give your imperial brother thirty thousand men. I’ll stamp out this troublesome Wang Chong for you!”
Third Prince Li Ju stepped forward, his fists clenched.
Second Prince Li Yao also stepped forward. “That’s right. While Third Brother speaks coarsely, his argument is sound. Imperial Brother, in my view, there is truly no need to fear the Wang Clan too much. Your foolish brother believes that we should seize this moment while Wang Chong’s forces are scattered to suppress and deal with him.
“The only person in the empire who can threaten Imperial Brother is the King of Foreign Lands. Once we kill him, no one will be able to stop Imperial Brother!
“As long as Imperial Brother is willing, Li Yao is willing to go with Third Brother!”
The words of the two Princes were greeted with silence.
This was the mighty King of Foreign Lands, the new War God who had killed one million people! How could he be as easy to deal with as the Second Prince and Third Prince claimed? Despite how many birds and spies the Eastern Palace had mobilized over the last few days, they had still not been able to eliminate Wang Chong’s subordinates, let alone the man himself.
“Your Highness, patience.”
At this moment, the Ghost King interrupted the two Princes and changed the subject, his hands held behind his back and a relaxed look on his face.
“I have a plan. Let me deal with the King of Foreign Lands. Your Highness only needs to wait to be crowned tomorrow.”
These words exuded a powerful persuasiveness.
“Kim U-Seok, it’s about time. Is it ready?”
Hou Junji suddenly turned to Kim U-Seok.
“Ready to move out at any time!”
Startled, Kim U-Seok hurriedly lowered his head.
“Go!”
Hou Junji waved his hand and said no more.
……
A few moments later, as Wang Chong was inspecting the map in his estate…
Rumble!
The ground abruptly began to shake, and then there was a crashing sound as a swath of ceramic roof tiles slid off the roof and shattered against the ground.
“What’s going on here?”
Wang Chong raised an eyebrow as he stood up from his seat.
But before he could say any more, he sensed a boundless surge of destructive energy rising up from a nearby area.
Swish!
Wang Chong immediately flew out of the hall and was soon at the gate of the residence.
“This is…!”
Even though Wang Chong had somewhat prepared himself for what he was about to see, he was still shaken by the sight.
To the northeast, in the Imperial Palace, a vast energy was stirring to life like a fierce gale and rising to the heavens.
Above the Imperial Palace, light was coalescing into a complicated golden design.
A formation!
Wang Chong’s mind trembled in instinctive realization.
In the several decades he had lived in the capital, Wang Chong had never witnessed such phenomena in the Imperial Palace, but he was no stranger to this energy. This was the energy of a large-scale formation.
Wang Chong had sensed this kind of ancient energy before, at Talas. However, the Myriad Rakshasa Earthen Stronghold Formation buried deep under Talas was just a minor trick compared to the Imperial Palace’s formation. The two weren’t even on the same level.
The phenomenon in the Imperial Palace was continuing, the dazzling light illuminating the palace almost as brightly as day. As that massive and ancient formation began to turn, Wang Chong sensed that the Imperial Palace was being slowly enveloped in a giant curtain.
Slowly, the light began to fade, and the Imperial Palace seemed to become a silent and lifeless world.
Buzz!
In the courtyard, Xu Keyi, Cheng Sanyuan, and Zhang Que all turned to the Imperial Palace, their mouths agape. They had also been drawn over by the shaking, but what they saw had been completely unexpected, and none of them understood what was going on.
It’s finally begun!
Wang Chong understood more than anyone else that the isolation of the Imperial Palace signaled that the Eastern Palace was ready to start its rebellion at any moment.
Whoosh!
At this moment, when countless eyes were drawn to the Eastern Palace, no one noticed a messenger bird flying into the King Qi Residence, to the southeast of the Imperial Palace.
Here, everyone was silently waiting.
Creee!
Several thousand meters above the Imperial Palace, a small rock eagle opened its wings, circling at a speed not at all befitting its body. Its sharp eyes looked down, taking in the dark Imperial Palace.
But a few moments later, several dozen shrieking gyrfalcons and golden hawks flew over.
The little rock eagle shook its wings and immediately soared to a higher altitude, at the same crying out, alternating between long and short cries.
One flock, two flocks, three flocks…
In the darkness, flocks of eagles were approaching from various directions, all of them trying to get at that small and valiant rock eagle. However, this rock eagle managed to agilely dodge them, and no matter how many attacks it came under, it stubbornly stayed and observed the situation below.
Crack! Its steely claw seized and snapped the left wing of a gyrfalcon, causing the gyrfalcon to plummet from the skies.
Down on the ground, a general exuding a vast sea of energy held a bow with his left hand and nocked an arrow with his right. Pulling back on this bow that weighed nearly one hundred jin, he aimed at the small rock eagle in the sky.
The energy he exuded was clearly that of a top-class master archer
.
Bang!
The air exploded with a peal of thunder as the Imperial Palace general released the string. The arrow that was more than five feet long shot into the air like a lightning bolt, instantly rising several thousand meters. The small rock eagle cried out as if it sensed something, and at the last moment, it managed to turn around and just barely avoid this fatal arrow.
“Beast!”
The curses from the general could be heard in the distance, but in the end, he was forced to give up.
The rock eagle’s altitude had already exceeded his firing range.
To the southwest of the heavily guarded palace, several thousand meters away, a slim figure was standing in a dark corner of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, silently listening.
“Little Sha, it all depends on you!”
Zhang Que looked up into the night sky, his eyes brimming with worry. With all the spies of the King of Foreign Lands Residence suppressed, Zhang Que had been forced to let the Eagle King, Little Sha, go out alone to survey the Imperial Palace.
Those long and short cries were Little Sha’s way of sending information, allowing it to notify him as quickly as possible of any developments within the palace. This was the only option they had.
If anything happened to the Sage Emperor, the entire empire would be destroyed. No one could accept the responsibility for the consequences!
But not even Zhang Que knew just how long this method could last. He could hear the countless harsh screeches of the Imperial Palace’s numerous birds. The Eastern Palace had already sent many birds to deal with Little Sha, even calling back a significant number of birds from the estate. Little Sha was in great peril.
To be caught by all these birds would be certain death for Little Sha.
“If only Master were here!”
As he looked up at the great flock of eagles in the sky, Zhang Que couldn’t help but think about his master, Old Eagle.
Zhang Que had learned everything about raising birds from his master, and if his master had been present, he would have definitely had a way of dealing with that Goguryeon Eagle King!
Zhang Que quickly shook his head and cast aside these thoughts.
“Report to His Highness that everything remains fine in the Imperial Palace. There’s still no sign of movement from the Eastern Palace!”