The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Those soldiers near him were probably those private soldiers of his.

  But even though they were private soldiers that were all former elites of the Annan Protectorate, they were still lacking compared to the Tongluo Cavalry. A few charges would leave nothing left.

  “Wait!”

  To the general’s surprise, Abusi waved his hand, calling him to stop before he could get very far.

  “Milord!”

  All the soldiers stared in shock at Abusi, and those who had ridden out immediately began to slow down.

  Orders were to be strictly obeyed. If Abusi ordered them to stop, all the Tongluo Cavalry would come to a halt!

  A gale swept over the palace gate, and following it was a silence so eerie that one could hear a pin drop. Those war cries that had once soared to the heavens had almost instantly vanished.

  Abusi sat motionlessly upon his horse as he stared at Zhangchou Jianqiong, his eyes constantly shifting.

  From the moment the Tongluo chose to join the First Prince, there had been no going back. No matter who stood in their way tonight, even Zhangchou Jianqiong, Abusi would charge in and kill all who stood in his way. But what had truly caused his firm resolve to waver and pull on the reins of his warhorse was the King of Foreign Lands.

  Abusi’s relationship with Wang Chong could never be described as good. Even when the Tongluo Cavalry had been ordered by the Sage Emperor to fight alongside Wang Chong against the Arabs, Abusi’s impression of Wang Chong had not improved.

  But deep down, one of the people Abusi feared the most was the young King of Foreign Lands.

  The City of Steel, the Wushang Cavalry, the Mo Saber Unit…

  This youth had wrought countless miracles. The Tongluo had spent generations of sweat and blood, years upon years of training and research, to finally create the Tongluo Cavalry whose name shook the world.

  But in just a few years, Wang Chong had created the Wushang Cavalry, which was not one bit inferior to the Tongluo Cavalry. It had even defeated the renowned Mamelukes of the Arabian Empire on the battlefield.

  In front of the King of Foreign Lands, the legends of the Tongluo instantly lost their luster.

  But what Abusi feared the most was Wang Chong’s intellect and calculation ability.

  When the Arabs had brought their vast army to the walls of Khorasan, Abusi had believed that Wang Chong’s defeat was certain. But to his surprise, this youth had seemingly predicted that extremely cold blizzard, digging out underground rooms in the city where his troops could weather the storm. He had even used the blizzard to launch a devastating attack on the Arabs that resulted in losses of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

  This sort of blizzard was almost unprecedented in the Arabian Empire, an event that was rare even once every one hundred years, but Wang Chong had apparently known about it. This was truly unbelievable.

  And besides that, there was the border incident, the Public Order Squad incident… Wang Chong had proved multiple times that he was one who made plans first and then moved out, who always had confidence in any venture he set out on. For each step he took, he had already calculated three steps, even ten steps ahead.

  In this rebellion, the First Prince had taken control over the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, and also the three garrisons of Beiting, Big Dipper, and Anxi. He had also taken control of the city gates, but he still feared Wang Chong.

  Even though the news of the Tongluo Cavalry’s betrayal had been leaked, Wang Chong should have known nothing about the exact time and route. But Zhangchou Jianqiong had apparently known and been waiting. This made Abusi extremely uneasy.

  There was nothing wrong with being careful, and Abusi simply didn’t care to act carelessly with Wang Chong.

  “Wait here while I meet with him. No one is to move around without my order!”

  Abusi narrowed his eyes as he sternly spoke. He gestured, calling over some of his more powerful generals, and then slowly trotted forward.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong, surrounded by ten-some old subordinates from the Annan Protectorate, had been watching Abusi and the Tongluo this entire time. Upon seeing Abusi ride over, one of the subordinates whispered, “Milord, the King of Foreign Lands was right. He really did stop!”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong subtly nodded in reply.

  The Tongluo were simply too powerful. No single army in the capital was their match.

  If they charged over without a word, not even Zhangchou Jianqiong could stop them, and any scheme or plan he had concocted would have been useless.

  “You, come with me. The rest of you should stay here.”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong rode forth on his longtime steed, ‘Cloud Swallower’, descending from the palace wall with several of his subordinates.

  The two groups stopped around a hundred feet apart and silently stared at each other.

  Even though the Tongluo had stopped their advance for now, the atmosphere was only more nervous. Everyone knew that the moment this talk was over, the battle would begin.

  “Lord Zhangchou, what does the King of Foreign Lands have to say?!”

  Abusi broke the silence as he warily stared at Zhangchou Jianqiong.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong smiled and said, “Heheh, Great General, the King of Foreign Lands long ago predicted that you would move out at this time. The message he had me convey to you is this: this battle has nothing to do with the Tongluo. Great General still has time to pull on the reins to stop yourself from going over the cliff.”

  The Tongluo generals frowned at these words.

  “The King of Foreign Lands sent you only to say this?

  “If that’s all, then please forgive this Abusi for finding it difficult to comply!” Abusi declared.

  There was no taking back a loosed arrow. At this stage, how could he just fall back because of some words from Wang Chong or Zhangchou Jianqiong? He would become the laughingstock of the world.

  “Haha, the King of Foreign Lands also predicted these words ,” Zhangchou Jianqiong said. “The King of Foreign Lands also wanted me to ask you this: Great General has only thought about joining the First Prince, but did Great General not think about what would happen to the Tongluo… if the First Prince failed?”

  Buzz!

  Abusi and the Tongluo generals instantly paled.

  The First Prince currently held the overwhelming advantage. The entire Imperial City was under his control and he had the assistance of Army-Shattering War God Hou Junji. Meanwhile, the Sage Emperor was confused and withdrawn. This was why Abusi had chosen to join the First Prince.

  But if the First Prince failed…

  Abusi didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.

  “What does the King of Foreign Lands mean!?” Abusi coldly said as his pupils constricted.

  Abusi wouldn’t care if anyone else had said these words, but if Wang Chong had said them, he had to be concerned.

  “Heheh, Great General, until the dust has settled, one must never make reckless decisions. At the Battle of Talas, didn’t everyone think that the Great Tang’s defeat was certain?” Zhangchou Jianqiong said.

  Abusi and the Tongluo generals at his side turned grim.

  Chapter 1772 - Changing One’s Mind!

  Chapter 1772: Changing One’s Mind!Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: MichyrrIn the Battle of Talas, the Arabs had fielded ten times as many soldiers as the Great Tang. No matter how one looked at it, the defeat of the Great Tang had seemed inevitable. But in the end, it was the Great Tang who won that battle. The Tongluo had played no small part in this victory, so they were extremely familiar with this battle.The Tongluo had initially believed that the First Prince held the overwhelming advantage in this rebellion, but now, they weren’t so sure. Abusi in particular had his brows deeply creased in unease.The First Prince could not lose—or to be more precise, the Tongluo could not lose. If they ended up standing on the wrong side, their entire tribe would be obliterated.This was a result he could not acce
pt.“Great General, the King of Foreign Lands says that he deeply cherishes the friendship formed when he fought alongside Great General’s men at Talas. In addition, he also knows that Great General must be very hesitant, so he prepared a letter. Great General need only look it over to understand.”Zhangchou Jianqiong smiled as he pulled a letter from his sleeve and passed it over.“Milord!”One of the Tongluo generals at Abusi’s side immediately shook his head, wanting to stop him from taking the letter. The Tongluo had already sworn fealty to the First Prince. If they began to develop some ambiguous relationship with Wang Chong at a time like this, they might stir up unnecessary trouble, even earn the suspicion of the new emperor. This was not a wise decision.“Hehe, the courage of the Tongluo is known throughout the world. They don’t even fear death, yet they fear a trifling letter from the King of Foreign Lands?” Zhangchou Jianqiong indifferently said, a smirk on his lips.Abusi had been hesitant at first, but upon hearing this, he coldly harrumphed and drew the letter over.“There’s no need to say any more! This one understands how to proceed!”Abusi opened the letter and began to read through it.It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. After sending off the letter, Zhangchou Jianqiong had hidden his hands within his sleeves. While he was outwardly composed, he also couldn’t help but be a little nervous at this time.This was a monumentally important battle, and the capital was on the razor’s edge. Though Wang Chong had entrusted the letter to him, not even Zhangchou Jianqiong was sure that he could persuade Abusi and the Tongluo Cavalry.The air was so stagnant that it almost seemed frozen. As Abusi read the letter, his eyes and face constantly shifted through various expressions. No one knew what he was thinking.And no one knew what Wang Chong’s letter said.“Great General, just as the King of Foreign Lands said, this battle is yet to be decided, so why must Great General intervene at this time? Rather than intervening when the situation is not yet settled, why not wait a while? Act as a spectator and remain in reserve, and then once the dust has settled and the outcome is clear, Great General can make your decision.“In the end, if the First Prince is winning, Great General can mobilize your army and strike, both minimizing the losses to the Tongluo and keeping your promise to Hou Junji and the Eastern Palace. And if the First Prince fails, Great General can join the King of Foreign Lands and work to wipe out the remnants of the Eastern Palace. In this way, you can express your loyalty to the Sage Emperor and avoid having the Tongluo make any further mistakes that would lead them beyond salvation.“Is this not a win-win situation, much better than the Tongluo’s current plan of action?” Zhangchou Jianqiong firmly said.“The Tongluo do not exceed ten thousand. Each Tongluo Cavalry under Great General’s command was obtained through excruciating effort. Must they be wasted on this sort of rebellion? Great General, please reconsider!”These final words clearly had an effect on Abusi and the Tongluo generals at his side.It was true. Unlike other soldiers, each Tongluo Cavalry required ten-some years of bitter training. It was precisely for this reason that the imperial household rarely dispatched the Tongluo Cavalry for external wars.The King of Foreign Lands was no ordinary person. He was acknowledged by all the Great Tang as the new War God.As his letter had said, if he gathered his Wushang Cavalry and Mo Saber Unit and threw aside everything else to attack the Tongluo Cavalry, then even if the Tongluo won, it would come at a heavy price.The Tongluo did not exceed ten thousand. Even the loss of a few thousand men would take ages to recover from.The Tongluo could not endure this sort of loss.The Tongluo had already been forced to expend much of their reserves after the Battle of Talas.“Father, you can’t!”Just when Abusi and the other Tongluo generals were being swayed, a cold voice came from behind them.“The First Prince is ascendant, so Father can’t trust their arguments! Wang Chong is the greatest enemy of the Hu, and he once wrote a memorial specifically criticizing us! Father, did you forget? His words can’t be trusted!”A young figure was riding toward them on a Tongluo steed, his expression cold and aloof.Abutong!Zhangchou Jianqiong glanced at this youth and grimaced. The speaker was none other than Abusi’s youngest son.He had vaguely heard some things about what had happened between Wang Chong and Abutong. When Wang Chong was still obscure and he was at Kunwu Training Camp, he had once stripped Abutong naked and tied him to a bamboo pole, humiliating him in front of the entire camp.This matter had once been a hot topic in the capital, discussed in all the taverns and tea houses.Zhangchou Jianqiong had also heard of this matter being talked about in a tavern when he first entered the capital.Abutong clearly held a grudge over this matter and had emerged to take his revenge.This would be fine at any other time, but at this moment, it was extremely disadvantageous for his side.“Oh no!”“This is going to be difficult!”Zhangchou Jianqiong’s subordinates all scowled.As expected, Abusi, after hearing Abutong’s words, quickly hardened up, his face turning cold and dark.It was true. Amongst all the Han commanders, Wang Chong was the one most opposed to the Hu. He had once upset all the Hu of the realm with a single memorial, and he had also succeeded in causing the Imperial Court to put aside the Regional Commander policy that emphasized greater importance for the Hu.In this aspect, Wang Chong was the greatest Han foe of the Hu. Moreover, while Wang Chong had many soldiers under his command, he had barely any Hu commanders. Almost all his officers were Han.While he would work together with Hu, he would never place them in high positions.Abutong’s words had hit the mark.Just when it seemed like the Tongluo were about to attack, a jeering laugh came from up ahead.“Hahaha, Abutong, His Highness was right about you! For the sake of a personal grudge, you don’t even mind casting aside the fate of the entire Tongluo tribe!”“Who goes there?!”Abutong exploded in rage and turned toward the direction of the palace gate. A young horseman rode out from behind the three thousand fearful Penal Court soldiers.“Abutong, have you already forgotten me?”The young horseman smiled as he took off his helmet, revealing a young and energetic face.“Chi Weisi!”Abutong scowled upon seeing that youthful face. He could never have forgotten that young man who had been at Wang Chong’s side when he was being hung up naked on that bamboo pole.He had heard that after completing his training at Kunwu Training Camp, Chi Weisi had left for Youzhou. He had never expected Wang Chong to call this youth back and plant him in the ranks of the Penal Court soldiers.“Bastard!”Abutong clenched his fists and silently cursed. He was certain that Wang Chong had left Chi Weisi here to deal with him.As expected, Chi Weisi began to ride toward Tongluo Great General Abusi.“Great General, the quarrel between Abutong and His Highness is a personal grudge, but His Highness and Great General are discussing the future and welfare of the entire Tongluo tribe. I trust that there is no need for me to tell Great General which one is more important.“His Highness has never been on good terms with the Hu. His Highness has never denied this. But whether it is Hu or Han, His Highness has always kept his word.“In addition, His Highness also asked me to convey a message. Great General, rather than worrying about His Highness, you should worry more about the Sage Emperor. As long as the Sage Emperor lives, who in the realm would dare to do the Tongluo harm?”As Chi Weisi spoke, he subtly glanced at Abutong, who immediately scowled even more.It took ten years to hone a sword. After spending several years on the frontier, Chi Weisi and the other students of Kunwu Training Camp had been transformed.Like unpolished jade being slowly sculpted and chiseled into a fine statue, they were finally beginning to reveal their luster and radiance. Putting aside anything else, just the fact that Chi Weisi could speak so freely in front of Tongluo Great General Abusi was proof of the momentous transformation he had experienced.Chi Weisi’s words, particularly his mention of the Sage Emperor, clearly had an effect on Abusi, and he finally made up his mind.It was true. Wang Chong didn’t matter, as the one who made decisions in this empire would always be the Sage Emperor. And the Sage Emperor had always treated the Tongluo most generously!As Abusi raised his head, his eyes slowly turned hard and determined.“Zhangchou Jianqiong, just as you desire, the Tongluo will wait in reserve, but don’t celebrate just yet. I
will give you fifteen minutes at most. If your side is defeated or is still caught in a stalemate, I will attack without hesitation!”Upon saying this, Abusi waved his hand and rode away.“Father!”Abutong paled. He had never imagined that Chi Weisi’s few words would change his father’s mind. He quickly rode after Abusi and tried to stop him, but all he earned for his efforts was a cold rebuke.“Disobedient son, shut your mouth! Have you not humiliated me enough?”

  The sight of Abusi’s cold eyes immediately rendered Abutong speechless.

  Chapter 1773 - Breaking Through the Saint Martial Barracks!

  Chapter 1773: Breaking Through the Saint Martial Barracks!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Gallop!

  Hooves thundered as Abusi withdrew his ten thousand Tongluo Cavalry.

  But this was only a temporary withdrawal from the palace gates, not a wholesale retreat.

  Hiss!

  As Zhangchou Jianqiong watched the Tongluo leave, he sighed in relief.

  Although he had spent nearly twenty years as the Annan Protector-General and had spent almost his entire life in danger, and although he was the fierce Tiger of the Empire, Zhangchou Jianqiong had found this bloodless negotiation the most dangerous event in his life by far.

  After all, there was simply too much on the line in this battle.

  “This negotiation was almost ruined by that Abutong. It’s good His Highness was ready!”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong turned to Chi Weisi and inwardly rejoiced.

  His old subordinates behind him also found themselves still shivering from fear. For a moment, they had sensed that the Tongluo Great General had already made up his mind to attack.

  They had done their best to appear calm, but if the Tongluo Cavalry had charged, they really wouldn’t have been able to stop them.