Wang Zhongsi creased his brow in worry.
Chapter 1926 - : A New Technology for Wang Chong!
Chapter 1926: A New Technology for Wang Chong!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The Behemoths were simply too powerful. A single one was enough to threaten a city, and an organized army before their mountainous bodies might as well have been made of ants.
If these Behemoths had appeared at the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the damage caused to the empire would have been beyond estimation.
And there was no guarantee that a ‘Wang Chong’ would appear in every period of the empire, or that giant ballistae could be produced to deal with them. If this technology got out, a single person could unleash misery and death for all people of the world.
This was one of Wang Zhongsi’s greatest worries.
“Lord Junior Guardian’s words make sense. We must be cautious on this matter!”
The others turned grave. It was clear that they shared his concerns.
“If we want to prevent others from using it, the best method would be to destroy it. If nobody knows about it, nobody can use it to threaten the Great Tang and the Central Plains. Weapons that are overly powerful are not necessarily good things,” An Sishun said, his expression firm. His stance on the Behemoth forging method was very clear. Destruction was good enough.
“The Great Tang’s ballistae were first produced in Taizong’s era, and in the current reign of the Sage Emperor, there are nearly one hundred thousand of them. But these have not been distributed to the various Protector-Generals. Instead, they are kept strictly controlled and stored at the Qixi Armory. If not for this, the Great Tang would probably be in chaos, and there would have been countless casualties in the Rebellion of the Three Princes. Perhaps even the Arabs would have stolen the method to make them.
“If such a thing had happened, the Battle of Talas or this war might have ended with completely different results!”
Arabia had its Behemoths, and for the Great Tang, its Behemoths were the ballistae.
In this war, the most lethal and intimidating weapon against the Arabs had been Su Hanshan’s ballista army. Moreover, An Sishun had worked with Su Hanshan before, so he had an extremely deep understanding of their power.
“No! We can’t simply destroy them!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong’s brows furrowed together, and he pensively lowered his head.
“Water can both lift boats and sink boats. Whether it serves as a blessing to the realm or a disaster solely depends on how one thinks, on the person rather than the object itself. These items used to create Behemoths were paid in the lives of countless soldiers of the Great Tang, our hard-won spoils of war. To just destroy them is too great of a loss.
“And as you said, after creating those nearly one hundred thousand ballistae, His Majesty did not destroy them. Instead, he stored them at Qixi Armory. If not for these ballistae, do you still think we would have won this war?”
Everyone was instantly silenced. An Sishun opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut it again.
Zhangchou Jianqiong was right. None of them could deny the contribution of the ballistae, but it was also difficult for them to praise his words.
The air became rather awkward. No one had expected the matter of the Arabian Behemoth creation arts to be so divisive.
“If we don’t want to destroy these items but also don’t want the method to get out and be used by others, there’s only one method left. We need to find someone we can trust, someone completely devoted to the Great Tang and who would never betray us to the enemy. Let him control the Behemoth creation method and spread it in a small circle. Thus, this art can be used by the Great Tang if necessary while minimizing the danger it presents,” Gao Xianzhi proposed.
Buzz!
The atmosphere suddenly changed. Everyone simultaneously turned to a single person.
“Mm?”
Wang Chong had been pondering how to deal with this matter when he realized to his surprise that everyone was staring at him.
“What’s wrong? Why are you all looking at me?”
But in a rare sight, the group seemed to ignore Wang Chong’s words, looking thoughtful.
“It’s true. In terms of loyalty, I’m sure that no one else here can surpass the King of Foreign Lands!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong nodded as he voiced his agreement.
“Although it still seems rather improper to me, if it’s the King of Foreign Lands, I can consider it,” An Sishun said after a few moments.
“This… If it’s not about protecting the Central Plains, we Tongluo have never had an opinion!” Tongluo Great General Abusi declared. After a few moments of thought, he decided to add, “However, His Majesty has always favored the King of Foreign Lands, and I trust that His Majesty will not misjudge others. If it is the King of Foreign Lands, I have no objection.”
Everyone turned to Wang Zhongsi.
Wang Zhongsi was the Sage Emperor’s adopted son and was utterly loyal to him. He was the only one amongst them that had not yet expressed his stance.
Moreover, Wang Zhongsi was the previous generation’s war god, so he outranked the rest in terms of influence and status. His opinion was of utmost importance.
“If it is the King of Foreign Lands, it is naturally fine.”
Everyone was rather surprised to hear Wang Zhongsi’s words.
“We can start off doing everything as you’ve described, and the fewer people that know, the better. But this is an extremely important matter, so once we get back to the capital, we must request guidance from His Majesty.”
“Naturally!”
“That’s how it should be!”
Everyone agreed with Wang Zhongsi’s words.
It was one thing if they were destroying these items, but a completely different affair if they were choosing to keep them. They naturally couldn’t work around the Sage Emperor for such an important thing.
With these few words, the group decided how to handle the Behemoth creation art, upon which everyone once again turned to Wang Chong.
Though surprised, Wang Chong had come to his senses by now.
The Behemoth creation art was one thing. He was more moved by the trust they had in him.
Wang Chong quickly composed himself and said, “Everyone, thank you for trusting this Wang Chong so much. I will handle this matter appropriately.
“The Central Plains is in the middle of a transformative period, and Wang Chong privately also does not wish to destroy these objects that were used to create the Behemoths. These Behemoths might be very useful to the Great Tang, serving as an important strength to protect the Central Plains. In addition, once we return to the capital, I will strongly recommend to His Majesty that the Behemoth creation art be preserved.”
Wang Chong’s face was firm, his eyes sharp.
He would not conceal his thoughts or act humble. He had always been firm in his resolve and course of action.
But the others were very surprised to hear these words from Wang Chong.
They had all believed that with the Arabs defeated, there were no more external threats, but Wang Chong seemed to think otherwise.
Was there more danger to come in the future?
They glanced at each other in shock, but Wang Chong did not explain.
Wang Chong ordered the generals in the room to mark the instruments, platforms, and formations in the room, and then dismantle them for transport.
In the entire process, Wang Zhongsi and the others intentionally remained uninvolved.
At this moment, this mighty technology that had played such a major role in Arabia’s rise was Wang Chong’s concern. No one else could know how it was dealt with.
……
With the matters in the Temple settled, everyone turned their attention to another matter.
Even though they had killed Khatabah and the High Priest, and defeated the vast Arab army, the Arab
ian Empire still possessed an immense population and area, even larger than the Great Tang. It was easy to defeat and conquer it, but to actually incorporate the territory into the Great Tang was far from easy.
Even though Wang Chong had sent many soldiers to preside over the various areas, they still had many problems to deal with.
Five hundred thousand soldiers were far from enough to suppress such a massive empire. Bahram and his Sassanids were of great assistance in this venture.
With the help of the Sassanids and the armies of the kingdoms bordering Arabia, the Great Tang was finally able to take control of this western empire.
At the start, the various provinces of Arabia would still occasionally break out in rebellion. Arab militia would also occasionally organize and try to ambush Tang soldiers.
But as Wang Chong sent his soldiers to suppress these rebellions through force and, with the assistance of the Sassanids and other peoples, found the places that Arab dissidents gathered and scoured them clean, Arabia finally began to grow quiet.
Wang Chong began to be known as the ‘King of Slaughter’ in Arabia, causing all Arabs to pale in fear.
It was now three months since the conquest of Arabia, and everything was finally on the right track.
Now that affairs had been settled, the capital finally sent a decree requesting Wang Chong to return.
The day had finally come!
In the Arab capital of Baghdad…
“The Hijra Kingdom pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands and offers up this letter of credence! The Hijra swear eternal fealty to the Great Tang as a vassal kingdom!”
“The Medina Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Land and offers up this letter of credence. Additionally, we offer a meager gift of a crate of gold. The people of Medina are willing to eternally share good relations with the Great Tang and become a vassal kingdom!”
“The Samanid Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands. We swear eternal fealty to the Great Tang as a vassal kingdom!”
“The Ghazni Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands, offering this letter of credence and three crates of jewels. We are willing to forever share peaceful relations with the Great Tang and serve it as a vassal kingdom!”
“The Buwayhid Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands and offers this letter of credence. We are willing to forever serve the Great Tang!”
“The Seljuk Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands and offers this letter of credence. We are willing to swear eternal fealty to the Great Tang and serve it as a vassal state!”
“The Ayubbid Dynasty pays respects to the King of Foreign Lands and offers this letter of credence. We swear eternal fealty to the Great Tang as a vassal kingdom!”
(TN: There is no such state as Hijra, as it refers to the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina. Medina is one of the holy cities of Islam, second only to Mecca. The Samanids and Buwayhids were Persian empires that arose in Central Asia after the decline of Abbasid rule, existing from 819-999 and 934-1062 respectively. The Ghazni, or Ghaznavid, were a Turkish people who had their own Central Asian empire based in their capital of Ghazni, and their rise heralded the fall of the Samanids, existing as an empire from 977-1186. The Seljuks were another Turkic people who ousted the Buwayhids and came to dominate the Middle East and Central Asia, ruling from 1037-1194. The Ayubbids were the latest of all these groups, the dynasty founded by the famous Saladin in 1170 in Egypt after he abolished the Fatimid caliphate. The rise of the Mamluks and the Mongols ended the dynasty in the 1200s.)
On the day of Wang Chong’s departure, Baghdad was thronging with people. All of the various kingdoms and dynasties bordering Arabia had sent emissaries to offer letters of credence and gifts that Wang Chong could take back to the Tang capital in the hopes that they could form good relations with this empire.
Chapter 1927 - Departure! Triumphant Return!
Chapter 1927: Departure! Triumphant Return!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The east and the west were far too distant from each other. Before this, the kingdoms around Arabia had a very limited knowledge of the Great Tang, many of them not even knowing its name. Many of these factions had also followed Arabia into the war of the northwest.But through this war, these kingdoms had come to keenly understand the power of the Great Tang.With a much smaller army, the Great Tang had crushed Arabia. The infamously powerful and supreme Arabian Empire had left the corpses of a million soldiers strewn across the eastern world, stunning all the other kingdoms.And Wang Chong, who was the supreme commander of the eastern army, had killed both Khatabah and the High Priest, making him like the noon sun, an almost mythical existence in the western world.More importantly, even though the Tang had defeated Arabia and taken Baghdad, their conduct was much less cruel and brutal than the Arabs’.At least the Tang had not massacred the city!The other kingdoms were much more willing to follow an empire like the Great Tang, just as powerful but much softer.Wang Chong greeted the emissaries as the Nine Provinces Protector-General, receiving their letters of credence and then retreating to the inner hall.“Have the officials from the Imperial Court arrived?”Wang Chong took off his crimson court robe, exchanging them for casual clothes, as he looked at Zhang Que.“Your Highness, they’ve arrived! This time, the Bureau of Personnel drew up a list that the Sage Emperor hand-picked from. All of them are the best of the best at governance. Moreover, they all know a little Arabic. In addition, the Imperial Court has also dispatched many translators who know Arabic, including eminent scholars of the Confucian Sect,” Zhang Que said.Generals were skilled at fighting battles and taking cities, but managing cities and regions required incredible patience and time. Thus, very early on, Wang Chong had requested the Imperial Court to send civil officials to govern the area.Now, right before Wang Chong was about to return to the capital, the civil officials had all arrived.“Milord, we will be setting out soon. Should we inform Lord Zhangchou and the others?” Zhang Que said.“There’s no need. I’ve already met with them,” Wang Chong indifferently said.Before Wang Chong left for the capital, the six major commanders had already discussed their plans. Gao Xianzhi and An Sishun would remain to preside over Arabia. Tongluo Great General Abusi and his twenty thousand Tongluo would assist, primarily focused on dealing with rebellions and the stubborn Arab militia.Wang Chong was the first to return to the capital. Once Arabia had been pacified and slowly convinced to yield to the Great Tang, Zhangchou Jianqiong and the others would follow.But Gao Xianzhi and An Sishun would have to remain in Arabia.One of Wang Chong’s close guards interrupted the conversation, entering and getting down on one knee. “Reporting! Milord, Secretariat Advisor Li Junxian seeks an audience.”The two of them turned to look.“Let him come in!” Wang Chong said.Ever since the fall of Arabia, Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect had been extremely subdued. Even Wang Chong rarely saw them. Moreover, with so many things to take care of, Wang Chong did not have the time to worry about them.He had not expected Li Junxian to come and visit right before his departure.A few moments later, Li Junxian came in, dressed in his Confucian robes.After all the battles he had been through, Li Junxian no longer possessed the appearance of a handsome and refined scholar. He was much thinner and paler, but he also seemed more energetic.“Brother Li!” Wang Chong said.“Your Highness!”Li Junxian respectfully bowed.“This one has come to send Your Highness off. Your Highness, thank you for giving Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect a chance to correct their mistake.”Li Junxian spoke with sincerity, and there seemed to be another meaning to his words.“What? You don’t plan to return to the capital?”Wang Chong frowned, immediately sensing something.Wang Chong had believed that Li Junxian had disappeared because he was preparing to rebuild the schools Arabia had destroyed, but once that was settled, he would return to the capital with him.But it now seemed that Li Junxian had no intention of returning to the Central Plains.“No.”Li Junxian shook his head and gave a rather com
plicated smile.“Our Confucian Sect has erred too greatly, almost dragging down all the people of the realm. We no longer have the dignity to return to the Central Plains.”There was a faint bitterness in his voice.“A recognized mistake can be reformed, and nothing can be better than that. Brother Li, if it is because of this, there is no need to worry. Life is fickle, and who can say that they have never made a mistake? Moreover, the Confucian Sect has redeemed itself through its own actions. If not for your Confucian Sect’s selfless sacrifice to prevent the center from falling, Khatabah would have succeeded,” Wang Chong said.At the most intense moment of the war of the northwest, when Wang Chong was imprisoned by the High Priest’s Forbidden Art Sea, the battle had reached an extremely dangerous moment. The Nine Dragon Army had been on the verge of being enclosed on both flanks and defeated. If Li Junxian and the members of the Confucian Sect had not thrown themselves fearlessly into the fray, the consequences would have been unimaginable.“And most importantly, we won. I am confident that everyone who knows the details of that battle will welcome the Confucian Sect as heroes,” Wang Chong said.“Heh, there is no need for Your Highness to comfort me. Even if our Confucian Sect returned as heroes, even if we obtained everyone’s reverence and respect, deep down, I still cannot forgive myself.“A mistake is a mistake. This cannot be changed. Those innocents slain in the border incident and the teachers killed by the Arabs were all because of my mistake. This cannot be forgiven.“As for the war, we were ultimately able to win not because of the Confucian Sect, but because of you, Your Highness! If not for Your Highness, we would have never been able to salvage our mistake.“For me and the Confucian Sect, from the moment we left the capital, we were prepared to never return. This is our journey of atonement, and it is only beginning.“Your Highness also need not worry. If the Great Tang is in trouble, the Confucian Sect will appear again. if Your Highness is in peril, I, Li Junxian, will return!” Li Junxian solemnly said.Wang Chong saw the resolve in Li Junxian’s eyes and knew that he and the Confucian Sect were determined in their ways. He could only sigh at the fact that he could not change their minds.“Brother Li, take care of yourself!”He had thousands of things he wanted to say, but he left it at that.Li Junxian quickly departed.Wang Chong saw him off and slowly looked into the distance, watching this strange world and empire in a daze.But soon…“Return to the capital!”Wang Chong gave the order, and the entire city of Baghdad began to turn.A few moments later, Wang Chong boarded his carriage and left Arabia, accompanied by an army of a hundred-thousand-some soldiers.……Half a month later, in the capital of the Great Tang…Boom!There was a great metal rumbling as the city gates opened. At the same time, a loud cry rang out over the capital.“King of Foreign Lands!”“The King of Foreign Lands returns triumphant!”This excited cry unleashed a great stir in the capital.Countless people surged out of restaurants, tea houses, and homes into the streets, all of them converging on the western gate.The area around the gate was a sea of people, their shoulders rubbing against each other.“Where’s the King of Foreign Lands? Where?”“The hero of the Great Tang has finally returned!”“After so long, he’s finally back! Son, let your father show you a real hero!”“Haha, King of Foreign Lands, this old man knew that you would win! And what do you know—this old man was right! Everyone, take out the fireworks! Be ready to ignite them on my orders!”“Hahaha, stand aside a bit! Don’t block my view of the King of Foreign Lands!”The crowd was even more excited than during the festival season, and all of them had beaming expressions that came from their hearts. And there were also many unmarried young women in the crowd.“Where’s the King of Foreign Lands? Let me see!”These women at the prime of their youth were both bashful and elated.Everyone knew that the King of Foreign Lands was still a bachelor. Despite being a mighty hero, he was also young and handsome. What young woman wouldn’t like him?Bong!At the same time, bells began to ring within the capital, and numerous civil officials and military generals also began to make their way to the western part of the city.“Hurry! Go! The King of Foreign Lands is almost here!”“What? Wait for me! My shoe fell off! We’ll go together!”“He’s finally here, but so fast! Haha, the heroes of the Great Tang have finally returned!”The officials boarded their carriage and sped off.The war of the northwest had long ago extinguished the fires of conflict between the civil and military officials. Everyone who came back from the lands west of the Cong Mountains was a hero of the Great Tang, and Wang Chong held the highest status of all.He had once more led the army of the Great Tang and saved the empire.After considering all the humiliation he had suffered during the militarist-Confucian conflict, the people felt only greater respect for him.It was truly a blessing that they had been born in the same era as this man, a man who would always come forward whenever the empire was in danger, the first to charge into the fray and resolve the crisis.Moreover, this man had succeeded in rewriting the concept of war in their minds.For dynasty after dynasty, no matter how wise the sovereign was, war would always be a disaster for the people. The wars would not only devastate the land and populace, they would also force the common people into corvée labor and burden them with heavy taxes.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1169