The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  And now that Wang Chong had led his army to defeat the even more powerful Arabia, nobody in the world dared to go ‘hunting’ with Wang Chong.

  “Yes!”

  Young Master Qingyang bowed and said no more.

  It was true. The Great Tang was at its zenith and the name of the King of Foreign Lands rang in everyone’s ears. There was no country in the world that did not fear his might. While Fengjiayi was no sparrow, he was also nothing compared to Wang Chong, a golden-winged Great Peng that soared above the nine heavens.

  “In addition, starting from now, buy as many cattle and sheep as you can from the other empires, including Arabia. Organize experts who can make these into dried meat and jerky as quickly as possible,” Wang Chong said.

  Rice alone was far from enough. When it came to meat and preserved fruits, he wanted as much as he could get.

  Chapter 1931 - The Venomous Snake Called Envy!

  Chapter 1931: The Venomous Snake Called Envy!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Yes, Milord!” said Zhang Que, bowing.

  Wang Chong nodded, his expression relaxing.

  “Xue Qianjun, what’s the status of the group I had you prepare?”

  Wang Chong turned his gaze to Xue Qianjun.

  After the campaign in the Ten Eastern Islands and the war in the northwest, Xue Qianjun had been remolded into a superb commander who was completely capable of holding his own.

  Xue Qianjun lowered his head and respectfully said, “Your Highness, following your orders, I have selected three hundred of the best scouts and divided them into thirty teams, each team led by an experienced commander. They are ready and waiting for your orders.”

  “Very good! Starting now, I want you to send them deep into the north, past the Turkic steppe to the lands even farther north than the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates. I need to know how the climate is changing to the north of the Turkic steppe and a detailed map of the area. All the tundra and forests need to be carefully marked!” Wang Chong sternly said.

  The blizzard that took place during the Battle of Khorasan was only the first of many omens. Wang Chong needed to know just what stage the ice age had reached.

  The ice age had yet to begin, but Wang Chong sensed that it wasn’t too far off. He needed to know all the relevant information, and this was information he would have to rely on his own forces to gather.

  “Understood!”

  Although he was rather surprised, Xue Qianjun still replied without hesitation.

  Arabia had been pacified, and none of the countries was any match for the Great Tang. No one knew why Wang Chong was sending soldiers to such a distant place to gather this kind of information, but after following him and believing in him for so long, they all understood that Wang Chong’s foresight was something that none of them could match.

  Wang Chong naturally had his reasons. This had been proven again and again!

  “There’s one last matter!”

  Wang Chong took in a breath, his expression turning grave. Everyone immediately focused on him.

  They had just defeated Arabia, and morale should have been at its highest. None of them understood what could make Wang Chong so cautious.

  “Guo Ziyi, I am now granting you full responsibility over everything in the Youzhou area. Everyone else, including Zhang Que, is to assist you as much as possible!”

  Wang Chong was grim.

  “I need all of you to investigate a man, and gather as much information as possible without missing a single detail!”

  Everyone in the study was shocked. With the current power of the Great Tang and the status of their liege, who in Youzhou was worth such a large-scale investigation?

  Guo Ziyi raised his head and asked, “Who is Your Highness referring to?” His expression was calm, but deep in his eyes, there was a faint hint of shock.

  “An Yaluoshan!” Wang Chong declared.

  After pacifying Arabia, they had found a white jade roller in Mutasim III’s treasury, which had caused Wang Chong to once more turn his attention to the greatest foe from his last life, now lurking in Youzhou to the northeast.

  While Wang Chong had been running around to resolve the various threats to the Great Tang, that man had been silently working on his own ‘grand project’.

  The words ‘future master of the Central Plains’ on that thin scrap of paper had exposed that man’s ambition.

  While the cold wave brought by the ice age was dangerous, this was a natural disaster, not a human one. Wang Chong would never forget this traitorous Hu general who enjoyed playing the pig so that he could eat tigers and who would one day commit all sorts of offenses against the Great Tang. And he would never forget the vital role he would play in that calamity!

  An Yaluoshan, no matter what you’re planning, I’ll never let you succeed! In this life, as long as I’m around, you won’t even be able to dream about getting your way!

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed with a sharp light that seemed to pierce through space and stare all the way to Youzhou.

  ……

  At this time, in the faraway land of Youzhou…

  While the Central Plains was celebrating and Wang Chong was holding a meeting with his elite subordinates, discussing a way to deal with An Yaluoshan, on a remote mountain in Youzhou, several figures stood and looked toward the southwest as daybreak approached.

  There were many mountains like this in Youzhou, and there wasn’t anything special about it, but for these people, this mountain was the only mountain in Youzhou that they could see the entirety of the Central Plains from.

  One of the men suddenly spoke. “What a pile of trash! Even with an army of millions, they still lost to the Great Tang!”

  It was a slightly plump figure with bright eyes, his hands held behind his back, his face covered in anger and resentment.

  Wang Chong would have instantly recognized this man as the An Yaluoshan that he had so dearly wanted to kill back in the capital, the future archenemy of the Central Plains.

  An Yaluoshan’s body had changed little in the intervening years, but his demeanor had undergone a complete transformation. Whenever he opened his eyes, they erupted with the light of his burning ambition.

  At his side were Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi, his two Great General companions. They had also experienced a shift in demeanor, and Stellar Energy was gushing out of every pore. As their Stellar Energy flowed, it gave off a metallic resonance.

  With this formidable level of cultivation, they were capable of holding their own on the battlefield and shaking the world with their strength. But just like An Yaluoshan, they had concealed their edge. Only late in the night in remote places like this would they reveal a little of their immense power.

  “…I sent them all those gifts and tried to ally with them so that he could defeat the Great Tang, but this fool ignored me. This was what led to his defeat! What a useless piece of trash!”

  An Yaluoshan gnashed his teeth. If not for the great distance and the fact that Arabia was already in Wang Chong’s hands, An Yaluoshan would have gone and killed Mutasim III himself.

  Two million, six hundred thousand cavalry! Such a massive base of power! If it had fallen under his control, he would have conquered the entire world by now. But Mutasim III had wasted it all.

  An Yaluoshan felt his heart ache at the mere thought of it.

  “There’s nothing to be done. No one could have imagined that Wang Chong would have so many superb talents under his command. They even managed to conjure a sandstorm that turned the Arabs’ advantage in numbers to nothing. Moreover, Wang Zhongsi, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Gao Xianzhi, and An Sishun also took part in that battle. This sort of army is simply unprecedented!” Tian Chengsi said as he gripped his massive saber, which was as tall as an adult man.

  Along with the surrounding kingdoms, they had also been paying attention to the war of the northwest. They had many spies in Qixi sending them a constant stream
of information.

  “What a pity that the Sage Emperor had us remain in Youzhou for this war. Otherwise, we could have defected in the middle of the battle and joined with the Arabs to crush the Great Tang!”

  Cui Qianyou looked at the Central Plains as he spoke these chilling words, his eyes as sharp as blades.

  As the Andong Protectorate army presided over Youzhou, the most distant of the garrisons, and had to deal with four major powers at once, it had been ordered to remain at its post during the war of the northwest. But in this way, a potential disaster had been avoided.

  If An Yaluoshan and his soldiers had defected at the most critical moment and joined the Arabs, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

  An Yaluoshan clenched his fists and fiercely declared, “He was just lucky! Even without the help of that idiot Mutasim III, I’ll still get what I want! I will!”

  The two Great Generals flanking him said nothing. They had never doubted An Yaluoshan’s words.

  Whoosh!

  In the darkness, the flapping of wings could be heard. A few moments later, a nighthawk came flying toward them.

  The three of them stared at the bird, and one of them quickly came forward to receive it.

  Tian Chengsi glanced at the letter and reported to An Yaluoshan, “Your Excellency, news from the capital. Wang Chong has been made Empire Guardian Great General, has been granted an Imperial Dragon Bracelet, and his portrait is to be enshrined in Lingyan Pavilion!”

  Buzz!

  The mood instantly changed, An Yaluoshan and Cui Qianyou both scowling.

  “Lingyan Pavilion! The Sage Emperor favors that scoundrel so much that he’s enshrining him in Lingyan Pavilion!”

  An Yaluoshan’s voice was trembling in rage.

  Although he knew that Wang Chong would be heavily rewarded for defeating Arabia, he had not expected the Son of Heaven to show this much favor.

  Lingyan Pavilion!

  It had been many years since the last person had been enshrined within. Countless fierce generals, including many formidable Great Generals and Protector-Generals, had been passed over.

  Not even lifelong campaigners like Wang Zhongsi and Zhang Shougui had been able to obtain this extraordinary honor. But now, an exception had been made for the eighteen-year-old Wang Chong.

  At this moment, An Yaluoshan felt like there was a venomous snake gnawing away at his heart.

  This venomous snake was called ‘envy’!

  Chapter 1932 - Gao Shang's Divinations!

  Chapter 1932: Gao Shang’s Divinations!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Let alone An Lushan, even Tian Chengsi and Cui Qianyou, who had long ago decided to make the Great Tang their enemy, couldn’t help but feel deeply envious.Any general would feel envious over the rewards Wang Chong had been given.But this was not all. They still remembered Wang Chong leading his army through the thunderstorm, forcing his way through so that he could take all of their heads without any questions asked.Of the four An brothers, Wang Chong had ignored the more conspicuous An Xiaojie and An Wenzhen, and targeted the most restrained brother.During that trip, An Yaluoshan had been at his weakest, his wings not fully mature. This was why he had been as inconspicuous as possible, not doing anything at all that could make him stand out. But Wang Chong, this scion of a clan of ministers and generals, seemed to carry some deep-seated grudge against him, to be intent on killing him as quickly as possible.Even now, An Yaluoshan and his subordinates did not understand the reason. Except the King of Foreign Lands, there was probably no one that knew the answer to this riddle.But what An Yaluoshan and his Youzhou subordinates found most unacceptable was that this was not even the end of things for Wang Chong. If matters had ended there, they could have treated the matter as a hedonistic scion acting recklessly, but afterward, Wang Chong continued to climb up the ranks, not only being made a Marquis, but then the King of Foreign Lands, and now, he was the Empire Guardian Great General with an Imperial Dragon Bracelet and his portrait enshrined in Lingyan Pavilion. His authority in the Great Tang was almost equal to that of the heavens.Thus, the Central Plains had suddenly become a forbidden ground for An Yaluoshan. He did not dare to take a single step into the capital.The greater Wang Chong’s authority, the more the Youzhou group felt the dagger pressing up against their backs.“Your Excellency, there is no need to worry.” At this moment, an elegant and refined voice came from behind the trio. “The Great Tang cannot last for too long. Before Your Excellency’s arrival, I already divined the phenomena taking place over the Central Plains. These are omens that the master of the realm is about to change, and that the true dragon arises from Youzhou.“…The dragon veins of the realm replace themselves every one thousand years, with minor shifts every several hundred years. This is represented by the changing of dynasties. The blessings on a country can be long or short. Long is the eight-hundred-year Great Zhou, and short are those minor kingdoms that float about like duckweed. If we count from the time of the Great Han Dynasty, exactly one thousand years have passed. This is a sign that a true hegemon will appear in the realm and establish an even greater empire. Your Excellency, you are the Son of Heaven chosen by destiny!”A few seconds later, a middle-aged scholar wearing an azure robe and holding a folding fan slowly came forward.“Your Excellency, you are the hidden dragon, the future master of the realm, the Son of Heaven revered by all. What does a puny Lingyan Pavilion matter to you? When the time comes, Your Excellency can build another and enshrine anyone you want within it, purely based on your own will. What need is there to care about some King of Foreign Lands!?”Gao Shang shook his head and smiled.If Wang Chong had been here, he would have certainly been stunned. This unremarkable, middle-aged scholar was a man that he had expended a vast amount of manpower to find, but he had still failed.In the end, after many twists and turns, he had still come to Youzhou and become An Yaluoshan’s advisor.While An Yaluoshan was ambitious, he had lived in the northeast almost his entire life, so he did not understand the situation in the Central Plains. The same was true for Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi.But Gao Shang was different. He was a true native of the interior, and he had wandered through many parts of the land. He knew the Central Plains like the back of his hand.Although he was so weak that he couldn’t even truss a chicken, his heart was burning with resentment after failing to accomplish his dreams, and he had focused this resentment on the Great Tang.With his support, An Yaluoshan became a tiger with wings. Only then did he truly have the ability to pull off his betrayal.An Yaluoshan’s mood, originally one of envy and anger, appeared to improve after hearing Gao Shang’s words.“Haha, good, excellent words! Gao Shang, you have the talent of a minister in you, and it is not your fate to be an impoverished scholar. In the future, when I possess the realm, I will grant you a high official post!”An Yaluoshan heartily laughed.“Many thanks, Your Excellency!”Gao Shang’s face went red as he bowed.A woman would be accepting of one who found them pleasing, and a gentleman would die for one who understood them. He had lived his entire life disappointed and dejected, and only this man had seen his talents for what they were. This was why Gao Shang was willing to die for this man.“But there is still one problem.”An Yaluoshan’s laughter stopped as a dark cloud of worry flitted across his brow.“Earlier, when I sent an emissary to the Arabian Emperor, one of the gifts was a painting on a white jade roller from the Han Dynasty that I had collected. There was also a slip of paper within. I heard that Mutasim III’s treasury was seized by the Tang army not too long ago, and I worry that this slip of paper has fallen into that man’s hands!”The mood instantly turned grim, and even Gao Shang couldn’t help but frown.Everyone knew exactly who An Yaluoshan was talking about.They had been extremely cautious in contacting Arabia, with all their letters to Mutasim III written in Arabic. But alas, the King of Foreign Lands was also an extremely erudite scholar and a master of several languages, even knowing how to speak and read Arabic.The consequences of their letter to t
he Caliph falling into his hands were unimaginable.“…In addition, I left the words ‘master of the Central Plains’ on that slip of paper,” An Yaluoshan sternly said.Wang Chong’s name was like a massive mountain pressing down on his head, so heavy that he could barely breathe.‘Master of the Central Plains’ was not a title anyone could claim to have. In the hands of someone of Wang Chong’s status, this was a time bomb.In truth, An Yaluoshan had felt intensely uneasy ever since the Sage Emperor had ordered Wang Chong to return to the capital.Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and Gao Shang all frowned in silence.All three of them knew of this. Leaving a clue like ‘future master of the Central Plains’ before they had succeeded in their plans had not been a wise decision and could cause them many problems in the future.But none of them could voice their criticism.Their liege had gone a bit overboard, but who could have imagined that an army of 2.6 million Arab soldiers commanded by Hierophant Khatabah and assisted by the Behemoth Army would still lose to the Great Tang, with even the entire empire being conquered?Moreover, while their liege had been somewhat reckless, he had still written those damning words in Arabic, leaving behind no firm evidence.After a few moments of silence, Gao Shang finally spoke. “Your Excellency does not need to worry. Mutasim III’s treasury contains countless treasures, as numberless as the sands. Your Excellency’s gift amongst them will be like a pearl in a sea of stars. It is not guaranteed to have been noticed.“In addition, without definite evidence, the title of ‘Master of the Central Plains’ does not mean anything. While the King of Foreign Lands might have his speculations, could even link to Your Excellency, he cannot act on them.”“But that white jade roller also had my Youzhou mark.” An Yaluoshan finally voiced his true concern.Mutasim III wouldn’t recognize the insignia of Youzhou, but the major commanders of the Great Tang did. An Yaluoshan was worried that more than just Wang Chong knew about those words.The white jade roller was no ordinary object, and anyone who could send it from Youzhou had to be someone extraordinary who could easily be investigated.“Your Excellency does not need to be too worried,” Gao Shang said after some thought. “If you are truly concerned about this matter, Your Excellency only needs to spread out your soldiers all across the northeast. If the King of Foreign Lands really has his doubts and begins to investigate Your Excellency, he will definitely send spies and scouts to investigate Your Excellency, and Your Excellency will then have time to take countermeasures.”If Wang Chong had been listening to this conversation, he would have inwardly trembled. This proposal alone proved that Gao Shang was an extremely difficult individual to deal with.“Mm, we’ll do as you propose.”An Yaluoshan nodded, his mind much more composed.“Alright, you’re dismissed.”“Yes!”The three of them bowed and prepared to leave. They all knew that their liege loved to climb this mountain and look over the Central Plains by himself.“Wait! Gao Shang, stay a while,” An Yaluoshan suddenly said.“Yes, Milord.”Taken aback, Gao Shang hastily lowered his head.A few moments later, Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi left, leaving behind An Yaluoshan with Gao Shang.The sun had yet to rise, but the eastern horizon was already brightening up. On the silent mountain top, Gao Shang was pensive and confused. Why had An Yaluoshan asked him to remain?“Gao Shang!” After some time, An Yaluoshan finally broke the silence, his back facing Gao Shang.“I ask you: do you really think I’m the future Son of Heaven of the Central Plains, the true dragon?”These words were spoken with such great weight and force that the surrounding darkness seemed to ripple.“Of course! Your subordinate has no doubt!”Gao Shang was shaken by this question, but he replied without hesitation.“More than one year ago, when this one found Your Excellency, this one already declared to all the other generals that Your Excellency was the future master of the Central Plains. Your subordinate knows a little of the ways to divine the heavens. More than one year ago, your subordinate sensed danger and fled, and based on what happened afterward, it seems that the King of Foreign Lands really did send people to capture me. From this incident, we can see that your subordinate’s divinations were not wrong.“Your subordinate never had a chance to meet with Your Excellency, and Your Excellency is also a master of the path of the hidden dragon. But despite all this, your subordinate was still able to divine Your Excellency’s location. This alone is proof of your subordinate’s ability,” Gao Shang eloquently argued, his expression stern.