The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Chapter 1937 - Conferment of the Title of Crown Prince!

  Chapter 1937: Conferment of the Title of Crown Prince!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  For the time being, it was hard to say if the Sage Emperor had really grown dissatisfied with Yang Zhao and wanted to remove him from his post as Chamberlain of Palace Revenues. But women were extremely sharp, particularly when it came to their partners. They could detect even the subtlest of changes.If even Consort Taizhen felt that something was wrong, the character of this entire matter changed completely.“Virtuous brother, you… I really can’t hide anything from you!”Yang Zhao was stunned. He had not expected Wang Chong to be so formidable that he could tell from just a few sentences that he had been sent by Consort Taizhen.After getting an affirmative answer from Yang Zhao, Wang Chong slowly put down his tea cup, a grave expression on his face.Whoosh!As Yang Zhao stared in surprise, Wang Chong got up and began to slowly pace in the center of the hall, a look of deep contemplation on his face.“Is that incident still going to happen?” Wang Chong muttered to himself, apparently deeply confused.Wang Chong recalled that the Sage Emperor had reviewed the treasury in his last life, but everything had been different back then, with both the southwest and Talas having been lost.In the various exaggerated rumors the people discussed regarding the Sage Emperor in that apocalyptic era, this was an extremely important incident.According to the story, when he broke precedent and opened the treasury, he saw the vast sea of gold and silver before him and sentimentally sighed.For the first time, he realized just how prosperous the Great Tang was, and from that moment, the Sage Emperor changed. He felt there was no need to continue aggressively expanding and began to devote himself to enjoyment and pleasure.Although Wang Chong had not believed this story, many people in that era did. More importantly, what the Sage Emperor did after that incident really did match what the people said.In the southwest, I defeated the combined army of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang, changing the fate of the empire. And while the work was left incomplete at the Battle of Talas, I ultimately managed to conquer Arabia. As for the slaughter of officials during the Rebellion of the Three Princes, I already prevented that from happening.On the contrary, His Majesty has retaken the throne and continues to preside over the government. Everything has changed, so why is that incident still happening? Is it a coincidence, or is there some special connection?Wang Chong’s mind was whirring with thoughts.“Virtuous brother, how is it? Have you thought of anything?” a voice interrupted.Yang Zhao was getting restless in his sandalwood chair.Wang Chong blinked and came back to his senses.“There is no need for Big Brother to worry. Tell Her Majesty that His Majesty’s favor for her has never waned, not in the past, not now, and not in the future. Her Majesty holds a special place in His Majesty’s heart. His Majesty’s visits have decreased because he is consumed by government affairs. He will naturally be visiting Her Majesty soon,” Wang Chong sternly said.No matter how history had changed, or what was going on with the treasury incident, there was one thing Wang Chong was sure about. No matter what dimension or world, Consort Taizhen would always be the Sage Emperor’s most beloved woman.The Sage Emperor would never grow tired of Consort Taizhen, nor would there be any fading of affections with beauty. Everyone in the realm understood this. Consort Taizhen’s fears were completely groundless.“Is that true?”Yang Zhao’s eyes lit up in joy.In truth, a campaign general like Wang Chong should have known nothing about affairs in the harem, and his words were hardly worth believing, but Yang Zhao had an almost blind belief in Wang Chong. After all, in the aftermath, everything Wang Chong had said and done had always proved to be correct.This was true in military, economic, political, and even harem affairs. Wang Chong would always use his extremely sharp eyes to accurately pin down the essence of the matter and predict how it would develop.In the Consort Taizhen Incident, when Consort Taizhen found her own chances of winning the approval of the ministers slim, the sixteen-year-old Wang Chong had immediately realized the Sage Emperor’s resolve. He convinced King Song to change his mind into supporting Consort Taizhen, and in the end, Consort Taizhen got her desire and was enthroned in Yuzhen Palace as a consort.Rumors on this matter had been spreading for some time.Wang Chong had understood how the entire matter would develop, even understanding the Sage Emperor’s mind. This was one of the important reasons Consort Taizhen had asked for his advice at this time.“Virtuous brother, I believe in you! If that’s what you say, it can’t be wrong! In a little while, I’ll report to Her Majesty so that she can rest easy.”Yang Zhao stood, hardly able to contain his joy.At this moment, he felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.Although he didn’t know what the future had in store, he knew that Wang Chong’s words would be of great comfort to the consort.At this moment, rapid footsteps began to approach. A few moments later, Zhang Que rushed in and got down on one knee.“Your Highness, we’ve just received word that His Majesty has just proclaimed a decree conferring the title of Crown Prince on Fifth Prince Li Heng!”Bang!Wang Chong and Yang Zhao both shuddered in shock and turned their heads.“What?!”Yang Zhao’s eyes flew open, and then he clapped his hands together and laughed.“Wonderful! The Sage Emperor finally granted the title to His Fifth Highness! Virtuous brother, I’ll go back first to report to Her Majesty and then start the preparations!”After the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the Fifth Prince had become first in the line of succession, and his performance during that rebellion had won him the favor of the Sage Emperor. He had already been allowed to participate in court affairs, and all levels of society were speculating only when, not if, he would be made Crown Prince. But nobody had expected it so quickly.Fifth Prince Li Heng was very close to Wang Chong, and Yang Zhao was sworn brothers with Wang Chong. These three had been part of the same group for some time, and once Li Heng became Crown Prince, Consort Taizhen’s position in the harem would be as sturdy as Mount Tai. Yang Zhao no longer had anything to worry about.Laughing, Yang Zhao soon took his leave.Once Yang Zhao was gone, a dark cloud of worry flitted across Wang Chong’s brow. But this cloud of worry was quickly diluted by the joy he felt over Li Heng’s ascension.“The day is finally here!”Wang Chong sighed, a faint smile forming on his lips.After numerous factional wars, the War of the Princes was finally over, and the Great Tang could finally welcome its true heir apparent and future Emperor.With the matter of the heir apparent settled, the future of the empire was decided. This was the most important event in the entire empire!Li Heng might have had various flaws, but he was not as conniving as the First Prince, nor was he as cruel as the Xueyang Palace Incident’s Fourth Prince. He was loyal, upright, and benevolent, a diligent sovereign.In the apocalyptic era, Li Heng’s death from vomiting blood had been a source of immense regret, a loss that all of the Great Tang had felt and mourned. That he was able to take the reins of power while the Sage Emperor was still healthy and the empire was its peak was something Wang Chong had looked forward to all this time.“Zhang Que, prepare a good gift for me! I plan to personally witness the Fifth Prince enter the Eastern Palace!” Wang Chong sternly said.“Yes!”……Bang!The news that the Sage Emperor was making Li Heng the Crown Prince went off like a bomb, shaking the entire empire.The Sage Emperor was both wise and powerful, a sovereign for the ages, but he had been slow to name an heir apparent. First Prince Li Ying had served as the eldest son for decades, residing in the Eastern Palace and participating in the government for some time, and he had even been made the regent. He had been Crown Prince in everything but name.The Sage Emperor had been Emperor for decades, and the position of Crown Prince had been empty for just as many years.The Imperial Court had its objections to this way of doing things, and many officials had submitted memorials asking that the Sage Emperor decide on a Crown Prince as soon as possible. But privately, they did not think there was much of a problem.The heir apparent was the next Son of Heaven. Choosing one was no easy matter, as once the title was granted, it was difficult to remove. As the fate of
the millions of people of the Great Tang hinged on this decision, the Sage Emperor needed to be as cautious as possible.But finally, the dust had settled. A new Crown Prince was certainly something worth celebrating.“Wonderful! His Majesty has finally decided to confer the title of Crown Prince!”Both the officialdom and the common people were ecstatic.Time flew by, and it was soon the day on which Li Heng was to be granted the title.“Acceding to the will of the heavens, the Emperor declares: Ever since We received the mandate of Gaozong and ascended to the throne, We have expended our utmost effort on the important matters of the court and the people, never growing tired and never daring to be satisfied. But the matter of succession in the clan cannot suffer a gap. The position of Crown Prince is of utmost importance to the fortune of the empire and cannot be left empty for long!“Fifth Prince Li Heng has an honest and considerate nature, devoted as a sovereign and upright as a subject, taking the sages as his model and placing himself under the service of the heavens. His virtues make him appropriate for the role. Now, in accordance with the imperial traditions, heeding the public sentiment, this ceremony is held to announce to the heavens and earth, to the ancestral temple, to the gods of the grain and the earth, that he is to be made Crown Prince and move into the Eastern Palace so that he may inherit the place as the ruler of ten thousand years, the heart of the four seas.“This decree is to be announced to all the realm so that the people may hear and understand.”The Sage Emperor sat in front of the lofty Taiji Palace as Gao Lishi read the decree. On the white jade steps, Fifth Prince Li Heng was wearing the Crown Prince’s dragon robe, solemnly bowed as he received the decree. Farther down, the officials had lined up along the many steps, looking up toward Taiji Palace.Wang Chong stood on the platform once occupied by King Qi, serving as a spectator to the ceremony.Wang Chong smiled in gratification as he looked up at Li Heng, who already had some bearing of a sovereign.“Your lowly subject and son accepts the decree! May the Emperor live ten thousand years, ten thousand years!”Li Heng solemnly walked up to the Sage Emperor, got down on both knees, bowed several times, and then finally took the decree and Crown Prince seal from Gao Lishi.Boom!The Imperial Palace exploded with cheers, first from the officials, then from the Imperial Army, and finally, outside the Imperial Palace, the common people began to cheer.Countless fireworks shot into the air in celebration!When the ceremony was over, Li Heng passed through the crowd and went up to Wang Chong.“Congratulations, Your Highness! I should now be addressing you as Crown Prince!”

  Wang Chong joyfully smiled.“Thank you, Wang Chong. If not for you, I would have never been able to get this far!” Li Heng sincerely said to Wang Chong.

  Chapter 1938 - The Sage Emperor's Abnormalities!

  Chapter 1938: The Sage Emperor’s Abnormalities!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The events of the past rushed through Li Heng’s mind. He still recalled back in Kunwu Training Camp, when he still had a timid personality, how Wang Chong had rebuked Li Jingzhong for him and how Wang Chong had reformed his blood.He remembered how he had been deceived by Du Zhiqi and almost fallen into the First Prince’s trap before Wang Chong tactfully exposed it all.He remembered when he was just beginning to learn martial arts and was exposed by the First Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince to the Sage Emperor, accused of deceiving the sovereign. In the end, Wang Chong stepped in, helping avoid this disaster while he was still in a state of panic.He also remembered in the Rebellion of the Three Princes how Wang Chong calmly dealt with the crisis and led troops to rescue him.Time and time again, in these numerous dangerous struggles for power, if not for Wang Chong, he would have died. He would have never survived to this day, much less obtained the seat of the Crown Prince to become the heir apparent of the Great Tang!Li Heng felt deep gratitude toward Wang Chong.“Haha, there is no need for Your Highness to credit me with everything. Wang Chong only offered assistance from the sides. Your Highness was able to reach this day and obtain His Majesty’s favor to become Crown Prince solely through your own efforts.“A tree can grow straight without support because it is in its nature to be straight, not due to any external force. I helped Your Highness back then because I saw that your loyal and honest nature destined you to become the heir apparent,” Wang Chong said with a smile.Li Heng smiled at these words and didn’t try to argue. “Li Heng will brand on his heart how you helped me. In the future, no matter what changes, I will forever be your friend!“Just like His Majesty and Duke Jiu, I will always believe in you and trust in you, and I hope that you will be able to be like Duke Jiu and forge a resplendent and legendary age for the Great Tang!”Wang Chong was deeply moved by these words. He could sense that Li Heng’s words came from the innermost depths of his heart.“Your Highness’s desires are my desires!”Wang Chong looked at Li Heng and lightly chuckled as he spoke.At that moment, silence said far more than words.Amidst noisy celebration, Li Heng’s investiture ceremony came to an end.There was victory in the northwest, a Crown Prince had been appointed, the Sage Emperor personally presided over the court, and the militarist-Confucian conflict was already over. For the common people, this was a period of grand prosperity, and peace and glory were bound to follow.Through the discussions of the Six Bureaus and the proposal of Wang Chong, at least one billion taels of the gold and silver obtained from the war with Arabia was to be distributed by household to the common people of the Central Plains.So that the profits of the war would benefit all the people of the Central Plains, the Bureau of Revenue had allocated an additional five hundred million taels of gold for fixing bridges, roads, and irrigation channels. These funds were also to be used on large-scale laying of cement roads to invigorate the empire’s economy.But behind all this splendor, danger lurked.Three days later, a figure silently entered the main hall of Wang Chong’s estate.“How was it?”Wang Chong’s eyes were half-closed, and he spoke without raising his head.He had been waiting for some time for this man to appear. In fact, the guards of the estate had left a path open specifically for this man.“Your Highness.”The man, shrouded in a black robe, got down on one knee and took out a letter from his sleeve which he raised up with both hands.Whoosh!A moment later, the letter flew through the air like a sharp arrow and into Wang Chong’s hands. As he opened the letter and glanced through it, a flash of worry appeared on his brow.“Understood; you’re dismissed. Remember, tell of this matter to no one,” Wang Chong sternly said, folding up the letter.“This lowly one understands,” the man cautiously said, apparently understanding the importance of the matter. He soon silently withdrew from the hall.Clap!With a flick of his finger, Wang Chong obliterated the letter, leaving behind no trace.Your Majesty, just what is your condition?Wang Chong looked up at the ceiling, his mind fraught with concern and a bad feeling in his heart.“Haaa, I hope it’s not what I think!”The hall once more fell silent.Things continued as normal in the capital, but there was a subtle shift in the air.Three days, the officials were all left startled by a piece of news. Without any notification, the Sage Emperor skipped a court session. Though the inner court quickly issued a notice and things continued as normal on the following day, the court historian still recorded the matter.It seemed like this was only the beginning.News soon came out of the palace that the Sage Emperor was restoring the palace theatrical troupe that had been banned since the third year of the Shengde era. Moreover, one night, he even summoned a theatrical troupe, and though Eunuch Gao appeared after an hour to dismiss them and things proceeded as normal the next day, all the officials were befuddled by the incident.Several inner court officials sent memorials asking if the Sage Emperor wished to reopen the pleasure gardens in the harem. Even if this was true, enjoying pleasure gardens was no terrible sin. But the Sage Emperor flatly rejected the proposal.All the ministers were somewhat at a loss.Another incident came hot on the heels of the previous.When he was in the harem, the Sage Emperor suddenly wanted to eat lychee fruit from Lingnan. He issued a decree ordering the local office in Lingnan to send a box
of lychee by emergency courier to the capital. Although the Sage Emperor had not asked for much, the Lingnan office was still thrown into a panic. After several days and running two horses to death, it managed to deliver a box of fresh Lingnan lychees to the palace.The Sage Emperor seemed to be acting on impulse, only asking for one box of lychees and not for Lingnan to make a tribute offering, and he did not issue any similar decrees afterward. But the incident alone left the imperial censors greatly displeased. Several of them wrote memorials criticizing the Sage Emperor for damaging the welfare of the people and placing unnecessary burdens on them.The Sage Emperor was very frank in admitting his wrongs, even taking silver taels from the palace to compensate the people and soldiers who had been inconvenienced by the transport of the lychees!These were all minor matters, but all of them made the court officials uneasy.The Sage Emperor had reigned for several decades as an upright and benevolent sovereign. Incidents like these had never happened before.No one knew what was happening, but the veteran officials of the court could all tell that the Sage Emperor was different.However, the Sage Emperor continued to be diligent in his work, and government affairs continued as normal. Thus, the officials had no excuse to investigate too deeply.But while the Imperial Court had put the matter aside, outside the walls of the palace, all of this information was being collected and sent to Wang Chong.“Your Highness, your subordinate does not dare to speak lightly about matters of the palace, but His Majesty’s actions are far too abnormal, truly leaving one perplexed!” a kneeling Zhang Que respectfully said, his brow creased.All of the information had to pass through Zhang Que before it was sent on to Wang Chong. The Sage Emperor was a sovereign for the ages, both wise and strong, but recently, even Zhang Que had found his behavior rather absurd.“Shut your mouth! Matters of the palace are not something either you or I can recklessly discuss!” Wang Chong sternly said.What Wang Chong was doing and all the information Zhang Que had gathered were major taboos. A subject was not allowed to reproach the sovereign, and if Zhang Que’s words found their way into the ears of others, they would cause a great stir. At the minimum, Zhang Que could be seized and imprisoned.“Yes!”Zhang Que knew that he had been out of line, and hastily lowered his head, knowing that Wang Chong meant well.Wang Chong quickly dismissed Zhang Que, and the hall grew quiet.Wang Chong gripped the reports and slowly frowned, hints of concern in his eyes.The court seemed calm on the surface, but the Sage Emperor’s recent incidents had already begun to draw private reproach from the major officials, and some of them had even come to find Wang Chong.The moment the militarist-Confucian conflict concluded, Wang Chong stepped down from his position as Minister of War. Moreover, with the world at peace, the Bureau of Military Personnel had almost nothing but free time on its hands. Wang Chong’s presence in court sessions became almost superfluous.Even so, as a meritorious official of the Great Tang and the first in this reign to be enshrined in Lingyan Pavilion, Wang Chong had enormous status amongst the major officials.The Sage Emperor’s problem was no minor affair. These major officials had come to find Wang Chong in the hopes that he could offer some assistance, perhaps investigate matters to confirm that the Sage Emperor was fine so that the court’s worries could be allayed.Wang Chong frowned as he muttered, “I already fed the Sage Emperor the Origin Immortal Elixir during the Rebellion of the Three Princes. Has the Sage Emperor’s condition still not improved?”During the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Wang Chong had infiltrated the inner palace and fed the Sage Emperor the most precious and almost divine ‘Origin Immortal Elixir’. This was a miraculous pill that the Origin Immortal Lord had gone through immense effort to refine. There were only three of them, and they could heal all injuries.Wang Chong had believed that he had cured the Sage Emperor on that day, or at least allowed the Sage Emperor to unleash that sword that could make the world pale, bringing an end to the rebellion. This heaven-shaking attack seemed to be proof that he was better, but it didn’t seem like things were that simple.Could it be that the damage done from failing to reach the Divine Martial realm can never be reversed? But failure should at most lead to a drop in cultivation level. How does it also lead to such a major shift in personality? How can that be explained?Wang Chong’s brow creased more and more.The reports from the palace of the Sage Emperor’s condition could no longer be explained through a simple waning of cultivation.“Old Eagle!”Wang Chong’s eyes flashed as he called out.The hall was quiet for a few moments, but then Old Eagle’s voice rang out as he emerged from a side hall and got down on one knee.