The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Most miraculously, even though King Qi was toppled in the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Yao Guangyi, who had been one of King Qi’s important advisors, and the Yao Clan had emerged completely unscathed. There was no doubt that Old Master Yao had played a major role in this.

  As long as Old Master Yao still breathed, no one would be able to touch the Yao Clan.

  Wang Chong had not expected Old Master Yao to send someone to invite him over just when he was investigating the truth behind the events of the palace.

  Wang Chong quickly made up his mind and firmly declared, “Lead the way!”

  The Sage Emperor had established Four Quarters Embassy with the intention of inviting these two virtuous ministers of the Great Tang to reside there so that he could consult the two of them when necessary. Alas, the two old gentlemen had such a sour relationship that the Sage Emperor was forced to divide Four Quarters Embassy into two. One side was for the Wang Clan’s Duke Jiu and the other side was for the Yao Clan’s Old Master Yao.

  Wang Chong would always pass by the eastern side on his visits to Four Quarters Embassy, but he had never gone in.

  Unlike Duke Jiu, Yao Chong did not plant bamboo thickets in his courtyard. His courtyard was a mishmash of things, with any kind of tree or flower one might think of. But one could tell that the Yao Clan’s Old Master did not necessarily like these things.

  The trees were not pruned and the flowers were arranged in a completely random fashion.

  But what truly drew Wang Chong’s attention was the numerous bird cages hanging from the branches. These bird cages were all intricately constructed, and all of them were kept sparkling clean. Though birds were being raised within, there was little excrement in the cages. They were so clean that it was obvious that they were carefully cleaned at set intervals.

  Parrots, yellow orioles, nightingales, hwameis, larks… all kinds of birds were leaping about their cages and singing their melodious songs.

  One could see that much more care and attention was placed on the birds than on the plants.

  Many people in the capital knew that Old Master Yao liked raising birds.

  “Your Highness, just up ahead!” the Yao Clan guard said.

  Wang Chong came back to his senses and followed the guard into the reception hall.

  In a room that wasn’t far from his grandfather’s residence, Wang Chong saw another influential luminary of the court, a man who had contended with his grandfather for influence and led the other half of the country and its officials: Old Master Yao.

  His hair was white and his face was covered in wrinkles. He gripped a cane in one hand and wore rather simple clothes. He appeared just like any other old man.

  Unless they had been informed beforehand, no one would have been able to pick him out from the crowds on the street as the illustrious Prime Minister Yao!

  As Wang Chong inspected Yao Chong, Yao Chong inspected Wang Chong.

  This youth was eighteen, going on nineteen, an age group that was highly represented amongst the noble scions. But the majority of these people were still playing around with cock fighting or dog fighting, still struggling at the lowest levels of power. Yet this youth already had a dazzling array of titles: Nine Provinces Protector-General, King of Foreign Lands, Empire Guardian Great General, Official of the Lingyan Pavilion, Son of Heaven’s disciple… If he was willing, he could make this list even longer.

  Even someone as proud as Old Master Yao had to admit that not even he could have done all this at this age.

  And in terms of influence, ‘Might Makes Right’ and the conquest of Arabia had left Yao Chong choking in his dust.

  “I fought Wang Bowu for more than half my life, but to my surprise, I lost to his grandson.”

  Old Master Yao couldn’t help but emotionally sigh as he looked at Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong was startled. Everyone knew the pride of ‘Minister Yao’.

  Otherwise, he would not still be quarreling with his grandfather in his seventies and eighties. One could tell that the random assortment of trees and flowers in his courtyard were a mockery of his grandfather’s bamboo thickets. Old Master Yao had nothing but disdain for the scholarly airs put on by his grandfather.

  He had allowed his trees to grow so tall precisely so that Old Master Wang could see.

  But on Wang Chong’s first meeting with Yao Chong, the man who had once said ‘I won’t lose to that Wang Bowu even in my old age’ had spoken such concessionary words.

  “Your Highness, Yao Chong pays his respects!”

  Yao Chong, in his simple black clothes, gripped his cane, stood up, and bowed to Wang Chong.

  “I would not dare! Wang Chong cannot accept Minister Yao’s bow!”

  Wang Chong stood to the side and returned a bow.

  While the Yao and Wang Clans had always been foes, Wang Chong would not take advantage of them at this juncture and receive a bow from the eighty-some-year-old Old Master Yao. While Wang Chong might never back down when their clans fought, he would always choose to maintain his courtesy and decorum.

  Chapter 1951 - Yao Chong's Request!

  Chapter 1951: Yao Chong’s Request!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Most important to Wang Chong was that he was sure Yao Chong had not requested today’s meeting simply to submit himself. Anyone who underestimated Old Master Yao was certain to pay a bitter price.

  “Not bad, not bad! Humble in victory and gracious in defeat! If my Yao Clan had such a descendant, Yao Chong could die without fear rather than dragging out his final breath.”

  Yao Chong was filled with emotions by this sight. Seeing Wang Chong frown, Yao Chong said no more and pointed at his side as he sat back down.

  “Your Highness, please.”

  Wang Chong thought it over, and then raised his robe and seated himself next to Yao Chong.

  Old Master Yao was a brilliant schemer, and every expression of emotion or act was a part of his repertoire. But at this moment, Wang Chong had his litany of titles and the Imperial Dragon Bracelet, so he did not fear any tricks from Old Master Yao.

  “For what reason has Minister Yao requested Wang Chong’s presence?”

  Wang Chong got straight to the point.

  “Heheh, the incident in the Eastern Palace, the Sage Emperor’s desire to construct the Peace Pavilion, his absence from court for seven days in a row, his request for the provinces to offer talented women—Your Highness came to Four Quarters Embassy to ask about these things, yes?”

  Old Master Yao was not angered by this rudeness and smiled as he spoke.

  “Yes!”

  Wang Chong did not deny it, as there was no need to.

  Old Master Yao smiled. In no rush, he gestured, and a maid came forward and served fragrant tea. He did not mind when he saw that Wang Chong had no intention of touching the tea. Taking up his own cup, he lightly blew on the froth before continuing to speak.

  “How much did your grandfather say? Did he tell you, or did he not?”

  He placed slight emphasis on his last words, seeming to imply something.

  “Why must Minister Yao ask questions for which he already knows the answer?” Wang Chong shot back.

  Yao Chong had always been known as a sly fox. He was both intelligent and perceptive.

  Wang Chong did not believe that he didn’t know.

  If that were really the case, he would not have sent someone to wait by the road for him.

  “Heh, if that’s what you’re saying, this old man guessed right. Even when confronted by his own grandson, Wang Bowu still decided to remain silent.”

  Yao Chong shook his head and chuckled, apparently unsurprised.

  Wang Chong slightly frowned, but he said nothing.

  “Minister Yao knows?”

  “Heh, only some conjectures.”

  Yao Chong smiled, not avoiding the topic.

  “Heheh, it’s been a very long time, but I did not expect those matters to resur
face. Since Eunuch Gao will not speak and your grandfather also remains silent, I cannot tell you too much. However, unlike the others, I do want to tell you, but I do not know the truth.

  “This is because I was not involved in many of those incidents!” Yao Chong said.

  Wang Chong’s brow furrowed even more.

  Yao Chong had essentially said nothing with these words, but Wang Chong knew that Old Master Yao had not invited him here merely so that he could spout a bunch of mystifying nonsense.

  As expected, when Yao Chong saw that Wang Chong was not impatient and did not continue to question him, he subtly nodded.

  “However, while I am unable to tell you the truth, I can tell you of clues, of where to look!”

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong fiercely raised his head in shock.

  Just like he had speculated, Old Master Yao knew the truth. Though he had emphasized that he had not been a participant in many of the incidents and did not know much, Wang Chong was confident that he knew all of the truth.

  As one of the revered existences of the same era as his grandfather and Eunuch Gao, Old Master Yao was a wily fox from which very little could be hidden.

  Wang Chong quickly calmed himself down and sternly said, “On what condition?”

  The Yao Clan and Wang Clan were archenemies. Wang Chong dearly wanted to know the answer, but he would never believe that Old Master Yao would offer to answer his questions, had sent someone to wait for him by the road, purely out of the kindness of his heart.

  Wang Chong was more than sixty years Old Master Yao’s junior, but he knew that ‘Minister Yao’ had always been one to size up the situation and see what he could make from it. He would never do anything that he did not stand to benefit from.

  “Heheh, Your Highness is too serious. This old man would never have any conditions, only a mere request for Your Highness.”

  Old Master Yao waved his hand, but despite what he said, his face gradually turned somber. He slowly turned his head to a corner behind him and harshly said, “Little beast, get out here already!”

  Wang Chong was flabbergasted, and he unconsciously followed Old Master Yao’s gaze.

  The corner of the room remained absolutely silent.

  But a moment later, whoosh! A curtain was raised, and an extremely reluctant figure walked out from the back.

  “Yao Feng?!”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flew open in shock.

  He had never imagined that Yao Chong had also invited Yao Feng to this meeting.

  He could not forget how, prior to his reincarnation, Yao Feng had colluded with Ma Zhou to frame him, enraging his father, Wang Yan, and making Wang Chong the disgrace of the Wang Clan.

  Later on, the war of the southwest, the Battle of Talas, and other major crises had kept Wang Chong so busy that he had little time to worry about some puny Yao Feng. But to his surprise, Yao Chong had brought him here.

  Countless thoughts ran through his mind as he stared at the scion of Yao Clan. His face darkened as he suddenly realized what was going on.

  “Little beast, His Highness is right here. Use this chance to acknowledge your wrongdoings to His Highness!” Old Master Yao sternly said.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Yao Feng softly whispered, his head bowed. It was clear that he had not been willing to come.

  “Impudence! You think you haven’t brought enough trouble to the Yao Clan yet? Or is it that you want our Yao Clan to come to an end at your hands?”

  Old Master Yao raised his cane in anger.

  Upon seeing Old Master Yao enraged, Yao Feng seemed to realize something, and he instantly shut up, not daring to argue.

  “You really thought you could hide what you’ve done from me?! While it’s not too late, hurry and acknowledge your wrongdoing to His Highness!” Old Master Yao furiously said.

  If not for the fact that there was only one heir in each generation, he would have taken the cane and given his grandson a savage beating.

  “Your, Your Highness.”

  After some hesitation, he walked up to Wang Chong. He was older than Wang Chong, and when Wang Chong had appeared at Vast Crane Pavilion with Wang Xiaoyao, he hadn’t even bothered to glance at him.

  But the times had changed. Wang Chong now wielded incredible power, and the immense pressure he exuded made Yao Feng uneasy and too afraid to raise his head.

  Over the last few years, Yao Feng had actually been working very hard, and he had made his own accomplishments on his career path, but they were a far cry from Wang Chong’s. The majesty and demeanor created through the slaughter of millions was not something that a young scion like Yao Feng could endure.

  “Hmph, after saying so much, Minister Yao, it was all for his sake!” Wang Chong coldly said.

  He now understood. It was no wonder that the proud Yao Chong who had never bowed his head would sentimentally sigh about losing to Wang Bowu’s grandson. In the end, Old Master Yao was paving the road for his one and only grandson.

  “Yao Feng, did you think I’d forgotten what you did? It’s easy to get my forgiveness. Repeat ‘I’m sorry; I was wrong’ three times in front of me and then slap yourself three times!”

  Yao Feng’s face alternated between shades of green and white.

  “Bastard, what are you just standing there for?! Don’t make me use the clan laws!” Old Master Yao roared.

  Yao Feng’s face shifted, and a heroic struggle took place in his mind. Finally…

  “I’m sorry! I was wrong!

  “I’m sorry! I was wrong!

  “I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

  Wang Chong had only asked him to repeat it three times, but he did it six, and after each repetition, he gave himself a slap to the face. After six slaps, Yao Feng’s handsome visage had turned swollen and bruised.

  But Old Master Yao sighed in relief upon seeing this.

  If Wang Chong was angry and willing to punish Yao Feng, it meant that there was still room to maneuver between the two clans. On the other hand, if Wang Chong had agreed but appeared calm, Old Master Yao would have been concerned.

  When he looked between the swollen-faced Yao Chong and the nearby handsome, majestic, and mighty overlord that was Wang Chong, Yao Chong felt a clash of emotions in his heart.

  He and Wang Bowu had served the same master, and both had been revered Prime Ministers. Strictly speaking, he had reached fame at an earlier age than Wang Bowu and had attained a higher status, but in this battle, he had still lost.

  He had not lost to Wang Bowu, but to his grandson.

  The generation of Wang Gen and Wang Yan had lacked any standouts. Wang Gen was lacking sharpness, unclear on his judgments despite standing in the court. Wang Yan was too inflexible, his tactics and strategies excessively upright and conservative. In normal circumstances, he would have spent the rest of his life in his post commanding an army.

  And in normal circumstances, two Wang brothers could have never hoped to suppress Yao Guangyi. Alas, in the end, the Wang Clan produced Wang Chong!

  As he looked at Yao Feng, still trembling from the humiliation he had just endured, Yao Chong sighed.

  He was suddenly envious of Wang Bowu.

  The Yao Clan had declined!

  This was decided from the moment King Qi had been toppled– no! It had already begun at Vast Crane Pavilion. Ever since he had appeared, the Yao Clan was certain to take a mighty plunge, and Yao Feng did not seem to have the abilities to take on the heavy responsibility.

  Old, too old.

  Yao Chong was overcome with grief and sorrow. He could not last for much longer, so he could only try one last time to improve the Yao Clan’s situation.

  No one understood more than him that if the Yao Clan did not make peace with the Wang Clan now, once he was gone, even the survival of the Yao Clan would come into question.

  Chapter 1952 - The Law of Balance!

  Chapter 1952: The Law of Balance!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Mi
chyrr

  Wang Chong said nothing. He could guess at what Old Master Yao was thinking and sense what he was feeling, but he was unmoved. For him to let Yao Feng go despite the grudges between the two clans was already quite lenient.

  Wang Chong’s greatest concern was the answer he desired from Yao Chong. A matter of state was far more important than a puny Yao Feng.

  His status and cultivation level were no longer the same, and his field of vision had naturally changed as well.

  He and Yao Feng no longer lived in the same world.

  “Go!”

  Old Master Yao waved his hand. It was no longer proper for Yao Feng to hear what came next.

  Yao Feng did not dare to argue. Lowering his head and holding his face, he quickly left.

  Once Yao Feng was gone, the entire room fell silent. All of the maids and guards also withdrew. Wang Chong could sense that there was not a single person within several dozen paces of the room.

  Wang Chong glanced at Yao Chong, his expression turning serious. He knew that it was time for the main topic.

  “Your Highness, everything has its trail. If you truly want to find some clues, you should look through the palace books from thirty-some years ago. What you find might surprise you. This is the most I can tell you.”

  As Yao Chong spoke, he sighed and slowly stood up.

  “Your Highness, it’s getting late. I won’t keep you. For some things, knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing. Your Highness, remember, the fewer the people that know about this, the better. Sometimes, even speculation is a crime.”

  Wang Chong felt his heart pulse as these words reverberated through his mind.

  Yao Chong seemed to be implying something, but no one could really guess as to what the old fox was really saying.

  “Thank you, Minister Yao!”

  Wang Chong stood up, bowed, and said no more, beginning to make his way toward the door.

  ‘Palace books from thirty-some years ago’ was already more than he had expected from Yao Chong. Wang Chong was confident that if he followed this trail, he would find something.