Everything was over. Defeat was defeat.
War was an affair for the generals. If someone had to take responsibility for this war, it should be him, not the Imperial Minister.
To have a civil official save the empire, and to have this renowned subject who had done so much for the empire depart on his own, was undoubtedly a tragedy for the empire.
Ü-Tsang did not have as resplendent a culture as the Great Tang, but it did not lack for loyalty.
“Ha!”
Wang Chong grinned at this conversation and strode forward.
This sudden movement immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“Since that is Imperial Minister’s request, then I will fulfill your wish!”
As Wang Chong spoke, he placed a hand on the edge of the prisoner cart.
Buzz!
The atmosphere turned tense, and all of the Tibetan generals paled. A nasty grimace appeared on Namri Songtian’s face.
Wang Chong was planning to take action and kill the Imperial Minister here!
“Stop!”
Everyone tried to stop him in alarm, but it was too late.
Wang Chong had acted far too abruptly!
Bang!
Before anyone could react, a violent and unstoppable Stellar Energy erupted from Wang Chong’s body. With a massive boom, that wooden prisoner cart was obliterated by Wang Chong’s palm as if it had been made of paper, wooden debris exploding everywhere.
“Imperial Minister!”
Everyone was alarmed and frightened, but a moment later, when they saw what had happened, they were struck dumb.
Though the prisoner cart had been destroyed, Dalon Trinling was unharmed!
“This is…”
Dalon Trinling was as dumbstruck as the agitated Tibetan generals around him. Their minds were blank as they struggled to understand what had happened.
“Life and death are decided by fate, and if Imperial Minister wishes to die, I am happy to fulfill your wish, but not now. Moreover… even if I kill Imperial Minister, it will at least have to wait until that future crisis is resolved. This is the best for the Great Tang, yes?” Wang Chong indifferently said.
“This… Thank you, Your Highness.”
Dalon Trinling mentally sighed, understanding what Wang Chong meant. He bowed, his face brimming with respect.
Wang Chong was simply making an excuse.
He had truly spared him!
Wang Chong silently smiled.
Dalon Trinling truly needed to be killed, but definitely not now.
Just as Dalon Trinling had said, compared to the future calamity facing humanity, the quarrels between the Great Tang and Ü-Tsang were secondary and mattered little.
When it came to that imminent calamity, no single empire or Great General would be able to stand alone. Only by gathering together the abilities of all the talented generals of the continent would they be able to erect a formidable defense line.
The past served as an example for the future. While An Lushan, Cui Qianyou, and those other rebel generals could not be forgiven, the other empires still had value. This was why Wang Chong had personally come to the front line.
Most importantly, with the conclusion of the war in Youzhou, Wang Chong was finally able to realize that most bold and unrealistic of dreams: a world united under the Tang Empire!
A prerequisite for this was that the Ü-Tsang Empire, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, the Western Turkic Khaganate, Goguryeo, the Khitan Tribe, and the Xi Tribe all had to cease existing. All of them had to become subjects of the Great Tang.
All of their power could be used for the Great Tang, used for the world.
As many people had begun to realize, the unprecedented was on the verge of taking place: a world united with one empire and one people.
This was something that previous empires could only ever dream about, which countless generals had aspired to but had never achieved.
Chapter 2262 - : Resolving the Cold Wave!
Chapter 2262: Resolving the Cold Wave!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Confucian Sect Leader Li Junxian was momentarily dazzled.
At this moment, he felt an extraordinarily complicated mixture of emotions.
He suddenly understood Wang Chong, understood this King of Foreign Lands whom he had once fought to the death with!
“A harmonious world…” Li Junxian’s lips muttered as he looked up at the sky.
In the militarist-Confucian conflict, he and Wang Chong had been at odds with each other, the factions getting along like fire and water. Their strife had even almost thrown the entire realm into disarray.
But what the Confucian Sect had worked toward for several thousand years and multiple generations, which they had sacrificed countless lives for yet failed to achieve, had been brought about under the hands of a militarist leader.
Gaining peace through war!
Gaining war through peace!
How ridiculous was this?!
But none of this was important, because a Harmonious World was really about to descend!
All of the countries would fuse together, all the people would work for a common cause, and all war would cease!
Was this not the world the Confucian Sect had always dreamed about and anticipated?
Li Junxian felt all sorts of emotions.
The young man standing in front of him possessed a mind for strategy, vision, leadership ability, and aspirations that few people could match.
This was perhaps the mightiest existence in the history of the continent!
On the other end, the Tibetan generals, including Namri Songtian, were all overcome with gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Ü-Tsang is willing to serve Your Highness, is willing to serve the Great Tang!”
All of them instantly prostrated.
For these numerous generals and Tibetan people, Dalon Trinling was a supreme existence. By showing mercy to Dalon Trinling, Wang Chong had essentially made the entire Ü-Tsang Empire owe him and the Great Tang a favor.
Perhaps he really can fulfill that prophecy.
As he looked at the energetic youth before him, Dalon Trinling thought back to that prophecy that the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple had passed down from ancient times.
Whoosh! In the middle of the conversation, a large snow eagle penetrated through the snowstorm.
Taken aback, Young Master Qingyang instinctively reached out his hand to receive the eagle. Upon opening the letter, he trembled in shock.
“Your Highness, Generals Gao and An have sent word from Arabia.”
With the letter, Young Master Qingyang swiftly stepped forward.
“They’ve successfully defeated Fulin, which was invading from the west. By using the effects of the cold wave, the two generals were able to successfully subdue the entire Fulin army.
“The King of Fulin has formally surrendered and joined the Great Tang.”
The Tibetan generals and Dalon Trinling trembled in shock as they stared at Wang Chong.
Young Master Qingyang also looked up at Wang Chong.
“Haha, okay!”
Wang Chong’s eyes brightened in joy.
He had previously written a letter asking Gao Xianzhi and An Sishun how things were going in Arabia. If needed, he could reinforce them at any time.
But to his surprise, they had already overcome their foe and pacified all the rebellions within the Arabian Empire.
After all these wars, there was truly no one left on the continent that could contend against the Great Tang.
“Haha, Imperial Minister!”
With joy in his heart, Wang Chong turned to Dalon Trinling.
“There is no need to thank me just yet. The death penalty can be put off, but suffering in life is difficult to avoid. The damage Ü-Tsang inflicted on the Great Tang in this invasion cannot be wiped away with a few words.
“You should know my habits, yes?
The Great Tang is not in the business of running losses. I know that Ü-Tsang is not as prosperous as Arabia, but that is fine. I have already thought of a way for you to repay me. All of the debts will be paid in the future.”
Dalon Trinling knew what Wang Chong was referring to.
With each victory, the Great Tang was certain to demand compensation from the countries it had fought with.
But this time, Dalon Trinling merely smiled and hardly seemed concerned, not even asking how much Wang Chong was asking for in compensation.
“Everything is as Your Highness says.”
Dalon Trinling bowed.
Matters in the northwest came to a close, and with the news of Gao Xianzhi and An Sishun’s victory in Arabia arriving in the capital, the people of the Central Plains celebrated once more.
At the same time, at the Andong Protectorate headquarters in Youzhou…
Under Wang Chong’s command, the joint supervision of Zhangchou Jianqiong, Wang Zhongsi, Zhang Shougui, and the other high-level commanders, and the cooperation of Yeon Gaesomun and the other sovereigns, Youzhou had become peaceful and harmonious.
The various armies were showing signs of melding together! This was a nascent form of the future unification of the world.
But Wang Chong’s mind was entirely elsewhere.
In the Andong Protectorate headquarters, Wang Chong had spread out a map on the metal fretwork desk that both Zhang Shougui and An Lushan had once used.
Behind him stood Bahram, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi, Zhang Que, Old Eagle, Xue Qianjun, Zhao Fengchen, Ozmish Khagan, and Yeon Gaesomun.
All of them were focused on the map.
They were all people who normally kept their emotions to themselves, but not even they could hide the sliver of curiosity in their eyes.
Amidst the mountains, they had no way of seeing the entirety of the mountain for themselves. Despite being powerhouses or sovereigns of the continent, they had little idea what the entire world looked like.
Wang Chong’s map was probably the most complete map of the continent.
Not only did it contain the countries of the east and west, it even contained the lands of the extreme north.
Before the cold wave’s eruption, Wang Chong had sent several thousand elites under Xue Qianjun to travel through the Western Turkic steppe and enter the lands of the north.
This operation was not purely to observe the activity of the cold wave, but also to chart out the regions of the extreme north.
This was what allowed him to have such a complete map.
“Your Highness, is this the world that we’re in? Isn’t the continent bigger than the ocean? How is it that the continent we live on is not even half the size of the ocean?” Eastern Turkic Great General Tiechi Bileli couldn’t help but ask as he frowned.
The heavens were round and the earth was square!
The part of the world where humans lived was the true center of the world and was far larger than the ocean. This was how people understood the world to be.
But the map Wang Chong had drafted had completely overturned their understanding.
Wang Chong smiled. Even someone as strong as Tiechi Bileli had a very weak understanding of the world, like a small child of the world that Wang Chong had originally come from.
Moreover, while the Eastern Turkic steppe was vast, in the end, it was an inland country where it was difficult to see the shore. Tiechi Bileli couldn’t be blamed for his lack of experience.
Tiechi Bileli didn’t seem very concerned. At this time, he and all the Eastern Turkic generals shared the same thought.
Wang Chong’s map had opened up a new world to them.
The ocean was this vast?
There was land on the other side of the ocean?
Could it be used as pasture?
Many ideas appeared in their minds.
Ozmish Khagan remained silent in order to retain his dignity as a sovereign, but his face said everything. Just like with Tiechi Bileli, this map of the world had been a major shock to him.
“This world is far larger than you’ve imagined. Once you take a boat and leave the continent, you’ll understand.”
Wang Chong slightly nodded, but he didn’t linger long on this point.
“But this is not the topic of our discussion today.”
Wang Chong refocused the conversation, pointing at a red flag positioned on the northern extremes of the map.
This small action instantly drew everyone’s attention.
“The war is over, and I’m sure everyone has realized that the cold wave is showing no signs of stopping. On the contrary, the weather is only getting colder.
“If the weather doesn’t start to warm back up, not only will the other countries be unable to pasture their herds on the steppe, we Tang won’t be able to grow any crops.
“If we can’t pass through this winter, everything we have discussed will be meaningless.”
Everyone instantly turned grave.
The Great Ice Age!
They had learned of this term for this weather phenomenon from Wang Chong.
The world had frozen over, and even though they had all entered the relatively mild climate of Youzhou, all of them understood that their circumstances were not optimistic.
Though Wang Chong had brought a great deal of food into Youzhou from the Great Tang that had temporarily staved off starvation, this did not mean that they would be safe so long as they remained here.
Youzhou’s food was limited. Wang Chong had only calculated the amount of food needed to fight this war, and it had only been enough to supply the Great Tang’s million-man army.
Now that the alliance had come in with so many people, it meant that the supplies would run out early.
“This is a natural weather phenomenon. Humans have no way of affecting it,” Ozmish Khagan said after some hesitation.
Who wouldn’t want to get rid of this cold wave if they could? But it covered such a vast area, wreaking havoc across the entire continent. The strength of humanity was pitifully puny in comparison.
Even the strongest armies and strongest countries were helpless in the face of this extreme weather.
“Not necessarily! This is truly extreme weather, but it is not necessarily natural. Is it not strange for a cold wave that would only happen once in several thousand years to appear now?” Wang Chong said with a smile.
Everyone exchanged pensive glances.
Chapter 2263 - Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Worries!
Chapter 2263: Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Worries!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Heh, if I told everyone that the cold wave originated from the extreme north and that it was being created and controlled by someone, what would everyone think? All of you are powerhouses, talented men, or sovereigns of the continent. You can’t have never once wondered what the truth was, right?”
Wang Chong grinned.
After a few moments of thought, Yeon Gaesomun said, “Your Highness, we have only ever had speculations on this matter, but never any firm evidence. And how can this cold wave be man-made? This vast range and power is simply too frightening!”
Only gods or devils would be capable of creating this sort of cold wave that could freeze the entire world.
“Heh, we can put the matter of whether it’s man-made to the side for now, but didn’t everyone see Genesis Supreme? After spending so long with those people, I’m sure that all of you must have realized something, yes?”
Wang Chong faintly smiled.
“This…”
The sovereigns and generals in the hall pensively lowered their heads.
They weren’t fools. An Lushan had been far too close to Genesis Supreme and that mysterious faction.
Moreover, once the cold wave erupted, Genesis Supreme had laid down a giant formation in Youzhou to resist the cold wave. This had been a little too much of a coincidence.
It was impossible to say that they had never wondered if something else was going on.
But these were mere speculations without any evidence. Moreover, in that situation, none of the countries had been capable of defying Genesis Supreme.
“This matter was far too important, and even if we had our doubts, we couldn’t treat them as truth. Does the King of Foreign Lands have some sort of evidence?” In the end, the beautiful Xi Queen stepped forward and asked the question on everyone’s mind.
The fate of all the other countries was closely linked to this matter. If the strength of the other countries was to be harnessed for this operation, they would need some believable evidence.
If Wang Chong had evidence to prove their speculations, it would be a huge shock to them.
There would be no doubt that the alliance had been used.
“Hehe, of course I have evidence.”
Wang Chong smiled as if expecting this question.
“Come! Bring him inside!”
Under the dubious gazes of the sovereigns and generals, several Tang generals escorted a man inside.
Whoosh!
When a general tore off the hood over the man’s face, everyone in the hall gasped.
The Divine Works Elder!
The one Wang Chong had brought in was none other than the Divine Works Elder who had played a pivotal role in the alliance army.
Besides Genesis Supreme, the Divine Works Elder was the member of the Celestial God Organization that they were most familiar with.
With Genesis Supreme slain and An Lushan killed, the alliance army scattered. The Divine Works Elder and the men in black had also taken to the hills, vanishing without a trace.
They had all believed that he had escaped back to the Celestial God Organization, but Wang Chong had somehow managed to capture him.
Everyone instantly turned their eyes to the Divine Works Elder.
The Divine Works Elder’s eyes were unfocused at first, but after scanning the crowd, he swiftly locked onto Wang Chong, his eyes erupting with hatred.
“So it was you!”
Wang Chong looked at the Divine Works Elder and indifferently said, “Divine Works Elder, if you talk about the Celestial God Organization’s plan, I might be able to make things easier for you.”
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1359