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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1571 - Secret Meeting!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1571 - Secret Meeting!
Chapter 1571: Secret Meeting!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The faces of Wang Chong’s subordinates went stiff. What they had feared had come to pass, as their lord’s eyes were as sharp as ever. They couldn’t hide anything from him.

“Relax! I’ve already prepared myself,” Wang Chong calmly said. After all that he had experienced, he could accept even the worst news.

“Your Highness…”

Xu Keyi swallowed, lowered his head, and finally began to cautiously report another matter.

“While you were gone, Prime Minister Li Linfu managed to pass a proposal through the court completely disbanding the prefectural armies. By now, the prefectural armies are almost all dissolved.

“In addition, with Li Junxian’s vigorous backing, a large number of Hu have been allowed into the capital and the other provinces, much more than previously allowed. There are fifty thousand in the capital alone.”

“We’ve also discovered quite a few foreign spies within these Hu, but Li Junxian has completely suppressed this news,” Zhang Que added.

Bang!

Wang Chong’s body trembled in shock. Even though he had prepared himself to hear about how the Confucian Sect had seized the month he had been gone to magnify its victory and suppress the Bureau of Military Personnel, the news that the prefectural armies had been disbanded still left a nasty scowl on his face.

The prefectural armies were the foundation of the country, a reserve of soldiers. Without the prefectural armies, a major incident would result in unimaginable consequences.

“Li Junxian!”

Wang Chong clenched his fists as this name passed through his mind.

“Your Highness…”

His subordinates worriedly looked across the desk at Wang Chong, but none of them dared to say a word. The mood became almost suffocating.

After a seemingly interminable second, Wang Chong finally spoke.

“I understand!”

Wang Chong waved his hand and took in a deep breath. Although there was still some turmoil in his voice, he was not as agitated as everyone had expected.

“We’ll take back everything we’ve lost one by one. Temporary setbacks are insignificant. I’ve come back so that I can correct all the errors and put them back on the right track,” Wang Chong sternly said.

Whew! Wang Chong’s calm voice caused everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

Amidst their relief, they also felt excitement and anticipation.

This was the first time they had encountered such a predicament, but just like in the southwest and at Talas, they all maintained an absolute conviction and trust in their young master.

Around an hour later, the meeting was over and they left the study on Wang Chong’s orders. Once they were gone, Wang Chong turned to Old Eagle.

“Old Eagle, speak. What has happened with the Fifth Prince?”

It was only now that Wang Chong chose to broach this matter.

At the same time, he removed the letter that Old Eagle had sent him from his sleeve, slowly opening it on the table.

The letter he had received in the northwest had said nothing regarding the capital or the court. It had been about the Fifth Prince.

Based on the information levels the two of them had previously agreed on, the letter Old Eagle had sent was a matter of absolute urgency. If it weren’t serious, Old Eagle would have never sent it using the method he had.

“Lord Marquis, the story is rather long. Not long ago, when I was still observing Ü-Tsang and the Turks while also managing the communications between the capital and the borders, the Fifth Prince’s personal eunuch, Li Jingzhong, came to me. With a worried face, he said that he had an extremely important matter to discuss with Your Highness, a matter which the Fifth Prince’s life hinged on.”

Now that no one else was present, Old Eagle’s face turned grave as he began to recount the events of that time.

“I found it rather strange. With Your Highness’s help, the Fifth Prince should have gained a firm footing in the capital. Moreover, Xu Keyi is the one responsible for these matters, so there was no reason for Li Jingzhong to find me. He said that the matter was extremely urgent and that he couldn’t even get close to the Wang Family Residence, nor was he able to. There was a deep apprehension in his tone. Before leaving, he gave your subordinate a letter!

“This is the letter!”

As Old Eagle spoke, he took the letter from his sleeve and offered it with both hands. Wang Chong said nothing as he opened the letter and began to read through it.

Old Eagle didn’t dare to say a word for fear of interrupting Wang Chong.

After a long while, Wang Chong finally put down the letter, and his brow began to crease.

Li Jingzhong’s letter was faltering and vague, as if he was worried that the letter might fall into the wrong hands. Reading the letter had only added to Wang Chong’s questions.

“I understand!”

Regaining his composure, Wang Chong waved his hand and dismissed Old Eagle. Once he was alone, Wang Chong placed a hand on his brow and began to think.

When he was receiving Old Eagle’s letter back in the northwest, he had heard the Stone of Destiny speak.

“Warning! User’s mission ‘Plan of the True Dragon’ is under grave threat and is on the verge of failure! Once target Li Heng dies, user will be deducted 300,000 points of Destiny Energy.

“Notice: As Li Heng is an important individual for this world, his death will have severe consequences that could lead the world’s history down an unpredictable path, producing many unknown variables. Note: For mission failure, user will be deducted an additional 1,000,000 points of Destiny Energy!”

……

“What is going on here?”

Wang Chong’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He had concluded that after the last incident in the palace, Li Heng should have been able to slowly establish his own prestige and recruit his own comrades that could help him plan and strategize. The Fifth Prince was maturing by the day, and not even the First Prince could deal with him that easily. Moreover, the status of Prince was extremely important. The Third Prince Li Ju, for his crimes of framing Li Heng and deceiving the sovereign, had only been jailed in the imperial prison.

Why had the Stone of Destiny mentioned that Li Heng would die?

“This shouldn’t be…”

Wang Chong muttered to himself as he searched through his memories. Based on what he knew, nothing important was happening around this time that could threaten Li Heng.

Shaking himself from his stupor, he cast his eyes on the envelope the letter had come in. Thrusting his fingers inside, he quickly extracted a small token.

The sight of this small token made Wang Chong’s eyes slowly clear up.

Time slowly passed, and without much fanfare, a day had passed since Wang Chong’s return to the capital.

In the western part of the capital, a new restaurant had been opened on Kui Dragon Street, lavishly decorated and painted. The words ‘Morning Song Pavilion’ had been written on its signboard.

Morning Song Pavilion was one of the most popular restaurants on Kui Dragon Street, with merchants, peddlers, and commoners of all trades and professions going in and out. Amongst the gourmets of the capital, its reputation was even beginning to catch up to Vast Crane Pavilion.

Creeeeak!

The door of a carriage parked outside the pavilion slowly opened, allowing a slender figure to walk out.

“This is the place?”

Wang Chong looked up at Morning Song Pavilion.

Wang Chong had slightly altered his appearance. Although he was no master of this art, with his cultivation, he could control the muscles and bones of his face to change his external features. Moreover, there were many carriages outside Morning Song Pavilion, so unless someone was watching out for him in particular, they wouldn’t pick him out from the crowd.

Wang Chong quickly went inside.

Inside Morning Song Pavilion, a waiter lazily leaned against the counter. Morning Song Pavilion was so popular that the other waiters were rushing up to passionately greet guests, so busy that they had no free time, but this waiter appeared completely at ease.

Wang Chong walked over and merely flashed the small token in his hand.

Buzz!

The red token in Wang Chong’s hand caused the lazy waiter to tremble, his eyes flying open.

“Guest, please! Come inside!”

The waiter shook his sleeves and enthusiastically led the way. Passing through the entire restaurant, Wang Chong was led toward a hidden passage going underground.

“Your Highness, thank you for the trouble! Milord is inside and would like to treat you to a meal!”

Now that no one was around, the waiter deferentially bowed.

Wang Chong grunted and gave a slight nod, then he pushed the door and went in.

The room was quiet, a fact which Wang Chong did not find surprising at all.

“Li Jingzhong, come out!” Wang Chong said without turning his head.

It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. A few moments later, with a dry cough and the jangling of a concealed curtain, ‘Li Jingzhong’ walked out, an awkward expression on his face.

“Wang Chong, it’s me,” the man softly said, but this wasn’t Li Jingzhong’s voice. Wang Chong made out this man’s features in the dim light and was struck dumb.

“Your Highness?!”

Wang Chong’s body trembled in surprise.

He had come to Morning Song Pavilion on Li Jingzhong’s request, under the impression that he was going to see the number one treacherous eunuch of the Great Tang. He had never imagined that the one waiting in this secret room was not Li Jingzhong, but the progeny of the Son of Heaven, the revered Fifth Prince, Li Heng.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1572 - The Crime of Plotting Rebellion!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1572 - The Crime of Plotting Rebellion!
Chapter 1572: The Crime of Plotting Rebellion!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Li Heng was not wearing the dragon robe of a Prince, but the indigo robes of a eunuch. If one didn’t look carefully, one really might mistake him for Li Jingzhong.

But upon close inspection, one would still note that deep concern and unease in Li Heng’s eyes.

“Your Highness, why are you here? And…”

Wang Chong froze as he glanced at the eunuch robes Li Heng was wearing. Just what in the world had happened in the Imperial Palace?

The son of a dragon had put on the robes of a fish, putting on a disguise to meet him in this secretive underground room. The situation was clearly grim.

And even more strangely, despite the Fifth Prince’s honored status, he did not have a single companion.

“Uncle Jing is outside drawing attention for me. Too many people in the capital are watching him right now,” Li Heng sternly said.

Wang Chong’s eyebrow instinctively rose. Li Jingzhong had been serving Li Heng for a very long time now. What did Li Heng mean by ‘outside drawing attention’? Were so many people watching Li Jingzhong now?

Wang Chong was befuddled.

“Wang Chong, you must think of a way to help me,” Li Heng anxiously said.

“Your Highness, don’t panic. I will definitely help you, but you first have to tell me what happened,” Wang Chong sternly said, getting more confused by the second.

Fifth Prince Li Heng was not the sort of person who couldn’t keep his composure, or else he wouldn’t have been able to emerge unscathed from that court session in front of the Sage Emperor. Even though he had the advice from Wang Chong, he still needed to possess his own extraordinary personality and ability.

But Li Heng gave off a different feeling now.

“Wang Chong, First Imperial Brother dominates the Imperial Court. Now that he’s serving as the regent for Imperial Father, his authority reaches the heavens and even a single step forward is difficult for me within the palace.”

Li Heng took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Buzz!

Wang Chong instantly grimaced. He knew that Li Heng wouldn’t come to find him unless he was in deep trouble, but he had never imagined that he had already been forced into this stage.

The First Prince and the Fifth Prince had not just been fighting for one or two days, but the First Prince was always cautious, composed, and extremely restrained. Thus, even after so many years of forming his own faction and ordering shameful deeds, the First Prince had never left behind a clue. His status as the heir apparent was as sturdy as Mount Tai.

Even Wang Chong felt a tinge of admiration.

The First Prince had cultivated the principle of looking out for his own hide to the apex, and what the Fifth Prince described was a complete mismatch for his customary cautious style.

“Your Highness has been gone for more than a month, so there are some things that you don’t know. The Confucian Sect and Li Junxian have taken over the Imperial Court while First Imperial Brother has taken complete control over the Imperial Palace. In this time, First Imperial Brother has closed ranks and begun to pressure me. In the span of a month, First Imperial Brother found excuses to transfer my advisors to the frontier, and anyone who defied him was imprisoned for the crime of disrespect.

“And some of my important advisors were intercepted and killed on their way to the border. The First Prince said that they were killed by bandits, but the roads to the west were cleared of bandits by Your Highness long ago, and they had many powerful experts guarding them, quite a few at the Imperial Martial realm. When did the bandits of the frontier become so formidable that they could even kill Imperial Martial realm guards?

“Does First Imperial Brother really think I’m a three-year-old child? He’s gone too far!”

The Fifth Prince was so enraged that his lips were trembling.

“What?!”

Wang Chong trembled in shock.

“How could this have happened?!”

Wang Chong’s mind was reeling from the Fifth Prince’s words. He had never imagined that such a thing could happen.

Seeing the Fifth Prince’s enraged and grief-stricken appearance, Wang Chong suddenly understood why Li Heng had appeared alone and without any companions.

Li Heng had been an underdog almost his entire life. On his first meeting with Wang Chong, he had even been compelled to hide in Deflecting Blade Manor.

But from his place of absolute submission and disregard, he had slowly begun to gather his own crew. All of this had come with great difficulty for the Fifth Prince, so he had cherished them deeply.

But with these acts, the First Prince had dealt him a mortal blow.

“…That’s not all. First Imperial Brother has become completely unrestrained. In the span of one month, there have been five attempts on my life within the Imperial Palace. Without Uncle Jing’s vigilance and instinct, I might not have been able to see Your Highness.”

The Fifth Prince’s face was pale and his eyes tinged with fear and anger. He had encountered all sorts of setbacks, but never before had he felt so helpless.

“Assassinations?!”

Wang Chong was even more stunned than Li Heng by this news.

Assassinating a Prince, particularly within the grounds of the Imperial Palace, was no small affair. Once the matter was investigated, it was bound to stir up a great storm.

Even if the First Prince was the heir apparent, he was going too far!

Wang Chong’s first instinct was to kick up a fuss over this matter, perhaps even use it to bring down the First Prince.

But after his initial rage, Wang Chong sensed that something was strange.

The First Prince has always been a shrewd and cautious person. Why has he suddenly become so impatient? This doesn’t match his style!

With this thought, Wang Chong calmed back down.

His intuition told him that something was wrong, that there might be someone else plotting behind the scenes.

But Wang Chong quickly understood.

Even if the other Princes wanted to deal with the Fifth Prince, they wouldn’t be so obvious about it, especially not when the First Prince was the regent. This would be spitting on the First Prince’s authority and would be an extraordinarily foolish act.

None of the Princes of the Great Tang imperial household were that stupid.

Wang Chong fell into silence.

“This isn’t my only concern…”

The Fifth Prince had no idea what Wang Chong was thinking. After finally getting a meeting with Wang Chong, Li Heng felt like he finally had a firm footing. He began to explain all the dangers and setbacks he had experienced over the last month.

“Although the palace is dangerous, as long as I’m cautious, First Imperial Brother would never be so brash as to attack me in my residence. My greatest concern is Imperial Father!”

Buzz!

Wang Chong felt like he had been struck by a bolt of lightning and instantly stared at Li Heng.

Wang Chong paled as he shouted, “What happened to the Sage Emperor?!”

“This…”

Li Heng hesitantly looked around, a deep apprehension on his mind, but he still voiced his concerns.

“First Imperial Brother might be the regent, but the true decision maker has always been Imperial Father. After all that happened in the palace, my first thought was to find Imperial Father and seek justice. As long as Imperial Father gives the word, even First Imperial Brother will have to show some restraint. But when I went to find Imperial Father, I wasn’t even allowed to approach.

“All the people around Imperial Father’s residence have changed. I didn’t even recognize any of the bodyguards. Not even Princes were allowed to get close. I thought that this was First Imperial Brother’s doing to counter me, but I realized later on that this wasn’t the case. It wasn’t just me. Not even the Prime Minister or Grand Tutor have been able to get an audience with Imperial Father for some time. All the memorials seeking an audience have been returned.

“Wang Chong, you know how much Imperial Father respects the Grand Tutor. He studied from the Grand Tutor as a youth, but now, not even the Grand Tutor can get an audience with Imperial Father, let alone anyone else.”

Li Heng spoke in a fast and urgent tone, his chest heaving in agitation. Meanwhile, Wang Chong’s face had twisted into a nasty grimace.

“Your Highness! What is it that you want to say?” Wang Chong loudly interrupted.

Li Heng was caught off guard, not understanding what was meant. But seeing Wang Chong’s grim expression, he froze.

Li Heng was no fool, as no fool could have lived up to this point. Large-scale intrigue in the palace, attempted assassination of a Prince, speaking on behalf of the sovereign, cutting him off from his ministers… one or two were nothing special, but all of them linked together meant something entirely different.

Li Heng might not have realized yet, but everything he had mentioned pointed toward that greatest taboo of successive dynasties, that which all great clans and nobles feared, even members of the imperial household…

The crime of plotting rebellion!

In the various dynasties, not even the War of the Princes or factional strife could cause as much fear as the words ‘plotting rebellion’.

These words were often followed by large-scale massacres and bloodshed. Along with the crime of plotting rebellion came a mindset of ‘everyone is guilty, and the guilty are harshly punished’. Even if the innocent had to be killed, no one could be allowed to escape.

The crime of plotting rebellion would be accompanied by the deaths of thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands. Countless families would be broken apart, and not even members of the imperial household could escape death.

It was said that the walls have ears, and there were some things that one could not just casually talk about, not even in this underground room of Morning Song Pavilion. If someone was listening in and used this information, no explanation in the world could save him and the Fifth Prince.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1573 - The Rebellion of the Three Princes!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1573 - The Rebellion of the Three Princes!
Chapter 1573: The Rebellion of the Three Princes!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“I misspoke! Nothing of the sort happened! Nothing! I was just randomly speculating…”

Li Heng paled, and deep fear appeared in his eyes.

As a child, he had studied the ‘Admonitions of History’ and the mindset of a sovereign, so he was even more afraid than Wang Chong.

Not even he would believe that the First Prince wanted to rebel, let alone anyone else. Still, one could not speak with a loose tongue.

“…But I still feel that the mood in the palace is strange, extremely strange.”

Li Heng’s lips were trembling, his entire body oozing unease.

“Wang Chong, you have to believe me. There’s something different this time. You have to help me!”

Li Heng raised his head to Wang Chong with eyes brimming with hope.Whenever he was in grave danger, Wang Chong would always make a timely appearance to solve his problems.

It seemed like there was no problem in the world that he couldn’t solve. Thus, the moment Li Heng ran into trouble, he immediately thought about Wang Chong.

He had nothing but trust and respect for Wang Chong!

The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Wang Chong was silent, a pensive look in his eyes.

He did not doubt Li Heng’s words, but he needed to think about this matter carefully. Too many things made no sense.

There’s no reason for it. Based on my memories, this should be a period of comparative peace and quiet, with no major incidents. Moreover, since the First Prince has been made regent, if all goes as expected, he should be the next sovereign. There’s no reason for him to do all of this, acting so openly and leaving behind so many clues. That doesn’t match with his personality!

Wang Chong’s brows locked together in confusion.

Far too much had happened while he had been gone. He had originally believed that he only had to deal with the powerful Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect backing him.

But to his surprise, he now had to deal with the First Prince.

And though Li Heng said that he was sure that the First Prince had done all this, there was still no firm evidence that could link it all to the First Prince, Li Ying.

Thus, even if Li Heng reported this matter to the Imperial Court, it would be useless.

Moreover, not even Li Heng believed that the First Prince had placed the Sage Emperor under house arrest and was plotting rebellion, so why would anyone else?

There was simply no reason for him to do it!

“It’s not right!”

Suddenly, Wang Chong remembered something, a matter that he had almost forgotten, a major incident that had almost completely altered the Great Tang’s political scene.

It wasn’t that Li Ying was disinclined to plot rebellion. On the contrary, he was more ambitious than anyone else. But his composure and shrewdness had concealed this ambition.

Thus, others felt that even if he had this ambition, he would never carry it out!

This could be seen from both Wang Chong’s and Li Heng’s reactions.

But in reality, such an incident really had taken place in history.

The Rebellion of the Three Princes!

Near the end of the Sage Emperor’s reign, when the Wang Clan had already fallen, the fleeing Wang Chong had heard of an earth-shaking incident. First Prince Li Ying, Second Prince Li Yao, and Third Prince Li Ju had joined together and rebelled. Taking advantage of a time when the Sage Emperor’s condition was declining from his failure to reach the Divine Martial realm, they instigated a coup in an attempt to replace the Sage Emperor1.

This rebellion had left the Imperial Palace flowing with blood and countless ministers dead. After the coup was over, almost eighty percent of the court had been wiped out.

This was the last major incident in the end days of the Great Tang. Although the losses in this incident were far smaller than those from the war in the southwest and the Battle of Talas, the effects far surpassed those of any war.

The strength of the entire country was rapidly expended in this coup.

The deaths of countless civil and military officials had ripple effects on innumerable great clans.

The Great Tang had already been weak and feeble from the two major defeats, and the Rebellion of the Three Princes finally managed to hollow out this colossus.

After the rebellion, the court no longer had anyone to guide it, allowing Kang Yaluoshan to jump in and deliver the fatal blow to a once-dazzling empire.

When Wang Chong became Grand Marshal, he inherited a tattered and devastated mess. Even though he tried his best, he could not prevent the sun from eventually setting.

But Wang Chong recalled that there was still an extremely long time until this incident occurred.

Thus, Wang Chong had not even considered the possibility when Li Heng began to bring up all these incidents.

Could it be that my changing of this world’s history has caused the Rebellion of the Three Princes to be moved up?

Wang Chong’s face slowly turned grave.

At its most prosperous, the capital had been home to at least one hundred thousand great clans, but the rebellion had swept up almost all of them.

Li Ying had used various threats and promises to force these great clans into joining, and after the incident, fewer than one out of ten great clans had survived.

One could easily imagine the shock this would have on the country.

The one hundred thousand great clans didn’t just represent themselves. They represented the strength of the country as a whole.

Back then, he hadn’t cared. After all, he could hardly keep his own stomach full, so he had little ability to care about any of these things.

But now, more than half of the great clans in the capital were tied up with him, and these great clans had rendered great service for the Great Tang in the war of the southwest, and the Battle of Talas. Wang Chong could not ignore their plight.

No matter what, he couldn’t let them end up this way.

More importantly, Wang Chong could not permit the Rebellion of the Three Princes to take place again, wasting the bit of energy he had managed to gather up for the country.

But… if it really is that, then this is no small matter. I’ll have to think about this matter much more carefully! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

History had changed and the times had changed, and the Great Tang was at a different level of power. There was no guarantee that the Rebellion of the Three Princes would enact itself in exactly the same fashion.

His past experiences would be of no help here.

Moreover, unlike the war of the southwest and the Battle of Talas, where he had all sorts of information regarding those two wars, the Rebellion of the Three Princes was a matter of internal strife within the imperial household. Many matters had been concealed from outsiders.

No one except those involved knew the exact details, and when Li Heng assumed the throne, he placed a taboo on the incident and sealed the records.

In addition, most of the participants had been massacred. All this meant that little was known of this extremely influential event other than its name. This was also partially why Wang Chong had not initially thought about this incident.

And what also made Wang Chong hesitant was that the Rebellion of the Three Princes was not a conflict where the weapons were out in the weapon and the fires of war thickly burned. Many of the dangers were in places one couldn’t see.

Contests of intelligence, shrewdness, and schemes were always more dangerous than contests of the very visible swords and sabers.

Without firm evidence and without knowledge of any specific time or place, reckless action would not solve any problems and might end up getting him accused of some crime.

At that time, it wouldn’t just be Wang Chong, but the entire Wang Clan and everyone related to it that would join him in death.

The enormity of the affair meant that Wang Chong had to move cautiously.

“Your Highness, did you think of something?”

Li Heng had been staring at Wang Chong this entire time.

“It’s nothing! Leave this matter to me. I will think of a way to deal with it!”

Wang Chong quickly came back to his senses.

“In addition, you don’t have enough people at your side and might get into danger at any time. I will send a few people to your side. They are skilled in medicinal arts and are also powerful martial artists. Take them into your palace as guards. They should be enough to keep you safe for now.”

Wang Chong wasn’t referring to guards of the Wang Clan, but to martial artists that he had earlier recruited from the martial arts world. In his northwest adventure, Wang Chong had not just seen the Origin Immortal Lord and obtained the Origin Immortal Art. He had also gained many followers in the martial arts world.

Although not many people in the martial arts world had answered his call, he still had quite a few followers.

“Mm!”

Li Heng firmly nodded, his mind calming down. Since Wang Chong had said that he would intervene, Li Heng was no longer worried about any danger to himself.

“The rules of the palace are strict and First Imperial Brother might send someone to watch me at any time. I have to go back soon,” Li Heng suddenly said.

As Wang Chong was leaving Morning Song Pavilion, in the dazzling Imperial Palace of the Great Tang, the beating heart of political power, the strumming of zithers rose from a dazzling golden hall.

Written in gold on the black signboard were several dazzling words:

‘The Pavilion of Petal and Sepal’!

The buildings of the palace were usually called palaces, such as the Taihe Palace, Taiji Palace, Xingqing Palace… Only this place was called a pavilion.

This was a place where the Great Tang Empire feasted foreign emissaries and honored guests.

The Great Tang had been established for several hundred years, but the Sage Emperor had been the most expansionist of all its sovereigns, expanding the borders to an unprecedented size. After subjugating the surrounding countries and gaining their fealty, he erected the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal.

At this time, the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal was awash with music and joyous feasting.

“Come, a toast!”

“To the First Prince!”

Within the pavilion, palace maids stood in attendance while bells melodiously rang. First Prince Li Ying stood on a raised platform, his cup raised. A moment later, amidst a chorus of thickly-accented Tang, hawk-nosed and deep-eyed Hu with thick beards stood up and raised their cups to the First Prince.

The guests at this banquet were emissaries from various countries, as well as princes from the Eastern and Western Turks, the Western Regions, Arabia, Charax Spasinu, and even Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao.

The status of the guests made this a state banquet.

But while there were maids serving wine and dancing girls, there were no ministers of state. Moreover, the gates were firmly shut, with not even a recording eunuch present.

Moreover, a Prince of the Great Tang was not meant to visit places like the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal. Even as a regent, he should have had ministers around him. All this was in defiance of protocol.

This made this a private banquet, not a state banquet.

“Come! Let us give a toast to the future Son of Heaven of the Great Tang!”

“That’s right! His Highness the Regent is benevolent and righteous. In the future, our countries will definitely be able to coexist and prosper!”

______________

1. Historically, the Princes Li Ying, Li Yao, and Li Ju were undone due to the machinations of one of Xuanzong’s consorts, Consort Wu. Consort Wu had become Xuanzong’s favored consort, and these three Princes had complained to each other how the favor the Emperor showed to Consort Wu had caused their own mothers to lose favor. One day, Consort Wu deceived the three Princes by saying that there were bandits in the palace and that the three of them should come dressed in full armor. She then went to the Emperor and accused the three Princes of plotting rebellion, pointing out how they were dressed in full armor. The Princes were accused of treason, demoted to commoners, and eventually forced to commit suicide. Consort Wu would be plagued by nightmares of the three Princes and would die the same year.↩

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1574 - Reactions from All Sides!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1574 - Reactions from All Sides!
Chapter 1574: Reactions from All Sides!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

All the foreign dignitaries were calling out in rough Tang language, and their faces were flushed with intoxication.

“Everyone is too polite. This prince is merely a temporary regent. Without Imperial Father’s approval, this prince cannot be considered the heir apparent yet!”

The First Prince placed one hand behind his back while the other raised a cup to the royalty and emissaries down below.

“For the First Prince to inherit the throne is only right and proper!”

“If anyone dares to oppose the First Prince, I, Wanyan Meiyue, will be the first to challenge them!”

“Our Arabia is willing to be the first to support the First Prince!”

“As long as the First Prince is here, the Western Turks will never go to war with the Great Tang!”

The riotous crowd, their faces red, called out their praises for the First Prince, to which the First Prince slightly raised his head and smiled. Spoken words could not be trusted, and despite what these foreign dignitaries said, there was no telling what they were really thinking.

But sincere or not, this praise was enough for Li Ying.

Flap flap!

A golden eagle suddenly flew in through the skylight in the ceiling. An armored Golden Guard with a stern expression glanced at the bird, paled, and quickly strode over to the First Prince.

“Your Highness, there’s a problem!” the Golden Guard softly whispered.

The First Prince also seemed to grimace for a moment as he looked at the Golden Guard, but a moment later, he had regained his confident composure. It was so fast that one would feel like it had all been an illusion.

“Guests, please enjoy yourselves! I still have matters to attend to and must leave first!”

The First Prince waved his hand and then cast a glance at a silver-haired eunuch at his side. The eunuch immediately understood and began to confidently walk forward.

……

Once he was out of the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal, the First Prince’s face turned dark.

“What’s going on?”

The mood in this room was completely different from the mood in the pavilion.

The King of Foreign Lands who had been missing for more than a month had suddenly reappeared and returned to the capital, exactly when the First Prince wanted to see him the least.

“We don’t know the exact details, but it’s confirmed that the King of Foreign Lands has returned. Moreover, after his return, the gates of the Wang Family Residence have been under heavy guard, and not even the old grannies who go out to buy food have come out. Our men haven’t been able to gather very much information.”

The Golden Guard lowered his head, his expression extremely respectful.

“Nothing but trash!”

The First Prince stared at the Golden Guard, his expression cold and sinister, but the Golden Guard did not dare to retort, only pressing his head lower.

There was no need to explain what sort of person the King of Foreign Lands was!

The capital with him present and the capital without him were two completely different places. This man was a core member of the army. One could see his influence merely from how his absence of a little more than a month had allowed the First Prince and Li Junxian to take over the court and push out the pro-war faction.

But if Wang Chong were to appear at this time and issue a rallying cry, quite a few people would answer the call.

All this would create a massive headache for the First Prince.

In this matter, the guard had definitely failed at his duty.

The First Prince ignored the man, and while he tried his best to keep a calm expression on his face, a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. That man’s ability, intelligence, and military strategies were one in a million, and if there had been a possibility, the First Prince would have recruited him for his own side.

Alas, that man was determined to be his foe. It was one thing to not help him, but he had also chosen to aid the Fifth Prince, Li Heng, and become his direct foe!

There was nothing left to talk about between them!

The First Prince rubbed his forehead and suddenly asked, “Have you investigated his whereabouts?”

“No, the Wang Clan still hasn’t made an announcement. And the King of Foreign Lands… given his strength, if he wanted to hide himself, we would probably find it very hard to keep track of him,” the Golden Guard hesitantly said.

After a few moments of silence, the First Prince coldly snorted and then broke into a smile.

“Relax. The capital is only so large. He’ll have to come out at some point. And now that he’s appeared, we’re not the ones who need to worry about him… Has there been any movement from Li Junxian?”

“They should already know of this matter,” the Golden Guard sternly said.

Wang Chong and Li Junxian were the representatives of their respective sides in the militarist-Confucian conflict, one the Advisor-in-Waiting and the other the Secretariat Advisor, one pro-war and the other pro-peace. And while Wang Chong was gone, the Confucian Sect had passed the proposal the King of Foreign Lands had so vehemently rejected, disbanding the prefectural armies. Even this Golden Guard had to admit that the Confucian Sect had every reason to be worried.

“Heh, keep watch on the Wang Family at all times. In addition, Li Junxian… is he still not willing to cooperate?” the First Prince suddenly asked.

“We’ve already tried three times, but Li Junxian has found a reason to refuse us at every instance. The Confucian Sect has obtained what it wanted and doesn’t seem like it will be very cooperative now. But that man said that if Your Highness ascends the throne, Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect will offer their full support.”

The First Prince was initially taken aback, but then he sneered.

“If I ascend the throne, will I still need their Confucian Sect?” the First Prince spat out, anger in his eyes.

If Wang Chong were here, he would undoubtedly be stunned. He had only been gone from the capital for a little more than a month, but many things had happened. While the First Prince and Confucian Sect had completely seized the Imperial Court, it seemed like not everything was going according to plan.

At the very least, the First Prince and Li Junxian seemed to have had a falling out.

“Hmph, since that’s the case, send a message to the Secretariat Advisor telling him that Wang Chong has returned,” the First Prince coldly ordered. “I’d like to see how he deals with it!”

Whoosh!

A few moments later, a carrier pigeon took off from the palace and flew toward the Secretariat Advisor Residence.

Meanwhile, within the Secretariat Advisor Residence located in the northwestern part of the capital, Li Junxian was seated cross-legged within a hall, wearing a white Confucian robe and a white band tied around his hair.

He was surrounded by a circle of bronze lanterns. To the front and left side was a small mountain of bamboo tubes containing ancient texts. To the right were numerous books and documents of the Imperial Court.

Li Junxian had his back straight and a thin brush in his hand as he wrote out a document for the Imperial Court on the desk in front of him.

His confident writing style exuded a sense of exquisite beauty.

Taptaptap!

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps shattered the silence.

Li Junxian lightly creased his brow. Raising his head, he saw a Confucian Sect disciple rapidly approaching, a worried look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Li Junxian asked. After a single glance, he turned his head back down to his work.

“Young Master, it’s bad! The Advisor-in-Waiting suddenly returned to the capital last night! This information is one hundred percent confirmed!”

Buzz!

Li Junxian’s brush froze in the air.

“I see.”

Li Junxian quickly returned to his writing.

The Confucian Sect disciple was struck dumb by Li Junxian’s abnormal calm.

“Young Master, this is bad news! That man represents the militarists in the court, and we disbanded the prefectural armies while he was gone. Now that he’s back, he won’t just let the matter drop.” The voice of Elder Song came from behind Li Junxian and resounded through the hall.

“That’s right! Given that man’s temper, he’ll incessantly attempt to ruin the plans of Young Master and the Confucian Sect,” the white-clothed girl standing next to Elder Song agreed.

The mention of Wang Chong’s name had caused the expressions of Elder Song and the white-clothed girl to darken and fear to appear in their eyes.

As members of the Confucian Sect, an organization that had persisted for more than a thousand years, they had little respect for the generals of the court, but Wang Chong was an exception.

His ‘Might Makes Right’ had left the Confucian Sect badly battered, and they had even been forced to use the influence of Master Zhu to finally suppress the matter. This had been the only time where the entire force of the Confucian Sect had to be mobilized against one person, and every person in the Confucian Sect knew his name.

This was why that Confucian Sect disciple had been so worried and anxious upon receiving the news.

Tap!

Li Junxian finished off his last word and finally raised his head, placing the brush on its rack.

“Elder Song, Junior Sister, there’s an appropriate measure for every situation. Moreover, the matter is settled. Even though he’s returned to the capital, he won’t be able to stir many waves.”

Li Junxian’s eyes were calm and his expression composed.

“Moreover, that incident has now passed and ‘Might Makes Right’ has been banned throughout the empire.”

Even if Wang Chong was the most brilliant general in the three-hundred-year history of the Great Tang, he was still just one man. And in that crucial one month, they had finished everything they needed to do. Not even the King of Foreign Lands could do anything now.

Everyone nodded in agreement. But just when they thought that their young master was not concerned about Wang Chong, Li Junxian spoke again.

“However, those subordinates of the King of Foreign Lands have been anticipating his return all this time, as have many people within the court. It’s fine if he’s learned his lesson from last time, but if he makes any strange move, we no longer need to be polite with the Wang Clan.

“Li Qing, pass on my order. Keep a strict watch on the Wang Clan’s every move, particularly the King of Foreign Lands. Inform me the moment he makes any movement,” Li Junxian firmly ordered the Confucian Sect disciple.

Everyone was slightly surprised by Li Junxian’s order. Although their young master seemed calm, he clearly was not as indifferent about the incident from before as he appeared.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1575 - Wang Chong's Movements!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1575 - Wang Chong's Movements!
Chapter 1575: Wang Chong’s Movements!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Young Master still feels threatened by that man. Young Master’s path has been smooth ever since he was a child, and he was hailed as a heaven-sent genius by the old sect master, but this time, Young Master has run into a real foe, Elder Song inwardly mused.

Why had the heavens produced both a Zhou Yu and a Zhuge Liang? His young master and that other youth seemed to naturally reject each other. They were both too strong and too talented for the heavens to contain them both at the same time.

No matter what, I have to think of a way to help Young Master and kill that Wang Chong, Elder Song decided.

In the middle of his musings, a familiar figure rushed into the hall.

“Young Master, the First Prince has sent another message. This is the fourth time this month.” Sword Ghost began talking the moment he came in.

Buzz!

The hall fell quiet once more. Elder Song, the white-clothed girl, Li Junxian, and even the Confucian Sect disciple, Li Qing, all grimaced.

“Senior Brother, are we really not going to go with him on this?” the white-clothed girl hesitantly said, her expression tinged with fear. “He’s the First Prince, the heir apparent. If we offend him, then…”

The First Prince possessed extraordinary status, and if they didn’t support him, the Confucian Sect would have little hope of advancing its dreams. To refuse him at a time like this was extremely unwise.

Everyone fell silent at these words. They naturally understood her reasoning, but what they were being asked to do…

“Junior Sister!”

Li Junxian slowly stood up from his table.

“The Confucian Sect has its rules, and the sect masters of each generation have always forbidden intervening in the War of the Princes. This is how the Confucian Sect has always conducted itself. Only by not meddling with imperial authority can we obtain authority that surpasses it. For the Confucian Sect to always be able to swiftly develop a connection with the new sovereign when governments shift and obtain their assistance requires this.

“The First Prince truly has assisted us, and he is the heir apparent. And all will be well if he succeeds, but if he fails, the Confucian Sect will probably end with him. Thus, we cannot agree to the First Prince’s request no matter what,” Li Junxian sternly said.

‘We cannot cast aside the rules of the sect! This matter is not to be mentioned again!” Elder Song declared.

The white-clothed girl knew that she had said the wrong thing and hastily lowered her head.

“Senior Brother, Elder, this was my mistake. I will never mention this again,” the girl softly whispered.

“Young Master, how should we reply to the First Prince?” Sword Ghost once more brought back everyone’s focus.

Li Junxian raised his head and firmly declared, “Draft a reply for me with the same response. If the First Prince ascends the throne, our Confucian Sect will give our full support.”

……

The news of Wang Chong’s return had not caused a great stir, but through certain methods, it was quickly transmitted to those people who wanted to keep an eye on the Wang Clan.

In Hu Harp Street, Pipa Alley, only several blocks away from where Wang Chong had met ‘Big Golden Tooth1’, a Hu wrapped in a thick robe was rapidly making his way through the crowd.

The Hu around him were ceaselessly chattering, and there were far more than there had ever been before.

Although Hu Harp Street was home to a significant number of Hu, they usually didn’t even reach twenty percent of the crowd. But now, the crowd almost entirely consisted of Hu.

The man rushed into the depths of the alley. Stopping in front of an exotically designed door, he loudly knocked.

Dokdokdok!

A slat was opened on the gold-painted door, allowing an eye to peep out. After a glance, another Hu let the man inside.

“Milord, we just received word that Wang Chong has returned to the capital. However, we still don’t know where he is right now.”

The Hu bowed the moment he entered the room.

This room was completely pitch-black, and it felt like the Hu was talking to himself. But soon after, a light began to shine. Not far from the Hu was a curtain, and behind the curtain was an imposing silhouette.

The imposing figure’s right arm was extended, their hand open to reveal a luminous pearl the size of a chicken egg. It was this pearl that was lighting the room.

“There is no activity from the Wang Clan?” A hoarse voice spoke in the Hu tongue, soft and drifting, giving off an extremely strange feeling.

“No, but, Milord, the King of Foreign Lands has always been hostile toward us Hu, and he’s always been firmly in the pro-war faction, constantly calling for armies to attack the Hu. His return bodes ill for us!”

The Hu scout was clearly very afraid of the King of Foreign Lands.

After the southwest and Talas, Wang Chong had killed more than one million Hu, becoming their worst nightmare. In certain Hu countries, the mention of ‘Great General of the Central Plains Wang Chong’ would cause children to start wailing in the night.

“Heh, his return is fine too.”

A strange laugh came from behind the curtain.

“Now that he’s back, we finally begin to stir the waters and throw the Great Tang into complete disarray. There’s no need for us to worry about him, as we have many more problems to concern ourselves with. Let the Confucian Sect handle him!

“Now, how is our plan proceeding?” the man behind the curtain asked.

The Hu scout lowered his head. “Milord, we’ve started preparations. In the capital, we have fifty thousand soldiers and about three thousand stores. With this cover, we’ve been able to gather a large amount of intelligence, much of which we have sent to various countries,” he said, a tone of extreme respect in his voice.

“Hmph, good! Let us just sit back and watch the Great Tang! We can just reap the benefits as the King of Foreign Lands once more shifts the political scene of the Great Tang! Just thinking about it makes one excited!”

The man gave an owlish laugh that slowly faded away. Finally, even the light of the pearl vanished, and the entire room was cast into darkness.

……

As time slowly passed, more and more people came to know that Wang Chong had returned to the capital. A strange mood had settled in, and countless people were wondering what Wang Chong’s next move in the militarist-Confucian conflict would be.

Vermillion Bird Street was packed with carriages. The common people and merchants cared little about the political climate. As long as the Great Tang didn’t collapse, their lives wouldn’t change very much: safe, prosperous, healthy.

At this time, the capital’s Star-Plucking Pavilion was welcoming a special guest.

This man was wearing a bamboo hat from which a black veil hung down, concealing his face. A sword more than four feet long hung from his waist, clearly displaying the man’s prestige and wealth. The man had to lower his head slightly to get past the door, and then he took the stairs all the way to a refined and secluded room on the third floor.

“Entering!”

As the man stepped in, a voice called out.

“You’re here! Lord Marquis has been waiting a long time!”

The man flicked away his bamboo hat, which accurately drifted onto a nearby chair.

The face beneath the hat was tough and hardened, determined and dignified. This was a general who had been through the bloody battlefield, but he also possessed a nobility and grace other generals lacked. This was none other than Imperial Army Commander Zhao Fengchen.

“It’s just a meeting. Is there any need to dress up like that?”

The man seated on the chair turned around. It was none other than Wang Chong.

It had been many months since the Battle of Talas. As Zhao Fengchen was a member of the Imperial Army, he had been called back to the palace, but even though they hadn’t met in a few months, they still maintained their friendly relationship.

“There’s nothing to be done! Everyone in the palace is afraid of their own shadows, worried that they could get pulled into the War of the Princes.”

Zhao Fengchen bitterly smiled as he seated himself across from Wang Chong.

“So, you’ve also heard of what happened to the Fifth Prince?” Wang Chong asked.

He had arranged for a meeting with Zhao Fengchen precisely to ask about Li Heng’s matter. Although he had sent some martial artists to protect Li Heng, this was a plan that only treated the symptoms. If he didn’t find out the true sources of the assassins, he would just tire himself out, and it wouldn’t matter how many experts he sent to protect Li Heng.

“Mm.”

Zhao Fengchen nodded, his face turning solemn.

“Not many people in the palace know about this, and it seems like the First Prince is trying to suppress it, but an attempt on a Prince’s life within the palace is no trifling matter. Moreover, many of my brothers from the Imperial Army are moving around the Imperial Palace, so this matter has not been kept as much of a secret as one might imagine.”

“You’re a commander of the Imperial Army, responsible for keeping the Imperial Palace safe. Have you found no clue as to those assassins’ origins?” Wang Chong said.

“The matter isn’t that simple. The First Prince knows of my relationship to you, so before the incident, I was transferred from my original duty area. The Fifth Prince’s palace is the responsibility of another commander. The Imperial Palace is very strict on matters like this, and we’re to strictly keep to our assigned areas. Not even I can recklessly enter the patrol areas of other commanders.

“…Moreover, even though this matter has been kept secret, anyone with eyes can see that it’s related to the War of the Princes. The higher ranks of the Imperial Army have all taken fright and don’t dare interfere!” Zhao Fengchen sternly said.

The War of the Princes was fraught with dangers. It wasn’t just the great clans, but even the commanders of the Imperial Army who feared being drawn in. After all, these commanders of the Imperial Army didn’t have just themselves to look out for.

______________

1. ‘Big Golden Tooth’ is a character who appeared all the way back in Chapter 16.↩

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1576 - Great Waves!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1576 - Great Waves!
Chapter 1576: Great Waves!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Wang Chong said nothing, only frowned. The situation was more complicated than he had imagined.

Wang Chong tapped on the table and suddenly asked, “What has your Zhao Clan said?”

Buzz!

Zhao Fengchen shuddered at these words like he had been stabbed by a needle.

“As expected, I can’t hide anything from you. The clan has already told me to keep my distance from this matter and try not to interfere. They fear the War of the Princes more than anyone else!”

The Zhao Clan was an extremely old clan that had seen numerous factional disputes, so it well understood how cruel the War of the Princes could be.

For some people, this might be a chance to make their name in a single leap, but for great clans like the Zhao Clan, all Wars of the Princes were like primordial beasts that needed to be kept as far away from as possible.

“But the clan is the clan and I am me. Assassins traversing through the palace and even attempting to take a Prince’s life without repercussion is a disgrace on the name of the Imperial Army. So there’s no need for you to worry about me,” Zhao Fengchen remarked, seemingly knowing what Wang Chong was concerned about.

Zhao Fengchen had changed after experiencing Talas and Khorasan, and his personality had become much more composed.

“In addition, if you want to investigate those people who tried to assassinate the Fifth Prince, I know a few people in the palace. They have always admired Your Highness for your righteous ways, and with their help, it should be much easier to find the truth,” Zhao Fengchen said.

“嗯。”

“Mm.”

Wang Chong nodded, his eyes flashing. Zhao Fengchen was still the same Zhao Fengchen. Whether in this life or the last, he was always of firm and unyielding mind. This was also why he had wanted to get close to Zhao Fengchen and forged a Wootz Steel sword for him.

“I also have a few people to investigate this matter. In a few days, think of a way to get them into the palace as soldiers of the Imperial Army. They might be of great assistance to you.”

Zhao Fengchen’s eyes flashed in surprise, but he quickly nodded.

After receiving a token from Wang Chong and conferring for a little longer, Zhao Fengchen left.

“There are many new faces in the Imperial Army. What is the First Prince up to?”

Wang Chong thoughtfully raised his head. Zhao Fengchen had given him an important piece of news before leaving. It had been a long time since the Imperial Army garrisoned in the Imperial Palace had been touched, but it was now frequently being reshuffled, with many new faces appearing in the various divisions. And some of the officers had been switched out for people that Zhao Fengchen had never seen before.

Zhao Fengchen said that he had almost been replaced himself. However, his achievements at Talas and the accolades of the Sage Emperor had ultimately caused those attempts to fail.

This had some part to play in the apprehension felt by those in the palace.

I really hope it’s not that!

With this thought flitting through his mind, Wang Chong left as well.

As the temperature cooled, Wang Chong emerged in a secluded part of the restaurant, boarded his carriage and set off. Within the carriage, Wang Chong continued to think. The Imperial Palace had his uncle-in-law and Zhao Fengchen, so the Fifth Prince would be safe for now.

Wang Chong turned his head and said, “Old Eagle, send these two letters. In a few days, several people will arrive at the capital. They will have rather strange temperaments—remember that. Just make sure to take care of them and don’t ask them any questions.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Old Eagle quickly entered the compartment, took the letters, and then withdrew.

Wang Chong had gotten to know many martial artists on his northwest adventure, and two of them were a couple known as ‘Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute’. They didn’t possess formidable martial arts but were skilled in pursuit. When they hunted someone down, they would rarely fail. They were the martial artists that Wang Chong wanted to use this time.

When they had parted in the northwest, the two had told Wang Chong that they would travel through seas of fire and over mountains of blades for him.

No matter how formidable and cautious that group attempting to assassinate the Fifth Prince was, it had to have left behind some clues. Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute would definitely be able to find these clues.

Such was Wang Chong’s plan.

Even though he was a noble of the Great Tang, he was also able to mobilize the martial artists of the righteous and evil paths, an honor that belonged to him alone.

Wang Chong quickly calmed himself down, and with a thought, a golden seed appeared in his hand. Wang Chong had gone through many things in his excursion to the northwest, and he needed to slowly digest them all.

Of these things, the golden seed the Origin Immortal Lord had given him had left him the most confused.

Just what is this thing?

Wang Chong muttered to himself as he looked at the seed. The golden lights the seed shone onto his face were constantly shifting.

There had been a lot of time to think on his way from the northwest back to the capital, but besides the boundless energy sealed within, he couldn’t see anything else in the seed. He still did not understand how this seed was connected to the fate of the world.

The Origin Immortal Lord had waited one thousand years, even setting up the Origin Immortal Sect and setting up so many mechanisms and traps, precisely so that he could pass on this object of utmost importance to him.

But Wang Chong was incapable of seeing through its secrets.

Moreover, the Stone of Destiny had said that it was analyzing the seed’s composition and secrets, but it had been ten-some days now, and there was still no result. There had never been such a long analysis before.

It seemed like Wang Chong could do nothing but wait.

And what would the Stone of Destiny produce in its final analysis? Or perhaps… the analysis had failed?

Bang!

In the middle of his ponderings, brash laughter and chattering in the Hu language came from outside, drawing Wang Chong’s attention away. Raising the curtain, Wang Chong saw that a large number of Hu had gathered nearby and were jeering at a nearby young Han man.

These Hu were wearing various styles of clothes. At a glance, Wang Chong could see Tibetan, Turkic, Mengshe Zhao, and even Western Regioner clothes.

Wang Chong could see that the young Han was red in the face from anger. He was apparently ready to go up and fight, but his friend pulled him back.

“Forget it! They’ve only just arrived in the capital. Don’t waste time with them.

“And they have more people than us. If a fight starts, we might not be able to beat them.”

“Hahaha, hear that? Our countries are all friends with the Great Tang, friends! Understand! Don’t forget, it was your Great Tang that invited us! It’s not like we wanted to come!” A Hu spoke in rough Tang language and derisively pointed at the two young Han men.

Bang!

The clearly intoxicated Hu began to loudly laugh, their expressions brash and arrogant.

Kaclack! The young Han man said nothing, but his fists were clenched in rage.

“Wuluyalu…”

Someone shouted out of the Hu crowd, and those Hu who had been seated on the ground suddenly stood up and rushed to surround the two Han men.

“Husubuluolu…”

The Hu now had vicious looks in their eyes. They were clearly about to beat the two men up.

Wang Chong instantly paled at this sight.

“Old Eagle!” Wang Chong shouted.

A moment later, Old Eagle descended upon the crowd like a giant bird with unfurled wings, the winds howling around him. As he snatched out with claw-like fingers, Stellar Energy erupted out, and then the ten-some Hu were snatched up by the neck and began to struggle in the air.

These Hu were stricken with fear and began to shout in panic. They could deal with two ordinary Han men, but they were helpless in front of an expert like Old Eagle.

Wang Chong had ordered Old Eagle to remain in the capital to handle the intelligence network, and it was precisely for this reason that Old Eagle had the time to cultivate the martial arts Wang Chong had given him, refining his Stellar Energy to a formidable level.

“Seeking death!”

Old Eagle stood in the center of the crowd, his eyes coldly flashing. Boom! Boom! Boom! Ten-some Hu were sent flying outward like ragdolls.

“Bastard! Run! Come on!”

The Hu saw the god-like Old Eagle and took fright. Before Old Eagle could attack again, they hastily got to their feet and scattered.

Old Eagle did not pursue, and his actions had been greatly restrained. Although these Hu had been going too far, they had not killed anyone, so Old Eagle also had no reason to kill them.

“Sir, thank you for saving us!” The two young Han men immediately came forward and voiced their thanks.

“Old Eagle, bring those two over!” Old Eagle heard Wang Chong’s voice at his ear.

“Young Sirs, my master would like to see you,” Old Eagle said to the two.

The two glanced at each other in surprise, but they still followed Old Eagle into the carriage.

Wang Chong had slightly altered his face, so the pair did not immediately recognize him.

Wang Chong skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the main topic. “What happened between you and those Hu? Why were they targeting you?”

The two of them glanced at each other, the youth on the left slightly reddening. Though a little apprehensive, they decided to explain the whole story.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1577 - Public Order Squad! (I)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1577 - Public Order Squad! (I)
Chapter 1577: Public Order Squad! (I)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“It’s not something nice to talk about, but since Young Master has already seen it, I won’t hide anything.”

The young man tightly clenched his fists, and after a few moments of silence, he began to explain.

“A few days ago, my fiancée passed by this place on the way to buy some cosmetics, but she ended up running into these Hu. They showered her with obscenities and even groped her. She was so humiliated that she almost committed suicide.”

The young man’s words immediately caused Wang Chong to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

“…I was out at the time, so I didn’t know the whole story. I came this time to ask for an explanation, but to my surprise, these people admitted to the deed and showed no shame whatsoever. In fact, they even wanted to beat us up!”

The young man gnashed his teeth, his entire body trembling in rage. It was clear that he felt immensely humiliated over his inability to take revenge for his fiancée’s humiliation. If not for Wang Chong’s help, they would have probably been beaten black and blue.

Within the carriage, Wang Chong’s brows locked together. Although he hadn’t seen the quarrel between this pair and the Hu, he had never imagined that this would be the story.

“What’s going on? Shouldn’t this matter be under the purview of the City Guard? Why haven’t they intervened yet?” Wang Chong coldly said.

The capital had its laws, and its various areas were all under the administration of the City Guard. A large crowd causing a disturbance was simply impossible in normal circumstances, which was why Wang Chong had been rather surprised to see a crowd of intoxicated Hu in the middle of the street.

“It’s useless! The City Guard has no jurisdiction over this matter. I went to the City Guard earlier and they said that the Hu in the capital were the responsibility of the Secretariat Advisor Residence, and they had no authority over them,” the young man said in indignation.

Buzz!

Wang Chong’s expression sank when he heard ‘the Secretariat Advisor Residence’, and the carriage instantly fell into silence.

The young man’s friend suddenly spoke, a sense of helplessness in his voice. “Haaa, everyone is saying that now that the Great Tang and all the other countries have disbanded their armies and are peacefully coexisting, the situation is wonderful like never before in history, and the Great Tang has a chance of truly reaching peace with everyone else. They say that war won’t exist in the future and the world will be in harmony.

“The Imperial Court has also said again and again that the Hu have only recently arrived and don’t understand the customs of the Central Plains very well, and it hopes that we can tolerate them and teach them. This is so that we can all avoid any campaigns or wars in the future. This is why I’ve always advised him to just let these matters go.

“At the time, everyone talked about how great it would be for the world to be in harmony and said that there would never be any more fighting between countries, but who could have expected things to turn out like this? I now think about that book written by the King of Foreign Lands, ‘Might Makes Right’. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.”

The friend sighed.

His offhand, melancholy comment caused a subtle shift in the mood.

Old Eagle raised his head and instinctively shot a glance at his young master.

His young master had sweat blood and tears to write two books, ‘Might Makes Right’ and ‘Doctrine of War’. In the end, Li Junxian joined together with Master Zhu and had them both banned, but it now seemed like those books were still having an effect.

The pair quickly clasped their hands in gratitude and left.

“Old Eagle, what’s the current situation in the capital? How many incidents like theirs are taking place?”

Wang Chong looked at Old Eagle.

Old Eagle was living in the capital and responsible for handling all the spies and scouts. Wang Chong was sure that he knew about these incidents that were taking place in broad daylight.

“这……”

“This…”

Old Eagle froze. He hadn’t expected Wang Chong to ask about this.

“With the Secretariat Advisor and Li Linfu in control of the court, the Great Tang has thrown open its gates and allowed large numbers of Hu into the capital. There are many more Hu in the capital than at any time previous, and crowds of Hu can be seen on every street.

“…So that they can settle down, Li Junxian has given them many privileges. They can buy storefronts in the capital so they can sell the specialties of their countries. But as more people come in, conflicts are inevitable, and for the sake of the overall situation, the Confucian Sect has opted for a policy of excessive toleration,” Old Eagle sternly said.

“Our subordinates have gathered many reports of this nature, but as these matters are inconsequential incidents of public safety for the City Guard to worry about, we did not report them.”

Old Eagle lowered his head. He had always believed this matter to be of too little importance and that Wang Chong’s attention was on the Imperial Court and Confucian Sect. It was now obvious that this was not the case.

Since Wang Chong had asked about it, he clearly cared about it. In other words, Old Eagle had failed at his duty!

“I understand. Once we return, give me a full report on the matter. In addition, you must report all similar incidents to me in the future!” Wang Chong sternly said.

“Yes!”

Old Eagle lowered his head even further.

The carriage slowly moved forward, and Wang Chong began to see more and more Hu in the crowd. The majority of the Han kept their distance, not daring to speak up. As the carriage continued, he even saw places where the signboards with gold-painted Han words had been replaced with signs in Hu.

Looking around, he saw that the most obvious spots were almost all occupied by Hu stores while the Tang merchants occupied the more out-of-the-way locations. The merchants of these stores glared furiously at the smug faces of the Hu merchants.

Wang Chong also saw several Hu running out of a store.

These people had taken items from a store and had refused to pay. Not only that, they had harangued the store owner while talking about how the Great Tang was at peace with all the foreign countries and they all belonged to the same people.

He even saw some Hu beating up a Han, but nobody cared about it. The City Guard passed by while keeping their distance, rage and helplessness in their eyes.

Wang Chong’s brows furrowed, and his expression darkened.

He had only been gone for a little more than a month, but so many things had happened in the capital; so much had changed.

After his meeting with Zhao Fengchen, Wang Chong had just chosen a street at random, but he could see Hu acting out with extreme brashness and arrogance. One could only imagine how many similar incidents were taking place throughout the capital.

The capital of the Great Tang was a critical area guarded by many soldiers, and it was still in such a state. The situation elsewhere in the empire was probably even worse.

Wang Chong had believed that Li Junxian only had a difference of ideals. He had never expected him to be this much of a buffoon.

A dam of one thousand li could be collapsed by a single ant hole. Perhaps he believed that since the concept of the Harmonious World and peace with the surrounding countries was at its peak popularity, he couldn’t treat the Hu entering the capital too harshly for fear of ruining his plans, but he was scarcely realizing that even though he was just sacrificing a few people, he was destroying the will of the people.

As an agricultural society, the Great Tang was only able to proactively expand and defeat its foes again and again because the entire country was united from top to bottom.

This place was the capital of the empire, the heart of the Central Plains, but the Hu were still able to act so recklessly and arrogantly. The City Guard who should have been protecting the people of the capital were helpless, and this could only have a chilling effect on the rest of the Great Tang’s subjects.

If the will of the people crumbled and the empire lost its unity, the empire’s foundation would be washed away.

Wang Chong could not permit this!

Wang Chong sat like a statue within the carriage, but Old Eagle knew that the more Wang Chong was like this, the more furious and uneasy he was.

Wang Chong suddenly opened his eyes and ordered, “Old Eagle, turn the carriage around! Take me to the Bureau of Military Personnel!”

In those bright eyes, Old Eagle could clearly see a sliver of cold and severe light.

Wang Chong spent an entire night in the Bureau of Military Personnel, only emerging to go home at daybreak.

Several days later, explosive news shook the capital.

Under the leadership of the Bureau of Military Personnel, a Public Order Office had been established, and the one who had established it was the man who had been missing for a little more than a month, the King of Foreign Lands.

Clopclop! A group of brightly-armored cavalry rode down the most prosperous street in the eastern part of the capital, Azure Dragon Street.

This cavalry group wore bright-red armor different from any other force of cavalry, and two words could be seen emblazoned on the front and back.

‘Public Order’!

“What’s this? What strange soldiers! I’ve never seen them before!”

“What have they come here for? Public Order? When did the capital ever have an army like this?”

The crowd immediately noticed this new group of soldiers and found it very curious and interesting.

But these cavalry ignored the looks of the crowd. Maintaining their orderly ranks, they exuded an extremely high level of discipline and training.

At the front of the group was an officer of twenty-some years of age.

His eyes were seething with killing intent as they scanned the dense crowds of Azure Dragon Street like a patrolling hawk.

“Hyah!”

While the surrounding crowd was still in a daze, a thunderous roar exploded through the air. A moment later, the young officer had locked onto a certain place and charged forward with his men.

“Seize them all!”

The crowd fell into disarray as everyone watched those horsemen charge forward with savage expressions at a group of intoxicated Hu who were cursing at bystanders and smashing up the wares of a Tang merchant.

Thumpthumpthump! Before the Hu could react, twenty-some horsemen had dismounted and charged at them.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1578 - Public Order Squad! (II)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1578 - Public Order Squad! (II)
Chapter 1578: Public Order Squad! (II)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Crackcrack! The cracking of joints could be heard as the horsemen seized the critical joints of the drunken Hu and swiftly subdued them.

“What are you doing?!”

“We’re guests to the capital of the Great Tang! Your Great Tang was the one who invited us!”

“Is this how you treat guests?!”

“Release me! Release me right now! You’ve got the wrong person!”

Those intoxicated Hu immediately began to loudly shout.

“Hmph, be a little more obedient!”

The young officer simply seized one of the protesting Hu and held him up in the air, a look of disgust in his eyes.

“Let me tell you, I didn’t get the wrong person! I came precisely for you lot!

“Come—take them all away!”

The cavalry had the Hu tied up on their horses with swift efficiency.

“Release me! Release me! You don’t have the authority to arrest us! Even your Secretariat Advisor has said that the City Guard has no power over us! You’re destroying the peace between countries!”

Seeing that the cavalry were being sincere, the Hu finally began to panic and sober up, their bodies beginning to wriggle around.

After spending so much time in the capital, they basically ate and drank whatever they wanted, never worrying about paying. But these Tang horsemen seemed serious!

“I’m reporting you! I’ll definitely report you!”

The Hu began to shout in rough Han.

“Report whatever you want. I might as well mention that we’re not part of the City Guard. All of us belong to the Public Order Office.”

The officer coldly snorted. After saying this, he tied up the last Hu, and the group swiftly rode away.

Bang!

Not long after they were gone, the crowd on Azure Dragon Street finally realized what had happened and exploded into cheers.

“Good!”

“Those bastards were finally taken away! I was sick of seeing them around!”

“What Harmonious World? Those guys were nothing but rats and bugs!”

The crowd voiced their praises. These Hu had gathered together recently and had occupied the area for themselves, but the City Guard had chosen to ignore them. They had been forced to swallow their anger, but finally, someone had finally vented their anger for them.

“But who were those people?” a commoner muttered. He had lived in the capital for decades, but he had never heard of any Public Order Office.

“Seize them all!”

Similar incidents took place in all other parts of the capital. Groups of cavalry wearing red armor charged into the places where the Hu gathered. Any Hu that committed a crime, whether it was robbery, harassing women, or beating up others, was arrested.

“What?!”

The news was soon sent to the hidden room within Pipa Alley.

The man behind the curtain suddenly stood up.

“Our men have been arrested by the Public Order Office?”

Even through the curtain, the man’s shock was clearly communicated through his voice.

“Yes!

“They’ve arrested more than three thousand of our men, with more than fifty percent of the people on Hujia Street being arrested. We thought that if everyone was committing the crimes, the law couldn’t punish everyone, so they would at most only arrest twenty-some people. But to our surprise, they’ve captured more than three thousand and show no signs of stopping. Everyone feels in danger and have decided to shut themselves in their rooms and see how the situation develops. And it seems like the Public Order Office has strengthened its patrols and has even expanded its reach to the edges of the capital.”

The Hu who had delivered the news had a worried look on his face.

The situation had developed too quickly. It felt like they had been discussing the King of Foreign Lands only a second ago, and a moment later, the man himself had given all the Hu in the capital a most unpleasant surprise.

“Many Tibetans, Turks, Goguryeons, and people of the other countries have been captured, as have many of our spies. This situation does not bode well for us!” the scout said.

The man behind the curtain couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. Even though that noble had been forced out of the Imperial Court and had been gone for a month, when he reappeared, he still made all the Hu feel like they had a dagger against their backs.

If not for the orders from above, he would have never taken his mission and gone to provoke that god of slaughter.

A deathly and oppressive stillness gripped the room. The man behind the curtain said nothing, but even this Hu spy could sense how grave his mood was.

But a few moments later, the man spoke once more.

“Don’t panic! Everything is still under our control. The King of Foreign Lands has killed so many of our people that it’s high time he paid a little price. This is the capital, not the battlefield, and it’s not some place he can mess around. Pass on my order. In the name of the Great Minister, gather together the various emissaries and submit a joint memorial to the court. Let’s see what Li Junxian and the First Prince have to say about this. Even if we can’t deal with him, there are naturally people that can. I’d like to see what explanation they come up with!” the man viciously said.

The mention of the Great Minister had the Hu spy trembling, a hint of respect appearing on his face. The Great Minister the man referred to was naturally the Imperial Minister of the Ü-Tsang Empire, Dalon Trinling.

The collaboration between Ü-Tsang and all the other countries was almost entirely under the guidance of the Imperial Minister, and the man behind the curtain was one of his disciples.

Everyone else had been caught off guard by Wang Chong’s sudden movements in the capital, but he had remained composed, and he had also been able to very quickly think about using the First Prince and Li Junxian, something that few of his peers could match.

“This subordinate will deliver this order!”

The Hu spy became much calmer now that he had clear orders to deliver.

The establishment of the Public Order Office had not only shocked the secret room in Pipa Alley. More than three thousand Hu had been arrested, and the entire capital trembled. And this incident’s association with Wang Chong’s name sent another massive tremor through the capital.

While the great clans of the Great Tang produced innumerable brilliant descendants, none of them could compare to Wang Chong.

Even though Wang Chong had eventually been defeated in the militarist-Confucian conflict, he had been the only one capable of shaking the world with two books, even alarming Master Zhu.

After disappearing for more than a month, he had suddenly established the Public Order Office. Although people still weren’t sure what this was, everyone knew that the situation in the capital had changed!

Because he had finally returned!

Storms were brewing all across the capital.

Bang!

As the Public Order Office was beginning its mass arrests, the gate of the Secretariat Advisor Residence slammed open, and an urgent message was delivered to Li Junxian.

“Wang Chong, you’re forcing my hand!”

Within the hall, Li Junxian only glanced at the letter before crumpling it into a ball. His young and handsome face was twisted in rage.

Li Junxian rarely lost his composure, but Wang Chong had truly provoked him this time!

He had reached the end of his tolerance for Wang Chong!

In his quarrel with Wang Chong, he had almost always tried to focus on their difference in ideals instead of attacking the person himself, even trying to persuade Wang Chong several times after he was called back from Khorasan. Li Junxian had always attempted to maintain the path of the gentleman and made his arguments through reason, not force.

Even when Wang Chong was gone for more than a month, he had not taken the opportunity to directly attack the Wang Clan.

But Wang Chong’s actions had once more forced him into a corner.

The peace agreements between the Great Tang and all the other countries were firmly in place, with the armies disbanded and withdrawn. He had even disbanded the prefectural armies. It was now settled that the Great Tang would turn its swords into plowshares. Li Junxian had believed that no matter how unwilling Wang Chong was, he would no longer stir up any waves.

But after just a few days, he had gone and made this ‘Public Order Office’.

There were many more Hu in the capital than before, and these Hu could even manage one or two sentences of Tang language and wore the clothes of the Central Plains. This was basically unheard of in the past.

But now that Wang Chong was arresting so many people, the foreigners would no longer be willing to enter the capital.

Not only that, the Great Tang and all the other countries had only managed to reach this stage with great difficulty, with millions of soldiers being disarmed. However, Wang Chong had now arrested more than three thousand people, which would undoubtedly cause the other countries to believe that the Great Tang was not worth trusting.

It was just a tiny Public Order Office, but it was enough for everything the Confucian Sect had worked for, all their patience and sacrifice, all that they cherished, to be made into nothing!

“Young Master, what do we do now?”

Elder Song, the white-clothed girl, Sword Ghost, and the powerful experts of the Confucian Sect all stared at Li Junxian. The oppressive air crackled with their flames of rage.

They were just as infuriated as Li Junxian.

The Harmonious World was their dream. From the moment they entered the Confucian Sect, they had agreed to offer up their lives to realize this dream, and they could not permit anyone to profane it.

“Prepare my court robes! I’m going to see the First Prince!”

Li Junxian’s eyes flashed as he made up his mind, and he stood up and strode out of the hall.

……

“How audacious!”

There was someone who was even angrier than Li Junxian at this time.

In the eastern palace of the inner court, a furious voice resounded off the walls. Boom! A large palm slammed down and instantly pulverized a golden armrest.

“Without this prince’s order, they dared to set up this Public Order Office and place it beyond the authority of the Imperial Court! Are they planning a rebellion?”

No court session had been held and the memorial for the Public Order Office had not been presented, but the First Prince had been keeping a close watch on Wang Chong, so he already knew about what he had been planning.

The Public Order Office was already going around arresting people before the Imperial Court had even passed the decree establishing it. Such impudence had the First Prince utterly enraged.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1579 - The Furious First Prince!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1579 - The Furious First Prince!
Chapter 1579: The Furious First Prince!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The Great Tang belonged to the subjects of the Great Tang, but more than that, it belonged to the House of Li, and the Great Tang of the House of Li was the First Prince’s Great Tang.

As the First Prince, he was the right and proper Crown Prince, and also the right and proper next Sage Emperor. All authority should have stemmed from the Imperial Court, and thus, stemmed from him. For this reason, the First Prince found the matter of the Public Order Office even more intolerable than Li Junxian.

“To set up another Imperial Court is a great taboo!” At this moment, a sharp and high-pitched voice resounded through the Eastern Palace. The white-haired eunuch at the First Prince’s side slowly spoke.

“Your Highness, although Wang Chong was the one who gave the order, the soldiers of the Public Order Squads were provided by the Bureau of Military Personnel. In other words, this was Zhangchou Jianqiong’s order. If Your Highness wishes to punish Wang Chong, it will not be easy!”

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, hm?”

The First Prince’s expression turned cold, his eyes gleaming.

“In the last militarist-Confucian conflict, I didn’t make trouble for him. Does he really think that Consort Taizhen’s protection means that I can’t do anything to him?

“Pass on my order to gather the officials for a meeting. In addition, take this prince’s token and take a trip to the Minister of War Residence. I would like to ask Zhangchou Jianqiong what he means by establishing this Public Order Office. What sort of head does he have on his shoulders that he dares to establish such an office without a decree from this prince and the Imperial Court?!” the First Prince coldly said, his eyes seething with killing intent.

“This old slave will deliver the order!”

……

The skies over the capital were dark and an undercurrent flowed beneath the surface. Countless messenger birds flew here and there as innumerable spies moved throughout the capital to gather information on the new Public Order Office.

But the Minister of War Residence was the nexus of all this information.

The initial members of the Public Order Squad had originated from here, and it was true that King of Foreign Lands Wang Chong had paid a visit to Zhangchou Jianqiong before this.

“Wang Chong, you’ve put me on the roasting rack.”

Within the Minister of War Residence, Zhangchou Jianqiong bitterly smiled at his guest.

A pot made of gold-colored ceramic had been placed on the table, and within it was top-quality tea from Longjing. The tea was still piping hot, and the two exquisitely-crafted cups next to the pot were brimming.

The guest sitting on the other side of the table had a calm and composed expression as they drank cup after cup. Meanwhile, Zhangchou Jianqiong had left his own cup idle for more than five minutes without even a sip.

“Just treat it as me owing you a favor!”

Wang Chong softly chuckled.

“Moreover, all the generals on the border are receiving promotions that are really demotions, and even Geshu Han’s subordinates have been transferred to Lingnan to repair bridges and roads, let alone others. The authority of the generals has weakened to the extreme, and it will probably be the Great Generals who are next. You’re the Minister of War and have lived more years than I have. If the Great Tang has no more Great Generals, your position as Minister of War probably won’t last for very long either,” Wang Chong indifferently said.

“There’s no need to talk like this. What favor? If you didn’t help me in the war of the southwest, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Besides, the Confucian Sect is constantly hounding us. My Bureau of Military Personnel still has enough authority to muster up some cavalry for your Public Order Squads, but if you had waited a little longer, I wouldn’t even be able to muster infantry.”

Zhangchou Jianqiong sorrowfully sighed.

He had already considered all the consequences that would come with setting up the Public Order Office, but he had still chosen to help Wang Chong. This was partially driven by the fact that he really did owe Wang Chong a big favor for the southwest, but it was also because the Minister of War… was on the verge of becoming a figurehead.

“The Imperial Court should be coming to find me soon, but given all my efforts over my twenty years in the southwest, not even the First Prince should be able to do much to me, even if he is the heir apparent. But what do you plan to do?” Zhangchou Jianqiong said.

When Zhangchou Jianqiong looked at that young and determined face, he was suddenly reminded of his younger self.

When he was young, he once had the same courageous, determined, and decisive eyes. No matter what kind of setback he endured or opponent he faced, he would have never backed down.

It was precisely this unyielding determination that had allowed him to reach his current point, the Tiger of the Empire, the conqueror of the southwest.

Once, he had dreamed about entering the capital, taking over the Bureau of Military Personnel, dominating the government, and then becoming Prime Minister just like Duke Jiu or Li Linfu. Now, after twenty-some years, with many of his hairs having gone white, he had finally fulfilled his wish. He now served at the feet of the Son of Heaven and commanded all the soldiers of the realm.

But after experiencing one political storm after another, he had gradually learned to be cautious and evasive, losing his original courage and determination.

Without realizing it, he had gotten old.

Zhangchou Jianqiong couldn’t help but sigh.

Now, the young man sitting across from him had become the hope of all the protectorates on the border, all the officers and soldiers in the army, and even the Minister of War. If they wanted to oppose the Confucian Sect and the First Prince, who were at the height of their power, Wang Chong was their only chance.

“There’s a proper countermeasure for everything. I have my own ideas on how to deal with it.”

Wang Chong did not give any details.

Zhangchou Jianqiong gave a slight nod. He was never worried about Wang Chong. While young, Wang Chong had a long list of achievements and conquests, so there was no need for him to explain too much.

“Reporting!”

As the two were conversing, one of Zhangchou Jianqiong’s personal guards rushed inside.

“Milord, a eunuch from the palace has come. He has the First Prince’s token and says that Milord has been requested to enter the palace for a court session.”

Wang Chong and Zhangchou Jianqiong both widened their eyes and looked at the guard.

“Lord Zhangchou, His Highness has requested your presence. Please!” A sharp voice came from outside. The voice came from very far away, but its owner moved like a ghost, and just a few moments later, he was stepping over the threshold without making a sound.

Wang Chong and Zhangchou Jianqiong were both top-class experts, particularly Wang Chong, who had received an enormous boost in strength after his northwest adventure. But not even he was sure how this white-haired eunuch with claw-like hands had managed to get inside.

The man quietly stood there with a confident bearing, but Wang Chong couldn’t sense his aura. The man felt like an illusion.

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he profoundly gazed at the eunuch. However, he remained silent and simply took a sip of his tea.

“So it was Lord Eunuch! Forgive me for not coming out to greet you!”

Zhangchou Jianqiong quickly got to his feet and bowed. He had spent some time in the palace and had seen the First Prince’s personal eunuch several times.

“So Lord Zhangchou was with the King of Foreign Lands. It was rather rude for me to show up like this.”

Surprisingly, the eunuch ignored Zhangchou Jianqiong and turned his eyes to the composed Wang Chong.

“Lord Eunuch knows of me?”

Wang Chong faintly smiled and looked up at the eunuch.

The white-haired eunuch stared at Wang Chong and unhurriedly said, “The mighty name of the King of Foreign Lands is known throughout the land, the first King of a different surname, personally granted the title by His Majesty. I accompany His Highness in the palace, so how could I not have heard of this?”

“Is that so?”

Wang Chong merely smiled in reply. On the side, Zhangchou Jianqiong couldn’t help but pale. He had begun to sense that there was something strange going on between these two.

The ‘Eunuch Yin’ before him was the First Prince’s closest advisor and eunuch official. He was responsible for handling all of the First Prince’s affairs and would only leave the palace for matters of utmost importance.

Moreover, as the First Prince’s favorite, he had a cold and aloof personality. Zhangchou Jianqiong had seen him several times, but he rarely ever spoke. The man valued his words like they were made of gold, barely exchanging words with even high nobles and important officials. Even Zhangchou Jianqiong had only managed to get a few words from his lips.

But now, Eunuch Yin was ignoring the master of this building and had started a conversation with Wang Chong, who had been minding his own business and drinking tea. This was incredibly abnormal.

Seeing that the mood had turned strange, Zhangchou Jianqiong laughed and changed the subject. “Haha, Lord Eunuch, did His Highness not have a matter to discuss? Let us set off!”

These words proved effective. Eunuch Yin shot one last glance at Wang Chong before turning to Zhangchou Jianqiong.

“Lord Zhangchou, please.”

Zhangchou Jianqiong and Eunuch Yin quickly departed.

Wang Chong stared in the direction they had left, his mind rapidly turning.

Wang Chong had heard of Li Ying’s personal eunuch, Eunuch Yin, in his last life, but only his name.

For dynasty after dynasty, sovereigns would almost always prepare top-class experts to protect the highly-regarded Princes. It was very rare for there to be cases like Li Heng’s, who was only assigned Li Jingzhong, who barely had the strength to truss a chicken.

Of course, when it came to plots and conspiracies, this eunuch was more formidable than any other eunuch in history, which was why Li Heng had survived five attempts on his life so far.

But someone as extraordinarily powerful as Eunuch Yin was also extremely rare. This was no longer a simple bodyguard.

It was absolutely abnormal for a eunuch of the court to reach this level! And this person just had to be the First Prince’s personal eunuch.

Countless thoughts ran through Wang Chong’s mind.

“It’s enough! I should begin moving as well,” Wang Chong softly said, and he quickly left the Minister of War Residence.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1580 - Pressing Step by Step!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1580 - Pressing Step by Step!
Chapter 1580: Pressing Step by Step!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The establishment of the Public Order Office did not have the approval of the Imperial Court, and the First Prince’s rage was within Wang Chong’s expectations. Moreover, the Public Order Office had been his idea, and he had merely used Zhangchou Jianqiong to get it done formally. The First Prince was planning to use Zhangchou Jianqiong to display his might to Wang Chong, and without Wang Chong’s assistance, Zhangchou Jianqiong would find it very difficult to hold out against the court’s cross-examination.

Even if the circumstances weren’t that severe, Wang Chong would not just sit back and watch!

“Tell Old Eagle to prepare to move!” Wang Chong ordered from within his carriage, and then the wheels began to roll, and he was off.

……

As Wang Chong was leaving the Minister of War Residence, within Pipa Alley, in front of the golden door, five or six men with intimidating faces and bright eyes were standing in a row, their backs bowed.

“Has Milord still not come out?” a Hu with a pale face and rather sinister looks suddenly asked. They had come after receiving a summons, and had Tibetans, Turks, Mengshe Zhao, and Arabs amongst them.

The new Public Order Squads were arresting people all over the capital, with the three thousand now swelling to five or six thousand, and still increasing.

All kinds of people had been arrested from all the various countries: Arabia, Charax Spasinu, Ü-Tsang, Mengshe Zhao… All the Hu were involved, and all of them were in a bad situation, so they needed to prevent the situation from getting worse. This was why they had all gathered here.

As the group was chatting, a voice came from behind the door. “Are you ready?” It was neither loud nor soft, but it was imbued with dignity and a tone that instilled trust in others.

Buzz!

This voice carrying a Tibetan accent caused everyone to hastily lower their heads in respect.

Quite a few people had attempted to challenge this man’s authority and been killed, even those spy captains who had spent decades in the capital. Because all their countries were different, these spies had all been under the jurisdiction of different systems, so at the start, they had only reported to their own countries. The spies from the other countries had wanted to save a decisive battle with the Tibetans, but the final result took them by surprise.

Not only did their respective countries not agree to their requests, they were stripped of their authority as captains and ordered to return, after which nothing else was heard of them. Afterward, letters of reprimand came from the various countries, telling the various spies in the capital to know their place and listen to the orders of the man behind the door.

Creeeak! The door opened, and a Tibetan with a rather lean body walked out, escorted by several Tibetan warriors. This man had the red flush characteristic of the plateau, but it was not as obvious. Moreover, if one looked carefully, one would see that he had a high nose and deep-set eyes, making him seem more like a Turk. He was clearly someone who had both Tibetan and Turkic blood running in his veins.

“Has the Great Tang court session begun?”

Mochi Xiangyang scanned the group before him, his eyes twinkling with a crafty light.

“Milord, our people have been watching the palace gates and have already seen many important officials go in. Even Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong was summoned into the palace. The court session has undoubtedly begun.”

“Good!”

Mochi Xiangyang gave a knowing smile. According to custom, today should have been a day of rest for the officialdom, with no court session being held. The laws of the Great Tang Empire had decreed that there would be one or two days of rest each month, and the officials should be summoned only for special incidents. But it was obvious that the First Prince was incredibly furious.

The number one person provoked by the Public Order Office was none other than the heir apparent of the Great Tang. There was no need for any grand action on Mochi Xiangyang’s part, as the First Prince would deal with the King of Foreign Lands for him.

“Since that’s the case, let’s add to the flames. Pass on my order! Tell everyone to prepare to move out!”

A vicious light gleamed in Mochi Xiangyang’s eyes.

“Yes!”

The others immediately dispersed to deliver the orders.

……

Many old officials who had not participated in court sessions for a long time had been summoned. The First Prince was far angrier over the Public Order Office than anyone had imagined.

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, you’re quite bold! Without a decree from the Department of State Affairs, without a decree from the Imperial Court, you dared to set up the Public Order Office on your own! This prince asks you: are you planning a rebellion?!”

(TN: The Department of State Affairs is the overarching department that controls the Six Bureaus.)

The First Prince’s enraged bellows bounced off the walls of Taihe Palace.

Whether it was the First Prince or any other Prince, none of them could tolerate even the slightest infringement of imperial authority.

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, you’re only the Minister of War, not the Prime Minister, and you’re certainly not His Highness or the Sage Emperor. Who gave you the authority to set up a government office on your own? Your Public Order Squads are not under the control of the Imperial Court. What is the meaning of this?”

“Your Highness, this subject has a memorial. This subject impeaches Zhangchou Jianqiong for acting audaciously and recklessly without respect for the Imperial Court!”

“This subject agrees! Your Highness, please heavily punish Zhangchou Jianqiong!”

“This subject also agrees!”

The entire Imperial Court was brimming with anger as all the officials sent wave after wave of criticism. Even though Zhangchou Jianqiong had been through twenty years of campaigning and had mentally prepared himself, even he couldn’t help but pale and break out in a cold sweat under this barrage of criticism.

The Imperial Court almost entirely consisted of members belonging to the Confucian Sect or King Qi, and Zhangchou Jianqiong was basically alone.

Zhangchou Jianqiong thought that at least King Song would support him, but to his surprise, he didn’t see any trace of him.

It seemed like nobody had informed King Song, or perhaps the First Prince didn’t want King Song here.

“Milords, Zhangchou meant nothing of the sort. This act was merely a way to deal with the Hu in the city and maintain the peace and safety of the capital. Zhangchou would never harbor disloyal notions!”

Zhangchou Jianqiong barely managed to force out these words.

Moreover, Zhangchou Jianqiong had originally believed that he only had to deal with the matter of the Public Order Office, but this matter had become much more complex. He was now being accused of plotting a rebellion.

Since ancient times, anyone who tried to seize authority for themselves and plotted treason would never receive a good end.

Although Zhangchou Jianqiong was an old subject who had rendered great service, not even he could survive this sort of crime.

“You didn’t mean that? The Public Order Squads began to brazenly arrest people right from the start with the Imperial Court, including the First Prince, knowing nothing about it. Just how much should we tolerate before you suddenly mean it? Will it only count once you lead the soldiers of the Bureau of Military Personnel in a rebellion against the capital?”

The civil officials in the hall took turns issuing attacks.

Buzz!

Zhangchou Jianqiong paled. The Bureau of Military Personnel was the nexus of the realm’s armies and had the special right to move around the armies of the provinces and protectorates. This was an extremely sensitive position, and this official clearly wanted to exploit this fact to push him into a dead end.

“Your Highness, the world itself can serve as witness to this old subject’s loyalty to Your Highness. In the past, this old subject followed the Sage Emperor on his conquests, going west to subjugate Ü-Tsang, and south to suppress Mengshe Zhao, covering his body in wounds. When His Majesty saw this old subject, he said that this old subject’s loyalty toward the Great Tang went down to his bones and personally granted this old subject the title ‘Tiger of the Empire’, at the same decreeing that this old subject should preside over the southwest against foreign invaders.”

Zhangchou Jianqiong’s eyes went red as he declared, “If this old subject is truly disloyal, Your Highness only needs to tell the Sage Emperor. If the Sage Emperor gives the word, this old subject is willing to cut his throat in front of Taihe Palace and empty out all his blood to clear his name!”

Buzz!

The officials who were endlessly criticizing Zhangchou Jianqiong suddenly fell silent and still. Even First Prince Li Ying was taken aback and momentarily speechless.

One could say that Zhangchou Jianqiong was being overly audacious and reckless, but no one in the Great Tang would believe that he was actually disloyal. Although the First Prince was furious, he had never even thought about pushing Zhangchou Jianqiong to suicide.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort broke the air of stalemate in the court.

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, you set up the Public Order Office of your own volition, and now you threaten to commit suicide. Are you saying that the First Prince is wrong?”

These were damning words, and Zhangchou Jianqiong instantly paled. As expected, the First Prince once more exploded with rage.

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, are you saying that I forced you into this?”

The First Prince’s anger was plainly written on his face.

“Reporting!”

A voice came from outside, and a few moments after that, the silk-robed attendant for the palace gates responsible for delivering messages rushed inside.

“Your Highness, the emissaries from the foreign countries have sent a letter fiercely opposing the wanton arrest of Hu by the Public Order Office. They wish to see the Great Tang release their subjects as quickly as possible.

“The emissaries have also said that even though their countries have signed peace accords with the Great Tang, the Great Tang’s current wanton arrests of Hu has made them doubt the Great Tang’s sincerity!”

Everyone in the hall grimaced at these words, and everyone began to glare at Zhangchou Jianqiong, including the First Prince.

The peace between the Great Tang and all the other countries was unprecedented. Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Public Order Squads had created far more trouble than expected.

The Confucian Sect officials in the hall wanted nothing more than to eat Zhangchou Jianqiong alive.

Right now, the Confucian Sect was in the middle of talks with the various countries regarding increasing the number of schools in foreign lands. They were also attempting to persuade these countries to recruit more students to learn the Tang language, but now that something like this had occurred, how could they continue their negotiations?

Trouble followed trouble, and just when the officials were thinking about how to placate the foreign emissaries, footsteps once more came from outside.

“Reporting!

“Your Highness, many Hu have appeared outside the palace gates, protesting the mass arrests performed by the Great Tang’s Public Order Squads. They say that they won’t leave until those arrested have been released. More than ten thousand Hu have gathered at the palace gates, and even more people are gathering. It seems like all the Hu in the capital are coming.”

A general responsible for guarding the palace stopped at the doors to the hall and got down on one knee.

“Your Highness, please give your instructions!”

“What!?”

The First Prince shot to his feet, his face twisting in rage. Below him, the gathered officials had exploded into an uproar.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1581 - The Schemer in the Shadows!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1581 - The Schemer in the Shadows!
Chapter 1581: The Schemer in the Shadows!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“The Hu have gathered? How could this happen?”

“The Public Order Squads! It’s the Public Order Squads again!”

“Lord Zhangchou, I didn’t do anything. You’ve caused this disaster all on your own!”

Everyone stared at Zhangchou Jianqiong, who once more became the target of their arrows.

“Zhangchou Jianqiong, just look at the fine work you’ve done!”

The ashen-faced First Prince glared at Zhangchou Jianqiong.

Never in the three-hundred-year history of the Great Tang had such a thing ever occurred. The Hu were actually blocking the gates of the Imperial Palace!

In the past, the First Prince would have driven them away without a second thought, but the situation had changed now. There was no such thing as a trifling affair in politics, and if he handled this matter too poorly, the peace accords the Great Tang had signed earlier would all be ruined.

The Great Tang might even have to face war on all sides.

As the heir apparent, the First Prince could not allow this to occur.

Down below, Zhangchou Jianqiong’s heart sank and his face paled.

“How could it be like this?”

Truly, when it rained, it poured. Not even Zhangchou Jianqiong had imagined that the Hu would come to make trouble on top of the matter of the Public Order Office. And given the timing, wasn’t this a targeted attack?

At this time, a vast and clamorous crowd had gathered in front of the Imperial Palace’s gates.

Standing or sitting, these people had packed themselves in front of the palace gates and completely blocked it off.

More importantly, these people were of all sorts. There were Turks, Kanjuts, Goguryeons, Characenians, Arabs, and even Mengshe Zhao people. But there were no Han in this crowd.

“Release the Hu!”

“Punish Zhangchou Jianqiong and disband the Public Order Squads!”

“As long as the Great Tang doesn’t let the Hu go, we won’t leave!”

“The Public Order Squads were set up by Zhangchou Jianqiong and the King of Foreign Lands! Punish the King of Foreign Lands!”

“The King of Foreign Lands is numb to killing people, a criminal who has broken the peace between the Great Tang and the other countries! Everyone has seen it with their own eyes!”

The Hu shouted well-practiced Tang slogans, their faces and ears red from agitation, their roars reaching the heavens. Tens of thousands of people shouting in unison in front of the Imperial Palace’s gates was truly an intimidating sight.

Groups of commoners had been drawn over by the ruckus and watched from the perimeter.

Not even people who had lived in the capital for decades had ever seen such a thing.

As the Hu shouted and protested, a Hu man looked to Mochi Xiangyang and whispered, “Milord, we’ve succeeded! There are more than forty thousand people gathered in front of the Imperial Palace, more than eighty percent of the Hu living within the capital. Everyone who could come has come. In addition, I’ve ordered that all our men in the provinces and prefectures of the Great Tang gather in the capital. In a few more days, we’ll have even more people.”

“Hmph, very good!”

Mochi Xiangyang turned his gaze to the spectating crowd of commoners and to the Imperial Army soldiers standing atop the gate.

Few people noticed a smile slowly creep onto his lips.

“The court session isn’t over. Let’s see how the First Prince deals with this,” Mochi Xiangyang indifferently, his expression oozing confidence.

“But, Milord, is this really okay? This is the Great Tang Imperial Palace, and I can’t help but feel uneasy. That King of Foreign Lands… is planning something against us,” an Arab fearfully said.

The Arabs were the ones who feared Wang Chong the most.

Even now, the corpses of the nearly one million Arab soldiers who had died to the west of the Euphrates had still not all been buried. Those vultures circling in the sky and occasionally descending to peck the exposed guts and flesh of the bodies made a chill go through one’s heart.

The Arabs had always regarded themselves highly, taking Arabic to be the world’s most noble language and disdaining to learn the language and words of other countries. Before this, their goal had been to conquer the world, conquer the continent, and then have everyone learn Arabic.

But now, even the most arrogant and the most foolish of them knew the words ‘Wang Chong’. They could even pick out these two words from a pile of meaningless Tang words.

And in the schools the Great Tang had opened in the various countries, the Arabs were the most willing to enter and learn the Tang language.

The crucial factors in this were the Battles of Khorasan and Talas!

All the Arabs feared the King of Foreign Lands down to their bones. Even the Caliph of Arabia was forced to admit this.

“Heh, relax. With forty thousand foreigners gathered here, the Great Tang wouldn’t be so bold as to kill them all. And besides, hah, do you really think that we’re only dealing with Zhangchou Jianqiong?”

Mochi Xiangyang shook his head, a smile on his lips.

“Then Milord means…”

The spy captains from the various countries looked to him.

“We naturally need to deal with Zhangchou Jianqiong, but the more important target is still the King of Foreign Lands. I presume all of you understand his grasp of the art of war.

“As long as he exists, our countries will have daggers to their backs and will never be able to rest easy. We’ve blocked the palace gates so that man in the palace and all the officials can see, thus placing pressure on the King of Foreign Lands.

“A tree that stands out from the forest is certain to be knocked down by the wind. We can’t deal with him on the battlefield, so we’ll use the internal conflicts of the Great Tang to try and kill him. At the very least, we can strip him of his titles and make it so he never leads an army again. All we need to do right now is make as much trouble over this incident as possible so that his enemies in court can do the dirty work for us.”

Mochi Xiangyang spoke with a profound light in his eyes, like he could see through everything.

Everything from the court session to the protest was a part of his plan, as were the commoners who had gathered to watch. He needed people to be watching, as many as possible!

Right now, he wanted all of the Great Tang, all of the world, to be watching this place. If he made enough trouble, he could seize both Zhangchou Jianqiong and Wang Chong.

This was called killing two birds with one arrow!

The King of Foreign Lands was a victim of his own cleverness!

As for Zhangchou Jianqiong, this was a man who had spent many years in the southwest and had killed numerous Tibetans. The title of Tiger of the Empire had been built atop piles of Tibetan corpses.

Even if he couldn’t kill Zhangchou Jianqiong, if he could use the Tang to forever remove him from political power, he would be avenging the lives of all the Tibetan warriors lost in the southwest!

As these thoughts flitted through his mind, Mochi Xiangyang made a cold and sinister smile.

As the Hu received the news, more and more people began to converge, their roars of protest getting louder and louder.

Everything was going according to plan!

……

“Milord, it’s bad!”

Meanwhile, in the Wang Family Residence in the western part of the city, Zhang Que rushed into Wang Chong’s study, his face covered in sweat.

“Milord, we’ve just received news that many Hu have gathered in front of the Imperial Palace’s gates to protest and put pressure on the Imperial Court. The spies we placed around the various embassies have also noticed carrier pigeons flying into the Imperial City. The emissaries sent by the various countries have probably decided to place pressure on the Imperial Court. In addition, Master has also sent word that the Princes and Princesses of the various countries have all begun to make their way to the Imperial Palace gates!

“The situation is getting worse and worse! In addition, all the members of the Public Order Squads are observing the situation, and all of them are very uneasy!”

Zhang Que’s hair was drenched in sweat, and his lips were trembling as he spoke.

Their lord was not present at court, and his position as Advisor-in-Waiting had long ago been stripped away. Within Taihe Palace, almost all the officials had been replaced with supporters of Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect. Worst of all, even the Sage Emperor who Wang Chong had always regarded with utmost respect had retired to deep within the palace.

Almost everything about the court was being decided by one of Wang Chong’s enemies, the First Prince!

With the Hu pushing things from the background, Wang Chong’s situation was getting worse and worse!

“I understand!”

Just when Zhang Que was burning with anxiety, a calm and unperturbed voice resounded through the room, extinguishing Zhang Que’s worries like a gentle rain.

“Milord?”

Zhang Que stared at Wang Chong in surprise. He thought that his lord would at least show some concern, but Wang Chong’s face seemed to communicate that all of this was within expectations.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. I’ve only been gone for a little more than a month, but the streets are completely packed with Hu. Did you think that this was all due to the efforts of Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect?”

Wang Chong took a sip of tea.

“Milord, you mean…”

Zhang Que was completely caught off guard by Wang Chong’s words. He had always believed that their opponents were Li Junxian, the Confucian Sect, and the First Prince.

“Catching prey requires patience, and now is the moment to close the net!”

Wang Chong’s eyes gleamed with an intimidating light as he indifferently spoke.

The Confucian Sect was a problem that needed to be dealt with, but that didn’t mean that the various foreign countries weren’t pushing things along. Without their cooperation, the Confucian Sect would have never been able to reach this stage so quickly.

The militarist-Confucian conflict had given the foreign countries the ammunition they needed, and this protest at the palace gates was yet another salvo.

All of this was only possible with meticulous planning.

Wang Chong had only had speculations about there being some commander within the capital directing the movements of the various countries from behind the scenes, but after this protest, Wang Chong was sure that this person existed!

Suddenly, Zhang Que seemed to think of something, but before he could ponder the matter further, Wang Chong gave an order.

“Order all the cavalry of the Public Order Squads to immediately gather at the Imperial Palace gates!”

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1582 - Mass Arrests!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1582 - Mass Arrests!
Chapter 1582: Mass Arrests!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Boom!

As Zhang Que stared with stunned eyes, Wang Chong put down his tea cup and rose from his seat. A moment later, he had vanished from his study.

Gallop!

A few moments after that, the galloping of horses began to converge on the palace gates. The numerous members of the Public Order Squads had been mobilized by Wang Chong’s order and were coming over.

Over the capital, dark clouds were gathering. A massive storm was building strength!

……

At the same time, elsewhere in the capital, a figure stood with his hands behind his back and watched everything take place from a high vantage point.

“Your Highness, Wang Chong has begun to move.”

The old butler, dressed in his gray robe, turned away from the galloping Public Order Squad members and looked to King Song. At this stage, several things had become extremely obvious.

King Song had already put on his court robes for the sudden court session, but he had never received a summons from the court. And now that the court session had started, King Song couldn’t even get in.

It was obvious that a certain man within the palace did not wish to see him at today’s court session.

“What did that child say? Does he still not wish me to move, even for such a major event like this?”

King Song gazed at the distant edifice of the Imperial Palace, a look of slight disappointment on his face.

“No!”

The old butler’s eyes were unperturbed.

“In truth, this old slave found the King of Foreign Lands’ argument very reasonable. The Imperial Court is currently in turmoil, with large batches of officials being constantly replaced, being ‘promoted’ into positions of lesser authority or transferred to the provinces or prefectures on made-up reasons. The only ones left in the court are Your Highness and Zhangchou Jianqiong.

“Zhangchou has Consort Taizhen’s protection and can’t be touched for now. This is also why that child went to find him. But if Your Highness is pushed out of the court, the Bureau of Military Personnel and the generals of the border protectorates would truly have no hope.

“The child hoped to protect Your Highness, which is why he chose to begin his operation during the monthly rest period. And our reaction is probably already within his expectations,” the old butler slowly argued.

Only that child was daring enough to use both King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong, even having Zhangchou Jianqiong take the fall for him. But both of them were willing to be used by Wang Chong.

Wang Chong was the only person in the Great Tang who could fight back against the Confucian Sect. Only Wang Chong could reverse the tides and change everything!

This was something understood by all members of the Bureau of Military Personnel and the border protectorates!

“Haaah…”

King Song couldn’t help but sigh upon hearing the butler’s words.

“Your Highness, be at ease. That child never does anything he’s not sure about. Your Highness should let him work without fear! And hasn’t Your Highness already seen that child’s abilities?” the old butler commented.

King Song finally nodded, but he still found it hard to conceal the concern in his eyes.

Although all of it sounded very simple, Wang Chong was going against the infuriated First Prince and the entire Confucian Sect. No matter how prepared he was, he couldn’t have accounted for every possibility.

But King Song remained silent.

……

Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace, not long after the news of the protesting Hu had reached Taihe Palace, another flurry of footsteps could be heard.

“Reporting!”

The gate attendant kneeled on the floor and loudly proclaimed, “The King of Foreign Lands has led the members of the Public Order Squad and suddenly appeared outside the palace gates, where he has begun to arrest all the Hu at the gates!”

Bang!

This news came down like a boulder into a lake, sending great waves through the assembled officials.

“The King of Foreign Lands? How could it be the King of Foreign Lands?!”

“There are forty to fifty thousand Hu out there! What is he planning?”

“Has he gone crazy? He’s already arrested seven to eight thousand. Does he think that’s not enough and wants to arrest Hu until there are no more? To live and trade together with the surrounding countries so that we can make up for each other’s shortcomings is one of the guiding principles of the Sage Emperor. Not even the Sage Emperor will forgive him for this! There are even Princes from other countries in that crowd!”

The eyes of the officials flew open in unprecedented shock.

Truly, one wave came before the previous wave could even dissipate. They had received far too many shocks than they could handle in a single day.

The First Prince was already enraged over so many Hu being arrested, but the Public Order Squads had only redoubled their efforts rather than showing restraint. The entire world was being thrown into disarray!

Who knew what sort of disaster this would cause!?

“Bastard! Just who made him so audacious!?”

A thunderous roar exploded from the upper reaches of the hall, causing all of Taihe Palace to tremble. The First Prince had become like a furious lion, his face contorted in fury. It was one thing for Zhangchou Jianqiong to threaten him with suicide, but now Wang Chong had popped up.

He thought that Wang Chong would show some restraint after Zhangchou Jianqiong had been summoned, but this only seemed to have increased Wang Chong’s impudence.

“Your Highness, calm yourself!”

All the officials were frightened by the First Prince’s rage. They had never seen him so furious before. Zhangchou Jianqiong was also shocked, but as he looked over at the First Prince, he was rather surprised by something else.

He had never known, nor had he been able to sense, that the First Prince possessed such a high cultivation level.

“Your Highness! Let this lowly subject deal with this matter!” In the middle of the First Prince’s rage, a calm voice resounded through the hall.

The officials instantly fell quiet, and even the First Prince turned to look at the owner of the voice.

“Li Junxian!”

Zhangchou Jianqiong’s heart sank. The only person who possessed such weight in the court, quieting the assembled officials and even commanding the attention of the First Prince, was the oft-silent Li Junxian.

Everyone knew of Li Junxian’s relationship with Wang Chong, particularly after Master Zhu appeared.

“Your Highness, this lowly subject has constantly been advocating for peace talks between the Great Tang and its surrounding countries. Those Princes and Princesses also came on this lowly subject’s invitation. Now that such a thing has occurred, let this lowly subject deal with it!” Li Junxian coldly said. His expression was extremely calm, but everyone knew that he was angrier than anyone else here.

After a few moments of silence, the First Prince firmly nodded. “Then go!”

“Many thanks, Your Highness!”

After saying this, Li Junxian turned and left the hall.

This is a problem.

Zhangchou Jianqiong worriedly watched Li Junxian go.

The Confucian Sect was not an ordinary faction, and Li Junxian was an extremely shrewd man. Although Zhangchou Jianqiong instinctively believed that Wang Chong had taken this into account, he still didn’t exactly know how Wang Chong would handle it.

……

A few moments before…

Gallop!

Thousands of Public Order Squad cavalry, dressed in their bright red armor, had appeared around the crowd of protesting Hu, giving all of them a shock.

“What’s going on? Why have the Public Order Squads appeared here?”

The sudden appearance of these soldiers left all the Hu startled. Even Mochi Xiangyang, hidden with the crowd, couldn’t help but stand up in shock, his eyes wide open.

A Mengshe Zhao spy captain turned to Mochi Xiangyang and asked in shock, “Milord, what’s going on? Do the Public Order Squads still dare to arrest people at a time like this?”

After a few moments of thought, Mochi Xiangyang calmed down. “Relax! He’s not that bold!

“Within the palace, the officials of the Great Tang have gathered precisely to discuss the matter of the Public Order Squads arresting the Hu. That man couldn’t have gone so senile as to defy the court at a time like this.”

The First Prince was right in the middle of thinking about a way to seize Wang Chong, and Mochi Xiangyang was confident that Wang Chong understood the severity of his actions. This line of action was nothing but suicidal!

“Besides, do they think that just a few thousand of them can catch tens of thousands of us?” Mochi Xiangyang sternly said.

The panicked Hu calmed down upon hearing Mochi Xiangyang’s words. Given that this man had obtained the high regard of Ü-Tsang’s legendary Imperial Minister, he was clearly no ordinary man. There was naturally some reasoning behind his words.

But a moment later…

Neeeigh!

A sharp neigh resounded in everyone’s ears, accompanied by a bellowed order.

“Everyone, listen up! Arrest all these Hu for me!”

A young officer at the front of the Public Order Squad pulled out his sword, its silver-white tip pointed straight at the dense crowd of Hu.

Boom!

The earth rumbled as the thousands of Public Order Squad cavalry charged into the Hu, their bodies seething with killing intent. Chaos ensued as the cavalry dismounted, tough ropes and chains in hand, and began to proficiently tie up the Hu.

“Ah!”

“What are you doing?! Release me!”

“Out of the way! Out of the way! They’re really starting to arrest us! Run!”

The loudly protesting Hu instantly fell into panic.

“How could they dare?!”

Mochi Xiangyang clenched his jaw, his eyes brimming with disbelief, but even more shocking developments awaited him.

Gallop! A few moments later, another stampede of hooves approached, the earth fiercely shaking under the orderly approach of this new force. As the disbelieving Hu looked on, even more Public Order Squad cavalry arrived, swiftly forming a long arc that surrounded the Hu protesting outside the palace gates.

From the sound of the hooves, there was a minimum of six thousand cavalry in this second batch.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1583 - Pusan Tuoye!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1583 - Pusan Tuoye!
Chapter 1583: Pusan Tuoye!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Everyone, hear my order! None of the Hu are allowed to escape! His Highness has said that there is an important individual within this crowd. If he manages to escape, you will be held responsible!”

Xu Keyi stood erect in the middle of the Public Order Squad cavalry, his eyes like cold beads of ice.

“Yes, Milord!” the cavalry thunderously replied.

As Xu Keyi gazed at the turmoil and listened to the crying and shouting Hu, his face turned cold.

When he had followed Wang Chong on campaigns, chasing down Hu soldiers and killing a million, the corpses had stretched to the horizon.

All the Hu before them had been stricken with fear and fright. But now, some nonsensical peace accord had made the Hu start acting recklessly, even going so far as to use their numbers to block the gates of the palace.

Bang!

The earth rumbled as Xu Keyi’s Public Order Cavalry joined the rest in charging into the crowd of Hu.

Neeeigh!

And this was still far from over.

Not long after Xu Keyi’s forces had arrived, another force came riding out of the western part of the city.

In order to make its peace treaties, the Confucian Sect had disbanded many soldiers, and Wang Chong had used these disbanded soldiers to form his Public Order Squads, using the name of the Bureau of Military Personnel to recruit them. At this moment, the number of Public Order Squad cavalry outside the palace gates had reached nearly ten thousand.

“What’s going on? Why hasn’t Young Master come out yet?”

On the edge of the crowd, the Confucian Sect experts could only watch in rage.

This was an extremely sensitive moment, and Wang Chong was their greatest foe. At this crucial time, how could they not be observing the movements of Wang Chong’s Public Order Squads and the Hu? In truth, they had known the moment the Hu had begun to gather that an incident would occur.

But though they had predicted this, they had never expected Wang Chong’s reaction to be so swift and intense.

“There’s a court session right now, and Young Master is the Secretariat Advisor, so he can’t leave,” said the member of the Confucian Sect in charge of intelligence, Bamboo Mirror, his eyes filled with concern.

“Do we just have to watch this happen?” Sword Ghost said with great unwillingness. They were at a critical point in the peace talks, but it was all about to be ruined by a bunch of boorish warriors. This left him fuming in anger.

At this moment, Elder Song finally spoke, his eyes wise and perpetually calm.

“Calm yourself. Now is not the time to decide things with emotions. They are regular soldiers under the Bureau of Military Personnel. If we strike now, what will be our excuse? Defying the Imperial Court? We have no valid justification at this time, and can the members of our Confucian Sect really deal with nearly ten thousand people?”

He had been the only one to maintain his calm amidst the crowd of Confucian Sect disciples, the only one able to restrain them.

“Look at that!”

Just when the red-faced disciples were arguing and hesitating, boom! Turmoil appeared in the crowd. All the spectating commoners suddenly turned in a single direction.

The Confucian Sect disciples had also noticed this new development.

“It’s him!”

Following the gazes of the crowd to the west, they saw a young man wearing a golden crown and a dragon robe, riding upon a horse with pure-white hooves. Thronged by the crowd, he rode forward like the morning sun rising from the east.

Although this man was young, his every movement exuded extraordinary dignity and grace, but what left the greatest impression of all was his aura of invincibility.

“The King of Foreign Lands! It’s the King of Foreign Lands!” someone shouted out, and the spectating crowd in front of the palace gates immediately exploded with cries of alarm.

A man’s name was like the shade of a tree!

Even though Wang Chong’s ‘Might Makes Right’ had been criticized by Master Zhu and taken as heresy, few officials in the court could match his influence.

Li Junxian, with his eloquent tongue, had become famed throughout the realm for his ability to make the various countries disband millions of soldiers.

But even then, the influence of the King of Foreign Lands was not far behind.

As a scion of a clan of ministers and generals, and the grandson of Duke Jiu, Wang Chong had led an army of several thousand into a situation where an army of hundreds of thousands would have been defeated.

With just a hundred-thousand-some soldiers, he had stabilized the Western Regions and killed more than one million Arab soldiers, ending the pride and ambition of that western power.

And Wang Chong was also the Son of Heaven’s disciple, a King who had been personally crowned by the Sage Emperor.

Li Junxian could not compare in any of these aspects.

Even though he had been missing for more than a month, even though he had been defeated in the militarist-Confucian conflict, now that he had reappeared, he once more became the most dazzling existence in the capital, the center of attention.

Even though the Confucian Sect had tried to brand him as a ‘Demon King of Slaughter’, this had only added to his prestige and reputation.

The Confucian Sect had done the exact opposite of what they had desired!

“Damn it! He’s here!”

Sword Ghost, Bamboo Mirror, and the white-robed girl all paled at the sight of this familiar figure, as did Elder Song.

Their hearts sank and they felt an immense pressure on their shoulders, but there was also a deep fear and hatred!

This man’s edge was simply too sharp. Even after his previous setback, Wang Chong did not seem at all dejected. On the contrary, he seemed to have become even more mature after his trials.

Even Elder Song was alarmed to see Wang Chong’s bearing!

This man was far more difficult to deal with than they had imagined!

“Wang Chong!”

Just when all the spectating commoners, the Confucian Sect, and even the Imperial Army soldiers on the gate were looking at Wang Chong, someone loudly shouted, drawing the attention of the crowd.

Several young and sumptuously dressed Hu were emerging from the center of the Hu crowd to meet Wang Chong.

When all the other Hu were fearful and panicked, these noble Hu showed no fear or evasiveness. Their confident demeanor as they approached Wang Chong made them stand out from the crowd.

“Not good! It’s the foreign Princes! This is a problem! Pusan Tuoye is a newcomer and has no idea how formidable Wang Chong is! There might be an incident!”

Elder Song’s composure finally broke.

Pusan Tuoye and another one with the surname ‘Ashina’ were Turkic royalty.

Other than inviting the Hu of various countries to the Great Tang so they could understand the Great Tang’s policies and kindness, the Confucian Sect had also placed a priority on inviting foreign Princes and Princesses so that they could experience the culture of the Great Tang, hoping that they might adopt a friendly view of the Great Tang so that they would favor a long-term peace.

Of these foreign royals, the most outstanding of them was Pusan Tuoye. He had arrived at the capital the latest, but he was the leader that all the other royals trusted and looked to.

And unlike the other foreign royals, Pusan Tuoye was actually ranked rather highly when it came to inheriting the throne. Thus, the Confucian Sect had always taken great care of him. But Elder Song and Sword Ghost had never expected Pusan Tuoye to appear amidst the protesting Hu at a crucial time like this.

“Who’s there?”

Wang Chong slowly turned his horse around. Everything had been going exactly as expected.

But Wang Chong quickly spotted a group of unique Hu.

The young Hu leading the group suddenly said, “This one is Pusan Tuoye, the seventh son of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Do I have the right to pay respects to the King of Foreign Lands?”

At the same time, he looked around at the members of the Public Order Squad blocking his path. He had a proud expression and clearly had a high opinion of his status.

“Let them come over!”

Wang Chong grinned. As he led his horse over, he made a gesture, upon which the Public Order Squad members opened a path for Pusan Tuoye.

Pusan Tuoye had a fearless expression on his face as he led the foreign royals and several emissaries to Wang Chong. His head was held high, not even backing down in front of the ‘Demon King of Slaughter’.

Pusan Tuoye looked at Wang Chong and loudly asked, “I have heard that Your Highness is both intelligent and experienced, one of the wisest people in the Great Tang. Your Highness, in the Great Tang, is it the rivers or the sea that is larger?”

“Ha!”

Wang Chong grinned. He knew what was happening, but he decided to play along anyway.

“It’s naturally the seas that are larger!” Wang Chong immediately replied.

Pusan Tuoye raised an eyebrow. “Then can I ask Your Highness: in the Great Tang, is it the sun and moon or the stars that are larger?”

“Naturally the sun and moon!” Wang Chong answered, a smirk on his lips.

“Then can I ask Your Highness, in the Great Tang, is Your Highness greater or the sovereign greater?” Pusan Tuoye finally asked, revealing his true motive.

Buzz!

Wang Chong showed no reaction, but Su Shixuan, Cheng Sanyuan, Old Eagle, and the others instantly paled. This Turkic Prince had been leading up to this question.

Pusan Tuoye clearly had ulterior motives with this question, implying that not even the Son of Heaven could control Wang Chong and casting suspicion on his actions.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1584 - The Shao Music Dance!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1584 - The Shao Music Dance!
Chapter 1584: The Shao Music Dance!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“It’s naturally the Son of Heaven who is greater!”

Wang Chong smiled and answered as if he didn’t know what was going on.

“Good! Since Your Highness knows this, why have you done that which disregards the sovereign? We were all invited by the Great Tang’s Son of Heaven and are guests, but what has Your Highness done to these guests? Are you going to arrest us all? Is this how the Great Tang treats its guests? Or is it that the Son of Heaven’s words have no effect on your Highness?

“Amongst the Eastern Turks, when a master has a guest, but a servant ignores the master’s orders, knocking over the guest’s cups, plates, and utensils, they are completely ignoring the master. The Eastern Turks execute servants like these. Your Highness, are you this kind of servant? Or are you like that other kind of servant, having no regard for the sovereign and striking against your superiors!?” Pusan Tuoye said harshly.

The foreign Princes and Princesses behind him brightened at these words as they inwardly shouted out in glee.

There were naturally reasons Pusan Tuoye had so quickly become the leader of the foreign royals in the capital. In terms of bearing and intelligence, none of them could compare to him.

If not for so many Public Order Squad cavalry watching them, they would have cheered out loud.

But just when Pusan Tuoye was feeling smug and satisfied, Wang Chong smiled and gave his reply.

“As expected, nothing but barbaric countries!”

Wang Chong’s response immediately made the face of the foreign royals freeze.

“The Great Tang is a country of ‘courtesy’, and when a host treats a guest with courtesy, the guest must reciprocate. When a guest comes, the host treats them to fine wine and delicacies, then, once the guest eats and drinks their fill, the guest will thank the host for their generous hospitality and then leave in a refined and unhurried manner. Perhaps it is because Your Highness is inexperienced or this is the custom of the Eastern Turks, but when guests in the land of the Eastern Turks go to a host’s house, they don’t thank the host for their hospitality but instead cause a scene and block up the entrance to the host’s house?”

Wang Chong raised his head and glanced at the magnificent Imperial Palace.

Pusan Tuoye and the other foreign royals instantly understood, and their faces and ears went red. Wang Chong was clearly jeering at their complete lack of gratitude in blocking up the palace gates.

This was the capital of the Great Tang, the heart of the empire, and the Imperial Palace was where the Emperor discussed matters of state with his officials, an extremely critical location. For more than forty thousand Hu to gather here and block the gates so tightly that not even a drop of water could get in was truly rather excessive.

Although the Hu had also found it rather out of line, they believed in the protection of the crowds, that the Great Tang could not arrest all of them. Adding on the fact that they had the Confucian Sect’s support, they had believed that there would be no problems. But who would have expected a development like this?

Not only that, they had even provoked the great demon, the King of Foreign Lands.

“Seize them!”

Wang Chong ended his conversation with Pusan Tuoye and waved his hand. Su Shixuan immediately dismounted and led a group of Public Order Squad members over to tie up Pusan Tuoye’s group.

“Release me! Release me now! I’m a prince of the Eastern Turks! King of Foreign Lands, you even dare to arrest me?! This will cause a major incident!”

Pusan Tuoye finally panicked and began to struggle.

“Hmph, let’s wait until that happens first!”

Wang Chong coldly sneered.

After going through so many wars, why would he be afraid of the ‘major incident’ Pusan Tuoye spoke of?

This Eastern Turkic Prince had no idea who he was talking to.

“Milord, what do we do?”

Seeing Wang Chong sending men to arrest Pusan Tuoye after only exchanging a few words, the foreign spy captains turned pale and broke out in cold sweat.

“If the royals are imprisoned, we’ll all be punished for failing in our duties. If there’s any mishap, we might even be executed!”

They were filled with regret. If they had known that the King of Foreign Lands was so iron-fisted and vicious, they would have never listened to Mochi Xiangyang and invited the royals over.

Mochi Xiangyang was more shocked than anyone else. He had only wanted to exert pressure on the Great Tang imperial household through protests, but the moment the Public Order Squads had intervened, he had completely lost control of the situation. Although he had heard of Wang Chong’s many deeds, only when actually exchanging blows with him did Mochi Xiangyang realize that he had deeply underestimated the eighteen-year-old Great Tang War God.

There were no rules to his behavior, and Mochi Xiangyang’s conjectures and plans that would have worked on normal people were completely useless against him. Wang Chong was fearless and unbridled, not restrained by any apprehensions.

No wonder the Great Minister told me to be cautious when I was leaving and to not provoke the King of Foreign Lands. I miscalculated!

Mochi Xiangyang felt a bitterness in his heart.

Any sort of argument felt weak and useless in the face of Wang Chong’s forceful seizures. Mochi Xiangyang’s face was pale and he began to wonder if he should retreat.

“What do we do? Young Master still hasn’t appeared, and if this continues, Pusan Tuoye, the other foreign royals, and all the other Hu gathered around the gate will be arrested. Young Master might come too late.”

Bamboo Mirror and the other Confucian Sect experts could only watch the Public Order Squad’s mass arrests and worry.

Their young master had disbanded the prefectural armies and suppressed the militarists, upon which the King of Foreign Lands had set up his Public Order Squads and arrested the foreign royals and more than ten thousand Hu. Such a major incident would deal a massive blow to the Harmonious World that the Confucian Sect longed for.

“There’s nothing to be done. We can’t deal with him. We have to wait until Young Master comes out.”

Elder Song had a nasty scowl. He naturally understood the effects of this incident, but no matter how unbearable the situation was, they had to bear it.

“Everyone, listen to me. No matter what, you have to bear it! Don’t let your emotions make your decisions!”

Elder Song’s greatest concern was that everyone would be provoked into a conflict with Wang Chong by this sight. That would be the true disaster. But just after Elder Song spoke, his worst fears were realized.

“No, I can’t bear it! No matter what, we can’t let him take away Pusan Tuoye and the others!”

Sword Ghost clenched his teeth and charged forward.

Elder Song paled and instantly called out, “Sword Ghost, come back!” But Sword Ghost was too impulsive and had already shot into the crowd like a lightning bolt.

“Wang Chong, stop right there!”

A furious roar resounded over the Imperial Palace gates and Sword Ghost fearlessly charged at Wang Chong.

“Stop him!”

Xu Keyi and the others were in the middle of arresting Hu, and when they saw Sword Ghost charging over, they immediately moved to intercept. Bang! Bang! Bang! Before the Public Order Squad members could even get close, a shockwave of energy sent them flying away together with their horses.

“Impudent!”

Su Shixuan’s face darkened, and he immediately pulled out his Wootz Steel sword and went to stop Sword Ghost. However, Wang Chong soon stopped him.

“Let him come over,” Wang Chong said in an unconcerned tone.

Those Public Order Squad members immediately began to withdraw, but Sword Ghost didn’t care and charged straight to Wang Chong.

“Wang Chong, just what are you thinking? Are you intentionally breaking the peace the Great Tang has with the other countries to take revenge against our Confucian Sect?”

Sword Ghost stopped six feet away from Wang Chong, and his eyes were so burning with rage that it seemed like he wanted to swallow Wang Chong in one gulp.

Sword Ghost had long ago grown sick of seeing Wang Chong. He had developed a poor opinion of him at their first meeting in Drunken Moon Pavilion and had proposed several times that they needed to be more vicious against this major obstacle for the plans of the Confucian Sect and end his fleshly existence. Alas, his young master and Elder Song had refused to listen, resulting in this disastrous consequence.

It seemed like even the peace talks with the various foreigners would be destroyed at the hands of the King of Foreign Lands.

You finally couldn’t restrain yourself?

Wang Chong instantly recognized Sword Ghost. This man and his sword dance in Drunken Moon Pavilion had left a very deep impression on Wang Chong.

If he’s here, the other Confucian Sect members can’t be far.

Wang Chong subtly shot a glance into the distance, a light gleaming in his eyes.

It would be far stranger if the Confucian Sect was completely unaware of such a major uproar.

“Hmph, where did this small character come from? In front of this king, you still dare to act so impudently?” Wang Chong coldly asked.

“Bastard!”

Sword Ghost’s eyes went red in anger. Boom! In a flash of light, he unsheathed his sword and instantly vanished into the void.

“Shao Music Dance!”

An ancient voice accompanied by the sounding of bells began to resound through the air. The Public Order Squad cavalry around Wang Chong, including Su Shixuan, were instantly dazzled by this sound. It was like their souls had been pulled into another world, and looks of intoxication appeared in their eyes.

Shao Music was the music created by Emperor Shun, the music of the sages. But the Shao Music Dance was one of the ten great assassination techniques of the Spring and Autumn Era. A top-class martial artist of that era who had worked as an assassin comprehended this technique from Shao Music1 after joining the Confucian Sect.

Each time the sword struck in the Shao Music Dance, it was like a musical note being played, and each musical note was a sword technique. This sword art attacked both the flesh and the soul. Even those experts of formidable will who had reached the Saint Martial realm would still be affected by the Shao Music.

Because Shao Music was the music that embodied the hearts of the people!

______________

1. Emperor Shun was one of the Five Emperors, five legendary rulers of ancient China. Along with Emperor Yao, who preceded Shun and made Shun his successor, he was often held up as a model ruler by Confucius. In addition to this, he is claimed to have created a musical piece known as ‘Shao Music’ or ‘Great Shao’.↩

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1585 - Imminent Conflict!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1585 - Imminent Conflict!
Chapter 1585: Imminent Conflict!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Dingdingding!

Countless bolts of Sword Qi resounded like musical notes as they exploded toward Wang Chong.

Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu1—as expected, the Confucian Sect has some good things!

Sitting on his horse, Wang Chong squinted his eyes, utterly unaffected by the Shao Music. With his current level of Psychic Energy, the things that could affect him were few and far between, and Shao Music was not one of them.

“It’s a good art! Alas, the user’s martial arts are lacking!”

With this indifferent comment, Wang Chong opened his eyes, opened his right hand, and reached with deceptive speed into the air.

Bang!

There was a thunderous boom, and a moment later, everyone could see that Wang Chong’s palm had firmly grasped a silver-white sword out of the empty air.

This sharp sword seemed like nothing but a wooden cudgel in Wang Chong’s hand, and it was completely frozen in the air. And Sword Ghost, who was holding the sword, was also frozen in a strange posture, his head facing down and his feet facing up like he was nailed in place.

“How is this possible?”

Sword Ghost’s eyes flashed, a look of extreme shock on his face as he stared at the young noble on horseback.

He had used the fiercest of Sword Qis, and not even steel could endure this blow. But Wang Chong had caught his sword like an eagle snatching a chick. Sword Ghost was even more shocked because he knew that this terrifying assassination art was bursting with explosive Stellar Energy.

For Wang Chong to catch the sword barehanded was an incredibly foolish action.

But only now did Sword Ghost realize that when his Shao Music Sword Qi clashed with Wang Chong, the Stellar Energy was all devoured, unable to cause even a small ripple.

It was like Wang Chong’s body was a bottomless pit.

There was nothing normal about this, and not even within the Confucian Sect had Sword Ghost encountered anything so bizarre.

There was only one explanation…

Wang Chong was far stronger than he was!

Sword Ghost’s heart sank like a stone.

For the first time, Sword Ghost began to panic as he looked at this youth. He had never had much regard for this noble of the Great Tang, so he had never once believed that he wasn’t a match for Wang Chong. Thus, he had impulsively charged over.

“Not good! Retreat!”

“Not good! Sword Ghost is in trouble!”

Elder Song and Bamboo Mirror paled. They had tried to stop Sword Ghost the moment he charged forward, but Sword Ghost moved too quickly. Even worse, Sword Ghost had a rash personality and simply had no idea who he was dealing with.

“Stop him!”

Elder Song and the others cast aside their apprehensions and began to shoot out of the crowd toward Wang Chong.

In the distance, all of Sword Ghost’s initial rage and impulse had vanished without a trace.

Retreat!

As Sword Ghost paled, this was the only thought left in his mind.

He let go of the sword and tried to shoot backward.

“Hmph, you think you can run?”

Wang Chong coldly sneered. He had even slain a Subtle realm expert like the Tiger Immortal with a single blow, and Sword Ghost wasn’t even in the Subtle realm.

Buzz!

Just as Sword Ghost was retreating, Wang Chong instantly attacked.

“King of Foreign Lands, show mercy!” A cold and aloof voice came from the direction of the palace gate, and its owner instantly began to move with lightning-fast speed toward Wang Chong and Sword Ghost.

“Young Master!”

“Young Master is here!”

Elder Song and the others were ecstatic to hear this voice, and they now charged at Wang Chong without apprehension.

“Hmph, what does it matter if you’re here!?”

Wang Chong had noticed Li Junxian the moment he had appeared, but he could not possibly allow him to save Sword Ghost.

“Ah!”

In a golden flash of light, Wang Chong thrust his palm down toward the earth.

Boundless Stellar Energy descended, swatting the retreating Sword Ghost out of the air and into the ground and causing him to scream in fear.

Boom!

At almost the same time, a milky-white bolt of Stellar Energy shot toward Wang Chong like a ray of light.

Wang Chong confidently smiled and thrust out his left palm. Golden Stellar Energy howled out and collided with the milky-white Stellar Energy.

There was yet another immense boom. Wang Chong remained as firm as a mountain upon his White-hoofed Shadow, and the distant Li Junxian also stopped, his face cold and aloof.

As for Sword Ghost, Wang Chong reached out and drew him into his hand. Sword Ghost was now his captive, with all his meridians and Stellar Energy sealed.

All the Confucian Sect members felt their hearts grow cold, and with no time to think, they rushed toward Li Junxian’s side.

“Wang Chong, release my subordinate!”

Dressed in his court robes, Li Junxian icily stared at Wang Chong.

“It’s the Secretariat Advisor!”

The spectating crowd was getting more and more restless. Countless eyes had instantly recognized one of the current powers of the Imperial Court, the Secretariat Advisor.

The militarist-Confucian conflict had taken place between Li Junxian as Secretariat Advisor and Wang Chong as Advisor-in-Waiting, and now, these two were once more clashing outside the gates of the Imperial Palace.

The atmosphere instantly became tense as the crowd focused on Wang Chong and Li Junxian, who was slowly making his way toward him.

Even the panicked Hu and foreign spy captains sensed the change in the air and turned to look.

He finally appeared!

Within the crowd of Hu, Mochi Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Chong was truly too domineering, so domineering that he seemed unstoppable. In all the realm, only Li Junxian could contend against him.

Wang Chong ignored everyone else, his eyes focused on Li Junxian. Unless there was a special incident, officials taking part in a court session could not leave. Li Junxian should have never appeared here in normal circumstances, but Wang Chong was unsurprised by this development.

The Confucian Sect had far greater control over the Imperial Court than one could imagine, and there was nothing strange about him getting permission to leave early.

Wang Chong glanced at Sword Ghost, whom he had seized by the neck like a chicken, and indifferently asked, “You say that this man who defies his betters is your subordinate?”

“Bastard! Just who are you calling a man who defies his betters?!”

Sword Ghost was infuriated by these words. Although Wang Chong had sealed his Stellar Energy, he had not taken away his ability to talk.

“Hmph, I’m a rank-one noble of the Great Tang! And what are you that you dare to attack me!?”

Wang Chong didn’t even glance at Sword Ghost, but his words instantly caused Sword Ghost’s expression to freeze.

Yes, although the Confucian Sect was a faction beyond the reach of the Imperial Court and had never been controlled by secular authorities, this was the capital of the Great Tang. Wang Chong was a King of the Great Tang, his status far surpassing his.

Su Shixuan suddenly stepped forward and sternly said, “Your Highness, in this subordinate’s view, this is an assassin who was sent after Your Highness. If we investigate his background, we should be able to find some clues as to who hired him.”

Bzzzz! Sword Ghost and Li Junxian both paled, while Wang Chong gave a chilling smile.

In the past, Li Junxian had once directly moved against Wang Chong’s subordinates in order to deal with him, even imprisoning some of them.

Wang Chong was simply returning the favor and letting Li Junxian understand what it felt like to have his subordinates imprisoned.

“Wang Chong, you bastard! I was the one who did this! It has nothing to do with the young master! If you have a problem, just blame me!” Sword Ghost yelled.

Wang Chong, continuing to ignore him, handed him to Su Shixuan.

“Come; take this man away!”

On the other side, Li Junxian scowled.

“King of Foreign Lands is truly a crafty man. So have you come to take revenge, then?” Li Junxian coldly asked.

“He tried to assassinate this king, or have I unjustly accused him? Secretariat Advisor, as an important official of the court, do you not even understand the laws of the Great Tang?” Wang Chong retorted.

Li Junxian’s face turned even colder. Not even Li Junxian could deny that Sword Ghost had attempted to assassinate Wang Chong.

“Secretariat Advisor, Secretariat Advisor, save me!”

A cry for help tinged with a Hu accent came from nearby. Pusan Tuoye and the other foreign royals that Wang Chong had arrested were calling out to Li Junxian for help.

They didn’t recognize Sword Ghost, but they did recognize Li Junxian, and this was the only person who could save them at this time.

“King of Foreign Lands, I’ll set aside this matter for now, but you must immediately release Pusan Tuoye and the others! Come! Untie the Princes and Princesses!”

Li Junxian was enraged to see the foreign royals tied up, and he waved his arm. Elder Song and Bamboo Mirror immediately led the Confucian Sect members in moving to untie Pusan Tuoye and the others.

“Hmph, who dares!?”

Wang Chong’s eyes chilled and he immediately flicked his finger. Boom! A dazzling bolt of white Sword Qi shot through the air and drew out a line several inches deep in the ground.

______________

1. Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu are the five notes of the Chinese musical scale.↩

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1586: - King Qi Appears!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1586: - King Qi Appears!
Chapter 1586: King Qi Appears!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Impudent! Wang Chong, are you inciting conflict between the Great Tang and the surrounding countries?” Li Junxian sternly said, staring at Wang Chong.

“If the Son of Heaven commits a crime, he is punished like a commoner! Li Junxian, do you not even understand this principle?” Wang Chong sternly said.

“Hahaha, what a nice saying! King of Foreign Lands, that’s a nice tone you have there!”

Suddenly, brash laughter began to ring out, accompanied by the rumbling of hooves.

Everyone immediately turned to look, as did Wang Chong.

Su Shixuan’s heart trembled as he blurted out in shock, “Your Highness, it’s King Qi!”

“Ah!”

“It’s King Qi!”

The spectating commoners fell into turmoil and began to scatter like they were avoiding a plague bearer. King Qi, leading a large force of men, rammed his way through the crowd and right up to the palace gates.

Some of the commoners were unable to dodge in time and were knocked into the air.

All the officials acted with some level of restraint so close to the Son of Heaven, not daring to act too arrogantly. Other than the foreigners who did not understand the laws of the Great Tang, only King Qi dared to act with such flagrant disregard.

A goateed elder with the look of an advisor rode his horse up to King Qi and whispered, “Your Highness, Li Junxian is also here!”

“Hah, given all that’s happened, it would be stranger if he wasn’t here!”

King Qi strangely laughed.

After looking at Li Junxian for a moment, he turned to Wang Chong and his White-hoofed Shadow.

“I’ve waited for so long. Finally, you lost your patience!”

King Qi’s eyes flashed with a sinister and smug light. The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. He had been informed of today’s court session some time ago, but just like King Song, he had not appeared in court.

But unlike King Song, King Qi had been summoned. He simply didn’t want to go. The assembled officials, Li Junxian, and the First Prince were more than enough to deal with Zhangchou Jianqiong. His presence was unnecessary.

King Qi was only interested in Wang Chong!

Zhangchou Jianqiong was just a shield standing in front of Wang Chong. What he really wanted to do was seize the shield bearer, not the shield.

Thus, when the Hu began to gather, King Qi became interested. He had been waiting with his men from the Penal Court, knowing that Wang Chong would appear.

As expected, Wang Chong really had intervened.

King Qi squinted and then waved his hand as he loudly ordered, “Come! Seize all these treasonous scoundrels!”

“Yes, Milord!” the officials of the Penal Court called out, and then lunged like vicious tigers at the Public Order Squad members on the perimeter of the crowd. Upon receiving the news, King Qi had prepared five to six thousand men.

He had practically emptied out the Penal Court and had even brought his personal soldiers. As an Imperial Prince, King Qi was allowed to have two thousand personal soldiers, and all of them were elites.

All of this was permitted by the Imperial Court.

On the surface, King Qi and his five to six thousand men were outnumbered by the nearly ten thousand men of the Public Order Squad, but King Qi’s men were fully equipped and could fight on the same level as an army of more than ten thousand. Meanwhile, the Public Order Squad had not been rushing to the battlefield, so they were mostly armed with ropes and chains. Besides that, they were also weaker than King Qi’s personal soldiers.

The gap in strength was obvious.

The several thousand well-trained men of the Penal Court and King Qi’s powerful personal soldiers charged forward, and the eastern flank of the Public Order Squad was the first to be thrown back in disarray.

“King of Foreign Lands, the gates of the palace are at the feet of the Son of Heaven. To bring so many men here, are you thinking of rebellion?! Come; arrest these rebels!” cried the goateed advisor behind King Qi, raising his arm.

As expected!

Seeing the Penal Court forces behind King Qi, Wang Chong couldn’t help but shake his head, apparently caring little about King Qi’s actions.

The nine-thousand-some men of the Public Order Squad could not possibly deal with King Qi’s men. But Wang Chong was not at all panicked.

“Since that’s the case, Shixuan, have them get ready!”

Kaclack!

As soon as Wang Chong finished speaking, the creaking of gears filled the air. Whoosh! Several hundred Public Order Squad members quickly tore the cloth off the ‘chests’ in front of them, revealing the objects hidden underneath.

Cold and unfeeling arrow tips pointed at the charging soldiers behind King Qi.

“Hurry and retreat!”

Upon making out what those large objects were, the savage-faced Penal Court members and King Qi’s personal soldiers instantly paled and began to retreat in disarray.

“Ah!”

The surrounding crowd cried out in alarm.

“Ballistae!”

King Qi’s pupils constricted and his face grimaced. Even Li Junxian paled. The objects hidden behind Wang Chong were none other than the lethal heavy weapons, the ballistae of the Great Tang!

“Wang Chong, you dare!”

King Qi couldn’t help but roar upon seeing the ballistae.

“Ballistae are heavy weapons under the control of the army! For you to dare to use such lethal weapons at the feet of the Son of Heaven, how can this be anything but rebellion?!”

King Qi was about to explode from anger. He had been completely confident in the ability of his five-thousand-some men to deal with the nine-thousand-some men of the Public Order Squad.

But he had never expected Wang Chong to be so ‘shameless’, ready with ballistae in the rear precisely for the moment that he would appear.

Wang Chong had only brought ten-some ballistae with him, but King Qi still did not dare to be careless. In the Battle of Talas, Wang Chong had demonstrated to the entire continent the terrifying power of these ballistae.

Wang Chong had five men to each ballista and could fire ten-some bolts in a volley. These ballista bolts possessed formidable piercing power that not even Profound Martial experts were guaranteed to block. A single volley would be enough to kill five to six hundred men.

And given their firing speed, by the time his men got to the front, he would have lost more than one thousand men.

Not even King Qi could hold against such lethal firepower.

“King Qi, someone as ignorant as you might not know this, so I can tell you. After I used ballistae to defeat nearly one million Arab cavalry in the Western Regions, the Sage Emperor granted me these ten-some ballistae as a special reward when I was given the title of King of Foreign Lands. Just where did this talk of rebellion come from?” Wang Chong confidently proclaimed.

Wang Chong’s opening of the armory had eventually caused him many difficulties, but it was precisely because he had fully displayed the powers of the ballistae at Talas that the Sage Emperor had made an exception and granted him ten-some ballistae.

Few people had known about this gift, and Wang Chong had never used them before, so these ballistae had remained unknown within the capital.

This was also the first time King Qi had heard of it, and he was filled with envy and hatred.

Not even he had ever been treated this way! The Sage Emperor was showing far too much favor to Wang Chong. However, how could King Qi just give up after preparing for so long?

King Qi glared at Wang Chong and bellowed, “Wang Chong, you dare! This is the capital, and there are many commoners around! This king doesn’t believe that you would actually dare to use them! Come! Seize all the members of the Public Order Squad!”

Rumble! The Penal Court soldiers and King Qi’s personal soldiers rallied and surged forward in a great flood.

Thudthudthud!

In response came the flying ballista bolts. These bolts accurately shot through the gaps in the crowd and landed right in front of the Penal Court soldiers. With a slight adjustment of aim, these bolts would have shot straight through their bodies.

Neigh!

Horses cried out in panic, and all of King Qi’s men paled and backed away in fright. Some of them were even thrown off their horses.

“Wang Chong!”

King Qi couldn’t help but bellow in rage. He truly had not imagined that Wang Chong would dare to use ballistae in this situation.

“King Qi, don’t go recklessly starting fights in the capital. The Public Order Squad is in the middle of official business. If you try to disturb them, don’t blame me for taking action.”

Wang Chong’s tone was indifferent, but his words made King Qi shrink back. For some reason, he felt a completely different aura from Wang Chong. Where Wang Chong would have once been a bit more restrained, he now acted without any fear of the consequences.

“Bastard!”

King Qi gnashed his teeth, but as he looked at those ten-some ballistae, he truly did not dare to order his men back into the fray.

In the end, King Qi was still very afraid of the Great Tang’s new War God. When it came to commanding an army, not even ten of him would be enough to beat him.

“Li Junxian, hey, what do you have to say about this? The Great Tang’s relationship with the foreign countries is your domain. Are you just going to let this brat take away Pusan Tuoye and the others?”

Unable to vent his rage, King Qi turned to the nearby Li Junxian.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1587 - Ambush! The Three Elders of the Northern Sea!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1587 - Ambush! The Three Elders of the Northern Sea!
Chapter 1587: Ambush! The Three Elders of the Northern Sea!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Wang Chong, although you are a King of the Great Tang, you are a noble without a position, one who has been driven from the court. All the important matters of state no longer have anything to do with you. No matter what it is you want to say, your actions have already crossed the line. I will give you one more chance to release Pusan Tuoye and the other foreign royals, as well as the Hu that have gathered here, and then disband your Public Order Squad! I can still let you off if you do these things, but once the First Prince arrives, things won’t be that easy to settle!”

Li Junxian took two steps forward and coldly stared at Wang Chong.

Although Li Junxian didn’t like King Qi’s attitude, he didn’t really care. Whether or not King Qi had intervened, he still had a problem to settle with Wang Chong.

“Hmph, and if I say no?”

Wang Chong’s expression gradually chilled.

“It doesn’t matter what you choose. The choice isn’t yours.”

As Li Junxian spoke, he reached out with his left hand and tapped on the silver sheath at his waist. Clang! The cry of a sword resounded through the air. A moment later, the air trembled as a vast and majestic sword intent radiated outward.

At this moment, all the swords and sabers owned by the Public Order Squad cavalry, King Qi’s men, the Imperial Army soldiers on the walls, and the martial artists in the crowd began to tremble and buzz as if they wanted to break free and fly into the air.

Wang Chong couldn’t help but squint, a grimace on his face.

He had seen quite a few people use sword arts, himself included, and he was a powerful expert of the sword. But this was the first time he had ever seen an explosion of sword intent that could actually control the swords of others. From this move alone, he could tell that Li Junxian had reached a terrifying level of strength.

But Wang Chong soon regained his composure.

“So, Secretariat Advisor, you are threatening me?”

Wang Chong coldly laughed. He had to admit that the situation had gone past what he had expected. This was the first time anyone had ever dared to threaten him like this.

Clang!

Wang Chong urged his horse forward to meet Li Junxian.

The two were like a tiger and lion meeting on a narrow road, neither backing down.

Buzz!

Sensing the dangerous aura being exuded by the pair, the crowd gathered in front of the Imperial City fell silent.

The Public Order Squad cavalry, the Penal Court soldiers, the Imperial Army soldiers on the gates, and everyone else waited with bated breath and shock in their eyes.

Wang Chong and Li Junxian were the two proud sons of the Great Tang. Although they had their disagreements, their quarrels had only ever been verbal. But it now seemed like things were going to get physical.

At this moment, an elderly voice came from behind King Qi, tinged with an extreme dignity. “Your Highness, why don’t we…”

“Ha, no rush! Let’s see how things play out!”

King Qi sinisterly narrowed his eyes.

After getting such a rare opportunity, he was in no mood to go away empty-handed.

“Su Shixuan, take these people away!” Wang Chong coldly ordered. “With this king here, I’d like to see if anyone dares to try anything!”

He had yielded enough ground in this militarist-Confucian conflict. He would have everyone know that the lion of the battlefield was not something that anyone could provoke, whether in battle or in the court.

“Yes! Your Highness!”

Su Shixuan immediately began to escort Pusan Tuoye away.

“Secretariat Advisor!”

Pusan Tuoye and the other royals paled and immediately called out to Li Junxian.

“Release Pusan Tuoye!” Li Junxian icily called out.

Rumble!

His sword left its sheath, and a dazzling white beam of Sword Qi soared into the air. At the same time, Li Junxian vanished from his original spot and shot toward Wang Chong.

“Since that’s the case, don’t blame me for taking action!”

Li Junxian’s cold and emotionless voice resounded above the Imperial Palace. At that moment, everyone could see a four-foot silver sword suspended in the air, radiating boundless righteousness.

‘Righteous’! ‘Upright’!

These two words flashed in the air and then vanished, and then everything seemed to freeze.

All the soldiers, Hu, and commoners in the area suddenly felt their minds go blank, and it felt like time had stopped.

A moment later, a majestic beam of Sword Qi that seemed like an unending river descended toward Wang Chong.

This attack seemed to transcend space and time, robbing the world of its luster. Even the ground in front of the Imperial Palace seemed about to break apart.

Bang!

As Li Junxian struck, Wang Chong vanished from atop the White-hoofed Shadow in a flash of light.

“Li Junxian, you brought this on yourself!”

Wang Chong’s roar was like a peal of thunder.

“Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art!”

A moment later, the images of the sun and moon manifested in the air, and Stellar Energy that transcended the peak Great General level flooded out of Wang Chong’s body and slammed into Li Junxian’s Sword Qi.

“Great Yin Yang Art!”

Wang Chong immediately used one of the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art’s three techniques. It was still the same technique, but its grandeur and power seemed even more solid and stable. Moreover, the Yin and Yang were no longer so distinct, as they were beginning to show signs of fusion.

This was the result of Wang Chong comprehending the essence of the Origin Immortal Art and fusing it with the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art.

Bang!

Boundless Stellar Energy collided with Li Junxian’s vast Sword Qi, causing a deafening explosion, and a fierce gale swept over the entire square.

Neeeigh! The crowd was thrown into chaos by the Stellar Energy shockwave, and the soldiers, both from the Public Order Squad and the Penal Court, were forced back. At the same time, dust and gravel were swept up into the air.

In the sky, the illusory sun and moon vanished while Li Junxian’s vast Sword Qi crumbled away.

This exchange had been a draw.

“Now is the moment!” Nearby, King Qi’s eyes coldly gleamed, and he immediately gave the order. Behind him, three old men with long white hair, wearing gray-black robes, took action.

“Secretariat Advisor, we’ve come to help you!”

While Wang Chong was distracted by Li Junxian, the three figures soared into the air like eagles to attack Wang Chong from behind. One of them suddenly veered off and began to make his way toward Su Shixuan and the foreign royals.

These three had been standing behind King Qi all this time, restraining their energy so that they seemed no different from ordinary people. It was only now that they revealed their true power, and their Stellar Energy was so condensed and refined that one could tell at a glance that they were top-class experts.

With their immense power, these three should have joined with Li Junxian to attack Wang Chong from all sides, but this trio had chosen instead to wait until Li Junxian had distracted Wang Chong to strike from the back.

“Hmph, finally couldn’t restrain yourself?”

Wang Chong narrowed his eyes, which gleamed with a sharp light. The three experts at King Qi’s side clearly cultivated some special art that could restrain their Stellar Energy until they seemed like an ordinary person. Not even a peak Great General would be able to tell the difference.

But in front of Wang Chong, who had a Psychic Energy five times stronger than experts of a similar level, these three had no secrets.

Wang Chong had been guarding against them from the moment they appeared.

“Life Execution!”

The Origin Immortal Sword flew from its sheath and into Wang Chong’s hand, at the same time unleashing a Sword Qi that was countless times brighter than the sun.

This bolt of Sword Qi split into three, one for each member of the trio.

Upon seeing Wang Chong’s attack, the Three Elders of the Northern Sea decided to charge straight at Wang Chong.

“The Darkness of the Northern Sea!”

“The Northern Sea Turns to Mulberry Fields!”

“The Kun Rises from the Northern Sea!”

The three unleashed their vast Stellar Energy, which climbed and climbed, soaring past the Great General level and entering the Subtle realm.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1588 - The Inheritance of the Confucian Sect!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1588 - The Inheritance of the Confucian Sect!
Chapter 1588: The Inheritance of the Confucian Sect!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The arts of the three elders originated from the same source, so though they were separate, they seemed to be one being, as vast as the Northern Sea.

One could even hear the beating waves of the Northern Sea, and the fabric of space seemed to groan, unable to endure this weight.

King Qi couldn’t help but smugly smile at this sight. In the Penal Court incident, Wang Chong had dared to force his way into the Penal Court to take someone away, but King Qi and his men couldn’t stop him, and King Qi had even been injured. This man who had always been proud of his martial arts experienced immense humiliation.

Thus, he began to send men around to recruit powerful warriors with the promise of rich rewards.

Unlike Wang Chong, who had only recently begun to recruit martial artists, King Qi had been doing so from the very beginning, and he paid no regard to their status as righteous or evil. In fact, King Qi favored evil path martial artists more, as their martial arts were more vicious and lethal.

The Three Elders of the Northern Sea were outstanding members of this group, and they were much older than the renowned martial arts titans like Song Yuanyi and the Black Yin Ancestor.

They always cultivated by the Northern Sea, which was where they had gotten their name. King Qi had only managed to find them and recruit them with great difficulty.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, three cries of alarm broke King Qi out of his brief reverie. A moment later, three bolts of Sword Qi pierced through the Stellar Energies of the Three Elders of the Northern Sea as if they were made of paper.

The Three Elders of the Northern Sea panicked and retreated more quickly than they had come.

“Impossible! How could someone be able to pierce through our Northern Sea Stellar Energy?”

The three all gripped their left hands as they fell back, staring at Wang Chong in shock and anger. Blood was pouring out of their left hands, as Wang Chong’s Sword Qi had not just pierced through their Stellar Energies, but their hands as well.

The three had been injured in exactly the same place.

It was obvious that Wang Chong was much stronger than they were. Otherwise, he could not have possibly injured the three of them at the same time in the same place.

But most shocking of all was Wang Chong’s Sword Qi. The trio had seen many things in their lives, but nothing as sharp and vicious as this Sword Qi.

“Art of God and Demon Obliteration!”

While the Three Elders of the Northern Sea were still trying to understand what was going on, King Qi’s eyes flew open in shock.

“Impossible! Impossible! How do you know this sword art?!”

King Qi felt an unprecedented shock, even greater than the shock of the Three Elders of the Northern Sea being defeated.

The goateed advisor finally couldn’t help but step forward and whisper, “Your Highness, what is the Art of God and Demon Obliteration? How does Your Highness know of this art?”

“You don’t understand! This is a sword art that should have never appeared here!”

King Qi didn’t even turn to look at him. His chest was heaving up and down in shock.

As an Imperial Prince, King Qi naturally knew about the Art of God and Demon Obliteration. This was the strongest art of Great Tang War God Su Zhengchen, one of the supreme arts of the Great Tang. When he was young, he had dreamed countless times that Su Zhengchen would take him as his disciple and teach him this sword art so that he could become the new War God.

Alas, Su Zhengchen did not teach his art to outsiders. The previous Emperor had been refused, as had the then–’Crown Prince’, so King Qi did not dare to harbor such delusions. And it was rumored in the capital that Old Master Su had died a long time ago. Although there would always be a few rumors once in a while that said the War God was still alive, they weren’t worth believing.

As time passed, King Qi naturally stopped thinking about it.

But to his disbelief, the Art of God and Demon Obliteration that neither the previous Emperor nor the Crown Prince had been able to obtain had appeared on Wang Chong!

The scene settled down. Wang Chong landed back on the White-hoofed Shadow, his domineering eyes brightly shining. The surrounding crowd was deathly still, all of them intimidated by Wang Chong’s formidable cultivation.

The great clans of the capital had never questioned Wang Chong’s grasp of the art of war, but they had never imagined that his cultivation would be so profound.

“Hmph!”

Li Junxian’s eyes chilled, and he stepped forward in preparation to strike. But at this moment, a palm came from behind and pulled him back.

“Young Master, no!”

Elder Song looked at Li Junxian and shook his head, apprehension in his eyes. With so many people in front of the palace gates, he naturally understood that Li Junxian had not used his full power, afraid of harming innocents. There were also other reasons this was not a good time for battle.

“You only recently received the inheritance. You don’t have full control over this power yet, so it’s best not to fight.”

As Elder Song spoke, he glanced at Li Junxian’s silver sword. If one looked carefully, one would notice several words written in ancient Bird Script on it: ‘Noble Spirit Eternal’!

This sacred sword was the holiest of the Confucian Sect’s swords, the Noble Sage Sword used by the founder of the Confucian Sect.

The Confucian Sect had lasted for more than a thousand years and had gone beyond the bounds of imperial authority. At certain sacred and important occasions, it would hold ‘crowning ceremonies’.

This was an age-old tradition in which the Confucian Sect used certain secret arts to increase the cultivation level of the appointed successor or new sect master, as well as pass on the sacred sword. This would allow each new sect master to break through the barriers in their way and counter any difficulties.

Reformation was never easy, and there was bound to be opposition from all sides. What the Confucian Sect wanted was a reformation, the greatest reformation of all. If they wanted to end all wars and disasters in this world and oppose the vast power of the militarists, if they wanted to deal with all the various difficult situations they would encounter in the surrounding countries, they would need the support of immense martial might. This was provided by the ‘crowning ceremony’.

In this ceremony, the supreme and righteous sacred sword of the Confucian Sect played an extremely important role. It was through the sacred sword that the boost to the cultivation of the Confucian Sect’s new successor was completed.

The elders and sect master of each generation would take the noble energy they had cultivated throughout their lifetime, refine it, and pour it into the Noble Sage Sword so that it could serve as a source of energy for the next sect master.

Li Junxian had only recently absorbed the energy within the Noble Sage Sword and had still not fully digested its power. This was not the right time for him to fight with another.

“The First Prince has arrived!” A shrill voice came from within the Imperial Palace, drawing everyone’s attention.

Everyone looked toward the Imperial Palace. Two large imperial canopies appeared on the walls, and then First Prince Li Ying, accompanied by a great crowd of officials, made his appearance.

“Paying respects to the First Prince!”

All the commoners outside the Imperial Palace got to their knees and lowered their heads, and even the Hu shivered. Although the Hu didn’t have a custom of prostrating, they still frantically bowed at the waist.

According to the laws of the Great Tang, Princes did not have enough of a status to receive prostrations from commoners, but the First Prince was different. He was the current regent, handling matters in court in place of the Sage Emperor. He was essentially the avatar of the Sage Emperor, so he naturally held a different kind of status.

“Paying respects to Your Highness!”

Li Junxian and King Qi turned to face the First Prince and bowed.

“Ha, the First Prince is here. Wang Chong, let’s see what you do now.”

King Qi coldly sneered, a smug smile on his lips.

Time and time again, he had suffered a loss at Wang Chong’s hand. From the Vast Crane Pavilion incident to the Consort Taizhen incident and then the Penal Court incident not too long ago, he had almost never obtained the desired result.

And even now, after making so many preparations and predicting Wang Chong’s movements, even after finding the Three Elders of the Northern Sea who were stronger than even Great Generals, he was still sent bowling over. He was nursing the greatest grudge in the world.

But this time, the one dealing with Wang Chong was the First Prince. Just through the fact that Wang Chong had brought so many men to create trouble in front of the palace gates, the First Prince could charge Wang Chong with a crime.

“Paying respects to the First Prince!”

Wang Chong took in a deep breath and also bowed.

It had to be said that Wang Chong had not expected all this. A court session was in progress, but the First Prince had left his place in Taihe Palace and appeared on the palace walls. From this, one could see just how badly he wanted to deal with Wang Chong.

“Wang Chong, you are very bold!”

The First Prince’s cold gaze instantly locked onto Wang Chong.

“In the middle of a court session, you actually dare to lead a large number of soldiers and cause an uproar in front of the palace gates! Do the laws still exist in your eyes? Does the Imperial Court?”

The First Prince’s complexion was ashen and his eyes were dark and sinister. If looks could kill, Wang Chong would have died countless times by now.

Wang Chong was not the only participant in this ruckus outside the palace; Li Junxian and King Qi had also contributed. But the First Prince had not even mentioned them. By singling out Wang Chong, he made his aims loud and clear.

“Your Highness, that’s not all. The Sage Emperor gifted him ballistae to honor him for his achievements, but he actually brought these weapons of war to the palace gates. This king fears that he has received too much fame and begun to harbor disloyal notions. Your Highness, no matter what, you cannot lightly forgive him. Only a heavy punishment will do to serve as a warning to others!”

King Qi decided to add fuel to the fire. Now that he had the First Prince to support him, he feared nothing.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1589 - The Second Memorial! (I)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1589 - The Second Memorial! (I)
Chapter 1589: The Second Memorial! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“King of Foreign Lands, the First Prince and all the officials are here, so it’s time to give a proper explanation!” Li Junxian demanded. “With no decree from the palace, you privately commanded more than nine thousand members of the Public Order Squad to appear in front of the Imperial Palace gates. Even if the Hu have congregated and blocked the gates, this is a matter for the Chamberlain of Dependencies and the Bureau of Rites to handle. In other words, it is for King Qi to handle, not you.”

After accusing Wang Chong, he quickly turned his focus to Zhangchou Jianqiong, who was standing near the First Prince.

“In addition, if I remember correctly, Lord Zhangchou said that the Public Order Squads were established by the Bureau of Military Personnel. But even though they were set up by Lord Zhangchou, the one commanding the Public Order Squad cavalry is not Lord Zhangchou, but the King of Foreign Lands who should have been resting at home. Do the King of Foreign Lands and Lord Zhangchou have an explanation for this?”

Zhangchou Jianqiong was part of Consort Taizhen’s faction, so all the members of court, even the First Prince, were somewhat fearful of him and did not try to push him too badly. But Li Junxian did not have the same apprehensions. Anyone who colluded with Wang Chong to ruin the Confucian Sect’s Harmonious World was a mortal foe of the Confucian Sect.

As expected, Zhangchou Jianqiong’s heart thumped upon hearing Li Junxian’s questions and his face paled.

He had long ago known that the matter wouldn’t end so easily. Whether it was the First Prince, Li Junxian, or King Qi, they would all make trouble over this. Thus, when Wang Chong first proposed the Public Order Squads, Zhangchou Jianqiong had objected.

Even worse was that these three were making trouble at the same time.

But rather than being worried about himself, he was more worried about Wang Chong.

Using the excuse of a rebellion taking place at the gates, the First Prince had broken precedent and left in the middle of a court session, leading all the officials to the walls. He was clearly determined to use this chance to seize Wang Chong and deal him a heavy blow.

It seemed to be about the Public Order Squads, but the reality was far more complex.

“Li Junxian, you are a civil official, so I do not blame you for not knowing the rules of the Bureau of Military Personnel. The Bureau of Military Personnel is the central pivot around which all the armies of the Great Tang turn. Whether a general or noble, as long as they belong to the military, they are under the control of the Bureau of Military Personnel. What is wrong with this king appearing here?

“Moreover, as a noble of the court and former Qixi Protector-General, does this king not even have the right to command several thousand Public Order Squad cavalry? And no matter how many soldiers there are, they do not belong to this king but to the Bureau of Military Personnel. It’s not like King Qi, who has two thousand personal soldiers, all of them even better equipped than the Divine Martial Army that Great General Geshu trained for several decades. And even the Penal Court, while seeming to be under the authority of the Imperial Court, has become yet another personal army of his, moving however he pleases. He even mobilized the entirety of the soldiers at the Penal Court for his personal use.”

Wang Chong shot a glance at King Qi.

King Qi instantly paled at these words, not having expected Wang Chong to implicate him in this affair.

“Wang Chong, don’t go slandering others. I heard that there was an incident at the gates of the Imperial Palace and rushed over with my men to give aid. In my haste, I could only think of the Penal Court. How could this be the same as what you have done?!”

King Qi was fuming with rage by the end. Wang Chong was possibly the only person who could make him so angry.

“Wang Chong, this prince is waiting for your explanation!”

On the high gate tower, the First Prince ignored King Qi, his eyes fixed on Wang Chong.

“Your Highness, Wang Chong had no disloyal notions, and I truly had a reason for leading soldiers here. If not for the inability of the City Guard, allowing the Hu to run rampant in the city, and if not for the officials in court saying that we should tolerate the Hu because they are newcomers, causing tens of thousands of Hu to gather in front of the Imperial Palace gates, I would not have led so many soldiers here. There would not have even been a need for the Public Order Squads to be established. It is precisely the incompetence of certain people that caused all this. Seeing as these people could not even handle this matter properly, allowing such an incident to take place at the feet of the Son of Heaven, this lowly subject was obligated to fulfill his duty as a noble of the Great Tang and personally intervene,” Wang Chong righteously proclaimed.

Li Junxian’s expression darkened. Wang Chong was clearly criticizing his policies and trying to drag him into the water.

“This matter was a decision made by the Imperial Court. Great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience. King of Foreign Lands, with the First Prince here, it is never your place to act rashly!” Li Junxian coldly shot back.

“Every post has its duty, and those not in those posts should not assume those duties. Do you not even understand this simple principle? Or are you saying that all the officials in court do not compare to a single King of Foreign Lands?”

It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Wang Chong, Li Junxian, King Qi, the First Prince, and even Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong were all here. These were some of the most powerful political figures in the entirety of the Great Tang Empire, and no one else dared to interrupt.

But at the same time, whether it was the Imperial Army, the Public Order Squad cavalry, the Penal Court soldiers, or even the kneeling crowd of commoners, all of them were listening attentively to every word.

They all vaguely sensed that this dispute could change the political structure of the Great Tang, and it would also decide the fate of the renowned King of Foreign Lands.

Ever since Master Zhu had appeared, everyone had come to know of the militarist-Confucian conflict. The conflict between Li Junxian and Wang Chong was, in the end, a quarrel between the militarists and Confucians, one that was far from over.

“Hmph, Li Junxian, do you know what it means to enjoy the status of a position while doing none of the work? You and your Confucian Sect were the ones who let these Hu come in, but you’re incapable of properly handling them. These Hu go around the capital like they own the place, fighting, arguing, intimidating, taking items without paying for them, harassing the women of the capital in broad daylight… They even ignore the laws of the Imperial Court and the authority of the sovereign, making a ruckus right in front of the palace gates.

“Several days ago, as this king was traveling down a busy street, I saw with my own eyes a group of Hu harassing someone’s fiancée. When the groom came to ask for an explanation, he almost ended up being beaten up. If they dared to act so brashly in broad daylight, one can only imagine what the Hu are acting like elsewhere. Gathered officials, can you not imagine the state of the capital now?

“The Hu have provoked the anger of the masses. And when this king went to question the City Guard, they said that the Secretariat Advisor had declared that none of the Hu in the capital were under their jurisdiction, and they were ordered to not interfere.

“Li Junxian, you want nothing more than for the Great Tang to be at peace with the other countries so you can have your Harmonious World. So, is your Harmonious World one where the common folk of the Great Tang are bullied while the Hu can eat, drink, and fight as they please?

“Li Junxian, you’re someone who reads books, right? Someone who practices according to the sacred texts? Your Highness, for you to ask this question is just right. This lowly subject would like to formally impeach the Secretariat Advisor for a dereliction of duty!”

Wang Chong’s cold voice was deafening as he reached into his left sleeve and raised up high a memorial.

Buzz!

Elder Song, Bamboo Mirror, the white-clothed girl, and the other Confucian Sect experts all paled. Even Li Junxian, King Qi, and the First Prince grimaced.

For Wang Chong to privately gather more than nine thousand men of the Public Order Office and appear at a sensitive place like the gates of the palace without imperial decree should have been a grave crime, an excellent opportunity to seize him.

But he had turned around and submitted a memorial impeaching Secretariat Advisor Li Junxian.

This was a move that no one had expected.

“This prince will make the final decision on this. Have the memorial brought up.”

Although the First Prince was taken aback, he quickly regained his composure and gestured at a eunuch, who quickly descended from the walls.

Regardless of what Wang Chong was impeaching Li Junxian for, the First Prince could not allow him to succeed. By sending a eunuch, he was clearly stating that Wang Chong’s impeachment would be shelved.

“The only thing this prince wishes to ask you for is an explanation for the Public Order Squad.”

The First Prince looked around at the nine-thousand-some Public Order Squad cavalry. No matter what reason Wang Chong had, none of them was enough to explain why he had led so many soldiers to such a sensitive place.

Just because someone else was committing murder on the streets didn’t meant that one could commit arson. The First Prince was grimly clutching to this point.

“Ha!”

Wang Chong softly chuckled, completely unsurprised by the First Prince’s stance.

The First Prince and Li Junxian were colluding, and he had never once believed that a single memorial would be enough to impeach Li Junxian. However, the establishment of the Public Order Squad was inevitable, and no one could stop it.

“Your Highness, the Public Order Squad was established because of the Hu, and even if Your Highness had not asked, Wang Chong would still have personally gone to the court to submit a memorial regarding it. Moreover, because of this matter, this lowly subject has already written a memorial. Your Highness, please read it!”

Wang Chong produced a second memorial from his sleeve, and everyone instantly paled. The crowd was unsurprised by the first memorial impeaching Li Junxian, as the two were not on friendly terms and had the militarist-Confucian conflict between them. But this second memorial was completely different.

It was obvious that Wang Chong had come prepared, not just in establishing the Public Order Squad, but also in mobilizing his men to arrest all the Hu in front of the palace gates.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1590 - The Second Memorial! (II)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1590 - The Second Memorial! (II)
Chapter 1590: The Second Memorial! (II)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In a flash, everyone looked at Wang Chong with a sense of deep dread.

The First Prince took in a deep breath and coldly ordered, “Bring it up!”

Li Ying hated Wang Chong down to the bones for helping Fifth Prince Li Heng oppose him, but now that Wang Chong had so openly made a statement, Li Ying was compelled to look the memorial over.

All was deathly still as all eyes focused on the second memorial in Wang Chong’s right hand.

The eunuch heading down took both memorials from Wang Chong and then returned, offering them to First Prince Li Ying.

The mood turned strange as everyone turned their focus to the First Prince and Wang Chong’s memorial.

No one knew what Wang Chong was selling, but there was no question that Wang Chong had come prepared and that he was not at all as passive as they had expected. Just when the First Prince and Li Junxian had firmly seized control of the Imperial Court, Wang Chong had come forward like a cold and sharp sword, pressuring everyone on the scene.

“As expected, no matter what, you can’t look down on the King of Foreign Lands!”

Some of the old officials on the gate tower sighed. These people had been important officials before Li Junxian’s appearance, and all they had experienced told them just how formidable Wang Chong was.

All those operations targeted against Wang Chong and the Wang Clan had all failed.

Even so, they were all very interested in how Wang Chong would manage to recover from a situation where he was so clearly in the wrong. Just what was written in this memorial?

King Qi’s goateed advisor stepped forward and whispered into his ear, “Your Highness, the situation looks bad. That kid has clearly come well-prepared. The First Prince won’t let him go just because of this one memorial, right?”

“Impossible! No matter what Wang Chong has written in his memorial, the First Prince will never let him go. There’s no hope of escaping this disaster for him!”

King Qi glared at the confident and composed figure of Wang Chong.

Brat, I’d like to see how long you can keep that smug expression! King Qi mentally cursed.

Based on his understanding of Li Ying, nothing but a miracle could let Wang Chong escape.

The fact that Wang Chong was supporting Li Heng from the shadows was enough for the First Prince to not forgive him.

Li Ying didn’t even glance at the memorial impeaching Li Junxian before passing it to a eunuch. After profoundly glancing at Wang Chong, the First Prince opened Wang Chong’s second memorial.

He wanted to see what sort of trick Wang Chong would play after committing so many crimes, with so much evidence against him.

Whoooah!

When the First Prince opened the memorial, the tens of thousands of people in the vicinity all held their breaths and watched.

‘Your Highness, the subject Wang Chong has a memorial!’

This was the first line of the memorial, and the words were square and rigid. Wang Chong had clearly made progress from his original bird scratch, but such words were still not worthy of the First Prince’s admiration.

Hmph, it’s just like the rumors said.

The First Prince inwardly sneered as he scoffed. He had long ago heard about how awful the writing of the King of Foreign Lands was, and today, he had confirmed the rumors for himself. Moreover, as the regent, he had seen openings like this thousands of times. Thus, at first glance, the First Prince paid no heed to this memorial.

In truth, he was determined to ignore the memorial no matter what Wang Chong said.

But two seconds later, the First Prince paled.

‘The subject has often heard that all things under the sun and moon are founded in loyalty and integrity. At present, the Great Tang’s might in the world is undisputed, and this is due to its emphasis on laws, loyalty, and integrity. Thus, when the Son of Heaven commits a crime, he is punished the same as a commoner. If even the Son of Heaven is treated like this, why should the Hu be different?

‘Whether they come from the east, west, north, or south, whether they are Arab, Characenian, Turkic, Mengshe Zhao, or Goguryeon, any who enter the land of the Han must comply with the laws of the Han. Those who defy this law must all be heavily punished so as to affirm that Hu and Han are equal. This is what it means to have loyalty and integrity!

‘Thus, this lowly subject established the Public Order Office so that all the realm may see and hear for themselves what is correct and proper! Let all the Hu in the four directions understand this principle!

‘With no norms or standards, nothing can be accomplished. If the Hu are allowed to commit crimes without punishment, the system of laws will collapse, and it will be made known to all the world that the Hu stand above the Han. Firstly, the Hu have always had proud personalities, fearing might and spurning kindness. Thus, previous dynasties have always chosen to subdue the Hu through force and not kindness. Secondly, the people of the Tang have begun to voice their scorn, their cries of complaint rising from all around. As time passes, the people will grow discontent, and they will accuse the imperial household, accuse the Imperial Court.

‘Taizong once said that waters can keep a boat afloat, but they can also sink a boat. Just as waters can keep a boat afloat at the start and sink it later, so can the will of the people change. Even if the Hu show favor, if the will of the people is broken, more will be lost than gained, and is this truly what the lord desires? If this policy is not changed, this subject fears that when there is an incident at the border, no one in the Great Tang will answer the call. This subject hopes that Your Highness and the gentlemen of the court will reconsider…’

The memorial was full of sharp insights, and as the First Prince read more and more, his face turned green.

Each sentence was well-reasoned, but each sentence was also aimed at him.

“King of Foreign Lands, are you criticizing me?”

The First Prince clenched his fists in rage. As he read these cutting words of the memorial, he felt like Wang Chong was standing in front of him and criticizing him for his dereliction of duty.

The policy toward the Hu was to be as tolerant and openminded as possible, even ordering the City Guard not to intervene in disputes involving the Hu. Although this was the idea of Li Junxian and Confucian Sect, how could it have been implemented without the approval of the Great Tang’s heir apparent?

Wang Chong’s memorial seemed on the surface to only be arguing on the merits and demerits of a policy, but the First Prince felt like Wang Chong was using the matter of the Hu to help out the Fifth Prince.

If he admitted to his errors, would he not be saying to the people of the realm that he was not fit for the position of heir apparent?

Truly ridiculous! the First Prince inwardly fumed.

Buzz!

As the First Prince inwardly raged, a turmoil broke out in the crowd. A few shouts soon turned into a clamor of discussion.

“That’s right! The King of Foreign Lands is exactly right!”

“The Imperial Court should have done this long ago!”

“Isn’t it supposed to be a Harmonious World? They should have done this long ago!”

Cheers could be heard from the distance, accompanied by loud exclamations and shouts.

The First Prince raised his head in alarm.

“What’s going on? What happened over there?”

Ordinary clamor was one thing, but judging by the volume, something strange had clearly happened.

Someone rushed away, and after a few moments, they returned.

“Your Highness, someone has put up posters around the city, and from the contents, they seemed to be from a memorial. Moreover…”

The gate attendant glanced at the memorial in the First Prince’s hand, swallowed, and then worked up his courage.

“It seems… to be the memorial in Your Highness’s hands!”

All the officials on the wall paled, and the First Prince instantly understood, his face twisting into a scowl.

Wang Chong had been far more prepared for this than he had imagined.

Boom!

As the news traveled through the city, the kneeling commoners in front of the gate began to raise their heads and cry out.

“Wonderful! The King of Foreign Lands is right!”

“The Imperial Court has finally taken notice!”

The crowd began to cheer.

In the middle of the crowd, Li Junxian and King Qi were in a state of alarm, and the soldiers of the Penal Court had begun to panic.

“Damn it! Just what in the world happened that has all these lowly commoners shouting?” King Qi angrily spat.

Meanwhile, Li Junxian’s brow had furrowed. Although he didn’t know what was going on, it was clear that it was related to this incident and boded ill for him.

On the wall, Zhangchou Jianqiong faintly smiled. He suddenly understood Wang Chong’s plan and finally understood why Wang Chong wasn’t anxious.

Kid, good job!

Zhangchou Jianqiong inwardly chuckled. It was now clear that Wang Chong had not only prepared the memorial, he had also posted its contents all across the city.

The greatest discontent toward the matter of the Hu came from the people, so one could easily imagine the effects Wang Chong’s memorial would have on them.

This is called turning passive into active. Even the First Prince will have to think twice now.

“Bastard! Are you forcing this prince?”

The First Prince’s face darkened. Although he had been determined to do something about Wang Chong regardless of the contents of the memorial, now that Wang Chong had published the memorial, the First Prince’s opposition would essentially put him at odds with the people. Even if he didn’t want to agree, he had to agree.

But letting go of such an excellent chance to deal with Wang Chong was easier said than done.

“Wang Chong, even if your words are reasonable, only the Imperial Court has the authority to establish the Public Order Squads. Even if it was for the sake of the Great Tang, you cannot overstep your bounds. You must still explain yourself to the officials and to the realm for this matter,” the First Prince sternly said.

“That’s right! And there’s also Pusan Tuoye. Wang Chong, hurry and release them,” King Qi loudly called out.

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