THE HUMAN EMPEROR

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1631 - The Man Who Should Have Been Dead!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1631 - The Man Who Should Have Been Dead!
Chapter 1631: The Man Who Should Have Been Dead!

Edited by: Michyrr

The First Prince had been to this place many times, but he had never imagined that this compound was hiding an underground room. The moment he stepped in, he sensed that a powerful formation was covering the place, one with faint Psychic Energy ripples. This was clearly a formation that was meant to repulse Psychic Energy.

This formation existed to protect the man hidden underground.

The First Prince looked around and saw that he was in a simple stone chamber of white bricks. In the room were a square table and several stools, and a folded blanket in the corner. All of it was extremely simple.

But when the First Prince set his eyes on the table, he saw a brush rack made of mutton-fat jade, carved in the shape of a coiling dragon and inlaid with gold. These brush racks were so rare that they cost more than an entire city. Not even high nobles and ministers would have been worthy of using such a rack, and the common folk could go several generations and not even be able to dream of owning such a thing.

The First Prince saw only a few brushes on the rack and was rendered speechless. These brushes had fine and slender tips, and all of them had incredible histories. One of these was even the brush owned by Wei Qing of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Wei Qing was the King of Great Generals during Emperor Wu’s reign, and even now, his achievements were still dazzling to behold. The value of the golden brush that Emperor Wu of Han had gifted him was difficult to fathom.

Just who is this person?

The First Prince internally frowned.

He was well-experienced, but he still could not determine this man’s background. He had wealth that could compare to a small kingdom, but he lived in an extremely crude room and ate plain foods and tea. It was little better than the life of a commoner.

But his senior had said that this man could help him resolve all his problems and assist him onto the throne.

“Kid, were you the one they chose?”

A voice resounded in the First Prince’s ears, deep and domineering. It felt like two sturdy pieces of metal being banged together.

The First Prince turned in shock toward the voice and saw a stalwart figure wearing a black robe, his hair black and white. This elder had his back toward the First Prince as he read a book by the light of a lamp on the wall.

The First Prince couldn’t see the book from his standpoint, but he could sense an indescribably domineering aura from this man.

What an intense murderous aura.

The First Prince’s eyes went wide. Although this man was trying his utmost to suppress it, the First Prince could sense the powerful aura of a general on this man.

As the first in line to the throne, the First Prince had constantly been influenced by those around him, and possessed an insight that no ordinary person could match. He had seen almost all the renowned Great Generals of the empire, but even top-class Great Generals like Geshu Han and Gao Xianzhi were like infants before this man, like the difference between mud and clouds.

The First Prince had never sensed such pure and domineering energy on a man before. In certain aspects, not even the renowned Great Tang War God who had now been made the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi, could compare.

Just who is this person?

The First Prince raised an eyebrow, curiosity in his heart.

He finally believed that this man was in the same group as his mysterious senior. There were some things that could not be created through cultivating martial arts, only by piling up mountains of corpses.

But how could there be such a figure in the Great Tang Empire that he had never heard of before?!

“Junior Li Ying, the First Prince of the Imperial House of Li! Is Senior willing to assist this prince?” Li Ying sternly said.

“Haha, First Prince? Why should this old man help you? Just because of your title?”

The man suddenly laughed, his voice oozing derision. In his eyes, the First Prince was apparently not even worth mentioning.

Even though Li Ying had already prepared himself to hear such words and was going to humble himself, he still couldn’t hide a flash of anger in his eyes. He was the regent of the Great Tang, and all of the empire prostrated at his feet. No one had ever dared to take this tone with him.

But the First Prince swiftly regained his composure. One who wanted to accomplish great things did not fret over minor details. Only by biding his time could he accomplish his grand aspiration.

“Senior, be at ease! As long as you are willing to sincerely assist me, when we succeed, you will be a Minister of the Dragon, and this prince will not treat you badly. Power and prestige—this prince can give you everything!” the First Prince sternly said.

“Haha, is this your opening offer? That being the case, please go back! It seems like you are not the one this old man is waiting for!”

The man laughed. Undeterred by the First Prince’s title, he had asked his guest to leave.

Even the First Prince was astonished. His senior said that the man who would help him had already been found. Based on past custom, he would only need to promise power, prestige, and wealth to succeed in recruiting him. There were even times when he didn’t even need to say anything.

Li Ying had never imagined that the other party would reject him after only exchanging a few words.

“Senior, please wait! I can make you a King!” the First Prince hastily added.

“Get out!”

The stone chamber trembled under the man’s furious roar.

The First Prince paled again. He had never imagined this elder to have such a bad temper. Even his revered status as the First Prince was of no use here.

Even though he was on the verge of being driven out, the First Prince calmed down, his mind rapidly turning.

This man had a fierce and tyrannical personality, with almost no one earning his respect and no status able to cow him. But the more this was the case, the more the First Prince wanted to recruit him.

In his experience, if such men weren’t fools or good-for-nothings, then they were individuals of prodigious ability, and if so, he had to obtain them for himself. And if this man didn’t seek fame, wealth, or power, he had to have some unaccomplished desire.

With this thought, the First Prince knew what he had to say.

“As long as Senior helps me succeed, I will mobilize the strength of the entire country to fulfill one of your desires. No matter what it is, as long as it is within this prince’s power, this prince will agree!” Li Ying suddenly called out.

Everything went silent.

“Okay! You were the one who said it!” the man replied in his booming voice.

“A sovereign does not make jokes!”

The First Prince was elated, knowing that he had guessed correctly. These words were just right for that man.

“Kid, remember your words from today. When you succeed, I will have you carry out your promise!” the man sternly said.

“I still have one more problem left. If you can’t satisfy it, I would still rather spend my old age in this place than help you.”

Li Ying’s heart tensed as he hastily replied, “Senior, please speak.”

“If that day really comes and I have you do the deed yourself, can you really do it?” the man coldly asked.

Li Ying was startled, immediately understanding what the man was saying. But he quickly regained his composure.

“Senior, be at ease. The dragon is the lord of all beings, a divine creature. Only the strongest can ascend to the Throne of the Nine and Five. The kind do not command soldiers and the righteous do not grasp for profit. If I did not have this resolve, I would have never come to find you!” the First Prince sternly replied without hesitation.

“Haha, good! You are now worthy to receive my help!”

The man put down his book and finally turned around.

The First Prince tensed as he focused on that figure in the flickering light. This man had tyrannical eyes and a domineering aura. The white whiskers hanging from his lip were hard and straight like needles. His most striking features were the deep scar across his right eyebrow and his deep and piercing eyes.

Li Ying had never seen such eyes before, eyes that seemed to see through the world, bursting with intelligence and wit. It seemed like countless schemes were passing through them at every moment.

And the thick general’s aura he exuded made it seem like he had studied millions of texts and knew every possible strategy.

This man is not simple!

Li Ying inwardly celebrated.

“Might I ask for Senior’s honored name?”

“Heh, kid, you don’t even know this old man?”

The black-robed elder coldly smiled.

Li Ying was astonished. The elder was implying that Li Ying should have recognized him, but how could that be?

“Senior, have we met before?”

Despite his confusion, the First Prince remained polite and calm.

The old man appeared seventy-some years old, but none of Li Ying’s advisors were older than forty. He was confident that he had never seen this old man before. But the stronger a person was, the more eccentric their personality, so Li Ying decided to remain polite.

“Kid, come up and take a closer look.”

The elder smirked at Li Ying.

Li Ying was even more confused, but he knew that the elder had a reason to say this. He took a few steps forward and began to closely inspect the man.

On first glance, Li Ying had found the elder to be a complete stranger, but as he examined the man’s features and the scar above his right eye, the face overlapped with a face in his memories.

Boom!

The First Prince trembled like he had been struck by lightning, and he staggered backward with his eyes wide open in fright.

“No! That’s impossible! How?!”

Li Ying was in utter disbelief. He knew that his senior was introducing him to an extremely capable person, but Li Ying had never imagined that this man would be him.

“Impossible! Impossible! Weren’t you dead?!”

The First Prince’s heart was raging. He suddenly understood why the elder had asked those questions.

“Kid, you still have time for second thoughts!”

The elder slowly stood up from the ground. As he rose, the earth quaked and a vast sea of energy erupted from his body.

The elder looked at Li Ying in derision.

At that moment, the First Prince’s eyes were uncertain, and it seemed like he truly was feeling a hint of regret. But a few moments later, he had calmed back down, his eyes growing even more resolved than before.

“This prince will never back down!”

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1632 - Wang Chong’s Intuition!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1632 - Wang Chong’s Intuition!
Chapter 1632: Wang Chong’s Intuition!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Tap! Tap!

In the main hall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong’s index finger and middle finger were rhythmically tapping. His head was slightly raised as he looked at the ceiling, countless thoughts running through his mind.

Wang Chong had already taken Little Li into his residence and was having experts guard him around the clock. Even so, Wang Chong had still not made much progress.

Eunuch Gao had been injured, and everything was shrouded in a cloud of mystery that prevented Wang Chong from seeing anything.

This was the heart of the empire! What in the world had happened?

Wang Chong lowered his head once more toward the cloud-patterned scarf. Wang Chong had already seen this bloodstain once, but he still found it alarming to behold.

Eunuch Gao would never leave the Sage Emperor, unless he was dead. Just how did the First Prince manage to do it? And if Eunuch Gao isn’t at Taihe Palace, who is the one taking care of the Sage Emperor?

Wang Chong muttered to himself, clouds of worry on his brow.

No one understood more than him what the collapse of the Sage Emperor meant for the empire.

Although the Sage Emperor had failed to appear many times, as long as he sat in Taihe Palace, this world still had one final barrier.

“Milord!”

There was a rush of footsteps from outside, and a few moments later, Xu Keyi walked in, respectfully offering up a letter with both hands.

“Little Li has already marked out all the areas Eunuch Gao normally goes to.”

As Xu Keyi spoke, he placed the letter on the desk.

Wang Chong took the letter and looked it over. On it was written all the places Eunuch Gao had been to. Wang Chong gave a slight nod.

“Make a few copies of this and give them to Yang Zhao, Li Jingzhong, Bian Lingcheng, and Zhao Fengchen in the palace. Have the four of them do their utmost to keep an eye on these places and search the palace. If Eunuch Gao isn’t being restrained and still has freedom, then he will go to these places. But if not…”

A cloud of worry passed across Wang Chong’s face, but he didn’t continue. The information Little Li could provide was extremely limited, and he knew nothing about where Eunuch Gao could be. But from Little Li’s recount, Wang Chong had noticed a certain detail.

Little Li had passed a message to Eunuch Gao in the sweets, and Eunuch Gao had given him back a reply. That he could reply to Little Li meant that he had a brush, ink, and paper with him, which were not things a prisoner would be provided with. But if Eunuch Gao was alive and able to move freely, he would go to protect the Sage Emperor. This was the contradiction Wang Chong was facing. No matter what, he had to clear this matter up.

“In addition…”

Wang Chong once more looked at the scarf, his eyes narrowing.

“Eunuch Gao’s cultivation is something that not even Tongluo Great General Abusi or Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi can compare to. Anyone who could injure him must possess formidable strength. Battles of such experts should have created a large ruckus, and there’s no way that no one in the palace would have heard it. Tell them to investigate this matter. I must know if anything strange happened in the palace over the last few months! Have them report to me on the slightest turmoil!”

There was a wise and perceptive light in Wang Chong’s eyes. Even though the information Little Li had provided was limited, Wang Chong had been able to extract many details. Little Li would have certainly been dumbfounded if he had been listening, because he would have never even thought about the possibilities Wang Chong had proposed.

“Yes!”

Xu Keyi solemnly bowed and left.

Whoosh!

A few moments later, carrier pigeons took flight from the King of Foreign Lands Residence. Yang Zhao, Li Jingzhong, Bian Lingcheng, and Zhao Fengchen had the powers of Consort Taizhen, the Fifth Prince, and the Imperial Army on their side. If such an incident had taken place, these four were capable of finding it.

Time slowly passed. The inner palace seemed calm on the surface, but an undercurrent surged beneath.

The four of them searched all the places Little Li had mentioned, but the results took Wang Chong completely by surprise. It wasn’t that they hadn’t found any trace of Eunuch Gao; Wang Chong had already prepared himself for that. Instead, it was that Yang Zhao, Li Jingzhong, Bian Lingcheng, and Zhao Fengchen had discovered that those places had been swept clean, all the furniture moved out and the room rendered spotless. It was like no one had ever inhabited those places before.

Judging by what the four had learned, this had probably taken place only a few days ago.

The four of them reacted very quickly and found the maids and eunuchs who had performed the cleaning. But these servants knew nothing, all of them saying that they had simply been following orders. The four followed the chain of command to find the eunuch who had given the initial order, but they discovered that the eunuch had disappeared. Moreover, the palace’s eunuch register did not contain this man’s name. It was like such a man had never existed in the palace.

After receiving these reports, Wang Chong fell into a long silence.

All the clues had been cut off right in the middle. There was undoubtedly some force in the palace who had noticed his movements and wiped away all evidence.

Wang Chong deeply furrowed his brow.

“Your Highness, it must be the First Prince’s work. I truly can’t think of anyone else besides him who would have a reason to do such a thing.”

Xu Keyi, Cheng Sanyuan, Zhang Que, and Su Shixuan were all present, all of them indignant.

Wang Chong said nothing. First, he shook his head, and then he nodded.

Seeing Wang Chong’s reaction, Su Shixuan cautiously asked, “Your Highness, is there something wrong? Did we say anything incorrect?”

“It wasn’t that you said anything wrong, but I feel like there’s something strange about this incident.”

Wang Chong’s brows were locked together as he sternly spoke.

“The First Prince’s men appeared during our last operation, pursuing Little Li. They would think of ways to clear up the evidence, so I don’t find that strange. But there’s something different about this time.”

Wang Chong fell quiet. While he was thinking, no one dared to carelessly disturb him.

At this time, countless ideas were appearing in Wang Chong’s mind.

This was not Wang Chong’s first clash with the First Prince!

In past incidents, while the First Prince had many advisors assisting him with his plans who were able to cleanly pull off the Jade Consort Xiao incident without leaving any clues, they were not so sharp to this level. He had only just given the order, but the First Prince had already swept away all the clues as if his actions had been predicted.

This had never happened in his previous clashes with the First Prince.

As the saying went, the difference of a hair could result in an error of a thousand li. While others might not have noticed anything from this incident, Wang Chong had noticed a subtle transformation with the First Prince.

I hope I’m overthinking things!

A thought flashed in Wang Chong’s mind, but he quickly rejected the idea.

“Reporting!”

At this moment, a Golden Guard rushed inside.

“Your Highness, there’s news from the Imperial Clan Court! The assassin Asura that Lord Zhao Fengchen captured in the palace was rescued!”

“What?!”

Everyone turned in surprise, and Wang Chong’s brow furrowed even deeper as he stood up from his desk.

“When did these things happen?” Wang Chong solemnly said.

Wang Chong knew that Asura had a firm will and was resistant to torture, so getting any information out of him, particularly when it came to the First Prince, was nigh impossible. Thus, he had not paid him much attention.

But the Imperial Clan Court was no ordinary place, and the inner palace was packed with experts and swarming with Imperial Army soldiers. The Imperial Clan Court itself was heavily guarded, so a rescue was normally impossible.

The Golden Guard kneeled and sternly said, “It was just a few hours ago. The invader was extremely powerful and killed quite a few members of the Imperial Clan Court, and more troops are surging in. In addition, the Imperial Army has also gone over and the entire palace has been locked down.”

There was a stillness in the hall as everyone glanced at each other.

Xu Keyi took a few steps forward and asked, “Your Highness, could it be…”

“Impossible!” Wang Chong immediately said.

Asura had been escorted to the Imperial Clan Court under the watch of the consorts, concubines, and their servants. Even if the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan Court was privately working with the First Prince, he would never intervene in this matter. Besides that, many soldiers of the Imperial Clan Court had been killed.

Perhaps such a stir would have been warranted for someone else, but not for Asura.

“Keep a close eye on this situation and report to me on any new developments!”

Wang Chong frowned as he spoke. That idea from before once more emerged in his mind, and he felt even more intensely that something wasn’t right.

“Yes!”

……

“Senior, you’re brilliant! You really managed to predict the King of Foreign Lands’ moves!”

In the Eastern Palace, an entirely different scene was playing out.

Zhu Tong’en and the other advisors were all looking reverentially at the stalwart elder.

On his throne, the First Prince gave a slight nod. He was finally convinced that this man would be of enormous assistance to him.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1633 - Old Eagle in Danger!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1633 - Old Eagle in Danger!
Chapter 1633: Old Eagle in Danger!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, the elder had asked for a detailed account from the First Prince of everything that had happened.

He had also looked through all the information regarding the First Prince’s greatest foe, the King of Foreign Lands.

When he mentioned that Wang Chong was about to send his men into the palace to search for clues, and that men should be sent to wipe away any evidence within half a day, the other advisors had thought that he was jumping at shadows.

But right after the Eastern Palace’s men had finished the cleaning, people appeared in those areas to search them. The smallest delay might have resulted in an entirely different situation. At this point, all the advisors sincerely trusted in this man.

This was the first time in their battle with Wang Chong that they had the initiative.

“Hmph, I was just wiping your butt! There’s nothing worth celebrating here!”

The elder showed no courtesy or grace. All the voices died away, everyone’s faces turning red with embarrassment.

While some admired, others were discontent, and a soft grumble could immediately be heard in the hall.

“Hmph, what’s so great about him? Just a blind cat catching a dead mouse, purely coincidence. It’s not like he did anything great.”

Bang!

The elder suddenly raised his head, his tiger eyes flashing with sharp and cold light.

Before anyone could react, there was a massive boom. That grumbling Eastern Palace advisor was immediately slammed into the wall with such force that the wall cracked in an explosion of blood and debris.

The Eastern Palace advisor’s chest had completely caved in, almost all his bones shattered. One could see that he would be dead soon.

“Ah!”

Cries of alarm resounded through the hall. The advisors were all frightened by this display, their faces paling as they backed away.

This was the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince. None of them had imagined that there would be someone so bold as to attack another right in front of the First Prince.

Li Ying’s eyes twitched once or twice, a grimace on his face. It was clear that he had not expected this reaction from the elder.

“Come! Carry him out!”

The First Prince placed his hands on his desk and slowly rose to his feet.

“In addition, all of you, listen up! In the future, no one in the Eastern Palace is allowed to disrespect Senior. I will now grant him my token. In the Eastern Palace, Senior’s order is my order. You should treat Senior with as much courtesy as you normally treat me. Right, Senior, everyone still doesn’t know your name. What should we call Senior?”

“Hmph!”

The elder sneered as he scanned the room. His eyes were as bright as lightning, and all the advisors in the room could only lower their heads and avoid his gaze.

“You juniors don’t have the right to know this old man’s name. But as we will be colleagues in the future and I will need your help, you may call me ‘Ghost King’! This old man shouldn’t have existed in this world, but even if this old man is a ghost, he is still the lord of all ghosts!”

The old man spoke in a domineering tone.

“Haha, good! With Senior Ghost King, this prince can accomplish anything! All of you, pay respects to the Ghost King!”

The First Prince had clearly found the name ‘Ghost King’ to be strange, but he quickly reacted and heartily laughed. Led by the First Prince, the others also began to express their respect.

“Paying respects to Senior!”

In a flash, all of them lowered their heads and acknowledged that the elder occupied the same status as the First Prince.

“Senior, Wang Chong definitely won’t be stopping here. If he continues the investigation, there might be even more problems. In addition, Asura was just rescued, and investigations might begin soon. What should we do next?” the First Prince asked. While he was trying to maintain his calm when talking about Wang Chong, his reaction betrayed him.

The First Prince felt great dread when it came to Wang Chong. In truth, if not for him, the Fifth Prince would never have been able to threaten him or have warranted such action.

Hearing the First Prince’s words, the Ghost King’s expression relaxed.

“This old man said before that if you gave me all authority, this old man would naturally help you take care of everything. As for that King of Foreign Lands, there is no need for Your Highness to worry. He’s merely an immature brat. Your Highness lost to him before merely because you did not find the right method to give him the crucial blow. If Your Highness kills this person, then your situation will be much better for the next few months. At the very least, there won’t be a need to be so passive!” the Ghost King said.

These words had the attention of everyone in the hall, and even the First Prince was rather curious.

“The right method? What does Senior mean?”

The Ghost King simply handed over a prepared slip of paper.

……

In a restaurant in the western part of the city, Old Eagle was wearing a veiled bamboo hat, disguised as a traveling martial artist. His hands clutched the railing of the balcony, his eyes twitching.

He had already heard everything about the Asura incident. In truth, he was the one who had sent the reports to Wang Chong.

“Something is wrong!”

Old Eagle’s eyes twitched. He had followed Wang Chong for a long time and had never seen him fail before, whether it was on the court or on the battlefield. But recently, Old Eagle had begun to sense something strange.

I hope that it’s just my misperception,

Old Eagle quietly said to himself as he slowly scanned the crowd below.

Unlike others, while Old Eagle had an established residence, he never stayed in one place for long. As he spent more and more time at Wang Chong’s side, he had come to understand more and more that the intelligence officer could not stay in one place. Even the most secretive of residences would leave behind traces of evidence that would allow it to be noticed.

Even a rabbit had three burrows, so why not humans?

“Still no news?”

Old Eagle turned to a member of his spy team. Wang Chong had picked out the name for this organization, and only elites were allowed to join it.

“Milord, I also find it very strange. The members of the spy team have always been prompt, and Little Cui was one of the best in the batch of new recruits. Given how the last few operations have gone, he shouldn’t have made a mistake. His Highness is still waiting for news from the Imperial Clan Court, and all he’s doing is delivering the report. That report should have arrived a long time ago, but he’s late by five minutes!” he middle-aged man sternly said, his brow furrowed in concern.

This delay was rather abnormal, but it was still acceptable according to the rules of the spy team.

After a few moments of thought, Old Eagle made his decision. “Something isn’t right! Immediately send a carrier pigeon. If we don’t receive any news then, I’ll go myself. In addition, inspect our surroundings. I can’t shake off this strange feeling. Get ready and settle the bill. We’re leaving now!”

The spy team member grunted and immediately turned around.

“Soup dumplings! Two strings of cash for a bowl!”

“Fresh pork! Your money back if it’s not fresh!”

“Iced tanghulu! Sweet and sour! Come and take a look!”

Old Eagle looked down at the street and saw that the capital was just as bustling as ever.

No! I must go and see His Highness!

With this thought, Old Eagle prepared to leave.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, he heard the flapping of wings.

Old Eagle looked up and saw a white carrier pigeon flying toward him. On its left leg was an azure hoop.

“It’s Little Cui’s carrier pigeon!”

Old Eagle immediately recognized it. In the end, Little Cui’s pigeon had managed to come within the time limit. Old Eagle’s spy team had a rule that once the time had passed, it would mean that a mishap had occurred and everyone needed to leave.

Old Eagle’s heart relaxed as he extended his right hand to receive the bird. He proficiently removed the letter and looked down.

As Old Eagle focused…

“Not good!”

His pupils instantly constricted and his eyes flew open.

“Everyone, hear my order! Immediately—”

Before the word ‘withdraw’ could leave his mouth, a large ruckus came from the door of the restaurant. Old Eagle looked down and saw that a white-robed scholar, perhaps dejected from some event in life, had become intoxicated and charged inside.

As he charged in, he knocked aside a waiter and then spat a mouthful of alcohol and saliva at the person trying to block his path.

“Young Master Zhao, you can’t come in!”

“You’re already this drunk! You’re going to disturb the other patrons! Please, leave immediately!”

“What are you standing around for? Hurry and stop him!”

Chaos ensued in the entrance to the restaurant.

But this sight only made Old Eagle more uneasy.

Swoosh!

Old Eagle immediately jumped on the railing and flew off.

“Tang barbarian, hand over your life!”

Suddenly, the exquisitely crafted screen on the balcony exploded in blade energy. Five or six Tibetans had been behind the screen, and all of them were now lunging toward Old Eagle at incredible speed.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1634 - Suspicion and Fury!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1634 - Suspicion and Fury!
Chapter 1634: Suspicion and Fury!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Clangclangclang!

Halos radiated from the feet of the Tibetans, and dark energy seethed behind them. Massive Buddhas with six, eight, or ten arms, and three, six, or eight heads suddenly appeared, various weapons in their hands as they attacked Old Eagle in unison.

It was obvious that they were all top-class experts!

Old Eagle instantly paled.

……

At the King of Foreign Lands Residence…

Wang Chong frowned as he looked away from the map of the Imperial Palace, his eyelids twitching. For some reason, recently, whenever his eyelids twitched, he had an ill foreboding that some foul event had taken place.

“Reporting!”

Just then, in a rush of air, a Golden Guard came inside.

“Your Highness, it’s bad! There’s been an incident! We’ve just learned that Old Eagle was ambushed at Western Crane Pavilion! He was badly injured and is currently unconscious! His chances of survival are dire!”

The Golden Guard spoke with a trembling tone, and his face was grave.

Bang!

Wang Chong trembled, and he felt like he had been struck by a lightning bolt.

“What?!”

Old Eagle was extremely unique. He was one of Wang Chong’s earliest followers and also the most loyal.

And unlike others, Old Eagle resided in the rear, and Wang Chong would normally never bring Old Eagle to the front with him. This made him safer than most, and Wang Chong had never been too worried about him.

But Wang Chong had never imagined that Old Eagle would be ambushed, and this fact left him both stunned and enraged.

“Where is he now? Have you investigated the perpetrators?” Wang Chong asked, staring at the Golden Guard.

“We still don’t have the details of the situation. Lord Xu is currently escorting Old Eagle back to the residence,” the Golden Guard reported.

A few moments later, Old Eagle was carried in on a stretcher. Wang Chong’s subordinates Su Shixuan, Cheng Sanyuan, and Chen Bin had heard the news, and they rushed over with looks of sorrow and fury on their faces.

Old Eagle’s eyes were tightly shut, and his face was as white as a sheet of paper. His chest was stained with blood and it was apparent that numerous bones had been broken. Many of the crucial joints on his body showed heavy injury, and weapons shaped like golden hairpins had been thrust into several acupuncture points.

It was obvious that the attackers had shown no mercy and had made every attempt to take Old Eagle’s life.

“Lord Chen’s injuries are extremely serious. Twenty-nine places have been badly wounded, and in truth, the fact that he’s still alive is a miracle. I’ve already had him swallow pills and applied salve to his wounds, but the crucial part is that those assassination weapons were dipped in poison. This poison has already spread through his body. It will depend on Lord Chen to see if he can survive.”

A white-haired doctor put away a blackening silver needle that he had just removed from Old Eagle’s body and sighed. He began to put away his medicine box as he prepared to leave.

Once the doctor from King Song’s residence departed, an oppressive air descended.

“What’s going on here? How could Old Eagle have been injured?”

An ashen Wang Chong turned to the spy team member kneeling next to Old Eagle.

“Your Highness, we also don’t know what’s going on. Those Tibetans seemed to have already scouted out the area. They pretended to be patrons and entered the restaurant before we did. The moment the lord let his guard down, they charged in and shouted ‘Avenge Great Minister Dalun!’ while madly attacking him,” the spy team member said.

Buzz!

The mention of ‘Great Minister Dalun’ made everyone grimace. The only person this could indicate was the Ngari Great Minister of Ü-Tsang who had died at the Battle of Talas, Dalun Ruozan.

The spy team member continued.

“…Those men were incredibly savage and fearless. Even though we tried our best, we were still no match for them, and even when the City Guard and Imperial Army arrived, they still didn’t run. In the end, our lord had to activate a switch that had been set up beforehand and escape into an underground tunnel to finally throw them off.”

The spy team member’s eyes were streaked with blood.

The spy team members all placed Old Eagle on an extremely high pedestal, and almost all of them had received personal guidance from him. In this sense, Old Eagle was both their superior and their teacher.

The assassination attempt had provoked the entire spy team.

In truth, it was the spy team members who had brought Old Eagle over on the stretcher, and many of them had died escorting him.

Wang Chong said nothing, but everyone could sense the rage building up within him.

Ever since Wang Chong had become the most renowned War God on the continent, no one had ever dared to challenge him like this. Even the enraged Ishbara Khagan chose to back away when confronted by Wang Chong’s terse threat, let alone others.

This was the first time anyone had attacked one of Wang Chong’s subordinates like this, and in broad daylight, right at the feet of the Son of Heaven!

Everyone knew that Old Eagle’s heavy injuries had already provoked Wang Chong’s ire, and those people would have to pay a heavy cost.

“Your Highness, could it be people from the Ngari Royal Lineage…?” Xu Keyi proposed.

In the Battle of Talas, Ü-Tsang had lost two Great Generals. While Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang were already dead, the commander of the Mutri Great Cavalry, Huoba Sangye, had survived. Moreover, Dalun Ruozan had been highly regarded throughout Ü-Tsang, and ever since his death, an undercurrent had been flowing under the surface of the plateau.

Those people loyal to Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang had been constantly talking about avenging Dalun Ruozan. “If we can’t kill the enemy on the battlefield, we’ll kill him off the battlefield!” Such cries could be heard loud and clear within Ü-Tsang.

They had already been thwarted several times. If these men were coming for Dalun Ruozan’s sake, then they had ample reason.

“Impossible!”

Wang Chong shook his head and firmly rejected the idea.

“This matter can’t be that simple. Dalun Ruozan died at our hands, so if they had really intended to avenge Dalun Ruozan, they should have come for us. What does it have to do with Old Eagle? And besides, Old Eagle never even took part in the Battle of the Talas, nor was he responsible for intelligence gathering during the battle.

“I was the one who set down the rules of the spy team. Old Eagle has fifty-seven active locations spread across the capital that he moves between each month. A few Tibetans who had infiltrated the capital wouldn’t know the area, so how could they so precisely pin down Old Eagle’s movements? Moreover, Old Eagle was in disguise and has never revealed his face to outsiders.”

“!!!”

These words left the others stunned, and the hall fell quiet.

They had all believed that this was simply a Tibetan attempt at revenge, as the attackers truly had been Tibetans. It was so clearly laid out that none of them had doubted it. But Wang Chong’s words had left their eyes wide open, and they had finally noticed how suspicious the incident was.

Yes!

If the Tibetans had wanted revenge, they had large and obvious targets like the King of Foreign Lands Residence or Wang Family Residence. There would be no need to go through more trouble.

They could have just attacked the King of Foreign Lands Residence.

More importantly, Old Eagle was constantly moving between bases, and not even his friends knew his exact location.

This matter was not as simple as it seemed.

“Your Highness, what do you mean?”

Now that they had all noticed how suspicious the incident was, they turned gravely toward Wang Chong.

Wang Chong said nothing, only gazed at Old Eagle with sorrow and rage. No one could ambush his subordinates like this without paying a price. No matter who his opponent was, he would make them regret it!

Wang Chong clenched his fists and coldly ordered, “Pass on my order! Mobilize all our men! Have the City Guard and Public Order Squads move out. Even if we have to turn over the entire capital, those Tibetans must be captured!”

“Yes!”

All of them replied in unison, and a few moments later, the entire capital began to move.

Countless soldiers began to scour the city for those Tibetans, and none of them was more enraged than Zhang Que.

Zhang Que was Old Eagle’s disciple, and Old Eagle had been both teacher and father to him.

Upon learning that Old Eagle was heavily injured and in a coma, his survival uncertain, Zhang Que had immediately moved to take control of the almost paralyzed intelligence network. Repressing his rage, he had cast a vast net over the entire capital.

Only one day later, Zhang Que had tracked them down.

They had been found in a caravan that was moving south.

These Tibetan experts had swiftly noticed the danger that they were in and were trying to flee the capital. But they had not chosen to use the gate traditionally frequented by the merchants of the Western Regions, the western gate, instead choosing a caravan that was moving south. Once they were a safe distance from the capital, they would leave the caravan and circle back to Ü-Tsang.

Wang Chong’s experts quickly moved out, working with the City Guard, Public Order Squad, and ten-some master archers who had participated in the border incident to form an interception squad.

After a short but intense battle, half of the eight Tibetan experts were killed, and of the remaining four, two chose to commit suicide.

The last two were captured, one of them heavily injured, and escorted to the prison beneath the King of Foreign Lands Residence.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1635 - Imperial Minister and War Saint!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1635 - Imperial Minister and War Saint!
Chapter 1635: Imperial Minister and War Saint!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Clap!

In the dim and sinister prison, a whip lashed the body of one of the Tibetan assassins. The immense power and sting of the whip immediately tore through the furs the Tibetan was wearing and left a long and bloody wound on his body.

“Talk! Who put you up to this?”

Zhang Que stared at the tied-up Tibetan assassin, his eyes streaked with blood and burning with rage.

“Kekeke, keep hitting! Even if you beat me to death, I won’t talk. This is revenge for our Great Minister. Have you finally tasted a little pain now?”

The assassin’s hair was disheveled and his body was covered in wounds, but his eyes remained cold and sharp, like those of a wolf.

The lashes of the whip only made him more ferocious and defiant, as if the whip was striking someone else.

“Hmph, what revenge? You were just a lackey for someone else. Without someone working with you, how would you know where Master would appear? And don’t you know? My master never took part in the Battle of Talas. He has nothing to do with Dalun Ruozan’s death. Even if you kill him, you’ve avenged nothing… just a bunch of pitiful ants being used by another!” Zhang Que coldly said.

Buzz!

The Tibetan assassin’s face instantly froze.

“Hmph! No matter what you say, I’m willing to do anything as long as I can strike a blow against you,” the Tibetan assassin said, but his expression and tone were clearly not as harsh.

“Hmph, still being stubborn! Come, attend upon him well! Remember, don’t let him die!”

Zhang Que coldly snorted. Passing the whip to a spy team member, he turned around and left. At that moment, there was a deep sense of grief in his eyes.

“Ah!”

Screams began to rise from the cell. No mercy was shown to one’s enemies.

In the main hall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong, Xu Keyi, Su Shixuan, and Chen Bin were waiting for Zhang Que.

“Your Highness, you were right. Someone really was helping them. Those Tibetans were being used!”

Zhang Que bowed, his eyes dim.

Although the captured Tibetan assassin hadn’t directly said it, his reaction had revealed everything. They had clearly believed that they had been avenging Dalun Ruozan in this operation.

“I understand. Thank you for your service. I understand what’s going on,” Wang Chong indifferently said. As he raised his head, countless thoughts rushed through his mind.

Although he hadn’t gotten the name of the true culprit from the Tibetan assassin, there was no need for Wang Chong to ask such questions. The number of people in the capital who had the means and the motive for such an operation could be counted with one’s fingers.

The First Prince! You again?

A cold light gleamed in Wang Chong’s eyes.

There were three people with the motive for this in the capital: King Qi, Li Junxian, and the First Prince.

But King Qi had only known about Wang Chong, and all his operations had always been targeted at him. As for Old Eagle… King Qi was too proud to even consider him.

As for Li Junxian, although the two of them got along like fire and water, the Confucian Sect was also too proud to lower themselves to such a level.

This meant that there was only one person left with the proper motive. And if one considered what had happened in the Imperial Palace recently, the answer was obvious.

But Wang Chong had never imagined that he would collude with Ü-Tsang.

“No matter who the true culprit is, Ü-Tsang is undoubtedly connected, and the only one who could order these people to mobilize has to be a member of Ü-Tsang’s upper echelons. Zhang Que, write a letter for me recounting this entire incident to Ü-Tsang Imperial Minister Dalon Trinling. Tell him that this king is awaiting his reply.”

Wang Chong’s face was a sheet of ice as he spoke.

Dalon Trinling!

Wang Chong had long known of this name. When it came to reputation, status, and ability, this man was far above the deceased Dalun Ruozan.

Dalun Ruozan was only the Great Minister of the Ngari Royal Lineage, but Dalon Trinling was the true helmsman of that empire. This man had made his reputation almost entirely on several major victories in his early years against the Great Tang. Even when Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi was at his zenith, he was still apprehensive of the Imperial Minister within Ü-Tsang’s royal capital.

In the militarist-Confucian conflict, the surrounding countries and Confucian Sect had conspired together, and all their negotiations and peace talks had gone abnormally smoothly.

Wang Chong had long ago sensed that there was someone pushing these events from behind the scenes. There had to be someone in the foreign countries who was helping the Confucians rise and control the situation. And even though he had no evidence, Wang Chong was sure that this person was the Ü-Tsang Imperial Minister, Dalon Trinling.

If someone claimed that this man knew nothing about this assassination and had played no role, Wang Chong would never believe it!

Whoosh!

Several days later, a letter bearing Wang Chong’s wrath flew across the mountains, over the plateau, and into the royal palace of Ü-Tsang.

“Imperial Minister, a letter from the Great Tang.” The royal capital guard looked at the seal on the paper and froze. “It’s… from the King of Foreign Lands.”

In the Ü-Tsang Empire, Wang Chong’s name was a taboo, and few even dared to refer to his title. Moreover, the Ü-Tsang Empire did not communicate with the King of Foreign Lands, and their relationship was one of enemies. This was the first time it had ever received a formal letter from the King of Foreign Lands.

“Oh?”

Dalon Trinling, who was studying a map of Ü-Tsang, the Great Tang, and the surrounding countries, raised his head.

“Hand it over and let me see!”

Upon receiving the letter and reading through it, Dalon Trinling couldn’t help but frown.

Dalon Trinling had made his name much earlier than Wang Chong, even earlier than Wang Zhongsi. He was one of the most illustrious ministers on the continent.

Wang Chong had become Young Marquis at the age of seventeen and King of Foreign Lands at the age of eighteen, and was the new War God of his generation!

There was no question that Dalon Trinling had been the ‘Wang Chong’ for Ü-Tsang several decades ago, and he had become famous at no less an age than Wang Chong’s.

And his fame at the time was also no less than Wang Chong’s.

This was precisely why Dalon Trinling had always regarded Wang Chong rather highly.

‘Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.’ This was a quotation from one of the military texts of the Central Plains. Until he was completely confident, until he thoroughly understood who Wang Chong was, Dalon Trinling would never recklessly attack him.

“Interesting! I’d like to see what he can do!”

Dalon Trinling gently smiled as he threw the letter to the side.

That youth in the capital was still too simpleminded. He was merely the new War God of the Great Tang. Not even the invincible War God, now Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi could make him feel fear, let alone Wang Chong, so why would he be afraid of a mere letter?

The Tibetan Plateau was not the Turkic steppe, and he was not Ishbara Khagan. Wang Chong’s threatening letter held no meaning to him.

“Don’t worry about it! Continue with your tasks.”

After saying this, Dalon Trinling turned his attention back to the map.

……

Not long after the flapping of wings signaled the arrival of a bird, a Golden Guard came in and reported on the letter’s contents.

“Your Highness, Ü-Tsang has sent back a reply. Dalon Trinling says that they know nothing about the incident in the capital and that although those people truly are Tibetans, just like the Great Tang, Ü-Tsang is not able to control all its people. He asks for Your Highness to not develop a misunderstanding of Ü-Tsang because of those people.”

“Is that so?”

Wang Chong coldly laughed.

“There’s no evidence, so Ü-Tsang is uninvolved? Dalon Trinling, this is your reply! It seems that you don’t understand that this isn’t a negotiation, and I certainly don’t need you to admit to it. I only need a price.

“You simply have no idea who you’re dealing with!” Wang Chong coldly said.

There was no questioning Dalon Trinling’s prestige in Ü-Tsang, and he was probably the most troublesome minister still living in this world. But Wang Chong was himself the greatest War Saint in the history of the world!

Wang Chong knew who he was facing, but Dalon Trinling had no idea who his opponent really was.

“Inform the triangular pass. Have Li Siye and Su Hanshan get ready. After so much training, it’s about time they put some work in. In addition, write a letter for me to Big Dipper City’s Great General Geshu Han. Request him to do something for me!” Wang Chong indifferently said, his eyes frighteningly cold.

Rumble!

In the distant northeastern corner of Ü-Tsang, at the triangular gap, hooves thundered and dust billowed. Mounted upon a Ferghana steed, Li Siye folded up Wang Chong’s letter and put it in his bosom. He turned around, sweeping his sharp eyes across the vast plain. Countless soldiers were sweeping across the plain with a thunderous momentum.

“Everyone, hear my order! Move out immediately! Target: Ü-Tsang!”

Li Siye took out his massive broadsword and aimed it straight at the air, his booming voice brimming with energy and resounding across the skies of Ü-Tsang.

Roooar!

The surrounding soldiers thunderously replied, and an immense killing intent and will to fight soared into the air, so dense that space itself twisted and blurred.

Gallop!

In a stampede of hooves, a steel flood formed from thousands of cavalry thundered into the heartland of Ü-Tsang. Right behind the cavalry, Tang ballistae clanked and groaned as they moved along on a newly designed carriage.

After Talas, Su Hanshan had gathered many craftsmen who had remodeled the firing platforms to be more suited for the ballistae, allowing them to move and fire faster while also expanding their firing angles.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1636 - Revenge on the Plateau!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1636 - Revenge on the Plateau!
Chapter 1636: Revenge on the Plateau!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The soldiers at the triangular gap were far from the only ones being mobilized.

Longxi, the border, Big Dipper City.

“Heh, send soldiers to the Ü-Tsang Empire, but they can’t show that they’re soldiers of the Big Dipper Army. Would Ü-Tsang not be able to recognize the traits of the Big Dipper Army? It seems like that man in the capital has begun to fight with Dalon Trinling.”

Geshu Han put down Wang Chong’s letter and gave an amused smile.

Even Geshu Han somewhat feared that head minister who resided throughout the year in the royal capital of the Ü-Tsang Empire. After all, this was a man who not even his former superior and current Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian had been able to defeat.

‘The thunder peal in the silence, the danger lurking in the placid’ was the style of that minister of the plateau. And one also had to consider that the ‘atmospheric pressure’ of the plateau was not suitable for those who lived on low altitudes.

‘Atmospheric pressure’ was the term used by that man in the capital.

Geshu Han had imagined that these two would eventually conflict, but he hadn’t imagined that it would be so quickly.

A hesitant voice spoke up. “Milord, the Imperial Court is keeping a close eye on us, and the Confucian Sect won’t be happy if we mobilize at this time. If the Imperial Court finds out…”

The current Big Dipper Army was not the Big Dipper Army of the past. Not only had their numbers been reduced, there were now many supervisors that made any movement difficult.

“Heh, we naturally need to respect the laws of the Imperial Court. Who said that the army being mobilized would be our Big Dipper Army?” Geshu Han lightly said.

“Milord, you mean…”

The subordinate seemed to realize something.

“Pass on my order! After two days, dispatch five thousand elites for ‘routine training’!” Geshu Han ordered. His smile slowly faded.

No matter what plan Wang Chong had, he would always give his full support.

A false peace was something he had never wanted. Moreover, by deploying soldiers to Ü-Tsang, Wang Chong was actually helping him.

……

The central region of Ü-Tsang was more than three thousand kilometers from the triangular gap. The grass here was lush, and hundreds of thousands of sheep covered the plain like a mantle of snow. Yaks were mixed in with them, and outside of the yak and sheep herds were herds of wild horses.

These were the highland steeds of the Tibetan Plateau. All of them were muscular and stalwart, and galloped across the plain like dark clouds.

After the war of the southwest, the battles against the Big Dipper Army, and the Battle of Talas, Ü-Tsang had suffered grievous losses. And in that plague that had swept over the plateau, many of these muscular highland steeds who were resistant to the climate of the plateau had died.

Ever since then, Ü-Tsang had decided to enter a resting phase, particularly so that they could raise warhorses. Not only that, Ü-Tsang had also bought soybeans from the Central Plains to supplement the wild grasses of the plain.

Breeding a large number of highland steeds was the number one priority for Ü-Tsang. As long as it had enough wild horses, Ü-Tsang could regain its breath and recover from the wounds inflicted by war.

As for the lost manpower…

Every shepherd of the plain was a potential Tibetan horseman. As long as they were trained, Ü-Tsang could have a massive force of basic cavalry in just three to five years. In five or ten years, they would be completely mature, and in ten to fifteen years, all the traces of war would have been wiped away and Ü-Tsang would once more be an immensely powerful empire.

This was the source of Ü-Tsang’s long-term sturdiness. No matter what sort of wound it suffered, it could swiftly recover and threaten the Central Plains again and again.

“Hurry! Focus on your training! There’s no stopping until I give the order!”

Winds howled out from the north, and on the plain, a hardened Tibetan cavalry officer, his rough face seeming to have been cast from steel, was riding upon a tamed wild horse. The group of new recruits he was roaring at still had lingering signs that they were once shepherds.

This Tibetan officer did not have any signs that indicated he belonged to Ü-Tsang, but his determined eyes and fierce aura of fire and blood were things that could have only been refined through bloody battles.

In the militarist-Confucian conflict, the other countries had all signed peace treaties with the Great Tang, and all of them had reduced their armies, with Ü-Tsang being no exception. But these soldiers had not put away their armor and returned to tend to their flocks. Instead, they had used this opportunity to scatter across the plateau so that they could choose the best soldiers from the various tribes and then train them up into veteran soldiers in the hopes of forming a massive army.

The Tibetan army would not shrink. In the future, it would only get larger.

Flap flap! The yak war banners of Ü-Tsang snapped in the wind, and with that veteran officer’s orders, the countless Tibetan shepherds wearing basic armor gripped their sabers and spears, and formed and reformed into Echelon Formation.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the horses galloped back and forth, dim halos emerged from the feet of the shepherds. These halos began to connect to each other and resonate, and a faint barrier began to emerge in the air.

The renowned Fortress Formation of Ü-Tsang had already reached its basic form.

“Everyone, listen up! The Tang are an enemy that we can never share the same sky with! Just think about how many of our Ü-Tsang Empire died at their hands! Just think about the plague and the deserted plains of the Ngari Royal Lineage that have still yet to recover! One day, we will make them pay a price! Imagine those targets in front of you to be the Tang! For the Tsenpo, for all Tibetans!”

Underneath a nine-meter-tall banner loomed a Tibetan general. He had a brutal gaze and his voice resounded over the entire region.

Roooar!

“Kill, kill, kill!”

Thunderous roars came in response, and these cavalry in the midst of training waved around their weapons as they charged at the nearby targets.

Boom! Boom! Boom! One explosion after another could be heard as those round targets as tall as adult men were obliterated by sabers and spears, showering the surrounding area with debris.

As the training continued, the entire base was enveloped in a somber aura. There were at least six of these bases in the Ü-Tsang Empire, and all of them were set up in sparsely inhabited areas. And there were also many spies and scouts placed along the route to the bases. If there were any strange activity or the base were exposed, these soldiers were to take off their armor and become ordinary shepherds, with the many sheep and cattle serving as proof.

Thwish!

Suddenly, an arrow shot down the banner at the very center of the base.

Swoosh!

This sudden mishap had the Tibetan commander standing in a daze, a hint of shock in his eyes. This was clearly not something he had expected. All those Tibetan cavalry who had been vigorously training also instantly fell silent.

“What’s going on here?”

A Tibetan horseman subconsciously turned his head, his mind a complete blank. But before he could react, thwish! An arrow plunged into his chest. The man stared in disbelief at the shaft of the arrow, and then dropped from his horse.

“Enemy!”

A split-second after this horseman fell, a sharp cry in Tibetan resounded through the air. All the soldiers turned vigilant, but a moment later, they were confronted by a downpour of arrows. Under this dense rain, countless men were shot down from their horses.

Rumble!

A force of cavalry suddenly emerged from the distance, their hooves pounding like thunder.

Most striking of all was the yellow war banner rising from the horizon, the word ‘Tang’ as obvious as could be.

The Tang!

As this thought flashed through the minds of all the Tibetans, their hearts sank like stones.

No one had expected the Tang army to make a long-distance raid and appear in a place like this.

……

Half a day later, a messenger bird flew into Ü-Tsang’s royal capital.

“Reporting! Imperial Minister, the Yarlung Royal Lineage’s training base and garrison in the eastern region of the plateau were both attacked. Both bases were almost completely wiped out. Judging by the traces left behind, it was probably the Tang!”

“What?!”

Dalon Trinling was studying a document when he heard the news, and raised his head in shock.

“Let me see!”

The intelligence report was quickly handed over.

Crack! After looking it over, Dalon Trinling clenched his fists as he crunched the report into a ball.

“Bastard!”

Dalon Trinling had a nasty scowl on his face.

Dalon Trinling knew what was going on without needing to ask any further questions. He had not taken Wang Chong’s earlier warning to heart, but to his surprise, Wang Chong had really carried it out.

“So, this is revenge for the operation in the capital?”

Dalon Trinling raised his head, a cold light in his eyes.

“Reporting!”

A few moments later, there was another flurry of footsteps. A royal capital guard came inside and immediately got down on his knees.

“Imperial Minister, we’ve received a letter from the Great Tang, from the King of Foreign Lands!”

The guard’s report caused the mood in the entire palace to shift.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1637 - The Unseen Opponent!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1637 - The Unseen Opponent!
Chapter 1637: The Unseen Opponent!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Putting aside the developments in Ü-Tsang, more than seven thousand li away in the capital of the Great Tang, a Golden Guard strode into a hall.

“Your Highness, we have delivered the letter.”

“Your Highness, will this operation against Dalon Trinling truly be effective?” Xu Keyi asked, his expression apprehensive. “Dalon Trinling is known as the wisest sage of the Tibetan Plateau, and our operation might incite his revenge!”

Dalon Trinling was no ordinary person. In the Ü-Tsang Empire, not even the much-admired Dalun Ruozan had been able to compare to this man. And Wang Chong had always been cautious. Even when threatening Ishbara, he had only sent a letter and not actually attacked.

But Wang Chong had an entirely different attitude toward Dalon Trinling. Not long after notifying him, he had begun the assault.

This was completely different from the matter with Ishbara Khagan.

“Relax! Dalon Trinling won’t take any action!” Wang Chong firmly proclaimed, his eyes gleaming as he got to his feet. Wang Chong seemed to understand that distant Imperial Minister of Ü-Tsang far more than expected.

“Whether or not this incident had taken place, the Tibetans would think of every way to try and attack. As soon as the Great Tang showed weakness, Ü-Tsang would seize the moment. The Tibetans are still restraining themselves, as while they want to, they don’t have the ability to!”

Wang Chong’s eyes seemed to be able to see into the heart of the matter. Suddenly, Xu Keyi had a flash of insight.

Wang Chong slowly said, “The Tibetans’ ambitions are far greater than ours. In the war of the southwest, the Ngari Royal Lineage was basically turned into a wasteland. Only three of the Four Royal Lineages remain. As for the eastern region, Geshu Han’s constant attacks have prevented it from being able to rest and recover. In the north, I destroyed it when I began setting up the steel fortresses. The only one left is the Yarlung Royal Lineage. While it seems to have been safe all this time, in reality, it has gotten into no small number of conflicts with Greater and Lesser Balur, the kingdoms of the Western Regions, Gao Xianzhi’s Anxi Protectorate army, and the Arabs. Even before we got there, the Tibetans had fought several wars with the Arabs. If the Great Tang hadn’t advanced into the Western Regions, Ü-Tsang and Arabia would have been mortal foes.

“The Yarlung Royal Lineage is in far worse condition than all of you can imagine. The only fighting force left is the protectors of the royal capital, the Lhasa Royal Lineage. He has far fewer soldiers available than you might think!”

Wang Chong had been studying the intelligence reports from Ü-Tsang this entire time, and understood far more than was publicly known.

“Dalon Trinling has only one opportunity, and if it results in defeat, Ü-Tsang will be unable to recover. I trust that he already knows about the roseroot!”

With these words, Wang Chong revealed the object that was at the core of their tenuous relationship.

The crux of his relationship with Dalon Trinling was not the force at the triangular gap, nor was it Wang Chong’s grasp of strategy. It was none other than the flower that abounded on the plateau, roseroot.

Dalon Trinling was one of the leading figures of this world, and not even Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi had been able to do anything to him, so how could anyone else?

No one could have imagined that the object that had completely altered the relationship between the War Saint and the Imperial Minister was a little red flower.

The reason the Tibetans had always been so fearless in their raids of the east was the altitude sickness that all those of lower altitudes were afflicted by upon stepping onto the plateau, even the Arabs.

But with Wang Chong’s intervention, all of this had changed.

Right now, even Geshu Han’s Big Dipper Army was regularly consuming roseroot, treating it as an ordinary part of their daily meals.

The discovery of roseroot had caused this empire to lose the source of its pride. Now, if they were defeated, Wang Chong’s armies would be able to penetrate into the plateau, take the royal capital, and garrison it.

This was why Dalon Trinling was so restrained toward Wang Chong.

According to the news from Ü-Tsang, roseroot was now a scarce commodity on the marketplace. It seemed as if the Tibetans were even beginning to eradicate the small red flowers from the plateau. Alas, roseroot was essentially a weed and was found throughout the plateau. The smallest amount of rain would cause them to bud and bloom once more. It was an arduous task to completely eliminate them.

Moreover, Wang Chong and Geshu Han had already begun to cultivate roseroot en masse.

“Dalon Trinling is too cautious. As a wise minister, he plans first and moves second. The more aggressive we are, the less likely he will be to recklessly take action. I’m more worried about the incident in the capital.”

Wang Chong had been devoting almost all his time recently to using Stellar Energy to treat Old Eagle’s injuries. With the power of his two supreme techniques and the medicines from the palace, Old Eagle’s injuries had finally been stabilized. However, he was still unconscious and would probably need a long time to recover.

Even so, this matter was far from over.

What Wang Chong was concerned about was that the First Prince had actually used Tibetans so that he left behind no trace of his involvement. This was completely unlike his normal style.

Wang Chong was almost sure now that there was an extremely powerful expert at the First Prince’s side who was helping him strategize and plan.

What Wang Chong needed to do right now was draw that person out of hiding.

“Is there any news?”

Wang Chong turned his sharp eyes to Cheng Sanyuan.

“The Eastern Palace is as normal. Even now, we haven’t been able to see any difference in its activities or identify anyone new.”

Cheng Sanyuan shook his head. After all, the Eastern Palace wasn’t within their ability to watch. On this aspect, they had to rely on the Fifth Prince and Li Jingzhong.

Wang Chong fell silent. Cheng Sanyuan’s reply was not surprising. If his foe was really as he expected, he was an extremely shrewd and calculating expert that would make sure that no clues were left behind. But Wang Chong firmly believed that nothing could be done flawlessly. If his intuition was right, there were clues in the Eastern Palace.

“Tell Li Jingzhong that the Fifth Prince should keep out of this matter for now. In addition, have Li Jingzhong record everyone who goes in and out of the Eastern Palace every day. It doesn’t need to be very detailed and he doesn’t need to get that close. As long as we look at how the Eastern Palace has changed from the past, we will be able to find some clues,” Wang Chong sternly said.

Once this was settled, Wang Chong deeply frowned.

What sort of person is hiding behind the curtain and making all these plans?

Wang Chong muttered to himself. Wang Chong had encountered his fair share of formidable foes, but this time was different.

This mysterious figure had gotten ahead of him in the palace and wiped out any trace of Eunuch Gao, and then they had used the Tibetans against him, choosing none other than Old Eagle as the target. Wang Chong felt a frightening sharpness from his foe’s assaults.

And Wang Chong sensed that this was merely the beginning, that this had been merely a minor display of ability. His enemy’s true strategies were still to come!

Wang Chong had a sudden thought and turned to the nearby Zhang Que.

“Zhang Que, now that you’ve gained control over the intelligence network, investigate the last carrier pigeon Old Eagle received. According to the spy team, this carrier pigeon was late by five minutes. I need to know what happened in those five minutes.”

“Yes!”

……

The Eastern Palace was dark, the main hall lit by only a few oil lamps.

In this hall were First Prince Li Ying, Zhu Tong’en, the white-haired elder known as ‘Ghost King’ seated on an armchair, and Eunuch Yin hidden within the shadows. No one else was present.

“Senior, forgive me for being blunt. I can accept the use of Tibetans against Wang Chong, but in this assault, why didn’t we choose any of his other subordinates, or perhaps those two generals, Li Siye and Su Hanshan, that he has at the triangular gap? Why did we choose this Old Eagle? I truly can’t tell. What’s so special about him?”

Now that no outsiders were present, the First Prince got straight to the point. His brow was furrowed in confusion over the Ghost King’s actions.

He had used his connection with the Tibetans, but he had lost several Imperial Martial realm experts to attack some lowly figure who played around with birds. Wasn’t this using an ox knife to kill a chicken?

“Heh, the rations have to move before the army. Even that kid knows that. The person who makes many calculations before the battle will be victorious while the one who makes few will lose. There are some things that you can’t tell just by looking at the surface.”

The Ghost King faintly chuckled from his sandalwood armchair, his every movement exuding confidence and assurance. Anyone who looked at him couldn’t help but be entranced.

“You still don’t understand? In these previous clashes, you lost again and again because his eyes and ears are far sharper than yours. All of your movements are under his control. This was also how that boy from the Confucian Sect lost.”

In a war of schemes, the first step was not to kill the enemy, but to cripple his eyes and ears, making him unable to accurately determine the situation. If one was not able to size up the situation and grasp all available information, even the wisest strategist was useless. This was a fundamental principle.

“Although that Old Eagle isn’t very strong, his position at the side of the King of Foreign Lands is irreplaceable. As long as we can kill him, that kid will be running around blind, and it won’t matter how smart he is.”

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1638 - The Eagle King of Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1638 - The Eagle King of Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok!
Chapter 1638: The Eagle King of Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In the end, Zhu Tong’en overcame his hesitation to speak up.

“But, we know that Old Eagle has a disciple called Zhang Que. With Old Eagle heavily injured, his disciple has already taken full control, and everything seems to be operating normally. Moreover, they’ve recently been removing many of our spies. Senior’s plan… seems to not be very effective.”

The Eastern Palace became eerily still. Even First Prince Li Ying couldn’t help but turn to the Ghost King. Although the First Prince remained silent, it was clear that he had the same thoughts.

“A disciple is just a disciple. If a disciple could so easily surpass their master, then they should have just switched places. Are you sure that Zhang Que can really replace him?”

The Ghost King chuckled.

“Reporting!”

At that moment, one of the First Prince’s personal guards rushed inside.

“Your Highness, the scout outside the King of Foreign Lands Residence reports that the King of Foreign Lands has begun to move. Many of our scouts and infiltrators have been eliminated. Of our forty-some infiltrators, only three are left!” the personal guard reported, getting down on one knee as soon as he entered the hall.

Everyone instantly grimaced at these words. This was not the first time the King of Foreign Lands had taken action against the Eastern Palace’s men. They would occasionally allow the various parties to freely scout the area, even allowing them to jump over the wall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence. But in the space of a single breath and without any warning, they would unleash a thunderous strike that would wipe out all these spies.

But this was not what was important. What was important was that in past operations, when the King of Foreign Lands took action, all the spies would be wiped out. This time, however, three spies had survived.

One had to realize that for the purpose of intelligence gathering, as long as all spies were not eliminated, one was no different from one hundred. As long as a lookout was present, one could receive a constant stream of information.

The Ghost King’s judgment had been correct. That disciple, Zhang Que, truly could not replace Old Eagle.

A strange expression appeared on everyone’s faces.

The First Prince smiled as he stepped forward. “Senior, this prince believes. No one should have any more doubts about your judgment. What should we do next?”

“This old man has readied everything!”

The Ghost King’s eyes flashed as if he had been waiting for these words from the First Prince.

He suddenly rose from his armchair, and his body erupted with an immense pressure. Everyone watched as the Ghost King strode over to the model in the center of the hall.

This was a model of the entire capital. Not only did it cover the entire Imperial Palace, but the residences of the nobles and common folk as well. Even Wang Chong’s King of Foreign Lands Residence was included.

The model was simply enormous, a scaled-down version of the capital that was exquisitely detailed.

The laws of the Great Tang decreed that it was forbidden for anyone to make a duplicate of the capital’s layout, and those who defied this law faced heavy punishment. This was not without reason, as no one who decided to make a model of the capital ever had good intentions. If the news of this model got out, the First Prince would be impeached by the entire court.

Buzz!

The Ghost King reached his right hand out of its sleeve and flicked a finger. Immediately, four small flags flew through the air and landed on four separate residences in the model.

“As long as Your Highness follows my plan and does these four things, everything will flow as smoothly as water through a canal. Your Highness will be able to fulfill your desires and sit upon the throne to become the overlord of the realm!”

The First Prince couldn’t help but be moved by these words.

“Senior, what are these four things you refer to?”

“Your Highness will understand when the time comes!”

The Ghost King gave an unfathomable smile.

……

Zhang Que’s investigation quickly produced results. Wang Chong’s judgment had been correct. There was a reason those Tibetans had been able to find Old Eagle’s location so quickly.

According to Zhang Que’s investigation, the spy team member who had been delivering information to Old Eagle had abruptly disappeared in the aftermath.

Not only that, when the carrier pigeon that Old Eagle had received right before the incident had been inspected, claw marks of a bird of prey had been found on its body, indicating that it had been captured. It was now apparent that the carrier pigeon Old Eagle used to send information had been watched, and someone had used a gyrfalcon or a similar type of bird to capture it.

This was why the carrier pigeon had been five minutes late, and the enemy had used the carrier pigeon to find Old Eagle’s location.

While all this seemed simple, it was easier said than done. The birds used by Old Eagle, even the carrier pigeons, had all undergone rigorous training that included aerial combat and escaping capture.

Old Eagle had long ago developed a unique training system that even involved feeding his birds a special kind of food that was mixed with herbs that would strengthen the bones and muscles of his birds. This would allow them to fly long distances and escape any sudden ambushes.

Old Eagle’s birds were not something that an ordinary bird of prey had the strength to catch.

And it wasn’t like all the birds would personally go to Old Eagle. It was only for certain special incidents that Old Eagle would receive them personally. Rigorous analysis and screening were needed to find the right bird, and it wasn’t something that those Tibetans could have done.

While Wang Chong had some lingering doubts before, he was growing more and more certain as he obtained more and more intelligence that pointed to that man in the inner palace.

After looking through the report, Wang Chong handed it to Zhang Que and coldly ordered, “That man in the Imperial Palace has too high of a status to do such a thing. Investigate anyone who has bought birds in the capital recently, particularly birds of prey like gyrfalcons. There can’t be many people like this. Find the man behind all this!”

Zhang Que affirmed and left.

Half a day later, Zhang Que found the news Wang Chong desired.

“Around half a month ago, a Goguryeon merchant who could train gyrfalcons appeared in the capital. He began to sell various birds of prey, and a few days after that, the Imperial Army appeared at his store, but the man had already vanished. According to the information we gathered, that Goguryeon merchant was called Kim U-Seok!”

“It’s him!”

Wang Chong’s brow creased upon hearing the news.

He had heard the name ‘Kim U-Seok’ before. There had been a Goguryeon on the execution list after the Imperial Palace incident concluded.

For there to be a Goguryeon in the middle of this incident was far too bizarre, and it had drawn much curiosity at the time. Wang Chong only knew that this man’s name was Kim U-Seok. Wang Chong had never expected him to appear here.

As the investigation continued, even more information was revealed. That Goguryeon merchant called Kim U-Seok was extremely famous in the Goguryeo Empire, known as the supreme Eagle King of Goguryeo. The gyrfalcons he raised were extraordinarily vicious, and according to the information from the spies in Goguryeo, Kim U-Seok was an extremely ambitious man. He had been an extremely prosperous merchant in Goguryeo and had even sold his gyrfalcons to the imperial household.

But later on, those talks with the Goguryeo imperial household apparently fell through, seemingly because he felt that the price offered was too low. Based on what Kim U-Seok had said before, he seemed to think that the Goguryeo Empire was too poor. As the Central Plains was far wealthier, he turned his attention to the capital of the Great Tang.

He was now on the wanted list of Goguryeo.

So it was him. Old Eagle had no idea who he was facing, so it was no wonder he was caught!

Wang Chong pensively raised his head.

Wang Chong was sure that the matter of Kim U-Seok was no simple affair. It was obvious that the First Prince was beginning to recruit men. Kim U-Seok was a Goguryeon, but the First Prince didn’t care. It was clear that the incident from his memories was getting closer and closer.

The Rebellion of the Three Princes!

As the memories of that incident reemerged, a hint of sorrow appeared in Wang Chong’s eyes.

Kim U-Seok had already entered the Eastern Palace, and he probably wouldn’t show his face again for some time, at least not after that attack. But Wang Chong was in no rush. No matter where Kim U-Seok was, his fate was sealed. When the time came, Wang Chong would make him pay the price, and that day was not too far off in the future.

His first priority was still to treat Old Eagle’s injuries.

“Pass on my order! Distribute posters with Kim U-Seok’s face. If he is discovered, kill on sight!” Wang Chong sternly said.

This news traveled all over the capital and was even sent to the distant Goguryeo.

Time slowly passed. The attack on Old Eagle had made all of Wang Chong’s subordinates wary. Moreover, following Wang Chong’s order, a password system had been implemented in the intelligence network. Even if the carrier pigeons were captured or the communication method used by Wang Chong’s spies were revealed through torture, the spies could use a secretive method to inform the others that they were in trouble.

Old Eagle’s injuries were stabilized and slowly began to improve, marking a temporary end to the incident. No one knew Wang Chong’s plan, but after the incident, a map of the capital had appeared in the King of Foreign Lands Residence.

While no one knew what Wang Chong was doing, he spent many hours each day pondering the map, occasionally drawing incomprehensible signs upon it.

After the incident, the First Prince seemed to settle down, and the capital calmed down.

Ten days later…

After administering his usual treatment to Old Eagle, Wang Chong had returned to the main hall to ponder the map.

Whoosh!

There was a sudden flapping of wings. Wang Chong looked up and saw a mottled bird at the window. Wang Chong glanced at it and immediately raised an eyebrow. This bird was not one of those fierce birds of prey, nor was it the usual carrier pigeon. Rather, it was a beautiful lark.

Many people in the capital raised birds, but none of them used larks to deliver messages.

It’s her!

Wang Chong gently smiled. This lark was extremely familiar to him. It was the one he had gifted to the young lady of the Bai Clan, Bai Siling.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1639 - The Great Buddhist Temple Incident!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1639 - The Great Buddhist Temple Incident!
Chapter 1639: The Great Buddhist Temple Incident!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Wang Chong had the lark land on his palm and quickly took the letter it carried.

The familiar and elegant words written upon the letter elicited a warm smile from Wang Chong. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t gotten in touch with Bai Siling in a very long time.

It’s rare for this girl to think of me. What sort of problem could she have encountered?

With this thought in mind, Wang Chong glanced through the letter, and a moment later, his brow creased and his face grimaced.

Bai Siling had started with a few pleasantries, and then she had gotten to the main topic. Apparently, First Prince Li Ying had recently begun constructing a large Buddhist temple outside the capital. This engineering project had mobilized more than one thousand craftsmen, and Phoebe Zhennan wood and other various precious kinds of wood were being shipped in from across the empire. The project was also proceeding very quickly, and it was predicted that it would only need six more days to be completed.

When the time came, the First Prince planned to personally write the name of the Buddhist temple for its signboard and preside over the opening ceremony, and he had invited the Bai Clan to come.

The Bai Clan was still undecided, but if they did decide to go, they would send Bai Siling as their representative. Given how sensitive the current political climate was, Bai Siling had asked for Wang Chong’s views on the matter.

Bai Siling sought Wang Chong’s advice on whether the Bai Clan would attend or not.

When constructing either a Buddhist temple or Daoist temple, it was custom to invite a few great clans and wealthy local officials to attend the ceremony. While it was called attending the ceremony, in reality, it was a request to donate incense, oil, and money. Constructing a temple was an enormous expense, and the majority of the ceremony attendees were extremely wealthy. When the time came to donate incense, oil, and money, they would donate significant amounts, enough to cover a portion of the expense.

Although Bai Siling had written this letter, it was actually the Bai Clan asking for Wang Chong’s opinion. After all, Wang Chong had an unfriendly relationship with the First Prince, and many people knew just how enraged the First Prince had become after the Public Order Squad incident.

But this was not what Wang Chong was concerned about.

It’s coming so quickly?

As he slowly looked up from the letter, Wang Chong’s brows began to furrow.

The Great Buddhist Temple!

How could Wang Chong possibly forget about that incident? When the First Prince invited almost every great clan in the capital to attend the ceremony, no one had thought much of it. They had all believed that this would be like the Buddhist temple ceremonies of the past, except that it was the First Prince constructing this temple, so they would probably have to donate more incense, oil, and money.

But this matter was far more complicated than they would imagine.

How could someone of the First Prince’s status build a Buddhist temple for no reason? He was even personally writing its signboard and holding the ceremony. It had to be known that the First Prince wasn’t a Buddhist!

For the First Prince, the ceremony was merely an excuse. The construction of the Buddhist temple was to build up good will in the public and also find out just how many great clans in the capital actually supported him.

When the ceremony concluded, all those great clans who had received the First Prince’s invitation but had not attended the ceremony were put on the First Prince’s blacklist.

In the aftermath, the First Prince would make them the focus of his vengeance and suppression.

Through various excuses, the First Prince borrowed the power of the Imperial Court, and many great clans that had gone on for centuries were shattered and broken.

In the Great Tang, these great clans weren’t merely wealthy families. They were powerful factions in their own right, and in their centuries of operations, they had become one with the Great Tang.

For the sake of a factional dispute, the First Prince destroyed these clans who would not submit, and in doing so, he destroyed the strength of the Great Tang.

This foreshadowed the coming disaster.

If one thought back, if there was one incident that proclaimed that the Great Tang had entered internal strife, it was the Great Buddhist Temple incident.

Not even Wang Chong had imagined that this incident would come so quickly, and his expression instantly turned grave.

The Great Buddhist Temple incident seemed simple, but it would cause many people to lose their heads.

No matter what, he had to stop it.

As if in response to Wang Chong’s thoughts, the Stone of Destiny loudly proclaimed, “Special Event: Rebellion of the Three Princes begins! User has three months to stop this event. Starting from now, the loss of each great clan in the capital will result in a deduction of 10,000 Destiny Energy points. If user is able to alter this disaster, then once the Rebellion of the Three Princes is over, user will be rewarded with 20,000 points of Destiny Energy for each great clan saved. The above amounts are not restricted!”

Wang Chong’s vision was covered in crimson light, and then a massive 卍 symbol appeared that began to shrink into a small mark that branded itself onto the Stone of Destiny.

As Wang Chong sensed this change in his mind, he fell into a contemplative mood.

“Reporting!”

A few moments later, a Golden Guard rushed inside.

“Your Highness, the Zhang, Li, Huang, and Lu Clans have all sent messages saying they have something to report. Your Highness, please review them!”

The guard respectfully offered the letters in his hand.

Wang Chong said nothing, frowning as he took the letters and looked them over. Just as expected, the Zhangs, Lis, Huangs, and Lus had all received invitations from the First Prince.

These great clans were all very close to Wang Chong, and everyone knew that many of those steel modules that had played great roles in the construction of the City of Steel and the Battle of Talas had been forged by these clans.

The First Prince couldn’t possibly have been unaware, but he nonetheless sent them invitations. This was clearly intentional, but it was hard to divine his intentions.

Wang Chong sensed that if he didn’t handle this matter properly, the effects would be far worse than he imagined.

“Come! Pass on my order! Ask all the great clans that we’re working with whether they’ve received an invitation from the First Prince!” Wang Chong suddenly said, his expression incredibly serious.

A few hours later, Wang Chong determined that the number was far greater than imagined.

A single Buddhist temple was forcing all of the great clans of the capital to make a choice: follow the First Prince or become his enemy.

……

At the same time, all of the First Prince’s faction members had gathered in the Eastern Palace.

“Have all the invitations been sent?” the Ghost King suddenly asked, his gaze turning to one of the First Prince’s advisors.

“They’ve all been sent. Any clan with property exceeding ten thousand strings of cash has received an invitation. But although the invitations were sent, the Great Buddhist Temple is not yet complete, so we can’t know how many will attend yet.”

“This is enough,” the Ghost King indifferently said. “What comes next is not anything you need to worry about.”

The Ghost King lowered his head and continued to read the book in his hand. He exuded a reassuring aura, like everything was under his control.

Upon seeing this attitude from the Ghost King, everyone fell silent. Although he was the most recent addition to the First Prince’s retinue, he had already become their leader, attaining a status that none of them could reach.

“Senior, this prince has a question!”

At this moment, the First Prince suddenly spoke.

While he had let the Ghost King handle everything, this did not mean that he couldn’t ask questions, couldn’t intervene.

“In building this Buddhist temple, can we really achieve the effect you speak of? Moreover… while there’s nothing wrong with the other clans, this prince also sees that you’ve invited the Zhangs, Lis, Huangs, Lus, and other clans closely tied to the King of Foreign Lands. Given their relationship with him, will they sincerely support this prince?”

A single Buddhist temple, no matter how resplendent it was, even if the Buddha idol was gilded, cost the equivalent of pocket change to the First Prince. But the Ghost King had said that this Buddhist temple could let him recruit almost all the great clans of the capital to his side, a fact which the First Prince found difficult to believe.

Or perhaps one could call it delusional. One had to realize that they weren’t facing an ordinary foe. If it were that easy to defeat him, they would have never ended up in such a sorry state.

“Heh, Your Highness is already the regent, yet you still have such immature ideas? What does it matter whether it’s sincere? Everything in the realm is the territory of the sovereign, and all of its people his subjects. Do you really think they would dare to defy Your Highness?

“And Your Highness overestimates their relationship to the King of Foreign Lands. In the end, their relationship is a commercial one. Is Your Highness going to tell me that their relationship with the King of Foreign Lands is so good that they would be willing to put the lives of their entire clan at risk?” the Ghost King indifferently said, not raising his head from the tiny characters in his book. It was like the First Prince’s question was so absurd that he could hardly be bothered to answer.

“On one side is the King of Foreign Lands, but on the other side is the successor to the throne. Your Highness, if you were in their position, how would you choose?”

The Ghost King’s last words plunged the Eastern Palace into silence, and everyone’s eyes glowed.

It was true! All of them had been worried about far too much and Wang Chong’s edge had been far too sharp. They had momentarily forgotten that most essential fact.

Just how many people in the world were willing to throw away their lives so that one man could oppose the future Sage Emperor?

“Your Highness, just sit back and prepare to receive the good news!” the Ghost King commented without raising his head.

A smile slowly formed on the First Prince’s lips.

“Kim U-Seok! Did you hear what the Ghost King said before? Starting from now, I need you to keep a close watch on the King of Foreign Lands and all the great clans of the capital. Inform me immediately on any new developments.”

The First Prince suddenly turned to a nearby bowed figure.

The man had two sabers sheathed on his back and a fierce gyrfalcon on his shoulder. He had a rather sinister face, and his bearing was not that of a person from the Central Plains. From his facial features, he was clearly a Goguryeon.

“Your Highness, be at ease. As long as I am here, the slightest activity in the King of Foreign Lands Residence or in the capital will be reported immediately. If there is an error, Your Highness may punish me as you please!”

Kim U-Seok spoke with a heavy Goguryeon accent, and his entire body exuded confidence. It was as if there was nothing in the world that he couldn’t accomplish.

“Good! Be at ease! As long as you loyally serve this prince, this prince will fulfill his promises to you! Not only will you receive immense riches, you will possess authority that you never could have imagined in Goguryeo!” the First Prince said.

“Many thanks, Your Highness!”

Kim U-Seok immediately got to his knees and prostrated.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1640 - The Smug First Prince!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1640 - The Smug First Prince!
Chapter 1640: The Smug First Prince!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Into the night, the homes of the Zhang, Li, Huang, and Lu Clans were still brightly lit. Within the conference hall of the Lu Clan, the Lu Clan Patriarch had a vexed expression as he anxiously paced back and forth. All the elders and retainers of the Lu Clan were around him.

Their brows were furrowed and their faces worried. The reason for all this was an ordinary invitation card on the table, no larger than a palm.

“How is it? Any news from the King of Foreign Lands?”

The Lu Clan Patriarch turned to the key member of the Lu Clan responsible for communications.

“Still none. Maybe I should just go to the King of Foreign Lands Residence myself!” the core member of the Lu Clan replied.

The Lu Clan Residence was actually very close to the King of Foreign Lands Residence. He had made this request before, but the Lu Clan Patriarch had required him to send a letter.

“No!”

Despite his worries, the Lu Clan Patriarch firmly denied the request.

“The King of Foreign Lands is surrounded by scouts and spies, even from foreign countries. The number of spies and assassins cleared out every day from the surroundings of the King of Foreign Lands Residence is immense, and none of these people care about their lives. If we go there now, we will cause a major problem. The Lu Clan is not a martial clan, and we have no way of dealing with such a complicated situation.”

The recently completed King of Foreign Lands Residence had already become the center of the storm engulfing the entire realm.

A battle at the city gates would also catch the fish in the moat. If they went to the King of Foreign Lands Residence at this time, they would inevitably cause misunderstandings and bring about unnecessary problems. Wang Chong had also considered this point and had requested all of them to only send carrier pigeons unless the matter was of utmost importance.

“Reporting!”

At this moment of unease, there was a flurry of footsteps, and a few moments later, a guard of the Lu Clan came in.

“Patriarch, we have just received a letter from the King of Foreign Lands. Please take a look.”

These words caused the entire conference hall to fall silent, everyone looking at the guard.

“Bring it over!”

The Lu Clan Patriarch hastily snatched the letter and opened it up, but after glancing at it, his face froze in shock.

“Patriarch, what did the King of Foreign Lands say?”

The elders and core members of the clan expectantly looked at the patriarch, but after not receiving a reply for some time, they began to grow surprised.

“Take a look for yourselves!”

The Lu Clan Patriarch simply handed the letter over.

The letter made the rounds through the hall, and once everyone had gotten a look, their expressions were just as strange as the patriarch’s.

“这……”

“This…”

All of them glanced at each other, unable to speak.

After a long silence, the Lu Clan Patriarch finally said, “I also don’t know what the King of Foreign Lands is thinking, but since he has spoken, we’ll just do as he says!”

Similar scenes took place across the capital.

Half a month went by in the blink of an eye, and it was soon the opening day for the Great Buddhist Temple.

The Great Buddhist Temple was seated on a mountain outside the capital. Even though the appointed time had not arrived, there was already a vast sea of people gathered at the base of the mountain. The matter of the First Prince paying for the construction of a Buddhist temple had been the talk of the capital, and countless common folk had come to view the event.

Unlike the Imperial Court, many ordinary folk in the capital were not very sensitive to political matters. They had come purely to see the First Prince and the massive ten-some-meter-tall Buddha idol in front of the temple.

“Your Highness, the Huang Clan has sent a letter. Please look it over!”

On another mountain not far from the Great Buddhist Temple, a golden-armored Eastern Palace guard kneeled on the ground.

“Good!”

On the summit, the First Prince’s eyes shone in delight.

“Hand it over!”

The First Prince was even more delighted once he read the contents of the letter.

“Zhu Tong’en, how many of the great clans have agreed to attend the ceremony?”

The First Prince folded up the letter and turned in the direction of the wind, a fresh and relaxed feeling in his heart.

Zhu Tong’en stood seven feet behind the First Prince as he bowed and reported, “Your Highness, at present, we have received more than five thousand replies, and at least eighty percent of the great clans have agreed to attend the ceremony. And this number is increasing, and we expect that even more will come.”

“Haha, okay!”

The First Prince rejoiced at this news.

“Senior Ghost King’s plan was truly flawless. To think that a mere Buddhist temple would be able to draw in almost all the renowned clans of the capital. This prince wasted so much time wracking his mind and taking such great pains to try and recruit all these factions!”

As he looked across to that dazzling and vast Great Buddhist Temple on the other side, as well as the vast crowd gathered in front of it, the First Prince finally and completely acknowledged the Ghost King.

His greatest worry had been his inability to obtain the support of the people. Without this foundation, he had always felt that his efforts to sit upon the throne had been missing something.

But now, things were different. As long as these great clans supported him, his position would be right and proper, as steady as Mount Tai.

The sun had just risen, and there was still a very long time until the time listed in the invitation cards would arrive. The First Prince’s sense was right. As time passed, more and more commoners gathered at the base of the mountain, and the First Prince received more and more letters. Each reply made the expression on the First Prince’s face even more dazzling.

“A wise man knows when to submit to fate! What does the opposition of the King of Foreign Lands matter? In the end, the great clans of the capital have chosen to stand with this prince. With the support of these clans, what can’t this prince achieve?”

A gentle breeze swept across, and the First Prince felt refreshed.

Once the day was over, who in the capital would dare to be his enemy?!

“Pass on this prince’s order! Inform all the representatives of the great clans and prepare for the opening ceremony!” the First Prince suddenly said.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

A guard rushed away.

The anticipated moment had finally come.

Bong!

With the resounding ring of a bell, the Great Buddhist Temple that the First Prince had financially backed was finally opening. As Buddhist chants filled the air, the countless commoners began to surge up the mountain.

“Amitabha!”

On the summit, nearly one hundred monks wearing golden kasayas stood in a row, a magnificent sight to behold.

For this opening ceremony, the First Prince had invited the head monks from various temples to join in the festivities.

Soon, the ceremony reached its most important phase.

“Gracious benefactors, thank you for coming to the opening ceremony for this temple. The merciful Buddha holds compassion for all living beings. The Buddhist texts say that to make offerings to the Buddha is to make offerings to all living things, and to sustain the Buddha is to sustain all life, a most meritorious deed. Thus, with the opening of this Buddhist temple, we request the support and offerings of the gracious benefactors. But as all beings are equal in the eyes of the Buddha, all offerings, no matter how big or small, are the same. Everyone can offer as much or as little as they are comfortable with.”

The genial abbot of the Great Buddhist Temple was an eminent monk who the First Prince had invited.

“This temple was only constructed with the assistance of the First Prince. His Highness has an esteemed and imperial status, but he holds a merciful and compassionate heart, truly a blessing for all peoples. Now, we invite the First Prince to say a few words!”

The abbot stepped backed and glanced at the nearby Li Ying.

The abbot had barely spoken when the mountain exploded with cheers.

“First Prince!”

“First Prince!”

“First Prince!”

The cheers resounded through the world.

As he saw the crowds cheer, the First Prince’s heart swelled with joy.

He felt as though he wasn’t standing at the peak of a mountain, but within the majestic Taiji Palace, receiving the respect and support of all his subjects.

“Everyone, as the abbot said, making offerings to the Buddha is the same as making offerings to all living beings. This prince supported the construction of this temple for the sake of my Great Tang, for the prosperity of all the people of the realm. This prince will take the lead and donate one hundred thousand strings of cash for the Buddhist temple to use.

“In addition, all the incense, oil, and money received in this ceremony will be used for charitable purposes, so that the Great Buddhist Temple can serve as a place of shelter for the orphans and widows of the area,” the First Prince loudly proclaimed.

Boom!

All the common folk of the capital cheered.

“The First Prince is truly a benevolent and kind person!”

“So the First Prince built this temple for the sake of the orphans and widows!”

“A kind and benevolent Prince is bound to be a kind and benevolent sovereign! That abbot was right! If the First Prince becomes the sovereign of the Great Tang, it will be a blessing to the people of the realm!”

All the commoners became excited at the First Prince’s words.

Many of the spectators to this ceremony had come due to the First Prince’s fame, and they had not expected to hear such words.

The cheering grew louder and louder, and as the First Prince took in their ardent cries and felt their sincere support, he grew even more energetic and joyful.

A single Buddhist temple had gotten him the support of the great clans and won the hearts of the people. There was no better deal in the entire world.

Bong!

With the banging of gongs, the ceremony began, and the representatives of the great clans began to come forward.

“The Li Clan of the capital donates eight thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

“The Duan Clan of the capital donates six thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

“The Zhang Clan of the capital donates three thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1641 - The King of Foreign Lands Arrives!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1641 - The King of Foreign Lands Arrives!
Chapter 1641: The King of Foreign Lands Arrives!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The First Prince’s orders had been quickly transmitted, stirring up ripples amongst the great clans who had come to the ceremony.

“Five thousand taels? And in gold! Why does he want this much? Where will a small clan like ours get so much gold in so little time?”

“The First Prince said that if you don’t have enough, write down your name, and you can pay it later.”

“Patriarch, why don’t we just leave? Let’s not bother ourselves with this.”

“Bastard! What are you saying? We’re already here and we already replied to the invitation card. You think it’s up to us whether we can leave or not?!”

The mention of five thousand taels of gold had everyone nastily grimacing, but the arrow had already been loosed. Regrets were too late.

Compared to the immense loss of five thousand taels, offending the future Crown Prince of the Great Tang was even worse. Despite their internal struggles, those clans who had come to the ceremony quickly made their decisions.

With the banging of gongs, one representative after another came forward.

“The Zhao Clan of the capital donates five thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

“The Huang Clan of the capital donates six thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

“The Sun Clan of the capital donates eight thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

Even though five thousand taels of gold was a significant burden for the smaller clans, the First Prince’s jubilation also made them rather happy. Five thousand taels of gold was nothing if they could make the future Crown Prince happy.

“The Xia Clan of the western part of the capital donates nine thousand taels of gold to celebrate the opening of the Great Buddhist Temple!”

“The Duan Clan of the southern part of the capital donates ten thousand taels of gold!”

“The Yang Clan of the capital donates twelve thousand taels of gold!”

The Jia Clan of the capital donates twenty thousand taels of gold!”

“The Lei Clan of the capital donates twenty-three thousand taels of gold!”

The more prosperous clans began to donate more and more, and by the end, it seemed like they were competing with each other. Their donations far surpassed the five thousand tael threshold the First Prince had set.

“Heavens! We’re at fifty thousand taels now! I can’t believe this!”

The spectators of the ceremony were having their eyes opened. Opening ceremonies for Daoist and Buddhist temples were common occurrences, and there were many people who made donations. But they were mostly just a few taels, perhaps ten-some taels, and the most was several hundred taels of silver. The immense sums being donated to the Great Buddhist Temple left even the old-timers of the capital flabbergasted.

The donations were getting larger and larger, and all this money was congregating around the First Prince.

“Your Highness, at present, we have received more than ten million taels of gold in donations. Nearly all the clans attending the ceremony have donated more than the five thousand tael limit. The number is only growing, and we might be able to exceed fifty million taels by the end of the ceremony!”

Zhu Tong’en was at the back of the temple, responsible for handling the donations from the great clans and reporting the final number to the First Prince. It was simply unimaginable that building a single Buddhist temple would ultimately result in a harvest of fifty million taels of gold in ‘donations’.

This was a massive sum. One had to remember that when Wang Chong was buying strategic resources like warhorses for the Great Tang, the Imperial Court had only been able to apportion ten million taels of gold. But the Fifth Prince merely had to build a Buddhist temple to obtain fifty million. This was the power of the title of the First Prince!

The First Prince was seated on a sandalwood chair in the back of the temple, and as he listened to the numbers reported by Zhu Tong’en, his smile grew wider and wider.

“Congratulations, Your Highness! Only Your Highness would be able to draw so many great clans to a Buddhist temple and have them donate more than ten million taels of gold!”

“It is clear that the great clans believe that there is no other candidate for the Crown Prince than Your Highness!”

“With the support of these clans and the prestige of Your Highness, the Great Tang is certain to prosper and reach even greater heights!”

The advisors wasted no time in congratulating the First Prince.

“There is no need for such praise. These donations to the Great Buddhist Temple are merely an expression of the compassion in their hearts and cannot be used as an indicator for anything. As for the Great Tang, in the future, I will have to rely on all of you!”

The First Prince put on a humble face, but with his last words, he revealed his true thoughts.

No one in the Great Tang except him was worthy of inheriting that supreme throne!

“Reporting!”

At that moment, a guard rushed in, but when he saw the smiling First Prince and his advisors, he hesitated.

The First Prince frowned as he harshly rebuked, “Talk! There are no outsiders here! There’s nothing to fear!”

The guard bowed and reported, “Your Highness, the capital’s Zhang Clan, Huang Clan, Lu Clan, and Li Clan have all come to the ceremony and donated one hundred thousand taels of gold!”

The crowd fell silent. One hundred thousand taels of gold was a massive sum, and even the powerful clans would find this a large burden.

But given the previous donations made in the ceremony, one hundred thousand gold taels also didn’t seem too outstanding. After all, it was only some tens of thousands of taels more than the other clans.

No one understood why the guard had come particularly to report this matter.

Zhu Tong’en suddenly had a thought and asked, “Which Zhang, Huang, Lu, and Li Clans are you referring to?”

“Milord, the four great sword-smithing clans!”

Buzz!

The guard’s voice was not loud, but his words made everyone pale, Li Ying included.

In the Great Tang, these four clans had an exceptionally unique status. It wasn’t merely because they possessed the highest level of sword-smithing in the Great Tang and had a complete system of weapons production.

More importantly, everyone present understood that these four clans were allied to the First Prince’s greatest enemy, the King of Foreign Lands and the Wang Clan.

Whether it was in the war of the southwest or the Battle of Talas, these clans had played vital roles in Wang Chong’s battles. One could say that Wang Chong partially owed his current status to these four clans.

The Wang Clan was no longer merely a name. It represented a massive faction that had countless great clans behind it, all of them working for the collective good of the entire faction.

“Hahaha, good!”

The First Prince’s eyes flashed and his body shivered with elation as he stood up from his seat.

“A wise man knows when to submit to fate, but I didn’t think that they would actually come. With so many people assisting me, this prince can accomplish anything!”

The First Prince was brimming with joy.

The four great sword-smithing clans had also joined in the opening ceremony of his Buddhist temple. This was something that the First Prince had never believed possible. It was clear that when it came down to the future Crown Prince and a mere King, these clans had elected for the wiser choice.

The harvest from the Great Buddhist Temple had been much greater than he had imagined.

“The sovereign is the sovereign and the subject, the subject. This can never be changed. King of Foreign Lands, you opposed this prince at every turn, but you probably never imagined that a single invitation card would be enough to take away these clans that followed you. This prince would like to see how you continue to oppose me!”

The First Prince was jubilant and assured.

The good news kept on coming, as a continuous stream of clans who had been allied to Wang Chong arrived.

“Tell them that when the ceremony is over, this prince would like to meet with them!” the First Prince sternly said.

More and more clans arrived and the atmosphere grew even more excited. The donations quickly exceeded twenty million.

Bong!

The ringing of a bell echoed across the mountains.

In the Great Buddhist Temple, near the edge of a cliff, the First Prince had placed a massive bronze bell. This bell was ten feet high and weighed more than seven thousand jin. The First Prince had also had the outside gilded with gold and inscribed with words. Next to this golden bell was a massive bronze hammer. This bell was named the Blessing Bell, and anyone who donated more than five thousand taels of gold was allowed to use the bronze hammer to strike the bell to pray for their clan’s good fortune.

This was probably the most expensive blessing in the entire capital, but in the hour since the ceremony had begun, the bell had rung again and again, thunderously pealing across the mountains.

With each strike, the crowd would explosively cheer, and an air of excitement and enthusiasm suffused the ceremony.

But just when the First Prince was at his happiest, a surprising development took place.

“Reporting!”

An Eastern Palace guard drenched in sweat rushed into the rear courtyard.

“Your Highness, the King of Foreign Lands is coming!”

The courtyard went deathly still, as if time had stopped.

The bell outside rang again and again, the cheers rising and falling, but the First Prince’s mood was rapidly cooling. No one had expected to hear this title at this time. ‘King of Foreign Lands’ was a term that the First Prince and his advisors wanted to hear the least at this time.

The First Prince creased his brow and asked, “What do you mean? What is this about the King of Foreign Lands coming? Did we receive his calling card, or is the King of Foreign Lands approaching the mountain?”

“None of them.”

The guard shook his head, his face uneasy.

“The King of Foreign Lands is already at the base of the mountain and is making his way up to the summit!”

Bang!

It was like a boulder had been dropped into a calm lake. Everyone was struck dumb. Although the First Prince had sent invitations to every renowned clan of the capital for this ceremony, he had never sent one to the King of Foreign Lands.

The First Prince’s expression instantly darkened.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1642 - Coming Prepared!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1642 - Coming Prepared!
Chapter 1642: Coming Prepared!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“This bastard! This prince never invited him, so he invited himself? I’d like to see what he’s going to try!” the First Prince sternly said, and his advisors scowled.

As the saying went, visitors had bad intentions and those with good intentions did not visit. Wang Chong appearing at this time was definitely not good news.

“Come! Follow this prince!”

With a sweep of his sleeve, the First Prince coldly walked out of the courtyard.

……

The Great Buddhist Temple consisted of several dozen temples and side rooms, all built in an ancient and elegant style imbued with its own particular character. And in front of the gilded main hall was a massive Buddha ten-some meters tall, one hand facing the heavens and the other pointed to the earth, its face solemn and dignified. It was the center of the discussion.

“What grandeur! As expected of the First Prince! No other temple can compare to the majesty of this one!”

“What’s important is the First Prince’s compassionate heart. Isn’t this exactly the same as the Buddhist view?”

“In the future, this Buddhist temple might become the biggest Buddhist temple in the capital, perhaps in all of the Great Tang! You won’t be able to say that you’ve visited the capital unless you’ve visited the Great Buddhist Temple!”

The packed crowds outside the temple were extremely excited. But at this moment, a loud cry resounded across the peak.

“The King of Foreign Lands has arrived!”

This cry was like a peal of thunder sweeping across the sky, and the vast crowd was instantly struck dumb.

Then, with eyes of shock, joy, confusion, or respect, they all looked down the mountain.

Even the clan representatives who were in line to strike the Blessing Bell looked over in surprise.

In the Great Tang, there was almost no one who did not know the name of the King of Foreign Lands. This was the most illustrious and most focused-on individual in the entire Central Plains.

But things were not as simple for the gathered great clans.

“Weren’t the King of Foreign Lands and the First Prince at odds with each other? Why… why would the King of Foreign Lands appear at a time like this?”

The clan patriarchs felt their hearts thump against their chests, a sudden unease taking hold.

After the Public Order Squad incident, the First Prince’s relationship with Wang Chong had ceased to be a secret. To the sharper great clans, although the pair had not entered into open hostilities that day, that scowling face on the palace walls had been branded into their minds. That alone had been enough to understand their relationship.

Moreover, the First Prince had also played a significant role in pushing Wang Chong out of the court and stripping him of his post as Advisor-in-Waiting.

If the great clans of the capital didn’t even have this level of political sense, they would have declined long ago.

All of them now sensed something unusual about the appearance of the King of Foreign Lands at this juncture.

A few moments later, the crowd spotted a dazzling golden carriage with a retinue in front and behind that was making its way up the mountain. A banner extended from the front shaft, depicting a violet flame and a golden dragon claw.

This was the exclusive insignia of the King of Foreign Lands.

Bang!

The appearance of the carriage at the base of the mountain instantly had the crowd in an uproar, and the mood grew even more excited.

“King of Foreign Lands!”

“King of Foreign Lands!”

“King of Foreign Lands!”

Ardent cheers came in wave after wave, shaking the heavens. Unlike the other attendees of this ceremony, these were the most ordinary and simplest of common folk. They had no care for political affairs and did not sense the change in the mood.

To the common people of the capital, the King of Foreign Lands was the Great Tang’s invincible and undefeated War God, the hero who protected the Great Tang. It was just that simple.

Countless people adored and revered him.

A few moments later, the crowd halfway up the mountain parted, allowing the escort of Golden Guards in their opulent armor to come through. Right behind these Golden Guards was Wang Chong in his golden crown and dragon robe, his eyes bright and his expression proud as he confidently walked up.

The crowd’s eyes brightened upon seeing this form of Wang Chong, his handsome and energetic appearance exuding an entirely different aura when he was attired in his royal robes. It was a handsome and graceful youth, but one who also carried with him nobility and majesty.

Wang Chong’s amazing record and his miraculous feats, as well as his formidable display in the court, had made all the people subconsciously accept his status. It made them momentarily forget that Wang Chong was only eighteen years old.

When that thick aura of the battlefield was washed away, what was left was a graceful young master.

“Paying respects to the King of Foreign Lands!”

The representatives from the great clans tensed as they came forward and bowed.

This youth was the most powerful and most illustrious youth in perhaps the entire world.

When it came to status, he surpassed everyone else present.

Even those great clans who wanted to form a good relationship with the First Prince did not dare to delay in coming forward to bow.

Just when everyone was going up to greet Wang Chong, a cold voice came from the summit, and there was a clanging of footsteps. The First Prince arrived with his guards, his expression as cold as his voice.

“The King of Foreign Lands is truly a refined character. To think you would have time to attend this prince’s ceremony… But this prince seems to have forgotten; just when did this prince give the King of Foreign Lands an invitation card?”

Given all that had happened before, the First Prince did not believe that Wang Chong had truly come to congratulate him. With his question, he was essentially saying, ‘Wang Chong, you are not welcome.’

The surrounding crowd sensed this and instantly paled, their eyes going back and forth between Wang Chong and the First Prince.

This is bad!

Their eyes twitched. Although it was said that all guests would be happily received, the First Prince’s face said otherwise. No one wanted to get swept into the struggle between Wang Chong and the First Prince at a time like this, becoming sacrificial offerings to these two massive behemoths.

On the other side, Wang Chong had a relaxed and unperturbed expression.

Finally here!

Wang Chong looked around at the Great Buddhist Temple and the dense crowd, his gaze resting for a few moments on the ten-meter-tall Buddha.

In his last life, Wang Chong had not had the chance to see this Great Buddhist Temple. At the time, the Wang Clan had already fallen, and later on, this temple would also be turned into a sea of fire.

But even so, this place had left an incredibly deep impression on Wang Chong. During the opening ceremony, a vast crowd had gathered, and more than forty million taels of gold was donated. This was almost four years of military expenditure for the Great Tang, and the First Prince had collected it with a single temple.

Moreover, even though he said that this money was for the orphans and widows of the Great Tang, the First Prince had only devoted a small portion to the temple and to building a few charity houses. Ninety percent was retained exclusively by the First Prince to be used as capital for his rebellion.

One could say that this Buddhist temple was the opening of the Rebellion of the Three Princes and was of utmost importance to the First Prince. At the minimum, without the immense sum of money he gained from it, he would not have been able to so smoothly proceed with his plans.

Wang Chong would never miss out on this occasion.

When he saw this dense crowd, this important scene from his past once more playing itself out, Wang Chong couldn’t help but feel a little dazed. Many things had changed after his rebirth, and the Great Buddhist Temple was opening much earlier than before.

Wang Chong didn’t know what else had changed, but that ten-meter-tall, many-armed Buddha was something that he remembered.

It was exactly the same as the one he had heard about at the time.

…Except for the eye in the center of its forehead.

A moment later, Wang Chong returned to his senses.

“Heh, it is rare for the First Prince to show such compassion. Given that you have constructed such a grand temple and created such a stir, how could this king not come? Even though Your Highness did not send an invitation card, this king had to come and see no matter what.”

Wang Chong looked at the First Prince, his casual comment easily handling the First Prince’s question.

He once more scanned the crowd, which was looking over with excited eyes. All of them were staring at Wang Chong and the First Prince. Many knew of the conflict between Wang Chong and the First Prince, but none of them knew that Wang Chong was appearing here for their sake.

If he didn’t appear here, many great clans would be crushed into dust once the ceremony was over. Any clan that did not take part in this grand affair would be suppressed and bullied, and more than one hundred clans would end up broken and shattered.

While those clans that participated would escape for the moment, the punishments they eventually received would be even greater.

It would be a complete and utter disaster!

Those clans that had colluded with the First Prince truly were to blame, but in the end, it was all for the sake of survival. In the end, their calamity was a calamity for the Great Tang.

Since I’m here, I have to stop this calamity no matter what!

This was Wang Chong’s private thought, and no one else knew what he was thinking.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1643 - The Grand Scribe Arrives!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1643 - The Grand Scribe Arrives!
Chapter 1643: The Grand Scribe Arrives!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Hmph, the King of Foreign Lands is truly a sociable person. From your tone, you blame this prince for not inviting you?” the First Prince coldly asked.

“Haha, there’s no need to send an invitation card for something like this. Your Highness is busy with so many matters that forgetting to send one or two invitations is normal!”

Wang Chong chuckled and casually waved his hand.

The First Prince’s face went ghastly pale. Wang Chong was acting the fool, and in any case, he was already here. The First Prince couldn’t just drive him away.

“Come! Give the King of Foreign Lands a seat!”

The First Prince clenched his teeth and glanced at Zhu Tong’en and his advisors, engaging in a wordless conversation.

The wood had already been built into a boat, and almost all the great clans of the capital were here and had already made their donations. The ceremony was on the verge of ending, so he was truly interested to see what sort of trick Wang Chong would play.

The First Prince feared no scheme from Wang Chong at this juncture.

“Your Highness, that’s not necessary!”

Just when the First Prince’s men were about to get Wang Chong a chair, Wang Chong grinned and took two steps forward.

“I see that the opening ceremony is basically finished, so this king will get straight to the point! Xu Keyi, bring forth twelve hundred taels of gold to donate to the Great Buddhist Temple in this king’s name.”

The First Prince’s face instantly sank. He had just made a rule that all the donor clans had to donate at least five thousand taels, but despite Wang Chong’s esteemed status and visit without invitation, he was only donating twelve hundred. This was clearly to make trouble.

A voice came from behind the First Prince. “Hmph, I heard that Your Highness is wealthy beyond compare, rich enough to buy half the capital, but Your Highness is only donating twelve hundred taels, even less than some of the smaller clans in the capital? Isn’t this just a little too miserly?”

An advisor with a three-pronged beard like goat whiskers had immediately stepped forward to indignantly rebuke Wang Chong.

Behind Wang Chong, Cheng Sanyuan stepped forward and coldly retorted, “Hmph, who said that His Highness was only donating twelve hundred taels? His Highness wasn’t finished speaking, so why the rush? And besides, when His Highness speaks, is it your right to question him?”

“Cheng Sanyuan, step back!” Wang Chong promptly rebuked, but his voice did not carry any reprimand.

“This king has heard that Your Highness is gathering donations at the Great Buddhist Temple to help the orphans and widows of the realm. Wang Chong feels great admiration for Your Highness’s benevolence. Thus, this king has decided to set aside twenty million taels of gold to join Your Highness in assisting the orphans and widows of the Great Tang,” Wang Chong said.

Boom!

The great clans gathered on the summit and the crowd at the base of the mountain exploded with cries of alarm. All of them stared in shock at the King of Foreign Lands, stunned by the number he had given.

“Twenty million taels!”

“Heavens!”

“This is much greater than the First Prince has donated!”

In the Great Tang, a family of four wouldn’t spend more than a few taels of gold per year. The twenty million taels Wang Chong was donating was simply incomprehensible to the crowd. This was enough money to sustain one million common folk for a year.

The members of the great clans were also dumbfounded, their eyes alarmed and uncertain. This action from Wang Chong was too surprising, but this was not their true concern.

The First Prince’s claim that he would donate money to the temple and the orphans and widows was merely a pretext. Probably more than half the money would enter his personal purse.

It was precisely because they understood this point that they had donated so much. The King of Foreign Lands probably didn’t know this, and in the end, the money he donated would just fatten the First Prince.

The representatives of the great clans stared at Wang Chong in unease. But none of them dared to speak while the First Prince was present.

The First Prince had also been caught unaware by Wang Chong’s action, and once he realized what had been said, he internally sneered.

You think yourself so smart! You think that your twenty million taels of gold can seize back the hearts of the people from this prince? How foolish!

The First Prince hid his thoughts well, and what he said took on an entirely different tone.

“The King of Foreign Lands truly has a kind and generous heart, as expected of a King of my Great Tang. Since the King of Foreign Lands is the same as this prince and has a heart for those orphans and widows, this prince will accept the money in their place.”

The First Prince’s expression completely transformed, and if one looked carefully, one could spot a thin smile on his lips.

In his eyes, Wang Chong was a complete idiot, a buffoon.

Behind the First Prince, his advisors sneered, their eyes brimming with derision. It was clear that they thought the same as the First Prince.

Wang Chong took it all in with a smile. How could he not understand what the First Prince was thinking?

But Wang Chong did not expose him. Twenty million taels of gold was not small, but it wasn’t that easy to get his gold. The First Prince was celebrating too early.

“In addition, as the First Prince is holding this event for the benefit of the orphans and widows of this world, this king believes that we should publicly announce this matter, for two reasons. One: we can have all the people of the realm know of the First Prince’s benevolent heart. Two: we can have even more people participate.

“Thus, this king summoned Grand Scribe Yan Wenzhang to record this matter so that our descendants can sing its praises. However, the Grand Scribe seems to have developed a small misunderstanding of the matter, and on the road, he said that he wanted to personally meet with Your Highness and discuss it,” Wang Chong said.

Buzz!

The First Prince’s advisors instantly paled, and First Prince Li Ying felt all his smugness evaporate, his face nastily scowling.

The Grand Scribe!

This was the post responsible in all the dynasties for recording historical matters into the annals, and those who held this post had stiff and inflexible personalities. All the Grand Scribes were grim and diehard conservatives.

The art of history emphasized practicality and reality, with no decoration or embellishment. Very few people knew that the Grand Scribe had another, hidden, duty: monitoring the imperial censors.

All the historians knew the laws of the Great Tang like the backs of their hands, but they were so busy recording historical events that they rarely had time to make impeachments. But the moment they knew of something that went against the law, particularly when the perpetrator was a sovereign or prince, they would submit a memorial and be dogged in their pursuit.

Yan Wenzhang was an outstanding example of such an official.

When he was young, Yan Wenzhang had already gained a reputation for not tolerating even a grain of sand in his eyes, and this attitude had only worsened with age.

As this was a society that respected the elderly, even the First Prince showed respect for him and did not dare to leave behind anything that could be used against him.

One could say that Grand Scribe Yan Wenzhang was one of the people that Li Ying wanted to see the least at this moment.

“Get out of the way! Out of the way!”

Wang Chong had barely finished speaking when turmoil erupted from the base of the mountain. The crowd began to part as several members of the Yan Clan escorted a white-haired elder up.

This elder was wearing a simple white robe. He held a book in his left hand and a brush in the other as he angrily stormed up the slope.

Everyone who saw this elder paled, even those representatives from the great clans backing away.

Almost all of the great clans present had come for the First Prince’s sake. If Grand Scribe Yan Wenzhang spotted them, then a few notes might be added into the annals, such as, ‘in this year, the First Prince built a Buddhist temple, and the Luo Clan and Zhao Clan of the capital went to the ceremony to flatter him’, and in the future, their clans would be infamous.

The official’s brush and the general’s saber were equally formidable. And the Grand Scribe’s brush was one of the most formidable!

“Your Highness! No! Twenty million taels of gold is absolutely unacceptable!”

Yan Wenzhang’s head was drenched in sweat. It was clear that climbing up the mountain had rather exhausted him.

But this was a minor matter to Yan Wenzhang. The moment he reached the summit, he rushed up to Wang Chong.

“King of Foreign Lands, this old man has already told you several times: the Great Tang has its laws, and this is not legal!”

After saying this to Wang Chong, Yan Wenzhang apparently noticed the First Prince. His face froze, and then he walked over to the First Prince in shock.

“Your Highness, in Article 1328 of the Tang law code, it states that members of the imperial household are strictly forbidden from accepting donations from officials, generals, and the people. While Your Highness might have built the Great Buddhist Temple for the orphans and widows of the realm, this old subject finds this matter completely unacceptable. Your Highness, please return the donations to the clans!”

Bzzz! Yan Wenzhang’s words made all the great clans fall silent.

The First Prince’s face swelled and turned the color of liver.

But from Yan Wenzhang’s expression, he could tell that this was no joke.

Bastard!

The First Prince clenched his fists in rage, but he was unable to vent his spleen.

The post of Grand Scribe was too sensitive, and the Yan clan was a clan of Grand Scribes. Not even Emperor Taizong had been able to do anything about these historians, so how could he?

More importantly, he had just learned that the donations from the great clans had reached twenty million, and this number would only get larger.

This was no small number, and Yan Wenzhang was asking him to return it all. How could he accept this?!

Wang Chong!

The First Prince felt an even greater loathing for Wang Chong.

Zhu Tong’en stepped forward and bowed as he hastily explained, “Grand Scribe, you’ve misunderstood. The First Prince paid for the construction of this Buddhist temple, and all the donations will be administered by the temple, not enter His Highness’s purse!”

If the Grand Scribe of the Great Tang got serious and wrote this matter into the annals, who knew what effects it would have? The First Prince had yet to ascend to the throne, and such an event could have ill effects on his chances.

Zhu Tong’en had broken out in a cold sweat.

“This is still unacceptable! The great clans who appeared here did so because of their admiration for the First Prince’s status, and there has never been precedent in this dynasty for someone of the First Prince’s status building a Buddhist temple and then accepting donations from the great clans! If Your Highness does not agree, this old subject has no other choice but to submit a memorial to the Sage Emperor and the Imperial Court!” Yan Wenzhang sternly said, clearly intending to see this through until the very end.

The First Prince’s expression turned nastier and nastier.

Zhu Tong’en and the other advisors were restrained in their actions, afraid that overdoing things would only harden Yan Wenzhang’s stance.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1644 - The Futility of Drawing Water with a Wicker Basket!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1644 - The Futility of Drawing Water with a Wicker Basket!
Chapter 1644: The Futility of Drawing Water with a Wicker Basket!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Grand Scribe, this prince…”

The First Prince’s eyes were uncertain, and just when he was thinking about how to respond, a clear and bright voice spoke up.

“Grand Scribe, the First Prince is kind and benevolent. How could he be the person you speak of?” Wang Chong asked, smiling faintly.

That he was speaking up in the First Prince’s defense left everyone else stunned.

The First Prince felt his heart thump, instinctively sensing that something was wrong. Given their relationship, Wang Chong would never speak up on his behalf.

Wang Chong followed up with an unexpected proposition.

“If Grand Scribe is worried that the First Prince is using the excuse of the Great Buddhist Temple to accept bribes, then once the ceremony is over, His Highness can seal up all the ledgers along with the donations and allow Grand Scribe to keep watch over them.

“Moreover, the First Prince is currently busy running the country and presumably cannot make any extra time to take care of the orphans and widows. It would be better to hand over the matter to the Imperial Court. Gathering officials from the various bureaus, supervised by the imperial censors, a special department should be set up to handle this operation, with all the expenses clearly recorded.

“In this way, we can realize the First Prince’s original intentions and assist all the orphans and widows of the realm while also wiping away Grand Scribe’s worries. Both sides will be satisfied. I trust that the First Prince will not object!”

These words made the members of the Eastern Palace turn ashen, and the First Prince’s face turned nasty.

Twenty million taels of gold together with Wang Chong’s donation made forty million taels. This was an immense sum of wealth, so how could he just sit back and watch as the gold flowed out from between his fingers?

Thus, the First Prince had been planning to agree with the Grand Scribe on the surface while privately playing a few tricks. But Wang Chong’s talk about handing the entire matter over to the Imperial Court, even involving the imperial censors, instantly pushed the First Prince into an extremely passive position.

Once everything went as Wang Chong proposed, tricks would be impossible.

More importantly, in the current climate, he couldn’t refuse even if he wanted to.

“Your Highness! Your opinion?”

Wang Chong smiled as he stared at the First Prince and added another blow.

All was quiet for some time. Finally, the First Prince managed to barely squeeze out his reply.

“This prince… naturally does not object!”

It was no longer his choice.

The Great Tang’s laws were extremely strict, and while he might have been able to disregard others, Yan Wenzhang held the brush of history. He was so old and respected that if he were truly set on an idea and wrote it into the books, it would be hard to predict the trouble he would stir up.

In addition, Yan Wenzhang was still rather unwilling to accept this affair. It was only through Wang Chong’s constant ‘persuasions’ that he finally came to barely tolerate this blessing to the people of the realm.

When the news reached the crowd down below, they exploded with cheers.

With so many common folk serving as witnesses and spreading the word, the First Prince didn’t even have a chance to back out.

“Bastard!!”

Once the ceremony was over, the First Prince returned to the rear courtyard, where he was finally able to slam his fists against a table, his teeth clenched so hard that they might shatter.

Wang Chong!!

Wang Chong again!!

Seated on his armchair, the First Prince seethed with hatred.

An excellent affair where he was about to kill two birds with one arrow had been utterly ruined by Wang Chong, and the twenty million taels of gold had flown out of his hands.

Twenty million taels!

Not even the First Prince had expected that they would gather this much gold!

But now, there was nothing.

The First Prince’s hatred toward Wang Chong reached into his bones.

“Your Highness, this is a problem. The ledger was taken away by Yan Wenzhang. Although we planned for this and made a copy, now, even the King of Foreign Lands has given a donation. Not only that, based on the reports we’ve gathered, quite a few clans, including some of the less well-off ones, had their donations provided by the King of Foreign Lands.

“In other words, it’s impossible for us to know whether these clans are sincere in their support! This goes completely against our original purpose. The ledger is useless.”

Zhu Tong’en spoke grimly, each word only managed with great difficulty.

“What?!”

The First Prince trembled in shock, his entire body dumbfounded.

……

Once the ceremony was over, at the base of the mountain, Wang Chong prepared to board his carriage, but he was stopped by the patriarchs of various great clans.

“Many thanks, Your Highness!”

The patriarchs of the Zhang, Huang, Lu, and Li Clans, as well as those of several smaller clans, respectfully bowed in front of Wang Chong.

Wang Chong swept his gaze past the patriarchs of the four sword-smithing clans and looked toward the patriarchs and representatives of the smaller clans. The sword-smithing clans were one thing, but Wang Chong couldn’t help but sigh when he looked at these smaller clans.

Fish in the moat were caught in the crossfire when the city gate was attacked, and when disaster struck, the first to be affected were these small clans with their weak reserves. This was why he had personally assisted them this time.

Following the principle of ‘Kill the chicken to cow the monkeys’, after the Great Buddhist Temple incident, numerous minor clans would end up being destroyed.

Their maids and servants, without even knowing what was going on, would be sold into slavery.

Wang Chong had run into one of these servants and learned of their tragedy, so this time, he had chosen to pay the donations for them. If they had not come and handed over the five thousand taels of gold, the consequences would have been unbearable.

“There’s no need to be polite.”

Coming to his senses, Wang Chong waved them off.

“No matter what, we must thank Your Highness. If Your Highness needs anything in the future, this Zhang Clan is willing to obey!” the patriarch of a minor Zhang Clan sternly said.

“That’s right. If Your Highness needs us, you may ask us anytime,” another minor clan patriarch said.

They had not realized the significance of the Great Buddhist Temple at first, only coming because they had received an invitation from the First Prince and did not dare to show disrespect.

But when the First Prince brought up the sum of five thousand taels of gold, they all understood the political nature of this event and broke out in a cold sweat.

If not for the help and advice of the King of Foreign Lands, they would have made a grave error, the consequences of which they were keenly aware.

They were all shedding tears of gratitude, so they asked the four sword-smithing clans to introduce them to Wang Chong so they could express their thanks.

Wang Chong simply smiled. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he sent them off.

Once they were gone and he was alone in his carriage with the four sword-smithing clan patriarchs, the patriarchs hesitantly glanced at each other.

The Lu Clan Patriarch was the first to break the silence. “Your Highness, we’ve troubled you this time, but… you spent twenty million taels of gold to help everyone. Is it truly worth it?”

Wang Chong chuckled.

“So you came to ask me about this?”

Their reaction was completely within his expectations, and he had known what they were going to ask the moment he spotted them.

“This… yes! Your Highness truly went to great lengths for us!” the Lu Clan Patriarch and his fellows uneasily said.

Twenty million taels was no small sum, and together with the assistance to the minor clans, Wang Chong had spent at least twenty-seven million taels of gold on the Great Buddhist Temple incident.

One could say that Wang Chong had not received a single benefit from the entire affair.

They couldn’t help but be bothered about this.

“Heh, if that’s all, then there’s no need for concern. It’s just twenty million taels of gold. It means nothing to this king. Moreover, in the end, this money will pass through the Imperial Court and be used for those orphans and widows. In other words, what comes from the people is used for the people.”

Wang Chong faintly smiled.

After the battles over Talas and Khorasan, Wang Chong had obtained a massive compensation from the Arabian Empire, and even after various expenditures, he still had a significant sum left.

Twenty million taels was truly a meager expense.

Moreover, what Wang Chong had left unsaid was that he truly was doing this for those orphans and widows.

Such people existed in all dynasties, and even that prosperous and highly-advanced world that Wang Chong had come from had not been able to avoid this, let alone a feudal society like this one.

Many problems had been concealed by the veneer of prosperity, and the dazzling light had made those places where the light couldn’t reach even darker.

Wang Chong had known in his past life that the Great Tang’s orphan problem was extremely grave. Even back in Taizong’s era, the foreigners on the border would infiltrate the Great Tang, take these orphans, and train them into assassins and spies to be used against the Great Tang.

And the constant warfare and excess fertility had led to even more orphans.

With the calamity imminent and the world going through great changes, even more children would be orphaned. Wang Chong had donated twenty million taels of gold during this incident to prepare for this.

At the very least, he could train these orphans and provide them something to eat so that they could survive in that apocalyptic era.

In the future, they would be the hope for the Great Tang, the hope of humanity!

But Wang Chong would never explain this to anyone.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1645 - A New Clue!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1645 - A New Clue!
Chapter 1645: A New Clue!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The Great Buddhist Temple incident had come to an end, but its effects were still being felt. With the backing of Wang Chong and Yan Wenzhang, and the promise of the First Prince at the summit, the Imperial Court quickly set up a Charity Office specifically to handle the matter of orphans and widows.

The news of Wang Chong’s personal donation of twenty million taels of gold for the orphans and widows was spread throughout the capital and the empire.

The generous words and benevolent acts of the King of Foreign Lands had earned him the widespread praise of the capital, and the streets and alleys were filled with admiration for him.

“Bastard!”

In the Eastern Palace, the First Prince could only gnash his teeth at the news. He had been the originator of the Great Buddhist Temple incident, and he had invited all the great clans, but in the end, it was Wang Chong who had received the support of the people.

As for the First Prince who had built the temple, he had been tossed aside.

“Have the calculations been finished?” the First Prince suddenly asked, not even turning his head.

An extremely wise-looking Eastern Palace advisor moved around the beads of an abacus before lowering his head and giving a report.

“The calculations are done. According to the records in the ledger, thirty-five million taels of gold were received in donations. Five hundred thousand taels were left in the Great Buddhist Temple, and the rest was taken away by the Grand Scribe!”

This number made the hall fall silent, and the First Prince’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Thirty-five million taels!

This was even more than Wang Chong had donated, nearly double. This made the First Prince the greatest donor of this event, and also the greatest loser. But despite his contribution, it was Wang Chong who had taken all of the prestige.

The First Prince hated Wang Chong to his very core!

In this oppressive air, an old and deep voice spoke, instantly assuaging the mood with its mere presence.

“There is no need for Your Highness to be so vexed. It is only thirty-five million taels of gold. Your Highness has the realm, so why worry about this trifling money?”

At this time, the only person who could speak like this to the First Prince after such a major defeat and humiliation was the Ghost King.

Not far from the First Prince, the Ghost King was reading through a book, not even raising his head as he spoke.

This Ghost King… to think he would speak with this sort of tone to His Highness.

Nearby, Zhu Tong’en and the other Eastern Palace advisors glanced at the Ghost King with complicated looks. Anyone who had dared to speak to the First Prince like this in the past would probably already have their head rolling.

But for some reason, the First Prince was extremely respectful to this mysterious Ghost King, treating him completely unlike his other advisors.

“Senior, it was your idea to build the Great Buddhist Temple, but now we’ve lost everything, and can’t even tell which of the clans attending the ceremony are sincerely loyal, yet Senior still seems able to laugh,” the First Prince sternly said.

Everyone could sense that the First Prince was suppressing his anger, and he was surprisingly succeeding, showing incredible restraint in front of the Ghost King.

At this point, the Ghost King chuckled and finally put down his book.

“Who said that it’s impossible to tell which ones are truly loyal to you?” the Ghost King said lightly.

With these words, the Ghost King instantly had the attention of everyone in the hall.

“Right now, I have a rough understanding of this King of Foreign Lands you speak of. I have to say that his action was rather unexpected. Encouraging the great clans to attend the ceremony and then funding their donations, and then pushing things along so that all the money is taken away for the sake of orphans and widows—this entire plan was meticulously designed. But in the end, it’s all minor.”

The Ghost King placed his hands behind his back and slowly rose from his chair.

“This… What does Senior mean?”

The advisors were stunned, and even the First Prince frowned in confusion.

“You don’t get it?”

The Ghost King chuckled, his every movement oozing dominance.

“No matter how the King of Foreign Lands reacted or what he tried, we’ve reached our goal in this operation. With the Great Buddhist Temple, Your Highness has made it clear to all the great clans of the capital that you are recruiting. Although the King of Foreign Lands interfered and reduced its effectiveness, those who wish to join Your Highness will now join.”

“Ah?!”

The First Prince was surprised. He had never even thought about what the Ghost King was saying.

“Senior, you mean that we didn’t fail?”

“Hmph, how could that be?” the Ghost King said indifferently, waving his sleeve. “It’s late now, and this old man judges that they’ll start to move over the next few days!”

“Reporting!”

As if in response to the Ghost King’s words, a Golden Guard of the Eastern Palace rushed in.

“Your Highness, we just received a letter. Please look it over!”

The Golden Guard got down on his knees and offered a letter with both hands. An Eastern Palace advisor hastily walked over to take the letter and deliver it to the First Prince.

Taking the letter, the First Prince glanced at the clan insignia upon it and froze. He then swiftly opened the letter and looked through it. He glanced at the Ghost King, his mouth slightly open in shock.

The Ghost King had clearly guessed correctly, but the First Prince had never imagined that those great clans would be so quick.

“This is only the beginning. I have already agreed to help Your Highness, so all Your Highness needs to do is wait for the good news!” the Ghost King declared, his robes beginning to rustle around him as his body erupted with a tyrannical aura.

For the Ghost King, the Great Buddhist Temple was just a small test. If that youth had made no response, it would only prove that he wasn’t even worth the Ghost King’s personal intervention.

But that youth had now passed his first test. The Ghost King would now personally take action and deal with the Great Tang’s new War God. This great game had only just begun!

……

Meanwhile, after returning from the Great Buddhist Temple and arranging for the Imperial Court to handle the matter of the orphans and widows, Wang Chong returned to his own residence, where everything calmed back down.

“No matter what, I have to find out what’s going on with Eunuch Gao and His Divine Majesty!”

In the main hall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong stood next to a table, the index and middle fingers of his right hand lightly tapping upon it.

The Great Buddhist Temple incident had made Wang Chong develop many theories, and these theories only made Wang Chong more anxious to know of Eunuch Gao’s condition. But the entire Imperial Palace was engulfed in a black mist that made it impossible to find out what was going on.

Going by the information that he had gathered, what had happened to Eunuch Gao was far too abnormal.

It seems that I might have to make a trip to the Imperial Palace myself! Wang Chong said to himself.

Officials had many restrictions when entering the palace, and many places were forbidden to them. If he wanted to look for clues on Eunuch Gao, he would have to go at night. According to the laws of the Great Tang, this was a major taboo, but Wang Chong was past caring about such things.

The matter of Eunuch Gao remained a mystery, but several days later, there was a surprising development.

The combined power of Yang Zhao, Li Jingzhong, Zhao Fengchen, and Bian Lingcheng had finally found a clue in the Imperial Palace.

“What?! There was a fight in the palace, and someone even died?”

In the main hall of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong shot to his feet and stared in shock at the two eunuchs who had come to deliver the message.

“Your Highness, this truly is the case. We questioned the eunuchs and maids, and in the end, we found a man called One-Armed Wu who is responsible for transporting trash and wastewater out of the palace. From One-Armed Wu’s place, we discovered many bloody bandages. They are made from a material that ordinary maids and eunuchs don’t use, so their presence in the palace is definitely unusual.

“Following this clue, we managed to track down several maids and eunuchs, but these people didn’t know much. They said that around half a month ago, they were ordered to Taiwu Palace to clean up trash, and those bloody bandages had been inside. According to them, there were a lot of bloodstains on the floor, but they didn’t know many details.

“And while we were investigating, we discovered that the maids and eunuchs who had been sent into that palace had all disappeared. Only one palace maid was left, as she happened to have been transferred to serve under Consort Hui.

“Not only that, we continued to pursue the clues and learned of something else. Also half a month ago, some corpses were secretly transported out of the palace. The witnesses said that the hands of those people were curled like hooks and their skin was even whiter than mutton-fat jade, clear signs that they cultivated some special art. Moreover, their skin was also as tough as steel, which left a particularly deep impression on the Imperial Army soldiers manning the gate. This was because when they went up to inspect the corpses, someone slapped their hands away and sternly reprimanded them.”

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1646 - Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (I)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1646 - Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (I)
Chapter 1646: Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“In addition, according to that Imperial Army soldier, the heads of those people had been beaten open through tremendous force. Moreover, their clothes were also very strange, neither those of the servitors of the palace nor of the Imperial Army. They didn’t seem like members of the palace at all. They were more like…”

The eunuch hesitated.

“Like assassins?” Wang Chong helped him with the rest of his sentence.

“Yes!” the eunuch said, bowing.

The Great Tang’s Imperial Palace was the most guarded place in the realm, and it was extremely challenging for outsiders to enter. In addition, these people had died extremely gruesome deaths that no ordinary person would experience. As maids, eunuchs, and Imperial Army soldiers had been ruled out, they could only be assassins.

“That’s not all; our investigation has revealed that around that period of time, several palaces around Taiwu Palace were badly damaged, and a group of craftsmen was summoned from outside to repair it. The explanation the palace gave at the time was that these palace buildings had fallen into disrepair and had also been struck by lightning.”

At this time, the other eunuch spoke up, lowering his head and bowing.

“But in this past month, there’s been no rain, so there was naturally no lightning either!”

The eunuch did not continue, but he had said more than enough. One suspicious area was one thing, but two or three suspicious events taking place around Taiwu Palace meant that it was worth carefully considering that area.

Wang Chong’s brows deeply furrowed, his expression solemn. If the information gathered by Yang Zhao and the others was accurate, then an assassination had occurred near Taiwu Palace.

In addition to these facts, one had to consider that Taiwu Palace was very close to the Sage Emperor’s Taihe Palace, and the palace was of a very high rank. Only consorts and Princes could enter it. This palace was also one of the places that Little Li said was frequented by Eunuch Gao. Many things were now evident.

How could it be? To think he would be so daring!

Wang Chong’s expression was solemn and his heart was heavy, his mind awash with unease.

Wang Chong had had this feeling before, when meeting with Little Li, and now, he finally had evidence for that most disquieting theory.

Wang Chong had never imagined that someone would truly be so daring and reckless as to attempt to assassinate the supreme Eunuch Director of the Inner Court in a place so thickly carpeted with experts as the Imperial Palace, and in the end, they had even managed to injure him, even though the assassins had paid with their lives.

Just how high of a cultivation level did those assassins have, that they were able to injure Gao Lishi?

But this was not the extent of Wang Chong’s worries. Gao Lishi was devoted to the Sage Emperor, and given the Sage Emperor’s condition, very few people could draw him away from his side. He would have never gone to Taiwu Palace unless it was absolutely necessary.

Besides that, such a major incident that even left several other palaces damaged had barely caused a stir in the palace.

From the situation at the time, it was also apparent that the surrounding Imperial Army soldiers had been transferred away before the incident. There wouldn’t have been so little information otherwise.

In the Imperial Palace, there was only one person capable of such things.

First Prince, have you already grown so impatient for the throne?! Wang Chong said inwardly.

……

Time slowly passed, and whether it was Wang Chong, the Confucian Sect, or the Eastern Palace, all parties decided to remain restrained and quiet for the time being. But under the surface, even greater waves were building.

“Is it good?” Deep in the night, in the southwest corner of the Imperial Palace, a low voice came out of the darkness.

“Those people just went past. This is finally our chance! There must be no mistakes. His Highness regards this matter with utmost importance!” another voice replied.

“Relax. They can’t run. No one can run from Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute!” the voice from before replied.

These were that renowned pair of martial artists that Wang Chong had sent to the Imperial Palace, Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute. When the two worked together, their ‘Heaven Sight Earth Sounding’ art would cover an extremely large area with incredible sensitivity, even able to hear the crawling and gnawing of a worm deep within the earth. Given their cultivation, they were probably the most formidable scouts in the entire Imperial Palace.

“They haven’t noticed us yet. Go!”

There was a cold gleam of light from the darkness, and a moment later, two figures shot out from the shadow of a roof and vanished.

In front of them, two other men were rapidly moving through the air. These people wore the armor of the Imperial Army, yet unlike ordinary soldiers, they weren’t patrolling the avenues, but leaping along the roofs.

When they were on the ground, their heads would be lowered, and they would always avoid other Imperial Army patrols. It was as if they didn’t want to be discovered.

The pair moved with incredible speed, and when there was no one around and all was still, one of the ‘Imperial Army soldiers’ softly grumbled, “What’s going on here? How could he have recovered his energy so quickly? We’ve already thought of every way to weaken him. Is it a problem with the drug?”

The other ‘Imperial Army soldier’ shook his head and sternly said, “Impossible! Those drugs were all tested before, as they also thought that there was a problem, but when they gave a strong and energetic man in the imperial prison who had the death penalty only a little bit, he immediately began to decline. His situation got worse with every passing day, and in just seven days, he had the energy of an eighty-year-old man, not even able to stand up anymore. But while this drug is extremely fierce, it’s not fatal, so that prisoner even now is still clinging to life. No matter how you look at it, this drug can’t be fake!”

“This… We’ve already put so much into his food and water, but why is it no good against him? If this continues and he completely recovers, how will we be able to keep holding him?” the first soldier worriedly said.

“Relax. Such a situation will never occur. His High… that man has already said to change the drug for an even fiercer one, and if it’s necessary, we can even use a toxin that will damage his meridians and foundations, and then he naturally won’t be able to do anything,” his companion said, though his voice was tinged with emotion.

“But really, it’s no wonder he’s the Eunuch Director of the Inner Court! Given the abilities he’s displayed, he’s only a step away from having a body completely impervious to poison! We’re lucky those people managed to injure him!”

The two continued to rapidly move as they conversed. A few moments later, they seemed to reach their destination. Tidying their armor and standing straight, they turned back into regular Imperial Army soldiers and stepped into a palace.

Not long after the pair had entered, another pair suddenly appeared in the darkness.

“Lord Eunuch, how are you doing? We’ve brought some medicine that can help you recover.”

Cough, cough…

The palace was lit by a single dim lantern. The voices of the two soldiers and fierce coughing could be heard within.

More than three hundred meters away from that palace, the eyes of Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute gleamed.

Lord Eunuch? To think that they were hiding Eunuch Gao here! the two quietly said to themselves.

With their Heaven Sight Earth Sounding Art, the two of them had extremely sharp senses, and as their Psychic Energy spread out, they could sense that there were numerous experts hidden around that palace, tightly locking down the area. Even the formidable Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute couldn’t help but be frightened, and did not dare to take any reckless actions.

“This should be the place. Come on; let’s report to His Highness!”

The two exchanged a glance and then vanished once more.

……

Time flew by, and it was soon the night of the second day.

In the night, after the Hai Period (9-11pm), there was a flash of light in the King of Foreign Lands Residence. A figure had soared into the sky like a hawk, and then blinked away. Several minutes later, that person appeared at the feet of the grandiose Imperial City.

In order to put an end to the case, I will have to risk myself, Wang Chong quietly commented as he gazed up at the walls that soared several dozen meters into the air.

The developments in the Imperial Palace were moving far faster than he had imagined. Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute were truly master trackers of the martial arts world. Not even Wang Chong had expected them to so quickly produce results. Speed was paramount in war, and a long night could result in many nightmares. Wang Chong had decided almost immediately to pay a visit to the Imperial Palace.

Wang Chong had completely changed up his attire. He was not wearing a dragon robe, nor was he wearing his usual set of leisure clothes. Rather, he was dressed in black assassin clothes, and only his two eyes were exposed.

One couldn’t get a tiger cub without venturing into the tiger’s den. Wang Chong was determined to find Eunuch Gao no matter what.

The walls of the Imperial Palace were extremely high, appearing like heaven-piercing peaks at a glance, tall and steep, but they presented no problem to Wang Chong.

Swoosh!

With barely any movement from Wang Chong, he suddenly shot into the air like a swallow, traveling through the air and swiftly appearing atop the wall. The winds above the wall fiercely howled. This was not Wang Chong’s first time entering the Imperial Palace, and he was extremely familiar with many of its landmarks, but as he looked down from the walls, the Imperial Palace at night gave off an entirely different feeling.

The clattering of armor came from every part of the Imperial Palace, with sentries every five steps, the numerous groups of patrolling Imperial Army soldiers leaving very few blind spots.

Scanning the area, Wang Chong sensed countless streams of energy radiating into the sky. Numerous experts were present, both in the open and in the shadows. This place was truly a dragon’s den.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1647 - Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (II)
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1647 - Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (II)
Chapter 1647: Scouting the Imperial Palace At Night! (II)
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The most dangerous place in the entire Imperial Palace was undoubtedly the Sage Emperor’s residence, Taihe Palace.

The vast energies soaring into the air, azure tinged with violet, were pure and boundless, extending into the heavens.

The Sage Emperor’s Dragon Guards!

Wang Chong thought back to these powerful guards. These were the most determined of guards, grim and taciturn, but their formidable strength was enough to shock anyone.

The black-armored General Li who had held the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner in the Battle of Talas was one of them. His strength that had exceeded the Great General level was enough to make anyone pause.

But the Taihe Palace that was surrounded by the Dragon Guards was dim, lacking any of the energy of the supreme existence of the realm.

Taihe Palace seemed to be shrouded in fog that made it impossible to see what was going on inside.

How is the Sage Emperor faring? Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

His original intention had been to try and get into Taihe Palace, but after thinking about it, he cast aside the idea. Although he had reached the Subtle realm, he was still not confident that he could get past the guards.

The Imperial Palace was a gathering place of experts, as it had been for dynasty after dynasty. The Sage Emperor himself was said to almost be at the Saint Martial realm, and no one could guarantee that there weren’t formidable experts hidden within the palace, perhaps even those of the Subtle realm.

If he were discovered by the Dragon Guards, the situation would probably get even more complicated. Even if Wang Chong didn’t care about himself, he still needed to worry about the Wang Clan.

His eyes paused on Taihe Palace for a few moments before looking elsewhere.

The Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace!

The Eastern Palace had always been the residence of the Crown Prince. Although the First Prince had not officially been assigned to that post, he had lived in the Eastern Palace for many years. All he lacked was the title itself.

But this was not what Wang Chong was paying attention to. What he had noticed was an extremely dark and inexplicable ball of energy within the Eastern Palace.

This ball of energy didn’t seem that intense, but the danger hidden within was even more frightening than the Sage Emperor’s Dragon Guards.

That should be Eunuch Yin! Wang Chong noted.

During the harem incident, Wang Chong had met with Eunuch Yin and was extremely familiar with his energy. Moreover, anyone who could reach the rank of chief eunuch in the inner palace could not be mediocre. Whether it was Gao Lishi or Eunuch Yin, they seemed to cultivate powerful and unique arts that made them stand far above normal martial artists.

In this night excursion into the Imperial Palace, it was hard to say if Wang Chong would alarm Eunuch Yin or not, even though he was sure that he was not leaking even a sliver of energy.

Experts were extremely sensitive to each other’s presence.

“Your Highness, over here!” came a voice from the bottom of the wall. Two figures could be seen in the darkness, apparently waiting for him.

Thwish!Read more new novels on Listnovel.com

Wang Chong jumped down and was welcomed by Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute.

“Is your investigation finished?” Wang Chong said.

“Yes. In the entire Imperial Palace, this is the place where Eunuch Gao has the highest chance of being. Moreover, the various clues indicate that he’s probably stuck there for the short term.”

They used the term ‘stuck’ instead of ‘imprisoned’ because even after all the information they had gathered, they still found it impossible to believe that anyone could imprison Eunuch Gao. But this was exactly what it seemed like at this time.

“Take me there!”

Wang Chong’s eyes flashed, and then a burst of Stellar Energy latched onto the pair, who swiftly began to make their way into the palace.

The Imperial Palace was heavily guarded and constantly patrolled, but with the pair guiding the way, Wang Chong was able to make his way through like a ghost.

Even though he was far stronger than the Imperial Army soldiers, Wang Chong remained cautious, not daring to be careless. While the Imperial Army soldiers were not fearsome, if the soldiers discovered him and raised the alarm, everything would change.

The Imperial Army and servitors were part of a single system, and a single alarm would mobilize all of them.

There was a reason that the Great Tang Imperial Palace was known as one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Wang Chong’s group had an experience that was more harrowing than dangerous. They drew closer and closer to the place where Eunuch Gao was being held.

“Your Highness, it’s up ahead. But that place is being tightly guarded, and it will be very difficult to get inside,” Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute warned.

The layout of the Imperial Palace was incredibly complicated, and without guides like Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute, it was easy to get lost.

Wang Chong nodded, restraining all his energy and lowering his profile before beginning to head over.

After crossing over several walls, Wang Chong finally reached the place Eunuch Gao was being imprisoned.

Wang Chong had imagined many times what this prison would look like, but when he finally saw it, he was struck dumb.

“You’re sure this is the place?”

Wang Chong’s brow creased as he looked forward.

“How could it be like this?” Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute muttered in shock.

Based on what they had observed, this residence should have been lit and heavily guarded by numerous experts. But this residence was in complete darkness, and there weren’t even any guards. It was clearly just an empty palace.

“Impossible!” Heaven Deaf suddenly said, obviously shocked. “We’ve been watching this place the entire time. During the day, there were still many people guarding this place. We were worried about being discovered, so we didn’t go in any farther to observe.”

They were renowned for their observation arts, and they had never committed such a major mistake before.

“Did we go to the wrong place?” Earth Mute couldn’t help but say.

As the two best trackers in the martial arts world, the pair had always been confident in themselves and had never doubted their ability, but… the current situation was far too different from what they had reported.

“No, this should be the place!” Wang Chong declared with surprising resolve, a thoughtful light in his eyes. “There’s the scent of medicine here, and didn’t you say that there were a few bronze pillars in front of the door? This is the place!”

There truly were several bronze pillars in front of the door.

These bronze pillars were known as ‘hitching posts’.

This dynasty was one that emphasized martial prowess, and horse archery was one of the fundamental skills. In the Imperial Palace, there was also a place where horses were raised exclusively for the Princes and Kings. With horses, there would naturally be hitching posts.

However, all the hitching posts here were set up in Taizong’s time. No one liked horse archery more than Taizong, resulting in his nickname, ‘the Horseback Emperor’.

But in the current reign, these hitching posts were not used as much.

The hitching posts of the Imperial Palace were each different, and the Taotie1 designs on the hitching posts were identical to the ones in Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute’s report.

“It seems like we were a step too slow. They’ve already moved Eunuch Gao away,” Wang Chong said heavily.

His foe was much more cautious than he had imagined. It seemed like they moved Eunuch Gao’s location every few days.

Eunuch Gao had clearly been moved to a new area.

This was something that Wang Chong had never expected would happen so quickly.

Thwish!

Wang Chong shot away like a bolt of lightning, entering the building.

“Your Highness, wait for us!”

Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute hastily followed in alarm.

The building was completely empty, just as Wang Chong had expected. Someone had already moved everything out, even the furniture.

As for Eunuch Gao, not even a trace had been left.

“I came too late!”

Wang Chong once more slightly frowned at the sight.

There were still a few telltale signs that the room had recently been cleaned, but it was obvious that the other party had taken the appropriate measures when moving Eunuch Gao away.

“Your Highness, our apologies! Give us another chance! We’ll definitely find Eunuch Gao!”

Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute couldn’t help but apologize after seeing the empty room.

But the two of them knew that finding Eunuch Gao again would be even more difficult.

They had needed to expend an enormous amount of time earlier to find Eunuch Gao and had needed to follow many clues. But now that he had been moved, it would be easier said than done to find Eunuch Gao.

“Forget it. You did your best.”

Wang Chong waved his hand. Although he was inevitably rather disappointed, Wang Chong knew that the two of them had done their best.

Eunuch Gao was extremely important, and since the First Prince had dared to make such audacious schemes, he would naturally ensure that he left no clues.

“Hurry; it’s up ahead…” As Wang Chong was talking with the pair, they heard soft whispers.

Wang Chong’s heart thumped and he immediately stopped speaking. Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute noticed Wang Chong’s expression and also stopped speaking.

A few moments later, a second voice came out of the darkness, slight resentment in its tone. “Isn’t His Highness being too careful? Is there a need to constantly change locations? And we already cleaned the place up, but he’s having us go and check again to see if we left any clues. But what sort of clues could have been left?”

As the two spoke, light footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer.

______________

1.The Taotie is a mythical creature, known as one of the four evil creatures, that was often used as a motif in ancient Chinese bronze artifacts.↩

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1648 - Trap!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1648 - Trap!
Chapter 1648: Trap!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Your Highness…”

Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute seemed to sense something and turned to Wang Chong. Before they could say anything, they were cloaked in Stellar Energy.

“Don’t talk. Let them come in.”

A familiar voice rang out in their ears, and as Wang Chong spoke, he brought the pair into a corner of the room while restraining his energy to the maximum.

Creeeak!

A few moments later, the main door to the hall opened and two figures walked in. Although the room was pitch-black, the two seemed extremely familiar with the place and walked up to one of the few tables left. One of them snatched a flint from the table, and with a crack, a dim light illuminated the room.

“Search carefully, and take away any of those small objects that we can. We can’t leave behind a single clue. In addition, tomorrow, call the palace maids to have them sweep the place again. We’ll have them move away anything we can’t take from here.”

In the light, one of the ‘Imperial Army soldiers’ took a brush rack from the table while carefully inspecting his surroundings.

“Mm. What a pity. When the time comes, it seems we’ll have to get vicious again,” the other Imperial Army soldier replied as he inspected his surroundings.

Whoosh!

Just then, there was a gust of wind, and before the second soldier could reply, a slender white palm seized his neck.

The soldier was alarmed and opened his mouth to call out, but his entire body was no longer under his control. At almost the same time, Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute shot out and seized the other soldier.

The mood in the room instantly turned tense.

“Answer me or die!” Wang Chong coldly said, lifting the man by his neck.

The soldier nodded, upon which Wang Chong relaxed his grip and released his throat acupuncture points.

“Don’t try to shout or bring anyone else here, as you’ll be dead before they get here.”

“Who… who are you?”

The Imperial Army soldier stared with fear-stricken eyes.

“This isn’t something you should be worried about. Where is Eunuch Gao being held?” Wang Chong asked. Wearing his assassination clothes, he had left only his eyes exposed, and it was impossible to tell his identity through solely his eyes.

“Eunuch Gao? I don’t know what you’re talking about, nor do I know where Eunuch Gao is being held,” the Imperial Army soldier said, shaking his head as if he was oblivious.

“Hmph, I only said Eunuch Gao, but not which one, so why are you so quick to deny? It’s like you’re saying that there’s not three hundred taels of silver buried here.”

Wang Chong coldly laughed.

There were quite a few eunuchs with the surname ‘Gao’ in the palace, and the title of Eunuch Gao was hardly enough to determine which was which. But given how fiercely the soldier shook his head, it was obvious that he knew which one Wang Chong was talking about.

Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute had been right. This really was the place where Gao Lishi had been held.

The soldier Wang Chong had seized immediately paled.

He had never imagined that his answer would reveal so much to Wang Chong.

Kaclack!

Wang Chong tightened his grip, and the soldier’s face turned red while immense pain emerged in his eyes.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! We’ve already moved Eunuch Gao to Tianxin Palace! We were just following orders and don’t know anything else.”

When Wang Chong relaxed his grip again, the soldier immediately told everything he knew.

“Your Highness, he’s not lying,” Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute suddenly declared after staring at the soldier this entire time.

This pair had reached an extremely high level of mastery in concealment and pursuit, and they were similarly accomplished in interrogation. They had a systematic and comprehensive method of determining whether what the other party was saying was a truth or a lie. When that soldier was replying, his heartbeat, blood flow, and Psychic Energy did not fluctuate, indicating that he was telling the truth.

Wang Chong sent his Psychic Energy into the mind of the soldier. A few moments later, his eyes flashed and he subtly nodded. He slapped his palm, causing the soldier to collapse, and then he shot out the door like a bolt of lightning.

“They aren’t real soldiers of the Imperial Army. Take them away and interrogate them about their origins! As for what comes next, let me handle that.”

Heaven Deaf and Earth Mute glanced at each other in surprise, but there was already no trace of Wang Chong.

……

In the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace, Wang Chong found the palace that ‘Imperial Army soldier’ had spoken of.

Tianxin Palace!

This was an extremely important building in the Imperial Palace, and when Wang Chong arrived, it was brightly lit.

“Everyone, be careful! Put down the things and then immediately leave!

“Do what you’re told and don’t look at what you shouldn’t! Move! Move!

“Hurry, hurry! Get out of here!”

At the door to the palace, several maids were carrying objects like blankets and cups into the palace while another set of maids was rushing out. These maids were staring at their feet and trembling in fear.

Meanwhile, an Imperial Army officer was harshly scolding and driving them on.

Farther off, countless Imperial Army soldiers had surrounded the entire palace.

Although these people wore the armor of the Imperial Army, they exuded the same aura as the two men Wang Chong had previously captured. It was clear that these people were not part of the Imperial Army, at least originally.

They had only moved Eunuch Gao here once night had fallen, and it was clear that many things had not been prepared.

Wang Chong was in no rush and silently waited. But it was only a few moments later that all the maids left and Tianxin Palace calmed down.

The palace remained brightly lit, and the countless soldiers continued to circle. It would normally be impossible for anyone to get inside.

But for Wang Chong, as long as he could find Eunuch Gao’s location, it didn’t matter how heavily guarded the place was. No one would be able to stop him.

Thwish!

Once the time was right, Wang Chong shot forward into the darkness.

He moved with incredible speed, and he was soon at the door.

Wang Chong wasn’t even trying to hide himself from these guards.

“Who goes—”

The guards at the door began to speak in alarm, but a moment later, their bodies went numb and they blacked out. Wang Chong was at the Subtle realm, and dealing with these experts of the Imperial Army was as easy as flipping his palm.

Wang Chong quickly took control over these soldiers and used his Stellar Energy to freeze them in place, a feat that perhaps only he was capable of.

Once this was done, Wang Chong continued deeper into the palace.

Less than half a second had passed, and there was only a gentle gust of wind to indicate that anything had happened.

The lights in the palace made the place gleam and shine. Wang Chong knocked two more guards unconscious as he advanced, and he was soon at the heart of the palace.

To his surprise, despite the many guards outside, the inside was abnormally peaceful.

The gentle light of the candles on the wall illuminated the rows of bookshelves, and not far from a bookshelf was a plump figure silently reading a book, his back to Wang Chong.

It was an atmosphere of peace and calm.

Eunuch Gao!

Although Wang Chong couldn’t see the man’s face, his clothes, his aura, and the slightly plump figure were an exact match with Eunuch Gao.

Wang Chong had far too many questions to ask Eunuch Gao. How was the Sage Emperor doing? Why had Eunuch Gao been attacked? And why was it that even though the First Prince had imprisoned him, he did not seem to have any restraints and was even able to read a book?

Only Eunuch Gao could answer these things.

“Eunuch Gao!” Wang Chong called out as he walked forward.

The reading Eunuch Gao seemed to hear what was going on behind him and turned around in ‘surprise’.

Buzz!

Time seemed to stop. Wang Chong suddenly halted several steps away from Eunuch Gao, and when he saw the face of ‘Eunuch Gao’, he instantly paled.

While the man had looked exactly identical to Eunuch Gao from the back, his face was not.

“Your Highness, His Highness the First Prince wishes me to pass a message to you: We’ve been waiting a long time!”

The man giggled as he spoke a set of disconcerting words. As he spoke, he put down his book, raised his hands into the air, and began to fall back.

His meaning was that he was merely a messenger and had nothing to do with anything else.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

The soft sound of countless torches being lit came from outside, and marching footsteps began to get closer and closer.

“King of Foreign Lands! Such audacity! To dare and intrude upon the Imperial Palace in the middle of the night!” A resounding and familiar voice came from outside.

Creeeeak! In the darkness, numerous master archers nocked their arrows and aimed.

These ‘Imperial Army soldiers’ had finally revealed their true selves.

All fell silent, except for the crackling of the candles on the walls.

Wang Chong’s heart sank. Even the slowest person could tell what was happening now.

A trap!

This was a trap, a trap targeted against him! All of this had been to lure him to this place.

Entering the Imperial Palace at night was a heavy crime, and as he was an important official, the charges were even worse. He could even be accused of harboring disloyal thoughts and fomenting rebellion!

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1649 - Li Heng Saves the Day!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1649 - Li Heng Saves the Day!
Chapter 1649: Li Heng Saves the Day!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Your Highness, you can’t run!” the man who had disguised himself as Gao Lishi suddenly said. “The First Prince has already completely surrounded this place! Just obediently accept your punishment!”

There was a pitying look in his eyes, like he was looking at a frog that had fallen into a trap. Even the renowned War God was nothing before the First Prince.

How could a mere subject oppose the future Crown Prince?

Was this not suicidal?

Sympathy appeared on his face. Even a sage who meticulously pondered everything would eventually make a mistake. The King of Foreign Lands… could not escape!

Wang Chong said nothing, his face twisted into an unsightly grimace.

Hiss! Crack!

The torches burned outside Tianxin Palace, which was now surrounded by several thousand soldiers. The tense air seemed to indicate that tonight would be a restless one.

The First Prince was dressed in his dragon robe, and behind him were Zhu Tong’en and the other Eastern Palace advisors.

The Eastern Palace had almost completely mobilized to deal with Wang Chong, tightly surrounding the area.

“Hmph, I’d like to see how you escape this time!”

The First Prince coldly chuckled, his expression composed. For very long now, Wang Chong had been the greatest threat standing between him and the throne. Moreover, Wang Chong was simply too cautious and shrewd, too difficult to catch.

The First Prince had never been able to do anything to him.

But this time was different. For an important official of the Great Tang, a King, to intrude into the palace in the middle of the night, undoubtedly up to no good, was enough to allow the First Prince to strip him of his nobility and make him an outcast. Even the entire Wang Clan could be destroyed with a single thought.

“Ghost King, you did well this time. This prince will richly reward you!” the First Prince said without turning his head.

It was far too difficult to entrap a shrewd character like Wang Chong. There was probably no one that could do this besides the Ghost King.

“King of Foreign Lands, you’re still not coming out? Must this prince come in and invite you? Or perhaps you think that you still have a chance to escape?”

The First Prince jeered at the palace before him.

There were several thousand torches here that made the place as bright as day. Farther off, there was a great clamor as even more Imperial Army soldiers arrived after ‘hearing the news’. Even if Wang Chong grew wings, he would find it very hard to escape.

Silence!

The torches flickered in the stillness as everyone waited for the man in Tianxin Palace to make his choice.

Creeeeak!

Just when the First Prince and his men were beginning to get impatient, the door slowly opened, and a golden boot emerged.

A youth of eighteen, bereft of his assassination clothes and now wearing a silk robe, walked out, his eyes cold and domineering. It was Wang Chong.

Upon seeing him, the First Prince and his advisors cracked a smile.

This night’s operation could finally be said to have succeeded. Now that he had seen Wang Chong with his own eyes, everything was settled. The dour-faced Wang Chong looked like a fish on the chopping board.

“Wang Chong, you’ve truly disappointed this prince. When this prince first learned the news, I didn’t dare to believe it was you. As an important subject of the court, you dared commit such an egregious crime!”

The First Prince stared at Wang Chong while putting up an expression of distress and disgust.

Everyone stared at the man standing in front of Tianxin Palace.

Wang Chong said nothing as he scanned his surroundings. Seeing the dense crowd and the many torches, he knew that this incident would probably end poorly.

The First Prince had gone to great lengths to lure him here, and he would never let him just escape.

“Wang Chong does not know what Your Highness is talking about,” Wang Chong replied, still remaining extremely calm.

“King of Foreign Lands, at this stage, with so many people watching, you still want to argue in front of this prince?”

The First Prince’s eyes were brimming with derision as he scoffed.

Regardless of what Wang Chong was trying to do, his current actions seemed extremely childish. Did he think that he could escape blame by acting the fool? He was underestimating Li Ying too much if so.

No matter what he said, he couldn’t escape.

“Come and seize the King of Foreign Lands! And inform the Imperial Court and the Prime Minister to immediately enter the palace to discuss this affair. For a mighty King of the Great Tang to so flagrantly break the law, he must have some extremely important matter or secret. Have the Three Departments harshly interrogate him so that all the people behind the curtains can be arrested!”

The First Prince shot a glance brimming with murderous intent at Wang Chong.

Even the most meticulous of sages would make an error, and Wang Chong had offered himself up to the First Prince, so the First Prince would make full use of this opportunity.

Wang Chong had gathered countless other powers around him, forming a massive faction. The First Prince wanted not merely to imprison Wang Chong and completely remove this threat, but also seize all of the people in Wang Chong’s faction and the Wang Clan, including Wang Yan, Wang Gen, Wang Mi, and everyone else!

Without the Wang Clan, no one inside or outside the court would be able to threaten him.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Several dozen Imperial Army soldiers rushed up with savage expressions, preparing to seize Wang Chong. But before they could get close, a shout rang through the air.

“Wait a moment! Wang Chong will not resist if Your Highness plans to make an arrest, but Wang Chong would only like to ask: does staying the night at Tianxin Palace also require interrogation from the Three Departments?” Wang Chong said, his expression completely unlike someone who was going to be arrested.

“Hahah, staying the night at Tianxin Palace? Wang Chong, you’re still trying to play tricks at this stage?”

Wang Chong was still trying to act the fool, and the First Prince could only smile in anger.

It seemed like he had overestimated Wang Chong. If Wang Chong thought an excuse like this would suffice, he was truly making a grave error.

“Wang Chong, as a King of the Great Tang, you broke the law, putting on assassination clothes… Hmph, you think that taking them off is any use? So many people are watching and the evidence is firm. You think you can defend yourself against these charges?”

The First Prince had suddenly paused in the middle. The report he had received not too long ago said that Wang Chong had entered the Imperial Palace in black assassination clothes, and this alone was enough to punish Wang Chong. What sort of King was this to engage in such conduct?

But the First Prince had been so delighted to see Wang Chong in his trap and so focused on seizing Wang Chong that he had failed to notice that Wang Chong had already obliterated his assassination clothes and put on a leisure robe.

He was truly taken aback, but if Wang Chong thought that destroying those clothes was enough to get him past this, he was far too naive.

“Come; seize him!” the First Prince coldly ordered. “You can save whatever you have to say for the prison cell!”

The guards lunged at Wang Chong without hesitation.

Wang Chong was on the verge of being taken by the Imperial Army and thrown into prison. At dawn, this incident would trigger a storm that would sweep over the capital and all of the Great Tang.

But at this moment, a completely unexpected voice spoke up.

“First Imperial Brother, wait!”

There was a flurry of footsteps accompanying this clear cry, both of which the First Prince disregarded. But a moment later, when he saw the person leading the group, he paled.

Li Heng!

The First Prince had never imagined that Li Heng would come. Li Heng’s palace was located very far from here, and it was impossible for him to have arrived so quickly. The First Prince sensed that something was wrong, and his eyebrows began to twitch.

Fifth Prince Li Heng was definitely the last on the list of people the First Prince had expected to appear.

Zhu Tong’en and all the other Eastern Palace advisors, including that man standing right behind the First Prince, also grimaced.

“Li Heng, it’s late. Why are you here instead of in your palace?”

The First Prince’s expression chilled as he rudely berated the approaching Li Heng.

It was said that an older brother should be treated as a father, and this was the same amongst the common folk as in the Imperial Palace. As the elder brother, the First Prince had far more authority and status than Li Heng, and this wasn’t even considering that he was the regent.

Li Heng walked up and lightly said, “Imperial Brother, Li Heng pays his respects!” In the past, Li Heng would have backed away in the face of such tough words from the First Prince, but he had changed. His expression was neither humble nor proud, and he appeared completely unmoved by the First Prince’s reprimands.

“Hearing that there was an incident at Tianxin Palace, Li Heng came for the sake of the King of Foreign Lands.”

Li Heng stood with his back straight, getting straight to the point.

“After hearing that the King of Foreign Lands was involved, your imperial brother worried that there might be some misunderstanding. The King of Foreign Lands appeared at the palace entirely on the invitation of your imperial brother. But the two of us were so engrossed in our conversation that we lost track of time and missed the chance to leave the palace. Thus, your imperial brother made up a plan and decided to have the King of Foreign Lands stay the night in Tianxin Palace!”

Buzz!

The mood instantly changed. The First Prince’s men all grimaced, and the figure standing behind the First Prince suddenly lost his initial composure.

It was surprising for the Fifth Prince to make such a timely appearance in the middle of the night, and even more surprising was the Fifth Prince’s claim that this had all been his idea.

Supposedly, the Fifth Prince had decided to let Wang Chong stay the night in the palace. This was completely different from Wang Chong breaking the law and infiltrating the palace in the middle of the night.

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NovelThe Human EmperorChapter 1650 - An Argument Between Princes!
THE HUMAN EMPEROR
C1650 - An Argument Between Princes!
Chapter 1650: An Argument Between Princes!
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Bastard!”

The First Prince’s expression turned cold, and the hands hidden in his sleeves clenched, the veins bulging. If looks could kill, Li Heng would have been a dead man.

“Li Heng, do you know what you’re saying?”

The First Prince spoke between clenched teeth, each word seeming to force itself through the cracks.

The First Prince had always remembered the Fifth Prince to be cowardly and shrinking, always falling back and running whenever he ran into a problem. He had even disguised himself and entered Kunwu Training Camp, mixing in with the common folk. His personality had somewhat changed later on, and he had learned how to counterattack, even pushing Third Prince Li Ju into prison.

But in the end, he would usually simply grin and bear it as he was beaten down.

However, this time was different. He actually dared to conflict with him in front of so many people.

“Imperial Brother, Li Heng is only explaining the matter. Was anything I said inappropriate?”

Li Heng raised his head and looked at the First Prince.

“Good! You were very good! Nothing was inappropriate at all!” the First Prince viciously spat. “Let me ask you this. You said that you summoned the King of Foreign Lands into the palace, but one of you is the King of Foreign Lands while the other is a Prince. Imperial Father has strictly forbidden the Princes of the palace from colluding with important officials of the court and forming factions. Do you not know of this rule? There are many people here, Fifth Brother, so you’d best think very carefully about your answer.”

“Ah, First Imperial Brother, haven’t there recently been a lot of assassins in the palace? The Jinyang Palace that I live in has come under many attacks, but these scoundrels are somewhat lacking, so they’ve never succeeded,” the Fifth Prince replied, staring profoundly at the First Prince.

“Li Heng recalled that the King of Foreign Lands had peerless martial arts, and had a desire to learn a few skills to protect himself, so I invited the King of Foreign Lands to the palace to teach me martial arts. First Imperial Brother, there should be nothing excessive about this, right?”

Li Heng was neither meek nor proud in his reply. In front of the First Prince, he showed neither fear nor submission. On the contrary, he seemed to have an edge in his voice.

The surrounding crowd had long ago paled at the Fifth Prince’s words. The Fifth Prince was clearly referring to the assassination incident from before, but the Eastern Palace had also paid a price. Almost all its assassins had been wiped out.

The Fifth Prince’s argument was flawless. If it was really as he said, it would be nigh impossible to deal with Wang Chong in the future.

“First Imperial Brother, this matter with the King of Foreign Lands was because of me. Li Heng knows he was wrong, so please, Imperial Brother, punish me!”

Li Heng slowly gave a deep bow and said no more.

All was quiet. No one dared to speak at this time. Who would rashly speak up when two Princes were arguing with each other?

The First Prince stared uncertainly at Li Heng.

Li Heng had changed!

This was completely different from the Li Heng he remembered. In the past, Li Heng would have never said anything like ‘please punish me’. If Li Heng hadn’t said these words, the First Prince could have used this chance to give Li Heng a harsh lesson, but in asking for punishment, Li Heng had prevented the First Prince from going all-out.

The King of Foreign Lands needed to be dealt with, but Li Heng now seemed like an unprecedented threat!

“Good! Very good!”

The First Prince took in a deep breath and finally calmed down, but the rage in his heart was building.

“All of you are dismissed!” the First Prince suddenly ordered, his tone brooking no objection. This sudden order took everyone aback, but no one dared to defy it.

“Yes!”

A moment later, the vast crowd and the torches began to recede like a tide.

“Fifth Brother, you were asking about your punishment? Follow me!”

With a dour look on his face, the First Prince stomped into Tianxin Palace, not even glancing at Li Heng.

Li Heng’s eyes gleamed, but he showed no signs of backing down. After a moment of thought, he followed the First Prince into Tianxin Palace.

Bang!

The doors closed and Tianxin Palace seemed to go dark and silent, like it was in another world. Even though no one knew what the two Princes were saying or doing, all of them felt a sense of tension.

Meanwhile, all the soldiers and Eastern Palace advisors were returning to their posts, following the First Prince’s orders.

A stalwart figure had turned and was preparing to leave when Wang Chong called out, confidently striding forward with a smile on his face.

“Senior, since you’re here, why are you in such a rush to leave? Why not stay a while? We can have a little chat.”

The stalwart figure paused, and then he slowly turned around. This man had white hair, but his body was like a tenacious pine tree growing from the cliffside. Who else could it be but the Ghost King?

“All of you, withdraw!” the Ghost King suddenly ordered.

He smiled slightly at Wang Chong.

“King of Foreign Lands, it truly is time that we had a good chat.”

……

Within Tianxian Palace, the candles softly burned, but the air remained taut. Now that the doors were closed and no one was present, the veil between the two was torn away, and they got along like fire and water. Never again would there be any warmth in this relationship.

Silence!

This sort of silence brought with it an indescribable oppressiveness.

“Fifth Brother, you’ve truly grown up. You’re now able to vie for the throne with your brother!”

The First Prince squinted at Li Heng as he icily spoke.

“Li Heng does not know what Imperial Brother is talking about,” Li Heng indifferently replied, but his eyes showed no submission.

“Hmph, no need to pretend! There are no outsiders here, just the two us. You still want to act the fool in front of your brother?” the First Prince derisively jeered.

“Heh, Imperial Brother, the throne has always depended on the efforts and skill of the individual Princes. If the throne is empty and Imperial Brother can fight for it, Li Heng… can fight for it as well! If the throne belongs to Imperial Brother, then Imperial Father would have made Imperial Brother the Crown Prince long ago, right?”

Li Heng chuckled.

“Such audacity!”

The First Prince’s face turned to ice as rage welled up.

“Heh, didn’t Imperial Brother make me say this?”

Li Heng raised his head, his eyes fearless.

“I don’t want to fight for the throne, and I never did. Alas, you kept constantly forcing me! The rest of you think that a Prince is always a hidden challenger or threat to the throne, so you kept forcing me, trying to assassinate me. Even when I hid in Kunwu Training Camp, those assassins continued to doggedly pursue me.

“Although outsiders say those assassins were sent by Third Imperial Brother, the one who actually sent them was you. From start to finish, you have always been the one who wanted to kill me. Isn’t that right, First Imperial Brother?” Li Heng slowly said.

The First Prince’s face shifted and contorted, and he seemed to grow much quieter.

It was obvious that he had never imagined that Li Heng would say such things right in front of him.

“Who told you?” the First Prince suddenly asked.

“Hmph, I’ve always known. I’ve just never talked about it. Imperial Brother, a momentary retreat doesn’t mean I’ll retreat for the rest of my life. You really shouldn’t have killed Jade Consort Xiao!” Li Heng coldly replied.

If Wang Chong were here, he would have been stunned. Li Heng had changed, truly changed. The harem incident, his time in prison, and the death of a consort had let him truly understand what was going on. It had been a baptism, a metamorphosis.

Retreating would never achieve peace!

The moment Li Heng emerged from the Imperial Clan Court, he understood that if he wanted to escape this destiny of the hunted, if he wanted respect, he would have to take it for himself.

“Hmph, it seems like I truly underestimated you!” the First Prince coldly replied.

Li Heng’s words had only hardened several of his beliefs. In an imperial family, any Prince was a potential threat, and the enlightened Li Heng only stimulated his killing intent.

“Since you already know, I don’t need to hide anything. I really did send those men, but let me make clear to you that if you oppose me, your brother fears that despite your young age, you won’t live past next year!”

The First Prince’s eyes burned with killing intent. With no one around, the two Princes were allowed to fully reveal their murderous intent.

……

Outside Tianxin Palace, a youth and an elder were in a standoff. Wang Chong inspected the Ghost King and the Ghost King inspected Wang Chong. The two had exchanged several blows, but it was only now that they truly met.

The first to break the silence was surprisingly the Ghost King.

“So, the Fifth Prince called you, hm? You saw through everything from the start?”

“Yes!”

Wang Chong smiled.

“If I didn’t do that, how could I have lured out Senior and made you reveal yourself?”

“Although this plan was just a minor trifle, this old man doesn’t believe that there were many flaws. When did you notice that something was wrong?”

A breeze ruffled the Ghost King’s hair as he gazed at the young man standing before him.

“Heh! I never believed it from the start.”

Wang Chong couldn’t help but chuckle.

“There were too many flaws in the plan. I was searching for news on Eunuch Gao for so long, but then so many clues appeared at once. Although it seemed like my people were going through great effort to dig up these clues, there were the maids, the Imperial Army soldiers, the craftsmen! With so many openings, did you not think that the traces you were leaving behind were too deliberate? In Senior’s view, just how much of a fool does someone have to be to not see such obvious holes?”

If Yang Zhao, Li Jingzhong, Bian Lingcheng, and Zhao Fengchen were here, they would have been flabbergasted. They had believed that those clues had been found through great effort on their part, but if Wang Chong was correct, they had been used by the Ghost King.

Those clues they had gone to such great lengths to find had all been intentionally left behind by this man.

If Wang Chong hadn’t seen through it early, he truly would have fallen into the First Prince’s trap.

“Heh, how surprising. After one hundred years, I didn’t think that someone like you would appear in the younger generation of the Great Tang. This old man must admit that he underestimated you. But as a mighty King of esteemed status, why did you risk yourself even though you already knew? Would it not be better to remove yourself while there was still time?”

The Ghost King smirked at Wang Chong. Such conduct was extremely unwise for a strategist!

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