Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhangchou Jianqiong recounted the events of the battle. Many of the details were unknown to the important ministers of the court at the time. Even Grand Scribe Yan Wenzhang was hearing about it for the first time, and he hurriedly gestured toward the distance. A Grand Scribe was seated cross-legged at the foot of a pillar, swiftly writing down the details.
"War truly has no other choice. It is not that we generals like to fight, but that we are forced by the circumstances. The ultimate goal of war is to protect the common people. But there are many ways to protect the common people. One is to defend against the enemy from within and wait for the enemy to attack before mobilizing the army. Another is to defend against the enemy from without and proactively guard against war. It is just that the ministers are more inclined toward the former, while we have chosen the latter. There is no right or wrong, just a difference in ideals and methods. In addition, whether it is the former or the latter, as long as there is war, there will be casualties. There is no avoiding it. "
"But there is one thing. Whether it is war or peace, we generals protect the Tang Dynasty and protect the common people, just like all of you."
Zhangchou Jianqiong's voice was filled with utmost sincerity. The struggle between civil and military officials was a struggle between ideals of war and peace. As the Minister of War, Zhangchou Jianqiong could not remain uninvolved.
"This lowly subject was not present at Talas and has no way of determining the exact situation, but this lowly subject believes in the Young Marquis and believes in Your Majesty's insight. Since the Young Marquis and Protector-General Gao Xianzhi have submitted a memorial to the court requesting reinforcements, the situation at Talas is assuredly extremely perilous. It is better to believe it than not, so this lowly subject requests Your Majesty to immediately send reinforcements to the northwest to aid the Young Marquis. "
Zhangchou Jianqiong gave a long sigh, a weight lifted from his heart.
In the war of the southwest, Zhangchou Jianqiong owed Wang Chong an enormous favor. If not for Wang Chong, Zhangchou Jianqiong would not have been able to become the Minister of War, and those soldiers of the Annam Protectorate who had followed him for ten-some years would have been buried by the Erhai. Zhangchou Jianqiong had returned this favor with the Battle of Talas.
More importantly, Zhangchou Jianqiong had his own judgment of the Battle of Talas. As a famed general of the army and a top-class Imperial Great General of the Tang dynasty, Zhangchou Jianqiong's judgment was exactly the same as Wang Chong's. If he did not quickly reinforce the northwest and allow the three sides to form an alliance, the entire Central Plains would be shaken.
"Humph! Ridiculous! You generals have been waging wars for years, wasting manpower and resources. Yet, you are still able to speak of such great principles. Lord Zhangchou sure is eloquent! Lord Wang, do you think so as well? "
A voice sounded, and it immediately drew everyone's attention to the frowning Wang Gen.
"Thump!"
Sensing the gazes of the crowd, Wang Chong's big uncle, Wang Gen, felt his heart skip a beat, and his face darkened. In the entire Imperial Court, no one was in a more delicate and awkward position than his. Wang Gen had always been a civil official, belonging to the civil path, but Wang Yan, Wang Fu, and Wang Chong were classic military generals. The Wang Clan was both civil and military, a typical clan of ministers and generals.
And if one looked further back, the source of all this was Duke Jiu. Although Duke Jiu was a civil official, he was skilled in military strategy, and he had led an army to sweep through the Eastern and Western Turks and Ouzan, achieving great feats on the battlefield.
Furthermore, the reason why this civil and military conflict had grown so large that even the Grand Scribe had gotten involved was because of Wang Chong of the Wang Clan.
"This …"
For the first time, Wang Gen found himself in an unprecedented predicament. In his many years of involvement in the court, Wang Gen had weathered many storms, some of which were enough to threaten the entire Wang Clan and uproot it. Whether it was the Regional Commanders Incident or the Consort Tai Zhen Incident, they had both surpassed this Battle of Talas.
But Wang Gen would rather face that situation than get caught up in this thorny conflict between civil and military.
The civil officials hated war, and this was an unchanging principle. As long as Wang Gen said the word 'war' and went against the opinions of the civil officials, he would be ostracized by them. Without the support of the civil officials, Wang Gen's path on the civil path would come to an end. And if Wang Gen supported the civil officials, the hearts of the generals of the world would turn cold.
The reason why this civil and military conflict was so intense, why Jiang Yunrang and the other old officials of the army were willing to risk being condemned by the civil officials, was precisely to support the Wang Clan and Wang Gen's nephew, Wang Chong, who was far away at Talas. If Wang Gen opposed the generals at this time, not only would the Wang Clan fall into disgrace, it would also send Wang Chong to his death.
At this moment, Wang Gen was in a dilemma, his mind warring with the heavens.
"Lord Wang, there is no need to feel troubled. Allow me to speak for you!"
At this moment, an elderly and dignified voice came from the upper reaches of the hall. Wang Gen's heart trembled at this voice. All the civil and military officials turned in shock to the upper reaches of the hall.
The Grand Preceptor!
The same thought flitted through their minds as they stared at the figure seated on the red sandalwood chair. At the top of the hall, the Grand Preceptor, who had been meditating with his eyes closed this entire time, had at some point opened his eyes, a sharp light exploding from them.
The Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Grand Protector were known as the Three Dukes of the Imperial Court, and the Grand Preceptor was their leader.
The Grand Preceptor was a person of virtue and prestige, wielding enormous influence in the court. Even the Holy Emperor had to treat him with the utmost respect.
At each morning court session, all the civil and military officials would stand in line. Only the Grand Preceptor had the Holy Emperor arrange a red sandalwood chair for him, placing it closest to the Holy Emperor as a sign of respect. The Grand Preceptor was very old, and he rarely interfered in the affairs of the court. The majority of the time, he would sit in the hall and listen, sometimes appearing, sometimes not.
Everyone had believed that the Grand Preceptor would only sit in the hall and listen, but no one had expected the Grand Preceptor to intervene in the conflict between civil and military officials that had arisen from the Talas incident.
The Grand Preceptor was the leader of the civil officials, and his sudden intervention in the Imperial Court immediately carried a different weight.
"Damn it! What's going on here? Even the Grand Preceptor has come! "
At this moment, even Zhangchou Jianqiong couldn't help but feel shocked and have a bad premonition.
Although he was the Minister of War and possessed enormous authority, in terms of prestige and influence in the court, Zhangchou Jianqiong was far inferior.
"Your Majesty, this old subject only has one word …"
On the red sandalwood chair, the Grand Preceptor flicked his wide sleeves and slowly stood up. In that instant, a tremendous aura, as vast as the mountains and as vast as the seas, erupted from his body. In that instant, the entire hall fell silent, so silent that even a pin drop could be heard. Countless gazes were focused on him.
"Although the country is large, warmongering is sure to perish!!"
Rumble! The Grand Preceptor's gaze swept over all the civil and military officials, his dignified voice echoing through the hall. All the ministers, including the old general Jiang Yunrang who had been at loggerheads with the civil officials, felt their hearts throbbing and were speechless.
The hall was quiet, the atmosphere oppressive to death.
Wang Gen's heart felt heavy, like a boulder was weighing down on it. Behind the pillar, The King of Song also had a nasty grimace.
From the moment the Grand Preceptor opened his eyes to the moment he stood up, he had only said a few words, but the weight of these words was far greater than the words of all the civil officials in the Imperial Court put together. The weight of these words was not something that any general could bear.
"Grand Preceptor …"
The King of Song's body trembled as he stared up at the Grand Preceptor, his heart freezing.
The Grand Preceptor was a person of virtue and prestige, his status extremely high, and his influence profound. He did not lightly participate in the Imperial Court, much less speak. But once he opened his mouth, his words were equivalent to the golden rule and jade rule. Even though The King of Song was an Imperial Prince, he could not compare to the Grand Preceptor.
The King of Song had never expected that this conflict between civil and military officials would draw out the leader of the civil path.
This conflict in the Imperial Court had suddenly become extremely disadvantageous to all the generals. More importantly, Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi's request for reinforcements at Talas had taken a massive turn, placing them in an extremely passive and disadvantageous position.
"The King of Song, do you have something to say?"
Just when King Song's heart sank and he felt that something was wrong, the grandmaster suddenly turned his gaze to King Song. "What are you talking about?" King Song asked. His expression was cold, his eyes icy. The King of Song was a staunch supporter of war. This was a fact known to all in the court, so how could the Grand Preceptor not know?
It was obvious that the Grand Preceptor, as the leader of the Three Dukes, was dissatisfied with the Imperial Court's successive years of war, and he was using this' Talas Incident 'to explode his discontent.
"Grand Preceptor …"
The King of Song hesitated, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted.
"Your Highness The King of Song, you don't intend to repeat the events of King Wu of Han in this dynasty, do you?"
The Grand Preceptor indifferently said with a wave of his sleeve.
The King of Song's heart trembled, and he immediately swallowed back the words that had been on the verge of leaving his mouth. The events of King Wu of Han referred to a wise ruler from one thousand years ago, Great Emperor Wu of Han, who had expanded the borders of the empire and accomplished great feats in both civil and martial arts. But in his later years, the years of war had left the people destitute, and the lands of the Central Plains were left uncultivated.
When the Grand Preceptor mentioned the events of King Wu of Han, he was clearly referring to the Holy Emperor. The Holy Emperor had been wise for his entire life, and he had forged a golden age for the Tang Dynasty, giving the Tang Dynasty an unprecedented golden age. If the events of King Wu of Han were to repeat themselves in this dynasty, the Holy Emperor's wisdom would be destroyed in a single day.
Not even The King of Song could bear the consequences.
"Your Holiness, Talas is still a land beyond the borders of civilization. Victory is not enough to celebrate, but defeat could cause all our previous efforts to be for naught. This old subject believes … that Lord Gao and the Young Marquis can withdraw their soldiers! "
With these final words, the Grand Preceptor finally turned his head to the Holy Emperor, hidden behind the curtain of beads.
The hall was quiet for a long time …
"Mm."
Finally, the Holy Emperor spoke from behind the curtain. These simple words were suffused with boundless majesty, causing the entire hall to tremble.
"We understand."
These four words were devoid of emotion, but all the generals in the hall, including The King of Song, Wang Gen, and Zhangchou Jianqiong, felt their hearts sink. The Sage Emperor had always left the matters of the Imperial Court to the officials. He rarely interfered, much less expressed his opinion.
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