"But, that was not a normal battle. That was Senior Brother's battle. A hundred thousand against five hundred thousand. That was a huge victory for the few..."
Xiao Jianjian lowered his head and curled his lips. His fingers twirled as he stared at his feet. His face was filled with dissatisfaction.
"How dare you talk back!"
So Jung-son bellowed.
"That's right."
Xiao Jianjian was unconvinced. His voice was as soft as a mosquito's, almost inaudible.
"Xiao Jianjian, that's enough. Don't talk back to your master. Your master already knows about your Senior Brother's situation. You'd better leave now. "
Just then, another voice rang out from within the house. It sounded completely different from So Jung-son's. It was not as powerful and authoritative.
"Got it, Uncle Fang!"
Xiao Jianjian stuck out his tongue and made a face before running away.
Little Jianjian didn't know that in the house with the door tightly shut, two old eyes were staring at his back for a long time before looking away.
"Fang Hong, you're spoiling him too much. It's just a battle. He's too impatient. How can he lead the army, devise strategies, and conquer the world? "
Seated on a wooden armchair, Su Zhengchen glanced at the old servant beside him and said with a deep voice.
The art of war involved the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, as well as the lives of the commoners. As the saying went, one couldn't afford to neglect important matters of the empire. Thus, Su Zhengchen had always been strict with his military, and it was the same for Little Jianjian.
"Hehe, Old Master, why are you so strict with him? He's just a child. Besides, isn't old master's legacy inherited by that child, Wang Chong? "
The old servant, Fang Hong, said with a smile.
"You..."
For a moment, Su Zhengchen was at a loss for words.
The old servant smiled but did not speak. He had served Old Master for most of his life and knew what Old Master was thinking. So Jung-son did not admit it, but deep down, he had already treated Wang Chong as his disciple. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put in so much effort to teach him the Art of God and Demon Obliteration and help him train four thousand soldiers of the Azure Martial Army.
It was just that Su Zhengchen had never admitted to it.
"This child will be spoiled by you sooner or later. I don't know what to do with you!"
Su Zhengchen glared at this old servant who had served him for fifty to sixty years. Then, he turned around, picked up the wine cup on the table, and drained it in a single gulp.
The old servant didn't say a word, but the smile on his lips grew wider and wider. He picked up the white porcelain wine gourd on the table and filled Su Zhengchen's cup once more.
His old master usually drank no more than four cups of wine, but this was already the eighth time he had filled Wang Chong's cup, a fact that not even he had noticed. Although he had been playing down the matter and using it as an ordinary battle, Fang Hong knew that his old master was actually more delighted than anyone else.
As the wine pot on the table slowly emptied, the old servant quietly replaced it with another pot of wine and continued to fill So Jung-son's cup.
In all his time with his old master, Fang Hong had never seen his old master so happy. And after meeting that child called Chong-er, the smile on his old master's face grew wider and wider, comforting Fang Hong.
… …
And as the news of Talas spread, the influence of this matter in the capital continued to grow.
Swish! Swish!
As imperial proclamations were pasted on the various gates of the Tang Dynasty's capital and more details were revealed, the capital began to seethe.
"Hahaha, what did I say? The Young Marquis is the reincarnation of the Heavenly Fate Star. He came to assist His Majesty in sweeping away the barbarians and continuing the golden age of our Tang Dynasty."
"One hundred thousand against five hundred thousand! This Young Marquis is the true War God of the new generation! Only the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi and the War God of the older generation, So Jung-son, can compare to him! "
"Hahaha, as expected of the descendant of Duke Jiu. The Wang Clan has three generals, a true sect of martyrs, a truly loyal subject of the Tang Dynasty. We should ask the Holy Emperor and the Imperial Court to grant the Wang Clan a title!"
"That's right! Let's go together and ask the Holy Emperor to grant the Wang Clan a title!"
… …
The various parts of the city gate were bustling with activity. Countless merchants, wealthy clans, and even some of the nobles of the capital had gathered. Not only that, all the restaurants, taverns, teahouses, and inns of the capital were discussing the gruesome battle that had taken place at Talas.
The people loudly discussed the matter, all of them extremely proud.
The matter of granting the Wang Clan a title was initially only discussed by the common people, but later on, even the officials of the court agreed and began to submit memorials. In the end, it became a massive voice that could not be ignored. In the end, all the memorials were gathered in the depths of the Imperial Palace, in the hands of the Holy Emperor.
The Imperial Palace towered over the Imperial Palace, and in its deepest depths was a golden hall, dignified and solemn. It stood at the highest point of the Imperial Palace like a giant bird with its wings spread wide, looking down on the capital.
The Taiji Palace was the residence of the Holy Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
No matter how fierce the storms and storms of the outside world raged, this place was always calm, as if no storm could reach this place.
"Your Majesty, after the great victory at Talas, that child Wang Chong truly did not fail to live up to Your Majesty's high hopes. They have already crossed the Black Forest, occupied Samarkand, and are now heading west toward the end of the Silk Road, Khorasan. To the west of the Cong Mountains, the barbarian lands have already become the territory of my Tang Dynasty, and Your Majesty's territory has greatly increased. This is an unprecedentedly grand occasion! The voices in the Imperial Court that wish to grant the Wang Clan a title are getting louder and louder. This old servant has already collected several hundred letters. "
Outside the hall, Eunuch Gao had his hands tucked into his sleeves and was smiling like a Maitreya Buddha.
"Your Majesty, granting a title is no small matter. Starting with His Majesty Gaozong, the Imperial Court has not granted a title to any great clan for several decades. Moreover, once a title is given, it will be equivalent to having the Iron Scroll of the Alchemy Edict, a golden medallion of immunity. This might cause a new upheaval in the Imperial Court! "
The Imperial Court rarely granted titles or commendations to any particular clan, and this was not just out of caution.
Based on the experience of the previous dynasties, all those great clans that were granted titles ended up becoming arrogant because they were favored, ultimately becoming a scourge for the Imperial Court. Even if this did not appear at the time, their descendants had basically confirmed this.
The common people did not know this, but the Imperial Court, which had inherited the records of the previous dynasties, was well aware of this matter. And that was not all. Because the successive dynasties rarely granted titles, the granting of titles itself had a very deep meaning.
In the minds of the officials, it represented the Emperor's special favor. As a result, in a short period of time, an enormous faction quickly formed around these noble clans, intensifying the factional strife in the Imperial Court and destroying the original balance.
This was the reason why the imperial court was so cautious when it came to conferring titles.
This did not mean that titles could not be granted. Only clans that were extremely loyal to the Imperial Court and could be completely trusted could receive such an honor.
The hall was quiet, as if it was in another time and space. No one knew what the Holy Emperor was thinking at this moment.
"Your Majesty, why don't you allow this old servant to refuse?"
Gao Lishi said after a moment of silence.
Although public opinion was at its peak and the voices for petitions were at their strongest, with even the civil and military officials of the Imperial Court participating, it was not too difficult for the Imperial Court to refuse. There were thousands of reasons to refuse. This was how politics worked.
"There's no need!"
A moment later, a dignified voice rang out from the most authoritative hall in the world.
"Pass on my decree. The petition is approved!"
Hearing these words, Gao Lishi's entire body shook. He seemed to understand something in an instant and lowered his head.
"This old servant will obey!"
In the generation of the Holy Emperor, this was definitely the first noble clan to be granted a title. Even Old Master Yao, who was so favored by the Holy Emperor and had such great influence in the Imperial Court, had not received such an honor.
The granting of titles to the Wang family would probably shock the entire Imperial Court for a very long time and affect the structure of the entire Tang dynasty in the future.
… …
Rumble!
When the Holy Emperor ordered the Six Departments to discuss granting titles to the Wang family, this matter immediately caused a huge uproar in the entire Tang dynasty.
"Favor! What kind of favor is this! The people were in an uproar, especially those who hoped to grant the Wang family a title. But the reaction in the Imperial Court was completely different. I didn't expect the Holy Emperor's favor for Wang Chong and the Wang family to reach this level. "
In the Imperial Court, an old imperial censor received the news. His eyes widened in shock, his face full of disbelief.
… …
In the depths of the Imperial Palace, in the Yuzhen Palace.
"Hahaha, little sister, do you see this? What do you think of this sworn brother of yours! What kind of glory is this family of valiant martyrs? Although you and I are like rootless duckweed in this palace, as long as we have the support of my sworn brother and the Wang family, our position in the Imperial Court will be as stable as a boulder. We might even be on equal footing with King Qi and The King of Song, becoming the third power in the Tang dynasty! "
Yang Zhao, dressed in white scholarly robes and a black bedding, walked in from outside, his sleeves fluttering in the wind. Although he did his best to imitate the manner of those scholars, in the end, he was still lacking. After just a few steps, he returned to his original self. With his head held high and his face beaming with joy, he walked toward the hall and hurried over to Consort Tai Zhen in the jade tent.
"Big brother, this time, you've really done something that's most beneficial to us!"
The jade tent fluttered, and a jade-white foot stretched out. Consort Tai Zhen supported a pretty maid at her side as she stood up and slowly walked out of the tent.
At this moment, Consort Taizhen's face was also brimming with joy. Her older brother was a lazy glutton and addicted to gambling. In the few months he had been in the capital, he had not only lost all his traveling expenses, but also spent every day in the gambling houses, begging on the streets for money. He was truly a disappointment to the extreme.
But everyone had their own shortcomings and strengths. After being in the capital for so long, he had still done a great deed.
Just as he had said, Wang Chong had written her two poems on the tune of purity and peace, and Consort Tai Zhen had thus let off the King of Song. Moreover, Yang Zhao and Wang Chong were sworn brothers, so they had a close relationship. In the eyes of outsiders, they were on the same side. With the support of Wang Chong and the Wang family, she would no longer be completely helpless in the palace and in the court.
"Someone, take me to His Majesty. This time, I will personally leave the palace to pay a visit to the Wang Clan and see this Madam Zhao!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
