"General Geshu!"
With a wave of his sleeve, Wang Chong quickened his pace and walked over.
The two most famous Great Generals of Qixi and Longxi had finally met.
Wang Chong had heard the name of the Big Dipper Great General countless times and had imagined his first meeting with Geshu Han, but he had never imagined that it would be under such circumstances.
"Lord Wang, have a seat. I've been waiting for you for several days!"
A carefree smile appeared on Geshu Han's lips as he saw Wang Chong. Geshu Han extended a finger and pointed at the seat next to him. A Big Dipper soldier quickly brought over a small stool and placed it next to the table.
After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong walked over and sat down across from Geshu Han.
"Many thanks, Milord!"
Wang Chong was neither servile nor overbearing, his expression carefree and natural. Although this was their first meeting, there was no estrangement or awkwardness between the two. On the contrary, it felt like they were meeting old friends.
"Lord Wang, I already know everything. This time, I'm here to send you off!"
Geshu Han straightforwardly said as he gazed at the youth before him. He rarely used honorifics to address others, and Wang Chong was much younger than him. The two of them had had their own conflicts in the past, but this time, Geshu Han was speaking from the bottom of his heart.
The word 'Milord' was enough to prove the status Wang Chong had in Geshu Han's heart.
"Milord is too serious!"
Wang Chong calmly said.
"Geshu rarely offers a toast to others, but Lord Wang, I offer you a toast!"
Geshu Han raised his wine cup to Wang Chong, a look of admiration on his face.
After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong clinked his cup with Geshu Han and drained it in one gulp.
"All the people of the world can see General's achievements in the west. Regardless of the outcome of this expedition, General has brought forth the might of the Tang Dynasty and the dignity of the people of the world. General Wang, you've done what Geshu Han wanted to do his entire life but was unable to do. Let me toast you the second cup. "
Geshu Han once more filled Wang Chong's cup and his own as he raised it.
If this scene on the official road were to spread out, it would surely shock the people of the world.
Of the two Imperial Great Generals of the Tang dynasty, one was a renowned veteran of the army while the other was a rising star. Just their meeting was enough to shake the world, and now, Geshu Han, as an illustrious veteran of the military, had actually personally poured wine for Wang Chong. This was enough to shock many people who had speculated that Wang Chong and Geshu Han didn't get along.
Clang!
The two cups clinked lightly in the air, and then Wang Chong and Geshu Han drained their cups in one gulp.
"You flatter me, Milord!"
After drinking his second cup, Wang Chong put down his cup and said, "Wang Chong has never believed himself to have achieved anything.
"Wang Chong has never believed that he had any merit. As a soldier, I only did what I had to do, and this is not the work of Wang Chong alone, but the work of the entire Great Tang. Speaking of which, Wang Chong also has to thank Great General for the three thousand soldiers of the Divine Martial Army. If not for the help of Great General and the other lords, Wang Chong would have found it very difficult to win this war. "
Wang Chong calmly said. His posture was ramrod straight, and there was no arrogance in his eyes, only endless calmness and composure.
Geshu Han looked into Wang Chong's eyes, into those eyes that were as calm as autumn waters, and finally, he couldn't help but give a long sigh.
"General Wang, Geshu Han was wrong. I misunderstood you in the past. The Tang Dynasty truly is fortunate to have you. I will punish myself with this cup!"
Picking up the cup on the table, Geshu Han quickly drained it in one gulp, a complicated expression on his face.
Geshu Han's initial attitude toward Wang Chong had not been like this. After the Regional Commanders incident, Geshu Han had even joined forces with the other generals to request the Holy Emperor to execute Wang Chong. Even when Wang Chong had established a fief in Wushang, Geshu Han had been filled with enmity toward him. But Geshu Han had to admit that he had been too rash this time. This youth before him truly did have some sort of power that could change the fate of the entire Tang Dynasty.
He was definitely not the stubborn hedonistic scion he had imagined him to be.
"What a pity, Wang Kunpeng. If you had been born ten-some years earlier, perhaps we wouldn't have had such a misunderstanding. Perhaps we could have worked together to conquer Ouzan and change the fate of the entire Tang Dynasty. "
Geshu Han sighed inwardly. 'Strong winds test strong grass, blazing flames test true gold.' Many times, one had to go through many trials to see a person's true character.
"But we … still lost."
As soon as Wang Chong said these words, the surroundings fell silent.
Although Wang Chong had only said a few simple words, anyone who knew of Wang Chong's fate understood the meaning behind them. At this moment, even the surrounding Big Dipper Army soldiers felt dejected. Countless bitter battles, countless lives, the persistence of life and death, only to have it all vanish at the very moment of success. Any soldier who had gone through life and death on the battlefield would be moved by Wang Chong's fate.
Even Geshu Han's eyes had dimmed considerably.
"General Wang, there's no need to blame yourself. Right and wrong are twists and turns, and the people of the world will have their own opinions. No matter what the final result of this battle is, the people of the world will understand that General did his best."
Geshu Han sternly said.
These simple words carried an extraordinary weight. Given Geshu Han's status, these words undoubtedly represented the acknowledgment of the people of the world of Wang Chong.
"Many thanks, General. Wang Chong's loss is insignificant. With General's words, the sacrifice of those soldiers at Talas will not have been in vain. I thank Milord on their behalf!"
Wang Chong mentally sighed. He picked up the wine pot, poured himself a cup, bowed to Geshu Han, and then drained it in one gulp.
"The matter of Khorasan is no longer just General's concern, but that of the entire Tang Dynasty and all its soldiers. General might still not know, but the Tang Dynasty is beset by perils. Not just Khorasan, but Longxi, Beiting, and Youzhou will soon follow in Khorasan's footsteps. "
Geshu Han sighed.
"Buzz!"
Wang Chong's heart trembled at Geshu Han's words, and he suddenly raised his head.
"Great General, what do you mean?"
"General Wang, you still don't know, but since yesterday, the Imperial Court has dispatched army supervisors to Big Dipper City. From hundred-man commanders to generals, almost every rank of the army has been overseen by the Imperial Court. Any order, even mine, has to pass through the supervision of the army supervisors before it can be passed on to the ordinary soldiers. I've already received word that Big Dipper City's soldiers must be reduced by at least fifty percent. Even if I argue on the basis of reason, it must still be reduced by at least thirty percent within two months! "
Geshu Han bitterly smiled.
"What!"
A look of extreme shock appeared in Wang Chong's eyes.
The Big Dipper Army had never relied on numbers to obtain victory. Soldiers valued quality, not quantity. On this point, Geshu Han was more thorough than anyone else. There were so many people in Longxi, but Geshu Han had only been able to gather twenty-thousand-some soldiers. In the past, only Geshu Han had been able to contend against the entire Ü-Tsang Empire with more than twenty thousand soldiers and stand firm for several decades.
The Big Dipper Army was already lacking in numbers. If they were to reduce their numbers by another thirty percent, how would they deal with the massive number of Ouzan cavalry?
"That's not all. I've already received notice that the Imperial Court and the Ouzan Empire have reached an agreement and signed a peace treaty. The Six Branches have also signed an agreement that forbids all soldiers in Big Dipper City from attacking the Ouzan Empire on their own. Even if they are attacked and decide to launch a large-scale counterattack, they must first obtain the approval of the Imperial Court and the army supervisors! "
Geshu Han continued. These words were like a heavy bomb, sending great waves through Wang Chong's heart. He had never imagined that someone of Geshu Han's status would be swept up in this massive upheaval.
"General Wang, the world has already changed. If it were just Geshu Han, this matter would be insignificant, but I fear that this is only the beginning. From now on, the Tang Dynasty will enter troubled times. "
Geshu Han gazed at Wang Chong and sighed.
"What happened in Khorasan and Big Dipper City is not an isolated incident. The Eastern and Western Turks, Goguryeo, Nanzhao … I'm afraid that the Imperial Court has already signed similar treaties with them. It's no longer just you and me. All the soldiers on the border of the Tang Dynasty, from the Imperial Court to the border, are feeling insecure.
"But what I'm most worried about is the Tang Dynasty. Since ancient times, I've never heard of a dynasty or empire capable of protecting itself without a powerful army. The Tang Dynasty is crippling its own martial arts!"
As Wang Chong gazed at Geshu Han, his expression turned extremely grave. He had never known that so many things had happened in such a short period of time.
"This is an unprecedented storm!"
Geshu Han's words determined the course of the matter.
"General Wang, whether it's me, Gao Xianzhi, Lord Wang (Wang Zhongsi) of the capital, or even the imprisoned Fomonlința, those generals who worked together to create the glorious history of the Tang Dynasty are all in their forties, and many of them are already in their fifties. Of all the Great Generals of the Tang Dynasty, you are the only one in your twenties. I do not know how long this storm will last or how great its effects will be, nor do I know how many people will be able to endure it. I only hope that no matter what happens, you will not be discouraged. … Because you are the hope of the entire Tang Dynasty! "
Geshu Han's words were solemn and filled with hope.
The empire was like a pool of stagnant water that had not stirred for many years. If the empire wanted glory, if it wanted to pass on its glory and culture, if it wanted to reach even greater heights of glory, it needed a new flame. It would not be an ordinary Imperial Great General like himself, but a flame that possessed formidable martial strength, formidable willpower, and a sharpness like a saber or sword that could change the entire Tang Dynasty and even the world.
Not so long ago, Geshu Han had believed that this sort of 'flame' could not exist. This was because this was not something an ordinary person could accomplish. A normal person who could reach the level of Imperial Great Generals like him and Gao Xianzhi was already a genius, and it was almost impossible to surpass them.
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