According to the military laws of the Tang dynasty, a commander could not leave the camp without orders. Given Geshu Han's status as the Big Dipper Great General, he would immediately be charged with a heavy crime. This was also the reason he had taken such a huge risk to meet Wang Chong on the official road and send off Wang Chong!
In Wang Chong, Geshu Han saw hope that he had never seen before.
Whoosh! A gust of wind blew between Wang Chong and Geshu Han, causing their robes to flap in the wind. All was silent. Wang Chong and Geshu Han looked at each other, neither of them speaking. Wang Chong had never imagined that Geshu Han would regard him with such importance.
As he gazed at those bright eyes, countless thoughts flitted through Wang Chong's mind. After a long while, Wang Chong finally spoke, his voice deafening.
"Dark clouds cannot obscure the sky, and even the greatest snowstorm will eventually disperse. Great General, I do not know what has happened in the Imperial Court, nor do I know why it has become like this. But I know that no matter how great the storm, there will come a day when the sun will once more shine over everyone's heads.
"What Great General looks forward to, what I look forward to, what everyone looks forward to, will come one day, and it won't be too long!"
At that moment, Wang Chong was like a sword that had been sheathed for a long time, finally revealing its true sharpness. Even the radiance of the sun would lose its splendor in that instant.
Geshu Han stared at the blazing light in Wang Chong's eyes, his heart deeply shaken. Even the Big Dipper Army soldiers standing around, shouldering the responsibility of protecting Geshu Han, were awed by Wang Chong's spirit and demeanor, their faces filled with shock.
Wang Chong was famous throughout the world for his peerless martial arts and military achievements, as well as his astonishing military strategies. But at this moment, the stubborn will, tenacious spirit, and inextinguishable fighting spirit that he revealed were even more dazzling than his military achievements.
"Hahaha! Alright! "
Geshu Han looked at Wang Chong and suddenly burst into laughter.
"General Wang, I really didn't misjudge you. With your words, I no longer have any regrets. With you in the Tang dynasty, it is the fortune of the Central Plains and the fortune of the world! Ge Shu would always remember today's words, and he hoped that General Wang would never forget them! On this trip to the capital, no matter what setbacks we encounter, I hope that General will not give up. As long as General Wang remembers today's words, Geshu Han and all the other generals will always stand behind General! "
Clang!
In midair, the cups clinked against each other, and the wine spilled out.
Geshu Han laughed heartily as he left. After downing the last cup of wine, Geshu Han left with a dozen elite Big Dipper warriors. When he had come, his face had been fraught with worry and worry, but when he left, he was extremely carefree, his heart brimming with joy.
"Great General, take care!"
Wang Chong gazed at Geshu Han's departing figure and the dust stirred up by the hooves of his horse. After a long while, he finally turned around and boarded his carriage.
"Wang Chong, just now, that was …"
On the carriage, Xu Yi-qin looked at Wang Chong with concern.
"An old friend. He has already left."
After saying these words, Wang Chong closed his eyes and became motionless.
"Hyah!"
With the flick of a whip, the carriage began to move, and the group quickly set off on the road to the capital.
The group set off once more, traveling along the Silk Road to the capital. This time, they encountered no more obstacles. Ten-some days later, after passing through lofty mountains and precipitous ridges, the group finally left the borders of Longxi and reached the most dazzling capital of the Tang dynasty.
"Boom!"
By the time Wang Chong's carriage reached the capital, a sea of people had gathered outside the western gate. Countless people had rushed out of the city and gathered near the western gate.
"He's here, he's here!"
"It's the King of Foreign Lands! Look!"
"Wang Chong! Wang Chong! "
… …
Before the carriage could even get close, cheers could be heard in the distance. The tens of thousands of people seemed to be attracted by a tide, all of them excitedly surging toward Wang Chong's carriage.
"He's back! The Young Marquis is finally back! Everyone, hurry and see! "
Everyone's eyes were brimming with enthusiasm as they excitedly rushed over to get close to the carriage.
"Milord, we've arrived."
A voice came from outside the carriage.
However, the inside of the carriage was completely silent. Not a single sound could be heard. This was a stark contrast to the liveliness and clamor outside the carriage.
Wang Chong's eyes were closed, his back leaning against the carriage. He didn't need to walk out to hear the roaring cheers. There was bound to be a sea of people jostling each other.
Wang Chong felt no joy at this moment. Everyone knew that he had triumphantly returned from Khorasan, but no one knew that he had been publicly promoted but secretly demoted. The common people would never know what was happening in the Imperial Court, nor would they know about the politics in the documents. While they were all cheering, no one knew that the world had changed.
"Haaa."
Wang Chong mentally sighed, suddenly feeling rather sorrowful.
"The sky will clear after the rain. One day, the ministers of the Imperial Court will understand your intentions. I am confident that one day, all of this will pass."
Xu Yi-qin, dressed in a white dress, sat next to Wang Chong and softly comforted him. She saw the sorrowful look on Wang Chong's face, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Wang Chong silently nodded.
There was a sea of people outside the city, many of them surging toward Wang Chong's carriage, but they were unable to cross the wall formed by the Imperial Court's soldiers.
"Out of the way! All of you, out of the way!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
"Pass on my order! Anyone who dares to disobey orders and cross the line will be arrested by the City Guard and thrown into prison!"
At the very front of the crowd, officials from the Ministry of Rites led officials from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Appointments, the City Defense Division, and the Supreme Court, leading thousands of soldiers to block the surging tide of people. All of them looked like they were facing a great enemy. That ordinary-looking carriage was like a thorn in the flesh in everyone's eyes.
They had long since received King Qi's orders for Wang Chong's return to the capital. No matter what, they had to separate Wang Chong from the common people of the city, minimizing the impact of Wang Chong's return. They could not allow him to use this incident to raise his prestige and status in the hearts of the common people. The entire Wang Clan was already sufficiently illustrious. They could not allow another Duke Jiu to appear.
"What a headache! King Qi's orders cannot be defied. Even if we have to capture all the common people in the city, we cannot allow the Wang Clan to do as they wish. "
Seeing the approaching carriage, the eyes of the leading official from the Bureau of Rites flashed with light.
Wang Chong's achievements in the west were truly greater than the heavens. His prestige in the court was as high as the noon sun. It would be extremely unwise to openly oppose him. Fortunately, King Qi's advisors had already thought things through. As long as they used the pretext of maintaining order and preventing the common people from gathering and trampling, they could openly 'protect' Wang Chong's party, minimizing the impact of Wang Chong's return to the capital. Afterwards, they could even claim that Wang Chong was arrogant and proud of his achievements, ordering the army to prevent the common people from approaching.
As long as they spread this rumor, they could greatly erase Wang Chong's image and achievements. As for the truth, who among the common people would know?
"All of you, heed my order. Take some men with you to protect him. Remember, no matter what, do not let Wang Chong get off the carriage."
The leading official from the Bureau of Rites pointed at two City Guard experts at his side. These were all experts that King Qi had assigned to the City Guard. All of them were loyal and reliable.
"Yes!"
"The rest of you, follow me!"
The eyes of the two City Guard experts flashed. Waving their arms, they mounted their horses and rode forward.
… …
"Marquis, it's the City Guard!"
While Wang Chong was seated in the carriage, Xu Keyi's voice suddenly came from outside.
"The common people of the capital are all looking forward to Marquis's return. Too many people have come out to welcome him, and the City Guard is afraid of causing a stampede. They hope that Marquis can enter the city as quickly as possible to avoid chaos."
In the carriage, Wang Chong was leaning against the wall, his face expressionless as he gave a soft grunt of affirmation. On the side, Xu Yi-qin instantly frowned.
"I didn't think that they would be so impatient."
Xu Yi-qin softly sighed. After spending so much time in the capital, she had been influenced by what she had seen and heard, and Xu Yi-qin was well aware of all the scheming and deceit of the capital's Imperial Court. Just by looking at the situation in front of her, she already understood what was going on.
"They've really found a good excuse!"
Xu Yi-qin rarely got angry, but at this moment, she couldn't help but show a hint of anger on her face. The two of them had risked their lives outside, and now that they had returned to the capital, the people of the Imperial Court were using this method to deal with them.
"Let them do what they want!"
A familiar voice came from next to her ear as Wang Chong took Xu Yi-qin's hand and softly comforted her.
"A plume of dust can't obscure the sun, and a single mantis can't change the universe. The major events of history and the world can't be changed by one or two people or a small group of people. No matter who they are or what they want to do, they won't succeed."
Feeling the warmth from her hand and the light in his eyes, Xu Qiqin was startled. All of a sudden, all of her emotions calmed down, and a blush appeared on her face as she softly nodded.
As the carriage continued to advance, the cheers grew louder and louder, shaking the heavens.
On the other side, seeing that the door of the carriage was tightly shut and that Wang Chong had listened to his advice and not left the carriage, the leading official from the Bureau of Rites and the people around him breathed a long sigh of relief.
Given Wang Chong's current reputation, if he wanted to obtain scholarly honors and win the hearts of the people, he only needed to show his face in front of the people of the capital on this triumphant return. This was what King Qi and the others feared the most. But as long as Wang Chong did not leave the carriage, the effects of this matter would be kept to a minimum.
"No matter what, we've finally succeeded! The Wang Clan will never use this matter to expand its prestige. "
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