"Minister of Taichang, Zhou Taiqin, pays respects to Marquis!"
Not long after King Qi's envoy left, a resounding voice came from the crowd. Wang Chong's heart thumped as he stopped and turned in the direction of the voice.
The crowd parted, and a figure with long sleeves and clothes swayed in the wind walked up from the back with a calm and unhurried pace.
Almost at the same time, behind him, another figure also followed up.
"Assistant Minister of Revenue Zheng Chengli pays respects to Marquis!"
The two of them had been waiting in the back for some time, and only now did they leisurely walk forward, one in front of the other. Everyone's hearts skipped a beat when they heard those two names.
"Milords, there is no need to be so polite."
Wang Chong indifferently said to the pair.
For a moment, all was quiet in front of the city gate. While Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli were examining Wang Chong, Wang Chong was also examining these two important officials of the court.
In the Battle of Talas, Abu Muslim and Qutaybah had led hundreds of thousands of soldiers eastward. At this crucial moment, Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi had almost died at Talas because they lacked soldiers. On the topic of sending troops, the two ministers in the court who opposed it the most were Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli, the two ministers of the court.
If not for Jiang Yunrang and Cao Qianzong's vigorous arguments in court and his grandfather Duke Jiu's vigorous efforts to reverse the tide, the entire Tang Dynasty, from the Western Regions to Qixi and Longxi, would have fallen into the hands of the Arabs.
"The Young Marquis has rendered unparalleled military service in the west and has been conferred the title of King of Foreign Lands by His Majesty. And now that Marquis has returned to the capital, almost half of the officials of the court and all the great clans of the capital have come to welcome him. But I can't help but ask, the Tang Dynasty has expended an enormous amount of resources in the bitter battle of Talas and the two major battles at Khorasan. More than one hundred thousand soldiers have died, and for these two battles, hundreds of thousands of laborers and laborers have been mobilized. Does the Young Marquis not feel ashamed? A general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand. Does Marquis really feel at ease with the position of King of Foreign Lands? "
Boom!
The words of Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli caused the people around the city gate to pale.
Wang Chong had returned victorious and was in high spirits. All the civil and military officials of the court had come to congratulate him, and even King Qi had chosen to avoid the brunt of his words, only sending a minor official to inwardly ridicule him. But no one had dared to act like Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli and criticize Wang Chong to his face.
'A general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand' was a major taboo in front of generals, as it was unquestionably accusing the generals represented by Wang Chong of relying on the dead to advance.
The atmosphere instantly tensed, even tenser than when King Qi's men had appeared.
"Impudent!"
Before Wang Chong could speak, Jiang Yunrang and Cao Qianzong angrily rebuked him. In the court debate, the two of them had clashed fiercely with Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli.
"Zhou Taiqin, Zheng Chengli! What do the two of you mean by this? The Young Marquis is leading his soldiers in a bloody battle, and you're saying it's wrong? Will you only be happy when the Imperial Court loses the war! "
The two of them were infuriated by Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli's words. Arguing in the Imperial Court was one thing, but they had never imagined that, so long after the court debate had ended, the two of them would move the battlefield from the Imperial Court to the city gate, even making things difficult for Wang Chong in front of so many people.
"Hmph, right and wrong, right and wrong. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Do we need to be divided by time? Could it be that once the Young Marquis returns to the capital, the black becomes white and the straight becomes square? It's not that we want to lose this war, but the prosperity of the Great Tang is the result of the efforts of so many people. Now that the Imperial Court is neglecting its roots and pursuing trifles, even if it has rendered great military service, what is there to celebrate? "
Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli took a step forward and spoke fearlessly.
Wang Chong had not been present in that crucial court debate, and Duke Jiu's reputation was far above theirs. The two of them had long since wanted to find a chance to argue with Wang Chong. Now that Wang Chong had finally returned to the capital and all the officials of the court were watching, the two of them would not let this opportunity slip by.
"Milords, have you finished?"
At this moment, a voice interrupted Jiang Yunrang and Cao Qianzong, who had been preparing to speak on Wang Chong's behalf.
Wang Chong slowly took two steps forward, his eyes sharp and his body exploding with a powerful aura.
Ever since ancient times, the Imperial Censor had used a single brush to write from life to death. No matter how great one's achievements were, they could be reduced to nothingness. Thus, even if they were criticized, very few generals would argue with them. But this time, Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli were facing Wang Chong.
"Zhou Taiqin is willing to listen to Milord's brilliant opinion."
Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli did not back down in the slightest upon seeing Wang Chong. On the contrary, with a shake of their robes, they took two steps forward. The surrounding crowd instantly froze. Given Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli's actions, it would be difficult to resolve today's matter peacefully.
"My opinion can only be summed up in one word: pedantic!"
Wang Chong coldly stared at the pair. There was a saying that scholars misled the country. Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli might not have had bad intentions, but there were many times when these 'good intentions' ruined an empire, dragging countless lives into the abyss of suffering.
"Young Marquis!"
Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli's eyes bulged at Wang Chong's words, and their hair stood on end. Even Jiang Yunrang and Cao Qianzong were frightened by Wang Chong's words.
'Pedantic' was the most appropriate word to describe those inflexible and conservative civil officials of the court. But not even the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi, a War God of the Tang Dynasty, would dare to say these words in front of Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli.
This had nothing to do with one's position, but was a taboo that would offend many civil officials. No one had expected Wang Chong to say these words.
"Young Marquis, if you don't give an explanation, even if you return victorious today, don't blame me and Brother Zheng for censuring you. We'll accuse you of insolence and arrogance because of your favor. We'll drag you before His Divine Majesty and have him judge you!"
Zhou Taiqin's expression chilled as he stared at Wang Chong, his eyes seeming to want to swallow Wang Chong whole.
Whoooah!
The crowd fell into an uproar at this sight. No one had expected a proper welcoming ceremony to devolve into this. If things went wrong, a celebratory feast might turn into a dispute in the Imperial Court.
"Since Milords wish to hear it, I will tell you. There is great love and little love. There is great loyalty and little loyalty. Little love is love for one's father, brother, and kin. Above is filial piety, and below is friendship. Great love is love for one's country, for the world, for others. They treat the people of the world as if they were their father, brother, or kin. "
Wang Chong's words left everyone stunned.
"There is great loyalty and little loyalty. Little loyalty is self-restraint and propriety. They are loyal and responsible, assisting the sovereign above and pacifying the people below. Great loyalty is to pacify the world. They focus on the present and consider the next ten years, a hundred years, or even a thousand years. They worry not just about the people of the present, but also about the future generations! "
Wang Chong gazed at the pair before him. These simple words had stunned not only Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli, but the surrounding crowd as well. 'Great love and little love, little loyalty and great loyalty' — no one had ever heard these words from Wang Chong before.
"The number of casualties in the Battle of Talas truly reached one hundred thousand, and the money spent and the number of laborers and laborers numbered in the hundreds of thousands. But if the Tang Dynasty were to be defeated in this battle, have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Wang Chong stared at the pair, his eyes sharp.
"At that time, the number of casualties would not be one hundred thousand, but several hundred thousand, perhaps even several million. Have you ever thought about what would happen if the Arabs were to break through Talas and advance through the Western Regions to Longxi, threatening the capital? What do you think would happen then?! "
Wang Chong's voice was so deafening that Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli opened their mouths in a daze. They wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.
"When it really comes to that, blood will flow like rivers, the land will be dyed red for thousands of li, and the entire Central Plains will be turned into an asura battlefield. I'm afraid that it won't be something that can be salvaged with a few lords' impeachment, a long speech, and a strong argument. Of two evils, one must choose the lesser. The mobilization of soldiers and the long-distance expeditions were forced upon us, but compared to the one hundred thousand soldiers who died at Talas, you old officials of the Imperial Court are the true calamities to the country, the enemies of the people. If something really does happen, will you be able to bear the responsibility? "
Wang Chong's voice was deafening as he spoke these last words.
“！！！”
Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli were dumbstruck by Wang Chong's words, speechless.
The two of them had been discussing the difference between civil and military with Wang Chong, but Wang Chong had been discussing the dreadful dangers that awaited them if they lost this war. None of them could deny this.
Even Zhou Taiqin and Zheng Chengli had to admit that before the war, they had all underestimated the strength of the Arabs. If one million cavalry had charged into the interior, none of them would have dared to imagine the consequences.
"Zhou Taiqin, Zheng Chengli, are you still not going to withdraw?"
At this moment, Jiang Yunrang and Cao Qianzong spoke up.
"You rotten scholars only know about war and peace, only about how many people you've worked, but you've never thought about what the consequences would have been if you hadn't paid such a price. At the very least, all the people who have worked are still alive. From Longxi to Anxi, millions of people have been saved.
"And as for funds, the Young Marquis has already handed over one billion taels of gold to the Imperial Court, a fortune that far surpasses our expenditure in this war. And in the face of such a powerful foe and such a massive war, the Young Marquis has mobilized far fewer people than in the past.
"The road from the capital to Suiye is ten thousand li long, and countless people have been mobilized, but all the expenses have been paid for by the Young Marquis and all the great clans. If this is what you mean by mobilizing so many people, then you should resign and hang up your seals as an apology to the world.
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