Wang Gen shook his head.
"In this period of time, I've only seen His Highness The King of Song twice, and each time, we didn't have much time to converse."
Wang Chong deeply frowned at his big uncle's words.
From the moment he had received the imperial edict in Khorasan, Wang Chong had been pondering this entire matter. His apparent demotion, the withdrawal of the army from Khorasan, and the stripping of his military authority — even if someone wanted to do this, they should have never passed.
The King of Song, his big uncle Wang Gen, Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong, Yang Zhao and the Consort Tai Zhen behind him, his grandfather Duke Jiu's enormous influence in the court, the assistance of the other civil and military officials, and the favor of the Holy Emperor. All of this was like an invisible barrier that kept out all malice. This was also why Wang Chong had been able to fight in peace.
But even with this sturdy barrier, an imperial edict had been passed, stripping Wang Chong of his military authority and turning everything Wang Chong had worked so hard to build up for the Tang Dynasty into nothing. Wang Chong had never imagined this, and the strangest thing about this entire matter was The King of Song's attitude.
After this incident, Wang Chong had believed that he would quickly receive a letter from The King of Song and learn of the cause and effect of this matter. This way, he would at least know what had happened. But after this incident, more than half a month had passed from Khorasan to the capital, and yet The King of Song had not sent a single letter. This matter was far too strange.
"Just what happened in the Imperial Court that day?"
Wang Chong thought for a few moments before finally asking the question he most wanted to know. In the entire royal court, if he couldn't get the answer he wanted from The King of Song, the only one who could possibly tell him was Big Uncle Wang Gen.
As a high official of the first rank in the imperial court, his eldest uncle's position was not as high as that of the Three Dukes, but he definitely had access to a lot of secret information about the imperial court.
Back then, Wang Chong had already asked Big Uncle Wang Gen about it. However, First Uncle had said it very vaguely, almost not revealing any information. He only said that everything would be discussed after Wang Chong returned. Now, the time was finally right.
"Sigh!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Wang Chong's words, Wang Gen's brows furrowed deeply. A hint of worry appeared on his composed face.
"Chong-er, I can't answer your question right now. Too many things had happened during this period of time. I've been in the court for twenty years, and I've weathered many storms and waves, but none can compare to this turmoil. There are many things that I can't even explain to you. Even now, I still don't know how the imperial edict was passed. Just what happened in the Imperial Court that day, I also want to know. "
Wang Gen's words left Wang Chong flabbergasted.
"Big Uncle, just what happened? Why don't you know?"
Wang Chong's brow deeply creased. Wang Chong had never imagined that someone of his big uncle's status would be unaware of such a major event.
"Chong-er, let me finish and you'll understand."
Wang Gen leaned back against the carriage, a bitter smile in his eyes.
"There was something wrong with this matter from the very start. Chong-er, you might not know this, but I wasn't even in the Imperial Court when that incident occurred. I wasn't even involved in the final decision!" Wang Chong 'er's eyes flashed.
"Buzz!"
Wang Gen's words left Wang Chong's heart in shock. At this moment, countless thoughts flew through Wang Chong's mind.
Given his big uncle's status as a first-rank official, no ordinary person could transfer him out of the capital. Moreover, his big uncle was an important representative of the Wang Clan in the Imperial Court. If Wang Chong wanted to deal with Wang Chong, he would have to transfer his big uncle. And based on his big uncle's words, he hadn't even been in the capital when that incident occurred. Wang Chong was confident that this was no simple coincidence.
This looked more like a well-prepared and meticulously planned trap.
Wang Gen clearly understood this, and an almost imperceptible hint of worry appeared on his brow. Many things could only be discovered when the time came, but by that time, it would already be too late.
"Before the incident, I received news that a disaster had struck the Jiangnan Province, and the people were rioting. Many fields and houses had been destroyed, and the local officials were unable to deal with it. Coupled with the petitions of the people, the Imperial Court discussed this matter. Although everyone believed that the Tang dynasty was flourishing and that the Jiangnan Province would not be in much danger, when it came to the livelihood of the people, this was no small matter. Thus, a high-ranking official had to be dispatched to pacify the area and take charge of the situation. After some discussion, it was decided that I would be dispatched. "
Wang Gen slightly raised his head, a look of reminiscence in his eyes.
"Although I was rather surprised, this involved the people and was part of my duty, so I had to take responsibility. Thus, I set off for the Jiangnan Province. At the time, The King of Song was also in court. Neither I nor The King of Song thought much about it, because even if it wasn't me, there would definitely be someone else. But when I arrived at the Jiangnan Province, I discovered that everything was completely different from what I had heard from the Imperial Court.
"A flood truly did occur in the Jiangnan Province, but the disaster had already been pacified, and all the people had been dealt with appropriately. In addition, the disaster was far less serious than we had imagined, and there were no riots or petitions from the victims. The cause was the dereliction of duty of the clerk who had written the memorial. Without even carefully investigating the matter, he casually wrote the memorial, leading to the disaster. That clerk had already been dealt with, and the principal local officials had all resigned. All of this had already been taken care of by the time I arrived. It was also at this time that I received the news that the Imperial Court had approved the edict. "
Wang Chong said nothing, his face slowly turning gloomy. As the carriage rumbled along, Big Uncle Wang Gen's voice continued to ring in his ears, this time with a gravity that had not been there before.
"From the moment I received the news, I felt that something was wrong and rushed back to the capital. But in just a short period of time, the entire imperial court has undergone a great change. Many of the officials I used to know have disappeared, but there are many new faces that I have never seen before. "
"Did Big Uncle not investigate their backgrounds? The Imperial Court is no small matter. Without outstanding achievements or talent, it's very difficult to enter it! "
Wang Chong suddenly interjected.
From a minor official to a high-ranking official of the Imperial Court, many people would need to spend their entire lives studying and studying in order to reach this level. And for even more people, the great hall of the Imperial Palace, the place where the empire's authority was concentrated, was a place that they would never be able to dream of in their entire lives. Wang Chong had fought so many battles and rendered so many meritorious deeds, but all he possessed was military authority. When it came to the politics of the Imperial Court, he was only given the title of Advisor-in-Waiting.
"I've investigated it. Although their appearance was rather abrupt, their backgrounds are impeccable. They either have local officials or have made many meritorious deeds in the past, but they've always kept their achievements to themselves. It was only recently that they finally erupted and submitted their memorials to the Imperial Court. "
"How could this be?!"
Wang Chong's brow fiercely rose. The Tang Dynasty had long since established a bureaucratic system of examination and selection. It was impossible for someone to accumulate so many meritorious deeds without reporting them to their superiors. This may sound possible in theory, but it will never happen in practice.
"I had my suspicions at the start as well, but later events proved that the meritorious deeds listed in the Imperial Court's memorials were true."
Wang Gen bitterly smiled. After sitting in the Imperial Court for so many years, it was impossible for anyone to fool him with tricks. But it was precisely because he had investigated the matter that Wang Gen found it increasingly difficult to refute it. The carriage was deathly silent. After a long while, Wang Chong's voice suddenly rang out.
"Big Uncle didn't check their records?"
"Chong-er, you truly are smart."
Wang Gen sighed.
"Their resumes are indeed impeccable. All their identities and backgrounds are perfect. However, I've checked their files, and all the papers used in the files are brand new. If a complete file is real and effective, the paper used to record the files can't be so brand new! These people schemed so meticulously, and this is probably the only flaw they left behind. This is something that no method can make up for! "
Even a wise man would make a mistake. No matter how perfect one's resume was, there would still be flaws. Time was the only thing that could not be faked.
Just as Wang Chong was speaking, the carriage suddenly jolted. At the same time, Coachman's voice came from outside.
"Old Master, we've arrived."
In an instant, Wang Chong and Wang Gen came to their senses. Pushing open the carriage door, the two of them walked out. Outside the carriage, a familiar residence appeared before their eyes. This was Big Uncle Wang Gen's residence. Wang Chong and Wang Gen no longer discussed the matters of the Imperial Court. With a wave of his sleeve and an indifferent expression, he walked into the residence as if he was meeting a relative.
In the residence, Wang Chong paid his respects to Big Aunt Xing and Cousin Wang Li. After spending a few moments in the residence, he quickly left. Everything seemed perfectly normal. After leaving his big uncle's residence, Wang Chong headed straight for The King of Song's residence.
There were far too many suspicious points in this matter, and only one person could answer those questions in Wang Chong's heart.
It was the King of Song!
As a member of the imperial family of the Tang dynasty, as well as an important figure in the Imperial Court, the King of Song was at the center of this entire affair. Every upheaval, every political storm, almost always involved King Song.
"Halt! Who goes there! "
Before Wang Chong had even gotten close to the dignified and solemn gate of the King Song Residence, he heard a furious roar as two fully-armored guards at the gate stepped forward to stop Wang Chong. The two crossed their spears, and their expressions were sharp and menacing.
"The King of Song residence does not allow entry to unauthorized personnel. Don't you know this? Hurry up and leave! "
Seeing the two guards before him, Wang Chong's face darkened. He had come to the King of Song residence many times, but he had never been stopped. Moreover, Wang Chong had never seen these two guards before.
"I am the King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong. I have come to pay my respects to His Highness the King of Song. Please send a message for me."
Wang Chong took in a deep breath and quickly calmed down.
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