"Relax! He'll definitely come out to meet us!"
Wang Chong seemed to know what Zhang Que was thinking, and he spoke without raising his head.
The disturbance in the Zhou Residence quickly calmed, and the estate became quiet once more.
Time slowly passed, and just when Zhang Que believed that Wang Chong had made an error in judgment, he heard a flurry of footsteps. Through the open gate of the Zhou Residence, Zhang Que saw a middle-aged scholar wearing a plain hat and dressed in plain clothes. His face was pale as he walked out, accompanied by a group of servants and servants. As he walked, his head was slightly lowered, his eyes fixed on the ground. His entire body seemed to be absent-minded and restless.
When he was still thirty or forty paces from the gate, a servant seemed to call out to him. Only then did the middle-aged scholar return to his senses, tidied his clothes, and swiftly went to greet Wang Chong.
"This Zhou has failed to welcome the King of Foreign Lands. I hope that Your Highness will forgive me."
Zhou Wenchen raised his sleeves and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Lord Zhou is too polite. Will you not invite me in to sit?"
Wang Chong indifferently said.
"Oh!"
Zhou Wenchen seemed to wake up from a dream and hurriedly stepped to the side to lead the way.
"Your Highness, please, please!"
Only after saying 'please' three times did Zhou Wenchen lead Wang Chong into the residence.
Upon entering the hall, everything appeared very strange. The maids were strange, their faces pale, and the servants at the door had strange and unnatural expressions. Even Zhou Wenchen felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
"Is Lord Zhou still not prepared to speak?"
Wang Chong took up the teacup on the table, lifted the lid, and lightly wiped away the foam floating on its surface.
Hearing this, the maidservant's face paled, and Zhou Wenchen's face alternated between green and white.
"Haaa!"
With a long sigh, Zhou Wenchen stood up like a prisoner about to be executed. After a night of torment, he had finally chosen to calmly face his impending fate.
"Your Highness, Zhou Wenchen has nothing to say about this matter. It is Zhou Wenchen who has wronged Your Highness. No matter how Your Highness punishes me, this Zhou will calmly face it and have no complaints."
After Zhou Wenchen said this, he bowed down respectfully, bending his body at a ninety-degree angle.
Wang Chong was the highest commander of the Tang Dynasty in Khorasan and the acting Qixi Protector-General. Zhou Wenchen's defection had resulted in Wang Chong being stripped of his military authority and his position as acting Qixi Protector-General. The months of hard work at Talas had been lost in a single night. One could say that Wang Chong was the direct victim of this matter. Zhou Wenchen could refuse to meet with The King of Song or Wang Gen, but he could never avoid Wang Chong. As a civil official, he had to uphold Confucian etiquette, but in this matter, he was lacking in virtue. This was one of the reasons Wang Chong was so confident that he would meet with him.
"Lord Zhou, you're truly a good person."
Zhang Que looked at Zhou Wenchen with a cold snort, his voice brimming with enmity and resentment. In Qixi, it was precisely because of these people that Wang Chong had been so enraged that he had vomited blood and fainted. Zhang Que still remembered this matter even now. He had no good impression of these people.
Moreover, Zhou Wenchen and the other officials who had defected had committed treacherous acts that Zhang Que and the others despised the most.
"Enough!"
Wang Chong waved his hand to stop Zhang Que.
"Lord Zhou, so this is your explanation?"
Wang Chong put down his teacup and calmly said.
"Your Highness, this Zhou also has his own difficulties. This Zhou and The King of Song have known each other for many years, and this one has always admired The King and Lord Wang Gen. When Your Highness galloped across the foreign battlefield, vanquishing foreign foes and raising the prestige of our country, this Zhou applauded Your Highness. If possible, please believe that this Zhou would never have done such a thing. "
"Nonsense! Didn't you still do it? Is this your explanation? Do you know how many of our brothers have been sacrificed to deal with Arabia? Do you know how many of our brothers have shed their blood and died on the foreign battlefield just because you said that you had no other choice? "
Zhang Que angrily retorted. At any other time, he would never have been so agitated, but this time was different. Half a year of hard work had been for naught, and Zhou Wenchen's expression was so calm that Zhang Que found it impossible to accept this.
"Zhang Que!"
Wang Chong glanced at Zhang Que and stopped him, and then he turned to Zhou Wenchen.
"So, just who ordered Milord and who made Lord Zhou change his mind? Can you not say anything?"
"Your Highness, forgive me. It's not that this Zhou doesn't want to say it, but that this Zhou cannot."
Zhang Que became even more enraged at these words, and he glared at Zhou Wenchen. But Wang Chong seemed to understand, and he placed his hands on the armrests of his chair.
"I understand. Zhang Que, let's go!"
With these words, Wang Chong waved his sleeve and strode out, ignoring Zhou Wenchen. Let alone Zhang Que, even Zhou Wenchen was left speechless for a long time. Today was the day of Wang Chong's conferment, and almost everyone in the capital knew that Wang Chong had appeared at the Zhou Residence. Zhou Wenchen had originally believed that Wang Chong had come in a threatening manner to denounce him, but he had only said a few words before leaving. Even Zhou Wenchen was dumbfounded.
"Wait a moment!"
As Wang Chong stepped over the threshold, Zhou Wenchen couldn't help but call out.
"Does Lord Zhou have anything else to say?"
Wang Chong stopped, his back to the hall as he indifferently said.
"Your Highness, this matter truly was this Zhou's mistake, and I failed the trust of The King of Song and Lord Wang, but the phoenix carving the sparrow also has its origins. If Your Highness and The King of Song have any complaints, feel free to direct them at this Zhou! … Let go of this Zhou's family. "
"Be at ease. We haven't fallen to such a level."
With these words, Wang Chong stepped through the door and vanished. Behind him, Zhou Wenchen breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully bowed.
"Zhou Wenchen thanks Your Highness!"
… …
After leaving the Zhou Clan Residence, Zhang Que was still rather indignant.
"Milord, are we just going to let him go? Everyone says that scholars have their own strength of character. This kind of person is simply infuriating. "
"Let him go. Everyone has their own difficulties. We can't completely reject him just because he made a single mistake," Wang Chong calmly said.
Wang Chong calmly said, far less agitated than Zhang Que.
"But this bastard didn't say a single word. He caused Milord to be stripped of his position, stripped of his military authority, and caused all our brothers' efforts to go up in smoke. If we just let him go, wouldn't that be letting him off too easily? Wouldn't we have come here for nothing? "
Zhang Que indignantly said.
"Who says he didn't say anything?"
Wang Chong countered.
"Ah?"
Zhang Que was dumbfounded by these words. He had accompanied Zhou Wenchen and Wang Chong the entire time they had met, and Zhou Wenchen had been evading and evading, even listing out his difficulties and excuses. He hadn't said a single word about anything else. Wang Chong had said that he had said a few things. How could that be possible? Zhang Que carefully thought back, but he couldn't remember Zhou Wenchen saying anything useful.
"Zhang Que, sometimes, even if you don't say it, you just say it. There are some things that don't necessarily need to be said. And didn't he say it before he left? The phoenix polishes the sparrow, and there is a connection. "
After saying this, Wang Chong waved his sleeve and stepped onto the carriage, leaving behind Zhang Que, who stood there in a daze.
"The phoenix polishes the sparrow, and there is a connection … what does that mean?!"
Zhang Que muttered to himself, unable to understand. Although he was in charge of intelligence, when it came to allusions, he was worlds apart from Wang Chong.
"There's no need to think about it. Let's go back to the residence."
Wang Chong's voice came from the carriage.
Zhang Que's heart chilled, and he immediately stepped onto the carriage. With a crack of his whip, two horses immediately pulled the carriage back to the Wang Family Residence. As the carriage rumbled through the streets, Wang Chong sat motionless in the carriage, lost in thought.
'The phoenix polishes the sparrow' was an allusion from the Western Han Dynasty. At the time, the Shaman Gu had appeared in the palace, and the implications were widespread. The three departments had held a joint trial, and the officials in charge of the investigation had traced the Shaman Gu's wooden and cloth puppets to a palace maid. That palace maid had suffered all kinds of torture, and before she died, she had said, 'The phoenix polishes the sparrow, but it was against my will.'
So, it's because of this?
This thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind. The phoenix polishes the sparrow because he was forced, but how many people in the Imperial Court could force Zhou Wenchen to do so? In that moment, Wang Chong vaguely thought of something.
Now, it's time for me to act! No matter who you are, I will definitely drag you out!
Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
Time slowly passed, and Wang Chong returned to the residence. By nightfall, The Eagle had flown over the wall and into the Wang Family Residence. Zhang Que quickly came knocking on Wang Chong's door, a letter in hand.
"Your Highness, it's bad! Master has just sent word that Zhou Wenchen has submitted his resignation to the Imperial Court, saying that he is unwell and unable to handle court affairs. He has requested to resign and return home, and the Imperial Court has already approved it. Master just sent someone to investigate and found that the Zhou Residence has been emptied. "
Zhang Que got down on one knee and sternly reported.
"I understand!"
Wang Chong sat cross-legged on his bed, cultivating, his expression unperturbed.
"Your Highness, now is the best time to ask Zhou Wenchen about what happened that day. Why don't we send someone to capture him now?"
"There's no need."
Wang Chong waved his hand, not even opening his eyes. His words left Zhang Que flabbergasted.
"But, Milord …"
Zhang Que was completely dumbfounded, unable to comprehend Wang Chong's thoughts.
"There's no need to worry about him. Let him do as he pleases."
Wang Chong indifferently said, ending the conversation with a single sentence.
Zhang Que was filled with unwillingness and confusion, but Wang Chong had already made his decision, so he could only withdraw.
Once Zhang Que left, Wang Chong finally opened his eyes. They shone with a brilliant light, but they quickly calmed down, and the room regained its silence.
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