"That person …"
Zhang Que swallowed and nervously said, "The one who has always opposed Milord and controlled everything from behind the scenes?"
"Is it the one who has always opposed Milord and controlled everything from behind the scenes?"
This short journey, less than one thousand meters, took half a cup of tea's worth of time. Although Zhang Que had not seen this person's true body during this time, for some reason, Zhang Que felt a sense of terror. This person was like a ghost that did not exist, yet seemed to be everywhere. This was a bone-chilling and frightening feeling.
"It's him!"
Wang Chong calmly said. He was also thinking. By using Zhang Chaoshu as a show of force, he had finally drawn out this person from behind the scenes. Although they had only exchanged blows through the air and he had not seen this person's true body, Wang Chong had already gleaned a great deal of information.
For the first time, Wang Chong had encountered someone in the Tang dynasty whose Psychic Energy was not the slightest bit inferior to his own. In their previous conversation, he had tried to use his Psychic Energy to find this person's true body, but this person had managed to escape.
"This should be a warning that he can't hold back anymore! Alas, you've encountered me. "
As Wang Chong spoke, a brilliant light flashed through his eyes.
"You're still a little too impatient!"
Suddenly, Wang Chong's lips curled into a smile. This person had done his utmost to conceal his identity, but Wang Chong had still managed to see through some clues. Although this person Wang Chong had encountered was not an old woman selling vegetables, a butcher selling meat on the side of the road, a seven-year-old girl, or a merchant walking out of a restaurant, they all had different statuses, different voices, and different words, but the person speaking was the same.
A person could change their appearance, but their tone of voice, their choice of words, and their habits of thought could not be changed. In their first exchange, Wang Chong had more or less determined this person's age.
"Young man! At most twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but definitely no older than thirty! "
Wang Chong leaned against the wall of the carriage, his fingers once again unconsciously tapping lightly.
The fog that had been shrouding the capital gradually dissipated. Wang Chong could almost capture the appearance of the opponent who was hiding behind the scenes and controlling everything. However, even though Wang Chong knew his age, the doubts in his heart did not lessen. Instead, they grew stronger.
Before this meeting, he had thought about many things. The Grand Preceptor, King Qi, and Li Linfu all had extraordinary statuses. No ordinary person could control them. Wang Chong had thought of many things beforehand, but the only thing he didn't expect was that the other party was actually a young man of 26 or 27 years old.
This caught Wang Chong by surprise!
Wang Chong truly could not imagine how this person could be so capable as to manipulate the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, Li Linfu, and even the First Prince. This was truly inconceivable!
The carriage continued forward. Zhang Que appeared uneasy the entire time, and Wang Chong sat in the back with his eyes closed in thought.
… …
Wang Chong did not return to the Wang Clan, but stopped in front of a restaurant.
Taibai Restaurant!
This was the most famous restaurant in the capital, not just because nearly one hundred of the best chefs of the Tang dynasty had gathered here, but also because the owner of this restaurant was none other than the illustrious King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!
Not long after the Consort Tai Zhen incident, Wang Chong had bought this restaurant, and after several expansions, he had bought the surrounding restaurants and remodeled them. It was now four to five times its original size and five to six stories high. The interior was sumptuously decorated, fresh and elegant.
When Wang Chong appeared at the door, the steward of the restaurant personally came to greet him and lead Wang Chong into a VIP lounge.
Taibai Restaurant's business was booming, and nearly ten thousand people would come to dine here every day. But no matter what, the quietest, most secretive, and most elegant room in Taibai Restaurant would always be reserved for Wang Chong.
Wang Chong pushed open the door and entered. A person was already waiting inside. This person wore a wig and was dressed in plain clothes. Although he had an Adam's apple, his face was pale and beardless, and he seemed to lack a masculine air. Instead of a masculine one, he exuded a strong feminine air. In the entire Tang dynasty, there was only one kind of person like this: the eunuchs of the Imperial Palace!
"Miscellany's Niu Xiantong pays respects to His Highness, the King of Foreign Lands!"
The moment the figure saw Wang Chong, he immediately bent at the waist and gave a respectful bow, doing his utmost to curry favor.
Attendant Niu Xiantong!
Fifth Prince Li Heng was far more efficient than Wang Chong had imagined. Just yesterday, Wang Chong had spoken to him about Niu Xiantong, and Li Heng had already helped him get in touch with him. Wang Chong had appeared in Taibai Restaurant at noon, but he had actually come to meet with Niu Xiantong.
This is the first person to be executed by a thousand cuts?!
Wang Chong carefully examined the eunuch before him. This was his first time seeing Niu Xiantong. For some reason, the Tang dynasty had many treacherous eunuchs, and the most famous and formidable of them were almost all concentrated during the reign of the Holy Emperor.
There was Eunuch Gao, the most loyal eunuch in all of history, Gao Lishi, who had given his life to the Sage Emperor. There was also Eunuch Li, who was crafty and shrewd. There was also Eunuch Li, who was infinitely greedy and dared to extort even an Imperial Great General like Go Seonji. And now, there was also Eunuch Niu, who served the Sage Emperor as an advisor and attended the court every day, Niu Xiantong.
Niu Xiantong was different from Gao Lishi and Li Jingzhong. He was rather similar to Bian Lingcheng, who had always used old matters to threaten Gao Xianzhi. Both of them were intensely greedy, but compared to Bian Lingcheng, Niu Xiantong was more perceptive and flattering, and he was even better at concealing himself than Bian Lingcheng.
Wang Chong had remembered him and used his relationship with Fifth Prince Li Heng to contact him for no other reason than that he was bold enough to deceive the sovereign, distort black and white, and turn a crushing defeat into a great victory. This was the first person who had dared to deceive the sovereign and deceive the Holy Emperor.
More importantly, this matter involved the second most authoritative figure of the Tang dynasty …
Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui!
"There's no need for Lord Attendant to be so polite. Zhang Que, tell the servants to serve the food!"
Wang Chong waved his hand and sat down in the room, indicating for Niu Xiantong to take a seat.
"Haha, Your Highness is truly too polite. If there's anything you need, you can just give me an order. There's no need to go through so much trouble. As long as Your Highness orders it, Niu Xiantong will do his utmost to ensure that Your Highness's orders are done! "
Niu Xiantong bowed and nodded, a fawning look on his face.
"Lord Attendant is too polite!"
Wang Chong picked up the gold-inlaid teapot and filled Niu Xiantong's cup, then poured a cup for himself.
He nonchalantly said, "I just so happen to have something to ask Milord. I heard that Milord just went to Youzhou and met with Lord Zhang Shougui?"
"Buzz!"
Hearing this, Niu Xiantong's fawning expression changed the next moment.
"Milord, you …"
Niu Xiantong stared at Wang Chong, a very uneasy expression on his face. If not for the fact that Wang Chong was a King, he would have already gotten up and left. He had received news from Fifth Prince Li Xiang that the King of Foreign Lands wanted to see him, but from Wang Chong's first words, Niu Xiantong knew that the situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
"Lord Niu, there's no need to be nervous. Drink some tea!"
Wang Chong made a gesture of invitation with a wave of his sleeve.
"Your Highness, I don't know what you're talking about."
Niu Xiantong did not answer the question.
Wang Chong only faintly smiled. Perhaps this was the first time Niu Xiantong had accepted such a large bribe, or perhaps he was not sufficiently composed. Wang Chong's casual words had made him nervous. This was called having a guilty conscience!
"Haha, Lord Niu is truly quite bold! You even dared to take Lord Zhang Shougui's money! "
Wang Chong took a sip of tea and lightly blew on the foam.
"Boom!"
Like a bolt of lightning, Niu Xiantong felt like he had seen a ghost, so frightened that he almost jumped up from the floor. If Niu Xiantong had only been speculating at the start, then these words made Wang Chong's goal obvious.
"Milord … What nonsense are you saying? What Lord Zhang's money! "
Niu Xiantong forced himself to remain calm as he continued to make his final struggle.
"Haha!"
Wang Chong glanced at him and faintly smiled, not bothering to argue.
"In the battle of the northeast, the Xi and the Khitans won a major victory while the Andong Protectorate army suffered grievous losses. You were able to conceal such a major event, turn black into white, and even report it to His Majesty. You truly are quite bold!"
Bang!
Hearing this, Niu Xiantong broke out in cold sweat and knelt on the ground with a thud.
"Your Highness, save me! Your Highness, save me … "
Niu Xiantong's face was pale as he walked around the table and grabbed Wang Chong's right leg, his soul about to leave his body.
"The matter in Youzhou had nothing to do with me. It was Lord Zhang Shougui who forced me. If I didn't take his money, if I didn't do this, he would kill me and then pretend that it was the work of the Xi and the Khitans!"
Niu Xiantong's entire body trembled as beads of sweat fell to the ground like raindrops, instantly drenching a large area. Very few people knew that he had taken Zhang Shougui's bribe in Youzhou. Other than him and Zhang Shougui, there were no more than five people who knew, and all of them were generals loyal to Zhang Shougui who had followed him for ten-some years.
He could never have imagined that Wang Chong would know of such a secretive matter.
Wang Chong couldn't help but sigh as he looked at Niu Xiantong kneeling in front of him, his soul leaving his body. He had only tricked him a little, but Niu Xiantong had revealed everything in detail. On this point alone, Niu Xiantong was on a completely different level from treacherous eunuchs like Bian Lingcheng and Li Jingzhong.
At the very least, Bian Lingcheng wouldn't have taken this kind of money, and Li Jingzhong was much calmer.
But this had saved Wang Chong a great deal of effort. Everything was clear now.
"Lord Zhang, you're truly bold. I already gave you a warning, but you still didn't listen. "
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