Wang Chong had a rough idea of why Niu Xiantong had done this. In Zhang Shougui's heart, the position of Prime Minister would forever be a sore spot. Zhang Shougui's obsession with the position of Prime Minister had already surpassed everything else. Ten-some years ago, he had failed to become Prime Minister, but after ten-some years, his desire had only intensified.
And if the Youzhou Army suffered a major defeat by the Huang River, even if Zhang Shougui had not personally commanded it, then Zhang Shougui's dream of entering the capital and sitting on the position of Prime Minister would be completely shattered if word of this got out.
This was something that Zhang Shougui could not tolerate, and it was also the true reason he had taken the risk and bribed the envoy of the Holy Emperor.
In all fairness, Zhang Shougui could not be considered a good person. He was conceited, hot-tempered, and his subordinates were far inferior to those famed generals of history. Not only was he not benevolent, he would even punish his subordinates at times. Wang Chong's last meeting with him in the capital had not been too good either. But despite his flaws and his intense desire for power, Zhang Shougui was truly a loyal and virtuous minister of the Great Tang. He was absolutely devoted to the Great Tang, and there was no doubt that he had no other intentions.
Moreover, as the second-in-command of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Shougui was skilled in war, and his influence was second only to the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi.
'Gold cannot be pure, and no man is perfect.' No matter what sort of flaws Zhang Shougui had, his ability to command truly was what the empire needed. Moreover, in the Battle of Talas, Zhang Shougui had dispatched four thousand soldiers of the Roaring Tiger Army and several thousand soldiers of the Youzhou Army. Now was the time for Wang Chong to return the favor. But not even Wang Chong knew how much he could help Zhang Shougui.
"When did you submit the memorial to Youzhou?"
Wang Chong asked. He had been paying close attention to Zhang Shougui's matter, but alas, it had been several days since Niu Xiantong had returned to the capital from Youzhou. Given the amount of time that had passed, the news of Zhang Shougui's false report had probably reached the Holy Emperor by now.
Since ancient times, deceiving the monarch was a crime punishable by death! Even Wang Chong broke out in a cold sweat for Zhang Shougui, but Niu Xiantong's reply left Wang Chong greatly surprised.
"Your Highness, the report is still being delayed and has not been submitted!"
Niu Xiantong lowered his head and bowed.
"What?"
Hearing this, Wang Chong's body shook, and he sat up straight.
"This time, the Holy Emperor sent me to Youzhou. According to the custom of the Imperial Court, the moment one returns from the border, one must report to His Majesty. However, when I went to see His Majesty a few days ago, for some reason, I was stopped at the door by Eunuch Gao Lishi. Eunuch Gao said that His Majesty's body was slightly unwell and had me bring the memorial to His Majesty in a few days to report the matter of Youzhou. "
Niu Xiantong immediately knelt on the ground and recounted everything that had happened in full detail.
These words greatly surprised Wang Chong, but Wang Chong quickly thought of something. The failure to break into the Divine Martial realm meant that His Majesty's condition was getting worse and worse. After several court sessions, Wang Chong had been able to sense that the Holy Emperor's aura had become a little chaotic. It was clear that this was the reason why Niu Xiantong had been stopped at the door by Gao Lishi.
"Great! … If that's the case, there's still a chance to salvage the situation!
Wang Chong mentally muttered to himself, his fingers subconsciously tapping on the table.
"How many people know that you helped Zhang Shougui conceal military intelligence and lied about your achievements?"
Wang Chong asked.
At this stage, Niu Xiantong no longer dared to conceal anything and immediately revealed everything.
"Not many people in the palace know of this. The memorial I wrote for Lord Zhang Shougui has only been shown to the First Prince and a few others. For now, no one else knows of it."
"What!"
Upon hearing the First Prince's name, Wang Chong was stunned.
In the past, Wang Chong would not have cared much, but Wang Chong now knew that the First Prince, Li Linfu, King Qi, and the Grand Preceptor were all colluding.
"How did the First Prince know of this matter?"
Wang Chong said.
"In truth, the First Prince has long since taken over a portion of the Imperial Court's political affairs. This is also His Majesty's goal of raising the First Prince. This time, His Majesty is meditating alone, and no one else is allowed an audience. Thus, in accordance with the rules, I first gave the memorial I drafted to the First Prince to look over. In the future, when I meet with the Holy Emperor, I will make another copy. Only then will it be the original. "
Niu Xiantong kneeled on the ground, his entire body trembling.
"I was also forced to do this. No matter what, Your Highness must help me!"
After saying this, Niu Xiantong tightly clung to Wang Chong's leg like he was clinging to a life-saving straw.
He had dared to help Zhang Shougui lie about the military intelligence because he was confident that very few people knew of this matter, and secondly, because of Zhang Shougui's authority. In Youzhou, Zhang Shougui's hand could cover the sky, and he could suppress even the largest matter. This, coupled with Zhang Shougui's coercion, had led to this matter.
But now that the matter had been exposed, the crime of deceiving the sovereign was no small matter. Niu Xiantong didn't even dare to imagine what would happen to him in the end.
"Lord Niu, at least you know your place and know to repent. Otherwise, what awaits you is death by a thousand cuts!"
Wang Chong said from his sandalwood chair.
Niu Xiantong's legs trembled. Although he didn't know what death by a thousand cuts meant, and such a punishment had never appeared in the previous dynasty, there was no doubt that it was nothing good.
"Lord Niu, good medicine tastes bitter, and good advice grates on the ear. My advice to you is to immediately report the matter in Youzhou. In addition, immediately write a letter to Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui. Tell him that the matter has been exposed and have him confess to the Imperial Court. If this is the case, there is still time. Otherwise, in the several decades of the Tang Dynasty's prosperity, no one has ever dared to deceive the Holy Emperor. You know what will happen! "
"Understood, understood! This old servant knows what to do. "
Niu Xiantong fearfully said.
Wang Chong said nothing more. With a wave of his sleeve, he stood up from his seat. No matter what, Niu Xiantong's matter would never be resolved peacefully. Just the fact that he had deceived the Holy Emperor meant that no one could save him. But now, at the very least, he wouldn't have to die.
Wang Chong quickly left the room, and behind him, Niu Xiantong was collapsed on the ground. His robe, from top to bottom, from inside to outside, was completely soaked.
"Let's go! In addition, send him a table of food. He probably won't be able to eat for more than a few days. "
Wang Chong said.
"Yes, Milord!"
… …
When Wang Chong left Taibai Pavilion, he saw a figure standing on the street, waiting for him.
"Milord!"
Upon seeing Wang Chong, Xu Keyi immediately went up to welcome him.
"How is it?"
Wang Chong asked.
"Milord, the letter to the Andong Protector-General has been prepared and can be sent to Youzhou at any time!"
While Wang Chong was chatting with Niu Xiantong in the guest room of Taibai Pavilion, Xu Keyi was in the room next door. By the time Wang Chong came out of the guest room, Xu Keyi had already finished writing the letter.
"Very good! Use the fastest eagle and send it out now! "
Wang Chong said.
"Yes, Milord!"
Time slowly passed, and after leaving Taibai Pavilion, Wang Chong did not linger, immediately returning to his home.
In the darkness of the night, the Wang Clan was quiet. Many of the maids and servants had already gone to sleep, but a single candle was still lit in Wang Chong's study. Wang Chong was seated in his room, showing no intention of sleeping. He seemed to be waiting for something.
Thump thump!
After an unknown period of time, a soft knocking sound came from outside the study.
"Come in!"
Wang Chong said.
The tightly-shut door opened by a sliver, and the black-robed Eagle flashed in like a specter.
"Eagle pays respect to Milord!"
Four or five steps away from Wang Chong, Eagle got down on one knee and respectfully said.
"Have you found anything?"
Wang Chong opened his eyes and said.
"Milord, just as you expected, after you impeached Zhang Chaoshu, those people really did make a move. Our men have been keeping an eye on the place where the files and documents are stored. When it was about time, our men went in to search for the files of the others and discovered this. "
As Old Eagle spoke, he took out two thick stacks of documents from his bosom. He respectfully passed a stack of them over to Zhang Xuan. Wang Chong's face didn't change when he took the first file, but when his gaze swept over the second file, his eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Milord, our men checked it during the day. The resumes of those young officials who appeared in the Imperial Court were all written on brand new paper. Their flaws were very obvious, but when night fell, everything was completely different. From the toughness and elasticity of these papers, they should be very new. But they used some unknown method to make them look like they have been lying around for more than ten years! "
Old Eagle raised his head and sternly said.
'Knocking the mountain to scare the tiger' and 'luring the snake out of its hole'. Wang Chong only needed to use Zhang Chaoshu to make the mastermind behind the scenes unable to sit still and take the initiative to show themselves.
But the other party also took the initiative to change. Zhang Chaoshu's matter made them feel a great threat, and they did their best to patch up the loophole in a day's time.
"Milord, I really don't know how they did it. Papers that are more than ten years old must have decayed and cracked. It's impossible for them to be as well-preserved as these files. The ability of these people is simply unheard of! "
Old Eagle sternly said.
"They just used some special dyes and fire. It's not something too powerful."
Wang Chong said calmly.
Looking at Eagle's blank face, Wang Chong didn't explain much. In the other world, this kind of method wasn't too powerful. It was just an imitation of the past. But in this world, not many people knew about it. However, the efficiency of the other side was really surprising.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
