Wen Changqing, Tang Chengyu, and Li Fanming were three of the Confucian school's spies in the army. Given Wang Chong's status, if he really did report them to the Imperial Court, there was a sixty to seventy percent chance that Wang Chong would topple them. More importantly, Wang Chong could even use them to strike back at the Confucian school.
This was because the information on Wen Changqing, Tang Chengyu, and Li Fanming was completely available.
"There's no need!"
Li Junxian indifferently said. He put down the ancient scroll and slowly stood up.
"This game has only just begun. Let them delay Tang Chengyu, and we will think of a way to deal with the Bureau of Military Personnel. Imprison his subordinates for now. As for the King of Foreign Lands, I will deal with him. He won't be able to do anything to them for the time being."
In the northwest, it had not been them who had 'provoked' first, but Wang Chong's subordinates who had disobeyed military orders. Even if Wang Chong reported this to the Imperial Court, he would only be able to save his subordinates, not deal with Tang Chengyu, Li Fanming, and the others. Li Junxian had thought everything through. Moreover, his goal had never been to deal with Wang Chong's subordinates.
"Elder Song, has everything else been prepared?"
Li Junxian suddenly asked.
"Young Master, be at ease. Everything has been prepared. Everything is awaiting Young Master's order," Elder Song said.
"Then let's begin!"
"Then let's begin!"
… …
In The King of Song's residence, Wang Chong, The King of Song, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Lu Tingzhi, Elder Ye, Elder Zhao, and the others had all gathered together. Even Wang Chong's little uncle, Wang Mi, had been summoned from Heaven Pillar Mountain. Wang Chong, The King of Song, and Zhangchou Jianqiong sat side by side, while the others sat in a circle below them.
This was the most powerful force in the entire Imperial Court. The Wang Clan was still not secretive enough, and Wang Chong's residence was still under construction. It would take at least two or three months for it to be completed. Therefore, Wang Chong used The King of Song's mansion to gather everyone.
"Wang Chong! Since everyone is here, tell us all the information you've collected recently! "
The King of Song glanced at the people in the room and suddenly spoke.
"En!"
Wang Chong did not conceal anything, recounting all the investigations he had conducted upon his return to the capital, including how he had locked onto Li Junxian through the Zhang Shougui incident. The only thing he concealed was the matter of the Holy Emperor.
The Sage Emperor was the backbone of the empire, the main force that stabilized the Great Tang and stabilized the hearts of the people. If the matter about the Holy Emperor were to be leaked, it would likely lead to chaos and panic in the court.
The room was silent. Everyone, including Big Uncle Wang Gen, was listening attentively to Wang Chong's words. Everyone had seen what Wang Chong had done in the Imperial Court, but no one had expected that while everyone was still immersed in chaos, Wang Chong had already silently uncovered the mastermind behind the curtain.
"Truly inconceivable! So you mean to say that all the things that happened in the court in this period of time were the handiwork of a single young man? "
Elder Ye muttered, his voice brimming with shock.
These old fellows had already withdrawn from the core of the empire and only had a rough idea of what was going on in the Imperial Court, not so many twists and turns. And at this moment, Elder Ye's sigh echoed the sentiments of the others.
Who could have imagined that the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, and Prime Minister Li Linfu, these extremely important ministers, would all listen to the orders of a young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight? This was simply a fantasy.
If these words had not come from Wang Chong's mouth, no one would have believed them.
But Wang Chong would never speak without thinking. As long as he spoke seriously, even if he said that the sun rose from the west, everyone would probably believe him.
"This is also what I want to tell everyone. A young man of twenty-six or twenty-seven could never have the ability to order around the Grand Preceptor and King Qi. King Qi has always been conceited and will never easily submit to another. Without the support of a massive faction, this is impossible. This is also what I hope that everyone can help me with. Everyone here is my elder and has seen many things. Perhaps you all know the origins and background of this Confucian Sect. "
Wang Chong slowly said to the crowd.
The other party was not alone, and Wang Chong could not rely on his own strength to fight against a massive faction. This was also why he had gathered everyone here.
"Wang Chong, are you sure that this is the symbol?"
The King of Song did not answer, instead taking up the unfamiliar symbol that Wang Chong had drawn.
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on the black symbol in King Song's hand.
"Mm!"
Wang Chong nodded.
The room fell silent as everyone carefully examined the thin piece of paper in the King of Song's hand. The black symbol on this paper was extremely strange. At first glance, it looked like a bird flapping its wings, but upon closer inspection, it was different. It seemed like a drawing yet not a drawing, like a character yet not a character.
"This old man can be said to have galloped across the world, weathering storms and waves for more than forty years, but I've never seen such a symbol before. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have even known that the Great Tang had such a powerful faction!"
Zhangchou Jianqiong looked at the unfamiliar symbol and sighed. After a pause, he continued.
"But the more it's like this, the deeper the faction has hidden themselves, and the greater their intentions are.
I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you in this aspect. "
Wang Chong's uncle, Wang Mi, said.
Of everyone here, he was the youngest and the least experienced. As such, he knew very little about this matter.
"But no matter what, I believe that such a powerful faction would have left behind some clues."
Wang Mi added.
Wang Chong did not say a word as he looked at the others. The room was silent, and everyone had contemplative looks in their eyes.
"Actually, I seem to have some impression of this thing you mentioned. “
A voice suddenly sounded in the hall, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
"Elder Zhao!"
Wang Chong raised his head and looked at Elder Ye and Elder Zhao, who were sitting side by side, in astonishment.
The two of them were former subordinates of Duke Jiu, and they were the oldest here, as well as the most experienced.
"Elder Ye, do you still remember that forty years ago, when the Holy Emperor first ascended to the throne, a member of the Confucian School presented a congratulatory gift to the Holy Emperor?"
As Elder Zhao spoke, he turned to look at Elder Ye.
"This …"
Elder Ye was taken aback. He didn't expect Elder Zhao to suddenly bring up a matter from several decades ago. Both of them were old, and there were many things that they couldn't remember clearly.
"Have you forgotten? Back then, that person bumped into you and left before the Holy Emperor's coronation ceremony was over.
Elder Zhao reminded.
Hearing those words, Elder Ye's eyebrows shot up, and a glint flashed across his eyes. He seemed to have recalled something.
"I remember now. Back then, there was indeed a member of the Confucian School who went to pay an audience with the Holy Emperor, and the Holy Emperor even received him in the Taihe Hall. As a result, the coronation ceremony ended half an incense's time later than the Bureau of Rites had predicted. "
Elder Ye said.
It was hard to remember so many things that had happened decades ago, but even something as important as the Sacred Emperor's coronation had been delayed. Furthermore, when everyone was passionately participating in this grand ceremony, and someone else had left early, you would remember that person.
"At the time, I noticed that the gift that the Confucian School presented to the Holy Emperor had this symbol."
Elder Zhao said.
"Buzz!"
Wang Chong's body trembled at Elder Zhao's words, and he immediately turned his head. He only knew that this Confucian Sect had suddenly appeared after he had defeated Arabia, but he had no idea that it had also appeared forty-some years ago and that it was connected to the Holy Emperor.
"Elder Ye, are you sure? Is it really the same as this one? "
The King of Song suddenly said. Elder Zhao's words surprised not only Wang Chong, but the others as well.
"There's no mistake. There aren't many people who can make the Holy Emperor delay his coronation ceremony," Elder Zhao solemnly said.
Elder Zhao solemnly said.
"But I only saw them once, and I didn't have any more information about them after that. If Wang Chong hadn't mentioned it, I probably would have forgotten about it as well. "
The trail ended here, and the room fell silent once more. However, being able to obtain information from Elder Zhao was already an unexpected harvest.
"In truth, I feel like there's a character in the center of this ink-colored symbol!"
Grand Scholar Lu Tingzhi, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke.
Even Wang Chong was stunned by these words. He had been the first to notice this symbol, and not even he had realized that there was a character in the center of the symbol. In a flash, Wang Chong and everyone else turned to look once more. Disregarding the outermost patterns and inscriptions and carefully examining the center of the symbol, they hadn't thought much of it before, but now that they heard Lu Tingzhi's words, they realized that it really did seem like a character. But to say that it was a character was far from it.
However, Lu Tingzhi was a well-read scholar who had dabbled in a wide range of subjects. Since he had said this, there had to be a reason for it.
"This shape is somewhat similar to Bird Seal Script. It's different from today's characters. It's an extremely ancient character, one of the earliest characters. Very few people know of it now, let alone understand it. I only happened to see a fragment of Bird Seal Script in an ancient text. "
With this, Lu Tingzhi suddenly stood up, grabbed a brush from the brush rack, and walked straight to the desk in the room. He began to spread the ink with his brush, but after a few strokes, he stopped and reached out to pick up the paper on the table.
At that moment, everyone could clearly see a strange pattern on the snow-white paper. It seemed like a painting yet not a painting, like a character yet not a character. Although it was completely different from the ink-colored symbol of the Confucian Sect that Wang Chong had drawn, it was at least seventy to eighty percent similar.
"I saw these characters in an ancient text, but I only know the shape, not the meaning."
Lu Tingzhi said.
"If we know that this is Bird Seal Script, then it'll be easy. If we can find out the meaning of this character, we might be able to find out the origins of the Confucian Sect."
At this moment, Elder Ye finally spoke.
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