Not only that, within the capital, relying on the influence of the Confucian school that had existed for more than one thousand years, 'Might Makes Right' was wiped clean from the market in a single day. Not a single copy of this book could be seen in the capital.
At the same time, the denigration of Wang Chong's reputation began to pour in.
A letter of censure, signed by more than ten thousand old Confucians, grand Confucians, and eminent Confucians of the Great Tang, reached the heavens and the Secretariat, demanding that Wang Chong be stripped of all his posts and that the printing and distribution of 'Might Makes Right' be forbidden.
In just a few days, the voices of the people supporting Wang Chong and 'Might Makes Right' immediately dwindled, and the Confucian school's' Benevolence and Righteousness' immediately rose to the top, gaining the absolute upper hand.
The situation had changed so quickly that no one had expected it.
Clap!
A thick book was thrown through the window onto the street.
"Father, give me back my book!"
A cry of alarm came from the room, the voice of an extremely young man.
"Bastard thing, I forbid you from reading such heretical theories in the future! Did you not hear the words of the village elder and Master Zhu? This is nothing more than a bunch of twisted theories that can't be trusted! Don't you know what sort of person Master Zhu is? Could that King of Foreign Lands be even more formidable than Master Zhu? "
His father's furious curses came from the room.
The young man's voice instantly grew softer at the mention of Master Zhu's name.
"It's decided! If you don't want your future children, your children's children, and even your children's children to be rejected by all the schools and teachers, then don't let me touch this kind of thing again! Master Zhu has already spoken, so do you still think this is a minor matter! "
The father was seething with rage.
Similar events were taking place throughout the Nine Provinces. No one had expected the situation to change so quickly.
"Your Highness, it's bad!"
Hurried footsteps could be heard in the Wang Family Residence as Su Shixuan rushed into the residence, his face pale and hurried.
"Your Highness, I've just received news that the common people have begun to throw away the copies of 'Might Makes Right' they bought and are starting to burn them!"
But just as Su Shixuan finished speaking, he raised his head and froze. Other than him, Cheng Sanyuan, Xue Qianjun, Xu Keyi, and the others were all present in the room. The atmosphere was heavy, and everyone had unsightly expressions on their faces.
Su Shixuan stared blankly, speechless. It was clear that Su Shixuan was not the first to receive the bad news. All the information gathered together showed that the situation was extremely unfavorable to Wang Chong.
No one had expected the Confucian Sect to bring out Master Zhu. In truth, if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would have found it very difficult to believe that a ten-twenty year old legend of the Confucian Sect was still alive. Su Shixuan and the others didn't even know of Master Zhu's existence.
However, before the first wave subsided, another wave arose. Whoosh! A messenger pigeon flew through the window and suddenly flew in.
"It's a letter from The King of Song!"
With a single glance, everyone recognized that the golden rings on the pigeon's leg were the symbol of The King of Song. As they were both in the capital, The King of Song would never have sent a message at a time like this unless something extremely serious had occurred.
In an instant, the faces of everyone in the room turned even paler.
Whoosh!
With a calm expression, Wang Chong waved his hand, and the letter on the pigeon's leg flew into Wang Chong's hand. After opening it and glancing at it, Wang Chong's heart sank. The Confucian Sect had finally moved …
When it rains, it pours. In a single day, news spread throughout the world that the Imperial Court had begun an impeachment and investigation against King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong. His crimes included 'privately raising an army and conspiring against the law', 'disobeying the orders of the Holy Emperor by opening the Qixi Armory that belonged to the imperial household, and without the permission of His Divine Majesty, he removed fifty thousand Tang dynasty ballistae and nearly one million Tang dynasty ballistae.' There were also charges of 'cultivating henchmen and appointing officials through favoritism' … But the first two crimes alone were enough to put Wang Chong to death.
The Tang Dynasty had a strict limit on the number of private armies raised by the great clans and nobles. Normally, there would only be a few squads of soldiers, no more than one thousand at most. However, Wang Chong had recruited more than ten thousand cavalry, and Wang Chong had equipped them with the same kind of heavenly armor and the incomparably sharp WuZi Steel swords. This was a force that was enough to carry out a large-scale battle and change the outcome of the war.
And this was far beyond the scope of a private army.
In the Tang Dynasty, just this quantity and quality of an army was enough to be accused of plotting a rebellion. More importantly, this army was not even part of the Tang Dynasty's military establishment.
The second crime seemed like a heavy blow, but it was actually far more serious than the first. Deceiving the sovereign was always a grave crime, and once it was exposed, there was almost no room for redemption. Zhang Shougui was one of the leading figures of the Great Tang. He had rendered countless contributions and was highly regarded by the Holy Emperor. But in the Youzhou incident, if not for Wang Chong's intervention, Zhang Shougui would have already been stripped of his position and exiled to the Lingnan, where he would die of depression.
Even if the sovereign wanted to pardon him, his ministers would vehemently oppose such a crime. No matter how great one's contributions were or how illustrious one's status was, once one committed this crime, one's career would come to an end.
Anyone who committed one of these two crimes would be beyond redemption, but Wang Chong committed both.
Worst of all, based on the results of the preliminary investigation, the evidence for both crimes was conclusive. Not a single one of them had wronged Wang Chong.
The news shook the world!
… …
"Gentlemen, do any of you have anything else to say on this matter?"
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was dignified and dignified, vast and divine. The First Prince Li Ying sat high above, his cold gaze slowly sweeping over the people below. The discussion and impeachment of Wang Chong had reached its peak. No matter what, a verdict had to be made today. Otherwise, not only would he be unable to explain himself to the world, he would also weaken his dignity as Regent.
"Your Highness, the evidence for the King of Foreign Lands' raising a private army 'and' defying imperial decree by opening the armory 'is conclusive. This lowly subject believes that he should be severely punished! This cannot be tolerated! "
Minister of Rites Zhang Lianzhong bowed and loudly declared, his hand on his ceremonial tablet.
"Your Highness, this cannot be done. It is true that the King of Foreign Lands privately recruited the Wushang Cavalry and defied imperial decree by opening the armory, but everything he did was for the sake of the Tang Dynasty! If not for this, Talas would have already been defeated, and Longxi and Qixi would have fallen into enemy hands. If he is punished for such a thing, the hearts of the soldiers of the world will turn cold! "
Immediately afterward, a general stepped out and loudly retorted. The Battle of Talas had been over for so long, so why was it brought up now, instead of earlier, to impeach Wang Chong? Everyone knew why. The Confucian Sect was using justice to take revenge, using this matter to deal with Wang Chong so that it could emerge victorious in this battle of ideals between militarists and Confucians.
Regarding this, all the generals felt that it was unfair!
"Hmph! For the sake of the empire, you can raise a private army, for the sake of the empire, you can disregard the Holy Emperor and deceive the sovereign? If this theory of yours is followed, will the laws of the Tang Dynasty still exist? "
Suddenly, with a cold snort, Prince Qi walked out from his ranks. This was an extremely rare opportunity. More importantly, Wang Chong's crimes had not been fabricated. This was an opportunity that had been delivered to him.
"There are so many generals on the border, and which one of them hasn't made any contributions? Do you think that they can do whatever they want in the Tang Dynasty just because they have this banner? If the Son of Foreign Lands breaks the law, he will be punished like a commoner, and the King of Foreign Lands is just a king. Could he be even more important than the Son of Foreign Lands?
When the last sentence was spoken, the entire hall immediately fell into a deathly silence. These were not words that could be casually answered or answered. King Qi's words were aimed at the heart.
"Your Highness!"
King Qi swept his gaze over the officials and gave a smug smile. He immediately turned to First Prince Li Ying and said with a 'stern and righteous' expression, "The law is merciless.
Since the King of Foreign Lands has made a mistake, he must take responsibility for his mistake! This lowly subject proposes that Wang Chong be immediately imprisoned and executed at a later date! He shall also be stripped of all his titles! This will serve as a warning to others! "
"Your Highness, no! “
The King of Song couldn't help but step forward.
"Everyone in the world can see the King of Foreign Lands's abilities, and even the surrounding barbarians fear him. If the King of Foreign Lands is killed because of this matter, the Tang Dynasty will be crippling its own hands and feet! If the barbarians rise again, which one of you will be able to bear the consequences! "
The King of Song felt as if his insides were aflame. The current situation was extremely disadvantageous to Wang Chong, and the situation was completely tilting in an unpredictable direction.
"Imperial Uncle, I already have a clear understanding of this matter!"
The First Prince finally spoke after a long period of silence.
There was a hint of hesitation and awkwardness between his brows.
At any other time, the First Prince would not have minded kicking Wang Chong while he was down, but this was a different matter. All the details were being made public to the world, and countless eyes were watching him. Even if the First Prince had selfish motives, he had to carry out the plan impartially.
Moreover, Wang Chong had been personally conferred the title by the Holy Emperor and was the Son of Heaven's disciple. If he really did kill him, not only would the people of the world refuse to accept him, the prestige of his reign in the future would also be extremely detrimental.
"Wang Chong, do you have anything else to say? “
With these final words, the First Prince turned his head to Wang Chong at the end of the hall. In a flash, everyone's eyes focused on Wang Chong.
"This subject only has one thing to say. I have done everything with a clear conscience!"
Wang Chong calmly said as he gazed at the First Prince.
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