The memorials from the Hu generals requesting for Wang Chong's death had incited an unimaginable fury in the Han army.
Everyone was enraged.
The next morning, when thousands of memorials piled up in the royal court, all of the officials were frightened stiff.
These memorials came from all over the border, and every single one of them was stamped with the seal of a general. Every single one of them was filled with rage.
When hundreds and thousands of generals surrendered at the same time, that kind of enormous pressure was unimaginable to ordinary people.
In the history of the Tang dynasty, there had never been such a situation. For thousands of Han generals to side with a single person, speaking up for a single person!
But Wang Chong had done it!
'Anyone who dares to instigate the death of Wang Chong will be my enemy'. Such vehement words appeared in almost every single one of the memorials.
Even though the words used were different, the meaning they conveyed was the same. Furthermore, there was no hint of compromise.
Not only so, the hundreds of memorials from the Hu infuriated the entire Han army. For the first time, the Han generals as a group displayed their will.
This wasn't just reflected in the memorials from the royal court, it was also reflected in their rage toward the Hu generals.
Thousands upon thousands of military memorials flew toward the Hu generals by the borders, carrying the rage of the Han generals. All of the Hu generals who had impeached Wang Chong and demanded for Wang Chong's death received military memorials from the Han generals.
Similar memorials also appeared before Gao Xianzhi, Fomonlința, Geshu Han, An Sishun, and the other top-notch Hu generals.
This matter had a huge impact on the Hu generals. This was the first time they felt the might of the Han generals.
At noon, when a document "signed by a hundred generals" appeared in the court, it added fuel to the fire and pushed the influence of the whole matter to the peak.
The generals who appeared on this letter were no ordinary generals. They were the 'Conferred Generals' of the Tang dynasty.
From the Qin to the Western Han, only those generals with exceptional status and unique contributions could obtain a unique 'title', and they were known as' Conferred Generals'.
The weight of these people was far greater than that of ordinary generals.
General of Suppressing Waves, General of Ships, General of Destruction, General of Nine Cauldrons, General of Ten Thousand Crossbows, General of the Sea, General of Pacifying Barbarians, General of the South, General of Sweeping North, General of Southern Dipper, General of Dragon Cavalry, General of Charging Vanguard … These Conferred Generals were scattered all over the world.
But because of Wang Chong, these generals were able to gather everyone's signatures within a single day. This was simply inconceivable.
When almost all of the famous generals of the Tang dynasty appeared on this letter, the weight of this' hundred generals' letter could be imagined.
In the letter, the hundred Conferred Generals vouched for Wang Chong. At the same time, they questioned Geshu Han, Gao Xianzhi, Fomonlința, An Sishun, and the others. How many Hu and Han generals were there in the army?
There were three hundred thousand Han soldiers by the border, but only a hundred thousand or so Hu soldiers. The Han far outnumbered the Hu, and if a Han soldier were to die in battle, the central army would be able to send in reinforcements. But in the border, were the ones speaking the Han or the Hu?
In the border armies, which were mainly made up of Han people, were there more Han generals or Hu generals?
There were many things that, once revealed, would be completely different.
The conflict between the Hu and Han had been going on for a long time. Anxi, Qixi, Beiting, and Longyou, which Geshu Han was in charge of, were all mainly Han. Their weapons, bows, arrows, rations, horses, and artillery were all supplied by the royal court.
The commanders of these four important military forces were all Hu, and they were all under the control of the Hu. This matter had already caused a huge stir in the army. It was only because of the pressure from above that no one dared to bring it up.
But now, because of Wang Chong, all of this was being vented.
The officials in the royal court might not understand what Wang Chong had mentioned in the memorial, but to the generals in the military, what Wang Chong had written was exactly what they were thinking!
On this point, they were completely on the same side as Wang Chong. In truth, Wang Chong's letter was also fighting for the interests of all the Han generals.
If Wang Chong were to be executed by the royal court over this matter, no one would be able to accept it.
The development of this matter had exceeded everyone's expectations. The Bureau of Military Personnel, Bureau of Punishments, the imperial censors … the entire royal court was in chaos.
Now that things had developed to this point, it was no longer something that a single person could handle.
Memorials in support of Wang Chong flew in from all directions to the royal court. At the same time, memorials requesting for Wang Chong's death to uphold the dignity of the Hu were also being sent to the royal court.
Now that things had developed to this point, it was no longer something that anyone could stop. Even the likes of Geshu Han, Gao Xianzhi, and Fomonlința could no longer restrain them. This matter concerned the interests of the entire Hu.
In the two-hundred-odd years since the founding of the Tang dynasty, this was the first time that the Hu and the Han were at loggerheads in the royal court. Neither side was willing to give in to the other!
South of Western Shu's Swords Gate, rain continued to fall. Amidst the rain, oil fires blazed fiercely. A massive army of eight hundred li was densely packed in the undulating mountains.
In the middle of the army, there was a huge mansion. Above it, there were five words written in golden letters:
"Annan Protectorate Manor!"
Every single word was as heavy as Mount Tai.
The Tang dynasty had ten Protectorate Generals, and while most of the influential armies were in the hands of the Hu, not all of the elites were in the hands of the Hu.
In the Tang dynasty, just south of Western Shu's Swords Gate, there were 180,000 soldiers stationed. They were responsible for suppressing Mengshe Zhao and the Ouzan Empire that was threatening to invade the southern highlands.
In the Tang dynasty, the Annan Protectorate Manor could be considered as keeping a low profile. As battles weren't as frequent, and there weren't as many reports of victory to report, the Annan Protectorate Manor didn't have much presence in the royal court.
However, this didn't mean that the 180,000 soldiers were worthless.
"Hmph! An Anxi Protectorate Manor, a Qixi Protectorate Manor, and a Big Dipper Army vice commander. Do they really think that the Tang dynasty only has these few? "
Within the massive protectorate headquarters, a middle-aged man dressed in black heavy armor was seated cross-legged on the ground. In front of him was a chopping board cast from iron. The fire was roaring, and a middle-aged man dressed in black heavy armor sat cross-legged on the ground.
On the chopping board was the latest intelligence from the royal court.
"Marshal, we have always kept a low profile and bided our time. Shouldn't we not get involved in the matters of the royal court this time around? "
Next to the middle-aged, short-haired man, a smart-looking advisor with a moustache said worriedly. He was the advisor of the Annan Protectorate Manor, as well as the military advisor of the Annan Protectorate Manor.
Having worked together for more than thirty years, he knew his marshal well. As soon as the middle-aged man spoke, he knew that his marshal was about to get involved in this matter.
"We won't be able to gain anything from this. Instead, we'll attract the attention of the Anxi Protectorate Manor, Qixi Protectorate Manor, the Big Dipper Army vice commander, and all of the Hu. I beseech Marshal to reconsider! "
The mustached advisor said uneasily.
The storm in the royal court was simply too huge, so huge that he was feeling uneasy. He didn't think that it was a wise decision to get involved in this matter.
"Hahaha, Zhi 'an, you still understand. There are things that a man should do and not do. It's right for us to keep a low profile and avoid trouble. However, this matter is different. Haven't you noticed? At this moment, anyone who dares to stay out of this matter will become everyone's enemy! "
Zhangchou Jianqiong chuckled. There was a sharpness in his eyes that belied his appearance. 'Zhangchou' was a compound surname. Even though it sounded like a Hu, Zhangchou Jianqiong was a Han through and through.
'Zhangchou' was a later surname, just like 'Cao', which didn't exist in the original Hundred Family Surnames. But regardless of whether it was a compound or a compound surname, Zhangchou Jianqiong was undoubtedly a Han, and he was the powerful Southern Protector-General of the Tang dynasty. His standing wasn't beneath that of Anxi's Gao Xianzhi, Qixi's Fomonlința, or the Big Dipper Army's Geshu Han.
"Do you still not understand the meaning behind the joint name of the Hundred Family Generals? Zhi 'an, this is no longer a matter of Wang Chong's life or death. Rather, it is a conflict of interests between the Han and Hu. Whoever dares to play tricks and stay out of this matter will lose their standing in the military. "
"Zhi 'an, your scheme isn't bad, but you're still lacking in the grand scheme of things!"
Zhangchou Jianqiong said calmly. Unknowingly, an imposing aura that felt as vast as the mountains and the sea flowed out from his body, distorting even the flames and space in the hall.
The military advisor, whom Zhangchou Jianqiong addressed as Zhi 'an, was taken aback. For a moment, he was speechless, and a contemplative look appeared on his face.
Zhangchou Jianqiong chuckled, but he didn't say anything. In his mind, he recalled the young man he had met in the capital.
Just what kind of young man could have the courage to write such an incisive memorial? Did Duke Jiu teach him?
Zhangchou shook his head. Given Duke Jiu's personality, he would never stoop to such a thing. Could it be Wang Gen?
That person from the Wang Clan wielded great authority in the royal court. If it wasn't Duke Jiu, it was most likely to be him.
But did Wang Gen have the courage to do so?
Zhangchou shook his head once more.
He had met Wang Gen a few times in his younger days. Lord Wang was definitely a far-sighted person, and his political acumen was formidable.
But it was precisely for this reason that he found it even more difficult to write such a memorial. If even he couldn't write such a spirited memorial, how could he possibly teach his nephew?
At this point, Zhangchou couldn't help but sigh deeply. He had roughly understood the truth.
"To think that our Tang dynasty would have such a valiant figure. So what if I, Zhangchou, put down my principles and support you?"
Zhangchou Jianqiong sighed deeply as he stretched out his right hand.
"Bring me my brush. I'll be writing this memorial myself!"
Hualala!
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