The coming year would be one of the most intense upheavals in the empire. If his predictions were correct, in at most half a year, a large-scale battle would break out on the empire's southwestern border. This would be an unprecedented defeat for the empire.
And with this series of upheavals, the powers surrounding the empire would begin to covet it. The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, the Goguryeo Empire, the various powers of the Western Regions, and even the distant Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu would begin to covet it.
'Blessings never come in pairs, while misfortunes never come singly'. In the relationships between empires, these principles were even more common and applicable.
The moment an opening was discovered, the 'wolf pack' would swarm in and devour the prey!
Although Wang Chong had told Li Siye that it would be a year, Wang Chong had expected it to be far from that long. If the Tang dynasty could peacefully survive the coming year, then the calamity in his memories would probably not descend.
If that really was the case, Wang Chong would happily let Li Siye go.
If it wasn't to deal with that terrifying calamity in the future, if it wasn't to deal with the empire's calamity and the dangers of the Central Plains, why would Wang Chong waste his energy to obtain the 'Hyderabad ore' and the 'Meteoric Metal' from the outer islands?
If the empire could truly survive this calamity, so what if Wang Chong gave up on everything?
Wang Chong's decisiveness had clearly exceeded Li Siye's expectations. For Wang Chong to give up on something worth hundreds of millions of gold taels was not something an ordinary person could do.
"Good! Wang gongzi! "
Li Siye looked into Wang Chong's eyes and addressed him respectfully for the first time. Provoked by Wang Chong, he felt a surge of heroism in his heart.
"If your Wang Clan can really give up these hundreds of millions of gold taels of Hyderabad ore and meteoric iron and offer them to the imperial court, I, Li Siye, will serve your Wang Clan for a few years, so what? Even if we take ten thousand steps back, if it really is as you say, and a war is about to break out on the southwest border, I, Li Siye, will definitely go there without you saying anything! "
"What's the point of being a man if he can't make contributions to the empire and the people if he can't make a name for himself in history? What's the point of being a fly for personal gain? If I can really make some contributions and die a worthy death, what's the big deal even if I have to abandon my head? "
Wang Chong, a teenager, could have such ambition. Li Siye considered himself a man. As an adult, he was born with a good body. How could he admit defeat to a kid?
"Alright!"
Wang Chong was overjoyed. After waiting for so long, he finally heard the words he had been waiting for. Over the past few days, these were the words he loved to hear the most.
"Li Siye, a gentleman's word …"
"Four horses are hard to come by!"
Li Siye spoke resolutely and decisively without the slightest hesitation.
At this moment, his gaze was resolute, and his eyes were as bright as snow.
After being transferred from the Beiting Protectorate for more than two months, Wang Chong had finally obtained the loyalty of the Invincible Great General for the first time!
… …
Winter passed and spring came. The ice and snow melted, and all things returned to life. In the blink of an eye, it was a new year.
In Deflecting Blade Manor, row upon row of pavilions stood luxuriously and beautifully.
In the middle of Deflecting Blade Manor, Wang Chong was seated cross-legged in the corner of a high arched roof. He was like a feather, floating in the air as if he were sitting on flat ground.
In the past month, Wang Chong's Phantom Steps had once more advanced, and his body was now as light as a feather. Even if he were to step on a branch as thin as a finger, he would not let the branch sink.
This was a sign of his progress.
Whew!
On the roof, Wang Chong gave a long sigh, a sharp light swirling in his eyes as he slowly withdrew his technique.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
The moment Wang Chong opened his eyes, a black silhouette emerged from the eaves of a distant building. It flew across the golden roofs, nimble and nimble like a leopard.
The black silhouette was still far away at first, but in the blink of an eye, it was already in front of Wang Chong.
"Young Master, your ginseng tea!"
The black silhouette respectfully kneeled on one knee on the roof and offered a cup of steaming ginseng tea. Upon closer inspection, the black silhouette's face was covered with a black cloth. She had a slender figure, and as she approached, a faint fragrance wafted into one's nose, causing one's soul to waver. Who else could it be but Miyasame Lingxiang, who had always been at Wang Chong's side?
In the new year, Wang Chong's influence among the Imperial Army instructors deepened once more. On the spirit vein, the influence of the old Imperial Army instructors had begun to show, and more and more retired Imperial Army instructors joined Wang Chong.
A portion of them were transferred to the spirit vein by Wang Chong to instruct the students there. The other portion was transferred to Wang Chong's residence to protect Wang Chong's mother.
With these experienced Imperial Army instructors around, in terms of loyalty and reliability, they were far more useful than the experts hired from outside.
With these replacements, Miyasame Lingxiang was also freed from her duties.
After spending more than a year under the Wang Clan's protection, Miyasame Lingxiang didn't have to worry about anything else. Instead, she focused on her cultivation, and her martial arts were much stronger than before.
Her Spectre Steps had also improved significantly. Even if it were daytime, it would be impossible to notice her if one were to pay attention to her in advance.
There were times when even Wang Chong couldn't keep track of her.
"You've worked hard!"
Wang Chong took the fragrant Goguryeon ginseng tea from Miyasame Lingxiang's hands and gulped it down. Given Wang Chong's current cultivation realm, the effects of the ginseng tea were extremely limited. However, the nourishing effect of the century-old ginseng was still effective on Wang Chong.
The faster one's martial arts progressed, and the more domineering one's cultivation technique was, the more one needed to nourish one's meridians. This was a gradual process.
"The old madam has brought word for gongzi to take care of yourself. Also, she brought some clothes over, saying that the snow has just melted, and the weather is still cold, so gongzi should keep warm. "
After Wang Chong finished the ginseng tea, Miyasame Lingxiang suddenly spoke up.
Hearing those words, Wang Chong was taken aback for a moment before he burst into laughter.
After staying in the Wang Residence for a period of time, even though Miyasame Lingxiang was no longer responsible for protecting the Wang Residence, she had become a messenger for his mother.
Given Wang Chong's current cultivation, he was no longer the same as he was in the past. Even if it was snowing heavily, he wouldn't feel much of a chill, so there was no need for warm clothes.
However, his mother clearly didn't think so. She still treated him as the frail and inexperienced youth of the past.
"I understand. You've worked hard during this period of time. This is the newest mental cultivation method of the Spectre Steps, take it. "
As Wang Chong spoke, he tossed over a booklet that he had prepared in his bosom. By mastering this manual, Miyasame Lingxiang would be able to reach True Martial Tier 6, perhaps even True Martial Tier 7.
Over the past year, Miyasame Lingxiang had slowly won over Wang Chong's trust. Wang Chong had never been stingy with his rewards to those who were loyal to him.
Sou!
Miyasame Lingxiang made a grabbing motion, and before Wang Chong could even see how she did it, the booklet was already in her bosom.
"Thank you, gongzi!"
Miyasame Lingxiang was overjoyed. Grabbing the manual Wang Chong had written, she clenched it tightly in her hands and kowtowed deeply. The higher one's cultivation, the deeper one's comprehension of martial arts, and the more one would be able to sense the flaws in one's cultivation.
Miyasame Lingxiang fully believed what Wang Chong had said to her back then. The Spectre Steps she cultivated was definitely flawed and incomplete.
But there was no doubting the strength of this cultivation technique.
As long as she could resolve its flaws, this cultivation technique would only grow stronger as she progressed. Furthermore, as an assassin, Miyasame Lingxiang couldn't give up on this cultivation technique.
"Go!"
Wang Chong waved his hands. With Miyasame Lingxiang free, she could now shoulder the responsibility of protecting Deflecting Blade Manor. Deflecting Blade Manor was becoming more and more important.
As an experienced assassin, she was more suited than him to discover the hidden dangers.
"Thank you, gongzi!"
Miyasame Lingxiang turned around and quickly disappeared from the rooftop. Her speed was so fast that one would think it was an illusion.
"Gongzi!"
Almost at the same moment that Miyasame Lingxiang left, a muscular figure leaped up from the ground like an eagle and appeared before Wang Chong.
Screech! — —
The snow falcon cried. The Eagle glanced in the direction that Miyasame Lingxiang had left in and quickly arrived before Wang Chong.
"Gongzi!"
"Un. Is there any news from Solitary Wolf?"
Wang Chong raised his head, his expression grim. It was completely different from when he had first met Miyasame Lingxiang. At this moment, Wang Chong was most concerned about the southwest.
"The southwest is far away, and it's not easy to send news. I asked Solitary Wolf about it, and he replied that everything is fine. I haven't received any news from him since. But gongzi, rest assured. If anything happens, Solitary Wolf will send a letter to report to you. "
The Eagle said.
"Un. From now on, open up two communication channels for me. One is a messenger pigeon in the air, and the other is a messenger on the ground. Since the journey to the southwest was long, they could arrange for some men to be stationed on the road. I want to shorten the transmission time of the southwest from several months to less than twenty days. In this way, there will be two channels, one detailed and the other simple. This can also reduce the delay of information to the minimum. "
"In addition, there will be air traffic control at certain times. If a large number of beasts such as the Harlequin appear and prey on the messenger pigeons, our air traffic will be cut off. Having an additional ground route will also serve as a precaution. "
Wang Chong said.
The Eagle nodded, a hint of respect in his eyes. Even though Wang Chong was still young, in certain aspects, he was much more meticulous in his thinking.
"In addition, send these two letters to my father and big brother!"
Wang Chong paused for a moment, then took out the two letters he had written beforehand and handed them over. With the winter over, Wang Chong was now actively trying to get in touch with his father and big brother.
Although Xianyu Zhongtong was easy to talk to, their relationship was too shallow. There were many things that Wang Chong could not personally interfere with. If something happened, he would not be as useful as his own family.
If something happened in the southwest and he wanted to interfere, his father and big brother would be his best helpers. Moreover, from them, he would be able to learn many things that Lone Wolf might not be able to, making it easier for him to determine the situation there at any time.
"Yes, this matter will be taken care of immediately."
The Eagle sternly said.
Sticking two fingers into his mouth, the Eagle let out a series of shrill cries that pierced into the clouds. Whoosh! In just a few moments, two massive golden condors flew down from the sky, one on the left and one on the right, and landed on the shoulders of the Eagle.
The Eagle rolled up the letters and skillfully tied them to the thick thighs of the two golden condors. Screech! With a series of shrill cries, the two golden condors flapped their wings and vanished into the southern skies like two rays of light.
Wang Chong nodded in satisfaction at this sight.
One The Eagle was even more useful than an army of several hundred soldiers. The birds that Old Eagle raised were incredibly fast, so it wouldn't take long for them to deliver the message.
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