The turmoil in the southwest had attracted the attention of the entire empire. Even Wang Chong could sense this from his prison cell.
The people of the Court of Judicial Review and the Chamberlain of Dependencies had been watching him every day, but in this period of time, they had rarely appeared. The prison guards who occasionally came to deliver food also seemed absent-minded.
The entire capital was somber and somber.
It seems like it's almost time to make a decision!
Wang Chong quietly said to himself. Although he was anxious, there was nothing Wang Chong could do in his prison cell. He could only silently wait.
"Chong-er!"
The next time he saw his big uncle was ten days later. His big uncle was dressed in the robes of an official, his expression stern and inflexible.
Upon seeing his big uncle, Wang Chong's eyes widened and he suddenly had an extremely ill foreboding.
"The Imperial Court has already made its decision! It has ordered Xianyu Zhongtong to lead eighteen elites of the Annan Protectorate and immediately set out to attack the Mengshe Zhao Empire in the southwest to punish Gelofeng's invasion of the Tang Dynasty! "
"What?!"
Upon hearing this news, Wang Chong's heart chilled, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly remembered something and rushed to the bars of the cell.
"Big Uncle, how could it be like this? Haven't you, The King of Song, and Consort Taizhen all intervened? Don't tell me the three of you have no way to stop it? "
The King of Song, the Wang Clan, and the Consort Taizhen behind Yang Zhao were undoubtedly the three major factions of the Tang Dynasty, three titans. The combined strength of these three factions was enough to influence the decisions of the Imperial Court.
Wang Gen sighed. He did not hide anything and gave a detailed account of what had happened.
After meeting Wang Chong in the hidden prison, Wang Gen immediately went to meet the King of Song. Furthermore, Yang Zhao was Wang Chong's sworn brother. These three forces were more than enough to change the entire royal court.
However, both Wang Gen and Wang Chong had underestimated one person.
"Is it the Yao family?"
A cold light flashed in Wang Chong's eyes as he suddenly interrupted.
"It would be fine if it's just the Yao Clan and King Qi!"
Wang Gen sighed and shook his head. Only those who had been involved in the court debate that day knew just how intense it had been. When Wang Gen and The King of Song, who had always advocated war, stood out to oppose attacking Mengshe Zhao, the entire court was shocked.
For a long time, there was a deathly silence in the hall. No one spoke. Even more surprising were the Yao Clan and King Qi.
These two clans had always been keeping an eye on the Wang Clan and The King of Song, but when Wang Gen and The King of Song stood out to oppose the war, the Yao Clan and King Qi, who had always advocated for a retreat, suddenly stood out to criticize the Wang Clan and The King of Song.
They said that the two clans had colluded with one another, accepted Gelofeng's bribe, and strongly advocated for a war against Mengshe Zhao. But it would have been fine if things had ended there.
After all, the Yao Clan and King Qi were still inferior to the alliance of the Wang Clan, The King of Song, and Consort Tai Zhen. But in the end, no one could have expected the most illustrious and low-profile person to suddenly stand out and change the outcome of the court debate.
"Who?"
Wang Chong's heart tightened.
"It's the prime minister!"
Wang Gen sighed deeply as he revealed the answer.
Weng!
The moment Wang Gen said those words, the dark prison suddenly fell silent. Wang Chong's mouth was agape, and his pupils constricted. He was unable to say a single word.
"Li Genu …"
This name was like a bolt of lightning, rumbling through Wang Chong's mind, echoing endlessly.
In that instant, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind like snowflakes …
In the Tang dynasty, there was no position higher than the prime minister. It was truly a position that stood above all but one.
Both the Wang Clan and the Yao Clan were inextricably linked to this position. This was also the reason why the Wang Clan was known as a clan of ministers and generals.
However, both the Wang Clan's Old Master Jiu and the Yao Clan's Old Master Yao Chong had already retired from the position of prime minister.
The current prime minister of the Tang dynasty had long since changed.
Li Genu was that person's son!
In the Tang dynasty, this person was abnormally low-profile. There was no one else in the illustrious position of prime minister who could keep such a low profile.
Many people had even forgotten about his existence.
But Wang Chong had never dared to underestimate him.
"I didn't think that it would be him …"
A sharp light flashed through Wang Chong's eyes.
In the entire Tang dynasty, the one that Wang Chong feared the most was not the Yao Clan or King Qi, but this illustrious prime minister who always made people forget about him.
In the entire Great Tang Empire, apart from himself, perhaps even his uncle did not know how terrifying the Prime Minister, who was usually as amiable as a spring breeze, was.
Everyone had greatly underestimated this' Lord Prime Minister '.
Wang Chong had not expected this Lord Prime Minister to uncharacteristically join the war of the southwest.
The Yao Clan, King Qi, and this Lord Prime Minister of the Tang dynasty were a force that could completely neutralize the power of the Wang Clan, The King of Song, and Consort Tai Zhen.
"… In addition, there's one more thing. At the crucial moment, Zhangchou Jianqiong stood on the side of King Qi and the Yao Clan! "
"Ah!"
Wang Chong was truly flabbergasted.
Zhangchou Jianqiong and Consort Tai Zhen belonged to the same faction, and they had an extremely close relationship. It had been Zhangchou Jianqiong who had sponsored Yang Zhao's entry into the capital.
Consort Tai Zhen and Yang Zhao had opposed this war, but Zhangchou Jianqiong, the Minister of War, had chosen to stand on King Qi's side. No one had expected this.
One Lord Prime Minister was one thing, but now Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong … the outcome of this court war was basically decided.
Wang Chong fell silent.
"There's nothing we can do about it! His position as the Minister of War had not yet stabilized, and he was also the Annan Protector-General of the southwest. Now that a problem had arisen in his territory, the pressure on Zhangchou Jianqiong could be imagined! Almost all of the generals under his command supported the war against Mengshe Zhao. If Zhangchou Jianqiong were to back down now, his position as the Minister of War would be in jeopardy. "
Wang Gen helplessly said.
Zhangchou Jianqiong's desire for power was simply too strong. His ten-some years of oppression on the border had made his desire for power and status far stronger than anyone else's.
Wang Gen had originally thought that he could delay this court war for at least twenty days, but now that things had developed to this point, it was no longer up to him.
There was nothing Wang Gen could do.
It was quiet in the dark prison. Regardless of whether it was Wang Chong or Wang Gen, neither of them spoke. Only the flickering of the torches on the wall could be heard.
"Chong-er, what do you plan to do next?"
Wang Gen looked at his nephew in the prison and asked.
All the plans had been arranged by Wang Chong, and he had told him what had happened in the court. Only Wang Chong could decide what to do next.
"I didn't think that I would still be unable to avoid it …"
Wang Chong gave a long and bitter sigh.
When Gelofeng attacked the Tang Dynasty, the Imperial Court had decided that Xianyu Zhongtong would lead 180,000 Tang Dynasty elites to the southwest … If Zhangchou Jianqiong had been the one leading the army, if Zhangchou Jianqiong was still in the southwest, the final result might have been a little better.
But Zhangchou Jianqiong had already been drawn to power, and the position of Minister of War had become a shackle around his neck. It was easy to leave for the southwest, but difficult to return to the southwest!
A Minister of War could not leave the capital to command the 180,000 elites of a border protectorate. There had never been such a thing in the history of the Tang Dynasty!
Man proposes, but heaven disposes. He had been trying to avoid this war this entire time. But in the end, he still couldn't avoid it.
With this, the last sliver of hope in Wang Chong's heart had been extinguished.
Since it was unavoidable, he could only face it.
"Big Uncle, when did Xianyu Zhongtong leave?"
Wang Chong raised his head and closed his eyes.
"Four days ago. The news was sent by the fastest Golden Eagle of the court. It should be delivered in two days. Given Xianyu Zhongtong's reaction, it should be another two days before he leads the army out to make contact with the Mengshe Zhao Empire. "
Wang Gen said.
… It's already too late!
Wang Chong mentally gave a long sigh. The journey from the capital to the Annan Protectorate was a long one. Even the fastest bird would take six days.
By that time, the dust would have settled, and it would be too late to say anything.
"Big Uncle, take me away from here …"
Wang Chong suddenly said.
… …
Bongbongbong!
Crossing thousands of mountains and tens of thousands of rivers, passing through layers upon layers of space, in the distant lands of the southwest, dark clouds gathered. The beating of a drum suddenly soared into the sky.
This heaven-shaking drumbeat startled the earth, startled the entire southwest.
It had been a very long time since such a heavy drumming had been heard in the southwest. The last time such a thunderous rhythm had resounded through the skies had been ten-some years ago.
"By the order of the Imperial Court, we are here to punish Mengshe Zhao and raise the might of my Tang Dynasty! … "
In front of the vast and imposing hall of the Annan Protectorate headquarters, an inflexible, solemn, and dignified voice resounded through the heavens.
The newly appointed Annan Protector-General, Xianyu Zhongtong, was dressed in armor, his body exuding a chilling and powerful aura as he stood on a tall platform.
On the platform, banners fluttered in the wind, their lofty pillars reaching into the heavens.
And on the platform, a majestic atmosphere prevailed. The 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty who had been stationed in the southwest were spread out in a dense formation, a dense mass of dark clouds in front of the Annan Protectorate headquarters.
"Fight! Fight! Fight! "
The Tang Dynasty elites waved their halberds, each of them letting out a heaven-shaking roar. Waves of Essence Qi burst out from their bodies like long rainbows, shooting straight into the depths of the dark clouds.
The beating of the drums caused the earth to tremble.
The mountains were silent, the mountains trembled, and the atmosphere was somber.
"Move out! … "
Without further words, Xianyu Zhongtong gave the order. Warhorses neighed, and the 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty galloped and roared like a dark cloud toward the southern Mengshe Zhao Empire.
For the first time in the history of the empire, the 180,000 elites of the Tang Dynasty had left the cities they had been guarding. After ten-some years, they were launching their first war against a foreign country!
Other than a teenager in the distant capital, no one understood what this war truly meant.
— Even those who were in the game!
Flapflap!
Almost at the same time that Xianyu Zhongtong gave the order and the army set out, messenger pigeons soared into the sky from all over the city.
These carrier pigeons did not fly to the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Instead, they crossed the borders of the Tang Dynasty and flew to the northeast, northwest, north, southwest, and west of the Tang Dynasty.
Goguryeo, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, Ouzan, Arabia, Charax Spasinu … countless powers were paying close attention to this conflict between the Tang Dynasty and the Mengshe Zhao Empire in the southwest of the Central Plains!
The southwest had always been peaceful.
This was the Tang Dynasty's first large-scale operation, and the scale of this operation far surpassed that of its operations in Longxi, the northeast, and the northwest!
And this was also the first time the Mengshe Zhao Empire had participated in this conflict with the Tang dynasty!
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