"The Holy Emperor has decreed that Wang Chong has an audience!"
Suddenly, a shrill voice like that of a duck's throat came from within the palace gates. Rumble! The gates opened, and banners fluttered in the wind. Rows of Imperial Guards, dressed in red-tasseled armor and armed with weapons, lined up from the gates to the depths of the Imperial Palace.
With a glance, Wang Chong actually could not see the end of the line.
Crack! A whip cracked, and a white-haired eunuch dressed in embroidered robes, standing far away on the white jade steps, let out a shrill voice.
"Summon, Wang Chong for an audience!"
His voice echoed from the gates to the depths of the Imperial Palace, lingering for a long time.
Wang Chong straightened his crimson ceremonial robe and hat, then strode forward, passing between the two rows of Imperial Guards. His steps were very slow, each step neither too wide nor too narrow. His expression was neither hurried nor impatient. His back was straight, and he leisurely walked forward step by step.
Whether it was expression, bearing, or behavior, the current Wang Chong was impeccable.
"This kid … clearly has someone guiding him."
In a place where Wang Chong could not see, several officials of the Chamberlain of Dependencies, dressed in crimson ceremonial robes, stood on the high palace walls, the corners of their eyes twitching.
From the moment Wang Chong left the palace, they had people watching him. In private, there were even painting experts depicting his every movement, expression, and behavior.
Unfortunately, regardless of whether or not there were people around, Wang Chong's behavior was impeccable, and no fault could be found. If there was no one guiding him, then it would truly be strange.
"Don't worry. At the final stage, he will definitely run into problems. Everything has already been arranged," another official of the Chamberlain of Dependencies said with a cold smile.
An official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies sneered. As he spoke, he turned his head and gazed at the distant end of Taiji Palace.
The Imperial Palace was solemn and dignified. Wang Chong walked along the passageway formed by the two rows of Imperial Guards. After a full hour, Wang Chong finally reached the Coiling Dragon Pool at the end of the passageway.
Turning his head, what appeared before Wang Chong was a long stairway made of white jade, several thousand steps long. On both sides of the stairway were Golden Guards of Insignia in golden armor, each of them exuding an incredibly powerful aura.
Their hands were pressed against the golden sabers at their waists, their gazes focused forward as if they would draw their sabers at any moment and cleave the person before them in two.
The Chamberlains of Imperial Insignia were the cream of the crop in the royal palace, and their spirit and aura were incomparably strong. If one didn't possess a strong will, it would be easy for one to be intimidated by the sight before them.
Wang Chong had experienced mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the southwest and had been tempered by cruel wars. Not only did these Golden Guards have no effect on him, they were even affected by his indistinct aura, causing them to lose their grip on the golden sabers in their hands.
Wang Chong had experienced the mountains of corpses and seas of blood of the southwest and had been tempered through cruel wars. These Golden Guards of Insignia not only had no effect on him, they were actually affected by his indistinct aura, causing them to almost lose their grip on their golden sabers.
Going up the white jade stairs, every few hundred steps, there would be a platform that was more than two hundred feet long. As they went up, the platform was filled with civil and military officials who were here to observe the ceremony. Their ranks were arranged from the lowest to the highest.
All of them had solemn expressions on their faces.
"This is the Qilin son of the Wang Clan?"
On the grandstand, the officials dressed in red robes looked over one after another. Many people had heard of Wang Chong's name during the Regional Commanders incident, but this was the first time they had seen him in person.
"No matter what, to be able to defeat Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang, he truly is a dragon among men. Just based on this admirable spirit and bearing, he's not someone the scions of the capital can compare to."
Countless gazes were focused on Wang Chong. Whether they liked Wang Chong or not, they all had to admit that Wang Chong's demeanor was not something a normal person could compare to. He was truly a dragon among men.
"Chong-er, Big Uncle is truly happy for you."
In the crowd, Wang Gen stroked his beard and smiled, a gratified expression on his face. He had set out early in the morning, not to the Wang Clan, but to the Imperial Palace to observe the ceremony.
Wang Chong had returned victorious and received an audience with the Holy Emperor in the depths of the palace. This was a great honor, and he wanted to personally witness it.
Some people liked it while others hated it. High up on the Imperial Stairway of white jade, two eyes brimming with hostility were staring at Wang Chong as he slowly walked down the steps.
"Hmph, so it's you. Don't get happy too early."
At the highest point of the observation platform, Tongluo Great General Abusi stood like a mountain, his eyes fixed on the blazing Wang Chong on the steps.
In his eyes, a biting cold snowstorm was brewing.
In the Tang Dynasty of the Central Plains, although Abus did not wield great authority like Geshu Han or Gao Xianzhi, as the leader of the Tongluo elite cavalry, Abus still carried an extraordinary weight.
At the very least, in terms of martial arts, Abus was a veteran great general, not one bit inferior to Geshu Han or Gao Xianzhi.
In the Regional Commanders Incident, Wang Chong had written a memorial pointing the spear at the Hu of the world. As a Hu great general, Abus had been forced to kneel before all the officials in the hall in order to show his loyalty.
Abus's youngest son, Abutong, had challenged Wang Chong and ended up being hung on the banner of Deflecting Blade Manor by Wang Chong, losing all face in the process.
With these two incidents, how could Abus not hate Wang Chong?
Just like Abus, he was not the only one who hated Wang Chong and viewed him as a thorn in their side. On another viewing platform, King Qi was dressed in a crimson robe embroidered with golden threads, his eyes cold and sinister.
From the moment Wang Chong appeared on the Imperial Stairway of White Jade, King Qi had been viciously glaring at him. This was the first time King Qi had seen Wang Chong's true appearance, but this one time was enough to make King Qi hate Wang Chong to the bone.
King Qi and the King of Song were the two main relatives of the Tang Dynasty and the two major factions of the Imperial Court. King Qi had laid down many plans to deal with the King of Song, but Wang Chong and the Wang Clan had foiled all of them.
Vast Crane Pavilion was one, Consort Tai Zhen was another, and now, in the war of the southwest, Wang Chong had once more displayed his brilliance, defeating powerful foes like Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huizang. This made King Qi feel like there was a dagger at his back, making him unable to eat or sleep in peace.
If not for the fact that Wang Chong was currently in the limelight, with his every move targeted at him being watched and magnified by countless people, King Qi would have done everything in his power to kill him.
Brat, I'll let you be smug for a while longer, but I won't let you be smug for too long.
King Qi viciously said to himself.
No matter what the crowd thought, whether they liked or disliked him, it meant nothing to Wang Chong. Today, he was the undisputed main character. The entire Imperial Palace, the capital, the entire world, and even the foreign vassal states bordering the Tang Dynasty were all watching him.
Wang Chong quickly ascended several hundred steps, quickly arriving at the center of the observation platform. Glancing at his big uncle and the other officials of the King of Song's faction, Wang Chong leisurely continued to ascend.
"That should be King Qi!"
As he passed by the middle-aged man dressed in a crimson robe embroidered with golden embroidery, Wang Chong could clearly sense a sharp gaze fixed on him. This gaze was both disdainful and brimming with intense hostility, as if it wanted nothing more than to skin Wang Chong alive.
As a member of the imperial household, Wang Chong could only think of one person who could wear the noble and magnificent robes of a prince and act so fearlessly on the observation platform: King Qi.
Although the Wang Clan and King Qi's lineage could be considered a 'feud' due to their relationship with the King of Song, this was the first time that Wang Chong had seen this illustrious King Qi of the Tang Dynasty at such a close distance.
Yet even under the gaze of this illustrious member of the imperial household, Wang Chong remained calm and unafraid, calmly walking over.
"Bastard!"
Seeing Wang Chong disregard him, King Qi could not help but be enraged, the killing intent in his heart flourishing.
Along the way, Wang Chong passed by all sorts of hostile gazes: Tongluo Great General Abusi, King Qi's faction, various imperial censors … Wang Chong quickly brushed past them. Step by step, he slowly approached the top of the Imperial Stairway. A few steps away from the Imperial Stairway, several officials from the Bureau of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies, dressed in crimson ceremonial robes, stood in a row, silently waiting.
"Wang Chong, step forward to receive the edict!"
One of the officials from the Bureau of Rites, dressed in crimson ceremonial robes and trimmed with gold, unfurled a True Dragon Edict and announced in a loud voice. To the left and right, no one noticed that two officials from the Chamberlain of Dependencies and the Bureau of Rites glanced down at Wang Chong, a cold light flashing through their eyes.
"This lowly subject receives the edict!"
Wang Chong straightened his robes, stepped forward, and respectfully bowed.
"Wang Chong, kneel and receive the edict," an official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies said.
To the side, an official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies said.
Wang Chong nodded. Unlike the time when he had been summoned by the Holy Emperor in the side hall, this formal audience to receive a reward was extremely complex. This was especially true for the 'commoners' who did not have any scholarly titles or official ranks.
During the entire audience, there would be at least two or three imperial edicts. And in the process of receiving an imperial edict, one needed to kneel and pay their respects.
On this point, the senior official that The King of Song had arranged for him had already made it clear. If he disobeyed, he would be suspected of looking down on the might of the heavens and be charged with the crime of disrespect. At the very least, his career would be ruined, and at the very worst, his entire clan would be exterminated. This was no trifling matter.
Wang Chong naturally would not forget something like this.
Swish!
Wang Chong's crimson robes fluttered as he prepared to kneel. In an instant, several imperceptible gazes fell on Wang Chong. Even King Qi, who was watching from the back of the Imperial Stairway, revealed a hint of smugness and ridicule in his eyes.
So what if he was the son of the Ninth Young Master?
So what if he was the hero of the southwest?
It was all because he was young and frivolous, lacking in experience. He had easily fallen into his trap with such a small scheme.
"In the end, he's still too young!"
King Qi gazed at Wang Chong's back, the corners of his mouth twitching into a disdainful smile. Even if he was a young genius who had defeated Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huizang, so what?
The day the Holy Emperor bestowed his reward would also be the day he would fall, the day he would no longer be valued!
At this moment, not a single one of the civil and military officials had noticed.
Time seemed to slow down countless times. It seemed like Wang Chong was about to kneel …
"Something's wrong!"
Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. Although he could see nothing and everything seemed normal, Wang Chong felt an intense sense of unease. Unknowingly, the atmosphere around him had subtly changed.
"Something's wrong!"
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