Before setting off, the King of Song had warned him to be careful, because the King of Qi would definitely think of a way to deal with him. Moreover, it would be on the complicated etiquette that he was unfamiliar with. On the way here, Wang Chong had been extremely careful.
Moreover, he had done all the things that the old official had said, and they had been flawless. Even the strictest official of the Board of Rites would not be able to find any problems with him. However, Wang Chong was certain that something had gone wrong.
Moreover, it was definitely something that he had not noticed, but it was an extremely important problem.
However, the Holy Emperor had conferred a reward and entered the palace for an audience. Logically speaking, the King of Qi should not have been so bold as to brazenly tamper with the ceremony in such a place. But where had he tampered with it?
Weng!
His gaze unconsciously swept over the last few steps. Suddenly, Wang Chong's mind jolted as he suddenly remembered something. The old official had once mentioned a number. Nine was the Yang line. All things should be avoided, so nine represented the extreme. There was the saying of the Nine-Five Supremacy and the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, which all represented the emperor.
Among all the etiquette and etiquette, the words' nine 'and' five 'were especially taboo. One had to be extremely careful, because this was the greatest offense.
Wang Chong's gaze was like lightning as he quickly swept over the last few steps of white jade in front of him. One, two, three, four, five … When he counted to nine, Wang Chong's expression suddenly changed as he suddenly understood something.
"These bastards!"
Li Yi glanced at the officials from the Board of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies, a sharp look flitting across his eyes.
The white jade steps in front of the Taiji Palace were known as the Path of the True Dragon. Before the Holy Emperor appeared and was conscripted, one could not set foot on the top. This was especially so for people like him, who had no scholarly honors or official positions. They were different from officials and needed to be even more careful. Otherwise, it would be a great disrespect.
There were nine True Dragons, so the last nine steps of the Imperial Stairway could never be touched.
When these officials from the Board of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies announced the decree, they had purposely stood a few steps back. If he had not been careful, he would have knelt on the last nine steps of white jade, which would have been a crime of offending the Emperor.
This was the greatest disrespect among all the etiquettes of an audience!
"King Qi!"
A thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind, and he instantly understood something. Wang Chong did not know what the consequences of these officials from the Bureau of Rites and Chamberlain of Dependencies would be, but this act of disrespect was probably enough for the Prince of Qi to deal with him!
In the past, Wang Chong wouldn't have cared if the Holy Emperor bestowed upon him anything. Even if King Qi succeeded, given the power of the Wang Clan, as a clan of ministers and generals, there was nothing to fear. But that was then, and this was now. Wang Chong needed to have a high enough status to realize his ambitions and dreams. He needed to save the world and its people!
Weng!
As these thoughts flashed through Wang Chong's mind, he quickly came up with an idea. Weng! As he knelt, Wang Chong's loose robes fluttered, and he calmly took a step back. Thump! His knee landed on the tenth step.
"Wang Chong, receive the decree!"
Wang Chong raised his hands, his handsome voice echoing throughout the Imperial Palace.
Shua! The eyes of the officials from the Bureau of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies jumped, and their expressions instantly changed. The slightest error could lead to a great error. Wang Chong had only taken a slight step back, and their scheme against Wang Chong had immediately failed.
Moreover, what made them most uneasy was that they could not determine whether Wang Chong had discovered something and deliberately avoided it, or if it was just an accident.
"Bastard thing! Wasn't everything already arranged? How could there be such a careless mistake! "
On the viewing platform in the back, King Qi, dressed in his crimson robe embroidered with golden threads, was at first flabbergasted as he stared at Wang Chong. It was like he had been slapped in the face, and then his face turned ashen and savage.
The smugness that had appeared on his lips, as if he was waiting to see Wang Chong fall into his trap, instantly vanished.
If looks could kill, the officials from the Bureau of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies in front of the Imperial Stairway would have had their hearts pierced by ten thousand arrows, their heads rolling on the ground.
"Milords?"
Hearing that there was no movement from above, Wang Chong raised his head.
The officials were stunned, but they quickly regained their wits.
"By the will of the heavens, the Emperor summons:
The youngest son of the Wang Clan, Wang Chong, has expended all the wealth of his clan and prepared his own crossbows. In the southwest, he defeated Dalun Ruozan, Gelofeng, and Huoshu Huizang … and routed the combined Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army in the southwest. He has rendered service to the Tang dynasty, to the country, and to the millions of people of the southwest. He is specially summoned into the palace to be rewarded as a sign of the Emperor's will. "
The official from the Bureau of Rites holding the decree was somewhat pale, but he still restrained himself, not letting any of it show.
"Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty!"
Wang Chong respectfully bowed in accordance with the etiquette the old official had taught him, then straightened his back and looked at the three people in front of him.
"Young Master Wang, there are three imperial decrees in total. This is the first one. Please take it!"
"Many thanks!"
Wang Chong faintly smiled as he swept his gaze over them. Then, he took the decree from the leading official and stood up.
However, in the eyes of the officials from the Board of Rites and the Chamberlain of Dependencies, this faint smile made their hearts jump. It was as if this seventeen-year-old youth in front of them had completely seen through their secrets.
This was a very strange feeling. These officials who were clearly much older than Wang Chong felt incredibly guilty when they saw Wang Chong's faint smile.
"Young Master Wang, His Majesty has not appeared yet. Wait here for the summons!"
After giving this order, they hurriedly left, not daring to linger a moment longer.
The officials from the Bureau of Rites and Bureau of Personnel had just left, but the atmosphere in front of the Taiji platform did not grow cold. On the contrary, it grew even more fervent, and many people began to look forward to what was to come.
This was the first time Wang Chong had received a reward from the Holy Emperor, so he did not understand much about the proceedings. But the old courtiers on the viewing platform knew it.
Wang Chong had rendered an enormous service in the southwest, so his reward was certain to be very generous. And according to the usual procedure, there would be three imperial decrees.
The first imperial decree was to announce the will of the Holy Emperor, to summon the Holy Emperor to the world.
But the second imperial decree was the true content of the reward from the Holy Emperor.
But even now, no one knew just what sort of reward the Holy Emperor would bestow upon Wang Chong.
"The victory in the southwest is no small matter. The Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army lost more than four hundred thousand soldiers, even more than the Tang Dynasty. For such an enormous service to be witnessed by the entire world, I wonder what sort of reward he will receive? "
"There will definitely be no lack of gold and silver. In order to aid the southwest, the Wang Clan spent several million taels of gold. His Majesty will definitely give him a substantial compensation. I wonder what other rewards he will receive? "
"It's been a very long time since the Tang Dynasty has bestowed a title of nobility, and the Bureau of Rites has kept a tight hold on it. His Majesty will probably make an exception this time. I wonder if it will be a baron, a viscount, or perhaps … a count? But aren't there many first-rank officials in the Imperial Court who are only counts? Wang Chong is so young. Can he really become one? "
"There's talk of bestowing a title of general in society, but Wang Chong has never entered the army. Although the Kunwu Training Camp can be considered part of the military, it doesn't have any military personnel, and it certainly isn't recorded in the books of the military. To suddenly be promoted to general is too much of a promotion. I wonder how His Majesty will get around it? "
… …
In private, the crowd began to discuss the matter.
No one was more interested in this matter than Wang Chong's big uncle, Wang Gen.
"Chong-er, from now on, you're going to soar into the heavens!"
Wang Gen stroked his black beard as he gazed at the back of Wang Chong at the top of the white steps, his heart bursting with excitement. He was no less curious than anyone else about the reward the Emperor would bestow upon Wang Chong.
But although he didn't know what it was, there was one thing that Wang Gen was sure of. Given his great achievements in the southwest, the reward this time would not be low.
Time slowly passed, and Wang Chong's hand gripped the imperial edict. He stood motionless on the white steps, silently waiting.
It seemed like only a second had passed, but it also seemed like countless eons. Wang Chong still hadn't seen anything, but he suddenly heard the clattering of footsteps.
These footsteps were neither fast nor slow, each step taken with great ease. As these footsteps echoed, Wang Chong seemed to see a massive golden wave, seemingly imbued with the strength of ten thousand jun, howling toward him.
Rumble! In this golden wave, the entire Taiji Palace, even the white steps, seemed to tremble.
"What powerful strength!"
Wang Chong blinked as he came back to his senses.
The Taiji Palace was the Imperial Palace, the center of the Tang Dynasty. It naturally could not be shaken, and with the world's supreme expert, the Holy Emperor, presiding over it, it was even more impossible for anyone to shake it.
And there was no need to mention the many officials on the white steps.
There was no doubt that all this was just his imagination.
But for someone of his current level of cultivation to be able to shake him like this, one could easily imagine the depth of this person's cultivation.
Wang Chong raised his head, and at this moment, he saw a slightly plump figure dressed in the cloud-embroidered robe of a eunuch. His footsteps were calm and unhurried.
"Young Master Wang, we meet again."
The eunuch in the cloud-embroidered robe held an imperial edict in his hands. He smiled at Wang Chong like a spring breeze, like a smiling Maitreya Buddha, naturally making one feel close to him.
"Eunuch Gao!"
Wang Chong's eyes widened as he instantly recognized this eunuch. This was the eunuch who had personally come to see him during the Regional Commanders Incident.
Besides this, Wang Chong also knew that this eunuch had a name that could shake the ancients and dazzle the contemporaries.
The Chief Eunuch of the Inner Court, Eunuch Gao Lishi!
Unlike Fifth Prince Li Heng's future number one evil minister, Li Jingzhong, Gao Lishi had another name that could shake the ancients and dazzle the contemporaries.
The number one virtuous official in all of history!
In all the dynasties of the Central Plains, there was only one person who could receive this title.
Gao Lishi's surname was not Gao, but Sheng Feng, whose real name was Feng Yuanyi. There were very few people who knew this name now. When the previous emperor had bestowed the surname upon him, he had changed Feng to Gao, resulting in the name Gao Lishi.
Gao Lishi had accompanied the Holy Emperor his entire life as he grew up, and he had been loyal and devoted to the Holy Emperor, never leaving or abandoning him.
In his last life, when the Holy Emperor passed away, Wang Chong heard the news. This Eunuch Gao at the Holy Emperor's side was so shocked by the grievous news that he vomited blood and died. Throughout the ages, throughout all the dynasties, there was only one such person.
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