"Everyone, this is the son of my third son, Wang Yan. He happens to be my third son as well, and his name is Wang Chong!"
At this moment, the old master spoke. He stretched out his hand and pointed to Wang Chong.
"Oh!"
"Chong gongzi!"
"Chong gongzi, come in."
…
The group of white-haired elders greeted Wang Chong, but they didn't seem to be paying much attention to him. It was only out of respect for the old master that they chose to patronize him. They had seen too many people in this hall.
The old master's eldest grandson, Wang Li, his third son, Wang Yan's eldest son, Wang Fu, and his second son, Wang Bei. This was the fourth, so they didn't mind a mere Wang Chong.
"Junior Wang Chong pays respect to the elders!"
Wang Chong bowed respectfully, paying no heed to the attitude of the elders. Those who were able to accompany the old master here were his old subordinates.
Most of these people had experienced the treacherous palace coup d'état, and they had also followed the Old Master when the empire was on the verge of collapse and the divine continent had fallen into chaos. They had supported the current Saint Emperor, and when they were young, they had also entered the Imperial Court and held extremely high positions … Although they were over sixty now, they still possessed extraordinary rallying power and influence.
None of them were the clan heads of prestigious clans or influential figures. Even though they were in their sixties, they still wielded extraordinary influence.
Given their influence, there was indeed no need for them to treat a fifteen-year-old child with too much respect. In fact, if not for the old master's influence, they probably wouldn't even bother to patronize Wang Chong.
"Take a seat. Move a seat for him!"
The old man said from above.
Those in the conference hall were all veterans. Even though Wang Chong was the grandson of the old master, in terms of seniority, he could only sit at the very back. Furthermore, it was only a small chair, and it was almost all the way to the corner.
In truth, the old master had arranged for Wang Chong to listen in. It would be beneficial for him in the future as well.
After settling Wang Chong, the group of people in the meeting hall started chatting again.
Wang Chong sat in a corner and looked around. In the main hall, other than the old master and his old subordinates, Big Uncle Wang Gen was also present. He was seated beside the old master.
Eldest Uncle was the eldest son, and at the same time, he was also an important minister of the imperial court. Whether or not he could gain the recognition of these old ministers, he would always have a seat next to the old man.
Other than big uncle, Cousin Wang Li was present as well. When he first arrived at the Four Quarters Embassy, his cousin was filled with frustration and impatience. However, at this moment, he was a completely different person. When the old master was chatting with his old subordinates, he was listening attentively, and a strong desire to perform could be seen on his face.
This was completely different from the impression he gave Wang Chong before.
"Cousin has also won the approval of grandfather's old subordinates!"
A thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind.
His grandfather didn't have the final say on whether he could gain the approval of these old subordinates. He only had the right to recommend. 'Respect' and 'approval' were things that couldn't be forced. Only when it came from the bottom of one's heart would it be effective.
Even though his cousin had always tried his best to perform, Wang Chong knew that no matter how hard he tried, it would be impossible for him to win over the old master's old subordinates.
It wasn't that he wasn't outstanding enough, but that these old subordinates of his were extremely experienced and had been through great storms in their lives. No matter what kind of talent he had, in their eyes, it was just an insignificant skill and seemed insignificant.
"Conquering" them was not an easy task to accomplish in the first place. Otherwise, big uncle, father, uncle, and little uncle, big brother, second brother, and cousin would all fail.
A group of people could only win the approval of one or two 'old subordinates' at the very most. Up till now, no one had been able to win the approval of all of them at the same time.
Sweeping his gaze across the meeting hall, Wang Chong's gaze finally fell on the old master. A hint of sorrow flashed across his eyes.
"The old master won't be able to survive until the great turmoil!"
This thought flashed across Wang Chong's mind. No one knew better than him that four years later, grandfather would pass away. The internal injuries from his early years, coupled with the heavy injuries he suffered on the battlefield, coupled with the many years of hard work, even after his retirement, when he was over 60 years old, he was still working hard for the Emperor, offering advice and suggestions. This caused his grandfather to be constantly in a state of intense mental fatigue.
In a few years' time, the old master would pass away.
But at this moment, not a single person in the Wang Clan, be it big uncle or father, had realized this.
Grandfather's strength masked his weakness, such that in the eyes of the Wang Clan, grandfather was like a god. He was immortal and would never fall.
But in this world, there was no one who could live forever, not even grandfather.
That was why the entire Wang Clan was in such a state of panic after grandfather's collapse. Even big uncle, who had always been calm and composed, was at a complete loss as to what to do.
Wang Chong would always remember the look of panic on his face that day.
Wang Chong knew that the Wang Clan didn't have many chances to inherit grandfather's influence. In four years, he had only done it four times.
As the saying goes, 'Time is short'. Without a core figure who could unite the hearts of the people, the old master's students and old acquaintances would all scatter in the future.
The influence and standing that the old master had built up throughout his life would disappear in an instant. In the future, even if there were some people who remained loyal to the Wang Clan, their influence wouldn't be as great as before.
The inheritance of a prestigious clan had never been a simple matter, and this had always been grandfather's sore point!
"No matter what, I must find a way to win the recognition of grandfather's old subordinates!"
Sitting by the corner, Wang Chong clenched his fists tightly.
In the room, other than the Wang Clan and grandfather's old subordinates, there was also a group of juniors. Every year, during grandfather's birthday, it was the time for grandfather to recommend candidates, but at the same time, it was also the time for the old subordinates to recommend juniors to grandfather to inherit his influence. 【Rash】
In the conference hall, a group of people chatted, and unknowingly, their conversation drifted to the current political situation.
"… The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate in the northern grasslands are growing stronger and stronger, and there are signs of them converging. I heard that the Khans of the two tribes have already sent their Khans to discuss this matter. We have to take precautions! "
A white-haired old man with a sturdy figure and a strong murderous aura exuding from his body said. Wang Chong recognized him. He was known as' Duke of Ye ', and he was grandfather's old subordinate. He had participated in the palace coup together with grandfather and supported the Holy Emperor to ascend to the throne.
Duke of Ye's surname was Ye, but no one knew his full name, and no one dared to ask about it. Wang Chong only knew that he was grandfather's most loyal subordinate, and he possessed great strategic foresight.
While everyone was still caught up in the internal strife, grandfather's old subordinates had already set their sights on the northern grasslands.
"In the past few years, the world has been peaceful. According to the decree of the Holy Emperor, we have been doing business with everyone in the world. The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate in the north aren't skilled in smithing, but thanks to our trade, they have bought a lot of refined iron and black iron from our Tang dynasty. Now, their arrowheads are even starting to use inscribed iron! "
"The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate are skilled in riding and archery. If they were to obtain our refined iron and black iron, their fighting prowess would surely soar. This isn't a blessing for the empire!"
Duke of Ye's hair and beard were all white, but his eyes were bright, and he didn't seem old at all. When he spoke of the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate in the north, his face was filled with worry.
"That's not all. I've seen the official document from the Bureau of Military Personnel. The scattered cavalry of the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate are raiding the borders more and more frequently. In the past, we could still trade two for three, and two of our men would die. If three groups of Turkic cavalry were to come, we would be able to wipe them all out at the cost of two casualties. But now, we can only trade two for two. "
"Sometimes, in the case of a surprise attack, we might even suffer more losses. Duke Jiu, this situation is really worrisome. Their fighting prowess is increasing rapidly! "
A muscular white-haired old man said. Of all of them, he was the tallest. Even though they were seated together, he was at least a head taller than the others. Furthermore, his thick arms and legs made him seem more like a muscular man than an old man.
Wang Chong remembered that he was one of grandfather's subordinates, and he was known as' Big Beard '. When he was young, he had a full beard that he never shaved, and he even took pride in.
Even when he was old, he still looked the same, just that his beard had turned white. Also, no one dared to call him 'Big Beard' anymore. Everyone addressed him as' Elder Hu '.
In the past, he was the number one general under grandfather's command.
"Duke Jiu, you're the closest to His Majesty. You should speak to His Majesty about this matter. The borders of the empire haven't been peaceful for the past few years! "
Another white-haired old subordinate echoed, his heart filled with worry.
Wang Chong recognized him. This person's surname was Qiao, and he was even older than grandfather. Thus, he addressed him as' Old Master Qiao '. For the three of them to talk about the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates at the same time, it was clear that they had discussed this matter beforehand, and they made use of Duke Jiu's birthday to bring it up.
"The An Bei Protectorate Manor is the northern border, and it's their responsibility to protect the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates. Did the An Bei Protectorate Manor say anything about this? "
Hearing the three old subordinates mention the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates at the same time, wariness immediately flashed across the old master's eyes.
From Qin to Han, from Sui to Tang, the nomadic tribes of the north had always been a huge threat to the Central Plains. During the Qin Dynasty, the Central Plains was forced to construct the Great Wall, and a hundred thousand elite soldiers were stationed there. The Han Dynasty faced the White Ascension Disaster, and the Sui Dynasty suffered from many invasions.
By the time the Tang dynasty arrived, the Central Plains had always been wary of the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates. Back then, the old master had once led an army to the north and defeated the allied armies of the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates. However, the Tang dynasty had also suffered heavy losses in that battle.
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