Chapter 637: The Capital Astir! II (1/2)
Chapter 637: The Capital Astir! (II)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Wang Bowu had a grandson like this!!”
In the Four Quarters Embassy, the Old Master of the Yao Clan, Yao Chong, propped his stick against the ground and stood out of his chair. The atmosphere in the room seemed to change.
At this moment, even if Yao Guangyi closed his eyes, he would still be able to sense his father's shock and agitation.
As a former Prime Minister of the Great Tang, his father had experienced countless storms and tribulations throughout his life, surviving numerous assassination attempts. But even in the last War of the Princes, when all the dragons were struggling for the throne, his father had always remained cool and collected.
Yet the news of victory in the southwest had shaken his father so much that he had lost his composure.
”Father, everything is still just gossip. There's no firm evidence, so this might just be a rumor. The southwest might not be what we imagine,” Yao Guangyi consoled.
”Yi-er, you've been a minister of the court and general on the border for so many years, yet you still can't tell if this news is true or false?”
As Old Master Yao leaned on his cane, he glanced at his son, his disappointment difficult to conceal.
”Then Father means…” Yao Guangyi uneasily said.
”The southwest is the gateway to the Great Tang, and this war concerns the Great Tang, Mengshe Zhao, and Ü-Tsang. The course of this war will affect the fate and future prospects of the Great Tang. If we lose in the southwest, do you know what will happen to the Great Tang?
”The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, the Goguryeon Empire, the Khitans, the Xi, the kingdoms of the Western Regions, as well as the Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu—how do you think they will react?”
Yao Guangyi looked in a daze at his own father, somewhat unable to accept what he was hearing. Why did it feel like his father was standing with the Wang Clan?
”Yi-er, although we stand on different sides from the Wang Clan, this matter has nothing to do with the Wang Clan, but rather relates to the Great Tang. Do you know why our Yao Clan has always enjoyed imperial favor and has always flourished, never waned? It isn't because we fight with the Wang Clan, nor is it because we fight with King Song, and it certainly isn't because we stand with King Qi. It was because our Yao Clan has always treated the Great Tang's benefit as our number one priority.
”Yi-er, despite all your experience, you're still lacking a little!”
Yao Chong gave his son a disappointed look.
He had fought with Wang Jiuling for more than half his life and he had never once lost to him, but in terms of descendants, he truly had lost. The Wang Clan was not only thriving, it even had a person like Wang Chong.
But when Yao Chong surveyed his Yao lineage, he could not find a single person who could compare to Wang Chong. Not even Yao Guangyi could compare, much less others.
I didn't think that the Wang Clan would produce someone like this. I suppressed the Wang Clan for half of my life, but one hundred years later, I'm afraid that the descendants of the Yao Clan will have to look up to the Wang Clan!
Old Master Yao gave a long sigh and said nothing for a long while.
”Old Master, the Imperial Court has invited Master Yao to enter the court and take part in the court meeting.” A voice came from outside, causing Yao Guangyi to shiver and immediately turn around.
……
”Hahaha, victory! Young Master Wang actually won; our Great Tang won!”
At this very moment, the four great sword-smithing clans of the capital were rejoicing and the residences of the great clans were festooned with red lanterns. Even the sword smiths and sword shops of the capital were brightly decorated and celebrating.
News from the Imperial Court was rarely spread to the marketplace, but this time was different. The moment the news from the southwest arrived in the capital, the Imperial Court intentionally began to spread the news.
In the last two months, the capital had been panicking, unsettling news falling from the sky like a snowstorm.
News of a great victory was far too necessary.
”The armaments that Young Master used in the southwest, the bows, arrows, and ballistae, were all forged by us. With this victory in the southwest, the Imperial Court is sure to richly reward us.”
The four great sword-smithing clans and the various sword smiths and shops of the capital were all abuzz with excitement.
When they were forging these implements for Wang Chong, none of them had imagined that Wang Chong would use these things in the southwest to defeat the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.
Now that Wang Chong had won, they all shared the glory with him.
……
”What?! The southwest was won? We actually won in the southwest?!”
In the estate of a great clan, the dignified clan patriarch stood up in surprise, his face covered in disbelief.
”That Young Master Chong of the Wang Clan actually managed to defeat Dalun Ruozan and Geluofeng?”
”Impossible, inconceivable.”
The news from the southwest stunned all the clans, especially those clans who had loaned Wang Chong experts.
”This is an enormous achievement. I didn't think that scion would be so formidable!”
At this moment, all the clan patriarchs felt a deep respect for that scion of the Wang Clan who had traded Wootz Steel swords for experts.
To use one hundred thousand soldiers to defeat five hundred thousand soldiers, a good portion of them being cavalry, was truly an awe-inspiring feat.
”It seems that we have to reconsider our relationship with the Wang Clan! Attaching ourselves to that scion is far more important than exchanging for a few Wootz Steel swords.”
On this day, it would be very difficult for any clan head of the capital to avoid this feeling.