Chapter 692: Yuan Shusong (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Deep within the Wang Clan Residence, Wang Chong finally met the person he had longed to see. This was a middle-aged scholar with a long and slender beard, dressed in a white robe. His demeanor was so cultured and fragile that it seemed like a gust of wind would blow him over.

”Paying respects to Lord Marquis!”

Seeing Wang Chong and Old Eagle walk in, the middle-aged scholar hurriedly bowed, fixing his eyes on the ground and attempting to breathe as softly as possible.

It was clear that he had no idea why the ascendant Son of Heaven's disciple, the Young Marquis of the Great Tang, had requested to meet an obscure and powerless teacher like him.

”Lord Marquis, according to your orders, we searched the capital and found him in an unremarkable Daoist temple. At that time, he had already packed his luggage and was preparing to leave. If we had been just a little slow, he would have already left,” Wei Guo and Wei Wu reported.

It was evident that this pair also had no inkling of why Wang Chong had ordered them to search the entire city for this feeble scholar, a venture that had used a great deal of time and energy.

Wang Chong did not pay attention to Wei Guo and Wei Wu. Since the moment he entered the room, his gaze had been fixed on the middle-aged scholar.

I didn't think I would actually be able to find him.

Wang Chong's eyes shone brightly with excitement.

Although this middle-aged scholar seemed nameless and obscure, in another domain, he had quite the sterling reputation. Wang Chong rarely admired anyone, but this middle-aged scholar was definitely one of them.

”You are Yuan Shusong?” Wang Chong asked expectantly.

”This lowly person is. To be able to meet the Lord Marquis is enough blessing for this lowly person for three lifetimes! But might this lowly person ask why the Lord Marquis has summoned this one?”

Yuan Shusong's face was filled with fear and panic. This was his first time meeting an influential character of this level, and it left him very nervous.

Hahaha, it really is him!

At this moment, Wang Chong was absolutely certain. His name was Yuan Shusong and he had a long and slender beard. The person before him matched completely with the description of that 'Master Yuan'.

In the Great Tang, disdain for barbarians meant that it was very rare for people to learn foreign languages, which is why Wang Chong's ability to speak Sanskrit and Tibetan shocked so many people.

Even Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang had found this fact unbelievable.

But Wang Chong did not think this strange. 'Know yourself and know your enemies, and you will never be defeated.' In order to defeat the foreigners in battle, he had to learn their language, understand them, know their weaknesses and strengths; not exclude them and close his ears.

These were the words of the elder who had taught Wang Chong Sanskrit and Tibetan, and these words had originated from the Yuan Shusong that now kneeled before him.

Although almost no one knew of Yuan Shusong's name amongst the court and nobility, he was a celebrity amongst those related to the Western Regions, especially the teachers of the capital and the merchants trading silk in the Western Regions.

It wasn't merely because he knew twenty-three languages, which included Turkic, Tibetan, Mengshe Zhao, Goguryeon, Arabian, Characene, and the various languages used in the Western Regions. It was also because he was an extremely capable teacher.

He had taught elders, children, Daoist priests, nuns, wives, merchants, butchers… and almost everyone who learned from him could learn a new language or two in just one or two months.

In his last life, almost all the best language masters had been his disciples, including the elder who had taught Wang Chong Sanskrit and Tibetan.

However, this Master Yuan had only remained in the capital for several years before setting off for the Western Regions, where it was said that he eventually died.

When Wang Chong had heard of this, he was filled with remorse. If the Great Tang had been able to value this Master Yuan a little earlier, could understand a little more about the surrounding countries, could confront the ascendant Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu with a little more knowledge, perhaps things would have been different.

In order to understand the foreign countries surrounding the Great Tang a little more, one needed a large number of people who understood their languages, especially those people talented in instruction. Master Yuan was precisely this sort of person.

As long as one gave him a little assistance, a stage to stand on, he could definitely raise a large number of talented individuals to assist the Great Tang in understanding all the countries on its border.

But Wang Chong had not searched the entire capital for this man for just this alone. Deep in Wang Chong's heart, he had an even bigger plan.

Ever since the era of Great Emperor Wu of Han, the Western Regions had been in a constant state of division and unification, gains and losses, an endless cycle of conquest and loss. And the various kingdoms of the Western Regions had never felt much affection toward the Central Plains.

The crucial point in resolving all this and breaking the cycle of conquest and loss was language. Because their languages were different, they could not communicate, could not understand each other, so there was naturally no affection.

But if both sides from top to bottom, from the highest general to the lowest soldiers, could freely communicate, everything would be different.

If they could understand what the Central Plains was and what the Great Tang was, the people of the Western Regions would develop a completely different impression of the Central Plains.

If he wanted to do this, he wouldn't teach the Tang the languages of the Western Regions, but teach the people of the Western Regions the language of the Great Tang. Only this would resolve the problem once and for all.

But first, he needed someone who knew the languages of the Western Regions to serve as a teacher.

And Yuan Shusong was the individual Wang Chong had found that was crucial to solving this problem.

”Master, it is Wang Chong who has been rude, but if I might be so bold as to ask, does Master truly know twenty-three different foreign languages?” Wang Chong said.