Chapter 715: The City of Steel II (1/2)
Chapter 715: The City of Steel (II)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Understood. Leave the city to me,” Zhang Shouzhi deferentially said.
”Mm.”
Wang Chong nodded and smiled. As he looked up to the sky, yet another set of blue-green birds unfurled their wings and flew into the air over the City of Steel.
With Wang Chong's appearance, more and more birds had begun to appear in the skies.
Wang Chong shook his head and put the matter aside. With a smile, he set off for his next destination.
Gallop!
However, not even Wang Chong noticed that as he turned his head and walked away, five or six li to the north of the City of Steel, a fully-armored horseman glanced in Wang Chong's direction and turned to the northwest.
”It's about time to report to Milord!”
The warhorse set off, and that horseman who had the clear traits of a Hu vanished into a cloud of dust. After following the official road to the Western Regions for several hundred li, the horseman left the path and entered a gorgeous and magnificent palace of a dark golden hue.
A black nameboard had been placed above the gate to the palace, two words clearly written upon it.
'Qixi Protectorate'!
This was the famous protectorate guarding against Ü-Tsang to the west and the Western Turkic Khaganate to the east, the Great Tang's crucial fortification on the road to the Western Regions, the Qixi Protectorate.
Wang Chong's fief of Wushang and the city he was building were closest to the Qixi Protectorate.
”Hmph, clearly knowing that Qixi is my territory yet still daring to place his fief here, his boldness is truly even greater than the heavens. Only a year has passed. Does he really think I've forgotten the Regional Commanders incident so quickly?”
In the vast palace, a figure loomed like a lurking dragon, sitting upon a throne of metal fretwork. His body exuded a powerful aura as vast as the seas.
Fumeng Lingcha, the rearmost of the Great Tang's Protector-Generals in the northwest, yet also the most powerful of them all!
Qixi Protectorate was not the foremost of the protectorates, but whether it was Anxi Protectorate, Beiting Protectorate, or Longxi's Big Dipper Army, the moment they found themselves unable to handle the situation, the most reliable and most prompt reinforcements would be from the Qixi Protectorate.
And the existence of Fumeng Lingcha also meant that the areas around him did not need to fight a multi-front battle where they were being attacked from both the front and back.
Put simply, Fumeng Lingcha controlled the 'throat'.
This unique power meant that Gao Xianzhi, Geshu Han, and An Sishun dared not offend him.
In addition, Fumeng Lingcha was very old, and he had made his name far earlier than the younger three Great Generals. He had a prestigious reputation amongst the Hu, similar to that of Zhang Shougui or Wang Zhongsi amongst the Han.
It was precisely because Fumeng Lingcha gave the signal that so many Hu generals sent memorials during the Regional Commanders incident requesting Wang Chong's execution.
But Fumeng Lingcha had never expected that after only a year, not only had the 'archcriminal' not kept his distance, but had run straight into the spear, building a city right before his eyes. This was no longer simple daring or boldness. This was a challenge, a humiliation.
Not even Geshu Han or An Sishun dared to act so brashly, but this was what the youngest son of the Wang Clan was doing.
”Milord, the youngest son of the Wang Clan was just made a marquis and was also bestowed a courtesy name by the Son of Heaven. He is currently at the height of his influence, and the matter of his fief obtained the confirmation of both the Sage Emperor and the Imperial Court. With these two granting their permission, it will be very difficult for us to do anything against him!”
To Fumeng Lingcha's left was a strong and imposing general, clearly of Hu stock.
The city that Wang Chong was building in Wushang was only several hundred li from Qixi. If one had to point to the group most unhappy about this, it would not be the Protector-Generals like Fumeng Lingcha, but the Hu generals along the border.
Although the Sage Emperor had passed the proposal for the Regional Commanders, the time period over which the proposal would be carried out had been greatly prolonged, and compared to the original proposal, the status and authority of the Regional Commanders had been greatly downgraded.
This matter made all the Hu border generals clench their teeth and curse Wang Chong's name. Wang Chong had not only harmed the Hu Protector-Generals like Fumeng Lingcha, he had hampered the advancement opportunities of all the Hu.
After all, Imperial Great Generals like Fumeng Lingcha would eventually retire, and all the Hu generals had a chance of taking these spots.
Wang Chong's appearance in Qixi made all the Hu generals anxious to kill him. The only problem was that none of them could cross the threshold that was the Imperial Court.
”Hmph, I wasn't even afraid of the White-Robed Arab1 Mahad, so why would I be afraid of some immature brat? So what if he has a fief bestowed by the Imperial Court? So what if Wang Jiuling was a Prime Minister of the Great Tang? Qixi is my land! Do you think I can't deal with him?!”
Fumeng Lingcha sat imposingly upon his throne, his eyes exuding a chill so cold that it cut to the bone.
A general widened his eyes and hurriedly asked, ”Then Milord means…”