Chapter 821: A Candidate for Qixi Protector-General! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

”Now you understand.”

King Song gave his old butler a profound glance and knew that he had understood. Given the friendship between the King Song lineage and the Wang Clan, and Wang Yan's own extraordinary ability to command, Wang Yan would have been the ideal candidate. But in this situation, he was the worst.

”In addition, more than half of the people in the Qixi Protectorate are Hu, who have naturally headstrong and unruly natures. If Wang Yan is simply dropped out of the air upon them, the Han soldiers might accept him, but the Hu definitely won't. Wang Gengzhi has always been a harsh disciplinarian of his soldiers, but is he really going to kill half of the Qixi Protectorate army the moment he arrives? His Majesty wants to send someone who will stabilize Qixi and guard against Ü-Tsang and the Western Turkic Khaganate, not someone who will immediately cripple the army and set off internal discord the moment they arrive.”

The butler was quiet. He was not a good conversation partner in the field of politics, so he was unable to assist King Song very much in this problem.

King Song thought to himself for a while before suddenly saying, ”Butler, write a letter telling him about what's going on. Ask him if he has any opinion on the matter.”

The old butler's lips twitched for a moment before he quickly assented. ”Yes, this old servant will do so now.”

If there was one person in King Song's faction who could aid him in every aspect, it was undoubtedly Wang Chong. Fumeng Lingcha had been a formidable Protector-General with decades of military service, with incredible status and influence, but Wang Chong had still managed to unseat him.

Unknown to himself, Wang Chong's reputation in the capital had reached an astonishing level. Although Wang Chong was far away on the border and had not even stepped into the court nor had the right to participate in a court debate, many nobles and great clans already looked up to him like the noon sun, with even more awe than many old officials of the court.

Even King Song was slowly and unwittingly treating Wang Chong with more and more regard. Whenever he encountered some difficulty, he would inadvertently think about Wang Chong and hope that he might gain his opinion.

……

Several days later, in Wushang, the City of Steel…

After reading King Song's letter, Wang Chong had put it down and remained quiet for a very long time.

”How is it? Have any ideas?”

Xu Qiqin was sitting to the side, dressed in a snow-white dress. As she blew at the foam on her tea, her cherry-red lips lightly parted and her exquisite eyes glistened.

”It's not very easy to pick Fumeng Lingcha's successor, and the Imperial Court has always been the one to decide on Protector-Generals. I hadn't even thought that King Song might ask my opinion on this matter.”

Wang Chong shook his head. He had to admit that King Song regarded him far more highly than he had imagined.

”You were the one to remove Fumeng Lingcha, so shouldn't you have thought about a few candidates for his successor?”

As Xu Qiqin spoke, she extended a delicate hand to pick up a pastry from the table, which she began to lightly nibble at. The longer she spent in Wushang, the more matters she became involved in, and the closer her relationship with Wang Chong became.

At present, the two ate breakfast together, and there were some important matters which Wang Chong would seek out her opinion on instead of hiding from her.

”Of course I thought about it. I initially thought that the best candidate for Qixi Protector-General would be my father. If he comes into Qixi, things would get much more convenient for me. But it seems that King Song doesn't think this possible and has already eliminated him.”

Wang Chong gave a soft sigh.

The relationship between King Song and the Wang Clan meant that even without his prompting, King Song would have thought about his father as a candidate for Qixi Protector-General. Yet King Song had sent a letter asking for his opinion. It was obvious that his father did not meet the standard for Qixi Protector-General.

King Song was a forthright character. He valued the Great Tang over his friendship with the Wang Clan, and there was nothing that could be done about that. This was why Wang Chong respected him, and also why King Song could suppress King Qi and receive the respect of so many officials.

”…If I'm not wrong, King Song probably eliminated my father because he commands infantry, not cavalry,” Wang Chong somewhat helplessly said.

Different kinds of soldiers were commanded very differently. In the war of the southwest, his father was not at the Great General level, but he was able to resist the attacks of Ü-Tsang Great General Huoshu Huicang by relying on the Mighty Miracle God Formation, the combined strength of his soldiers.

But if he were to command cavalry instead and be surrounded by subordinates he wasn't familiar with, he wouldn't be able to use the Mighty Miracle God Formation. Without this formation, his father would simply be no match for an Imperial Great General.

Such a person was simply not suitable to be Qixi's Protector-General!

As he thought about these things, Wang Chong couldn't help but furrow his brow.

”If we eliminate your father, then do you have no one else in mind?”

Xu Qiqin gently smiled, tinged with disbelief. She had always known a Wang Chong that was assured and confident, always having a plan for everything, not the one she saw right now.