Chapter 1216: The Invisible Storm! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Anyone who dares to touch Lord Marquis will have to do so over my corpse!”
Wang Chong's subordinates did not care about any emissaries of the Imperial Court. Wang Chong had rendered great service to the Great Tang, and anyone who dared to treat Wang Chong like a prisoner was their enemy. All the Golden Guards slightly grimaced at this sight. These soldiers all had bloodshot eyes, and it was clear that they were truly willing to put their lives on the line for Wang Chong.
Even though they clearly knew that striking the Golden Guards was an act of rebellion that could only end in death, they still dared to do so. This was the first time the Golden Guards had ever seen such a thing.
”What are you doing! Put away your weapons!”
Wang Chong waved his hand. Although all his subordinates were extremely reluctant, they still immediately put away their weapons.
”The jade seal has been handed over. As long as you have this seal, you can mobilize all the soldiers of Qixi. I hope that you will use it well. Let's go!”
Wang Chong took a warhorse and mounted it, delaying no more.
Khorasan was the westernmost barrier of the Great Tang, and just like that, Wang Chong took his men and departed it. Almost all the soldiers had been left in Khorasan, and he had even left Li Siye, the Gangke King, and Su Hanshan there. Wang Chong only took Xue Qianjun, Xu Keyi, Cheng Sanyuan, and Zhang Que with him, as well as ten-some Wushang Cavalry.
……
Whoosh!
Almost the moment after Wang Chong left Khorasan, countless messenger birds flew in every direction. Wang Chong had been made King of Foreign Lands, but he had also been stripped of his military authority and summoned back to the capital to be a lowly Advisor-in-Waiting, a classic example of apparent promotion but de facto demotion. This news seemed to grow wings as it rapidly spread to all of the Great Tang and its surrounding countries.
”What! How could there be something like this!”
Upon hearing this news, An Sishun in the distant Beiting Protectorate suddenly stood up from his throne with extreme shock in his eyes.
He and Wang Chong had their quarrels, and he would always be happy to see Wang Chong meet with disaster. But this matter was entirely different. After rendering such great service, he had suffered a de facto demotion. If this could happen to Wang Chong, it could happen to anyone else in the military.
”Impossible! Investigate this for me again! I need this information verified!”
At almost the same time, Longxi was also quaking. In several major battles, Wang Chong had killed more than one million Arab soldiers, forcing back the borders of the strongest empire west of the Cong Mountains. Such a feat had never been recorded before in all of history.
And yet the ultimate reward was a stripping of military authority. This left Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han dumbfounded.
In all parts of the Great Tang, all the commanders and officers were caught completely by surprise by this news and were left stunned. All of the Great Tang rumbled and groaned.
The countries bordering the Great Tang were also shocked by this news. However, unlike the people in the Tang military, the news that Wang Chong had been summoned back to the capital caused the Turkic Khaganates, Ü-Tsang, Goguryeo, Nanzhao, and even the Arabian Empire to breathe a sigh of relief.
”Hahaha, High Priest, your insight truly is divine. Without even need for intervention on our part, the Great Tang has fallen into internal discord. In the future, we will rise again and once more take Khorasan!”
In the distant Baghdad, music and merriment filled the palace as the Caliph of Arabia, Mutasim III, spread open his arms and laughed.
This was the best news that he had heard in a very long time. When he heard that Wang Chong had left Khorasan, Mutasim III had almost immediately summoned the court musicians and all his officials to hold a feast.
Although only Wang Chong had left and the walls of Khorasan still loomed, still garrisoned by the Sassanid Dynasty and an army of hundreds of thousands, to Mutasim III, a Khorasan without that youth no longer had the foundation with which to oppose the Arabian Empire.
It wouldn't be long before he could once more lead his armies eastward to crush the Sassanid Dynasty and subdue Khorasan, restoring his former glory. Then, he could gather more soldiers in Khorasan and begin another campaign on the Great Tang to the east.
”High Priest, We will immediately begin mustering soldiers. In just three months, We will definitely pacify Khorasan!”
Mutasim III loudly laughed.
”No! Now is not the time!”
An elderly voice came from behind him—the High Priest, wrapped in his black robe and wielding his staff. These simple words, spoken neither too loudly nor too softly, immediately plunged the hall into silence. Even the music dropped in volume.
Everyone turned to the High Priest, not understanding what he meant.
”High Priest, that brat is already gone. Are you saying that we still need to wait?”
Mutasim III put down his wine cup and stood up from his throne, his face a picture of confusion.
The opportunity was here, so he truly didn't understand why the High Priest wanted him to wait a little longer.