Chapter 1571: Secret Meeting! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The faces of Wang Chong's subordinates went stiff. What they had feared had come to pass, as their lord's eyes were as sharp as ever. They couldn't hide anything from him.
”Relax! I've already prepared myself,” Wang Chong calmly said. After all that he had experienced, he could accept even the worst news.
”Your Highness…”
Xu Keyi swallowed, lowered his head, and finally began to cautiously report another matter.
”While you were gone, Prime Minister Li Linfu managed to pass a proposal through the court completely disbanding the prefectural armies. By now, the prefectural armies are almost all dissolved.
”In addition, with Li Junxian's vigorous backing, a large number of Hu have been allowed into the capital and the other provinces, much more than previously allowed. There are fifty thousand in the capital alone.”
”We've also discovered quite a few foreign spies within these Hu, but Li Junxian has completely suppressed this news,” Zhang Que added.
Bang!
Wang Chong's body trembled in shock. Even though he had prepared himself to hear about how the Confucian Sect had seized the month he had been gone to magnify its victory and suppress the Bureau of Military Personnel, the news that the prefectural armies had been disbanded still left a nasty scowl on his face.
The prefectural armies were the foundation of the country, a reserve of soldiers. Without the prefectural armies, a major incident would result in unimaginable consequences.
”Li Junxian!”
Wang Chong clenched his fists as this name passed through his mind.
”Your Highness…”
His subordinates worriedly looked across the desk at Wang Chong, but none of them dared to say a word. The mood became almost suffocating.
After a seemingly interminable second, Wang Chong finally spoke.
”I understand!”
Wang Chong waved his hand and took in a deep breath. Although there was still some turmoil in his voice, he was not as agitated as everyone had expected.
”We'll take back everything we've lost one by one. Temporary setbacks are insignificant. I've come back so that I can correct all the errors and put them back on the right track,” Wang Chong sternly said.
Whew! Wang Chong's calm voice caused everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
Amidst their relief, they also felt excitement and anticipation.
This was the first time they had encountered such a predicament, but just like in the southwest and at Talas, they all maintained an absolute conviction and trust in their young master.
Around an hour later, the meeting was over and they left the study on Wang Chong's orders. Once they were gone, Wang Chong turned to Old Eagle.
”Old Eagle, speak. What has happened with the Fifth Prince?”
It was only now that Wang Chong chose to broach this matter.
At the same time, he removed the letter that Old Eagle had sent him from his sleeve, slowly opening it on the table.
The letter he had received in the northwest had said nothing regarding the capital or the court. It had been about the Fifth Prince.
Based on the information levels the two of them had previously agreed on, the letter Old Eagle had sent was a matter of absolute urgency. If it weren't serious, Old Eagle would have never sent it using the method he had.
”Lord Marquis, the story is rather long. Not long ago, when I was still observing Ü-Tsang and the Turks while also managing the communications between the capital and the borders, the Fifth Prince's personal eunuch, Li Jingzhong, came to me. With a worried face, he said that he had an extremely important matter to discuss with Your Highness, a matter which the Fifth Prince's life hinged on.”
Now that no one else was present, Old Eagle's face turned grave as he began to recount the events of that time.
”I found it rather strange. With Your Highness's help, the Fifth Prince should have gained a firm footing in the capital. Moreover, Xu Keyi is the one responsible for these matters, so there was no reason for Li Jingzhong to find me. He said that the matter was extremely urgent and that he couldn't even get close to the Wang Family Residence, nor was he able to. There was a deep apprehension in his tone. Before leaving, he gave your subordinate a letter!
”This is the letter!”
As Old Eagle spoke, he took the letter from his sleeve and offered it with both hands. Wang Chong said nothing as he opened the letter and began to read through it.
Old Eagle didn't dare to say a word for fear of interrupting Wang Chong.
After a long while, Wang Chong finally put down the letter, and his brow began to crease.
Li Jingzhong's letter was faltering and vague, as if he was worried that the letter might fall into the wrong hands. Reading the letter had only added to Wang Chong's questions.
”I understand!”