Chapter 1669: Zhao Fengchen Pays a Visit! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Zhang Que bowed his head and said, ”According to the report from the Wind Team, the great clans are calling back their members, and some of the larger clans have begun testing the aptitude of their members, seemingly selecting for outstanding young members.

”The laws of the Imperial Court mandate that no clan can have a private army exceeding one thousand men, so selections like this are no longer very frequent. From what we've seen, thirty to forty clans have performed these selections, and after the tests were done, these strong and outstanding young members never appeared again. From what the Wind Team has learned, these young men were secretly sent into the Imperial Palace.”

Wang Chong grimaced at these words.

Of the four teams, the Wind Team was primarily tasked with gathering information on the capital, but the information this time was somewhat different.

In the Great Buddhist Temple Incident, Wang Chong had tried with all his might to stop the First Prince's scheme and save those great clans from being caught in the whirlpool. But even if Wang Chong did his best, he couldn't stop the lust for authority and power held by these clans.

The First Prince's plan at the Great Buddhist Temple had failed, but these people had still chosen to throw their lot in with him.

What Wang Chong had worried about the most was now taking place.

As the future Crown Prince, the First Prince's greatest problem was his lack of soldiers, or perhaps his inability to touch them.

But now, the First Prince was able to borrow the power of the great clans who had attached themselves to him, using these factions that were spread throughout the prefectures and provinces to fill his ranks.

The Imperial Palace was a forbidden ground, and no force was allowed within besides the Imperial Army. By recruiting young men from the great clans, the First Prince had already broken the law.

”Have we learned anything from the palace?” Wang Chong asked.

”No!”

Zhang Que shook his head.

”Our forces have never been able to enter the palace! And this matter was kept under a tight cloak of secrecy, so our men have yet to gather any other information,” Zhang Que said.

Wang Chong couldn't help but frown at Zhang Que's words. With the Sage Emperor withdrawn, the palace was in disarray, and it was no longer a secret that the eunuchs and maids were being moved around with incredible frequency. Investigating the plans of the First Prince and the great clans was only getting more and more difficult as time went on.

After some thought, Wang Chong finally said, ”Tell the Wind Team to continue. Report to me the moment they receive any news, but they can't recklessly reveal themselves or take action.”

With the help of the Goguryeon Kim U-Seok, the First Prince was now recruiting many men, and the number of spies was increasing at an astonishing pace.

Moreover, it seemed that Kim U-Seok truly was a master when it came to raising birds and gathering information. Under the surface, the forces on both sides had begun to engage in a shadow war, and Zhang Que's men were slowly being pressured.

After all, Kim U-Seok was being backed by the current regent.

In addition, no matter how many spies Wang Chong removed, Kim U-Seok would be able to rapidly train up more.

Zhang Que's talent was outstanding compared to his peers, but Kim U-Seok was twenty-some years older and was richly experienced when it came to training men. Zhang Que was still somewhat lacking compared to this man.

Zhang Que quickly left. Wang Chong remained silent in the hall for some time afterward, then he stood up, walked to the map of the capital hanging from his wall, and drew a red mark on a place near the edge of the Imperial Palace.

Everything was now unavoidable, and the storm had already begun. Wang Chong knew that the capital would get more dangerous from now on.

……

The mood in the capital slowly turned more and more bizarre. An unprecedented storm was about to impact this powerful empire, but at this time, Wang Chong's residence welcomed an unexpected guest.

In the privacy of the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong met with Zhao Fengchen.

Wang Chong had not met with Zhao Fengchen since the last incident. As the first king of a different surname who had been personally crowned by the Sage Emperor, Wang Chong was at the height of his prestige and fame. On the other hand, Zhao Fengchen had always had a proud personality, and he would rarely visit Wang Chong's residence unless he had something important to discuss.

Seated on a spacious sandalwood armchair, Zhao Fengchen exuded the steely aura of a soldier, his back straight and his shoulders stalwart. But now, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his head was lowered as if weighed down with many concerns.

”Lord Zhao!”

Wang Chong crossed the threshold and called out to Zhao Fengchen.

”Your Highness!”