Chapter 1733: Evening Feast at the Eastern Palace! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Bai Siling was no longer involved. If she continued to try and intervene, she would simply sink herself deeper and deeper into the mire.

Bai Siling stood motionless for some time, her eyes red, before abruptly saying, ”Wang Chong, our Bai Clan doesn't have this sort of people. Be at ease. No matter what, I'll get you an explanation!”

After saying this, she left, making her way through the crowd.

Wang Chong internally sighed. He knew that someone with as strong a personality as Bai Siling would find this very hard to accept. But Wang Chong quickly took a deep breath and began to walk over to Zhao Fengchen.

Using Psychic Energy, Wang Chong determined that Zhao Fengchen, while heavily injured, was not in any mortal danger. Not even Bai Hanzhou would dare to kill an Imperial Army Marshal in front of so many people.

”Grand Marshal Bai!”

As Wang Chong was about to walk past Bai Hanzhou, he suddenly stopped. Turning around, he inspected the young Grand Marshal up close for the first time.

The young face of that aloof figure made for a stark contrast with the other Grand Marshals. Even the rather young Zhao Fengchen appeared 'weathered' compared to Bai Hanzhou. Anyone who could reach the Grand Marshal post at only twenty-eight or twenty-nine was already a legend of the Great Tang.

But in the end, this legend had not supported him and had chosen to support the First Prince for the sake of his personal gain.

”Does the King of Foreign Lands have something to say?” Bai Hanzhou flatly asked, not even moving his eyes to look at Wang Chong. His cold and aloof face was devoid of emotion.

”Ha!”

Wang Chong chuckled in reply.

”Grand Marshal's act was truly excellent! If my guess is right, you were also the one who attacked Grand Marshal Li Xuanyi last night, yes?”

Buzz!

Bai Hanzhou had originally been very calm, but when he heard these words from Wang Chong, his pupils constricted and his face twitched.

But a moment later, Bai Hanzhou went back to normal, the transformation so fast that it all seemed like it had been an illusion.

”King of Foreign Lands, I have no idea what you're talking about! I am also deeply enraged by the attack on Grand Marshal Li. I will definitely find out the truth of this attack!” Bai Hanzhou coldly said.

”Heh, is that so? I have heard that Grand Marshal Bai possesses outstanding talent and astonishing martial arts, but I didn't think that you were such a good actor as well. Truly a pity!” Wang Chong jeered, and then he walked past Bai Hanzhou toward Zhao Fengchen.

At that moment they passed, when no one could see, Wang Chong's eyes became ice-cold.

”The second match! Grand Marshal Bai Hanzhou wins! Zhao Fengchen has been defeated and loses the right to challenge!”

The eunuch's voice resounded over the drilling ground, but there were no other sounds. No one was cheering, and the mood was desolate.

With Bai Hanzhou's cultivation, he could easily defeat an almost exhausted and injured Zhao Fengchen. There was no honor in such a victory, and for the people of the Great Tang who admired martial valor and heroism, it was an act fully deserving of contempt.

But Bai Hanzhou appeared to not care about the criticism. He urged his horse off the drilling ground.

”The third match…”

The eunuch began to speak, but Wang Chong no longer cared as he made his way up to Zhao Fengchen.

While Zhao Fengchen's injuries were serious, he had not fallen unconscious.

”I'm sorry! I failed!”

Zhao Fengchen gave a miserable smile, his eyes brimming with shame and self-reproach.

This was no ordinary battle, nor was it an ordinary failure. After this battle, the three Grand Marshals and the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army would be almost completely under the First Prince's control.

The First Prince had finally obtained what he had dreamed of!

”There's no need to blame yourself. You did your best. Leave the rest to me!”

Wang Chong patted Zhao Fengchen on the shoulder consolingly.

Zhao Fengchen had done his best in the two battles. As for the final result, it had nothing to do with him and was beyond his power to affect, because his opponent had not been just Bai Hanzhou.

Wang Chong looked around at the Xuanwu Army soldiers and said, ”Take your Marshal Zhao away! He won't be able to fight for at least a month, so take good care of him.”

”Yes!” the Xuanwu Army soldiers respectfully called out, then they lifted Zhao Fengchen up and took him out of the drilling ground.

The battle was over for the Xuanwu Army. The coming battle had nothing to do with them.

Bang!

As Zhao Fengchen's men were leaving, there was a massive boom from the center of the drilling ground, and then the familiar voice of the eunuch called out, ”The last match! Lu Qiongji wins!”

The heavily injured Grand Marshal Li Xuanyi was still no match for the Imperial Forest Marshal in peak condition. As Wang Chong looked at the imposing Lu Qiongji, he felt not even a ripple of emotion.

The Imperial Army competition had been decided not on the battlefield, but outside of it!

Wang Chong quickly looked past Lu Qiongji to the smug and elated First Prince, and then to the inconspicuous elder at his side.

At almost the same time, the elder turned to look at Wang Chong.

Neither side said a word in this distant standoff.

While the ones on the field had been Duan Zhuyan, Zhao Fengchen, and Bai Hanzhou, these two had been the true combatants!

”You lost!”

A stream of Psychic Energy carrying Hou Junji's voice resounded in Wang Chong's mind. With Li Xuanyi's defeat, the Imperial Army competition was settled.