Chapter 1818: Crumbling of Convictions! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Li Junxian had already lost the battle, but the Confucian Sect would continue to pass down its ideals and dreams. It would never lose!
”Rotten! The Great Tang has been harmed exactly by these rotten ideals of yours!”
Wang Chong's eyes flashed with rage. Even at this stage, Li Junxian did not give up and was still thinking about staging a comeback and starting another militarist-Confucian conflict. Just how many times would this empire have to be destroyed, the hearts of its people torn asunder, before it could be put on the right path?
Crack!
No one saw how Wang Chong did it, but in a flash of light, he suddenly appeared in front of Li Junxian, his hand closing like a steel vise around Li Junxian's neck and raising him into the air.
”Senior Brother!”
”Young Master!”
”Wang Chong, release him!”
The members of the Confucian Sect cried out in panic.
But Li Junxian remained firm. Even though Wang Chong had him by the neck, he showed no sign of backing down.
At this moment, when the tension was at its maximum…
Bong!
The ringing of a bell came from the depths of the Imperial Palace. Unlike other bells, this one had an extremely urgent tone to it.
”Something terrible has happened!”
Grand Tutor Pei Guangting stood up in alarm and turned around to look north to the Imperial Palace.
There were two bells in the Imperial Palace that were rarely rung. The first was the Bell of Mountains and Rivers, rung only when Kings or Great Generals died. But very few people knew about the other bell, the Bell of the Gods of Land and Grain.
This bell was even larger than the Bell of Mountains and Rivers, and even louder. A single strike of the bell could be heard from several hundred li away, and everyone in the capital region could hear it. It was only rung for the most urgent of crises and was a way for the Sage Emperor to summon his ministers.
”This is the first time in the Sage Emperor's reign that the Bell of the Gods of Land and Grain has been rung!”
Grand Preceptor Zhan Zhongmi and Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong also stood up.
Fifth Prince Li Heng was also alarmed. The Great Tang was at peace and its armies strong. Just what had happened that would make his father ring this bell?
”Reporting!”
As the crowd grew uneasy, a Golden Guard of the Inner Court rode out from the distance and began to make his way through the crowd.
”Fifth Prince, Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, terrible news!” the Golden Guard called out as he dismounted and rushed into the training ground. ”We've just learned that Caliph Mutasim III of the Arabian Empire has formally declared war against the Great Tang, summoning the soldiers of the ten-some countries around Arabia and combining them with his own for an army of three million, eight hundred thousand soldiers that is marching toward the Great Tang. Samarkand has been lost and Talas has been taken. Moreover, the Arabs secretly sent their vanguard ahead of them, disguising them as caravans, and infiltrated the Anxi Protectorate. The Anxi Protectorate army has been completely wiped out, and the Western Regions have been completely occupied by the Arabs!”
Bang!
This news immediately sent an uproar through the training ground, and as the spectators outside received the news, they also grew restless.
”How could this be? Wasn't the Arabian Empire already defeated?”
”An army of three million, eight hundred thousand soldiers?! How could the Arabs have such a massive army? How are we going to stop such a massive force?”
”The Anxi Protectorate army has been completely wiped out? How? I don't believe it! That's impossible!”
The crowd began to panic.
Too sudden!
Whoosh!
The flapping of wings came from the west. Wang Chong looked up and saw an energetic and agile messenger bird with golden claws descending toward him.
The golden hoop around this messenger bird's leg indicated that it carried an urgent report. His heart shivering, Wang Chong instinctively released Li Junxian and received the messenger bird.
Upon opening the letter and reading the report, he felt his heart sink.
The mood of the training ground instantly turned somber and tense.
”Impossible! We signed a peace treaty with the Arabian Empire. Arabia disbanded several hundred thousand soldiers, and even Mutasim III's sons and daughters became disciples of our Confucian Sect! How could Arabia declare war against the Great Tang and attack the Anxi Protectorate? There must be some mistake!
”It can't be Arabia!
”I don't believe it!”