Chapter 2373 - Master Guangchengs Summons! (1/2)
Chapter 2373: Master Guangcheng’s Summons!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
After that incident, Wang Chong and Li Xuantu had become much closer. There was nothing in court to bother them, and they were both Kings, so they had met to have some tea and snacks.
“Right, are you eating your breakfast or not?”
Li Xuantu suddenly extended two fingers and lightly rapped on the table before pointing at the breakfast on Wang Chong’s table.
There were several plates piled high with food, but he had only taken one bite and not touched it again.
“Take it.”
Wang Chong didn’t care that much. With a wave of his hand, he pushed over the breakfast foods and smiled.
Wang Chong was the owner of Taibai Pavilion, and the chefs were also his. Wang Chong had taught these chefs about all the foods from his first life, including these snacks.
But to his surprise, while he was an infrequent visitor to his own establishment, Li Xuantu was a frequent customer. Rice noodle rolls, preserved egg porridge with pork, soup dumplings, roast pork buns, prawn dumplings, shumai, sponge cake…
(TN: These are all foods that you would usually find on a Dim Sum menu, which didn’t start taking shape until the Song Dynasty.)
This new Virtuous King of the Great Tang had completely let go of his inhibitions. Whenever he came to this place, he would order all these things and then slowly enjoy them.
A voice came from behind them. “Your Highness, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t we head into the palace now? His Majesty is waiting.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xuantu put down a prawn dumpling and frowned.
“Alright, don’t make trouble for them.”
Wang Chong grinned and glanced at Li Jingzhong.
Wang Chong had originally had a poor impression of Li Jingzhong because of his original life course and the things he had done in the history that he had come from, but Li Xuantu seemed to hate Li Jingzhong for no particular reason. Whenever Li Jingzhong appeared, he would never have a very good look on his face.
Li Jingzhong had been here for some time. While the two of them had been eating breakfast, he had been silently waiting in the back, his waist bowed.
“Let’s go!”
Wang Chong didn’t want to make things particularly difficult for him. With a wave of his sleeve, he went downstairs with Li Jingzhong.
Their carriage passed through the streets and quickly entered the Imperial Palace.
In Taiji Palace, Wang Chong met with Li Heng.
Li Heng had grown much thinner, and that dragon robe woven specifically for him now seemed slightly too large.
“You’re here!”
Li Heng had been reviewing memorials on his throne, but upon seeing Wang Chong come in, he put down his brush and paper and walked over to welcome him, a smile on his face.
“This lowly subject pays respects to His Majesty!”
Wang Chong tidied his robe and bowed.
“Haha, there’s no need for you to be so courteous before Us.”
Li Heng smiled and helped Wang Chong up.
In the Celestial Palace incident, Wang Chong had saved the lives of the three million residents of the capital. If not for Wang Chong, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Together with the matter of the cold wave, Wang Chong had already saved the world twice.
Wang Chong’s contributions to the world had already transcended the Imperial Court. Li Heng had already announced to the court that Wang Chong did not need to follow the rules of the palace or display the necessary etiquette, and not even the most conservative officials had objected.
“Right, We forgot, you are no longer the King of Foreign Lands, but the Great Tang’s Supreme King. Are those things ready? Bring them in!”
Li Heng heartily laughed.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
A palace attendant respectfully walked in, bowed at the waist and holding up a golden tray.
The tray had only a few objects: a white dragon robe with golden embroidery depicting a dragon, a document granting a title, and a dragon token that represented Wang Chong’s status as the Supreme King.
Wang Chong couldn’t help but be moved as he looked over the items on the tray.
Not long after the conclusion of the Celestial Palace incident, Li Heng had ignored Wang Chong’s objection and gathered the officials to discuss Wang Chong’s reward.
Li Heng had argued that Wang Chong had accomplished such a great feat that he needed to be rewarded. To reward merit and punish mistakes was a basic principle for a sovereign. If Li Heng did not do this, a sovereign’s word would no longer be trusted. Though Wang Chong had initially objected, these words made him give up on his objections.
In truth, whether it was in terms of government post or noble status, Wang Chong couldn’t be rewarded anything more. But Li Heng felt that though he could not give Wang Chong any substantial rewards, and he was already at the highest rank of nobility, he could still endow Wang Chong with a unique title and special privileges.
At the start, Li Heng had wanted to crown Wang Chong as the ‘Sovereign King’ to express his revered status, but this had caused intense objections from the officials, who believed that this could clash with the status of the sovereign. Later on, after discussing several titles, it was eventually decided to crown him the ‘Supreme King’.
The supreme was the highest, an indication that Wang Chong stood the highest of all the Kings.
There was originally no distinction of rank between Kings. This was the first time in the history of the Great Tang that a special title was granted superior to all the Kings of the imperial household, and this was even for someone who did not belong to the imperial household.
Besides this, Li Heng had also ordered the Bureau of Rites and Chamberlain of Dependencies to create a special robe and token for Wang Chong. That white and golden-threaded dragon robe was unique in the Great Tang.