“Damn it! That good-for-nothing! …”
At the same time, in the majestic golden King Qi Residence, furious roars pierced through the heavens alongside several golden pillars.
At that instant, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the skies above the King Qi Residence. Bizarrely, this lightning flash was only limited to the area in the hundreds of zhang above King Qi Residence, and its surroundings weren’t affected at all.
A zhang -> 3.33m
“Yao Guang Yi! You have disappointed me! ——”
King Qi’s disappointment and wrath were difficult to express through mere words. Before his departure, Yao Guang Yi had reassured him time and time again that nothing would go wrong with the plan.
Considering the reputation of Old Master Yao and Yao Guang Yi’s past results, King Qi suppressed his anger and overlooked the failure in the Vast Crane Pavilion, Yet, to think that this would be the explanation Yao Guang Yi have for him.
Not only did Yao Guang Yi fail to divide the Wang and Song Clan, just like what he claimed he would, his ludicrous actions made King Qi one of the laughingstocks of the capital as well.
Yao Guang Yi was his subordinate and he had always regarded him as one of his limbs and trusted aides. Yao Guang Yi’s failure was as good as his own failure. Right now, the bunch in the capital were probably looking at him as a joke.
King Qi was an arrogant person who couldn’t accept failure. How could he tolerate such humiliation?
“Where is Yao Guang Yi? Bring him over!”
King Qi’s wrath could not be placated. The hundreds of people in the King Qi Residence didn’t dare to say a word before such a King Qi.
“Use my token to summon Yao Guang Yi! I want to tear off his head! ——”
King Qi’s furious bellow echoed throughout the entire residence.
A moment later, a war steed left the residence toward the borders.
Duke of Wei Residence, Duke of Su Residence, Duke of Lin Residence, Duke of Zheng Residence, King Han Residence, King Chu Residence, Prime Minister Residence… The matter had caused a huge ripple among the upper echelons of the Great Tang and the nobles.
However, no one knew that at this moment, as the person involved in the incident, Yao Guang Yi’s was feeling the impact of the incident much more deeply than anyone else.
“Impossible! That’s impossible…”
By the border, Yao Guang Yi was riding on the back of a mount. On his way back to the capital, he traversed across forest after forest, but his eyes were spiritless.
He was a victor in the battle against the Hu. He defeated the Baiyue foreigners without many casualties.
At their moments of death, Yao Guang Yi could clearly see the incomprehension on their faces.
He shouldn’t have been the one to face them!
It shouldn’t have been like that!
This wasn’t what they promised on!
…
Yao Guang Yi could clearly see the expressions going through their minds through their eyes. If it was at any other time, Yao Guang Yi would relish in their astonishment.
Yet, as the victor, Yao Guang Yi didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy at all.
That’s because Yao Guang Yi knew that on another battlefield, in the battle against Wang Yan and the Wang Clan, he had already lost utterly!
Furthermore, Yao Guang Yi usually prided himself on his flawless strategies, but this time, he didn’t even know how he lost.
“This shouldn’t be, this shouldn’t be… How did I fail?”
Yao Guang Yi muttered soullessly. Wave after wave of thoughts crashed into his mind, and they were all related to this incident.
Before carrying out the plan, he had imagined the situation countless times, considered all possibilities and double confirmed every single detail such that there would be no flaws whatsoever in his plans.
No matter how incredible Wang Yan was, it was impossible for him to fathom that this skirmish by the borders was a ploy against him.
Yao Guang Yi remembered the report his scout had reported to him just before he had led his army toward Wang Yan’s deployment site when he was half a day’s journey away it:
Everything is normal! Wang Yan’s army is still in the campsite and there aren’t any bizarre movements!
These scouts were experienced and they had been his faithful aides for decades. It was due to this news that he was affirmative that his plan would succeed.
However, Yao Guang Yi never expected that all that was waiting for him was an empty campground when he appeared at Wang Yan’s deployment site.
For some reason inconceivable to him, the person in question, Wang Yan, was looking at him from 50 li away!
Yao Guang Yi was dumbfounded then!
Regardless of whether he was willing or not, when the Hu appeared before him, Yao Guang Yi knew that he didn’t have any other choice. He could only strike down the foreigners with his army, thus taking Wang Yan’s place.
In this fight, he had lost completely!
The plan to divide the Song and the Wang Clan by creating the facade of the partnership of the Yao and Wang had failed utterly! It was hard for him to imagine the rage of King Qi.
Who was the one who prepared this trap for him?
Yao Guang Yi was extremely agitated.
Wang Yan?
Impossible! If he had such capabilities, he wouldn’t have persuaded King Qi to allow him to conduct this series of actions to dig up King Song’s faction! Then who else could it be? Who was the one hiding in the back that saw through his plan, guided Wang Yan, and secretly laid this trap for him?
At that instant, cold sweat drenched Yao Guang Yi’s back. After years of political fights in the royal court, this was the first time he felt such an intense unease.
The moment he thought that there was such an intelligent strategist, who was in no way inferior to him, hiding in the shadows to help the Wang Clan, Yao Guang Yi felt fearful, as though there was a dagger behind his back at this very moment, making it difficult to eat or sleep in peace.
…
“Hahaha! Yao Guang Yi, you have miscalculated!”
On the other hand, at this moment Wang Yan was feeling extremely delighted. Wang Yan’s camp had slaughtered the livestock and prepared marvelous wines for a celebration.
Wang Yan had passed down orders to reward the men!
Even though the battle was fought by Yao Guang Yi, Wang Yan was even more excited than Yao Guang Yi himself. Everyone thought that as Wang Yan and Yao Guang Yi were both officials of the royal court, Wang Yan was happy for Yao Guang Yi. However, that wasn’t what Wang Yan was thinking at all.
Wang Yan did not have much of a talent for politics and governance. That’s why Wang Yan was completely oblivious when Yao Guang Yi schemed against him at the Vast Crane Pavilion, as well as when he secretly left the capital to the borders to deal with him.
However, this didn’t mean that when the Hu crossed the border and his scouts detected that Yao Guang Yi had disobeyed the military orders to move his army toward his deployment site, he was still oblivious to what he was trying to do!
It was a military law for the Great Tang Empire’s armies that they were to not retreat when faced with the invasion of a foreign tribe. They had to shoulder the responsibility to destroy and send back the invading enemies so as to guard the lands of the Great Tang.
Those who disobeyed these orders would be sentenced to death!
Regardless of whether he was willing or not, if Yao Guang Yi’s army were to appear here during the invasion of the Hu, Wang Yan would have to collaborate with Yao Guang Yi to expel the invaders from the Great Tang’s territories.
——He didn’t have a grudge with Yao Guang Yi, but the two of them weren’t that close either. Yao Guang Yi’s actions were too intentional!
If not for his Third Son Wang Chong’s reminder and he had kept a lookout on the situation, he would have fallen for Yao Guang Yi’s ploy.
“The Yao and Wang Clan puts aside their previous grudges to work together’. The moment he thought of the possibility of such a rumor spreading within the capital and the uproar it would cause, Wang Yan couldn’t help but sweat profusely.
His Third Son Wang Chong had said that Yao Guang Yi was intentionally keeping mum in the Vast Crane Pavilion to harm him back then, but Wang Yan did not believe him. However, after this incident, he didn’t hold the slightest bit of doubt toward his words.
“Chong er… How did he know all these…”
Dressed in his battle armor, Wang Yan turned to look at the north. The agitation and excitement he had felt earlier vanished entirely and what that replaced it was this single thought.
There were simply too many doubts on Wang Yan’s mind right now.
His Third Son Wang Chong was only a fifteen-year-old child. He was rebellious and immoral! Not only did he rape an innocent lady, there were also many actions of his that left him disappointed.
Wang Yan was unable to comprehend how Wang Chong, a mere fifteen-year-old boy, was able to know that Yao Guang Yi was plotting against him, and even more so, the form that Yao Guang Yi’s ploy would take.
Yao Guang Yi was no ordinary person!
Wang Yan was unable to comprehend how a small child like Wang Chong would know such a confidential military secret. If not for the military order for him to remain at the camp, Wang Yan truly wished to fly back to the capital to question Wang Chong.
“The letter I sent should have already reached the capital…”
At the top of the peak, Wang Yan’s cape fluttered along with the wind. Gazing into the dark skies, his eyes flickered with uncertainty. A few days ago, he had sent a letter back to the capital, and by now, Wang Chong should have received it.
…
The forging of the Wootz steel into weapons was still ongoing.
Just like before, Wang Chong returned back to his home right after overlooking the cold forging process.
“Mother! …”
Wang Chong pushed the doors opened and greeted his mother right after stepping into the residence. However, the next moment, he was taken aback by the sight before him. The usually empty main hall was currently filled with many different figures.
None of these people was saying anything. Upon hearing Wang Chong’s voice, all of them turned their gazes turned over.
“Mother!”
“Big uncle!”
“Big aunt!”
“Uncle!”
“Cousin!”
TL: Referring to just Wang Zhu Yan
…
Looking at those faces that would usually never appear here, Wang Chong’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, a sense of trepidation filled him.
There were so many people, but it was too quiet.
Other than during his grandfather’s birthday, Wang Chong had never seen so many people gathered in the Wang Family Residence before.
Especially for his big uncle, he was seated at the main seat in the hall with an unreadable expression.
“Could it be that there are some developments with the report the Old Master of the Yao Clan sent up to the emperor!”
Wang Chong’s heart beat furiously. Just as he was feeling unnerved by such a massive formation before him, the sight before him suddenly darkened. He felt his body being embraced tightly by a figure who suddenly rushed toward him.
“Chong-er!”
Wang Chong wanted to struggle and retaliate, but upon hearing that gentle voice by his ear, his body relaxed. It was his mother!
“Chong-er, your father had said everything in the letter. My child, you have finally grown up. Mother has wronged you in the past…”
Mother Wang Zhao Shu Hua’s tears trickled down her cheeks onto Wang Chong’s chest. This was the first time Wang Chong seeing her getting so agitated since his reincarnation.
Wang Chong was taken aback. Peering over his mother’s shoulder, he saw a letter on the table not too far away, and on it was an extremely familiar handwriting.
“It’s father’s handwriting! …”
Many thoughts flashed through Wang Chong’s mind. He had roughly guessed something, and he stretched out his hands to hug his mother in return.
“Mother!”
Wang Chong had finally understood why so many people were gathered here today. After such a long time, has news finally arrived from father’s side?
From his mother’s reaction, it seemed like his efforts weren’t in vain. Father had finally decided to listen to his advice.
A surge of warmth flowed into his heart. The intense crushing pressure that had been on his heart all this time was finally released!
Baiyue (You can wiki it)
The countries in the South China and northern Vietnam that wasn’t influenced by the Han culture (un-Sinicized) in the first millennium BC and first millennium AD. (Tang Dynasty is in the first millennium AD)