Chapter 1220 - Sensational Return to the Capital!

The military law of the Great Tang decreed that commanders without orders could not leave their bases. If someone like Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han committed such a crime, he would immediately be severely punished. Even going out on the official road to welcome Wang Chong was an enormous risk, which was why he had dressed in casual wear to welcome Wang Chong and send him off.

Geshu Han saw in Wang Chong a hope like he had never seen before.

Hwoooo! Gusts of wind blew between Geshu Han and Wang Chong, causing their clothes to flap. All was quiet as both of them stared into each other’s eyes. Wang Chong had never imagined that Geshu Han would view him so highly.

As he gazed into those sharp and bright eyes, countless thoughts flew through his mind. Finally, Wang Chong opened his mouth, and his voice was like a breath of fresh air to Geshu Han.

“The dark clouds cannot obscure the sky forever, and even the greatest blizzard will eventually disperse. Great General, I do not know what happened in the Imperial Court, nor do I know why all this happened. But I do know that no matter how great the storm is, there will come a day where the sun will once more shine over all our heads.

“What Great General anticipates, I anticipate, and so does everyone else. That day will come eventually, and it will not be that far in the future!”

Wang Chong at this moment was like a sheathed sword displayed in a pavilion for a long time, finally revealing its edge. Its blinding radiance at that moment could even outshine the sun.

In the gusting winds, Geshu Han stared in shock at the blazing light in Wang Chong’s eyes. Even the Big Dipper Army soldiers standing around the area to protect Geshu Han were stunned and shaken by the spirit and bearing Wang Chong revealed at this moment.

Wang Chong’s supreme martial arts, incredible feats, and astonishing grasp of the art of war had made him renowned throughout the world, but at this moment, his stubborn will, tenacious spirit, and inextinguishable determination were even more dazzling than his achievements.

“Hahaha! Good!”

Geshu Han suddenly began to laugh.

“General Wang, I truly did not judge you wrongly. With these words of yours, I have no more regrets. The Great Tang, the Central Plains, and all its people are fortunate to have you! Geshu Han will remember these words of yours for the rest of his life, and I hope that General Wang will also not forget them! When you go to the capital, no matter what setbacks you may face, I hope that you will never give up. As long as General Wang remembers the words of today, Geshu Han and all the other generals in the military will always be there to support General!”

Clang!

Cups clinked in the air once more, wine spilling out from them.

After drinking the last cup of wine, Geshu Han departed with his ten-some elites, heartily laughing. When he arrived, he had been depressed and dejected, his heart full of worries, but now, he was carefree and joyous.

“Great General, take care of yourself!”

Wang Chong gazed at Geshu Han’s back, and then at the trail of dust left behind as he rode away. Finally, after watching for so long, he turned around and went back to his carriage.

“Wang Chong, just now, that was…”

On the carriage, Xu Qiqin looked worriedly at Wang Chong.

“An old friend. He already left.”

After saying this, Wang Chong closed his eyes and fell silent.

“Hyah!”

With the crack of a whip, the carriage set forth once more, and the group was once more on the road to the capital.

As the group traveled along the Silk Road toward the capital, they encountered no more obstruction. Ten-some days later, after passing through a set of steep mountains, they finally left the territory of Longxi and arrived at the most dazzling capital of the Great Tang.

Boom!

When Wang Chong’s carriage arrived at the capital, a sea of people gathered outside the western gate. Countless people had immediately rushed to the western gate upon hearing the news of his arrival.

“He’s coming, he’s coming!”

“It’s the King of Foreign Lands—hurry and look!”

“Wang Chong! Wang Chong!”

Before the carriage had even approached, a thunderous cheering came from the distance. Tens of thousands of commoners, their expressions agitated and excited, rushed toward Wang Chong’s carriage.

“He’s back! The Young Marquis is finally back! Everyone, go and look!”

Everyone enthusiastically vied against each other in a bid to reach the carriage.

“Milord, we’ve arrived.”

A voice came from outside the carriage.

But there was no sound from the carriage, a stark contrast with the clamor outside.

Wang Chong’s eyes were shut, his back leaning against the carriage compartment. Without even needing to leave, he could sense from the thunderous cheers that there was certainly a vast multitude of people outside.

But Wang Chong felt no joy on this occasion. Everyone knew that he was returning victorious from Khorasan, but none of them knew that his promotion was a sham and that he was returning after being demoted. The common people would never know what was actually going on in the Imperial Court, nor the policies written out in the documents. While the crowd cheered, they were utterly unaware that the world had already changed.

“唉。”

“Haaaa…”

Wang Chong gave a long and sorrowful sigh.

“The sky will clear up once the rain passes. There will come a day when the ministers of the court understand your intentions. I am confident that one day, all this will pass.”

Xu Qiqin, dressed in a white dress, sat next to Wang Chong and softly comforted him. When she saw Wang Chong’s saddened face, she unconsciously felt rather sad as well.

Wang Chong silently nodded.

The sea of people surged toward Wang Chong’s carriage, but they could not cross the wall created by the Imperial Court’s army.

“Stand aside! All of you, stand aside!”

“Everyone, back up!”

“Pass on my order! Anyone who dares to defy the order and crosses the line will be arrested by the City Guard and jailed!”

At the very front of the crowd, officials from the Bureau of Rites, Bureau of Revenue, Bureau of Personnel, the City Guard, and the Court of Judicial Review were commanding an army of several thousand soldiers in holding back the crowd, all of them exceptionally wary and vigilant. To them, that ordinary carriage was a thorn in their side.

They had long ago received orders from King Qi to keep Wang Chong separated from the common people when he returned. King Qi hoped to minimize Wang Chong’s influence in the capital and hinder him from using his return to raise his prestige and status in the minds of the people. The Wang Clan was already illustrious enough. He could not allow another Duke Jiu to be created.

“What a headache! We can’t defy King Qi’s order. Even if we have to arrest every commoner in the city, we can’t let the Wang Clan get their way!”

As he watched the carriage get closer, the eyes of the leading official from the Bureau of Rites twinkled.

The achievements Wang Chong had rendered in the west were truly stupendous, and his prestige was like the noon sun amongst the common people. This made openly opposing him an extremely unwise decision. The advisors at King Qi’s side had long ago thought up a plan. As long as they could use the excuse of maintaining public order and preventing trampling amongst the crowd, they could fairly and openly ‘protect’ Wang Chong’s party while subtly minimizing the effects of his return. Afterward, they could stir up rumors that Wang Chong was conceited from his achievements and had requested the army to stop the crowd from approaching.

By spreading this rumor, they could grind away at Wang Chong’s image and achievements. As for the truth, how could the ordinary commoners ever find out?

The official from the Bureau of Rites pointed at two experts from the City Guard and ordered, “You two, listen up! Take some men to tightly guard the carriage. Remember, no matter what, don’t let Wang Chong get off his carriage.”

These experts had been placed in the City Guard by King Qi, and they were both loyal and reliable.

“Yes!”

“You guys, follow me!”

The two City Guard experts waved their hands, mounted their horses, and rode ahead, their eyes flashing.

……

“Lord Marquis, it’s people from the City Guard!”

While Wang Chong was still seated in the carriage, Xu Keyi’s voice came from outside.

“The common people of the capital have all been greatly anticipating Lord Marquis’s return, and too many have come out to welcome Lord Marquis. The people from the City Guard are worried that a stampede might happen and hope that Lord Marquis can enter the city as quickly as possible to avoid any chaos.”

Wang Chong continued to lean against the carriage apartment, no change of expression on his face as he softly grunted. Xu Qiqin, on the other hand, immediately frowned.

“I didn’t think that they would be so impatient.”

Xu Qiqin softly sighed. As someone who had spent far too long living in and being influenced by the capital, she knew all the backstabbing methods and devious tricks of the Imperial Court like the back of her hand. With just a glance at the situation, she could tell what was going on.

“They truly managed to find a good excuse!”

Xu Qiqin was rarely moved to anger, but she couldn’t help but show a faint tinge. The two of them had been putting their lives on the line for the sake of the empire, but when they returned to the capital, this was how those people in the Imperial Court had decided to treat them.

“Let them do as they please!”

Wang Chong gripped Xu Qiqin’s palm and softly soothed, “A wisp of smoke can’t block out the sun, and a mantis’s arm can’t change the universe. The major events of history and the world are not something that one, or two, or even a handful of them can change. No matter who they are or what they’re planning, they will never succeed.”

The warmth of another’s hand and those bright eyes caused Xu Qiqin to pause. Her emotions immediately settled, her face turned red, and she softly grunted.

As the carriage advanced, the cheering grew louder and louder, causing the entire world to shake.

Meanwhile, the carriage window remained closed. Wang Chong had listened to his own advice and not emerged, allowing the supervising official from the Bureau of Rites to breathe a sigh of relief.

Given Wang Chong’s current reputation, if he wanted to use this triumphant return to win the hearts of the people, he would merely need to show his face to immediately achieve the maximum effect. This was what they and King Qi feared the most. But as long as Wang Chong didn’t leave his carriage, the influence of this event would be minimized.

Regardless, it seems like we succeeded! The Wang Clan won’t be able to use this matter to increase their own prestige, the official from the Bureau of Rites thought to himself.