Chapter 1812 - The Match Begins!

“Yes, Ancestor!”

The Yan Clan members bowed. There were forty to fifty Yan Clan members packed into the courtyard. The Yan Clan was a clan of historians, but it was also a great clan with many branches and many members.

“Let’s go! It’s about time for the match to begin!” Yan Wenzhang declared, and he quickly set off for the training ground, escorted by the numerous Yan Clan members.

……

Time slowly passed, and by now, almost everyone of note in the capital had arrived at the training ground in the southern part of the city, from important officials to the members of prestigious clans. And for several thousand meters around the training ground, extending into the streets, was a vast crowd of people, so tightly packed that not even a drop of water could get through.

The taverns, tea houses, and any buildings that had a view of the training ground were packed. Even the rooftops had spectators atop them.

Around two years ago, Wang Chong had defeated the First Prince of Ü-Tsang here, and now, it had become the ground for the crucial match in the militarist-Confucian conflict.

The crowd buzzed and chattered as they waited in anticipation for the match to begin.

This was undoubtedly one of the most important matches in the history of the Great Tang.

Bong!

A bell rang out across the capital, and a moment later, the crowd exploded in cheers.

“King of Foreign Lands!”

“Secretariat Advisor!”

Cheers for Wang Chong and Li Junxian resounded through the world, each person crazily calling out in support of their own hero.

On the northern end of the training ground, a long sandalwood table had been placed. Behind it, Fifth Prince Li Heng sat at the center seat. To his left were the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor. To his right were Prime Minister Li Linfu and Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong. Li Heng exchanged a glance with the other people at the table, and then he nodded.

“Begin!”

With this order, the match which would decide the fate of the empire finally began.

Buzz!

Countless people watched as a young, white-robed figure slowly walked out with his escort.

Bang!

The sight of that scholarly and elegant figure instantly stirred the crowd into a frenzy, and their cheers resounded through the heavens.

“Secretariat Advisor!”

Putting aside the militarist-Confucian conflict and any personal conflicts, Li Junxian’s elegant and scholarly demeanor had won him many fans in the capital, particularly amongst young women, who shrieked in delight at Li Junxian.

At the edge of the training ground, the white-robed girl solemnly said to Li Junxian, “Senior Brother, you must be extremely careful in this match. In addition, this match is of the utmost importance. Senior Brother, you must not show mercy!”

“Relax. I know what to do.”

Li Junxian nodded and stepped onto the training ground.

His eyes did not linger on the people around him, and stared straight ahead.

A few moments later, the crowd on the other side parted. Escorted by Li Siye, Xu Keyi, and his other subordinates, Wang Chong walked out.

Bang!

When Wang Chong appeared, the heavens trembled at the resounding cheers, which far surpassed the cheers for Li Junxian.

“King of Foreign Lands!”

Around the training ground and from even farther away, all the noble sons and daughters of the capital madly cheered with all their strength, their expressions glowing with passion.

After the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Wang Chong’s reputation had reached its zenith, leaving Li Junxian choking on his dust. Not even Wang Chong had realized that he had already become the idol and hero for all the youth of the capital.

The day had finally come!

Wang Chong’s subordinates began to unconsciously breathe faster and turn more nervous. They couldn’t afford to lose this battle, nor could the militarists. The consequences would be unthinkable.

“Relax.”

Wang Chong smiled. At a time like this, he was the one who ended up having to soothe his subordinates.

“Just wait for the good news!”

Wang Chong swept his sleeve and strolled onto the training ground.

Clap!

Wang Chong’s steps rang out clearly across the training ground, and as they did, the entire world seemed to fall silent. Everyone stared at Wang Chong and Li Junxian, and behind the table, even Li Heng and the other dignitaries held their breaths.

Buzz!

The two of them stopped some two hundred feet from each other, their eyes meeting. The air instantly became fraught with tension.

“You’re finally here!”

Surprisingly, Li Junxian was the first to speak, his eyes shining with resolve.

“It’s about time things came to an end between us. I won’t let you ruin my plan, won’t let you drag the people of the world into endless war for the sake of your personal desires.”

“Heh!”

Wang Chong chuckled at Li Junxian’s words.

“You’ve seen so many wars and clearly understand the root of the matter, yet you still persist in speaking such childish words?

“I’ve never opposed your Confucian Sect’s ideal of a Harmonious World, but does one person’s ideal, or a group’s ideal, require burying all the people of the world and an entire empire?”

A wind gusted, blowing fallen leaves between the two. Wang Chong’s eyes turned ice-cold.

For the Confucian Sect and Li Junxian, he would show no mercy.

“The true fool is you! It’s precisely because the world is engulfed in endless war, that the strong eat the weak, that we must firmly advance and do all we can to change this.

“Our Confucian Sect has persisted through the generations, and the only reason we have never succeeded is militarist brutes and autocrats like you.

“Whenever we face this kind of situation, in every era, a disciple of slaughter like you will stand in front of us and constantly hinder our progress. In the end, we are forced to use that martial strength we most loathe to resolve all the quarrels.”

Li Junxian sharply stared at Wang Chong.

“Wang Chong, you will not win. This time, I will finally bring an end to you and uproot all your strength within the Great Tang!

“The Confucian Sect has waited one thousand years. It must win!”

Li Junxian’s final words practically thudded against the ground, and they were tinged with murderous intent. It was clear that Li Junxian wanted to kill Wang Chong.

No one else in the Great Tang had ever been able to pressure and hinder the Confucian Sect as much as Wang Chong. He had been the Confucian Sect’s stumbling block for too long.

“Heh! All that talk from you about benevolence and righteousness, that promotion of the Harmonious World? It’s all in vain! In the end, just like the militarists, you still rely on martial strength to clear away the thorns and open the road. What makes you different from us?”

Wang Chong couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes oozing derision.

“Unfortunately, the world is not a testing ground for the Confucian Sect, nor am I a person you can easily defeat. The strong eat the weak, and only the fittest can survive.

“In this world, only the strong can protect the country and its people. To speak of the Harmonious World and favor the foreigners will only bring about self-destruction. Peace is won through one’s own strength and power, not through the other party’s pity.

“I will show no more mercy to you. If I win, your Confucian Sect’s ideals will be completely ripped out from the Great Tang. This era and this world do not need these misguided ideals. Li Junxian, you have no chance of victory,” Wang Chong sternly said.

Whoosh!

Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect members behind him grimaced. Even the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor couldn’t help but slightly pale.

The two of them had heard an astounding resolve in Wang Chong’s words. If he won, then the struggle would be far from over. It was apparent from his tone that he planned to use all his strength to suppress the Confucian Sect.

With Wang Chong’s status as the King of Foreign Lands and his achievement of protecting the emperor, he really might be able to do it.

Li Junxian’s eyes turned cold as he declared, “Wang Chong, I return the same words to you!

“If I win, the Wang Clan and all you bloodthirsty and militaristic warriors will be swept out of the Great Tang.

“A general’s career is built on the back of ten thousand bleached bones. All of your achievements have come on the backs of countless slain soldiers. When the Harmonious World is finally realized, there will be no place left for you and your kind to hide,” Li Junxian coldly vowed.

The two of them stared at each other, electricity crackling between them.

Even Li Heng, the Grand Tutor, the Grand Preceptor, Li Linfu, and Zhangchou Jianqiong could sense the terrifying energy between the two.

For outsiders, this was simply a contest of martial strength, but for Wang Chong and Li Junxian, their lives seemed to be on the line.

Bong!

In this tense air, the bell rang out once more, and then a dignified voice resounded over the training ground.

“Milords, I am sure you understand the Sage Emperor’s decree.”

On Li Heng’s left side, Grand Tutor Pei Guangting slowly stood up, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Both of you agreed to this match in front of the Sage Emperor himself. No matter what the final result is, both of you must comply with the results. There will be no regrets. Is that understood?”

Wang Chong and Li Junxian simply nodded in reply.

“Very good! Let the match begin!”

The Grand Tutor nodded and quickly sat back down.

The training ground instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at Wang Chong and Li Junxian, whose bodies began to stir with energy.