荔枝影院

Edited by: Michyrr

“I truly do know an old researcher who likes to collect Bird Seal Script and various books about it. He has various books at his place, some of them more than one thousand years old. When I was young, I always wanted to visit him and sent him many calling cards, but I never had the opportunity to meet him. The ancient book I read was one that I implored his servants to leave for me before he moved away. If that old gentleman is still alive, he would be nearly ninety now. Wang Chong, if you can find him, you might be able to find something,” Lu Ting sternly said.

That old gentleman had not been a part of the Confucian Sect, but a person who purely loved books. More importantly, he had a reclusive personality and did not like interacting with others. Otherwise, Lu Ting would have gotten a meeting with him in his youth. It had been twenty-some years since then, so no one knew if that old gentleman was still alive. Even Lu Ting felt that the hopes were minuscule.

“Academic Lu, what is the name of that gentleman? I will send people to look for him,” Wang Chong said. Although the hopes were small, Wang Chong decided to try.

The Central Plains was incredibly vast, and to find a single person, particularly one who didn’t like crowds, was like trying to find a needle in an ocean. This was also one of the reasons Lu Ting found the hopes to be very minuscule. However, Wang Chong had gathered nearly eighty percent of the empire’s great clans at his side, and the power of these factions was spread throughout the Nine Provinces. If he borrowed their strength, he really did have a chance of finding that old researcher.

“Wen Choushu!” Lu Ting said.

The room fell silent once more.

King Song suddenly broke the silence. “In truth, if we want to know more about them, I have another method.”

“Your Highness!”

King Song’s words took everyone by surprise, and Wang Chong turned his head in shock. Although the Confucian Sect was difficult to investigate, there was one person who was in the know.

King Song’s eyes blazed as he slowly scanned the crowd, and then he announced the answer:

“King Qi, Li You!”

King Song had spent many years in the court and experienced many storms. Even Wang Chong had to feel some admiration for his intelligence.

“The Confucian Sect can’t have remained completely hidden. At the very least, King Qi knows the truth. Given his personality, he would never listen to their orders unless he knew their background and knew that they were worthy enough to work with him. Moreover, King Qi has always been proud and conceited. Between the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, the Prime Minister, and the First Prince, King Qi is the one least likely to restrain himself and keep a secret. Old butler, I’ll leave this matter to you,” King Song said without turning his head.

“This old slave understands.”

The old butler, wearing a black robe, respectfully bowed, his face devoid of emotion.

Wang Chong saw this sight and breathed a long sigh of relief. King Song, his big uncle, Lu Ting, Elder Zhao... every one of these people here was extremely experienced and intelligent. This was precisely why Wang Chong had gathered all of them together.

A single thread could not make a string; one tree did not make a forest. In order to contend against this unknown faction, he needed to bring all his allies together. And reality had proved that King Song and the others really could offer Wang Chong important help.

Thunkthunkthunk!

At this moment, anxious knocks thumped against the door.

“Who is it!”

King Song grimaced and turned his head. The mood in the hall instantly turned grim.

“Your Highness, there is a subordinate of the King of Foreign Lands at the gates saying that he has an urgent matter to report!” A voice came from outside, belonging to King Song’s chief guard.

A few moments later, the doors opened, allowing a travel-worn Old Eagle to come inside.

“Milord, there’s a problem! It’s from Kunwu Training Camp.”

Old Eagle, his face solemn, got down on one knee and respectfully offered a letter to Wang Chong.

Wang Chong opened the letter, which only had a few lines of words. The first matter it mentioned was that Wang Chong’s instructor in Kunwu Training Camp, Zhao Qianqiu, had been arrested. The second matter was that the Confucian school had formally advanced into the Three Great Training Camps.

Bzzz!

“King Song, Big Uncle, Lord Zhangchou, my other respected seniors, I have some matters to attend to and must take my leave first.”

Wang Chong quickly took his leave, passing through the main gate of the King Song Residence and stepping into his carriage.

“When did these things happen?” Wang Chong asked.

“Not too long ago. I’ve already sent men to investigate. Kunwu Training Camp isn’t very far, so we should learn something very soon,” Old Eagle respectfully said.

Flapflap! In the few moments they had been talking, a carrier pigeon flew into the carriage, bringing with it more information, but the situation was not good.

The Confucian school’s announcements throughout the capital vigorously promoting their achievements had only been the beginning. While Wang Chong was gathering up King Song and the others to uncover the secrets of the Confucian Sect, Li Junxian had led the Confucian Sect in quickly setting their eyes on their next target, the illustrious Three Great Training Camps of the Great Tang.

Not too long ago, a momentous announcement had been made: a Confucian Hall of Righteousness was to be built in each of the Three Great Training Camps. Starting from now, besides training recruits in infantry, cavalry, and archery skills, as well as various strategies and tactics, the Three Great Training Camps would also add Confucian lessons to their curricula. If one did not pass a test of the Hall of Righteousness, one could not graduate from the Three Great Training Camps and thus would not be able to join any army of the Great Tang. And failing this test three times would cause one to be encouraged to withdraw from the Three Great Training Camps, denied any further study or training.

“Absurd!”

When Wang Chong saw this, he immediately crumpled the letter up in rage.

The reason the Three Great Training Camps had been established was to raise generals, so their primary focus was the art of war. The kind did not command soldiers, and the nature of war was inextricably bound to killing. For the Confucian Sect to set up Halls of Righteousness in the Three Great Training Camps and even require students to pass a standard examination was completely going against the initial goal of these camps.

It was precisely because Zhao Qianqiu, as an instructor of one of the training camps, could not agree with this proposal and forcefully fought against it that he was eventually arrested by the Imperial Court.

“Milord, the Three Great Training Camps were established by the Sage Emperor and have extraordinary status. Not even the army can approach it. How could they have such immense abilities that they could interfere with them and even issue such an absurd order?!” Old Eagle sternly said.

The more he understood this Confucian Sect, the more Old Eagle feared it. Their abilities seemed boundless and they seemed capable of interfering in any thing or place.

“It must be related to the First Prince!”

Wang Chong leaned against the carriage, his expression grave.

“The Three Great Training Camps are under the direct supervision of the Sage Emperor, and ordinary people are not allowed to meddle with them. But right now, the First Prince is the regent. As long as they have his decrees, the Confucians can get in. Moreover, the Confucians only need to use the reason of ‘cultivating both civil and martial’ to easily pass the decree to set up these Confucian halls!”

Although the incident had only just occurred and he was still lacking information, Wang Chong only need to think a little to guess at the crucial point.

Swoosh!

As he was speaking, another carrier pigeon flew in through the carriage window. At the same time, there was a light creak from the carriage as if someone else had gotten on.

“Milord, there’s a problem. We’ve just received news that the Imperial Court has passed a decree banning the construction of any private buildings within one hundred li of the Three Great Training Camps. All manors and pavilions must be dismantled. Milord, Deflecting Blade Manor... is in trouble.” Zhang Que’s voice came from outside, his voice getting softer as he reached the end of his message.

Too much! Far too much!

The problem of Su Hanshan and Li Siye in the northwest had still not been resolved, and now another storm was stirring in the Three Great Training Camps near the capital. Although he had no evidence, even a blind man could see that the Confucian Sect was coming with a surging momentum at Wang Chong.

The Three Great Training Camps were the foundation of the empire, and countless generals of the empire would emerge from those camps.

Wang Chong’s subordinates Chen Burang, Sun Zhiming, Su Hanshan, and others had all emerged from Kunwu Training Camp, and Deflecting Blade Manor was Wang Chong’s private land and gathering place where he brought together all the elite recruits of the Three Great Training Camps. Moreover, Wang Chong had used this opportunity to pass down his own strategies and tactics, using his own training methods to nurture these future generals of the empire.

Deflecting Blade Manor was incredibly close to Kunwu Training Camp and was well within the range prescribed by the Imperial Court’s order. There was no doubt that these orders were both targeted against Wang Chong.

Winds would herald a coming storm, and the Confucian assault had come much faster and fiercer than expected.

“...In addition, Milord, we’ve just received word that the Confucian school has sent many Confucians to the tea houses and restaurants of the capital to promulgate the concept of the Harmonious World, even more than they did before,” Zhang Que added.

The Qixi Protectorate army, Deflecting Blade Manor, Kunwu Training Camp, Confucian lecturers... the Confucian assault was coming in one towering wave after another. Old Eagle and Zhang Que both felt an immense pressure on their shoulders.

Wang Chong said nothing, only slowly closed his eyes. The clopping of the horses came from outside, matching with the rhythm of Wang Chong’s tapping finger.

“Stop!” Wang Chong suddenly said. With this order, the carriage came to a stop with a neigh.

This order was so sudden that both Old Eagle and Zhang Que turned to the carriage interior in surprise. Everyone was quiet, allowing the sounds of the crowd and the rolling of other carriages to fill the air.

“Pass on my order!” Wang Chong suddenly said a few moments later. “In my name, Deflecting Blade Manor is to be gifted to Kunwu Training Camp to serve as an additional training ground and activity area for Kunwu Training Camp!”

His eyes slowly opened, revealing his determined and profound gaze.

“Ah!”

Old Eagle and Zhang Que gasped, their bodies trembling and their expressions dazed.