Chapter 679: The Strongest in the World, the Wushang Cavalry! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Sitting across from Wang Chong, Wang Gen was flabbergasted, his eyes wide and mouth agape. He had only thought about finding a suitable fief for Wang Chong, but he had never imagined that Wang Chong wanted to construct a city.

And what shocked Wang Gen most of all was Wang Chong's final words. The road to the west truly presented a large business opportunity, and if Wang Chong could succeed in the way he described, then it really would be an exclusive business.

Along the entire Silk Road, it would be the only city and also the only relay station. All the merchants, whether they were from the Western Regions, Charax Spasinu, or the Abbasid Caliphate, would have to pass through Wang Chong's city if they wanted to conduct trade.

Countless wealthy clans and noble houses of the Great Tang Empire had tried to get a slice of profit from the westward road, but none of them had ever succeeded. The reasons were simple. The first was naturally that no one had ever thought of the idea that Wang Chong had described.

The other reason was that it had been many years since the Great Tang had made an exception and bestowed a fief. Without a fief, no one could construct a city on the Silk Road.

Given the importance with which the Sage Emperor viewed the Silk Road, the idea would immediately be rejected by the Imperial Court.

But now, Wang Chong had truly obtained that special right. Wang Gen had to admit that he had underestimated his nephew. His plans were far greater than his own.

And if he succeeded, there was a high chance that the Wang Clan would be making much more than it could from the affluent lands of Zhao County.

Wang Chong gazed at his clearly stunned and pensive big uncle, inwardly smiling. This idea for building a city was not a revolutionary idea in the world that he had come from.

But in this world, it was clearly a new thing that no one had ever thought of.

”I still have one final question. Building a city is no small matter, especially when there was nothing there before. This will require a massive investment. Not even the Imperial Court would dare to casually bring up the idea of building a city on the road to the west. Moreover, you already expended all your money in your bid to reinforce the southwest. How can you build a city by just relying on the three million taels of gold that the Sage Emperor rewarded you with?” Wang Gen asked.

Lion City in the southwest had not been very big but had still cost millions of taels of gold, and it had also been an empty city. In addition, building a city in the impoverished and wild lands of the road to the west would be far more difficult than building Lion City in the southwest.

One also had to consider that Wang Chong would also have to build inns of sorts in the city, adding to the already enormous expenditure. This was not something the Wang Clan alone could sustain.

The amount of capital needed to construct this sort of city from nothing would make even those ancient, prosperous, and wealthy clans of the capital shrink back in fear.

”Haha, that's even easier. The capital has so many great clans and nobles, is Big Uncle still worried about money?”

Wang Chong gave a confident grin. The people of the world would rush in every direction for the sake of profit. In the southwestern war, Wang Chong had fully experienced this principle.

All he was doing now was reusing this principle.

In truth, he didn't even need to say anything for countless people in the capital to eagerly await the chance to work with him.

”Okay!”

Wang Gen suddenly slapped the table and got out of his chair. He had been a little angry when Wang Chong first talked about setting up a fief in Wushang, but now, his anger had all dissipated and his eyes shone with excitement.

”Chong-er, your uncle has never doubted your talent in the art of war. In the field of commerce… no one in the Wang Clan has a better mind for it than you. The thing that concerned me most about you was your head for politics. Ever since ancient times, countless famous generals ended up getting their entire families killed because they didn't understand the politics of court. The greater one's talent in the art of war and the higher one climbs, the greater the calamity one will attract.

”This has always been my worry. After all, you are still very young. But now… I can be completely at ease.”

Wang Gen's complexion was ruddy and he seemed to be ecstatic. 'A man might be innocent, but a hidden treasure makes him guilty1.' An exclusive business on the road to the west was truly good, but it could easily bring a massive disaster.

But if Wang Chong involved the noble houses and the great clans of the capital in this venture, everything would be different. It was the equivalent of all the noble houses and clans standing together with the Wang Clan.

Just through this alone, the Wang Clan's position in court would be invincible. This was a true 'eternally steadfast position'!

In the future, even when Wang Chong truly entered the court and began to wield political power, the connections he had built up now would be enough for him to become an extremely influential figure in the court.

Wang Gen could see signs of the Old Master on Wang Chong's body!

Wang Gen quickly left the Wang Clan Residence, satisfied and content. His nephew was always this outstanding, always making him so proud. When Wang Gen left, he did so with firmer step and higher head.

With a nephew like this, what more could he ask for?

What great undertaking would the Wang Clan ever have to worry about?

But Wang Gen had no idea that when he left, Wang Chong fell quiet, his gaze resting on the table, on the map his big uncle had left behind. His eyes paused on the famous Silk Road for only a few moments before quickly shifting west, toward the Great Tang's northwest.