Chapter 1821: Move Out, Nine Provinces Protector-General! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
In Taihe Palace, all the officials had gathered!
”Honored officials, listen well! Starting from this moment, all our strength must be gathered to assist the military. Inform all the local governments to give their full support to the war effort.
”The Chamberlain of Dependencies is to draft a decree to be sent to Arabia stating that since Arabia wants war, We will give it to them. This war will be one to the end for the Great Tang and Arabia. Only one of us will remain after this. This war will not stop at the northwest. This time, the Great Tang will take Baghdad and conquer the western world!
”Wang Chong, We approve of your memorial. Crown Prince's Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi, Tongluo Great General Abusi, Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong, Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi, Beiting Protector-General An Sishun, the Big Dipper Army, the Annan Protectorate army, the Beiting Protectorate army, and seventy thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army are all at your disposal and to be sent to the northwest.
”In addition, inform Ü-Tsang, the Eastern and Western Turks, and Mengshe Zhao that any country who joins Arabia in this war will be the Great Tang's mortal foe. Once Arabia has been subdued, We will treat them as we did Arabia and crush them underfoot!
”Wang Chong, We grant you the Commander Tally, granting you the title of Nine Provinces Protector-General and full authority over the military!
The Sage Emperor's majestic voice rumbled through Taihe Palace.
”This subject will carry out the decree!”
Wang Chong got down on one knee and solemnly bowed.
”May the Emperor live ten thousand years!”
A resounding cry echoed through the palace. Not a single person opposed the Sage Emperor's decree. Even the Confucian Sect's staunchest supporters in the militarist-Confucian conflict had bowed their heads.
Bang!
With the Sage Emperor's decrees, all of the Nine Provinces began to move, the entire Central Plains coming to life like a massive war machine.
Countless soldiers began to gather, and the furnaces of the weapon shops and smiths began belching black smoke. The ringing of steel could be heard throughout the land.
As the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Works issued orders, an endless stream of military supplies began to flow toward the northwest.
Although Wang Chong had harnessed the power of the Nine Provinces in his previous wars, this time was different. The Sage Emperor's order had galvanized the entirety of the Great Tang's industrial strength. All the craftsmen worked day and night to forge. Wang Chong's previous efforts weren't even in the same league.
……
Deep within the Imperial Palace, in a dark underground cell…
Creeeak!
As the cell door opened, a slender Hu man slowly walked out.
I'm finally out!
The sunlight caused the man to cast a long shadow on the ground.
”Great General has had it hard! The Sage Emperor has ordered me to come and pick you up!”
A voice came from in front of him. Gao Lishi, wearing his silk robe, held his horsetail whisk in his left hand and a folded Great General's robe in his right. Standing at the stairs leading to the exit, he smiled.
”Eunuch Gao, thank you for your concern!”
An Sishun smiled and bowed. There was no surprise on his face, and this development had apparently been completely within his expectations.
After the Setting Sun Villa incident, the First Prince had charged An Sishun with dereliction of duty and had him imprisoned. This matter had caused quite the uproar, and many people had been worried about him, yet the man himself had been unperturbed.
He had always known that as long as that man still remained enthroned in Taiji Palace, all this would be as transient as a fleeting cloud.
”Great General, the Sage Emperor has issued a decree. We must trouble General again with a war in the northwest!”
”This lowly subject obeys the decree!”
……
To the south of the Imperial Palace, at the Minister of War Residence…
After reading through the decree, Zhangchou Jianqiong sighed, unable to speak for some time.
”The day is finally here!”
As Zhangchou Jianqiong muttered to himself, his mind was swept up in a great turmoil. Zhangchou Jianqiong had not stepped onto the battlefield once since taking command of the Bureau of Military Personnel.
And when he went further back in time, the three-way standoff in the southwest between the Great Tang, Mengshe Zhao, and Ü-Tsang meant that it had been many years since Zhangchou Jianqiong had participated in such a large-scale war.
King of Foreign Lands Wang Chong, Crown Prince's Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi, Wall of the Empire Gao Xianzhi, Beiting Protector-General An Sishun, and himself—they would all be fighting alongside each other. Zhangchou Jianqiong had imagined such a scene many times, but he had never believed that it would ever happen.
The Great Tang simply had too many enemies surrounding it, and its six hundred thousand soldiers were forced to be distributed in every direction. But now, everything had changed.
This time, the Great Tang was truly mobilizing all its power, gathering all of its Great Generals. Just the thought of it had his blood boiling.
Clang!
Suddenly, Zhangchou Jianqiong clenched his fingers and pulled out the sword that had served him his entire life.