Chapter 1746 - The Day of Decision!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The night soon passed. A candle still quietly burned on Wang Chong’s desk. It had been burning all night, and Wang Chong had spent just as long silently waiting here.
Upon hearing footsteps, Wang Chong raised his head and calmly asked, “How was it?”
They were already in an extremely disadvantageous situation in this battle. If even his eyes and ears were shut down, he would truly be a headless fly that would lack the foundation to resist the First Prince.
Zhang Que walked over the threshold, appearing so exhausted that it seemed like he had just been through several major battles.
“The Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain Teams have managed to temporarily fend off the enemy attacks. Both sides suffered heavy losses. In addition, the Eastern Palace is already gathering more men to reinforce the capital. This battle is far from over!”
The last night had also been a sleepless one for him.
“I understand!”
Wang Chong slightly relaxed.
“Thank you for your service. Go and rest.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Zhang Que quickly departed.
Whoosh!
A cool breeze blew in through the window, ruffling the hair at his temples. It was calm outside now that the gruesome melee from last night had passed, but no one understood more than Wang Chong that the undercurrent was getting fiercer and fiercer.
The Eastern Palace can no longer restrain itself!
Wang Chong’s eyes gleamed as he slowly stood up from his desk.
The more formidable were the Eastern Palace’s attempts to cut off his eyes and ears, the closer he was getting to that moment in time.
Tap tap!
Wang Chong slowly walked over to the large model, his eyes locking onto the road linking the frontier to the capital.
“Zhang Zheng, the First Prince is waiting for you, right? The day the Beiting Protectorate army enters the capital is the day the First Prince begins his work!”
Wang Chong muttered almost inaudibly, the sound waves quickly dispersing into the air.
……
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace…
“Your Highness, the King of Foreign Lands Residence launched a counterattack last night, and we suffered heavy losses. In one night, we lost more than thirteen hundred people, but the opposing side also suffered significant losses. Our current estimates place their deaths at more than two hundred.
“In addition, from what we have learned, the King of Foreign Lands has already called back his four elite operation teams, and many of their deaths last night were probably those elites. In comparison, those that we lost were not at a very high level, and we can easily train more.
“Besides that, your subordinate has already ordered for all spies to return to the capital. The pressure on them will only increase, and in a few more days, they will be completely wiped out!”
Kim U-Seok’s voice, tinged with his Goguryeon accent, echoed through the hall.
“Not bad! I give you full authority! You must purge every one of the spies of the King of Foreign Lands Residence! Don’t let a single one survive!” the First Prince sternly said.
In this war of spies with the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Kim U-Seok was relying purely on human wave tactics, madly attacking Wang Chong’s spies with ten times their number.
Even though the Eastern Palace had suffered far more losses numerically, these were all ordinary spies that could be replaced with some time and money. The temptation of power would allow them to easily recruit more people. Thus, the Eastern Palace did not care much about these losses.
Kim U-Seok paused a moment before sternly adding, “In addition, your subordinate has placed spies in the enemy’s men. With just a little more, I will be able to find out their gathering points in the city and sweep them all up along with their leaders.”
“Good!”
The First Prince’s eyes brightened upon hearing Kim U-Seok’s words.
“Kim U-Seok, this prince knew that you wouldn’t disappoint me! This prince will wait for the good news!”
“Yes!” Kim U-Seok hastily replied.
“Meng Tu, Asura!”
The Ghost King’s voice suddenly reverberated through the hall.
“Kim U-Seok alone is not enough to deal with the King of Foreign Lands. Go and help him!”
“Yes!”
Asura and Meng Tu bowed. No one dared to defy Hou Junji’s orders.
Whoosh!
In the middle of this conversation, a rock eagle flew into the hall.
The Golden Guard who received the letter loudly announced, “Your Highness, Lord Zhang Zheng has sent a letter. They have passed Bullhead Pass and will reach the capital within two days!”
Everyone’s faces changed upon hearing this.
“They’re finally here!”
These were expressions of delight. Once Zhang Zheng’s army of forty thousand arrived and joined with the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, then once the armies from the other areas arrived, everything would be settled. Not even the War God would be able to stop them.
The Ghost King slightly nodded and turned to the First Prince.
“The last link in the chain has been filled. Your Highness, since General Zhang can arrive at any time, Your Highness should begin to summon the other soldiers!”
The First Prince had been patiently honing his sword for all these years in preparation for this moment. Victory was his only option, and so, besides the Imperial Army and the border armies, the First Prince had many of his own privately trained soldiers in the capital. These soldiers were the true core that the First Prince was relying on in this operation.
The time was now ripe to summon these soldiers!
“Mm!”
The First Prince nodded and took a black token from his waist. This token had the width of two fingers and a length of around seven or eight inches, and it exuded an air of mystery. The First Prince threw this mysterious token over to Meng Tu.
“Pass on my order! Gather them and bring them into the palace!”
“Yes!”
Meng Tu quickly departed.
Not long after he left, creeee! Countless gyrfalcons, golden hawks, rock eagles, and hunting falcons took to the skies in great clouds. They converged on the King of Foreign Lands Residence in even denser clouds than before.
The second day of fighting was even fiercer than the last, and when night fell, that battle in the shadows that took place throughout the city continued with even greater ferocity, numerous people dying in dark corners. Dawn broke, and another day passed, and it was soon the curfew of the third day.
Wang Chong’s study was a hive of activity, people going in and out, each one with a nervous expression.
“Your Highness, everyone is here! We await your orders!”
Cheng Sanyuan solemnly bowed in front of Wang Chong.
“Very good! Everyone, stand by for my orders!” Wang Chong said.
He was dressed in casual clothes, and his eyes were fixed on a chessboard. The black pieces had completed their encirclement, and the white pieces were in a dire state. Farther back, another set of black pieces had taken the form of a great dragon that looked to join the encirclement. This represented Zhang Zheng’s army.
Even though the white pieces were outnumbered and in grim circumstances, they were distributed in a way that they all resonated with each other, allowing them to still be able to fight.
“Pass on my order! Tell everyone to be on their guard! Today is the day when victory will be decided!” Wang Chong said, his eyes composed and his expression confident. Nothing in the world seemed capable of shaking him.
“Yes, Your Highness!” Cheng Sanyuan deferentially said.
“In addition, tell the Wind Team that from this point forward, the capital no longer has anything to do with them. All the members of the Wind Team should now proceed with the Raging Waves Plan!” Wang Chong declared, his eyes twinkling.
Zhang Zheng’s Beiting Protectorate army had already crossed Bullhead Pass and would be at the capital soon. Once this border army appeared, this capital which had been peaceful for several decades would once more be swept up in a bloody storm.
The Imperial Palace was also important, but for Wang Chong, there were several other matters of equal importance. The Rebellion of the Three Princes would deal a massive blow to the empire, the loss of numerous talents. In this disaster, the Wind Team’s mission was to stop these ‘raging waves’.
“This subordinate will go!”
Cheng Sanyuan departed with the order, but it was still not time for Wang Chong to relax. As his mind rapidly turned, he continued to issue orders. Each order was a piece on the board, and as the pieces began to fight, the situation grew increasingly complicated and dangerous. An atmosphere of paranoia began to take hold.
A nervous tension was running through the capital.
“Hyah!”
Ten-some Imperial Army soldiers, exuding a somber aura, rode through the capital in single file. A few moments later, another line of cavalry passed, all of them seething with killing intent.
The capital was at the feet of the Son of Heaven, and it was very rare for cavalry to disturb the peace of the people.
But in a single hour, the merchants on the streets had seen five or six cavalry squads go past. Meanwhile, the thronging marketplaces had become deserted areas where not even porters or peddlers could be seen. Everyone had sensed something in the air and withdrawn like turtles into their shells.
A murderous scent lingered in the air, and it was only getting thicker by the hour.
Bong!
After some time, when it was still two hours until nightfall, a loud bell rang out from within the palace. This lingering bell tone was now bursting with bleakness and desolation. A few moments later…
Bang!
The gates of the Imperial Palace, ten-some meters tall, slammed shut. At that moment, the Imperial Palace seemed to be isolated in another world, and not a single sound could be heard from within.
On the walls, figures began to appear like ghosts. The Golden Guards, their expression cold, silently watched the capital.
“Cuuuurfeeeew!”
