Chapter 1772 - Changing One's Mind!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
In the Battle of Talas, the Arabs had fielded ten times as many soldiers as the Great Tang. No matter how one looked at it, the defeat of the Great Tang had seemed inevitable. But in the end, it was the Great Tang who won that battle. The Tongluo had played no small part in this victory, so they were extremely familiar with this battle.
The Tongluo had initially believed that the First Prince held the overwhelming advantage in this rebellion, but now, they weren’t so sure. Abusi in particular had his brows deeply creased in unease.
The First Prince could not lose—or to be more precise, the Tongluo could not lose. If they ended up standing on the wrong side, their entire tribe would be obliterated.
This was a result he could not accept.
“Great General, the King of Foreign Lands says that he deeply cherishes the friendship formed when he fought alongside Great General’s men at Talas. In addition, he also knows that Great General must be very hesitant, so he prepared a letter. Great General need only look it over to understand.”
Zhangchou Jianqiong smiled as he pulled a letter from his sleeve and passed it over.
“Milord!”
One of the Tongluo generals at Abusi’s side immediately shook his head, wanting to stop him from taking the letter. The Tongluo had already sworn fealty to the First Prince. If they began to develop some ambiguous relationship with Wang Chong at a time like this, they might stir up unnecessary trouble, even earn the suspicion of the new emperor. This was not a wise decision.
“Hehe, the courage of the Tongluo is known throughout the world. They don’t even fear death, yet they fear a trifling letter from the King of Foreign Lands?” Zhangchou Jianqiong indifferently said, a smirk on his lips.
Abusi had been hesitant at first, but upon hearing this, he coldly harrumphed and drew the letter over.
“There’s no need to say any more! This one understands how to proceed!”
Abusi opened the letter and began to read through it.
It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. After sending off the letter, Zhangchou Jianqiong had hidden his hands within his sleeves. While he was outwardly composed, he also couldn’t help but be a little nervous at this time.
This was a monumentally important battle, and the capital was on the razor’s edge. Though Wang Chong had entrusted the letter to him, not even Zhangchou Jianqiong was sure that he could persuade Abusi and the Tongluo Cavalry.
The air was so stagnant that it almost seemed frozen. As Abusi read the letter, his eyes and face constantly shifted through various expressions. No one knew what he was thinking.
And no one knew what Wang Chong’s letter said.
“Great General, just as the King of Foreign Lands said, this battle is yet to be decided, so why must Great General intervene at this time? Rather than intervening when the situation is not yet settled, why not wait a while? Act as a spectator and remain in reserve, and then once the dust has settled and the outcome is clear, Great General can make your decision.
“In the end, if the First Prince is winning, Great General can mobilize your army and strike, both minimizing the losses to the Tongluo and keeping your promise to Hou Junji and the Eastern Palace. And if the First Prince fails, Great General can join the King of Foreign Lands and work to wipe out the remnants of the Eastern Palace. In this way, you can express your loyalty to the Sage Emperor and avoid having the Tongluo make any further mistakes that would lead them beyond salvation.
“Is this not a win-win situation, much better than the Tongluo’s current plan of action?” Zhangchou Jianqiong firmly said.
“The Tongluo do not exceed ten thousand. Each Tongluo Cavalry under Great General’s command was obtained through excruciating effort. Must they be wasted on this sort of rebellion? Great General, please reconsider!”
These final words clearly had an effect on Abusi and the Tongluo generals at his side.
It was true. Unlike other soldiers, each Tongluo Cavalry required ten-some years of bitter training. It was precisely for this reason that the imperial household rarely dispatched the Tongluo Cavalry for external wars.
The King of Foreign Lands was no ordinary person. He was acknowledged by all the Great Tang as the new War God.
As his letter had said, if he gathered his Wushang Cavalry and Mo Saber Unit and threw aside everything else to attack the Tongluo Cavalry, then even if the Tongluo won, it would come at a heavy price.
The Tongluo did not exceed ten thousand. Even the loss of a few thousand men would take ages to recover from.
The Tongluo could not endure this sort of loss.
The Tongluo had already been forced to expend much of their reserves after the Battle of Talas.
“Father, you can’t!”
Just when Abusi and the other Tongluo generals were being swayed, a cold voice came from behind them.
“The First Prince is ascendant, so Father can’t trust their arguments! Wang Chong is the greatest enemy of the Hu, and he once wrote a memorial specifically criticizing us! Father, did you forget? His words can’t be trusted!”
A young figure was riding toward them on a Tongluo steed, his expression cold and aloof.
Abutong!
Zhangchou Jianqiong glanced at this youth and grimaced. The speaker was none other than Abusi’s youngest son.
He had vaguely heard some things about what had happened between Wang Chong and Abutong. When Wang Chong was still obscure and he was at Kunwu Training Camp, he had once stripped Abutong naked and tied him to a bamboo pole, humiliating him in front of the entire camp.
This matter had once been a hot topic in the capital, discussed in all the taverns and tea houses.
Zhangchou Jianqiong had also heard of this matter being talked about in a tavern when he first entered the capital.
Abutong clearly held a grudge over this matter and had emerged to take his revenge.
This would be fine at any other time, but at this moment, it was extremely disadvantageous for his side.
“Oh no!”
“This is going to be difficult!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong’s subordinates all scowled.
As expected, Abusi, after hearing Abutong’s words, quickly hardened up, his face turning cold and dark.
It was true. Amongst all the Han commanders, Wang Chong was the one most opposed to the Hu. He had once upset all the Hu of the realm with a single memorial, and he had also succeeded in causing the Imperial Court to put aside the Regional Commander policy that emphasized greater importance for the Hu.
In this aspect, Wang Chong was the greatest Han foe of the Hu. Moreover, while Wang Chong had many soldiers under his command, he had barely any Hu commanders. Almost all his officers were Han.
While he would work together with Hu, he would never place them in high positions.
Abutong’s words had hit the mark.
Just when it seemed like the Tongluo were about to attack, a jeering laugh came from up ahead.
“Hahaha, Abutong, His Highness was right about you! For the sake of a personal grudge, you don’t even mind casting aside the fate of the entire Tongluo tribe!”
“Who goes there?!”
Abutong exploded in rage and turned toward the direction of the palace gate. A young horseman rode out from behind the three thousand fearful Penal Court soldiers.
“Abutong, have you already forgotten me?”
The young horseman smiled as he took off his helmet, revealing a young and energetic face.
“Chi Weisi!”
Abutong scowled upon seeing that youthful face. He could never have forgotten that young man who had been at Wang Chong’s side when he was being hung up naked on that bamboo pole.
He had heard that after completing his training at Kunwu Training Camp, Chi Weisi had left for Youzhou. He had never expected Wang Chong to call this youth back and plant him in the ranks of the Penal Court soldiers.
“Bastard!”
Abutong clenched his fists and silently cursed. He was certain that Wang Chong had left Chi Weisi here to deal with him.
As expected, Chi Weisi began to ride toward Tongluo Great General Abusi.
“Great General, the quarrel between Abutong and His Highness is a personal grudge, but His Highness and Great General are discussing the future and welfare of the entire Tongluo tribe. I trust that there is no need for me to tell Great General which one is more important.
“His Highness has never been on good terms with the Hu. His Highness has never denied this. But whether it is Hu or Han, His Highness has always kept his word.
“In addition, His Highness also asked me to convey a message. Great General, rather than worrying about His Highness, you should worry more about the Sage Emperor. As long as the Sage Emperor lives, who in the realm would dare to do the Tongluo harm?”
As Chi Weisi spoke, he subtly glanced at Abutong, who immediately scowled even more.
It took ten years to hone a sword. After spending several years on the frontier, Chi Weisi and the other students of Kunwu Training Camp had been transformed.
Like unpolished jade being slowly sculpted and chiseled into a fine statue, they were finally beginning to reveal their luster and radiance. Putting aside anything else, just the fact that Chi Weisi could speak so freely in front of Tongluo Great General Abusi was proof of the momentous transformation he had experienced.
Chi Weisi’s words, particularly his mention of the Sage Emperor, clearly had an effect on Abusi, and he finally made up his mind.
It was true. Wang Chong didn’t matter, as the one who made decisions in this empire would always be the Sage Emperor. And the Sage Emperor had always treated the Tongluo most generously!
As Abusi raised his head, his eyes slowly turned hard and determined.
“Zhangchou Jianqiong, just as you desire, the Tongluo will wait in reserve, but don’t celebrate just yet. I will give you fifteen minutes at most. If your side is defeated or is still caught in a stalemate, I will attack without hesitation!”
Upon saying this, Abusi waved his hand and rode away.
“Father!”
Abutong paled. He had never imagined that Chi Weisi’s few words would change his father’s mind. He quickly rode after Abusi and tried to stop him, but all he earned for his efforts was a cold rebuke.
“Disobedient son, shut your mouth! Have you not humiliated me enough?”
The sight of Abusi’s cold eyes immediately rendered Abutong speechless.
