The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Wang Chong fell silent. From anyone else’s mouth, the words would be laughable, but Hou Junji had lived for more than one hundred years, was a famed individual of Taizong’s era, and these words from his mouth seemed as authentic as could be.
For this level of expert, dignity was even more important than their own lives.
“Then what does Senior want to do?”
“Heheh, didn’t I already say? The board has been set. This old man is merely inviting you to a game.”
As Hou Junji spoke, he lightly gestured. The soldiers around him parted, allowing two black-armored Imperial Army soldiers to come forward with a golden chess board, which they placed on the round table in front of Hou Junji.
“At this point in the battle, I presume that you’ve finished with your arrangements. Since that is the case, let us see how they play out on the board!”
Hou Junji pointed at the chess board and smiled.
“Your Highness, no!”
Miyasame Ayaka grew nervous, her pupils constricting as she sensed danger. Hou Junji currently had control over the overarching situation, and they were surrounded by soldiers. If Wang Chong went over, he would be throwing himself into the enemy’s net!
“Heh, still worried that this old man is playing a trick?”
Hou Junji made another gesture, and the Imperial Army soldiers retreated like the receding tide, leaving a large vacant region around Hou Junji.
“Your Highness, you can’t be careless. This person can’t be trusted!”
Miyasame Ayaka stood in front of Wang Chong, the wariness in her eyes unabated. Wang Chong was the most important figure on their side, and if something happened to him here, their forces would collapse! The risk was too great!
“It’s fine! I know how to proceed!”
Surprisingly, Wang Chong shook his head. Patting Miyasame Ayaka on the shoulder, he quickly walked around her.
Wang Chong had not left the battlefield and appeared here due to some emotional impulse. Just like how Wang Chong was the key figure of his side, Hou Junji was also the core figure of the Eastern Palace’s side. The Army-Shattering War God had decided all of the First Prince’s plans and operations.
By suppressing Hou Junji, he was suppressing the Eastern Palace’s greatest strength. This was why Wang Chong had accepted Hou Junji’s ‘invitation’ and come without hesitation.
Moreover, the Fifth Prince’s safety was at stake.
Seeing that Wang Chong was walking over, Hou Junji profoundly smiled, and then he made a gesture. “Bring a chair!”
An Imperial Army soldier quickly walked over and placed a round stool across from Hou Junji.
As those two got closer and closer, Li Jingzhong grew increasingly uneasy. “Your Highness?”
“It’s fine! I trust in the King of Foreign Lands!” the Fifth Prince declared without even turning his head. His voice was very calm, and even though he was surrounded by Fei Yuhan’s soldiers, he did not try to escape, nor did he show any panic.
This abnormal calmness left Li Jingzhong rather taken aback, and he quickly calmed down himself.
Li Heng seemed to trust in Wang Chong far more than anyone else.
Whoosh!
Far away from the fierce clashes at the Qian Gate, Center Gate, and Kun Gate, Wang Chong and Hou Junji, the two most important architects of tonight’s events, slowly came face to face with each other.
Wang Chong carefully inspected Hou Junji. This was not his first time meeting Hou Junji, but it was the first time he had ever inspected him so carefully.
Hou Junji had a tough and fierce demeanor, and there were very few wrinkles on his face. In no way did he seem like an elder who had lived for more than a hundred years. In addition, his skin was slightly pale, like someone who didn’t get much sunlight.
But what left the deepest impression on Wang Chong was his eyes. They were deep and dark, like a bottomless ocean.
Wang Chong felt like he was being drawn into those eyes. It was impossible to tell what that face was thinking, much less divine what schemes and plots were hidden in his mind.
“Not sitting?” Hou Junji asked, glancing at the stool in front of Wang Chong.
“A gift from an elder cannot be refused. This junior respectfully obeys!”
Wang Chong swept his sleeve and calmly sat down across from Hou Junji.
The area fell eerily silent, the mood even more nervous and grim than when the fighting had been going on.
Soldier contended against soldier and general against general. Now that the two commanders were finally seated across from each other, no one knew what might happen next. But there was no question that this would not be a simple clash.
“Senior has gone through great lengths to draw me out. Now, can you let the Fifth Prince go?” Wang Chong indifferently asked Hou Junji.
“Heheh, if you defeat me, you can naturally take him away. Moreover, even if I agreed to let him go, just how far do you think he could get?” Hou Junji indifferently said, looking around him with a hint of pride in his expression.
It wasn’t just the Imperial Palace, but practically the entire capital that was now under his control. The Fifth Prince and his meager force wouldn’t be able to get very far.
“Rather than that, it’s best if you let him stay. That would make him even safer,” Hou Junji nonchalantly said.
Wang Chong fell silent, and then he nodded and ceased attempting to press the point. If the ultimate victory could not be won in this Rebellion of the Three Princes, temporarily saving the Fifth Prince was meaningless.
Wang Chong quickly turned his attention to the golden and luxurious chessboard. This single glance immediately made his heart leap.
The board was crisscrossed with white and black pieces. This was a game that was already halfway done. Wang Chong scanned the board and immediately noticed that the black and white pieces were arranged in a way that vaguely evoked the structure of the capital.
There had been two chessboards in the capital, one in the King of Foreign Lands Residence and one in the Eastern Palace, and at this point, both of them were brought together.
Wang Chong and Hou Junji had also emerged from their respective bases, and on this chess board, they would decide who was the better. This game would decide the fate of the empire!
Whoosh!
A gust of wind howled. Miyasame Ayaka, the Fifth Prince, Li Jingzhong, Fei Yuhan, and all the surrounding Imperial Army soldiers nervously stared at that golden chess board, but at this moment, Wang Chong and Hou Junji were rather relaxed.
“What? At this stage, your master, Su Zhengchen, still won’t come out?”
The flickering light of the torches around Hou Junji illuminated the hard lines on his face. He calmly stared at Wang Chong, not even glancing at the board.
“Heh, the disciple can handle any problems. Since there is me, why does Master need to appear?” Wang Chong nonchalantly replied, firmly meeting Hou Junji’s gaze.
“Is that so? You really think you can win this war?”
Hou Junji couldn’t help but laugh, the derision in his tone obvious.
“It doesn’t seem like Senior has won either, yes?” Wang Chong indifferently said.
Hou Junji gave no reply, and the two stared at each other without another word.
Finally, Hou Junji took a sip of his tea and coldly commented, “Using a formation to fight against a formation truly was an excellent idea, but alas, in the end, it’s just a fantastical theory. Whether you’ve noticed it or not, you’ve actually already lost.
“Plan out your strategies from the tent and then decide victory from a thousand li! You still haven’t learned enough of Su Zhengchen’s teachings!”
These words were the aloof and arrogant tones of an elder speaking to a junior. And Hou Junji truly did have this right. In both status and age, the Army-Shattering War God was far above Wang Chong.
While Wang Chong truly was very talented, able to hoodwink King Qi and defeat him, the Army-Shattering War God was no King Qi.
The two were separated by more than just a single level.
Wang Chong sat up straight and firmly replied, “No matter how short a mountain is, an immortal residing there will bring it fame. No matter how shallow a pool, a dragon within will imbue it with spirit. When has age ever mattered when it comes to the art of war?”
(TN: A line from the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi, who technically hasn’t even been born yet, as he was born after the An Lushan Rebellion.)
“Oh! Interesting!”
Even Hou Junji couldn’t help but feel a little admiration for these eloquent words. In those many decades he had spent in that secret chamber, he had studied many books, both military and poetry.
But Wang Chong’s casual phrase was something he could not find in his memory. With this poem, Wang Chong had won a little regard from him.
“But war is not the same thing as composing poems. No matter how fine this poem, it has no use on the battlefield. You’ve deployed an army each at the Qian Gate, Center Gate, and Kun Gate, but they still cannot break my Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation. Meanwhile, the First Prince is already leading an army to Taiji Palace. You have no chance.”
Hou Junji shook his head.
“Once everything is settled and the First Prince takes the throne, what does it matter that you’ve saved Li Heng? And I wonder how the Wang Clan will fare after this?
“Three generations as loyal subjects, a clan of ministers and generals, but alas, it will be naught but dust in the wind!”
Hou Junji looked at Wang Chong and sighed, seeming to already see what fate awaited him.
“Haha!”
To his surprise, Wang Chong laughed and gave an eerie smile.
“Senior, I presume that the attack on Taiji Palace is not going smoothly?”
Buzz!
Everything suddenly fell silent, the expression on Hou Junji’s face freezing.
“Heh!”
Wang Chong took his teacup from the table and took a sip, his expression relaxed and assured.
“If it was really as easy as Senior described, Senior would have never taken such great pains to use the Fifth Prince as bait to lure me here, yes?”
The superior general broke his opponent’s schemes while the inferior general broke his soldiers, and it was far better to attack morale than to attack a city. Wang Chong knew just as much about the art of war as the Army-Shattering War God, and if Hou Junji thought that psychological attacks would work on him, then he was gravely mistaken.
These thoughts quickly passed through Wang Chong’s mind, and he returned the cup to the table.