The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr

A warhorse with snow-white hooves galloped along the road to Big Dipper City, the scenery whizzing by.
Wang Chong sat on its back, his eyes determined and his expression cold.
It had been three or four days since he had left the capital.
The winds howled around him, and the sky overhead was as black as ink, almost suffocatingly oppressive.
From the capital to Longxi, that heavy air of mourning had only gotten thicker and thicker. Wherever Wang Chong looked, he saw white streamers, and the villages he passed by all had black ash drifting in the air. The common folk of Longxi were paying their respects to Geshu Han.
The long distance quickly flitted by, and after several days of almost nonstop travel, past numerous hills, Wang Chong heard a great wailing in the distance.
“I’ve arrived!”
Wang Chong raised his head in shock. Past a hill, on the horizon, a massive fortress loomed.
This fortress was still imposing and strong, but past its dignified and grandiose exterior, Wang Chong could sense a solemnity and grief!
Big Dipper City!
This was the largest and most illustrious fort on the Great Tang’s western border!
Wang Chong urged his horse forward. Even though he had already prepared himself, he was still shocked by the flood of grief he sensed upon his arrival.
A vast crowd of people had gathered outside Big Dipper City, not members of the Big Dipper Army, but tens of thousands of people from Longxi, dressed in white mourning clothes to send off Geshu Han.
Almost all of them were looking at Big Dipper City with tears down their eyes and grief on their faces. Even five-year-old children showed sorrow on their faces.
One wail after another rose from the crowd and reached to the heavens, so loud that they could be heard for several dozen li. This was the weeping Wang Chong had heard earlier.
The ones left most grief-stricken by Geshu Han’s death were none other than the people of Longxi.
Geshu Han had offered up almost his entire life in service to the people of Longxi, and the fall of this general star was incredibly difficult to accept. A hint of gloom flitted across Wang Chong’s eyes, but he continued to press forward.
Past the dense crowd, Wang Chong finally reached Big Dipper City.
This renowned fortress had its gate wide open, and rows of Big Dipper Army soldiers guarded it.
The Big Dipper Army was known for its strict discipline and determined attitude, but after the death of Geshu Han, while these soldiers still had their straight postures, their eyes were bloodshot and their faces overcome with sorrow.
They were all wearing plain cloth in mourning as they stood guard over General Geshu for the last time.
“Stop!”
Seeing a figure suddenly come out from the distance, several Big Dipper Army soldiers immediately stepped forward to stop it. But they had only taken a few steps before they were immediately called back.
“All of you, withdraw!”
Behind these men was a Big Dipper Army soldier of seemingly higher status. While he had a dignified expression, his eyes were similarly bloodshot, and he seemed even more haggard than the other soldiers.
He walked up, his eyes passing over the hooves of Wang Chong’s White-hoofed Shadow and the white gauze on Wang Chong’s right shoulder.
“This is the man the general often mentioned, the King of Foreign Lands!
“Your Highness! …We’ve been waiting for some time.”
The Big Dipper Army soldier respectfully bowed.
“Thank you for coming to see our general!”
The other Big Dipper Army soldiers also lowered their heads.
The sound of that man’s voice made Wang Chong’s heart sink. Wang Chong had some faint recollection of this soldier. When the Battle of Talas was over and he had been returning from the west, he had traveled together with Geshu Han on the journey back and met this soldier. The soldier had been a bright and energetic youth back then, but now he had been put through the grinder several times and appeared to have greatly aged.
“Take me to see your general!”
Wang Chong dismounted with a heavy heart.
The soldier nodded and quickly ordered another soldier to lead the White-hoofed Shadow away. He then personally led Wang Chong through the gates toward the spirit hall within Big Dipper City.
Past numerous white banners, in the depths of Big Dipper City, the center of the Big Dipper Army, Wang Chong saw a coffin.
The coffin was made of violet gold and was of much higher craftsmanship than ordinary coffins. It was covered in white streamers and exuded the cold aura of death.
No one could have imagined that the man who had once smiled confidently from the top of Big Dipper City’s tower in the face of vast armies would now be lying in this coffin.
Wang Chong was immediately overcome with emotion.
Rows of Big Dipper Army officers were prostrated in front of the spirit hall, their eyes red with grief.
“Your Highness, you’re finally here!”
A Big Dipper Army officer stood up in agitation upon seeing Wang Chong. Wang Chong had sent a messenger bird before his arrival, and while Wang Chong and the Big Dipper Army had their quarrels, he was now their most trusted and most anticipated guest.
Wang Chong merely nodded, and then he walked past the Big Dipper Army officers to the coffin.
In the coffin, surrounded by white cloth, Wang Chong saw the fallen Big Dipper Great General.
He was dressed in armor, and at his side was his famous Big Dipper Sword. Although he had been dead for some time, his body still maintained that commanding majesty. If one didn’t look carefully, one would think that the body in the coffin was still alive.
But there was no changing the fact that Geshu Han was dead.
His face was ghastly pale, his eyes tightly shut, and the body under the armor ice-cold. The flame of life within had been extinguished, leaving behind only thick death.
That familiar and dignified face made Wang Chong’s heart tremble.
On the journey back to the east, the two of them had heartily drunk and conversed on the Silk Road, laughing and joking. It had all seemed like just yesterday, but all of it would be no more.
‘When the seven stars of the Big Dipper shine up high, Geshu comes at night with his saber. No prying shepherd or horse dares to cross Lintao.’ This folk song could still be heard, but the hero of the song was dead!
The lands of Longxi had frequently been raided by the Tibetans, making its people unable to live in peace or go about their daily business.
It was only with Geshu Han that all of this changed. Geshu Han and his Big Dipper City had become the strongest barrier on the empire’s western border, and when countless Tibetan cavalry had ridden down from the plateau, Geshu Han had won countless battles while outnumbered. He had allowed Longxi to prosper and develop, which made it become one of the wealthiest places in the empire.
Thus there was the saying, ‘There is no place in the world more prosperous than Longxi.’ Moreover, Geshu Han had not only been an excellent commander. He had also worked to meld the Big Dipper Army with the people of Longxi, and more than eighty percent of his men had been the sons of Longxi. The people of Longxi supported him more than anyone else.
Nothing more now than a puff of smoke!
A bucket would not break far from the well, and a general would find it hard to avoid death on the front line. Nevertheless, Wang Chong could not hold back his sorrow as he gazed at the figure in the coffin.
“General, I came late…”
Wang Chong lowered his head, his expression dim as he softly sighed.
“Your Highness, please, no matter what, you must avenge our general!”
Thud! The apparently highest-ranked general present dropped to his knees in front of Wang Chong, his eyes red. A moment later, all the other Big Dipper Army soldiers dropped to their knees.
“Your Highness, please avenge our general!”
“Your Highness, please avenge our general!”
“Your Highness, please avenge our general!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! The Big Dipper Army generals, row by row, got down on their knees.
Men did not easily cry, unless their hearts had been broken. At this moment, all the soldiers of the Big Dipper Army lowered their heads, their eyes reddening.
“Your Highness! Our general died an unjust death! In the space of a single night, thirty-six generals, together with Lord Geshu, were all killed. Your Highness, please—you must find out the truth! Bring us justice and reveal the truth to the world!”
The leading Big Dipper Army general crawled forward on his knees and bowed at Wang Chong’s feet, his entire body trembling. By the end, he was no longer able to hold back his sobs. And all the Big Dipper Army soldiers, both inside and outside the spirit hall, began to weep with him.
When the incident had first been discovered, everyone had tried to restrain themselves, but now that Wang Chong had appeared and they finally had an anchor, they began to weep.
If there was one person in the world that could find the truth and avenge Great General Geshu, it was this King of Foreign Lands.
“Your Highness!”
“Please, Your Highness!”
These heart-rending cries soared to the heavens, and even Wang Chong couldn’t help but be moved.
“Be at ease!”
Another Big Dipper Army general suddenly spoke. “Your Highness, our general has always had great respect for you. He once said that if there was one person that could bring order to the chaos and return the Great Tang to its zenith, it could only be Your Highness. He even left behind two letters for you, saying that if Your Highness came one day to Big Dipper City, you should be given these two letters.”

“Letters?”
Wang Chong’s heart thumped. He had never imagined that Geshu Han would have left letters for him. The general quickly took out the two letters and handed them over.