The Human Emperor

No one else in the hall knew what An Yaluoshan was thinking. When they saw him stroke his scar, they all unconsciously looked away.

Though they had managed to return to Youzhou from the capital, Yan Zhuang had been left behind forever. As for An Yaluoshan, Wang Chong had cut off his right ear, making An Yaluoshan’s appearance seem strange and leaving a wound on An Yaluoshan’s heart that would pain him for all time.

“Once the Central Plains is conquered, you’re the first one I’ll have torn to shreds to vent all my hatred!” An Yaluoshan spat, his eyes exploding with hatred.

……

As time went on, the exact details of what had happened in Taiji Palace that day remained unknown.

But after that day, everything in the Great Tang went back to normal. The wise and mighty Sage Emperor that everyone was familiar with returned to the court, and those absurd decrees that had been issued were all withdrawn.

The Peace Pavilion was knocked down, the orders to gather women from the provinces withdrawn, and that Master Xuan Ming who had hoodwinked Third Son Xuan with his ‘immortality pills’, though he tried to escape, was arrested by waiting Imperial Army soldiers and servitors and put away in the imperial prison.

The Sage Emperor issued an edict praising the Crown Prince’s character and training, and the imperial censors and officials who had been demoted were summoned back and restored to their original posts.

For the officials of the court, this was the most encouraging news that they had heard in the last several months.

Looking back, it felt like they had been in a dream. Regardless, what was happening now was exactly what they had wanted.

All of society was energized, and the signs of decline were wiped away. Order and integrity were once more restored to the court.

But despite all this, Wang Chong could not shake an extremely deep unease in his heart.

“How was it?”

In his imperial robes, Wang Chong stood in his estate, looking at Zhang Que with a deep frown.

“Your Highness, Eunuch Bian has already sent word. He had his men secretly investigate the matter, but they found His Majesty to be as usual. It is just that the palace maids are sending less and less food every day, indicating that he is eating much less than usual.”

“What has the Laundry Department said?” Wang Chong asked.

“Everything is as normal!” Zhang Que sternly said, bowing. But after a hesitant pause, he added, “However, we checked a dragon robe the Laundry Department received several days ago. There was a light stain on the sleeve, seemingly blood that had been purged with Stellar Energy. It was so light and had already been washed, so it was difficult for us to make a hard judgment!”

The mention of a bloodstain made Wang Chong raise an eyebrow, his face paling.

Gathering the possessions of the Emperor from the palace was a major taboo, and if it were done poorly, one could be accused of treason. But Wang Chong no longer cared.

“How could it be like this?”

Wang Chong’s heart was in turmoil. The Sage Emperor was the heart of the people, the spiritual pillar of the empire. Everything regarding him needed to be handled properly.

It was impossible for Zhang Que to have found a bloodstain on the Sage Emperor’s robes.

But Wang Chong was also certain that Zhang Que had not found some ordinary stain. At the Sage Emperor’s level of cultivation, one no longer shed any sort of filth.

Wang Chong raised his head and inwardly muttered, Was finding the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass really useless?

Though the records he had found claimed that the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass was effective on the injuries caused by failing to reach the Divine Martial realm, they had not mentioned how the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass could be refined into a pill, how it was to be taken, or any other specific treatment methods.

In Taiji Palace, Wang Chong had crushed the grass into a fine powder and spread it into the air for Third Son Xuan to breathe in, but this had been an impromptu plan. Wang Chong had no idea whether it had been effective or not.

But regardless, the news Zhang Que had gathered from the palace was not good news.

Moreover, this was not Wang Chong’s only concern.

After failing to reach the Divine Martial realm, the Sage Emperor was weakening by the day. This had been happening even before his reincarnation, and now it was nearing the time when the Sage Emperor had died in his last life.

Thus, Wang Chong had come back to the capital extremely uneasy.

But Wang Chong had never brought up his worries with Zhang Que or the others.

He also did not know if any of his efforts, including the divine grass, had proved effective.

It was all unknown.

All he could do was keep a constant watch on the situation for new developments.

Wang Chong’s thoughts were interrupted by the flapping of wings.

Raising his head, he saw an elegant messenger bird with feathers that had a light golden brim and a golden hoop on its right leg.

“Your Highness, a letter from King Song!”

Zhang Que received the bird, took off the letter, and passed it to Wang Chong.

Zhang Que was in charge of all correspondence, and he could recognize the messenger birds of the King Song Residence with a single glance.

Wang Chong took the letter, nodded, and lightly said, “I understand. You are dismissed.”

Though Wang Chong had the right to participate in court, he had been absent for some time.

With the world at peace and no wars imminent, he no longer needed to debate in the court, and there were plenty of far more skilled and knowledgeable officials in the court to handle other affairs. His presence was unnecessary.

Thus, Wang Chong naturally spent little time at court.

Even so, many of the court officials, including King Song, would consult with Wang Chong on many matters.

As Zhang Que departed, the hall quickly fell silent.

Wang Chong opened the letter and began to read.

King Song’s letter brought up many loose affairs: the Sage Emperor’s return, the joy of the old officials, the end to the selection of women, the relief of the local officials… He also shared with Wang Chong that the people were feeling more excited now that the Great Tang was getting back on the right track.

He had also written about how he had joined together with Zhangchou Jianqiong to deal with Li Linfu.

Wang Chong couldn’t help but chuckle when he got to this part.

Li Linfu was an extremely shrewd and patient man who coveted authority, but his biggest problem was that he had no understanding of what was right and what was wrong.

An Yaluoshan was a Hu who harbored rebellious thoughts. It was one thing for him to frame Zhang Shougui, but he had also colluded with Goguryeo. Simply to deal with Wang Chong and weaken King Song’s faction, Li Linfu had decided to collude with An Yaluoshan, ruining all of his earlier efforts.

Although there was no firm evidence, many people both inside and outside the court were no longer fooled by this ‘wise minister’ who had a career spanning decades.

At the very least, King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had recognized this man for who he really was.

There didn’t seem to be anything significant in this letter, but when he reached the end, King Song mentioned something that made his pupils shrink and his face pale.

King Song’s letter mentioned that the Sage Emperor attended court every day, and that all the court matters were proceeding smoothly.

But King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had noticed that though the Sage Emperor was attending court every day, he was gradually appearing more tired and absentminded. It would often be the case that the Sage Emperor appeared fatigued halfway through the session.

Moreover, for some reason, King Song felt as if the Sage Emperor had gotten older.

Many of the veteran officials in court had felt the same way.

In the last court session, King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had even noticed a few white hairs on the Sage Emperor’s head. However, the Sage Emperor had yet to express any discomfort, and the court sessions were proceeding normally, so King Song felt it awkward to mention these things.

But King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had already formed a new and more experienced cabinet of officials to handle court affairs and reduce the pressure on the Sage Emperor so that he could rest.

King Song had already recruited a significant number of major officials. All that was needed was Wang Chong’s approval.

Wang Chong was not worried about the formation of a new cabinet or that his signature was required. His greatest concern was the information King Song had brought on the Sage Emperor’s condition.

It had only been ten-some days since the Sage Emperor had retaken the body, and Wang Chong had even paid a visit to the Sage Emperor and seen that everything was normal. But now, after so little time, King Song was saying that the Sage Emperor appeared old and tired. How was that possible?

Wang Chong’s heart instantly sank.

Reduced appetite, the stain on the sleeve, appearing old and tired at court…

Many thoughts ran through his mind.

A sudden thought occurred to him, one that made his heart tremble. He instantly banished the thought from his mind.

……

At the same time, deep within the Imperial Palace…

A gentle breeze blew in through the open doors.

Seated on his throne, the Sage Emperor peered through the doors of Taiji Palace, looking upon the vastness of the capital and the world farther beyond.

The wind rushed past the wise sovereign’s ears. But at this moment, his dignified face had many fine wrinkles.

King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong would have been shocked if they were present, because the Sage Emperor now appeared even older than when they had last seen him at court.

Ordinary people might get one wrinkle each year, but for the Sage Emperor, it could be measured in days.

However, his eyes remained unchanged, remaining the eyes of that intimidating sovereign who had won the reverence of countless experts, brimming with resolve, determination, and peerless confidence.

Not even time or death could make him yield!

“Your Majesty, you should rest.”

Gao Lishi stood at the side, a tinge of worry in his voice as he watched the skies slowly darken.