https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-366-The-Great-Tang-Dynasty-s-Pillar-Part-1-/12599235/
Chapter 366: The Great Tang Dynasty's Pillar (Part 2)
Chapter 366: The Great Tang Dynasty's Pillar (Part 2)
The battle in the Western Province further boosted the Empress's prestige, reaching its peak since her ascension to the throne.
Her power and status seemed unshakeable.
Not only the Crown Prince, who remained in the capital, but even Lord Zhang, who had participated in the northern border war and slain a powerful warrior from the Golden Eagle Kingdom, could only receive faint praise for his vigor in old age. He could not compare to the Empress in the eyes of the public.
The only uncertainty lay in the Empress's current injury.
From a certain point of view, this might be the last opportunity?
It might be too late now.
But if they waited any longer, it would definitely be too late.
Would people give up their obsessions?
"The shift in the country's artifacts and the change in the throne are different from other things, as they are closely related to the country's fortune, national spirit, and the people's hearts."
Lord Yuan spoke calmly, "So, in the northern border war, Lord Zhang also joined the battle, but after the Western Province war, the current Emperor is revered by all. Even if she is severely injured, it is impossible for the Crown Prince and Lord Zhang to openly rebel. They must find another way."
"We'll just do our own thing and keep in touch with Little Sister's side," said Sir Lei.
Besides recuperating his own spiritual energy and restoring his magical abilities, he also needed to repair his damaged magical artifacts.
After the battle with the Golden Vajra Department, the Master's Robe and the Imperial Scepter had both been damaged.
The cause of the damage was the Vajra Department Master's powerful technique.
Especially the Master's Robe, which had taken a direct hit from the opponent's powerful attack.
Although the cut was not wide or long, it had damaged the foundation of the Master's Robe.
Moreover, the opponent's technique was like a deep wound, relentless in its assault, akin to a never-ending cycle of suffering that caused endless adverse effects.
Fortunately, as the spiritual energy of the land gradually regained its vitality in recent years and accumulated more resources, Sir Lei had made secret preparations.
The organization had categorized and set aside a portion of rare materials and treasures, keeping them sealed and unused.
The plan was to use them for emergencies, such as repairing the damaged magical artifacts.
Sir Lei and his disciples had discussed the repair plan multiple times.
So now, they just needed to follow the plan.
Expecting instant results and a complete restoration of the Master's Robe was impossible, and both repair and re-consecration would inevitably require a significant amount of time.
However, the required time had undoubtedly been significantly reduced.
Unfortunately, Sir Lei's Imperial Scepter did not receive the same treatment.
It wasn't that he hadn't made any preparations, but he simply didn't have the resources to work with.
Prioritizing the restoration of the Master's Robe, Sir Lei couldn't very well divert public resources to his private stash for personal use.
Fortunately, with the help of Lord Wang, the removal of the opponent's technique went more smoothly than expected.
However, repairing the Imperial Scepter would take even longer.
After visiting the injured disciples, such as Sir Zhang, Sir Lei focused on his own cultivation and the restoration of his damaged magical artifacts.
As time passed, the northern border war also came to an end, and everything was finally settled.
Related reports from the outside world were gradually transmitted back to the mountain stronghold.
General Shen led a specially selected group of elite soldiers from the kingdom's army through a secret portal at the foot of the mountain, launching a counter-attack on the other side of the border.
Their actions were swift and fierce, and although they primarily targeted powerful warriors and martial artists, their style was even more agile than that of the nomadic riders.
On the border, they appeared and disappeared like ghosts, winning seven consecutive victories, inflicting heavy casualties on the remaining Golden Eagle Kingdom forces and their tamed beasts, burning down numerous pastures, and finally reaching the Red Sun Grassland, where the kingdom's capital was located.
There, they achieved their eighth great victory.
General Shen slew the eldest son of the Golden Eagle Kingdom, a powerful warrior at the eighth level of the warrior realm, and captured the kingdom's youngest son.
As for the other exotic beasts, there was a wide variety, but the quantity of each species was relatively small.
Lei Jun heard that General Shen and the others had not only captured exotic beasts but also brought back a significant number of individuals who possessed knowledge of beast-taming techniques and the mounted martial arts training method.
It was said that those who could come into contact and master such secret arts were not ordinary herders or hunters.
While those individuals certainly existed and their numbers were vast, they typically only had access to common livestock.
Those who could access powerful beasts like the Golden Wyrm Storm Beast and the Emerald Wyrm Storm Beast were mostly already on the path of martial arts training.
However, there were still a small number of unsuccessful individuals and small tribes who voluntarily returned with General Shen's group and pledged allegiance to the Great Tang Empire.
Upon confirming that Lone Eagle Khan Hari Ge'er and the main forces of the Lone Eagle Khanate had perished within the Great Tang borders, they felt even more relieved.
After the void portals were sealed, a portion of the Tang army remained in the northern frontier to guard the Bayan Mountain area and temporarily monitor the newly subjugated exotic tribes.
Representatives from these small exotic tribes accompanied General Shen and the other Tang officers on their return to the capital to pay homage to the Tang Emperor.
Their presence also signified the influx of the mounted martial arts lineage into the Great Tang Empire.
Due to the Empress' seclusion in the capital for secluded meditation, a special decree was issued, entrusting all matters to the Crown Prince, who was overseeing the country in her stead.
As the current northern front commander, General Zhang was received by the Crown Prince.
........................
In the ancestral land of the Ye Clan of Cangzhou.
In the clan's mansion, an elderly man gazed quietly out the window.
Deep autumn had passed, and the cold winter was approaching.
The elderly Ye Clan Patriarch, Ye Moke, remained silent in thought.
Ye Wei, the current clan head of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, approached and said, "Father, Governor Chu has claimed illness and withdrawn from the East China Sea."
Ye Moke nodded slightly, "Good."
He then asked, "Has General Zhang entered the imperial capital?"
"Yes," replied Ye Wei.
"It's a bit of a risk, but it's for the best," Ye Moke said.
Ye Wei nodded silently.
It was a risk because, although there might be competition, General Zhang and Crown Prince Zhang Hui had never met in person.
It wasn't a case of 'kings never meet,' but rather because of the existence of another person.
The current emperor.
As a result, General Zhang and Crown Prince Zhang Hui had an unspoken agreement to never appear or meet together.
However, General Zhang had decided to go to the capital this time.
He could have easily retired, citing old age and illness, and returned to Youzhou.
But if he had done so, the fame and prestige he had accumulated from this northern frontier war would have diminished greatly.
In that case, he would have simply been regarded as an old and vigorous warlord who had devoted himself to defending the country's borders.
His decision to take the initiative indicated that he had not given up on his ambitions.
"However, in this battle, no one could possibly outshine Her Majesty the Empress. No matter who it is, it is impossible to have merit that overshadows the ruler," Ye Wei said softly.
Ye Moke nodded slightly, then shook his head, "This battle is an opportunity and a beginning. The real challenge lies in what comes after.
If Her Majesty had an easy victory, then we wouldn't need to worry.
On the contrary, it is those exotic barbarians and the monks of the Iron Fortress Temple who have created opportunities for us. Such opportunities may never come again."
Ye Wei: "With the disturbance in the earth's energy and the instability of the country, it is still uncertain who will succeed. But I believe a result will emerge soon. It's just that... Governor Xu and Governor Tang of the Heavenly Temple are still there."
Governor Xu was currently in Penglai, in the East China Sea.
Even without her, Governor Tang was doing well and had already started her tour of the nation on the Emperor's behalf.
As Ye Wei finished speaking, he noticed that his father, Ye Moke, was staring out the window, lost in thought.
He sighed softly and stood quietly by his side.
After a while, Ye Moke seemed to snap out of his reverie and turned to look at Ye Wei.
Ye Wei's expression remained calm, and he did not speak.
Seeing this, Ye Moke sighed again after a moment, "Did it appear again?"
Ye Wei: "Yes, Father."
Ye Moke: "How many times is this today?"
Ye Wei: "......Third time."
"Ye Wei," said Ye Moquan, gazing at the letter in his hand.
"Regret is often futile," he murmured, a rare sentiment for the usually stoic Ye Moquan. There was one matter, however, that had almost become his lifelong regret.
"Back when Empress Zhang Wantong had just ascended the throne, a demon disturbance erupted in the East China Sea, and she personally went overseas to deal with it. At the same time, three other significant events occurred."
"The rebellion of King Wu, the near-extinction of Bodhi Temple, the internal strife of the TianShiFu, and the Li Clan War."
"Each of these incidents had far-reaching consequences."
Among them, Ye Moquan had masterminded the near-extinction of Bodhi Temple. However, he now realized that he had made the wrong move back then! Even if the arrow had already been nocked, he should have changed its direction and aimed for the TianShiFu instead.
That was probably the best, if not the last, opportunity.
Ever since then, he had been filling in the pits and repaying the debts incurred from that erroneous decision.
Could he still turn things around at this point?
Ye Moquan stared out the window at the early winter scenery, a chill creeping into his heart.
..................................
At Tian Long Temple in Suzhou, the elders who had gone north to participate in the battle, including Elder Miaokong, returned to the mountain gate.
Elder Miaoxin and Elder Miaohui welcomed them.
"Although we led our disciples into the battle, the outcome and its developments were truly beyond our expectations," Elder Miaokong sighed.
"We were indeed surprised," Elder Miaoxin nodded.
Elder Miaohui, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "We initially thought that the Sumeru Vajra Department could hold their ground against the Daoists. Who would have expected..."
"The information we have on the specifics is limited," Elder Miaoxin said. "However, there are a few points we can confirm..."
"The Five Great Dharma Images, the dual Dragon-Tiger Strike?"
Elder Miaohui, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, "Wasn't he injured while killing Zhao You'an, the Nine Heavens Daoist of the Dan Ding Sect?"
Elder Miaokong shook his head slightly, "Zhao You'an was indeed injured, but he is, after all, a Nine Heavens Daoist. Lei Tian Shi killed him with his Eight Heavens cultivation without sustaining any injuries himself.
His injury was incurred during the battle against the Vajra Department Master in the Achyuta Realm."
"Undoubtedly, the Five Great Dharma Images, including the Heaven, Earth, and Man Images, as well as the Yinlei Dragon, which is known to be Lei Tian Shi's, are all genuine," Elder Miaokong continued. "However, in addition to these, another Dharma Image appeared—a scarlet-golden Yanggang Fire Tiger."
He glanced at Elder Miaoxin, who also wore a look of astonishment, and added, "Although we know that Lei Tian Shi is still at the Eight Heavens cultivation and hasn't reached Nine Heavens yet, as some witnessed his divine court, which didn't exhibit the Great Vehicle Dao Scene."
Although Eight Heavens cultivation was indeed impressive, it was still far from Nine Heavens. However, if someone could achieve such a feat in such a short time, it would be truly astonishing.
"So, it seems that not only does he possess the roots of a genius..." Lei Jun mused, intrigued.
"His comprehension ability is also top-notch," Elder Miaoxin chimed in. "In philosophy, the highest level of comprehension is known as 'a world within the mind,' which corresponds to the concept of 'enlightenment.' However, it is also considered legendary, mentioned only in ancient texts and hasn't been witnessed in reality for thousands of years."
"The next level down, corresponding to the concept of 'illumination,' is 'a mind like a painted landscape.'"
The last person known to possess this level of comprehension was Fang Yue from the Jingxiang Fang family, who is now the Master of the Imperial Academy," Elder Miaoxin elaborated.
"So, His Highness the Crown Prince possesses the talent of a genius, combined with a mind like a painted landscape. That would be equivalent to..."
..................................
"The question is, will we make it in time?" Lord Chu asked in a low voice.
"Compared to the Crown Prince, the old king in the north is in a bigger hurry," Sir Lei replied.
The Empress had never married and had no children of her own.
For Crown Prince Zhang, this was his last psychological safety net.
If the Empress were to marry and give birth to an heir, the situation would become uncertain.
As for Lord Zhang, time was of the essence, and he had to act quickly.
The battle in the Western Province further boosted the Empress's prestige, reaching its peak since her ascension to the throne.
Her power and status seemed unshakeable.
Not only the Crown Prince, who remained in the capital, but even Lord Zhang, who had participated in the northern border war and slain a powerful warrior from the Golden Eagle Kingdom, could only receive faint praise for his vigor in old age. He couldn't compare to the Empress in the eyes of the public.
The only uncertainty lay in the Empress's current injury.
From a certain point of view, this might be the last opportunity?
It might be too late now.
But if they waited any longer, it would definitely be too late.
Would people give up their obsessions?
"The shift in the country's artifacts and the change in the throne are different from other things, as they are closely related to the country's fortune, national spirit, and the people's hearts," Lord Yuan spoke calmly.
"So, in the northern border war, Lord Zhang also joined the battle, but after the Western Province war, the current Emperor is revered by all. Even if she is severely injured, it is impossible for the Crown Prince and Lord Zhang to openly rebel. They must find another way."
"We'll just do our own thing and keep in touch with Little Sister's side," said Sir Lei.
Besides recuperating his spiritual energy and restoring his magical abilities, he also needed to repair his damaged magical artifacts.
After the battle with the Golden Vajra Department, both the Master's Robe and the Imperial Scepter had sustained damage.
The cause of the damage was the Vajra Department Master's powerful technique.
Especially the Master's Robe, which had taken a direct hit from the opponent's powerful attack.
Although the cut was not wide or long, it had damaged the foundation of the Master's Robe.
Moreover, the opponent's technique was like a deep wound, relentless in its assault, akin to a never-ending cycle of suffering that caused endless adverse effects.
Fortunately, as the spiritual energy of the land gradually regained its vitality in recent years and accumulated more resources, Sir Lei had made secret preparations.
The organization had categorized and set aside a portion of rare materials and treasures, keeping them sealed and unused.
The plan was to use them for emergencies, such as repairing the damaged magical artifacts.
Sir Lei and his disciples had discussed the repair plan multiple times.
So now, they just needed to follow the plan.
Expecting instant results and a complete restoration of the Master's Robe was impossible, and both repair and re-consecration would inevitably require a significant amount of time.
However, the required time had undoubtedly been significantly reduced.
Unfortunately, Sir Lei's Imperial Scepter did not receive the same treatment.
It wasn't that he hadn't made any preparations, but he simply didn't have the resources to work with.
Prioritizing the restoration of the Master's Robe, Sir Lei couldn't very well divert public resources to his private stash for personal use.
Fortunately, with the help of Lord Wang, the removal of the opponent's technique went more smoothly than expected.
However, repairing the Imperial Scepter would take even longer.
After visiting the injured disciples, such as Sir Zhang, Sir Lei focused on his own cultivation and the restoration of his damaged magical artifacts.
As time passed, the northern border war also came to an end, and everything was finally settled.
Related reports from the outside world were gradually transmitted back to the mountain stronghold.
General Shen led a specially selected group of elite soldiers from the kingdom's army through a secret portal at the foot of the mountain, launching a counter-attack on the other side of the border.
Their actions were swift and fierce, and although they primarily targeted powerful warriors and martial artists, their style was even more agile than that of the nomadic riders.
On the border, they appeared and disappeared like ghosts, winning seven consecutive victories, inflicting heavy casualties on the remaining Golden Eagle Kingdom forces and their tamed beasts, burning down numerous pastures, and finally reaching the Red Sun Grassland, where the kingdom's capital was located.
There, they achieved their eighth great victory.
General Shen slew the eldest son of the Golden Eagle Kingdom, a powerful warrior at the eighth level of the warrior realm, and captured the kingdom's youngest son.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
