Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After Li Li led the army on their journey, His Majesty the Emperor invited Chen Rui into the Imperial Archives. This place housed important royal documents and some unspeakable secrets, so Lovisah was stopped at the door by the guards.
"Don't worry, I'll be out soon," Chen Rui smiled at Lovisah, stopping her from rushing in. "This is Tang Kingdom territory; you mustn't cause any trouble!"
His Majesty the Emperor glanced at Lovisah's expression and said softly, "Actually, she could come in."
"No, it's better if fewer people know about this," Chen Rui firmly rejected the Emperor's good intentions and quickly followed him into the Imperial Archives.
His Majesty the Emperor silently looked at Chen Rui and said seriously, "If your Elven race joins forces with the Dragon Court, then Tang will truly be in grave danger."
"Your Majesty exaggerates. The power of the Elves will never be used for war."
Chen Rui forced a smile as he followed the Emperor deeper into the Imperial Archives. Their destination was the innermost part where Emperor Gaozu's edict was stored.
The Imperial Archives contained mostly previously announced decrees and royal secrets, so there were no oil lamps in the vast space; they could only rely on the faint light streaming in through the windows to read the documents.
The poor lighting made it difficult to see, especially since Chen Rui was wearing a long robe and a hat, which further hindered his ability to observe his surroundings. Reluctantly, he took off his hat, revealing his long golden hair, slender ears, and breathtaking beauty.
His Majesty the Emperor was taken aback. After regaining his composure, he chuckled bitterly. "No wonder Half-Elves find it easier to blend into human society; I can't imagine how many people would go bankrupt over such exquisite beauty among Elves."
Chen Rui glanced nervously at His Majesty the Emperor, his eyes conveying an unspoken meaning.
"I have no interest in you that way; don't look at me like that!"
Feeling displeased under Chen Rui's gaze, His Majesty the Emperor shifted his focus away from him and continued searching for Emperor Gaozu's edict.
"Here!" Chen Rui pulled a box from a pile and handed it to the Emperor. The Emperor took it and, upon inspection, saw the words "Year Twelve of the Great Tang" and "Edict of Emperor Gaozu" written on the side.
"Indeed, the eyes of the elves are remarkable. No wonder your archers are so skilled," the Emperor teased with a smile as he opened the box and revealed the imperial decree inside.
"Ancestors, your descendants are unworthy. The nation is in peril, and countless Tang People are caught in calamity. We cannot bear to witness a scene reminiscent of a century ago, so we must ask our ancestors to retract this edict."
With that, His Majesty the Emperor closed the decree and handed it back to Chen Rui, letting out a sigh, leaving no further words.
Chen Rui accepted the decree and asked once more, "Are you sure?"
His Majesty the Emperor remained silent, merely gazing at Chen Rui. Chen Rui closed the decree, his lips moving slightly as a thin flame appeared in his hand. The flame quickly ignited the brocade decree. Just as the decree was about to burn completely, the flames suddenly extinguished, leaving only ashes scattered on the ground.
The two hurried out of the Imperial Archives. As they reached the doorway, they spotted a Sergeant anxiously waiting outside.
"What is it?"
His Majesty the Emperor did not slow his pace; time was tight, and when the Great Tang would begin its counterattack depended on how quickly he could act.
"Your Majesty! The Ministry of War has urgent military news to report. The Minister of War requests your immediate return to the Ministry of War!"
"How dare he! Tell him to come to the Imperial Study and report to me in person! I will be waiting for him in the Imperial Study!" His Majesty the Emperor exclaimed angrily, mounting his horse and racing toward the inner court of the palace.
Chen Rui shot a reproachful glance at the Sergeant. "How can you speak like that to His Majesty? It's a blessing you still have your life!" With that, Chen Rui mounted another steed and followed His Majesty the Emperor as they departed.
“Why is there an elf here?” the Sergeant asked the guard.
The guard shot him a disdainful glance and retorted, “Are you really from the Ministry of War? You don’t even know Lord Chen? Do you recognize that elf?”
The Sergeant looked in the direction the guard was pointing and saw a beautiful female elf stamping her foot in anger.
The Emperor and Chen Rui entered the Imperial Study, immediately taking their seats on the throne. The Emperor picked up a brush and began writing on the blank imperial edict laid out before him.
The Dragon Court and foreign tribes are invading in full force; the borders have been breached, and the Tang Territory is in peril. I command all Tang People to rise against the enemy and protect our great Tang. To resist the enemy is not a crime; it is a duty. March, Year 162 of Tang.
“You know what important military news the Ministry of War has?” The Emperor placed the brush in its holder and picked up the jade seal, pressing it firmly onto the edict. Eight red Seal Characters were stamped at the end: By decree of, long live Yongchang.
“Since Your Majesty knows, why ask me?” Chen Rui replied. “If I’m not mistaken, this military news must be something you anticipated as well, meaning that the first battle of your plans has concluded.”
The Emperor smiled slightly at Chen Rui but immediately darkened his expression upon seeing the Minister of War standing outside.
“Come in!”
The Minister of War entered, drenched in sweat, and upon seeing His Majesty the Emperor, he knelt down nervously. “Your humble servant has failed in oversight; I am guilty!”
“Wrong! You delayed military news! You are guilty!” His Majesty slammed his hand on the table, feigning great anger.
“Your Majesty! The Dragon Court Army appeared near Jinglongzhou in Ankang County three days ago and launched an attack on Ankang County. The defending troops of Jinglongzhou fought desperately but could not withstand the Dragon Court Army’s assault. The people are fighting to defend Ankang City…”
“Enough!” His Majesty slammed the table again with even more force, roaring, “Who told you to spout such nonsense! What are the casualty figures?”
“Over twelve hundred dead in the Dragon Court Army, with the number of injured unknown. Thirty-two thousand five hundred and fifty-eight dead in the Ankang Guard Corps! The number of lightly and severely injured is in the hundreds of thousands!”
The Minister of War was sweating profusely. “Your Majesty! Although they defied Emperor Gaozu's edict, they did manage to hold Ankang City…”
“What did you say?”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, staring at the Minister of War.
“I,” the Minister of War swallowed hard, summoning his courage, “though they defied Emperor Gaozu…”
“Finish your sentence!”
“They held Ankang City.”
The Emperor fell silent for a moment. Chen Rui could clearly see that his mood had improved significantly because the strategic significance of this battle had already been achieved. From now on, whether it was the Dragon Court Army or the forces of the Giant Race or Orc Race, there would be no chance of surrendering in any state or county.
There was now a precedent! The example of Ankang City stood as proof; they had successfully resisted foreign enemies without facing royal punishment.
From this point forward, the enemy's intention to attack any state or county at will would have no chance of success, as they would face defenders with forces many times their own.
“Good!” The Emperor laughed happily. “Why are you still lying on the ground?”
The Minister of War, confused, got up and saw the imperial decree he had just written on the table. He immediately understood what had happened and thought to himself, “The movements of the Dragon Court were discovered by Wang Jingheng and General Li, who were sent to Jiayuguan. Upon discovering this, they changed course to participate in the defense at Ankang County. According to reports from the county magistrate, General Li died heroically on the city walls, while Wang Jingheng was gravely injured during battle but held on until the Dragon Court withdrew before collapsing. However, by the time the medic arrived…”
As he finished speaking, the Emperor, who had just been somewhat excited, suddenly became much colder. After a long pause, he said lightly, “Is that so.”
Feeling the awkwardness in the air, Chen Rui stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, to prevent such tragedies from happening again, we must quickly announce the edict!"
Your Majesty the Emperor sighed, picked up the imperial decree to review it, and handed it to the Minister of War.
"Your Majesty, this is against protocol!"
The Minister of War took the decree with trepidation but did not dare to send anyone to deliver the order directly.
"We are in chaotic times! It is safer to use military force! Just do it; go handle it now!"
The Emperor's voice was somewhat weak. The Minister of War felt he could not say anything further. After bowing to both Your Majesty the Emperor and Chen Rui, he left.
"Was that boy's death not part of your plan?" Chen Rui asked quietly.
"Wang Jingheng? How could it be part of the plan? His grandfather is a Duke, and his father is the Anxi Protector, a renowned general of the nation! But both of them have died in battle; how could I let him die as well?"
The Emperor slumped back onto his throne, speaking weakly.
Chen Rui was somewhat surprised. He had only met that young man once at the Ministry of War. From his perspective, that young man did not resemble a typical noble; instead, he seemed like a child from an ordinary farming family—passionate, impulsive, grateful, and kind-hearted. It was hard to imagine such a pure person existing in a country where nine out of ten young nobles were arrogant.
"What a pity," Chen Rui sighed, feeling regret for the young man's passing.
"Don't dwell on this!" The Emperor regained his composure and looked at Chen Rui with a faint smile. "I need your help with something."
Seeing the Emperor suddenly speaking to him with respect, Chen Rui felt a sense of foreboding and immediately said, "As the Elven race, we cannot appear in either of your armies as a neutral party!"
"Rest assured! We will definitely not involve you in the military!"
Your Majesty the Emperor smiled mischievously, a grin that sent chills down Chen Rui's spine.
***
The Minister of War took the imperial decree back to the Ministry of War, instructing the civil officials to make copies immediately. He also ordered three generals to lead a hundred Imperial Guards to swiftly spread the announcement throughout the entire Tang Dynasty.
"How many bows and arrows are left in the National Treasury?"
"There are over thirty-seven thousand bows and eight hundred ninety thousand arrows!"
"Have thirty thousand bows and six hundred thousand arrows transported urgently to the counties west of Eternal Peace in Tang!"
"But? Where can we find enough transport troops right now? What if they get intercepted on the way?"
The Minister of War smiled slightly. "Intercepted? The announcement will surely arrive at each county ahead of time. By then, who would dare to intercept? Who could intercept? Our mighty Tang army has already been thoroughly provoked."
Comment 0 Comment Count