The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Chong’er, there are some things that your grandfather cannot tell you not because he is unwilling, but because they are far too important for him to speak about. In other words, now is not the time for me to tell you!”

The Old Master sighed, a complicated expression on his face. A look of recollection appeared in his turbid eyes but quickly faded away.

“Grandpa!”

Wang Chong’s brow rose. Today’s meeting had already completely surpassed his expectations.

His grandfather actually knew about what was happening to the Sage Emperor!

This was Wang Chong’s sole harvest today.

Cough, cough!

His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of coughing.

Wang Chong grimaced and raised his head, only to see his straight-backed and austere grandfather suffering from a fierce coughing fit, even his face turning rather pale.

The Old Madam hastily patted him on the back.

“Grandpa!”

In alarm, Wang Chong got up and grabbed the Old Master’s thin fingers, sending a stream of Stellar Energy across.

“I’m fine—just one of my occasional coughing spells. I’ll be fine soon. Don’t worry!”

Sensing Wang Chong’s worries, the Old Master waved his hand and indicated that he was fine.

He took some tea from the Old Madam, took a sip, and slowly began to recover.

Wang Chong looked with deep concern at his grandfather.

Though his grandfather was a member of the civil path, he had also cultivated martial arts and had reached a formidable level. If not for various internal injuries that had caused his cultivation to decline, he would not have fallen to the level of an ordinary person, liable to catch colds and erupt in coughing fits.

Moreover, after his grandfather’s birthday, Wang Chong had always gone out of the way to send his grandfather medicines to strengthen his body and health.

An irrepressible concern and unease welled up in Wang Chong’s mind.

The Old Master pushed aside the Old Madam’s arm and sternly said to Wang Chong, “Chong-er, remember, you must keep the jade pendant the Sage Emperor gave you safe no matter what. It is much more important than you think!”

“Alright, Chong-er, let’s end things here for today. Your grandfather’s health isn’t that good, and he needs some rest,” the Old Madam said.

Wang Chong hesitated, but then he remembered his grandfather’s coughing fit, which sent spasms of reluctance through his heart.

“Grandmother, I have some pills here. Have Grandfather take them. In another few days, I’ll send some more pills over!”

Wang Chong saw that he wasn’t going to get anything more from this conversation. After making a bow, he quickly left.

Once Wang Chong was gone, the Old Master slowly straightened his back and shared a glance with the Old Madam. The two of them had complicated expressions as they deeply sighed.

“Old Master, is it really best if we don’t tell him anything?” the Old Madam unhappily said. She had almost spoken out just now, but she had managed to restrain herself at the last moment.

“It is not that we are unwilling to tell him, but that we do not have the ability to. Not everything has an answer, and knowing the truth too early is not necessarily a good thing!”

The Old Master sighed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

“From a certain perspective, this is protecting both him and the empire!”

The Old Master appeared somewhat uncomfortable as he spoke, and with the Old Madam’s help, he walked into his chambers.

Wang Chong quickly made his way out of Four Quarters Embassy, winding his way through the fake mountains and bamboo thickets. As he exited the gate, he looked up at the dark clouds overhead and took in a deep breath, a complicated look on his face.

His visit to Four Quarters Embassy had brought him some answers, but that initial question in his mind remained unanswered.

“Let’s go!”

Wang Chong boarded his carriage and went on his way.

As Wang Chong’s carriage was passing by the eastern side of Four Quarters Embassy, a voice suddenly spoke.

“Is that the Nine Provinces Protector-General, the honorable Wang Chong?”

Neeeigh! The carriage came to a stop. Inside, Wang Chong’s face darkened and his brow creased.

“Who’s there?”

“Your Highness, on my Old Master’s orders, I have waited here for your honored presence for some time! The Old Master has said that if Your Highness wishes to know some answers, why not have a seat in his quarters?”

The middle-aged guard by the side of the road deeply bowed.

“Old Master?”

Wang Chong raised an eyebrow. Raising the carriage curtain, he glanced at the emblem of the black halberd on a cloud on the guard’s left chest, upon which his heart thumped.

The Yao Clan!

Wang Chong’s body fiercely trembled.

The Yao Clan was the only clan that used this sort of emblem in the capital, and the only person in the Yao Clan that could be addressed as Old Master was Yao Chong, Old Master Yao!

Even someone who had been through so much as Wang Chong could not help but be shaken, a look of extreme surprise on his face.

The Wang Clan and Yao Clan were old foes. The Wang Clan Old Master had begun fighting with the Yao Clan Old Master in the era of the previous Emperor, and they had spent all their lives continuing the fight.

And the Yao Clan’s Yao Guangyi had supported King Qi and devised all sorts of schemes against the Wang Clan. If not for Wang Chong’s prompt appearance at Vast Crane Pavilion, the Wang Clan would have fallen into his trap and started on the path to decline, a completely different destiny from the one they had now.

Wang Chong had battled with Yao Guangyi and his son, Yao Feng, but he had never battled with the Yao Clan’s Old Master. When it came to politics, the Yao Clan’s Old Master was an extremely troublesome foe.

The Old Master had weathered the storms of one government after another, always standing firm.

When the Sage Emperor took the throne, a rebellion broke out in the palace. His grandfather Duke Jiu had used this chance to gain the merit of assisting the dragon to the throne, reversing the tides when the situation was hopeless. In this way, he allowed the Sage Emperor to safely take the throne and became the Duke Jiu revered by all the people of the realm.

But the Yao Clan’s Old Master had no such achievements. He did not take part in the rebellion, nor did he assist in pacifying it. Nevertheless, he had managed to become Prime Minister of the Great Tang, and his Yao Clan became an influential force in the court.

Most miraculously, even though King Qi was toppled in the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Yao Guangyi, who had been one of King Qi’s important advisors, and the Yao Clan had emerged completely unscathed. There was no doubt that Old Master Yao had played a major role in this.

As long as Old Master Yao still breathed, no one would be able to touch the Yao Clan.

Wang Chong had not expected Old Master Yao to send someone to invite him over just when he was investigating the truth behind the events of the palace.

Wang Chong quickly made up his mind and firmly declared, “Lead the way!”

The Sage Emperor had established Four Quarters Embassy with the intention of inviting these two virtuous ministers of the Great Tang to reside there so that he could consult the two of them when necessary. Alas, the two old gentlemen had such a sour relationship that the Sage Emperor was forced to divide Four Quarters Embassy into two. One side was for the Wang Clan’s Duke Jiu and the other side was for the Yao Clan’s Old Master Yao.

Wang Chong would always pass by the eastern side on his visits to Four Quarters Embassy, but he had never gone in.

Unlike Duke Jiu, Yao Chong did not plant bamboo thickets in his courtyard. His courtyard was a mishmash of things, with any kind of tree or flower one might think of. But one could tell that the Yao Clan’s Old Master did not necessarily like these things.

The trees were not pruned and the flowers were arranged in a completely random fashion.

But what truly drew Wang Chong’s attention was the numerous bird cages hanging from the branches. These bird cages were all intricately constructed, and all of them were kept sparkling clean. Though birds were being raised within, there was little excrement in the cages. They were so clean that it was obvious that they were carefully cleaned at set intervals.

Parrots, yellow orioles, nightingales, hwameis, larks… all kinds of birds were leaping about their cages and singing their melodious songs.

One could see that much more care and attention was placed on the birds than on the plants.

Many people in the capital knew that Old Master Yao liked raising birds.

“Your Highness, just up ahead!” the Yao Clan guard said.

Wang Chong came back to his senses and followed the guard into the reception hall.

In a room that wasn’t far from his grandfather’s residence, Wang Chong saw another influential luminary of the court, a man who had contended with his grandfather for influence and led the other half of the country and its officials: Old Master Yao.

His hair was white and his face was covered in wrinkles. He gripped a cane in one hand and wore rather simple clothes. He appeared just like any other old man.

Unless they had been informed beforehand, no one would have been able to pick him out from the crowds on the street as the illustrious Prime Minister Yao!

As Wang Chong inspected Yao Chong, Yao Chong inspected Wang Chong.

This youth was eighteen, going on nineteen, an age group that was highly represented amongst the noble scions. But the majority of these people were still playing around with cock fighting or dog fighting, still struggling at the lowest levels of power. Yet this youth already had a dazzling array of titles: Nine Provinces Protector-General, King of Foreign Lands, Empire Guardian Great General, Official of the Lingyan Pavilion, Son of Heaven’s disciple… If he was willing, he could make this list even longer.

Even someone as proud as Old Master Yao had to admit that not even he could have done all this at this age.

And in terms of influence, ‘Might Makes Right’ and the conquest of Arabia had left Yao Chong choking in his dust.

“I fought Wang Bowu for more than half my life, but to my surprise, I lost to his grandson.”

Old Master Yao couldn’t help but emotionally sigh as he looked at Wang Chong.

Wang Chong was startled. Everyone knew the pride of ‘Minister Yao’.

Otherwise, he would not still be quarreling with his grandfather in his seventies and eighties. One could tell that the random assortment of trees and flowers in his courtyard were a mockery of his grandfather’s bamboo thickets. Old Master Yao had nothing but disdain for the scholarly airs put on by his grandfather.

He had allowed his trees to grow so tall precisely so that Old Master Wang could see.

But on Wang Chong’s first meeting with Yao Chong, the man who had once said ‘I won’t lose to that Wang Bowu even in my old age’ had spoken such concessionary words.

“Your Highness, Yao Chong pays his respects!”

Yao Chong, in his simple black clothes, gripped his cane, stood up, and bowed to Wang Chong.

“I would not dare! Wang Chong cannot accept Minister Yao’s bow!”

Wang Chong stood to the side and returned a bow.

While the Yao and Wang Clans had always been foes, Wang Chong would not take advantage of them at this juncture and receive a bow from the eighty-some-year-old Old Master Yao. While Wang Chong might never back down when their clans fought, he would always choose to maintain his courtesy and decorum.