Chapter 2258: The Alliance Surrenders!
The world was vast, and the three Great Generals were extremely familiar with the terrain of the northeast. Even Wang Chong found it difficult to swiftly find and capture them. But to his surprise, the alliance sovereigns had sealed the dantians of these three, tied them up with chains, and sent them over as gifts to express their sincerity.
The delivery of these three made the stance of the alliance sovereigns crystal-clear.
“Release me! Bastard!”
“Yeon Gaesomun, you despicable scoundrel! Even if this general dies, I won’t forgive you!”
Their eyes were blindfolded, and each one was being escorted by four armored soldiers. As they were brought over, they struggled against their restraints and constantly cursed.
Wang Chong looked down from atop the walls and loudly said, “Generals, long time no see!”
Buzz!
The three furious generals suddenly went stiff, and they ceased to struggle.
Whoosh!
Behind them, the armored guards took the blindfolds from their eyes.
“It’s you!”
When they saw Wang Chong, the three of them paled and scowled.
There was no need to explain why Ozmish Khagan, Yeon Gaesomun, and the others had done this, and why, when they awoke, they had found their surroundings much warmer. The answer was right in front of their eyes.
“Hmph! Despicable scoundrels! So they wanted to use our lives to beg for mercy from the Great Tang!”
Tian Chengsi coldly snorted, an understanding look in his eyes.
“If you want us to surrender to you, there’s no need!”
“Life and death are destined, and riches and honor are decided by the heavens. Since we have fallen into your hands, we have nothing to say. Whether it is execution or torture, it is all up to you!”
Tian Qianzhen twisted his head to the side as he spoke.
The three of them understood their fate.
“Impudent!”
“You dare to speak so impudently in front of His Highness?!”
Before Wang Chong could speak, the armored Tang guards, who were brimming with respect for Wang Chong, instantly rebuked them.
Tian Chengsi and the other two coldly snorted. They stood up straight, no regret on their faces.
The victor was king while the defeated was a scoundrel; that was all. It was impossible for them to bow their heads to Wang Chong.
“You’re overthinking it.”
Wang Chong waved his hand and stopped the armored guards.
“All of you were sent over by the alliance sovereigns. I have never said anything about trying to make you yield.”
Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and Tian Qianzhen might have been powerful, but for Wang Chong, no matter how strong they were, he would find it very hard to use them.
The three of them instantly fell silent at these words.
At this moment, all three of them understood what Wang Chong meant.
Cui Qianyou suddenly stepped forward and asked, “King of Foreign Lands, before I die, can you answer a question for me?”
“Speak,” Wang Chong said.
“Did you really kill our master?” Cui Qianyou asked.
Wang Chong nodded. “I have already sent his head to the capital.”
Cui Qianyou let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and said no more.
Tian Qianzhen and Tian Chengsi grew quiet.
As Wang Chong looked at the three, his eyes flickered.
Any one of these three was an outstanding figure, but alas, they had chosen the wrong master. Rather than bringing good fortune to the Great Tang, they had stirred up a calamity.
In his last life, they had been responsible for almost destroying the entire Central Plains.
“Go, then,” Wang Chong suddenly said, his voice soft. He extended his hand and lightly shook it. A moment later, with a great boom, a massive, dark golden Halo of Spacetime descended from the heavens.
This dark golden Halo of Spacetime was as heavy as a mountain, and as the Halo of Spacetime descended, its immense power crushed down, instantly obliterating the three of them.
These three criminals who had brought calamity on the Central Plains were crushed into pulp.
Zhang Que called over several soldiers, who quickly cleaned up their remains.
Wang Chong quickly left the wall and entered the inner hall of the Andong Protectorate headquarters.
Here, Wang Chong met with Ozmish Khagan, Yeon Gaesomun, and the other sovereigns.
“Paying respects to the King of Foreign Lands!”
Yeon Gaesomun, the Khitan King, the Xi Queen, and Ozmish Khagan all prostrated.
Surprisingly, besides the Xi Queen, the rest of the sovereigns were all tied up, with thick ropes tied around their hands and several planks on their backs. They appeared exactly like criminals.
Though Wang Chong had known what they were planning, he was still taken aback.
Baring one’s back to be punished!
They had learned from a classical story of the Central Plains and hoped to gain a little chance at survival through this method.
“Your Majesties, what is the reason for this?”
Wang Chong glanced over them, but rather than helping them up, he walked to the table that An Lushan had once used, took a cup of tea, and lightly sipped.
The sovereigns blushed red in shame.
Wang Chong had to know what they were doing. In the past, they would have been enraged. As the saying went, a gentleman could be killed, but not humiliated. However, at this time, they had no choice but to bow their heads.
The cold wave had descended, and everywhere besides Youzhou was sealed in ice. There was no place for them to go.
Their numerous subjects were more important than their dignity.
Ozmish Khagan’s face was filled with guilt as he broke the silence. “Your Highness, this was our error. You may do with us what you must, but we hope that Your Highness will forgive past misdeeds and give the Turkic people a chance.”
Yeon Gaesomun bowed his head and respectfully said, “The victor is king while the loser is a scoundrel. We joined An Lushan in attacking the Great Tang, and our crimes are unforgivable. But we hope that Your Highness can spare our Goguryeon people. Goguryeo is willing to serve the Great Tang for eternity.”
“We are willing to join the Great Tang! Your Highness, please shelter us!” The Khitan King was much more direct, and after saying his piece, he lowered his head.
With this defeat, all of the countries were thrown into unprecedentedly dire straits. In the space of a few days, they had all lost a horrifying number of people, all of them unable to withstand the cold and frozen to death. If they had not been forced into this desperate situation, they would have never willingly surrendered to the Great Tang.
“Hmph, if all of you had succeeded together with An Lushan, you would not have been so merciful to the Great Tang!”
Wang Chong coldly laughed, and his words instantly made them turn ghastly pale.
“Y-Your Highness, we did not have this intention,” the Khitan King stammered, but he found himself unable to continue.
The Great Tang was too powerful, and living space was too limited. Whether it was to rule the land or for the sake of their own empires, if the alliance had won, it would not have been kind to the Great Tang.
This had been a battle of life or death.
Both the Great Tang and the countries of the alliance knew that arguing here was pointless.
They were all extremely uneasy. If Wang Chong did not show mercy, then all he needed to do was quietly wait in Youzhou, and all the people and soldiers of the alliance would freeze to death with no chance at survival.
“King of Foreign Lands, so long as you spare the lives of our people, then no matter what you ask, even if it is my own life, this one will not have any complaint,” Ozmish Khagan suddenly said.
After all, he had been a renowned sovereign. His greatest desire had always been to lead the Turkic people in ruling the world and becoming the strongest empire on the continent.
But in the end, as the highest sovereign of the Eastern Turks, Ozmish Khagan was not completely heartless.
After comparing his personal desire to the welfare of all the Eastern Turks, Ozmish Khagan had finally decided to shoulder his burden as sovereign of his empire.
Yeon Gaesomun also spoke up. “I was the one who decided to join An Lushan in attacking the Great Tang. It has nothing to do with the people of Goguryeo. If the King of Foreign Lands wishes to vent his anger, please take my head!”
Whether it was in terms of personal strength or army strength, he had lost any ability to contend against the Great Tang. The only path to survival was relinquishing his dignity and parting with some things.
“Did I say that I wouldn’t agree?” Wang Chong suddenly said.
“Ah!”
The sovereigns trembled in shock and joy as they raised their heads.
They saw Wang Chong with a calm expression on his face, his hands behind his back.
It was truly wicked and unpardonable for the other countries to join An Lushan and attack the Great Tang, but they were different from the likes of Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and Tian Qianzhen.
Tian Chengsi and company were Han, yet they aided the evildoer in sowing chaos throughout the land. If Wang Chong had not appeared to stop them, countless people in the Central Plains would have died due to their actions.
But Yeon Gaesomun and the other sovereigns were different.
These countries had never been friends with the Great Tang, and it was only right that they join with An Lushan to attack the Great Tang.
Of course, for Wang Chong, the primary concern was still the future apocalypse.
Though An Lushan had dealt an enormous blow to the Central Plains, he and his rebels were still not the continent’s greatest foe.
For Wang Chong, the ultimate foe of the continent was the otherworldly invaders who would arrive in the future in an endless flood.
Although An Lushan was dead, Heaven had successfully absconded with his soul.
Moreover, so long as the Celestial God Organization existed, the threat of the otherworldly invaders would persist.
Wang Chong had to take precautions.
The coming war would not be a war involving one person or country. The Great Tang alone would find it very difficult to withstand the ceaseless flood of otherworldly invaders.
Only by bringing together the strength of all the countries could they fend off the calamity, and this was why Wang Chong was willing to spare them.
The strength of the other countries was still useful to him.