Luck entry, starting from the Nine Dragons' succession

Chapter 190 Jiang Chaosheng: This boy is like me, a born general.

"I wonder who the senior is?"

The avatar pretended to be confused but knew the truth, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked.

Jiang Chaosheng laughed heartily, patted the avatar's shoulder, and said, "I also have the surname Jiang, so I'm from the same clan as you. You can just call me Uncle Jiang."

"Nephew greets Uncle Jiang."

Upon seeing the charlatan claiming to be his nephew, Jiang Chaosheng was not angry at all; instead, he smiled with satisfaction.

While Jiang Chaosheng was all smiles, Fang Heng was secretly trying to figure out who he was.

Surname Jiang?

Among the former Heavenly Lords, only one had the surname Jiang...

Could it be that this old man before me is the legendary Heavenly Marquis Jiang Chaosheng?

Jiang Chaosheng was a legendary figure in the history of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Because he was a true, humble, and unconnected man.

He was extremely strict in managing his subordinates, a brilliant strategist, and possessed martial arts skills that made him one of the most outstanding among his peers.

Furthermore, this person has a fiery temper and even dared to contradict the late emperor.

As for how Jiang Chaosheng was eventually dismissed from his post as Tianhou?

At this moment, Fang Heng was also unaware.

All that is known is that Jiang Chaosheng seems to have defied the late emperor's order to seek the Dao, and had a major falling out with the late emperor.

What exactly happened?

To avoid offending the respected elders, later generations have no way of knowing.

It happened thirty years ago, when Fang Heng wasn't even a tadpole yet, so naturally he didn't know the details.

However, Jiang Chaosheng now appears amiable, quite different from the legendary fiery temper he is known for.

"Just leave the moving to them."

"Come with me, I'll tell you about the second imperial examination," Jiang Chaosheng said with a smile.

After that…

Without further ado, Jiang Chaosheng led his avatar to his courtyard.

Fang Heng discovered that his avatar was completely unable to move in front of Jiang Chaosheng.

The air around his body was as hard as steel. But in Jiang Chaosheng's hands, it was as soft as a thread.

Fang Heng was amazed by this control over power.

Jiang Chaosheng, accompanied by his avatar, moved forward at an increasingly faster pace, appearing to outsiders almost as if he were teleporting.

Ten breaths later, the two arrived at Jiang Chaosheng's courtyard.

Jiang Chaosheng's courtyard was extremely remote and desolate, devoid of any signs of human activity, and looked like an abandoned courtyard.

This treatment is really unlike what the former Tianhou received.

With Jiang Chaosheng's power, as long as he wanted, he could have as many luxurious mansions, songstresses, and beauties as he pleased.

After entering the room, Jiang Chaosheng poured two cups of coarse tea, took a sip, and began to speak in a leisurely manner.

"Po Jun, are you aware of the examination content for the second round of the imperial examination?"

Upon hearing this, the avatar feigned a shocked expression on its face.

"Uncle Jiang, this isn't a good idea."

"What's wrong?"

"This is a leak of the exam questions!"

"This is unfair!"

The avatar's tone carried a hint of fear and unease.

Seeing his transformed appearance, Jiang Chaosheng became even more certain that Jiang Pojun was a good kid.

If a rich kid heard that the exam questions had been leaked, his first reaction would definitely be excitement, not fear and anxiety.

Jiang Chaosheng smiled, offered his avatar a sip of tea to calm his nerves, and slowly said:

"Don't worry, this doesn't count as leaking the exam questions."

"Although the content of the second test has not yet been announced, all the powerful families already know about it."

"The second test assesses military strategy, which is why they can remain calm and collected until now."

When Jiang Chaosheng said the word "they," he gritted his teeth, as if he harbored great dissatisfaction and resentment.

"Military strategies emphasize inheritance and are mostly passed down to the descendants of military leaders, with very few being circulated outside the military."

Even if one is fortunate enough to inherit the art of war, without guidance, a poor scholar will still be completely bewildered.

Having commanded troops for many years, Jiang Chaosheng naturally knew that military strategy, more than martial arts, emphasizes inheritance and practical application.

Having only one secret technique and talking about it on paper is not enough.

Take, for example, the simplest use of mechanical beasts. Poor students don't even know what mechanical beasts look like, let alone how to use them.
As for military strategy, Fang Heng wouldn't dare claim to be a master strategist, but it would be more than enough for him to pass the imperial examinations.

However, his current identity is that of a refugee from Longxi.

It would be very strange and suspicious if a refugee from Longxi were to be so knowledgeable about military strategy.

Clearing his throat, he revealed a sincere expression, cupped his hands, and said:

"I would appreciate it if Uncle Jiang could enlighten me on military strategy."

Jiang Chaosheng smiled faintly, flipped his right hand, took out a book of military strategy, and placed it in front of his avatar.

"These are the military strategies and insights I have accumulated over decades of commanding troops, and I will give them all to you today."

Upon seeing this, Fang Heng showed a look of astonishment.

For a strategist, military strategy and experience are his most precious possessions.

In some ways, it even surpasses the inheritance of martial arts.

Jiang Chaosheng actually gave such a precious thing to him, a junior he had only just met?
That's really something!

You value yourself too much!

Could it be that he intends to pass on his mantle to me?
A look of deep shock appeared on the avatar's face, and he repeatedly declined, saying:
"Uncle Jiang, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Uncle Jiang, I have no descendants, and I don't want all the knowledge I've gained in my life to go uncarried."

"I find you pleasing to the eye, so I'll give you away today!"

"Listen up, you little brat!"

"My military strategy is profound and extensive. I will only explain it once, so listen carefully!"

As he spoke, Jiang Chaosheng began to explain military strategy to Fang Heng, speaking fluently and eloquently. In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed.

After finishing the discussion of military strategy...

Jiang Chaosheng cleared his throat and asked in a deep voice, "How much of the art of war have you grasped?"

"Eighty to ninety percent!"

Fang Heng cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Eight or nine out of ten," which was already his estimate.

In fact, having read numerous military treatises, Fang Heng had a thorough understanding of Jiang Chaosheng's military strategies, if not complete mastery, but a high-level grasp of them, making them very easy to comprehend.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaosheng raised an eyebrow and his expression turned cold.

"Po Jun, you must not be arrogant."

"Military strategy is not something that can be easily grasped."

"Especially for a martial artist like you who has never been to a military camp, it is difficult to have a direct understanding of the battlefield."

Seeing Jiang Chaosheng's displeasure, the avatar nodded slightly and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Uncle Jiang, I really have mastered it. You can test me if you don't believe me."

After saying that, Jiang Chaosheng clapped his hands and shouted sharply.

"it is good!"

"I'll give you a question right now and test your knowledge."

Immediately afterwards, Fang Heng saw Jiang Chaosheng circulate his blood energy and gently tap the void.

A phantom image of a sand table appeared out of thin air.

On the sand table, mountains rise and fall, rivers meander, and mist swirls, making it seem like a real battlefield.

"Po Jun, the battlefield is unpredictable, and military strategy is like a game of chess. Tonight, I will give you a difficult problem." As he spoke, Jiang Chaosheng extended his index finger and lightly tapped the sand table.

As the blood and qi surged, the mountains and rivers on the sand table suddenly changed.

The once flat plain suddenly rises up, transforming into a precipitous canyon with towering peaks on both sides and only a narrow passage in the middle.

"The enemy has 30,000 troops hiding at the northern end of the canyon, intending to launch a night attack on our camp. You have 5,000 elite soldiers; how can you defeat them?"

After stating the test question, Jiang Chaosheng looked at his avatar with a beaming smile and expectant eyes, eagerly awaiting the answer.

The avatar raised an eyebrow slightly, pondered for a moment, and then his deep, dark eyes swept over the sand table.

He keenly sensed that there was a flowing spiritual mist within the canyon, faintly revealing traces of an array, and he thought to himself:
This is not only a test of military strategy, but also contains hidden secrets.

As he pondered this, Fang Heng already had a method to defeat the enemy in his mind, and said in a deep voice:
"To win with fewer troops, the first step is to confuse the enemy."

As he spoke, he pointed his finger and set up three small teams on the sand table.

Three squads were positioned in a triangular formation on either side of the narrow passage, while the rest of the force feigned a retreat to lure the enemy deeper into the area.

"I used a trick to lure the enemy, feigning a rout, and waited for the enemy to enter the narrow passage before launching an ambush to cut off their retreat."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaosheng's lips curled up slightly, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

"What a brilliant plan to lure the enemy deep into our territory! But what if the enemy general is no mediocre and detects the ambush beforehand, stopping halfway? What will you do then?"

Fang Heng was not surprised when he heard Jiang Chaosheng's second question.

Because he had already considered the question Jiang Chaosheng asked before he even answered it.

The avatar appeared confident, lightly tapping the sand table with his fingertips. As his blood energy flowed in, the mountain peaks on both sides of the narrow passage trembled slightly.

"There is a hidden formation within the canyon's veins. I will dispatch an elite team to oversee the formation, causing rocks to collapse, blocking the enemy's retreat, and forcing them into a decisive battle."

Jiang Chaosheng's eyes flashed, and a look of intense joy and surprise appeared on his face.

Surprisingly, Jiang Pojun possessed such insight into military strategy.

What is gratifying is that someone with such an understanding of military strategy is from a poor family. If he joins the army, he can provide a safe haven for poor children all over the world.

“A good plan, but…”

Jiang Chaosheng smiled slyly, and with a flick of his sleeve, the spiritual mist on the sand table suddenly thickened.

The enemy's formation suddenly changed, transforming into a crane wing formation, splitting into two groups and rushing straight towards the ambush location.

"The enemy general was prepared and divided his forces to break your ambush. He also used mechanical beasts to charge into your formation and break through your army. Do you have any other strategies to defeat the enemy?"

After a brief period of probing, Jiang Chaosheng finally unleashed his trump card, attempting to corner Jiang Pojun.

The air in the room was so thick you could hear a pin drop, it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The avatar remained calm and composed, its gaze sharp, its fingers lightly tapping the sand table to quickly adjust the formation.

He then withdrew his main force and set up a tortoise-shell formation in the center of the narrow passage, condensing spiritual energy into a light shield that was as stable as a rock.

"Use stillness to control movement. The enemy will divide their forces, which will surely weaken their military strength. I will use the tortoise shell formation to guard the central position. When the mechanical beasts charge, we will press on with our momentum, then weaken and eventually exhaust them. Once the mechanical beast army is exhausted, we will activate the earth's veins, turning them into spiritual flames to burn the entire army. Then, we will launch a cavalry raid to disrupt their rear!"

As soon as the avatar finished speaking, Jiang Chaosheng laughed heartily and slammed his hand on the table, standing up abruptly.

"it is good!"

"Po Jun, you are indeed a talented general. You remain calm in the face of danger and your troops adapt to different formations."

Jiang Chaosheng's gaze toward the avatar was filled with increasing approval, as if he had completely regarded him as his successor.

The avatar's understanding of military strategy far exceeded Jiang Chaosheng's expectations.

Jiang Pojun had actually mastered almost all of his lifelong knowledge of military strategy.

Good seedling!
He's truly a born general!

"Po Jun, the second test will assess your knowledge of military strategy. With your expertise in military strategy, even if you can't win first place, ranking in the top three shouldn't be too difficult," Jiang Chaosheng said with satisfaction.

"That's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Uncle Jiang."

Jiang Chaosheng treated the incarnation to a light dinner before the incarnation left.

Watching the departing figure, Jiang Chaosheng felt a deep sense of melancholy.

"You descendants of divine generals probably never dreamed that our humble family would produce a true general this time!"

Originally, this imperial examination did not include any assessment of military strategy.

However, after the divine generals joined forces to submit a memorial requesting that military strategy be included in the examination, their purpose was obvious.

Even the Right Chancellor couldn't withstand the combined petition from the Divine Generals and had to compromise, adding a test on military strategy—clearly biased towards powerful families—to the second round of examinations.

However, the general did not compromise.

The Right Chancellor specially changed the content of the three tests to test the martial artist's Daoist heart.

These descendants of powerful generals, scions of wealthy families, grew up on drugs.

Apart from a few true prodigies, the rest are all sickly and have poor temperaments, which can be seen as the right side's countermeasure against the powerful families of the gods.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Han Que, the commander of the Black Ice Guard, knelt in the main hall, tears streaming down his forehead, and large beads of sweat had already soaked the back of his clothes.

The atmosphere in the air was frozen solid, as if a thunderstorm and torrential rain would erupt at any moment.

The Yuan Chu Emperor, seated on the dragon throne, resembled a raging lion, emanating a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine.

Even from a distance of several dozen feet, one could feel the anger in the heart of the Primordial Emperor, like a volcano about to erupt, which could not be suppressed.

Just now, the Black Ice Platform brought devastating news to the Primordial Emperor.

Lu Wushuang is dead!
Lu Wushuang was highly regarded by Emperor Yuanchu and regarded as an invincible seed.

He died mysteriously after taking the preliminary imperial examination!
This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Emperor Yuanchu.

In Emperor Yuanchu's plan, he would use his invincible body to persuade the ten Daoist courts to hold the imperial examinations, and then have his own people seize the top scholar position.

After all, the imperial examination was the main arena of the imperial court, and in order to win the top scholar position, the imperial court had many ways to secretly help Lu Wushuang.

Even if the Ten Great Dao Courts knew about these underhanded tactics, they couldn't say anything against them.

Because everyone uses it, but as the host country, the imperial court has more means and a greater chance of winning.

The one thing Emperor Yuan Chu never expected was that Lu Wushuang would actually die.

He died tragically in his mansion right after taking the preliminary imperial examination.

What amazing divination techniques!

Such methods must have been the work of the Ten Great Dao Courts.

It could be one of them, or several of them working together, or even the ten Dao Courts joining forces to target Emperor Yuanchu.

In the deep eyes of the Yuan Chu Emperor, a cold glint flashed incessantly, like an ice cave in the far north, so cold that it could freeze anyone's blood.

"Han Que, you have failed in your duties."

"You are to be demoted three ranks, have your salary reduced for a year, and go to the Black Prison to receive fifty strokes of the cane."

Upon hearing Emperor Yuanchu's order to punish him, Han Que breathed a sigh of relief.

The seemingly severe punishment by Emperor Yuanchu was actually a show of leniency.

He was well aware of the enormity of the trouble he had caused.

Being demoted three ranks is already the best outcome.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow to express my gratitude."

Han Que went to the Black Prison to receive his punishment.

Emperor Yuanchu then gave an order, his voice authoritative yet hoarse.

"Please summon the Supervisor!"

"promise!"

Eunuch Su accepted the order and went to the Imperial Observatory.

But before he could even step out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yuanchu's voice rang out again, changing his previous order.

"There's no need to invite the supervisor!"

"I will personally go to the Imperial Observatory."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Su's expression remained seemingly unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil, and strange thoughts flickered in his eyes.

As an old man who had lived through the reign of Emperor Yuanchu, he was all too aware of the meaning behind Emperor Yuanchu's actions.

Emperor Yuanchu was enraged!

(End of this chapter)