Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 169 The Axe That Crushes Powerful Clans!

"Your Highness! It's getting late, so I must take my leave."

Seeing that Huang Chao had left, Jiang Xingzhou was unwilling to linger in the Prince's mansion. He straightened his clothes and stood up, his wide sleeves drooping down like a crane folding its feathers.

The candlelight on the desk suddenly dimmed, as if a black dragon were appearing and disappearing.

The Prince of Langya paused slightly in his hand holding the gold-inlaid rhinoceros horn cup, his expression one of surprise.

A dark glint flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Langya, but he saw Jiang Xingzhou turn around and step over the threshold of the Prince's mansion—the eccentric Huang Chaofang left, and the top scholar of the Jiangnan provincial examination also left.

The moonlight suddenly broke through the clouds, and outside the vermilion gate, the back of the scholar in blue robes descending the steps resembled a sword drawn from its sheath, slowly disappearing into the night.

As night fell, Jiang Xingzhou stepped out of the vermilion gates of the Prince's Mansion, a sigh escaping his lips.

The Prince of Langya is truly blind, unable to recognize a pillar of society.

That Huang Dynasty possesses immense power; it's not just about having a single precious sword!

It is clearly a mountain-opening axe that has been tempered with the cold gleam of salt and iron!

Born into a salt smuggler family, he possessed the pragmatism and ruthlessness of the common people, yet his brows held the ambition of the imperial court. He acted swiftly and decisively, with unwavering courage!

Such a person, if used well, can cleave half the land; if used poorly, can backfire and harm oneself.

Even if the Prince of Langya cannot recruit Huang Chao, the top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination, if he can successfully recruit Huang Chao to serve him, it will make the granaries of Langya Prefecture full and its army strong!
The Crown Prince of Langya dismissed it with disdain, clearly treating the Langya Commandery's abundant provisions, armor, and weapons as worthless.

"He only wants the top scholar in the Jiangnan region, yet he deems those from humble backgrounds too arrogant. The Prince of Langya's vision is limited to this!"

Jiang Xingzhou chuckled and shook his head.

The moonlight cast a long shadow of Huang Chao in the distance, making it look exactly like a silver spear stuck diagonally into the bluestone path.

He himself was unwilling to submit to the Prince of Langya.

The Prince of Langya, however, looked down on Huang Chao, this "wild scholar".

The Prince of Langya was caught in a limbo, his efforts were all for naught, and the banquet at the Prince of Langya's mansion ultimately served to the fish and shrimp in the ditch.

When the Prince of Langya saw Jiang Xingzhou take his leave, his face suddenly darkened. His knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and his gaze was fixed on the direction Jiang Xingzhou had gone.

He suddenly threw the cup in his hand to the ground!
"Snapped--"

The glass goblet exploded into countless starlight on the blue brick floor, and amber wine splashed onto the hem of the python robe.

The entire hall of scholars froze instantly. Some were half-bowed, unsure whether to stand up or sit down, like a flock of frozen quails.

"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you!"
Those who should be kept should not be kept.

The Prince of Langya spat out a few words through gritted teeth, and when his gaze swept over the assembled scholars, they felt as if a blade had scraped their spines. "...Those who should leave, not one of them has left!"

The prince lowered his eyes and stared at the ice fragments floating in the wine, then suddenly chuckled softly.

—Isn't that right?
In Jiangnan, among the tens of thousands of scholars, who could tread through mountains of corpses and seas of blood to win the top spot in the provincial examination? Which one of them wasn't a reincarnation of the God of Literature?
Unfortunately, the high-ranking official of the Langya Prince's Mansion, who held a position of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measurement), was unable to retain Qingfeng and was directly rejected by her.

Instead, it attracted Huang Chao, a failed scholar who had become arrogant and arrogant, who jumped out and recommended himself as the head of the Imperial Physician, which disgusted Huang Chao.

The Prince of Langya glanced at the fresh crack on the lintel. When the salt smuggler's son smashed the cup and left, even the sandalwood was scratched with a three-inch deep crack.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, I take my leave!"

The quails in the room were finally startled awake. They looked at each other, the atmosphere was awkward, and they scattered in a panic.

The Prince of Langya was scolding them for their lack of discernment—the top scholar from Jiangnan who should have stayed did not, while they, a group of mediocre talents who should have left, still refused to go!
The bright moon, which could not be held back, sank behind the western mountains, while the crows, which could not be driven away, continued to caw noisily on the beams.

They couldn't bear such mockery!

Langya Palace.

At the banquet, the scholars hurriedly took their leave, leaving only leftovers.

The gilded candlesticks dripped with mottled wax tears, reflecting the mess of cups and plates throughout the room.

The servants held their breath and bowed their heads; only the dripping of the water clock was particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

Both the Prince of Langya and his son had ashen faces.

"Father!"

The Crown Prince of Langya slammed his hand on the table, causing the silver chopsticks to fall to the ground. "Your subject originally thought that inviting me with the position of Langzhongling with a salary of two thousand shi would be enough to tempt the top scholar of Jiangnan Province."

Unexpectedly, his ungrateful behavior didn't even earn him a bow of respect!

The position of Langzhongling in a prefecture or kingdom, when placed in the Great Zhou Dynasty, was equivalent to that of a prefect.

The position of prefect, which was a coveted ladder to success for those who had not yet passed the imperial examinations, had now become a silent joke.

The Prince of Langya tapped his knuckles on the jade wine cup, then suddenly sneered: "Hmph, Jiang Jieyuan's arrogance is nothing more than thinking that as the top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination, he will surely become the top scholar, second-place scholar, or third-place scholar!"
He achieved the highest honors in all three imperial examinations and entered the Hanlin Academy as a scholar!
They would naturally disdain any attempts to recruit us from our own prefectures and kingdoms!

Moonlight swept across the roof ornaments of the Prince's mansion, casting the shadows of the father and son into ferocious beast-like shapes. The crackled porcelain cup in his hand creaked under its weight.

The Great Zhou Dynasty controlled vast literary resources, and to become a Hanlin Academician, one had to enter the Great Zhou Hanlin Academy.

—And this is something that feudal lords and kingdoms can never compare to!

As the candlelight flickered, the Prince of Langya tapped his knuckles lightly on the sandalwood table and said in a deep voice, "Is there anyone to be chosen as the chief examiner for this year's imperial examination?"
"If we can persuade the examiner to fail him, let's see what kind of high and mighty attitude he'll have in front of me!"

The prince's expression froze, and he said in a low voice, "Father, you are wise. Right now, the court is fiercely vying for the position of chief examiner."

Those old foxes in the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, which one wouldn't want to use the spring imperial examinations to select top talents and cultivate their own protégés and cronies?

He gritted his teeth, "Besides, these six ministers each have their own factions behind them, and I'm afraid they won't give us princes any face at all."

Interfering in the examination process would easily give others a handle to use against us!

A sudden gust of wind blew through the room, causing the candlelight to flicker wildly.

—An ironclad rule of the imperial court: official officials of the court are not allowed to have private dealings with princes.

These candidates, who had not yet entered officialdom and held government positions, were seeking appointments, which is why they were able to attend the banquet at the Langya Prince's Mansion.

Moreover, since the chief examiner for the imperial examination had not yet been appointed, he had no way to bribe him.

Even if it affects the chief examiner of the provincial examination, it only affects the ranking of the provincial examination.

After that, there is the palace examination, personally presided over by His Majesty, which determines the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua) and the ranking of the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). It is even more difficult to interfere with that.

Seeing this, the crown prince cautiously asked, "Father, there are ten provinces in the Great Zhou Dynasty, each with a top scholar. Why only focus on the Jiangnan Province?"
Or perhaps we could try finding other solution providers?

"Humph!

Of the ten provincial examination champions, how many came from humble backgrounds?

The Pei family of Guanzhong, the Liu family of Bashu, the Li family of Jingchu, the Cui family of Zhongyuan, and the Gongsun family of Jibei—they were all born into prestigious and powerful families. Who among them would be willing to serve in my Langya Commandery?!

The Prince of Langya said coldly.

"Tonight's banquet saw you invite all the top scholars from the ten provinces of the Great Zhou. Apart from Jiang Xingzhou, no other scholars attended. Clearly, they had their own plans!"

"After calculating and calculating!"
Jiang Xingzhou from Jiangnan Road was the only poor scholar without any powerful backing.

Moreover, Jiang Xingzhou is the strongest among the top ten scholars!
His poems and essays, all of them at the level of [Dazhou and Mingzhou], are unparalleled in the world, unmatched by anyone else!

The Prince of Langya suddenly stood up, the gold thread on his python robe turning blood-red in the candlelight: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

He clenched his fist and crushed the jade cup in his hand: "If the foundation of my Langya Kingdom is to reach new heights, how can it be without the assistance of extraordinary talents?"

Since he refuses to back down—then we'll eliminate him in the imperial examination!

Only by cutting off Jiang Xingzhou's path to officialdom through the imperial examinations, leaving him with no hope for the future, can we hope to bring him into the service of the feudal lords and commanderies.

"But the chief examiner for the imperial examination is still unknown?"

"It's alright, let's wait for the results!"
This year's chief examiner will either be the Minister of War or the Minister of Works! Presenting precious gifts will always smooth things over.

Moreover, so many people are eyeing the position of Jinshi—the top scholar, the second-ranked scholar, and the third-ranked scholar!
Once you become the top scholar in the imperial examination and are favored by His Majesty, you will surely become a vice minister or minister in the Three Departments and Six Ministries!
They'd love to crush all their rivals!
Jiang Xingzhou's ambition to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations will inevitably make him a target of attacks from all forces, both within and outside the court!

Nobody will help him!

"What Father said is true. Even if we don't take action, someone else will!"

How easy is it for a prince from a humble background to compete for the title of top scholar in the Great Zhou Dynasty's imperial examination!

Once he has suffered enough setbacks, he will realize that my golden branch is the true home for this fine bird!

Outside the window, a dark cloud quietly obscured the moonlight.

The night wind swept through the bluestone alley, carrying frost and dew. Jiang Xingzhou sped forward a few steps and caught up with Huang Chao.

"Brother Huang, please wait!"

The solitary figure ahead suddenly stopped, the official badge at his waist gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Huang Chao turned around, and Jiang Xingzhou saw the unextinguished flame in his eyes—a stubborn fire that, despite twenty years of hardship, refused to fade, a scholar from a poor family.

Huang Chao, a "madman," is not uncommon in China throughout history.

Jia Dao, a scholar from a poor family, failed the imperial examinations repeatedly for more than twenty years. Finally, in the examination hall, he angrily wrote a poem called "The Sick Cicada," satirizing the powerful examiners: "The yellow sparrow and the kite, both harbor the intention to harm you."

He compared himself to a cicada, and directly likened the examiners to the orioles and crows that harm the cicada, exposing the corrupt and powerful examination system, which was as dark as a crow's den.

Such arrogance naturally led to a miserable end. He was criticized by the examiners as "a person without talent" and listed among the "Ten Evils of the Examination Hall" along with Ping Zeng and others. He was banned from taking the exam for life, and his career in officialdom was cut off.

Li Bai experienced this fate, Li He drank from it, and Meng Jiao swallowed it. So many brilliant literary works were ultimately trapped in the imperial examinations. Without the means to advance or the power to do so, they could only pour their emotions into poetry and prose in order to break through social barriers.

Jiang Xingzhou was all too familiar with the fury in Huang Chao's eyes at that moment—it was the indignation of a poor scholar, the stubbornness of doing what is impossible, and the pride of refusing to bow down even when hitting a wall.

"I've made a fool of myself in front of Brother Jiang! I'm ashamed!"

Huang Chao gave a bitter laugh, his fist clenched so tightly in his sleeve that it turned white, but he still refused to loosen it. He could only let out a long sigh: "I, Huang, overestimated myself and actually recommended myself to the Prince of Langya as the Imperial Physician, only to be humiliated to his face!"

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Xingzhou laughed, but there was no mockery in his eyes, instead they were burning brightly. "Brother Huang is too modest! The King of Langya didn't recruit you because he's blind to true talent!"
With your talent, wouldn't it be beneath you to be appointed to a mere county or prefecture court?
—Let alone prefectures and kingdoms!
Even if they were ministers or vice ministers of the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the Great Zhou Dynasty, what's wrong with that?
Don't think I'm flattering or praising you.

Brother Huang, you are currently a hidden dragon on the shore, but you were born at the wrong time and lack the opportunity to truly soar!

Jiang Xingzhou's voice deepened, "I, Jiang Xingzhou, never judge people lightly!"

He turned to Gu Zhimian, who had just left the Langya Prince's Mansion, and asked, "Brother Gu, can you testify?"

Gu Zhimian was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded: "Indeed. I was classmates with Brother Jiang for five years, and I never received a single word of praise from him."

Brother Jiang reigns supreme in Jiangnan, unmatched by anyone!

He said to Huang Chao with some surprise, "Brother Jiang has praised Brother Huang so highly today. This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing."

Huang Chao was taken aback upon hearing this.

Since arriving in Luoyang, he had been used to ridicule and cold looks. He had never received such undisguised praise before.

A lump formed in his throat, and he was speechless for a moment.

Moonlight spilled over his brow bone and into his eyes—there, the embers that had been dormant for many years were finally ignited, shining brightly.

"Brother Jiang's words today will never be forgotten in my life!"

In this life, how many true friends do we have?

From now on, if you ever request anything, I will not dare to refuse!

Huang Chao bowed deeply, his voice low yet each word resounding, as if he wanted to nail these words into his very bones.

As he turned and left, his figure gradually faded into the night, leaving only the sword at his waist, occasionally reflecting a cold, sharp light.

Gu Zhimian frowned slightly as he watched Huang Chao's departing figure, and said in a low voice, "Brother Jiang, this man is known as a 'madman' and acts erratically. He is probably not a good person... If we associate with him, I'm afraid we will bring trouble upon ourselves in the future!"

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and unfathomable, a faint smile playing on his lips: "He is the son of a salt merchant, and from a young age, he was exposed to ruthless and vicious methods, and he never forgot what he saw."

Now, having suffered injustice, he is filled with resentment and anger; given time, he will surely become a formidable figure.

He paused, his voice deep and slow, "Rather than offending a royal family like the Prince of Langya, it's better not to offend him—his anger is sharper than swords."

"Brother Jiang, since you know this person is stubborn, why did you still do it?"

Gu Zhimian was taken aback, still puzzled.

Although he came from a poor family, he had been studying and farming since childhood, and his bones were imbued with Confucian values ​​of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom. How could he understand the despair and madness of a salt merchant's son under the oppression and strife of powerful families?
—Throughout history, have any salt merchants been virtuous?

Their wealth, accumulated over generations, is soaked in blood; they are ruthless and untamed. But what terrifying power will such a nature unleash when pushed to the brink?

Gu Zhimian couldn't imagine it, but Jiang Xingzhou could see it clearly.

"This person...I have a great use for him!"

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the cold night and startling crows perched on the eaves.

The weapon of criticism is ultimately no match for the criticism of weapons!
His eyes were deep and dark as he gazed at the inky black sky in the distance, his gaze chilling.

There were countless obstacles in front of him.

The twelve powerful families of Jinling, the princes and kings of Langya—their influence was intertwined, like vines, covering the entire court.

To shake the deeply entrenched feudal lords, powerful clans, and nobles of the Great Zhou Dynasty, one day... a bloodbath will be necessary!
He didn't want to get involved.

Of course, a white glove is needed to do these dirty jobs!
Huang Chao is just such a precious sword—a peerless, deadly blade tempered with resentment, destined to draw blood sooner or later.

Since that's the case, why not try to win them over as soon as possible?
Even provide some support!
If the Prince of Langya doesn't need the eccentric Huang Chao, then he will be used!
When the time is right, all it takes is a gentle push...

This world will surely sharpen the blade of this peerless weapon!
By forging a peerless weapon to draw fire from the front, one can naturally greatly deplete the strength of all opponents.

At that point, they won't have time to target us.
(End of this chapter)