Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 172 Mingzhou's "Swordsman Meng Zhan" [Ten years to hone a sword, its frosty edge yet to be tested]!

"it is good!"

Xue Chonghu rose with a flick of his sleeve, and the candlelight on the table suddenly rose three inches, casting the shadows of all the nobles on the wall like a pack of tigers roaring in the forest.

"Now that the plan has been decided, we invite Scholar Jiang to come to our residence for a discussion."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "From today onwards, Jiang Xingzhou shall be the leader of my noble lineage!"

As dusk deepened on Tianjie Street, the eaves of Zhuangyuan Tower were gilded with a golden glow in the evening light.

Xue Li, the chief steward of the Xue family, stood in front of the stone steps of the pavilion, watching the young man in a blue robe slowly descend the stairs. He was momentarily stunned by the incredible beauty of the young man and almost dared not recognize him.

He suddenly remembered that at the beginning of spring, this young man was still a student of the Xue family, practicing calligraphy under the trees in the Langhuan Library of the Xue family, his official career uncertain.

In just one year, he has achieved the top score in three consecutive examinations and has become the top scholar in the Jiangnan region's provincial examinations.

Tonight, he was suddenly elected as the leader by the joint petition of twenty dukes and a hundred marquises and earls, becoming the leading figure among the nobles of the Great Zhou.

Xue Li bowed respectfully, his hands trembling slightly beneath his sleeves: "Young Master Jiang, Duke Xue has arrived in Luoyang. The dukes are currently hosting a banquet at the Duke of Qin's residence and have specially ordered me to come and welcome you."

A night breeze swept by, lifting the tassels of the jade pendant at Jiang Xingzhou's waist.

The jade pendant gleamed with a warm glow in the twilight, much like his smiling eyes and brows: "Steward Xue, there's no need for such formalities."

The Xue family's carriage rolled over the bluestone slabs of the street, slowly heading towards the Duke of Qin's mansion.

"Uncle Xue, did you say what the purpose of this banquet is?!"

Jiang Xingzhou sat in the carriage, gazing at the flowing lights outside the curtain.

The carriage curtain swayed slightly, and a wisp of twilight seeped into the carriage, casting dappled light and shadow on his fingertips.

"Please rest assured, young master."

Xue Li's voice was accompanied by the sound of wheels rolling over bluestone slabs, "Twenty dukes have jointly signed a petition to form an alliance with you, young master, and have made you the leader of the alliance."

Jiang Xingzhou's heart stirred slightly, his lips curled up, and he lightly tapped the window frame with his knuckles.

Outside the car, the lights of thousands of homes hung like an inverted Milky Way, reflecting a dark glint in his eyes.

—As expected, they've arrived.

He had long considered forming an alliance with the nobility and was thinking about how to discuss it with Uncle Xue to push for the alliance.

Unexpectedly, the Xun Gui Group came to him first!

Of course, this is not surprising.
These nobles, as one of the oldest established forces in the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, have been able to survive to this day because they are naturally able to judge the situation and know how to assess the circumstances.

Despite their formidable power, the major clans and princes still used various treasures and marriage alliances to try their best to win over the newly rich candidates in the imperial examinations and strengthen their own power base both inside and outside the court!

Moreover, the declining Great Zhou war meritorious noble group has sensed an even more dangerous atmosphere, and will only be more eager to deal with it!

If they continue to be marginalized in the Great Zhou Dynasty, they will eventually meet their demise!

Previously, the Xun Gui Group had been unable to find a suitable successor to lead the entire group out of its predicament.

Now, the noble group has finally found the most suitable candidate—him, the top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination, the most promising candidate to win the imperial examination, and the son-in-law of the Duke of Xue.

"Did Uncle Xue ever say that?"

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly flicked his finger, and a wisp of literary energy froze the swaying carriage curtain, completely blocking the view outside the window. "Is it a blood oath, or a verbal agreement over tea?"

Xue Li suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

The young man before me had a smile mixed with a cold demeanor, completely different from the gentle and refined student I had just seen.

"I saw it."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "The Duke of Qin's mansion is already preparing for the ceremony of burning incense to worship ancestors and swearing an oath in blood!"

Jiang Xingzhou nodded slightly, closed his eyes in deep thought, and said nothing more.

The wheels rolled over the last bluestone slab of the main street, and the stone lions in front of the Duke of Qin's mansion revealed their fangs in the night.

Before long, the Xue family's carriage arrived at the Duke of Qin's residence.

The carriage wheel lurched slightly, and the bronze door knocker echoed deeply in the twilight.

Jiang Xingzhou looked up and saw that the vermilion gate of the Duke of Qin's mansion was wide open, with stone lions on both sides glaring angrily, as if they wanted to devour someone.

The mansion was brightly lit, yet it couldn't penetrate the palpable aura of menace—the iron-blooded pressure unconsciously emanating from the many battle-hardened generals within made the entire mansion seem like a beacon tower on the frontier.

Xue Li's breathing clearly faltered, and his steps unconsciously slowed.

He stepped forward and landed behind Jiang Xingzhou.

Jiang Xingzhou chuckled softly, his green robe and wide sleeves fluttering even without wind.

Suddenly, the jade pendant at his waist emitted a clear light, and the literary energy spiraled up like a dragon, splitting the oncoming aura of metal and spear in two.

"boom!"

The moment Jiang Xingzhou stepped across the threshold of the Duke's mansion, the entire hall resounded with the clanging of armor.

Twenty dukes stood with their hands on their swords, while a hundred marquises and earls stared intently with eyes like lightning. The murderous aura that had once been forged in the midst of mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to have encountered an invisible barrier, lingering three feet away from the young man.

A strong aura of malevolence permeated the entire Qin State Duke's mansion.

"Jiang Xingzhou greets Uncle Xue and all the dukes and marquises!"

Jiang Xingzhou flicked his wide sleeves, and the jade pendant at his waist gleamed with a chilling light in the candlelight. He stepped into the mansion, his face indifferent, and gave a slight bow to the crowd.

He walked gracefully to the side of the main seat, facing the piercing gazes of the assembled dukes, and sat down with neither arrogance nor servility under their watchful eyes.

Jiang Xingzhou sat down, his gaze fixed intently on the assembled generals.

The allies he wanted were not a group of feeble nobles who were only dragging his feet and barely surviving, but a group of fierce and powerful generals who could carve out new territories!

Fortunately, although the nobles were not good at the civil service examinations, they were, after all, from military families, and being a general was their traditional profession.

The bronze animal-head lamp flickered with light, casting Jiang Xingzhou's silhouette onto the gilded screen.

The Duke of Qin and the Duke of Meng exchanged a meaningful glance, both reading amazement and admiration in each other's eyes.

What a remarkable scholar, the top scholar in the provincial examination of Jiangnan!
The sixteen-year-old boy stood in front of the hall, his moon-white robe making him appear as graceful as a pine tree or bamboo.

The imposing presence of the assembled nobles and military officers did not cause the young man to lower his head in the slightest. Instead, he surveyed the generals with clear eyes, his demeanor resembling that of a fledgling phoenix scrutinizing an old forest.

Good birds choose trees to roost in!

Jiang Xingzhou was sizing them up, wondering if these nobles of the Great Zhou Dynasty were worthy of him, the young phoenix!

Clearly, this Jiang Jieyuan possessed a level of shrewdness and courage far beyond his years!

"Chong-"

Suddenly, the silence below was broken by the clanging of armor.

Meng Zhan, a young member of the Meng family and a captain of the Left Imperial Guard responsible for guarding the palace, stepped forward with his hand on the sword at his waist. The young general's eyes gleamed coldly under the lamplight.

At such a young age, he was appointed as a captain in the Imperial Guard, guarding the palace. Among the younger generation of noble families in the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was truly outstanding.

"My uncles and elders wish to nominate Young Master Jiang as the foremost among the nobles!"
"As a junior, I, Meng Zhan, should not have offered any advice."

Meng Zhan clasped his hands in a salute and said in a resonant voice, “However…” His tone suddenly changed, and his sword sheath slammed heavily on the ground: “The commander of the three armies should subdue the people with martial prowess!”
As the head of a powerful and influential group, one should command respect through strength!

Jiang Xingzhou slightly raised his gaze and glanced indifferently at the young Meng Zhan.

Those dukes and nobles prioritized the overall situation and considered the long-term interests of their noble group.

These young noble sons, however, couldn't see the bigger picture. They were arrogant and unwilling to accept that he, a scholar from a humble background, had become the leader of their noble and military families, which was quite normal.

Without uttering a word, he simply took something from the silk pouch at his waist—a precious bow with the inscription "Stone Arrow of the Frontier" [Mingzhou], and gently placed it on the table.

"Zheng——"

The moment the bow left the bag, it trembled like a dragon's roar, and in an instant, precious light flowed out, and talent surged, causing the candlelight in the whole hall to dim!
"At fifteen, I, a mere student, have already slain the turtle demon general under the Dragon King. Is this enough strength?"

Jiang Xingzhou spoke calmly, but his gaze was as cold as a star, "May I ask, Brother Meng, how old were you when you killed the demon general?"

On the table, the precious bow "Stone Arrow" responded with a long, resonant sound. The bowstring moved automatically without wind, shaking off three inches of icy light.

Meng Zhan's expression changed drastically, and his ears turned bright red instantly.

At what age did he kill the demon general?

He was twenty years old when he went into battle to slay demons as a captain. The rank of captain was equivalent to the peak of the scholar's rank. How could he compare to the young man in front of him?
Give me your sword.

Jiang Xingzhou's voice was calm, yet it brooked no refusal.

Meng Zhan, who had already stepped aside, suddenly looked up upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. They wanted his sword?
Although he did not understand the meaning, Jiang Kuishou's order was as firm as a mountain, and with all the noble elders watching at this moment, how could he hesitate in the slightest?

"Chong-"

With a clear, melodious sword cry, Meng Zhan drew his captain's sword from his waist without hesitation, held it up with both hands, and bowed as he presented it.

The sword light shone like water, reflecting his tense and puzzled face.

Jiang Xingzhou took the sword and gently stroked its spine with his fingertips.

The sword is mottled, covered with dents left by battles, and the edge of the blade faintly gleams with a cold light.

On the blade is engraved a battle poem of the [county level] level: "[Three feet of green frost sings at night, the jade sheath cannot seal the sound from the box.]" The handwriting is simple and ancient, exuding the iron-blooded spirit of the battlefield.

According to the military system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, all officers and above would use a first battle poem to refine their weapons, thereby increasing their rank and making them more lethal.

When facing the enemy in battle, if you activate the literary techniques in the war poem, you can even reverse the course of the battle!

Such a precious sword, blessed with the poem of war, is rare even in the army. It is the sword of a general and is enough to make ordinary captains and soldiers extremely envious.

however--

Jiang Xingzhou paused slightly, his gaze indifferent.

In his eyes, Wen Bao's sword [from the county] was nothing more than a piece of ordinary iron, not worth mentioning.

Jiang Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then a streak of green light suddenly appeared at his fingertips, like a firefly forming a blade, slicing through the air across the sword—

"laugh!"

With a soft sound, the entire battle poem [Leaving the County] on the spine of the sword melted away inch by inch under his fingertips, like snow meeting the blazing sun!
"No!"

Meng Zhan's pupils contracted sharply, and a horrified roar of shock and anger burst from his throat.

This sword accompanied him in battle for three years, and the inscription on its blade is the first inscription of his war poem [Leaving the County]—a literary treasure that can only be formed when this war poem is first written!
Jiang Xingzhou erased the poem about leaving the county and then stopped.

The sword's surface remained mottled, but the battle poem that had once displayed such brilliance was now smooth and without a trace.

Suddenly, an autumn wind swept in from outside the hall, causing the armor plates of all the generals present to rustle, as if they were weeping for the vanished war poems.

"you"

Meng Zhan's tiger-like eyes were bloodshot with anger, and his knuckles were clenched so tightly they turned white.

Once the original text is lost, even if a great scholar of the time were to rewrite it, it would be difficult to recapture even a fraction of its talent and charm.

The sword that had accompanied him in slaying demons for many years had now truly become just an ordinary piece of iron.

The astonishment of the assembled nobles froze on their faces.

A scholar's sword, which was used to travel out of the county, was not particularly valuable to them.

But why did Jiang Xingzhou erase the battle poem [Leaving the County] from Meng Zhan's sword?!
Jiang Xingzhou, however, turned a deaf ear.

He inscribed Jia Dao's poem "The Swordsman" on a sword.

This poem was written by Jia Dao in a state of frustration and resentment after repeatedly failing the imperial examinations. It is filled with indignation, yet also with a bold and unrestrained spirit, revealing his chivalrous and righteous nature.

"The Swordsman Meng Zhan!"

The boy's fingertips were like a pen, and they actually drew pale golden traces in the air.

The sword hung in mid-air, its blade humming as if it had encountered its former master.

Suddenly, the old locust tree outside the hall moved without any wind, and before the falling withered leaves could even reach the ground, they were shredded into dust by the invisible sword energy.

"[Ten years to hone a sword, its frosty edge yet to be tested.]"

Today I present this to you; who has a grievance to redress?

Jiang Xingzhou's voice was like the clash of gold and jade; with each word, a glimmer of light appeared on the sword.

When the last sentence, "Does anyone have a grievance to redress?" was uttered,
"boom!"

In an instant,
A burst of dazzling light transformed into a streak of azure-white sword energy that shot into the sky, heading straight for the night sky above the Duke of Qin's mansion.

The eaves of the Duke of Qin's mansion were all shattered by the soaring sword energy.

The entire mansion was shrouded in a hazy sword light.

"Qiang——!"

The Duke of Qin, who was closest to the sword, was horrified. He suddenly stood up, and his ancestral treasured sword, the "Canglang Blade," of the [Mingzhou] grade, was drawn three inches from its sheath on its own. The blade trembled violently, as if seeing an old friend!

"[Mingzhou]-level Swordsman Battle Poem?!"

The entire assembly of armored warriors, including dukes, marquises, earls, and veteran generals, was filled with awe and their courage trembled.

Meng Zhan suddenly pressed his hand to his chest—his dormant martial spirit, deep within his chest cavity, resonated with the sound of a war drum, echoing the sword!
"This is...Mingzhou?"

As Meng Zhan gazed at the sword suspended in mid-air, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes—the newly engraved poem on the sword's spine was radiating a sword light as bright as moonlight.

Beyond the county seat lies Dafu!

Only above Dafu can one truly be called Mingzhou!
Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, watching the sword energy transform into a giant sword phantom spanning a hundred feet across the night sky above the Duke of Qin's mansion.

This is an extraordinary phenomenon signifying the birth of a [Mingzhou]-level literary treasure!

Tonight, throughout Luoyi City, countless scholars and swordsmen gaze in astonishment at the night sky, and countless precious swords resonate and sing in their sheaths.

"How can mere literary skills from outside the county be worthy of the Meng family's descendants?"

Jiang Xingzhou lightly flicked his sleeves, his tone as indifferent as if brushing away a speck of dust, "In my writing, there is no work inferior to [Da Fu]."

Unable to bear it any longer, without even asking you, I directly erased your battle poem and present it to you as a [Mingzhou] poem!

"Qiang——!"

Jiang Xingzhou casually tossed the reforged Wenbao sword onto the bluestone ground. The sword tip cut through the stone three inches as easily as cutting tofu, and the blade still hummed incessantly.

Meng Zhan's body trembled violently; he was completely stunned.

The sword that had accompanied him in battle for many years now shimmered with a moon-like light.

The poem "Swordsman Meng Zhan" on the spine of the sword shines brightly, each word like a star—this is clearly a talent and extraordinary phenomenon that only a [Mingzhou]-level war poem can possess!

Jiang Xingzhou gave him a precious sword that he had taken from the county!

It jumped two levels directly, becoming a [Mingzhou] level battle poem, a top-tier literary treasure!?
This sword of literary treasure is in no way inferior to the sword of the Meng family patriarch or the sword of the Imperial Guard general.

Meng Zhan slammed one knee to the ground, the black iron knee guards leaving spiderweb-like cracks on the blue bricks. He then looked at the priceless [Mingzhou] literary treasure sword and gave it a heavy thud.

The young and fierce general's voice trembled with excitement: "Meng Zhan was blind and offended the leader. From now on, I am willing to obey the leader's orders!"

The young scions of military families below the hall gasped in astonishment, their eyes burning with envy and jealousy!
War poems come in many varieties!

This is the battle poem of the swordsman from [Mingzhou] - this is the most suitable battle poem for slaying generals on the battlefield, "Swordsman Meng Zhan", the power of which far exceeds that of ordinary battle poems in a one-on-one duel.

With this sword, Meng Zhan even dared to fight against low-level demon generals.

While ordinary battle poems from Mingzhou are mostly for group buffs, this swordsman's poem, which specializes in one-on-one combat, is like an extra life on the battlefield!

"I am willing to obey the leader's command—!"

The young military families below the hall all knelt on one knee, and the sound of clashing armor rolled through the hall like thunder.

They knelt on one knee and offered no further objections!
This is a war poem of the [Mingzhou] level; they would need countless years of good fortune to obtain even one.

Even for nobles and high-ranking officials, having such a [Mingzhou]-level war poem as a treasure in their home is enough to make them proud and boast about it for many years!
Above [Mingzhou] is [Zhenguo], which is not something that can be obtained easily.

Even the Duke's mansion might not be able to obtain one.

Unfortunately, this heavyweight war poem of Mingzhou is a treasure trove of literature.

Jiang Xingzhou didn't even blink before writing a piece and casually sent it to Meng Zhan, the direct descendant of the Duke of Meng and the Left Feathered Forest Army Captain!

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking at these noble sons who had been arrogant just moments before.

Their bowed heads formed a continuous line in the night, resembling the heavy waves of wheat during the autumn harvest—except this time, it was the most unruly sons of the Great Zhou military families who were bending over.

"Get up."

With a flick of his finger, the young leader sent the [Mingzhou] sword leaping out of the blue stone and landing steadily back in the scabbard at Meng Zhan's waist.

The moment the sword was sheathed, all the weapons carried by the nobles in the hall simultaneously emitted a clear and melodious sound, as if they were rejoicing over the newly born [Mingzhou] sword.

(End of this chapter)