The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Jia Huan did not intend to make friends; he simply listened to Feng Ziying and the others' explanations.

Now that we're in the exam hall, we're direct competitors. There's no need for tricks or schemes; let's see who's the best.

Soon, the martial arts examination began!

In terms of archery, whether shooting on foot or on horseback, every arrow hit the bullseye.

In terms of strength, the 500-pound stone lock was wielded with incredible speed, enough to overwhelm all the other candidates.

His martial arts skills were so good that he could hardly defeat a man in three rounds, and that was only because he was holding back!

In other words, there was no weapons competition, otherwise Jia Huan would definitely have shown the other candidates what an overwhelming advantage is!

It can be said that since the start of the exam, Jia Huan has been the most outstanding star, without exception.

Some candidates have good strength, and can even easily lift a 400-pound stone lock, but their other abilities are just average.

Some candidates were quite skilled in martial arts, but only average in archery and strength.

Some were quite good at archery on foot, but their mounted archery was rather abysmal.

In short, each has its own flaws, and there are very few all-around strongmen like Jia Huan.

It was only those sons of noble families who had already served in the military for some time, and those commoners with truly exceptional talent, who showed a level of excellence in several special skills.

Regardless, from the very beginning, Jia Huan was the most dazzling presence in the entire examination room.

When he saw the questions on military strategy, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

The exam questions were very relevant to the real-world situation, asking candidates for their views on the war on the northwestern border and whether there were any good solutions.

Frankly speaking, even the Prime Minister might not be able to answer this question very well.

If this were placed in the imperial examinations for military officers in the capital, it would be an absolute challenge!

But this was not a difficult task for Jia Huan.

He didn't write any ingenious strategies or plans. Instead, based on the current situation on the northwestern border, he, as the garrison general, described the frontline deployment, the intermediate strategies and tactics, and the logistical support in a conventional manner. The main point was to 'bully others by relying on power'!

Whether it's a major battle or a minor one, with the manpower, resources, and other reserves of the Great Qian border region, it is entirely possible to wear down the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall.

As long as the Great Qian Dynasty can provide stable logistical support, even by adopting a strategy of building strongholds and fighting protracted battles, it can still completely defeat the armed forces of the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall, and even establish a certain degree of dominance on the grasslands.

With an answer like that, if the examiner dared not give a high score, Jia Huan would have the confidence to go straight to their house and demand, "Did you cheat?"

In short, the martial arts examination was quite easy for Jia Huan!

After the exam, when Feng Ziying and Wei Ruolan asked him how he did, he simply smiled and remained silent.

You can't just arrogantly say that this exam was extremely easy, and that you'd be letting yourself down if you didn't get into the top three, or you'd probably make those guys furious.

The exam results came out in just a few days, which was quite fast.

As expected, Jia Huan came in first place again, and could be called a 'Martial Arts Champion'!

The news spread like wildfire to the ears of the powerful and influential in the capital, immediately causing a stir of sighs and lamentations.

Even a fool could see that with Jia Huan's current momentum, barring any problems in next autumn's imperial examination, he's practically guaranteed at least a top-three ranking.

Jia Huan's performance in the military examination was even more impressive than Jia Cong's had been!

Who knows, his future prospects might not be any worse than Jia Cong's!

At this time, Jia Cong was having a smooth campaign to suppress bandits in the Central Plains, and he encountered almost no trouble.

News has already spread from the palace that once Jia Cong has swept away the bandits in the Central Plains, he will be able to directly assume the position of a third-rank military officer, becoming the youngest high-ranking military officer in the Great Qian Dynasty!

Such news naturally aroused envy among many sons of noble families, who wished they could take his place!

There aren't that many people who are jealous!

Anyone with even a basic understanding of military command knows that Jia Cong's achievements were not fabricated.

Suppressing bandits in the Central Plains was not as simple and easy as one might imagine!

With Jia Cong and his three thousand men, dealing with simple bandits was naturally no problem; they could be said to have swept them away with ease.

The problem is that the troubles stemming from banditry are the most difficult to deal with.

Notorious bandits are usually closely connected with local powerful figures and江湖 (jianghu) forces.

In some serious cases, even local officials have been dragged into the mess; these forces are the biggest obstacle.

Fortunately, this was during the middle period of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the local government and powerful clans had not yet grown too big to be controlled.

As for the martial arts world, there are no extraordinary individuals who can single-handedly lead an army, otherwise things would be very complicated.

Once Jia Cong arrived in the area, he could avoid dealing with local officials and temporarily shield himself from interference from local powerful figures, allowing him to focus all his energy on suppressing bandits.

Even so, sometimes you still have to face interference from the forces of the martial arts world!

In places where it is not conducive to the deployment of troops, it is no exaggeration to say that the power of江湖人士 (jianghu figures) is far greater than that of military scouts.

Although the world of Dream of the Red Chamber is a low-level martial arts world, it is still a place where internal energy and internal strength exist.

Some of the top martial arts masters are still quite formidable and troublesome!

Fortunately, Jia Huan provided Jia Cong with a large number of martial arts instructors, each with exceptional skills, which helped Jia Cong ward off many troubles from the martial arts world.

Moreover, they often played a crucial role in attacking those strategically important mountain strongholds.

In this way, in conjunction with the army's frontal assault, they can rampage unchecked and sail smoothly!

Jia Cong was merely a fierce general with formidable martial arts skills, not a top-tier master in the martial arts world!

When faced with certain situations, the energy he can exert is also limited.

And so it was; Jia Cong had essentially eradicated most of the long-standing banditry in the Central Plains. This was the main reason for the Emperor's great joy—Jia Cong had done an excellent job.

At the same time, Jia Cong's suppression of bandits was not simple; many local officials in the Central Plains were also affected and suffered misfortune, which can be considered as helping to clean up the officialdom in the Central Plains.

Such a useful knife, if we don't reward him properly now and promote Jia Cong's official rank, wouldn't that discourage the soldiers in the army?

Outsiders don't care how much effort Jia Cong put in or how many dangers he encountered; they only ever see Jia Cong's most glamorous side.

Jia Cong, who is about to become a high-ranking military general, is already enough to make others envious and jealous.

At present, the Rong family is very likely to produce another young military officer like Jia Cong, which will inevitably attract attention, since the current military examination is still quite popular.

The Rong family was naturally very happy, at least on the surface!

Master Zheng was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing that the Rong family's restoration to its former glory was promising.

Lady Wang, Jia Huan's stepmother, made her stance clear, declaring that she would hold a celebratory banquet for him, a three-day feast. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to Jia Huan's excellent achievements.

The old lady, unusually kind, invited Jia Huan to Rongqing Hall and praised him profusely.

Regardless of their true thoughts, Jia Huan's passing the martial arts examination with top honors was undoubtedly the best thing that could happen to everyone in the Rong family.

Fortunately, Jia Huan was still quite clear-headed and knew that now was not the time to be complacent.

He didn't dissuade the household from holding a celebratory banquet, but suggested that an internal banquet would suffice, inviting only some old relatives and close friends, and that a continuous feast was unnecessary.

The second master of the Zheng family supported his low-key approach, and the old lady and Madam Wang did not cause any trouble.

After all, Jia Huan was already considered a member of the officialdom at this point.

If he wanted, he could join the military right now and become a mid- to low-ranking military officer!

It can be said that they have directly transcended social class and are no longer ordinary citizens as before.

In this era where officialdom is paramount, Jia Huan's current status is enough to prevent the old lady and Lady Wang from acting too recklessly, after all, the situation has changed.

Not to mention, the only thing they have left to control Jia Huan is filial piety.

If used well, this thing can be incredibly effective, even causing Jia Huan to fall into an abyss from which he may never recover. That's how it is in officialdom.

However, Jia Huan was already a member of the clan outside the mansion, and was therefore subject to greater constraints from the clan.

Unfortunately, the Ning Mansion, which held power over the Jia clan in the capital, had a very cold, even hostile, relationship with the old lady and Lady Wang.

Without the support of clan authority, the old lady and Lady Wang had much less control over Jia Huan.

Besides, they're not out of their minds, why are they making a fuss with Jia Huan for no reason?

It's better to build a good relationship; who knows, it might play a crucial role in a critical moment in the future!

With the added attention of Master Zheng, Jia Huan's influence and voice in the Rong Mansion were much greater several years after he left the mansion than before he left. Truly, life is unpredictable.

Jia Huan did not act aloof; he warmly accepted the kindness of the Rong family's core members.

Whether it was a celebratory banquet or a theatrical performance, Jia Huan allowed the Rong family to arrange it as they pleased, as long as it didn't affect his daily life.

Besides the hospitality of the family, other aristocratic families with whom he had good relations also sent invitations, inviting him to their respective residences. They were all very hospitable.

this is the truth!

In the past, it wasn't difficult for Jia Huan to visit other noble families' residences, but it was impossible for him to gain the attention of the head of the family or even be personally received. But now, he has easily achieved his goal.

Needless to say, this is why the core members of the noble families in the capital are optimistic about his future; otherwise, gaining their attention would not be so easy.

Jia Huan did not refuse the kindness of these noble families!

From the time the results of the martial arts examination were released until the cold winter months approached the New Year, he spent his time attending banquets hosted by various noble families.

I would visit one place every few days to eat and drink, maintain relationships, and more often just to get acquainted with them.

It doesn't require much effort; sometimes, as long as you quickly gain momentum, more support will naturally come to you.