The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

In the twentieth year of Yonghe, on the day of Frost's Descent.

Before dawn, the entire palace was already awake.

On ordinary mornings, there were only a few sweepers and eunuchs hurrying to their respective palaces on the palace road, but today was different.

The stone-paved path was filled with shadowy figures and a dense chorus of footsteps, like a pot of water being placed on a fire, slowly bubbling up before it boils.

The Imperial Guard Grand Competition was a rule established by Emperor Wu of Zhou in the ninth year of his reign, and it was held annually without fail.

Initially, it was just a small-scale martial arts competition within the Imperial Guard Battalion, but its scope gradually expanded year by year.

Now, all three major battalions of the Imperial Guards in the capital region—the Imperial Guard Battalion, the Feathered Forest Guard, and the Tiger Guard—have participated, with the number of participants expanding from the initial thirty or fifty to over a thousand.

In this rigidly hierarchical palace where birth determines everything, the Imperial Guard Competition is one of the very few pathways that allows lower-ranking martial artists to rise to the top in one step.

I don't care about your background or origins; I only care if your fists are strong enough.

The top ten will all receive rewards, and the top three will be qualified to be granted a substantive military post on the spot. They may even have the opportunity to be noticed by top-level government agencies such as the Three Dukes and Four Marquises and the Zhenwu Division, and be directly transferred to their ranks.

The winner of last year's grand competition, a centurion from the Tiger Guard, was personally appointed by Grand Commandant Zhou Jing. Now he is a sixth-rank military officer in the Grand Commandant's office, transforming from a palace gate guard into a close confidant of a first-rank official, his status and position soaring to new heights.

This year's training ground will be located in the martial arts arena on the west side of the palace.

The training ground was originally the place where the Imperial Guards practiced their daily drills. It covered a vast area and could accommodate three thousand people to practice formations at the same time.

A row of viewing platforms was erected on the east and west sides, and a high platform was placed in the center of the north side, on which were nine rosewood chairs, which were the seats for the emperor, the three dukes and four marquises, and the commander of the Zhenwu Division.

In previous years, Emperor Wu of Zhou might not have come in person, but this year is different. It is said that His Majesty specially sent a message through the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, saying that he wanted to personally come and see this year's promising talents.

As dawn broke, banners fluttered in the air on the training ground, and thousands of imperial guards stood solemnly in their respective formations.

The black armor of the Imperial Guards were on the left, the white robes of the Feathered Forest Guards were in the center, and the red robes of the Tiger Guards were on the right. The three colors were clearly distinguished, and the swords and spears were like a forest.

The area outside the training ground was densely packed with palace maids and eunuchs from various palaces. Although they were not officially qualified to attend the ceremony, none of them wanted to miss this annual grand event.

On the high platform, the master of ceremonies loudly proclaimed "Greetings!"

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Everyone knelt down in unison, the clanging of armor like muffled thunder.

Emperor Wu of Zhou, Zhou Qian, slowly walked up to the high platform, with Wang Zheng, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, by his side.

Zhou Qian is forty-three years old this year, which is the prime of an emperor's life. He is tall and slender, with a face that is angular and distinct, and a pair of phoenix eyes that exude an imposing presence.

Today he wore a black dragon robe, with five-clawed dragons embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs. When the sunlight shone on it, the dragon patterns shone faintly.

He took his seat in the largest chair in the very center, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire room, and nodded slightly.

"Rise."

Following closely behind the emperor were the Three Dukes and Four Marquises.

Grand Commandant Zhou Jing walked at the front. He was in his early sixties, with gray hair and beard, but his steps were powerful and exuded the killing aura of a veteran general.

He was Emperor Wu of Zhou's uncle and the top military figure in the Great Zhou Dynasty. A ninth-rank martial artist, he had been stationed in the army for decades, defending against the Xiongnu in the north and pacifying the barbarians in the south. His prestige in the army was unmatched.

He followed half a step behind Grand Tutor Kong Yan, the head of the civil officials of the court. He was also in his sixties, with a slender figure and wearing a loose Confucian robe. However, he did not have the slightest bit of weakness. His righteous spirit had reached a state of perfection. He was also a ninth-rank master. Together with Zhou Jing, one was a martial artist and the other a scholar, and they supported the two pillars of the Great Zhou court.

Kong Yan held a string of black jade prayer beads in his hand, his expression calm and his eyes clear as water, as if this grand event with thousands of participants was nothing more than that in his eyes.

Grand Protector Yuwen Lie walked in third place. He was the youngest of the three dukes, not yet fifty years old, with fair skin, three long wisps of beard, and a gentle smile.

However, his cultivation level was also at the ninth rank. He was in charge of the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review in the court. When it came to his ruthless methods, no one in the court or the public would not turn pale when they mentioned the name "Yuwen Taibao".

Following the Three Dukes were the Four Marquises: Marquis of Zhenguo Chen Jing, Marquis of Dingyuan Han Chong, Marquis of Wu'an Zhao Xi, and Marquis of Anxi Cao Jun.

All four are martial artists at the peak of the eighth rank or the initial stage of the ninth rank, each holding a commanding position in their respective regions, and are all influential figures in the Great Zhou army.

The last person to take the stage was Qin Wu, the commander of the Zhenwu Division.

The Zhenwu Division is a unique government office of the Great Zhou Dynasty, dedicated to supervising martial artists and Jianghu forces throughout the land. It wields immense power, is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Six Ministries, and is directly responsible to the Emperor.

Qin Wu was in his early forties, not very tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His hawk-like eyes were exceptionally cold and sharp. He was a ninth-rank cultivator, and it was said that he was only half a step away from the legendary Innate Realm.

As he sat down on the stage, his eyes met those of Grand Tutor Kong Yan. The two nodded slightly, appearing polite on the surface, but their eyes each carried a hint of estrangement. It was common knowledge in the court that the Zhenwu Division and the civil service system had always been at odds.

All nine chairs were occupied, and below the high platform, civil and military officials and imperial guards were waiting for a signal.

Grand Commandant Zhou Jing turned to the side and bowed slightly to Zhou Qian: "Your Majesty, the rules for this year's competition are the same as in previous years, consisting of three rounds: preliminary selection, secondary selection, and final selection. Each of the three major camps will send fifty elite soldiers, plus those who volunteered, for a total of one thousand one hundred and thirty-seven participants."

"The preliminary selection is a free-for-all elimination system, with the top 120 advancing to the second round. The second round is a ring elimination system, with the top 10 advancing to the final round. The final round is a free challenge system, with the final ranking determining the prizes."

Zhou Qian nodded, his gaze sweeping over the sea of ​​Imperial Guards below the platform. He suddenly chuckled, "More than 1,100 men, two hundred more than last year. It seems my Imperial Guards are getting stronger every year. Grand Commandant Zhou, you are a veteran of the army, what do you think of this year's recruits?"

Zhou Jing stroked his white beard and spoke in a loud, clear voice: "Your Majesty, putting aside everything else, the Imperial Guard has produced several promising talents this year. Among them is a centurion named Xu Chu, who has a third-rank cultivation level. But judging from his physique and the strength of his qi and blood, I'm afraid he's more than just a third-rank cultivator."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy old eyes, "However, that kid is very good at hiding his true intentions, so this old minister cannot make a conclusion."

"Oh?" Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Anyone who can be remembered by Grand Commandant Zhou at a glance must be no ordinary person."

Yuwen Lie, the Grand Protector, suddenly interjected, his tone gentle yet weighty: "I have also heard that the Imperial Guard has several outstanding new recruits this year. One of them is a spy named Li Yuanfang, who captured a thief who had infiltrated the palace walls on his own during a night patrol. His methods were clean and efficient. However, this man is elusive and even Commander Qin has only seen him a few times."

As he spoke, he gave Qin Wu a meaningful look.

Qin Wu replied expressionlessly, "Yuwen Taibao is indeed well-informed. There is indeed such a person in the Zhenwu Division's files, but secret agents and spies are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Guards and are not within the Zhenwu Division's authority. It is not appropriate for me to ask any further questions."

The two exchanged polite words, but a subtle tension was already building in the air.

Qin Wu and Yuwen Lie have an old grudge. Three years ago, Yuwen Lie's only son was killed in a fight in the suburbs of the capital. The murderer was a disciple of a second-rate sect in the martial arts world.

Yuwen Lie wanted the Ministry of Justice to arrest the person, but the case involved martial arts forces, and according to the rules, it should be handled by the Zhenwu Division.

Qin Wu followed the proper procedures and spent three months investigating before apprehending the murderer.

Yuwen Lie complained that he was too slow, while Qin Wu felt that Yuwen Lie was abusing his power, and the two became enemies from then on.

Grand Tutor Kong Yan, who was standing to the side, slowly spoke up while fiddling with his prayer beads, his tone like that of an old scholar trying to mediate a quarrel: "You two should stop arguing. The imperial examination is for the court to select talents. Whether they are from the Imperial Guard or the Feathered Forest Guard, they are all His Majesty's soldiers. If there are any good prospects, we'll find out by taking them to the training ground. We'll see what they are made of."

"Grand Tutor, you are mistaken," Marquis Chen Jing of Zhenguo suddenly interjected. He was the most straightforward of the four marquises, and he never beat around the bush. "A stroll can reveal a person's abilities, but some promising talents may not be willing to stand in the spotlight. In my opinion, the Imperial Guard is full of hidden talents. Some people just work hard in silence and don't like to show off. These honest people are harder to discover than those masters who like to show off, and they are often the easiest to be buried."

Marquis Han Chong of Dingyuan sneered upon hearing this. He and Chen Jing had always been at odds, and the two had been arguing in court for over a decade: "Marquis Chen, you make it sound so easy. The Imperial Guard Competition is all about real skill. Those who dare not step onto the stage are either incompetent or cowardly. A coward is useless on the battlefield."

Chen Jing's face darkened, and he was about to retort when Zhou Qian waved his hand, his tone calm but authoritative: "Alright, you all have to argue every year during the competition, it's more lively than the soldiers below."

As soon as he opened his mouth, all the arguments on stage immediately came to an abrupt halt, and even Chen Jing and Han Chong obediently shut their mouths.

Zhou Qian turned to Wang Zheng, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and said, "It's about time. Let's begin."

Wang Zheng stepped forward, flicked his whisk, and his shrill voice pierced the entire training ground: "By imperial decree, the Imperial Guard Grand Competition shall commence!"

Before the word "open" even landed, the drill ground was already in an uproar.

A melee of 1,137 people—the scale sounds terrifying, but the rules are actually quite simple: a huge circle, about 200 paces in diameter, was drawn in the center of the training ground.

All participants who enter the circle are eliminated if they are knocked down, forced out of the circle, or voluntarily withdraw.

The elimination process continues until only 120 people remain in the industry.

No restrictions on methods or opponents; the only prohibition is that intentional killing is forbidden.

Outside the circle, people from the Imperial Hospital were waiting, with stretchers and first-aid kits piled up in a whole truck.

Zhao Gao stood among the crowd outside the drill ground, together with a group of clerks from the Imperial Household Department.

His current position is purchasing inspector, not a participant, but he came to watch the competition today, not just to watch the spectacle.

His gaze cut through the swirling dust and locked firmly on the tall figure on the east side of the training ground.

Xu Chu, dressed in the black armor of the Imperial Guard, stood in the eastern part of the circle, surrounded by his colleagues.

He remained expressionless, arms crossed, like a silent iron tower, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise and shouts.