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

The twenty-first year of Yonghe, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects).

The Second Prince, Zhou Xun, caught a full-force slash from a peak-rank third-grade guard with his bare hands in the martial arts arena.

The blade was deflected three inches by the power of blood and qi gathered in his palm, grazing his ear and severing a strand of hair from his temple.

Before the severed hair even hit the ground, his right fist had already stopped half an inch from the guard's chest, the force of the punch causing the guard's armor to vibrate.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!" The guard, ignoring the dull pain in his chest, knelt on one knee, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Your Highness entered the fourth rank at sixteen; in the entire capital, there are few who can rival you!"

Zhou Xun withdrew his fist and looked down at the back of his hand.

The veins on the back of the hand are slightly bulging, and a faint reddish flow of energy can be seen running through the blood vessels under the skin. This is a sign that the power of qi and blood has been condensed to a certain extent.

The dividing line between the fourth and third ranks lies here. Before the third rank, one's qi and blood are dispersed throughout the limbs and bones, which can enhance strength and speed, but cannot be concentrated at a single point at will.

After reaching the fourth rank, one's Qi and blood can be concentrated in any part of the body in an instant, forming local defense or explosive attack power. Both the force of a punch and the ability to withstand blows increase exponentially.

He entered the fourth rank at the age of sixteen, ranking first among the seventeen princes, and was considered one of the best among the scions of noble families in the entire capital.

He lowered his hand, slightly out of breath. The excitement of his breakthrough had not yet subsided, but his mind was already racing.

The fourth rank means that he is finally qualified to participate in court assemblies, lead troops into battle, and even establish his own government as an independent martial artist.

More importantly, he was the first among all the princes to reach the fourth rank.

His elder brother, the eldest prince Zhou Cong, is nineteen years old this year. He comes from a literary family and follows the path of Grand Tutor Kong Yan.

Literary cultivation is completely different from martial cultivation. In the early stages, one does not show off, spending most of the time cultivating one's inner energy, reading, and self-cultivation. One may be stuck at the third rank for several years without making any progress. However, once one has accumulated enough knowledge and skills, one can break through several ranks in quick succession.

No one can say for sure when the eldest brother will suddenly break through to the fifth or even sixth rank.

But at least for now, he is the one with the highest cultivation level among the seventeen brothers.

He couldn't wait to let everyone know this fact.

"Prepare the horses, we're going to the Grand Commandant's residence."

The Grand Commandant's Mansion is located on the east side of the Imperial City, covering a vast area. The two stone lions in front of the gate are over ten feet tall, baring their teeth and claws, and exuding a majestic aura.

The mansion gates were always wide open, with a constant stream of military officers coming and going. The square in front of the gate was filled with carriages and warhorses of all kinds, their horseshoes making a crisp sound as they clattered on the bluestone slabs.

Zhou Xun dismounted, tossed the reins to the guards at the gate, and strode inside. The guards of the Grand Commandant's mansion all recognized him and bowed respectfully, allowing him unimpeded passage.

Zhou Jing was reviewing military newspapers in his study.

The old Grand Commandant is sixty-three years old this year, with gray hair and beard, but his posture behind the desk is still as straight as a pine tree, and his hand holding the pen is as steady as if he were holding a knife.

On the table in front of him were three stacks of military reports, from the three major camps in the north, southwest, and capital region, each sealed with sealing wax.

When Zhou Xun entered, Zhou Jing didn't even look up, just grunted and continued writing his approval.

Zhou Xun was not in a hurry and stood quietly to the side waiting.

He knew his master's rules: when approving military reports, no matter how important the matter, he could not be interrupted.

This is the way of the older generation, and it is one of the reasons why he was willing to become Zhou Jing's disciple.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhou Jing put down his pen, pushed the approved military report aside, and then looked up.

His gaze swept over Zhou Xun, a glint of light suddenly flashing in his cloudy old eyes. He leaned forward slightly from the back of his chair and looked Zhou Xun over again.

"Fourth rank?"

"I just broke through today." Zhou Xun bowed slightly, his tone respectful but unable to hide his pride, "I've come to report to my master."

Zhou Jing remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

He had met countless people and led countless generals throughout his life. Although it was not extremely rare for someone to enter the fourth rank at the age of sixteen, it was certainly the first among princes.

He patted the chair beside him, gesturing for Zhou Xun to sit down, and then ordered the guards outside the door to serve tea.

The tea is this year's newly arrived pre-rain Longjing tea. The leaves unfurl in the water, each one standing upright, and the aroma is refreshing.

Zhou Jing picked up his teacup, took a sip, and as he put it down, he suddenly said something that made Zhou Xun's heart skip a beat.

"Your father has yet to appoint a crown prince, and all seventeen princes have a chance. Now that you've been promoted to the fourth rank, the number of eyes on you in court will increase tenfold." Zhou Jing's tone was as calm as if he were describing the weather, but every word pierced Zhou Xun's ears like nails. "Are you ready?"

Zhou Xun sat up straight, took a deep breath, and then nodded solemnly: "Master, I have been preparing for sixteen years. From the first day I became your disciple, I knew what I wanted."

"Martial arts cultivation is only the first step. Once you reach the fourth rank, you can legitimately participate in court affairs, make friends with ministers, and cultivate your own power."

Zhou Jing hummed in response but didn't reply. He simply turned the teacup in his hand slowly, as if waiting for him to continue.

Zhou Xun then continued speaking.

My eldest brother, Zhou Cong, is nineteen years old this year. He is a third-rank scholar. Although his cultivation is not as good as mine, my eldest brother's mother is a virtuous concubine. He comes from a scholarly family in Jiangnan, and his maternal grandparents have members who serve as Hanlin scholars in the court.

More importantly, the eldest brother follows the path of Grand Tutor Kong Yan.

Kong Yan was the head of the civil officials of the court, a man of noble character and integrity, with students and former officials all over the country. Half of the civil officials in the court had to treat him with the respect due to a disciple.

Although there was no formal master-disciple relationship between the elder brother and Kong Yan, their relationship was in fact that of master and disciple. Whenever Kong Yan taught the princes, he always gave the elder brother the most guidance.

"I am a military officer, and martial arts are the foundation of my character. But if I want to sit in that position, martial arts alone is not enough."

Zhou Xun stared intently at Zhou Jing, "Therefore, this disciple needs Master's guidance, not only in martial arts but also in the court. Among the Three Dukes and Four Marquises, Grand Protector Yuwen Lie has always been neutral, never favoring any prince, but also never offending any of them."

"Marquis Chen Jing, the Duke of Zhenguo, and Marquis Han Chong, the Duke of Dingyuan, are close to our Grand Commandant's office, and to Yuwen Lie, respectively, but they are not a united front."

"As for Qin Wu of the Zhenwu Division, he is loyal only to the Emperor and cannot be won over by anyone. The eldest daughter of Marquis Wu'an, Zhao Xi, is married to the Fourth Prince."

"The concubine's daughter of Marquis Cao Jun of Anxi married the sixth prince. Each prince has more or less power behind him."

Zhou Jing finally put down his teacup.

He looked at Zhou Xun with a mixture of scrutiny and satisfaction in his eyes.

This disciple was taught by him personally. Needless to say, he has a talent for martial arts, he is also smart enough, and what is even more rare is that he is ambitious but can remain calm.

"You can see through the power dynamics in the imperial court, which means you haven't wasted your time studying these past ten years."

Zhou Jing stroked his beard and said slowly, "However, there is one thing you have overlooked. What your father values ​​most has never been how powerful a son's maternal family is, nor which minister stands behind a son."

"What he values ​​most is ability. He was able to fight his way out from eight princes back then because of his real skills. So what you need to do is not rush to form factions, but let him see your abilities."

Zhou Xun nodded thoughtfully.