I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

In no time at all, the secret report was presented to Zhu Houcong's desk.

Zhu Houcong stared at the handwriting on the secret report, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Are they planning to run away?!"

"Xie Bi has already been appointed as the General Who Guards the Nation by me, why does he still want to flee?"

He suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

"Could it be,"

Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Did Kasayo reveal that secret to the two of them before he died?"

Thinking of this, a murderous intent appeared on Zhu Houcong's face.

I originally intended to spare Xie Bi's life, but now that he's courting death, I can't blame myself as his uncle.

So, in a corner of the city, Xuanwu followed along using the contact information left by the Eastern Depot.

Chapter 169 Sima Shang's Provocation

Many people in Jinling City saw Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi leaving the city together and assumed that the two were going to take care of some urgent business.

Zhu Houcong wasn't in a hurry either, he just kept Xuanwu hanging far behind.

They planned to kill the two men after they reached a secluded spot.

Anyway, it was the two of them who left the city on their own.

At that point, all we'll have to do is report the disappearance to the authorities.

The following day, which was the first day of the first month of the second year of the Jiajing reign, bells and drums resounded throughout Nanjing.

Although Zhu Houcong had recently lost Princess Liyang, he originally intended to keep everything simple.

However, Tian Dezhi, the Minister of Rites, together with Zhou Yunyi, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, repeatedly offered their advice.

He stated frankly that the mishaps during the Heaven Worship Ceremony last year led to a year of frequent natural and man-made disasters.

Members of the royal family and high-ranking officials of the court all suffered as a result.

If we further simplify the rituals now, we may offend Heaven.

Seeing this, Zhu Houcong had no choice but to comply with the request.

I wonder if Zhou Yunyi, as the Director of the Imperial Observatory, could have foreseen that his name was unlucky.

Therefore, the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven was still solemnly held at the Altar of Heaven.

Zhu Houcong, dressed in a robe with twelve imperial symbols, held the empress's hand and performed the sacrificial ceremony, surrounded by a hundred imperial guards.

Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan followed closely behind, as if declaring his status as the heir to the empire.

After the ceremony, the officials followed the royal procession to the royal drill ground.

A high platform has already been erected here.

The sons of noble families all dressed in martial arts attire, ready to showcase their skills in the upcoming martial arts tournament.

This martial arts tournament has always been an excellent opportunity for the sons of noble families in the capital to make a name for themselves.

Since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, the rule of "making friends through martial arts and selecting the virtuous and capable" has been established.

Every year at the beginning of the year, during the grand competition, every family would eagerly send their most outstanding children to compete.

If one can distinguish oneself among them, one can not only bring honor to the family, but also secure a bright future for oneself.

According to ancestral rules, the top three in the martial arts tournament would be awarded the rank of Zhongwu Xiaowei, a sixth-rank official.

Although this was a military honorary title without any real position or salary, it was used to commend military achievements, appease generals, or demonstrate seniority, and could also reflect the official's status.

At this moment, the disciples from various families on the training ground could no longer contain themselves.

Zhu Houcong stood up, looked at the energetic young people below, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

Having been in this world for over a year, he had almost forgotten that he was just a young man in his twenties.

If it weren't for his status as emperor, he would have liked to personally go on stage and have some fun with these people.

Unfortunately, being cautious, he absolutely cannot expose his strength on such a meaningless matter.

Zhu Houcong held the jade belt at his waist with one hand and stretched out the other.

Yan Song, who was standing nearby, immediately presented the gilded command arrow.

"Let's begin!"

With his command, the gilded command arrow was thrown to the ground.

In an instant, drums and horns sounded, and the entire training ground erupted in cheers.

The young men from each family entered one after another, and the competition became fierce.

Not far away, Zhuo Dingfeng's son, Zhuo Qingyao, could not suppress the urge to grab his hands.

Dressed in a striking indigo outfit, he leaped into the arena, wielding a three-foot-long sword.

Wherever the sword flashes, it's like a dragon playing in the water, easily knocking the opponent off the stage.

"I'll meet you!"

Opposite him, Mu Qing was not to be outdone.

He entered the arena wielding a lance, wielding it with impressive skill and power.

The two exchanged blows, and in the blink of an eye, they had already gone through more than thirty moves, drawing cheers from all around.

At this moment, Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, who was sitting to the right of Zhu Houcong, suddenly stood up.

He bowed respectfully to Zhu Houcong.

"Your Majesty, I would also like to join in and stretch my muscles."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong clapped his hands and laughed.

"Hahaha, Jingyan, you couldn't resist after all. You always participated in the competitions in previous years, so how could I let you just stand by and watch this year?"

As he spoke, he tossed his sword to Xiao Jingyan.

"Today you will use my sword to fight them."

Xiao Jingyan took the longsword, casually twirled it, and the air vibrated as if it were buzzing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan sat upright to Zhu Houcong's left, his originally smiling face suddenly turning gloomy upon seeing this scene.

He stared intently at Xiao Jingyan, who held the emperor's sword in the center of the arena.

In front of the entire court, the Emperor bestowed his personal sword upon Xiao Jingyan for a duel.

This is clearly a declaration to the world that Prince Jing enjoys great favor from the emperor.

Back when I was still a seven-bead prince, my father also favored me in the same way.

But now that he has become the Crown Prince, his father has begun to show such favoritism towards Prince Jing.

Such blatant bestowal of favors is nothing short of encouraging Prince Jing to vie for the emperor's favor!

If he could replace the former crown prince, then one day, Xiao Jingyan might also be able to replace him.

Thinking of this, he picked up his teacup and glanced down at his reflection in the tea.

A murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Xiao Jingyan, who was in the room, naturally had no idea what the Crown Prince was thinking.

He surveyed the arena, his gaze finally settling on Zhuo and Mu, who were engaged in a contest.

"Gentlemen, would you be willing to exchange a few blows with me?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Qing put away his gun and stood up, a look of excitement flashing in his eyes.

"I couldn't ask for more."

Zhuo Qingyao also held her sword and bowed solemnly.

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness Prince Jing."

The two of them fought against Prince Jing, engaging in a fierce battle.

Zhu Houcong watched the competition among the participants with great interest.

With his martial arts skills, he could tell at a glance that several of the young people had already reached the sixth rank.

It must be said that the level of the martial arts competition was truly impressive.

There are quite a few talented people among the children of each family.

Just as the battle in the training ground reached its climax, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from the sky.

"Sima Shang pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Liang!"

The deep, resonant voice boomed across the training ground.

All the people saw was a dark shadow plummeting from the sky, crashing down with the force of a thousand pounds.

boom! ! !

A huge crater, about three zhang square, was suddenly created in the center of the training ground.

In an instant, a violent shockwave, carrying dust, swept outwards in all directions.

Gravel flew like rain.

Several people who were closer were blown away by the blast wave.

The rest of the people on the field were also in a sorry state.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Zhuo Dingfeng reacted the fastest, instantly drawing his Tianquan Sword and flashing to block Zhu Houcong's path.

Almost simultaneously, Xia Jiang also appeared before Zhu Houcong.

The two men flanked him, protecting him completely.

At this moment, a burly figure could be seen appearing and disappearing amidst the swirling sand, swaying back and forth.

Once he stepped out of the smoke and dust, everyone could finally see his true appearance.

This man was over nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, his muscles bulging and stretching his coarse cloth clothes tightly.

His face was quite rugged, with a thick beard that almost covered half of his face.

His tiger-like eyes were bright and piercing, his gaze sharp as lightning.

The man stopped, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, and said again, "Sima Shang greets His Majesty the Emperor of Great Liang!"

"Sima Shang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong frowned slightly and turned to look at Xia Jiang beside him.

"Does your Suspended Mirror Bureau have any record of this person?"

Xia Jiang nodded solemnly.

"Your Majesty, according to the secret records of the Xuanjing Bureau, judging from this person's appearance and the name he reported, he should be Sima Shang, the famous general of Zhao State in those years."

"This man is the chief disciple of Lord Wu'an, Li Mu, and his fame spread throughout the land twenty years ago."

Before he finished speaking, Zhuo Dingfeng's expression suddenly changed.

Sima Shangke was already a renowned grandmaster.

The person who came here is not kind!

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

Some of them had naturally heard of Sima Shang's reputation.

Zhu Houcong, however, was somewhat bewildered.