After the interstellar female general died in battle, she transmigrated into the body of a dashing p

At the gate of the General's Mansion—

As soon as the guards on horseback pulled on their reins, the old man who had been waiting at the gate went to greet them and headed to the front.

The man was burly, and his thick beard made him look even more fierce. He glanced at the man, dismounted, casually flicked his riding whip, and walked towards the gate.

The people behind naturally caught it.

Only after entering the gate did the steward take out a letter from his pocket and whisper, "Master Qingyang has sent a secret message."

Chien Chi-cho tugged at the collar of his uniform, took the envelope, and opened it.

After reading the letter, Jian Qizhuo frowned.

Upon seeing this, the steward inquired, "Master, should we send Deputy Lieutenant Lu back first?" Judging from the master's expression, the news from the capital was quite significant.

Chien Chi-cho snapped out of his thoughts. "Have him come to my study."

"Yes." The butler respectfully turned and left.

-

A middle-aged man dressed in a black robe entered the study and bowed respectfully to the person in the main seat, saying, "General."

Jian Qizhuo, seated at the head of the table, nodded. "Recently, many martial arts practitioners have arrived in the city. Has the city's patrol been strengthened?"

"The orders have already been given, but those people are a mixed bag, and I'm afraid the ordinary patrol soldiers won't be able to suppress them." Next month, the once-in-a-decade martial arts tournament will be held in Jiuyao. Changfeng is adjacent to Jiuyao, and there are quite a few martial arts heroes passing through this area. Whether they are just watching the show or participating in the competition, they all have some skills, and the ordinary soldiers simply cannot handle them.

"Go find Gao Qi, he will make the arrangements."

"Yes." Lu Hua clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Does the general have any further instructions?"

The general sent him to find Takasaki, which means he must be mobilizing the army's elite troops. It seems there's really nothing to worry about.

Chien Chi-chuo stroked the envelope in his hand, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and calmly said, "It's nothing, go."

After Lu Hua left, he got up, walked to the lit candle, and lit the envelope...

Laifu Inn

Zheng Zhian picked up the letter he had just written, blew on it, put it in an envelope, got up and walked to the window, and called out softly, "Twelve."

In the blink of an eye, a man in black appeared in the room. "Master."

"Have someone deliver this letter to Father."

Twelve took the envelope. "Yes." The princess never needed them. Her affairs were always handled by Danqin or Lingfei. Why was she using their shadow guards this time?

However, he dared not ask these questions aloud, and seeing that she had no further instructions, he immediately slipped away.

Zheng Zhian naturally noticed his confusion, but he wouldn't tell him that it was because Ling Fei's current status made it inconvenient to mobilize the Shadow Guards' power.

This letter is going through the secret network, so there's no guarantee it won't be leaked. The Shadow Guard is the most trustworthy person right now.

For Xiang Ke, resolving the matter was actually quite simple; her master was afraid that if she wiped out the entire Ge family, it would incur Jian Qizhuo's displeasure.

But she wasn't stupid. Even if the Ge family wasn't dealt with, it would only be a temporary solution. How could the collusion between officials and businessmen to persecute ordinary people be stopped by simply eliminating one family?

The real solution to this problem lies within the officialdom.

After giving the instructions, Zheng Zhian washed up and rested, but did not sleep all night.

When she got up to go downstairs, the lobby was already packed, with many people carrying knives and swords.

There were boisterous toasts and playful banter... The waiters below were so busy they barely had time to breathe.

"Son."

Today, Danqin has changed into a light, narrow-sleeved robe, and her hair is tied up high, making her look like a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world.

I feel much more relaxed.

"Looks like we'll have to eat in the room." Zheng Zhian looked downstairs with a smile. If Danqin hadn't been there, she would have wanted to go down and get a bowl to drink with them.

But why are there so many martial arts practitioners in the city? Even if Changfeng is prosperous, it shouldn't be enough to gather so many people.

Seeing her curiosity, Danqin explained, "The once-in-a-decade martial arts tournament will be held in Jiuyao next month. This is the county closest to Jiuyao, and martial arts practitioners from the north will naturally pass through here and most of them will choose to stay here for a while."

"The martial arts tournament was initiated by the founding emperor of our dynasty. I heard that many righteous people from the martial arts world helped when it was accomplished. Later, in order to let his people remember those righteous people who made great contributions, the founding emperor created a list of heroes, which has been circulating in the martial arts world ever since. Later, I don't know who came up with the idea, saying that it was to encourage people who practice martial arts, so this tournament was created."

Zheng Zhian nodded, looking like she understood. "So you've seen it?" This made her want to see it for herself.

"Hmm." Danqin's smile faded slightly. That was back when her master was still alive. She never imagined that ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Zheng Zhian wanted to ask her if she had participated before, but seeing the nostalgic look on her face, he stopped talking. He then looked at one of the burly men in his forties at the table below, who had boldly tilted his head back and finished the strong liquor in his large bowl. He stood up, put one foot on the bench, put one hand on his hip and swept the other hand in the air, and said loudly, "Speaking of the Hero Ranking, the current Hero Ranking is not comparable to the one of the past."

"The current hero rankings are incomparable."

Some people disagreed and shouted, "The people on the Hero Ranking are all outstanding individuals from various schools and sects, selected through genuine competition. How can you, a brute from who-knows-where, belittle the people on the Hero Ranking like this?"

That is the aspiration of all martial arts practitioners in the world.

"Compare them...hahaha..." The burly man laughed loudly, as if he had heard a ridiculous joke. His laughter was both mocking and disdainful. He stopped after a moment, poured another bowl of wine into it, and drank it all.

He continued, "You little brat, do you even know what the Hero Ranking is, or where it came from?"

The young man frowned. "Of course I know how this list came about. I think everyone here knows, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, the burly man continued, "You know?!"

"Heroes' List, Heroes' List, what is a hero? How many people on the list these days are truly heroes?"

"Heroes of the past saved people from suffering, rid them of harm, and sacrificed themselves for the people. Who among us can be considered heroes today?"

"In your hearts, whoever has the highest martial arts skills is a hero?" His voice was not loud, but it struck like a bell in the hearts of everyone present.

It was even more deafening than shouting and yelling.

"Leaving aside our ancestors, let's talk about those still alive today. Do you all still remember Zong Shiqi of the Northern Border Monument, Yang Liming who rose from humble beginnings, and Gong Yufu, the pillar of Shangtai?"

"Even the Duke of Yun, whom the Western Yu Kingdom calls the 'Soul-Slaying Bird of the Western Border,' has never bothered to claim the title of hero. What right do you have to be so shameless?"

The people present were stunned into silence by this resounding question.

Even the shop assistants who were running errands stood there dumbfounded.

quiet--

The lobby was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Bang bang bang~

"well said."

Zheng Zhian turned to look at the source—Zhao Erniu, who shouted loudly, "Waiter, bring me some wine! Brother, your heroic words have truly made us feel ashamed!"

"So, only those who kill enemies on the battlefield are considered heroes?!"

A questioning voice came from the doorway, interrupting everyone's thoughts.