Chapter 164 Chang Jiang

Amidst Xiao Han's applause, the other officials forced wry smiles and reluctantly joined in.

After all, most of them had secretly harbored wishful thinking regarding this duel.

Li Siyuan was powerfully built, easily outweighing Lu Jue two times over. Even if Lu Jue somehow managed to win in the end, he would likely be in no good shape.

If Li Siyuan won, Lu Jue would fail to secure the position of Northern Expedition General. And if Lu Jue won, given Li Siyuan's overbearing nature, letting Lu Jue suffer a few injuries in the process wouldn't be too difficult, right?

Yet the outcome entirely defied everyone's expectations.

Lu Jue completely overwhelmed Li Siyuan. In the eyes of the onlookers, he had won effortlessly, settling the match with a few swift and decisive movements.

Since Xiao Han was applauding and cheering like this, and Feng Yewu wore a look of pure joy—how could they not cheer for the victory of Lu Jue, whom the Emperor had personally appointed?—the rest of the officials had no choice but to follow suit with helpless expressions.

"I have lost, and I admit defeat with utmost sincerity!"

Li Siyuan never imagined that Lu Jue would be this formidable, suffering such a swift defeat after exchanging merely two moves with him.

At this thought, Li Siyuan involuntarily glanced at the training staff in Lu Jue's hand. To be able to wield spear techniques with such consummate skill—if Lu Jue had used a long sword instead, he likely would have been defeated in a single exchange.

As a martial artist himself, Li Siyuan naturally understood the implication behind Lu Jue's pre-match remark that his weapon of choice was the sword.

Now, Li Siyuan actually found himself anticipating the second round of trials. This young man before him had conquered his pride from the bottom of his heart.

Lu Jue smiled faintly, withdrew his training staff, and offered a very courteous cupped-fist salute to Li Siyuan.

"You flatter me, Lord Li. Had our warhorses not been startled just now, I might not have won so easily."

Hearing Lu Jue's words, Li Siyuan laughed heartily, picked up his saber, and returned to the group of officials standing behind Feng Yewu.

Regarding the startled warhorses, Li Siyuan knew very well that it wasn't just his own mount that had panicked; Lu Jue's horse had been equally terrified.

Yet during the clash, Lu Jue had maintained absolute composure, whereas he himself had been the first to fall from his saddle. Had it been otherwise, Lu Jue certainly would have brought his own frantic mount under control much sooner.

Defeat was only a matter of time.

Lu Jue walked back alongside Li Siyuan and bowed respectfully to Feng Yewu.

"Your Majesty, I am ready to begin the second trial."

Seeing Lu Jue emerge victorious, Feng Yewu smiled faintly, then looked toward Xiao Han beside them, nodding in signal.

"General Xiao Han, you may commence the second trial you have prepared."

Acknowledging the order, Xiao Han beckoned forward the personnel he had arranged during the combat between Lu Jue and Li Siyuan, calling them into the center of the plaza.

Twenty palace guards, each holding long staves, stood before them, dividing into two factions and awaiting further instructions.

Only then did Xiao Han turn, nod, and bow to Feng Yewu.

"Your Majesty, everything is prepared. I now require a military officer to assist in the demonstration."

Observing the scene, Feng Yewu instantly guessed Xiao Han's intentions. Realizing he planned to use these twenty men to simulate a clash between two opposing armies, the Emperor nodded, turned slightly, and asked the assembled officials behind him.

"General Xiao Han now requires an assistant for this trial. Is there anyone among you willing to step forward?"

Upon hearing this, Li Siyuan eagerly moved to speak, but caught a warning look from Xiao Han. Though he had no idea what trick Xiao Han had up his sleeve, out of trust, Li Siyuan kept his silence.

In truth, it was no longer Li Siyuan's place to step forward. After the previous battle, it was clear that everyone was deeply disappointed in him.

If Li Siyuan were to go out and fight again, the others would likely refuse to accept the result out of sheer resentment, win or lose.

Gradually, the sky began to grow dark. Following Feng Yewu's inquiry, a military officer clad in armor stepped out from the ranks and replied,

"Your humble subordinate, Chang Jiang, is willing to fight!"

Glancing at Lu Jue, who had already won the first round, Chang Jiang knew he could not allow the young man to continue unchecked. If Lu Jue secured victory in the second trial as well, it would become exceedingly difficult for the Prince of Beichang's scheme to succeed.

Feng Yewu's expression turned cold as he looked at the officer who had stepped forward.

Chang Jiang had once served as a military advisor under the Prince of Beichang. Well-versed in the art of war, he had been recommended by the Prince to become a general during the reign of the late Emperor, and had remained in the imperial court ever since.

Lu Jue had once analyzed with Feng Yewu that this man was the most likely candidate to seize the general's seal and tally.

Earlier, when the eleven northern border cities had just fallen and Feng Yewu repeatedly questioned the court, Chang Jiang had simply stood silently among the military officials, uttering not a single word.

Had Lu Jue not exposed the secret behind it all, this man would likely have been appointed as the Great General for the Northern Expedition.

Faced with foreign invasion yet still playing political games within the imperial court, Feng Yewu had long since lost any shred of favorable regard for him.

Feng Yewu glanced toward Lu Jue, a silent inquiry in his eyes.

Lu Jue offered a calm, subtle nod of agreement.

Having received Lu Jue's consent, Feng Yewu turned back to Xiao Han and said, "General Xiao, handle the rest as you see fit."

Seeing that Feng Yewu completely disregarded him, Chang Jiang felt a surge of displeasure, though he kept his composure. Turning to Xiao Han, he asked, "General Xiao Han, do you mean for myself and Young Master Lu to each command ten guards and form battle arrays against one another?"

Xiao Han looked at the experienced Chang Jiang. The two of them had actually known each other for a long time.

Back when Xiao Han served under Lu Youxu, he had met this man at the Prince of Beichang's estate, though Lu Youxu's evaluation of him had been far from favorable.

His tactical schemes were too profound, and his nature was ruthless.

Yet in the context of the current trial, Chang Jiang's involvement would only serve to better prove Lu Jue's true capabilities.

With a cold expression, Xiao Han nodded and told Chang Jiang, "The two of you will each command ten men, representing opposing camps. Whichever side captures the enemy commander's banner first wins."

Hearing this, Chang Jiang nodded slightly; it matched his own speculation.

Yet he seemingly had no intention of letting it end so simply. Glancing toward the training grounds with a dark, flickering gleam in his eyes, he offered a counter-proposal to Xiao Han.

"General Xiao Han, the adversaries Young Master Lu will face in the future are the ferocious and powerful Tidi tribe. If we duel in this manner, it merely proves that Young Master Lu is skilled at commanding troops. Whether he can handle the Tidi people remains rather questionable, doesn't it?"

Upon hearing Chang Jiang's words, Xiao Han knew the man was harboring malicious intent. Once this argument was voiced, even if Lu Jue won, his position as the commander of the Northern Expedition would lack absolute stability—this single justification was more than enough to sow doubt among the other officials in the court.

Before Xiao Han could respond, however, Lu Jue smiled and posed a question to Chang Jiang instead.

"I wonder how General Chang proposes we conduct this confrontation?"

Seeing Lu Jue take the initiative to ask, neither Feng Yewu nor Xiao Han spoke further. They simply watched Chang Jiang in silence, waiting to see what scheme he was plotting.

An internal smile crossed Chang Jiang's face as he noticed everyone's gaze fixed upon him, silently concluding that Lu Jue was digging his own grave.

By now, the sun had nearly dipped below the horizon, and palace maids all around were beginning to light the lanterns one by one.