Martial Cultivator

Hearing the voice, Chen Chao looked in the direction it came from. It emerged from the ranks of the civil officials, but there were too many people to see clearly who it was.

Chen Chao cursed inwardly. He had known he could not avoid this and had been prepared to volunteer himself. He did not expect that someone would beat him to it and recommend him first.

Volunteering and being recommended by someone else were fundamentally different.

At the very least, the intentions behind this person's recommendation were worth pondering.

The Great Liang Emperor's gaze passed over the assembled officials and landed on Chen Chao, who asked calmly, "Deputy Commander Chen, are you willing?"

Chen Chao stepped forward, bowed slightly, and replied, "As a subject of Great Liang, it is my duty to serve the people, of course this subject is willing to go to the Northern Frontier to slay the demon race and fight for Great Liang!"

"Good, Deputy Commander Chen is indeed a pillar of the nation. We are greatly comforted to have you."

The Great Liang Emperor smiled faintly but looked meaningfully at the official who had spoken earlier. Standing where he was, he could naturally see clearly who it was that had made the recommendation.

But before the Great Liang Emperor could speak, a court official stepped forward. "Your Majesty, this matter is about the honor of Great Liang. It cannot be decided so hastily. It requires careful consideration."

At first glance, this seemed like a reasonable statement, but the Grand Historian's brow had already furrowed. Although he did not get along with Chen Chao, believing he had gained the Emperor's favor without earning it, it was clear that Chen Chao had proven himself at the martial examination of the Myriad Willow Convention. Among the young people of the current generation, few could compare to him. Chen Chao's selection should have been beyond a doubt.

Moreover, this was a matter of risking one's life. The Grand Historian doubted many would be eager to compete for it.

This official's statement must hold ulterior motives.

Chen Chao also took a few looks at the official, furrowing his brows. In a moment, he understood the other's intentions. It seemed they simply wanted to spite him.

Last winter, he had arrested a teacher from an academy, which had severely damaged his reputation among scholars. He had not expected that someone would seize this moment to further humiliate him.

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at the court official and said calmly, "Does our dear official also wish to contribute to the country? However, in Our view, while you may have some ability in governance, when it comes to fighting and killing, it would be best if you didn't get involved."

The court official had hoped that by taking the lead and making such a statement, it would make things difficult for Chen Chao. However, he had not expected the Emperor to dismiss him so bluntly. Fortunately, he knew when to retreat. After a slight change in expression, this official said, "This subject has spoken out of turn. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The Emperor merely smiled and let it pass.

This seemed like a minor incident, but astute observers could discern a deeper significance.

A bunch of civil officials, in the end, what real say could they have regarding this sort of thing? Even if such things were to be discussed in court, they primarily concerned the warden faction, the Heavenly Imperial Institution, and the prominent families of the Divine Capital. The Emperor's earlier comment actually had a simple goal: he aimed to build momentum for that young military official. However, some in the court were not willing to see such a sight.

So, whether the Great Liang Emperor's decision was spontaneous or a long-planned strategy, it now seemed like an illusion that had been shattered.

To dare openly challenge the Emperor in a court session was daring, and although the Emperor might not do anything on the surface, the future of that court official's career was now uncertain.

Sure enough, after Chen Chao was nominated, the Left Guard Commander Song Lian and the Right Guard Commander Ye Dayuan both stepped forward to recommend several candidates. This time, no one objected.

Following this, that vice-chairman of the Heavenly Imperial Institution also said a few names, which was actually the normal procedure.

However, it was clear that the leading figure for this mission was Chen Chao and could only be Chen Chao.

After this process was completed, many suddenly realized something: the academy was actually missing from the list.

While the academy technically consisted of foreign cultivators, it had been rooted in the Divine Capital for many years. Many of its scholars had long since taken up official positions within the Great Liang Dynasty. Subconsciously, people still associated the academy with the Great Liang. Yet, the absence of that Dean at today's court session suggested some underlying issues.

Soon after, an attendant came running from a distance and knelt before the jade steps. "Your Majesty, Xie Nandu from the academy seeks an audience!"

The Great Liang Emperor's expression remained unchanged and he calmly said, "Summon her."

The words Xie Nandu caused a stir among the court officials. Her name carried immense weight; she was the final disciple of the academy's dean and the prodigy daughter of the Xie Family. Her reputation in the Great Liang Dynasty was widespread and far, and much better than Chen Chao's.

Just being the Dean's disciple made it destined for Xie Nandu to receive great respect among scholars. But why was this former top scholar of the Myriad Willow Convention's literary examination seeking an audience with His Majesty before the court session ended?

Many court officials could not figure out the reason, so they simply did not think about it. They were somewhat eager to see her, as they had heard this name too many times ,but had never seen her in person. Today seemed like a rare opportunity.

Chen Chao's expression was the most complex. He had previously spoken with Xie Nandu but failed to convince her. Initially, he thought her absence from the palace meant she had reconsidered. However, seeing her now left him with mixed emotions. On one hand, he did not want Xie Nandu to undertake this perilous journey to the Northern Frontier, fraught with dangers. But on the other hand, he knew that once this girl set her mind on something, no one had ever been able to dissuade her.

Under the gaze of the court officials, a young woman in a light blue dress walked in slowly. In an instant, many younger officials widened their eyes. They had long heard that this extraordinary woman from the academy was not only famed for her talents but also possessed a stunningly beautiful face. But rumors were just that - rumors, and they had never truly considered what her legendary beauty might be like until they saw her in person today. Everyone was stupefied.

The young woman standing before them did not apply a touch of makeup, yet her face alone seemed to outshine all the brilliance in the world. The Great Liang Dynasty had not adopted the practice of establishing a ranking for beauties like the lists of celestial maidens ranking in foreign lands, but if they had, this genius daughter from the Xie Family would undoubtedly have been the top choice without question.

The Great Liang Emperor looked at this young woman, whom he had only seen a few times before, with a hint of a smile on his face.

Some women in the world were indeed like so. Even if one had no romantic feelings toward them, just looking at them elicited a sense of admiration.

However, looking at Xie Nandu, the Great Liang Emperor thought of another woman.

She also came from the academy, and the two bore some resemblance.

As this genius girl from the academy took her place, everyone awaited her words, eager to hear what this famous prodigy would say. Even the Great Liang Emperor was curious about what this young woman, who chose to enter the palace at this particular moment, had to say.

Chen Chao also raised his head to look at Xie Nandu.

Xie Nandu seemed unaware that everyone was looking at her. She simply raised her head, smiled at the Great Liang Emperor, and said softly, "Your Majesty, Xie Nandu of the academy requests to join the battle."