The Emperor of the Three Realms
chapter 15
Seeing that everything had been laid out on the table, there was no point in Du Ruhai hiding his blatant threat. With his status in the kingdom, there was no need to be courteous to a duke who would lose his power and influence.
Jiang Feng originally wanted to plead for leniency, hoping for a coincidence, but his face also darkened after hearing the last few sentences. “Organiser Du, insult me if I have to, but leave my son alone! So what if young people are useless? Are you sure my son won't turn himself in? They say to oppress the old but not the young!”
“A very good expression! Do you mean to tell me what happened? Not insulting the youth because it is poor? Hahahahahaha.” Du Ruhai laughed out loud. "Wake up! If he is not the lucky one, Jiang Feng, you will hold a funeral for your son and not try to curry favor with me!”
He flung his sleeves in style and walked proudly outwards.
"Hold!" Jiang Chen stood beside his father and suddenly spoke. “Du Ruhai right? If my memory is correct, my father sent you 600,000 silver last time on my behalf. You no longer concern yourself with my problems, yet do you intend to pretend to know nothing about money?
Du Ruhai's body suddenly came to a halt as a sharp gaze shot out from his eyes. He stared intently at Jiang Chen, his gaze so savage that it tried to swallow Jiang Chen whole.
But what he did not anticipate was that when his ruthless gaze swept across Jiang Chen's calm and serene eyes, his entire body trembled involuntarily, shaking, it was as if he had suddenly fallen into an ice-cold hell.
"What the fuck? The boy's gaze.”
Du Ruhai calmed himself down and said to himself solemnly that it was just an illusion.
“600.000 silver? Look in the official treasury! Bribing officials is another serious crime. Do you think I am a corrupt person? I've long since handed over the silver you offered to the official treasurer!”
It was impossible for Jiang Chen to believe such a tripe. How could one possibly spit out a piece of selected meat that entered his mouth? This Du Ruhai did not at all resemble an honest person and had integrity.
It seemed that Long Juxue and the other heirs had already started to secretly move against him since he had yet to hand over the Dragonbone Sun Grass!
If it was the old Jiang Chen, who offended some noble sons and Long Juxue, as well as the organizers of the Hidden Dragon Trials who carried a grudge against him would definitely cause his destruction.
However, what was Jiang Chen afraid of now? All those people who combined were nothing more than annoying flies in his eyes.
With just a little time, he would be able to beat them to death many times.
A hint of a cold smile slanted on her lips, she looked towards the haughty Du Ruhai and raised her voice. “Du Ruhai, seeking profit and avoiding loss is part of human nature. Fear of the influential duke was not a big thing. But to oppress good people and fear evil, and insult my Jiang family – you will know how great a mistake that happened not long later.”
If Du Ruhai courteously and respectfully rejected Jiang Feng without losing face, then Jiang Chen would understand completely.
But Du Ruhai had long since accepted the money and suddenly came today to renege on his promise. All right, deny it, but give the money back.
If you want to keep the money, at least show a better attitude?
To take a hard action and be arrogant? Did he already look at the Jiang family as a pile of bones in the grave, a flower that would wither tomorrow?
Such an attitude managed to anger Jiang Chen.
“Ai, Chen. This Du Ruhai was not someone who was irritated. He was ranked number two of all the organizers of the Hidden Dragon Trials.” Jiang Feng sighed lightly. “And, your father had heard that the one who ranked number one did not ask much. He had delegated a lot of power and basically allowed Du Ruhai to do as he wished. He listened to the periodic reports from Du Ruhai; therefore, it was not an exaggeration to say that he was the main one in charge.”
As a duke, Jiang Feng was a brave and heroic man. But in terms of strategy and planning or power struggles, he means nothing.
Jiang Chen did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had not had enough time to understand the situation since he reincarnated. Could it be that the chaos left behind by Jiang Chen earlier was bad enough that money could not solve the problem?
“Ai, Chen. Don't depression. I will continue to think and see if there is another path we can go through. Especially…"
There is a saying that a loving mother causes a boy's failure. However with Jiang Feng as a father, Jiang Chen gained a new understanding that a loving father can also lead to the failure of a son.
However, Jiang Chen was still touched. Duke Jiang Han really loved his son. The situation was so dire that flames ran up their buttocks, yet he still did not utter any harsh words.
“True, dad. What is my grade for the Hidden Dragon Trials? Did Du Ruhai mention it at all?”
Jiang Feng's expression was a bit awkward as he stuttered, “Yah
Jiang Chen was completely silent. Is his father still trying to keep his feelings up to now?
“Dad, my face is thick, I can take it. How badly? You can tell me directly.”
Jiang Feng was also worried that his son would not be able to accept it just from surviving such a disaster. He “heh” laughed when he saw his son was mentally ready. “You're a special son of a bitch, okay, asking your own grades to your parents? Are you sure you won't be surprised by my answer?”
“Tell me, surely I can't be the last?”
“Is there any doubt that you are the last?” Jiang Feng smiled wryly. “The issue before us is that you have not passed any of the three basic exams. The final test of the second half of the year will be held at the end of this month. If you don't pass the three basic exams, you won't even have the qualifications to take the final test in the Hidden Dragon Trials.”
The first two and a half years of the Hidden Dragon Trials were a time of learning and growth. The qualifying exam is held at the end of this time.
If a candidate cannot even pass the qualification exam, then he or she is not even entitled to participate in the Final Examination.
Jiang Chen finally understood why his parents were humbling him. Why was a proud and grand duke lectured like a child by Du Ruhai.
After seeing Jiang Chen lower his head without saying anything, Jiang Feng smiled even more wryly. “Son, don't tell me you don't even remember what those three basic exams were?”
If it was one of the other dukes, a loud slap in the face would be given after hearing the passive words of his son.
Jiang Feng was one of the unique fathers, he only let out a light sigh. “Son, it looks like your destiny is to return to the fields with your father. Whatever. The rich and wealthy life was not written in the stars for the Jiang family. We'd better take off our armor and return to the fields with your generation. Too much nonsense going on in politics, returning to a simpler life may not be a bad thing.”
"Wait a minute. Old dad, when did I say that I want to go back to rural life and work in the fields?”
Jiang Feng was astonished. “But three basic tests..”
“So it was three exams! When I have time, I can pass eight, or even ten of them.”
“Son, will you die if you don't brag once a day? If nothing else, take the example of the first foundation, it is also the most basic requirement. Your true Qi should be within the transition region of true qi, at least four meridians of true qi. You have it?"
“Four meridians true qi? Basic exam asking for such a simple thing?” Jiang Chen's turn was gobsmacked and he meticulously raised his arm. “Dad, look at the stone bench there.”
His true Qi circulated throughout his body as he spoke, flowing through his four meridians like four rumbling rivers. They fused into one and concentrated at his fingertips.
He wiggled his finger, looking from the corner of his eye..
A hole was pierced directly through the stone bench where his finger pointed.
“Lines formed from true qi, fuse without spreading. This is really the realm of transition from true qi? Son, when did you find the fourth acupoint, clear the fourth meridian, and successfully train four true qi meridians?”
Jiang Feng was overjoyed beyond his belief with a face full of doubt. Four meridians of true qi was a quite fundamental achievement for any duke's son. Clearing the fourth meridian was something that was not even worth being proud of.
Yet to Jiang Feng, it was a moment equivalent to witnessing a miracle with his own eyes.
“Heh. I did this yesterday. I meditated for a few hours. Right, Dad, what are the other two basic exams? Can you tell me everything at once, and I'll go back and think of a way to handle it? We can't let a vile character like Du Ruhai mock us, can we?”
Jiang Feng was silent. Since when did the basic exam become so easy in the eyes of this child? Can he handle it just by taking a little time?
"What's wrong? Can Du Ruhai the old man make things difficult for me even after I pass the elementary examination?”
"Imust be!" Jiang Feng puffed out his chest and said firmly. “Your parents are not vegetarians who roll around pretending to be dead. As long as you can pass the basic exam and reach the final exam of the Hidden Dragon Trials, I guarantee there will be no problems there. But regarding the contents of the final exam.. if Du Ruhai hid something behind his sleeve.”
“Vile characters are as common as ghosts. I, Jiang Chen, am an outstanding individual and have no fear of this character. The only thing I fear is that his ability is not maximal and will not be able to create a complicated mess for me. In that case, it will greatly disappoint me.”
In the end, Jiang Chen paid no heed to third-rate clowns like Du Ruhai.
The three basic exams are actually not difficult. Their goal was not to confuse test takers, but to get rid of useless ones.
Unless one was a dandy who did not put in much effort to practice, passing the basic exam was not a problem.
Other than Jiang Chen, all the examinees had reached four meridians true qi. Even the plump Xuan had reached five meridians of true qi.
The second test was to practice the kingdom's “Qi Amethyst Eastern” method until one reached the level of perfection, and managed to maintain it for an hour in a room filled with the aura of a fourth level fight.
The Eastern Amethyst Qi Method was created by the ancestors of the Eastern royal family. It was a method used in the process of establishing a kingdom, and hence it was highly symbolic. It is further divided into five levels of achievement namely nature 'small achievement', 'skilled', 'perfection', 'perfect' and 'great perfection'.
The so-called realm of perfection is to study the whole set of basic tactics and to know them thoroughly.
The third test is the theory test. The aim was to test the academic knowledge of the heirs of each duchy. This exam is even easier, basically one can pass by memorizing.
"What whatwhat! I used to struggle for two and a half years in such an easy exam, and still couldn't pass?”
Jiang Chen was a bit confused. What attracted more attention were his parents. When faced with such a boy, had he ever thought of slapping him roughly?
His agreement with Eastern Lu lasted for three days, and only two days passed. In the remaining days, Jiang Chen decided to put in the time and effort for the basic examination.
The rank of a duke meant nothing to Jiang Chen, but it seemed that a subtle general situation had developed in the capital, and he did not want to lose any advantage.
Especially when some bored person was waiting to see a fool made into a member of the Jiang family.
As for the idiots who came to him asking to be slapped, he could vent a little of his frustration by obeying them, right?
Amethyst Eastern Qi is a complex set of tactics. The heirs of the duchy only learned the most basic part of this method.
The objective of mandating that all heirs learn the basic tactics was to evaluate potential, personality, martial dao comprehension, and the ability to bear suffering in the path of training.
Jiang Chen sat down cross-legged and meditated for a moment, tracing the basic parts of Eastern Amethyst Qi.
At that moment, the vast memories of his past began to show his true value.
