CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 100: PRESTIGE (PART 1)

The Commandery Princess spoke, and Yu Chong didn’t have time to think carefully before he agreed.

The soldiers running laps around the Martial Arts Training Ground were turning their heads to watch as they ran. They saw General Yu, looking imposing and fierce, stepping forward with his knife, then the gust of wind from his knife clashing fiercely with the Commandery Princess’s long spear.

Everyone wished their necks were longer, their eyes brighter.

"How about it? Did General Yu lose?"

"Hey! Don’t say it, don’t say it, General Yu actually lost!"

"Of course, there’s no way he could win against the Commandery Princess. It would be too disrespectful. Even Commander Song isn’t the Commandery Princess’s match!"

The soldiers winked and joked with each other.

The long knife in Yu Chong’s hand was knocked away, and he was stunned!

He... he didn’t even hold back, or rather, he hadn’t had the chance to. He originally planned to exchange thirty or forty moves, winning this round while preserving the Commandery Princess’s dignity. That way, the bad habit of "conceding" wouldn’t spread through the military camp.

Who would have thought he actually lost under the Commandery Princess’s long spear!

The spear technique the Commandery Princess used was the Song Family Spear Technique, the most widely circulated in the Da Liang Army. At a glance, it didn’t seem extraordinary. It just involved faster moves, more ferocious spear techniques, and greater strength... so, he truly lost.

Yu Chong took a deep breath and conceded with hands cupped: "The Commandery Princess’s prowess is incomparable, I admit defeat."

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly, picked up the long knife, and handed it back to Yu Chong: "Go and call Li Tie and the others. I have some free time today to spar with all of them."

In the military camp, martial prowess was respected.

The Commandery Princess intended to use overwhelming strength to make the arrogant soldiers bow their heads!

Yu Chong, holding unseen excitement at watching the show, went to call Li Tie and the others over.

These military generals were originally veterans of the Nanyang Army, led by Li Tie, having defected to Zuo Zhen one by one. In recent days, Zuo Zhen had been avoiding people, while the Commandery Princess seized control of the military camp with the force of a thunderstorm, and used various methods of favor and appeasement to win the soldiers’ hearts. Those wavering like the grass on the wall were also becoming indecisive.

Sparring in the military camp was commonplace. Li Tie, filled with pent-up anger and frustration with nowhere to vent, determined to give the Commandery Princess a "good show," performed a fake courtesy: "I am not as skilled as Yu Chong, I’m afraid during the sparring I might unintentionally injure the Commandery Princess."

Jiang Shaohua glanced at Li Tie with a smile: "Whether it’s a mule or a horse, let it out and see. General Li has a quick tongue; I just wonder if you have real skills behind it."

Li Tie sneered coldly in his heart, taking out a heavy-backed Mountain Opening Axe.

To secure a place in the military camp, Li Tie truly had skills. This heavy-backed Mountain Opening Axe, weighing more than thirty pounds, was too heavy for the average person to lift easily, but Li Tie wielded it effortlessly. After setting his stance, the Mountain Opening Axe came at her like lightning.

Song Yuan, watching from the sidelines, remained unmoved.

Qin Hu and other trusted aides smirked in secret.

Is that all?

Jiang Shaohua didn’t underestimate her opponent either. Even a tiger uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit! Her long spear flicked, producing several spear flowers, its sharp tip clashing multiple times with the Mountain Opening Axe in the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing, sharp enough to make one’s teeth hurt, reached everyone’s ears.

Li Tie, who planned to defeat the Commandery Princess in just a few moves, spared no effort, swinging the axe with force. However, he found no sense of impending victory. Instead, he was being pushed back step by step by the long spear that wielded like a dragon. Every time the axe and spear clashed, an irresistible power surged forth, causing his right hand to ache painfully.

Li Tie’s face changed dramatically! His eyes were filled with shock!

Neither Song Yuan nor Yu Chong held back. The ten-year-old Nanyang County Princess possessed astonishing Divine Power! As the saying goes, one strength defies ten techniques; with such Divine Power, the variation in techniques wasn’t of utmost importance... purely in terms of spear technique, the Commandery Princess was a top-notch expert!

Jiang Shaohua also went all out, her moves as fierce as the wind, as though Mount Tai was pressing down.

Li Tie’s face quickly turned red, his right hand trembling continuously, and the Mountain Opening Axe grew increasingly heavy. This was a sign of impending exhaustion.

He wanted to concede, to save some face. However, the Commandery Princess didn’t even give him the chance to speak, the long spear as swift as a torrential rain.

The final thrust knocked away his Mountain Opening Axe. The shiny spear tip suddenly pressed against his chest.

A slight force, and the long spear could pierce through his chest!

Li Tie’s face was colorless, his right hand trembling, his entire body shaking.

The Commandery Princess had a murderous aura in her eyes, a sharpness only seen in those who had killed before. He had an honest premonition: if he didn’t beg for mercy, he might truly not see tomorrow’s sun!

"I admit defeat!" Li Tie said with suppressed shock, conceding respectfully.

Jiang Shaohua half-smiled, the long spear unmoving, still pointed at Li Tie’s chest: "General Li truly admits defeat? I don’t believe it."

A drop of bean-sized sweat slowly slid down from Li Tie’s forehead.

Li Tie said with determination: "The Commandery Princess’s powers are unmatched, I am sincerely convinced. I will immediately return and write a report, I intend to impeach Zuo Zhen, the main general of the Nanyang Army, for his misconduct in the military camp."

As expected, he was "a wise man."

Jiang Shaohua chuckled, moving the spearhead, then calmly retracted her long spear: "Don’t rush; wait here. After I’ve sparred with them all, you all write the report together."

...

An hour later.

Military generals, looking more sullen than the other, gathered in Li Tie’s military tent.

No one spoke for a long time.

Shameful! So shameful!

In front of all the soldiers, the seven of them fought one after another, each defeated under the Commandery Princess’s long spear. Either their weapons were knocked away, or they had the long spear pressed to vital points, with the unluckiest of them knocked down, eating dirt.

"Li Tie! What should we do now?" The general who fell the worst, losing a tooth, winced in pain: "Do we defect to the Commandery Princess, or grit our teeth and wait for Prime Minister Wang in the capital to support Left General?"

Another general gritted his teeth and replied: "I don’t care what you do, but I’m aligning with the Commandery Princess."

"I’m choosing the Commandery Princess too!"

Words are a thousand, a test is irreplaceable. They all knew they had given their all, yet none could last over forty moves against the Commandery Princess, each losing more miserably than the last!

As military generals, what more is there to say?

If not to kneel and proclaim the Commandery Princess’s supremacy, what else can we do?

Li Tie spat angrily: "Shut up! This sinking ship of Zuo Zhen, we should’ve jumped a long time ago. I remained silent earlier because I was thinking about how to write this report to nail Zuo Zhen down for good."

If they were going to overturn, they needed to do it thoroughly. At least, they had to completely get rid of Zuo Zhen!

The military generals’ opinions aligned, and they perked up, each proposing suggestions: "I heard Chief Historian Chen listed ten accusations against Zuo Zhen; let’s send someone to ask Chief Historian Chen how to write this report."

"Ten accusations aren’t enough, we should gather a few more."

Li Tie thought for a moment and nodded: "We’re all rough people, writing reports is something we need to consult Chief Historian Chen about. This report will be a joint impeachment of Zuo Zhen by the seven of us! And we’ll sign it with a bloody handprint!"