Chapter 3
Edward Quan ·
**Part 2**
“Great Zhou has traditionally valued civil learning above martial skill. But to defend against foreign invasion, His Majesty opened a military examination this year. The list you tore down was the military list!”
Lord Pei pointed to the top and read my name aloud.
“First place in the military examination: Su Yuqiao!”
The square fell silent. Everyone stared.
Jiang Xueci stood dazed for a moment, then scrambled up, shaking her head wildly.
“Fake! It’s all fake!”
She snatched the torn notice from him.
“How could Great Zhou have a female martial champion? She’s a woman. How could she compete against men? You’ll invent anything to protect that slut!”
The scholars recovered enough to join in.
“Exactly! Since when have women been martial champions?”
“Look at that figure. She’s clearly a seductress!”
“She won the military examination? Only if she slept with every candidate!”
I watched them, my fists cracking as I clenched them.
Were the people of this city carrying manure in their skulls?
Lord Pei’s face turned livid.
“Insolence! The Minister of War personally supervised the examination. His Majesty approved the result! Are you questioning the emperor?”
At the mention of the emperor, the scholars shrank back.
Jiang Xueci wasn’t afraid.
She straightened her disordered clothes and resumed her pose as a brilliant lady.
“Don’t use His Majesty to intimidate me, Lord Pei. My father is the Grand Preceptor. I’ve studied military treatises since childhood. A military examination doesn’t test strength alone. There are strategy essays too!”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“How could an illiterate village girl pass the strategy examination? Your entire Ministry of War is colluding to steal the rightful champion’s place and give it to this woman who sells herself!”
I frowned.
“Who said I don’t understand strategy? I don’t like writing. That doesn’t mean I can’t. My handwriting’s just a little ugly. I wrote about how to twist off the enemy commander’s head. The Minister of War slapped the table when he read it. He said my tactics were direct and practical.”
She roared with laughter.
“Listen to that rubbish! Twist off a head? Do you think warfare is a street brawl? Something that crude earned full marks?”
She gestured at the surrounding scholars.
“Who here hasn’t studied the classics? Who here doesn’t understand strategy better than you? You clearly bribed the Minister of War with your body!”
The murmuring began again.
“Exactly! Just look at her!”
“Such pale skin! Such a full chest!”
“What woman who practices martial arts isn’t muscular and rough-skinned?”
“That stone-lion trick must have been some street performer’s sorcery!”
“The lion was definitely hollow!”
I was speechless.
I’d lifted a five-hundred-jin stone lion—roughly two hundred and fifty kilograms—with one hand. They still insisted it was hollow.
I wanted to stuff it into their mouths.
Besides, my skin was like Mother’s. She said I’d inherited her beauty.
Who said a martial artist had to be dark-skinned and ugly?
Jiang Xueci lifted her head arrogantly.
“I’m seeing this through, Lord Pei. I’ll expose your ministry and win justice for every scholar in the realm!”
She glared at me through clenched teeth.
“If you can’t prove your ability today, I’ll appeal directly to the emperor. Let the whole capital see how the Ministry of War chooses champions by their bodies!”
I rubbed my neck. My patience was nearly gone.
“How would you like me to prove it? Lift the lion again?”
She gave me a contemptuous laugh.
“What does lifting a stone prove? Who knows what you did to it? If you’re the martial champion, your fighting skills must be exceptional.”
She pointed behind her.
“As it happens, my father paid a fortune for my personal bodyguard. Zhao Wuji, renowned inheritor of the Iron Palm!”
Her gaze turned vicious.
“Survive three moves from him, and I’ll believe you. Fail, and he can kill you here as an apology to the realm!”
The scholars cheered.
“Excellent! Miss Jiang is right!”
“Beat that shameless slut to death!”