My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Princess Gaoyang was very dissatisfied with Fang Yi'ai.

To be honest, Li Chengan also felt that Fang Yi'ai was ungrateful. He had saved him many times, but Fang still colluded with Li Tai to harm him.

However, in front of Princess Gaoyang, Li Chengan could not say this: "Fang Yi'ai is still very young. When he gets a little older, he will get better."

There are many things one cannot understand until reaching that age.

"Your Majesty, please don't mention Fang Yi'ai anymore. I have completely lost faith in him." Princess Gaoyang's eyes were filled with disappointment.

At this moment, the examiners on the stage asked Li Xiaogong to come out and speak.

Li Xiaogong waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "I recently caught a cold and my voice is hoarse, so I can't speak. Please let Cheng Yaojin say a few words on my behalf."

Cheng Yaojin declined, and then asked Li Jing and Li Ji to speak. Everyone said, "Old Cheng, don't refuse anymore, just say it."

Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, "You are all scholars, while I, Old Cheng, am a rough man. You won't speak, but you want me, Old Cheng, to speak. Well then, I, Old Cheng, will reluctantly do it."

Please forgive me if I'm wrong or not.

Actually, everyone knows that Cheng Yaojin loves to show off, and he's most willing to do things like this.

He'll only get angry if you don't let him talk.

Old Cheng stood up, cradling his belly with both hands, and stood in the center of the arena.

"Look, that's Cheng Yaojin."

How many people in Chang'an don't know Cheng Yaojin?

Cheng Yaojin was highly respected and a household name. People talked about Cheng Yaojin with great interest, some true and some false.

Cheng Yaojin is a legend in people's minds.

Cheng Yaojin raised his hands: "Please be quiet, everyone, and listen to what I, Old Cheng, have to say."

The entire military training ground fell silent.

Old Cheng coughed and said, "Fellow villagers, today is the Lantern Festival, and I, Old Cheng, am overjoyed to be gathered here with you all."

On this auspicious day, the imperial court specially held a martial arts examination, which was of great significance.

Its purpose is to make friends through martial arts, hoping that the people of the Tang Dynasty will promote the spirit of martial arts, improve their physique, and enhance the physical fitness of the entire nation.

Of course, we will also take this opportunity to select generals and vanguards to serve the court in the future.

The candidates who came to participate in this martial arts examination came from all over the country.

There were subjects of our Great Tang Dynasty, as well as people from other countries and ethnic groups.

No matter where you come from, we welcome you.

The list of participants for the martial arts exam has been selected and published.

For those who have performed exceptionally well but have not yet registered and wish to take the exam, they can apply to our examiners. We will reassess their applications, and those who are truly highly skilled will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Here, I, Lao Cheng, would like to announce the examination rules to everyone.

Since we are all on the same side, in order to prevent casualties, during the competition, no one is allowed to use lethal force or strike the opponent's vital areas.

In martial arts sparring, fists and feet should be the primary means of combat. If weapons must be used, the spearheads should be removed and the blades wrapped. In short, the weapons used should not be too sharp.

The rules of the game are very simple: you win if you beat your opponent until they can't get up or voluntarily give up.

Did you all hear me clearly?

All the candidates who came to take the exam said in unison, "We heard you clearly."

Looking at them, Lao Cheng sighed with emotion: "Oh dear, most of the people who came to take the exam today are young people. Seeing you all so full of energy, I feel very gratified."

If Shaolin is strong, then the nation is strong. It seems that our Great Tang Dynasty has hope!

There's a saying: "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, one wave crashing onto the beach."

I, Lao Cheng, am getting old. As people reach old age, I'm starting to decline. I hope you can compete with skill, style, and the true colors of Tang people.

Also, I have some good news to share with everyone. Today is a very grand celebration, and His Majesty is here in person. Please welcome His Majesty to meet and speak with everyone!

at this time,

Li Shimin climbed the ladder onto the arena.

Normally, Li Shimin wore a dragon robe, but today he changed his attire, donning armor and a golden helmet, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, as he steadily stepped onto the arena.

When everyone saw Li Shimin appear on the arena, they all knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The sound resounded through the sky.

"Rise, no need for formalities!" Li Shimin's voice was loud and clear.

Everyone on and off the stage stood up again.

Some people have met Li Shimin, while others have not.

Everyone wanted to admire Li Shimin's demeanor.

Li Shimin had gained a little weight since his youth, and was now tall, strong, and full of energy. With his armor, he looked just like a golden-armored god.

Li Shimin had a dignified appearance and exuded authority even without anger.

Many ministers were so frightened by his appearance that they dared not speak.

Later, after being reminded by other ministers, Li Shimin's expression gradually relaxed, and the ministers dared to speak when they saw him.

Today, Li Shimin smiled warmly and was very approachable: "Fellow villagers, my beloved ministers,"

Today is the annual Lantern Festival. I wish everyone good health and all the best.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" the crowd responded.

"In recent years, we have experienced many setbacks together, including droughts and locust plagues, one after another."

The entire court was united in facing setbacks, and finally, we overcame numerous difficulties, ensuring that the vast majority of people had clothes to wear and food to eat.

Of course, we must continue our efforts to ensure that all citizens of the Tang Dynasty have enough to eat and wear, that all children have access to education, and that every elderly person is well cared for and can live out their remaining years in comfort.

Li Shimin's words were sincere and heartfelt.

He didn't spout any grand principles; he spoke of practical matters that directly affected the interests of every citizen of the Tang Dynasty.

Thousands upon thousands of people on the military parade ground shouted in unison, "Long live! Long live!"

Li Shimin was also very excited. He raised his hands, and the entire military training ground fell silent again.

"Since my ascension to the throne, I have worked tirelessly day and night, filled with trepidation, fearing that I may not be able to bring happiness to the people."

They were afraid of not doing something well enough, lest they inadvertently become like the tyrannical rulers Jie and Zhou in history.

I have also traveled incognito to understand the people's conditions and hardships, hoping to bring them some blessings.

However, Emperor Yang of Sui was ambitious and fond of grandiose projects, and his excessive tours led to the construction of the Grand Canal, the building of Luoyang and Xianren Palace. The number of laborers and civilians who died or were injured was well over a million, bringing profound disaster to the people.

Therefore, we overthrew the Sui Dynasty and established the Tang Dynasty.

However, the Tang Dynasty had only been established for a short time.

In recent years, war has been ongoing, and the imperial court has faced many difficulties.

Fellow villagers, as long as we work together, I believe our Great Tang will surely prosper and the lives of the people will get better year by year.

I am very pleased that we are gathered here today.

I hereby declare that the people of Chang'an shall be exempt from taxes and corvée labor for one year.

"Long live the Heavenly Khan! Long live the Heavenly Khan!"

The entire military training ground erupted in cheers.

The common people could hardly believe their ears. Li Shimin was so generous and lavish right from the start.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself, "My father is really going all out."

All the concubines, princes, and princesses in the palace were living frugally. Some eunuchs and maids even had their wages delayed for months, yet they were putting on a show of wealth despite their poor living conditions.

This was Li Shimin, who was willing to tighten his belt himself in order to bring some benefits to the people.

If Emperor Yang of Sui had possessed such a magnanimous heart, how could the Wagang Uprising have broken out?

No one wants to rebel. People rebel only when they are driven to desperation and have no other choice.

However, Emperor Yang of Sui was unaware of this.

In his view, the common people were meant to be fooled, and he didn't care about their lives or deaths.

Emperor Yang of Sui made numerous tours, incurring incalculable expenses in terms of money and provisions.

However, he was extremely harsh on the people, enacting various harsh laws and regulations to increase their taxes.

The people were overwhelmed by the burden, suffering greatly and filled with complaints.

Without comparison, there is no harm; only through comparison can people truly appreciate that Li Shimin's love for his people as his own children was not an empty boast.

Li Shimin turned around and said to the examiners on the stage, "Today, I will not take up too much of your time. The martial arts competition can continue as it should. I still need to go to the Lizheng Hall to visit the Empress."

The examiners bowed and said, "Respectfully seeing off His Majesty!"

Li Shimin looked up at Li Chengan on the west viewing platform, but said nothing.

Then, he stepped off the stage, mounted his horse, and rode away.

Old Cheng, cradling his chubby belly with both hands, laughed and said, "The Emperor has already left, so everyone doesn't need to be so restrained anymore. Let me, Old Cheng, say a few more words."

This competition is divided into preliminary rounds and finals. Originally, we only planned to select one champion and one runner-up.

The top-ranking martial arts champion became a general, and the second-ranking champion became a vanguard.

However, we didn't expect so many candidates to come. After discussing it together, we examiners felt that there were too many applicants and not enough positions.

Therefore, we petitioned the Emperor to appoint one general, one deputy general, one vanguard, and one deputy vanguard. That is to say...

The first-ranked person is the general, the second-ranked person is the deputy general, the third-ranked person can be the vanguard, and the fourth-ranked person is the deputy vanguard.

We have prepared the general's seal and ribbon.

In addition, we also obtained four long Japanese swords to be issued.

These four long Japanese swords were specially made, not only incredibly sharp, but also novel in design and unique in style, symbolizing status and prestige.

Generals and vanguards alike were required to carry their swords and seals with them at all times, regarding them as their very lives.

This competition will last for three days. On the first day, the top eight will be selected.

The next day, the top four were selected from the top eight;

On the third day, the top four continued their competition and were ranked.

Did everyone understand?

"Understood," all the candidates replied in unison.

"Alright, let the competition officially begin."

A eunuch came on stage and moved all the examiners' seats and tables to the back row.

"Candidates who are taking the exam, please come to the stage!" Old Cheng called out.

As soon as he finished speaking, a person climbed up the ladder and came to the center of the arena.

Everyone glanced at the person and saw that it was none other than Qin Ying.

In fact, Qin Ying had already been wounded in the Baekje army.

Fortunately, they were all superficial injuries; he has thick skin and doesn't care.

He walked to the center of the arena, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Greetings, everyone. I am Qin Ying."

To be honest, you may not have heard of me.

But if I mention my grandfather and father, you'll understand.

Someone in the audience started to stir, asking, "And who are your grandfather and father?"

"My grandfather was the famous Qin Qiong, who stood on both sides of the Yellow River and was a force to be reckoned with in Shandong. My father was the imperial son-in-law Qin Huaiyu."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized they had indeed heard of Qin Ying and knew he was someone important.

"My grandfather is ill, so he couldn't come today. My father is also absent because he has other duties assigned by the court."

So they sent me as their representative, to represent the Qin family.

To be honest, I'm the most useless person in the Qin family.

However, I'm here today on a mission: I'm here for the general's seal.

If any of you disagree, you can come up on stage and we can have a contest. If none of you dare to come up on stage, then I'll take the general's seal away.

I became the youngest and most handsome general in our Great Tang Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, everyone thought to themselves, "This Qin Ying is really good at bragging. The competition hasn't even started yet, and he already considers the general's seal to be his for the taking. Is that even fair?"

(This sentence has already been stated in the previous text as "he regarded the general's seal as something in his pocket", so the meaning here is redundant and lacks a subject. Based on the context, it should be revised to) Everyone felt that he wanted to take the general's seal before the competition even started.

The crowd below the stage was abuzz with discussion.

Just then, someone said, "Qin Ying, stop your arrogance! I'll deal with you!"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone step onto the stage.

The man walked up to Qin Ying.

Qin Ying recognized the man as none other than Zhang Zhilong, his defeated foe.

Qin Ying crossed his arms and chuckled, "Who do we have here? It's you, kid. Your wounds' healed, but you're itching for a beating again, aren't you?"

As the saying goes, enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile.

Zhang Zhilong hated Qin Ying so much that his teeth itched. Last time at Zhaoren Palace, he and He Zongxian both suffered at Qin Ying's hands, and he hadn't gotten revenge yet.

Zhang Zhilong pointed at her and said, "Qin Ying, don't think you're something special just because you studied kung fu at Shaolin Temple for a few years."

Last time, it was because I didn't pay attention; today, it probably won't be so easy.

Qin Ying glanced at him sideways, thinking to herself, "You look all grown up, but you're just a good-for-nothing. You dare to put on airs in front of me?"

"So it seems your skills have improved a lot during this time."

"Show me what skills you have, let this young master see them."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong became even angrier, thinking that Qin Ying had taken advantage of him: "Whose grandfather are you?"

"Even if you want to be my grandson, I still have to consider whether or not to acknowledge you as my grandson."

Zhang Zhilong flew into a rage, rushed in front of Qin Ying, and delivered a Black Tiger Heart-Piercing Fist.

He punches very quickly.

This fighting style is somewhat like a desperate attempt to win.

Logically, for a duel to begin, the examiner must give the order to start.

The two were supposed to greet each other, but Zhang Zhilong didn't even say hello before throwing a punch.

How could Qin Ying possibly stand there and take his beating?

Seeing the ferocity of his punch, Qin Ying dodged to the side.

After dodging his punch, the two exchanged blows and began fighting on the arena.

Because Zhang Zhilong had suffered a loss at Qin Ying's hands last time, he intensified his training during this period, and his martial arts skills have indeed improved.

The two fought for ten rounds without a clear winner.

Thunderous applause erupted on the military training ground.

Actually, it wasn't that Qin Ying couldn't defeat him, but rather that Qin Ying was intentionally toying with him.

While hitting him, Qin Ying said, "You look like a deformed gourd, haven't you gotten married yet?"

"Whether I'm married or not is none of your business," Zhang Zhilong said irritably.

"How can this be unrelated? Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. If you acknowledge me as your grandfather, then you must carry on the family line. How can you manage without a wife?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong thought to himself that Qin Ying was truly opportunistic and his heart pounded with anger.

Qin Ying then asked, "Last time, when you were fighting the Turkic army, who saved you?"

"Of course it's Ho Tsung-hsien."

"Pah! With his appearance, do you think he's capable of rescuing you?"

He's shameless enough to take all the credit!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong sensed that Qin Ying seemed to already know that Xue Rengui had saved them, and he felt a little nervous.