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

He Zongxian was secretly surprised to see that Ashina Jieshe had climbed the platform without using the ladder.

Because he knew that Ashina Jieshe was a very famous assassin, one of the three great assassins, with unparalleled lightness skills and a talent for using hidden weapons.

He Zongxian inwardly groaned, thinking to himself that he was really unlucky to have encountered such a formidable opponent.

At this point, backing down was impossible, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue: "Ashina Jieshelu, do you know who I am?"

Ashina Jieshe sized him up: "Aren't you He Zongxian, Zhang Shigui's son-in-law?"

"Exactly."

"What do you want to compete with me in?"

He Zongxian's eyes darted around, thinking to himself that Ashina Jieshe's lightness skill and hidden weapons were both superb.

Therefore, if it comes to a contest of lightness skills and hidden weapons, I'm afraid I'm no match for them.

However, he discovered that Ashina Jieshelu also had a weakness: Ashina Jieshelu's body was relatively thin.

This is precisely why Ashina Jieshe's lightness skill was unparalleled; it would be difficult to perform lightness skill if one were too heavy.

He Zongxian thought to himself that he was probably stronger than him.

The most important thing in a martial arts competition is to avoid the opponent's strengths and attack their weaknesses. You must use your strengths to attack their weaknesses. Only in this way can you have a chance of winning.

Seeing Ashina Jieshe's expression, He Zongxian suggested, "I've heard that you Turks are quite fond of wrestling, so how about we have a wrestling match?"

Ashina Jieshe immediately understood that He Zongxian had ill intentions and wanted to challenge his weakness because he saw that Ashina was somewhat frail.

Ashina Jieshe was also very stubborn. When he heard He Zongxian say this, he immediately said, "Alright, since you want to wrestle, then I'll play with you."

Before Lao Cheng could even announce the start of the match, He Zongxian was already impatient.

He was also tall, and he stretched out his hands, placing them on Ashina Jieshe's shoulders.

Then, press down hard.

He Zongxian is indeed quite strong.

Ashina Jieshe immediately felt a powerful pressure pressing down on him.

He dared not be negligent and followed suit, placing his hands on He Zongxian's shoulders as well.

Both of them were bent over, facing the ground and with their backs to the sky.

He Zongxian and Ashina Jieshe then began to fight on the arena.

Ten rounds passed in the blink of an eye, and no winner emerged.

The audience, watching, secretly cheered them on.

Because there were many wrestlers present, everyone understood that wrestling wasn't just about strength; sometimes, it also involved a lot of skill.

He Zongxian was getting a little anxious. He thought to himself, "How skilled is Qin Ying in martial arts?"

Zhang Zhilong was actually able to defeat Qin Ying.

If I can't beat Ashina Jieshe, wouldn't I be incredibly humiliated?

Will Zhang Shigui still respect him in the future?

Opportunity comes unexpectedly.

at this time,

He Zongxian seized an opportunity and threw Ashina Jieshe more than two zhang away.

He Zongxian thought to himself that he would definitely be able to throw Ashina Jieshe down face-first in this match, thus securing victory for himself.

All the people saw Ashina Jieshe's body tumbling in the air, about to fall flat on his face.

However, just as Ashina Jieshe's body was about to hit the ground,

He strained his waist, head up, feet down, and then landed lightly on the ground.

Another round of cheers erupted from the audience.

He Zongxian was also a little confused.

He originally thought that Ashina Jieshe would be forced to surrender, but he didn't expect that the other party would easily resolve the situation.

He Zongxian threw Ashina Jieshelu several times, and each time Ashina Jieshelu was unharmed.

No matter how hard He Zongxian tried, he couldn't bring the other person down.

He Zongxian was dumbfounded when he saw it.

He inwardly groaned, thinking to himself, "This is bad."

This guy's lightness skill is too amazing; I can't knock him down at all. If this continues, I'm bound to lose eventually.

This time, Ashina Jieshe walked straight up to He Zongxian and asked, "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Show them all!"

"Here comes the challenge!"

The two hugged each other again, and then fell.

While wrestling with Ashina Jieshe, He Zongxian lowered his voice and asked, "Do you remember who rescued you from the Turkic camp that night when you were captured?"

"Uh, it was too dark for me to see very clearly, but I saw a figure in white flash in front of me and then save me."

"Let me tell you, I'm the one who saved you."

That time, you went back and persuaded Ashina Simo to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

Ashina Simo, resentful of the Tang Dynasty, imprisoned you in a fit of anger, intending to settle accounts with you after conquering Luoyang.

I respect you as a true man, which is why I risked my life to save you.

Are all you Turks so ungrateful?

Ashina Jiesheshuai's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

He was originally a member of the Turkic royal family, but later became an assassin in the Tang Dynasty. However, he also understood the principle that even thieves have their code of honor.

He couldn't help but ask, "Are you telling the truth? Did you really save me?"

"How could this be fake? The imperial court has already verified it."

There's one more thing I wanted to ask you: do you like that girl, Xue'er?

Ashina Jieshe leader felt a little hot when He Zongxian mentioned Xue'er, because he had once tried to peep at Xue'er while she was bathing and was caught by Qin Ying.

Qin Ying picked up a stone and smashed it into his leg, nearly breaking it.

"I do have some affection for Miss Xue'er," Ashina Jieshe admitted frankly.

He Zongxian then made a falling motion: "If you like Xue'er, I can help you fulfill your wish, haha."

"Really?" Ashina Jieshe originally intended to extend his right leg to trip He Zongxian, but at this moment, he stopped halfway through extending his right leg.

"Yes, because my father-in-law is Zhang Shigui, a famous general who was one of the founding generals of the Tang Dynasty. He made many military achievements and was a favorite of the emperor."

Li Daozong was also Zhang Shigui's son-in-law.

"If my father-in-law or Li Daozong were to ask the Emperor for a maidservant as a reward, wouldn't that be an easy thing to do?"

Ashina Jieshe listened, thought about it, and felt that what he said seemed to make some sense.

"Let me put it this way, this martial arts exam is very important to me."

After all, my father-in-law is a Duke. Once I become a general, you'll definitely benefit from it.

In other words, you were originally a member of the Turkic royal family, but later surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

Even if you achieve a good ranking, think about it yourself: do you really believe the imperial court will appoint you as a general?

Ashina Jieshe remained silent.

"In that case, why don't you give me that general's spot?"

We each get what we need.

Ashina Jieshe thought to himself, no matter what, he was a surrendered Turk.

Would the Tang Dynasty court really trust someone who had surrendered?

That's probably not the case.

Back then, Ying Bu surrendered to Liu Bang, but was ultimately killed by Liu Bang.

Having nowhere else to turn, Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was an extremely cunning man; on the surface, he pretended not to be wary of Zhang Xiu.

In reality, Cao Pi did not trust Zhang Xiu. Soon after, Zhang Xiu died of depression. Moreover, later, Zhang Xiu's son was killed by Cao Pi.

After Wei Yan surrendered to Liu Bei, he became a general and pillar of the Shu Kingdom in the later period, but he was eventually killed by Zhuge Liang's scheme.

Furthermore, Luo Yi was originally a famous general of the Sui Dynasty. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, Luo Yi surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. In the end, Luo Yi also died under mysterious circumstances.

This shows that those who surrender never have a good ending.

Li Shimin was particularly wary of those from other ethnic groups who had surrendered, though he didn't say it aloud.

Take Jieli Khan for example. He surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, but Li Shimin didn't seem to give him any important position.

Of course, Ashina Jieshe also knew that He Zongxian's father-in-law, Zhang Shigui, was no pushover; he was a famous general who helped found the Tang Dynasty and was on par with Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and Yuchi Gong.

Moreover, his military achievements may even surpass those of the others.

Offending He Zongxian is the same as offending Zhang Shigui.

Before this,

I have already offended Li Tai. If I offend Zhang Shigui as well, how will I survive in the Tang Dynasty?

After careful consideration, Ashina Jieshe thought that since He Zongxian valued the position of general so much, he should just give it to him. There was no need for him to fall down again.

Ashina Jieshe leader, upon realizing this, lost his fighting spirit.

When He Zongxian threw him out again, he heard a loud "bang" in his ear.

Ashina Jieshe fell onto the ring, his legs in the air.

"Ah! Why didn't you dodge it this time?"

The audience erupted in uproar, with many feeling that Ashina Jieshe's fall was somewhat unusual.

He Zongxian was overjoyed, raised his right hand, and shouted loudly, "I won! I won!"

However, Cheng Yaojin delayed announcing the result of the match.

He Zongxian walked up to Lao Cheng and pointed his finger at Lao Cheng's nose: "Old Cheng, Ashina Jieshe has already fallen to the ground, didn't you see that?"

Why haven't they announced the match results yet?

Cheng Yaojin was displeased to see that He Zongxian, as a junior, was so rude.

Cheng Yaojin had been in officialdom for many years; what hadn't he seen?

He did not announce the results of the competition because he believed that Ashina Jieshelu should not lose.

At this moment, Lao Cheng stood up and waved his hand.

He Zongxian immediately felt a powerful force strike his wrist, causing him excruciating pain.

He felt as if his wrist was about to break.

He quickly pulled his hand back.

Old Cheng showed some leniency to He Zongxian out of respect for Zhang Shigui; otherwise, He Zongxian's influence would have been severely damaged.

Old Cheng strode up to Ashina Jieshe.

Ashina Jieshe was still lying on the ring, clutching his buttocks: "Ouch! That hurts so much! He Zongxian is indeed more skilled; I'm no match for him."

Cheng Yaojin stared at him and said, "You are a member of the Turkic royal family and one of the three great assassins. With your skills, you should have won. How did you lose?"

"Are you upset or have some grievances? Tell me, and I, Lao Cheng, will stand up for you."

"No," Ashina Jieshe stood up despite the pain, bowed, and said, "Duke Lu, I am inferior in skill and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. There is nothing more to say."

Cheng Yaojin nodded: "In that case, I, Old Cheng, shall announce the results of the competition."

"Sir, please read it aloud!"

Cheng Yaojin announced loudly, "He Zongxian has won the second match."

When He Zongxian saw that Lao Cheng had announced the results, a weight was finally lifted from his heart.

"You two should both go offstage and rest!" Old Cheng said.

He Zongxian and Ashina Jieshe both left the arena.

Old Cheng supported his belly with his hand.

It felt as if his belly would fall off if he didn't support it with his hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, two rounds of this competition have already been held."

Zhang Zhilong won the first game.

In the second game, He Zongxian won. Here, we would like to congratulate Zhang Shigui. His son and son-in-law are both outstanding.

It seems General Zhang is not only a skilled commander, but also an excellent father!

Zhang Shigui, looking at Cheng Yaojin from the stands, said with a smug expression, "Cheng Yaojin, you flatter me."

I wouldn't call myself a particularly good parent; it's mainly because my children are so promising!

Seeing that Qin Ying and Ashina Jieshe had both lost the first two matches, Li Chenggan felt somewhat nervous.

I thought to myself that this start wasn't good for our side.

Does this mean that the general's seal and the vanguard seal will be handed over to Zhang Zhilong and He Zongxian in the future?

These two guys aren't usually that great at kung fu, how come they're both so skilled today?

What exactly is going on?

Li Chenggan also watched the match between Ashina Jieshe and He Zongxian.

He also felt that He Zongxian was no match for Ashina Jieshelu at all, and couldn't understand how He Zongxian could win against Ashina Jieshelu using the same tricks.

This is truly incomprehensible.

Qu Zhili said to Li Chenggan: "Your Highness, aren't Qin Ying and Ashina's associations usually very successful?"

Why isn't it working today?

"On the fighting stage, things can change in an instant, and many things are hard to explain."

"I think there's definitely something fishy going on here."

Because Qin Ying and Ashina Jieshe were both exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

Moreover, last time, at Zhaoren Palace, Qin Ying single-handedly defeated He Zongxian and Zhang Zhilong.

He had no reason to lose so badly today.

Li Chenggan felt that Qu Zhili's words made some sense: "Logically speaking, as an examiner, Cheng Yaojin would not favor Zhang Shigui's group. Let's continue to observe."

At this moment, the situation on the arena had changed. Old Cheng announced loudly, "The third match will be between Prince Li Ke, the Prince of Shu, and Zhang Shizheng!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Shizheng happily climbed the ladder and onto the arena.

He walked to the center of the arena, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Fellow villagers, this old man greets you!"

When everyone looked at him, they saw that Zhang Shizheng was indeed quite old. His hair, beard, and eyebrows were all white, but he was still energetic, with a ruddy complexion, white teeth, red lips, bulging temples, and open eyelids with eyes that seemed to flash like lightning.

He still carried that broken zither on his back.

The crowd below the stage buzzed with discussion. Someone said, "Did you see that? That's Zhang Shizheng, one of the three great assassins of our Tang Dynasty."

"What? He's the assassin?"

"Now that you mention it, this old man isn't a good person."

"He is both righteous and wicked. He used to serve under Prince Li Tai of Yue, but now he has switched allegiance to Li Chengqian."

"Having followed the Crown Prince, he will surely be able to abandon his evil ways and turn to good!"

"..."

Anyway, all sorts of things were said, but Zhang Shizheng pretended not to hear them and continued:

"Maybe so. You all think I'm too old. There's a saying: 'If you take off your shoes and socks tonight, you don't know if you'll be able to put them back on tomorrow morning.' So what's the point of competing for rankings?"

Indeed, I am not young anymore, but I feel that my health is still good.

I'm greedy.

Back then, Lian Po was still able to lead troops into battle even at the age of seventy.

Huang Zhong, a general under Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period, was still fighting on the battlefield at the age of seventy-five.

This old man dares not compare himself to Lian Po or Huang Zhong, but he also hopes to contribute his meager strength to the court while he is still alive.

Everyone who heard this thought the old man was quite interesting; he was clearly greedy for fame and fortune, yet he made it sound so appealing.

At this moment, Li Ke stepped onto the arena and came to stand in front of Zhang Shizheng.

Everyone glanced at him and saw that Li Ke was handsome and dignified, dressed in silk and satin, with a golden belt around his waist and holding a long spear. He looked very imposing.

Li Ke bowed respectfully: "Old man, you are already so old. If I were to fight you, wouldn't it be an unfair victory?"

Zhang Shizheng laughed and said, "This is what they call Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai – one is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit."

"Show me what you're capable of, don't hold back!"

Seeing his confident demeanor, Li Ke stopped talking.

Zhang Shizheng then said, "They just had two matches where they tested their martial arts skills. How about we switch them up?"

"Old man, what are your thoughts? Draw a path, and I'll follow it."

"How about this, I'll play a piece for you on the guzheng, shall I?"

Li Ke had long heard that Zhang Shizheng was skilled at playing the guzheng, and said with a smile, "Since you have such an interest, then I am all ears."

Li Ke, holding a large spear, faced Zhang Shizheng with his back to the south.

Zhang Shizheng took the broken guzheng from behind his back, stood on his left foot, squatted slightly, and his buttocks were suspended in the air.

However, he appeared to be sitting in a chair, completely still and perfectly steady.

He curled his right leg up and placed it across his left thigh.

Then, he placed the guzheng horizontally across his right leg.

He stroked the zither with both hands and began to play the divine piece "High Mountains and Flowing Water".

The entire military training ground fell silent as everyone listened attentively.

It must be said that Zhang Shizheng's guzheng playing skills are first-rate.

The zither's melodious sound lingered in the air.

As people listened, their souls seemed to be purified and cleansed, gradually reaching a state of selflessness.

Cast aside worldly troubles and seek your true self.

As the music shifted from melodious to soaring, Zhang Shizheng shouted, "Your Highness, be careful!"

With a flick of his right middle finger, a thin, cicada-wing-like flying knife shot straight toward Li Ke's left shoulder.

Li Ke had long heard that Zhang Shizheng could throw knives, but he had never seen it done and didn't know how the knives were thrown.

At that moment, Li Ke was startled to see a cold light rushing towards him.

He quickly dodged to the right, and the flying knife grazed past him and flew behind him.

Even so, his heart was pounding with fear.

Li Ke had just dodged the first flying knife and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when the second flying knife came hurtling towards his right shoulder.

Li Ke quickly used his spear to deflect the flying knives.

He had also heard that Li Chengan had a duel with Zhang Shizheng when he was in Yangzhou.

At that time, Zhang Shizheng and his group protected Li Tai and wanted to kill Li Chenggan.

When Li Ke heard about this, he still didn't believe it.

He thought to himself, how could such kung fu possibly exist in the world?

Today, I finally saw it with my own eyes.

Zhang Shizheng displayed his amazing skill of throwing knives on stage, making everyone in the audience hold their breath for Li Ke.

These throwing knives are no joke.

Although Zhang Shizheng had already processed the throwing knives, all the throwing knives used today were different from those used normally, with blunter blades.

But even so, it's still not pleasant to be hit by that thing.

Li Ke's martial arts skills were once recognized and praised by Li Shimin, so he was no pushover.

He wielded the spear with incredible speed, protecting his entire body.

Li Chengan watched from the stands, also worried about Li Ke.

Because he had experienced Zhang Shizheng's unique skill firsthand.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhang Shizheng's skill in throwing knives is unmatched in the world. This old man must have learned his unique skill from someone, it's simply amazing.

Even more deadly is that Zhang Shizheng also has a special move called "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers".

That time at the Jiangdu Inn, if it weren't for the timely arrival of Pharmacist Hui Ri, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

At this moment, Zhang Shizheng's hands moved quickly, plucking the zither strings, and the flying knives kept striking Li Ke.

As Li Ke deflected the throwing knives, he wondered to himself just how many Zhang Shizheng had brought.

If you're going to be hit by a flying knife like that, you're bound to miss eventually.

This martial arts exam was also very important for Li Ke.

Although he didn't want to be the crown prince, winning the martial arts exam would be of great significance.

Last time, when Chang'an was besieged, he didn't return in time to rescue it.

Afterwards, his father did not blame him, but he often felt uneasy and fearful.

He did not achieve a ranking in the written examination held before the New Year.

If he doesn't get good results in this martial arts exam, won't his father despise him even more?

Thinking of this, Li Ke felt secretly anxious.

At this moment, in the stands, Luo Cheng asked Li Chengan, "What do you think of Li Ke's marksmanship?"

"While his marksmanship wasn't quite at its peak, it was still quite commendable," Li Chengan said, crossing his arms.

Luo Cheng nodded, then asked, "If you were in the arena, how would you counter Zhang Shizheng's throwing knives?"

Li Chengan thought for a moment, finding the question difficult to answer, and asked, "Duke of Yue, do you have any ideas?"

Luo Cheng pointed with his finger: "Actually, it's not that difficult to break Zhang Shizheng's throwing knives. We just need to change our approach slightly."

Li Chengan, intrigued, asked, "How do you suggest we break Zhang Shizheng's throwing knives?"

"A general cannot only fight and kill, and engage in head-on battles; he must learn to use the surrounding environment to deal with the enemy."

Did you see that? Zhang Shizheng's throwing knives are often launched from the front, at a parallel angle.

Li Ke is currently positioned directly opposite Zhang Shizheng.

This is advantageous for Zhang Shizheng in launching the throwing knife.

This is extremely disadvantageous for Li Ke.

However, if you change the angle and position, the situation will change.

For example, Li Ke quickly moved to Zhang Shizheng's left, right, back, or above.

The power of Zhang Shizheng's throwing knives would be greatly reduced.

When Li Chenggan heard Luo Cheng say this, he felt enlightened and thought to himself, "That's right, why can others think of so many things, but I can't?"

No wonder people say that the Luo family's spear technique is unparalleled in the world. It seems that it's a sin not to acknowledge a master.