Chapter 514 Military Strategists

In the first year of Yuanshuo, Emperor Wu's eldest son was born.

At that moment, a hundred phantom images of families appeared in the sky above the Jiaofang Palace, dazzlingly bright, but vanished in an instant. Emperor Wu was overjoyed upon seeing this, taking it as an auspicious omen. He immediately established Liu Ju as the crown prince, bestowed upon him the name Liu Ju, issued an edict throughout the land, and granted a general amnesty.

——

The incense smoke rose gently from the hall, and the baby in Liu Che's arms suddenly giggled. His toothless little mouth stretched into a crescent moon, and his pink little hands reached out to grab his crown.

The moment their eyes met, Liu Che's heart melted. He unconsciously rubbed the child's soft cheek with his fingertips and revealed a gentle smile.

Turning his gaze to the system that had earned points and transformed itself into a seven-colored orb, Liu Che's smile froze instantly, and helplessness appeared in his eyes: "Is this task reasonable? Look at Ju'er, she can't even speak properly, how is she supposed to learn?"

The small ball of light instantly retracted its seven-colored glow, leaving only a small, white ball, trying its best to show its innocence.

"Then we'll just have to wait. There's nothing I can do; the Hundred Schools Academy can only be opened after its successor has mastered the skills... But Your Majesty, aren't Wei Qing and Huo Qubing there? Why don't you open the Military Academy first? Don't worry, I'll definitely do my best to help you!"

Looking at the bewildered baby in his arms, Liu Che sighed helplessly, "This is the only way. Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Ji."

[It's no trouble at all. I'll go and research the missions at the Military Academy right away!]

The system, now energized, disappeared from Liu Che's sight. He gently rocked the child in his arms, a smile returning to his lips: "Our Ju'er is still so young, he just needs to grow up obediently..."

The most surprising and unforgettable day of Liu Che's life was the day Liu Ju was born, which solved two of his worries at once.

They have another son and have found a successor.

His successor is still his beloved son, or the heir of the Hundred Schools of Destiny!

This surprised him even more.

He used to worry that if his descendants possessed these extraordinary abilities, it might threaten his empire. But now that his son has these abilities, there's no problem at all!

His son is the chosen one of Heaven, isn't he the chosen one himself? Isn't he far more powerful than the Red Emperor's son, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty! No wonder he's so amazing!

Even without such a background, Ju'er's existence was already precious; with such talent, Ju'er is even more valuable.

Of course, he wouldn't put the cart before the horse. In order to open various academies and force Ju'er to grow, he had long planned to start with military strategy, which would be perfect for dealing with the Xiongnu and creating a strong and prosperous Han Dynasty for Ju'er.

The so-called helplessness and regret are just an act for the system to see. Otherwise, how could the system pay more attention?

Instead of letting the system figure out how to dye itself a colorful black, let it do its part for the Han Dynasty.

...

Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, the gilded candlesticks flickered, and the tassels of the bronze chimes swayed gently in the breeze.

Liu Che stroked the map of Shuofang spread out on the table, and when he looked up at the steps below, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as his black crown swept across the scene: "I want to completely expel the Xiongnu. Are you willing to help me?"

Wei Qing stood tall and straight, his face showing determination; Huo Qubing, though still somewhat immature, was full of a competitive spirit and eagerness to try. The two spoke in unison: "We are willing to serve Your Majesty!"

"Good!" Liu Che slammed his hand on the table and stood up, the bamboo slips on the table rustling.

His gaze swept past Wei Qing, who had already been on the battlefield, and landed on Huo Qubing's cheeks, which were flushed with excitement.

Looking at the young man whom he had raised like a son because of his military talent, Liu Che asked gently, "Qubing, what do you think of the military theories of the Jixia Academy now?"

Huo Qubing proudly raised his head and bluntly stated, "Talking about war on paper is not as good as fighting a real battle!"

Wei Qing frowned, grabbed his arm, and shouted, "Stop being so presumptuous!"

He then respectfully apologized to Emperor Wu of Han: "Your Majesty, Qubing was young and ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth..."

"It's alright!" Liu Che interrupted with a smile. He slowly walked down the jade steps, looking at Huo Qubing with admiration, "A young man should have vigor."

He always felt that how could someone without personality win a battle?

His gaze swept over Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. Liu Che stepped onto the platform again, turned around, and with a smirk and a dangerous, mysterious air about him, said meaningfully, "You two are the fierce generals I have chosen for the Han Dynasty. Today you have an opportunity to witness the true Jixia Academy and the true art of war. Seize this opportunity, and I hope you will not disappoint me."

Suddenly, the floor tiles of Xuan Shi Hall showed a faint blue pattern. Before the two could react, the entire palace was engulfed by a blinding white light.

When they opened their eyes again, the white marble beneath their feet had transformed into an endless expanse of pure white.

"Uncle, this is..." Before Huo Qubing could finish speaking, a spiderweb-like crack suddenly appeared in the void.

Jiang Taigong, leaning on his bronze fishing rod, strode in, his fishing line creating a flurry of illusory images of military strategies.

Sun Tzu stroked his beard and smiled slightly. When the bamboo slips in his hand were unfolded, they transformed into thousands of golden spears.

Despite his advanced age, Wang Jian was still vigorous, and wherever his halberd swept, blood-red smoke rose up.

Meng Tian's silver armor gleamed, and his black spear shattered the clouds and mist.

Zhang Han's face was covered in black armor, and crimson light seeped from the cracks left by his heavy sword.

Xiang Shaoyu swung his sword in an arc, the Overlord Spear's shadow shattering space...

One character after another took the stage, displaying various martial arts skills. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing suddenly realized that this might be what His Majesty meant by the true art of war.

Their eyes blazed with fervor, Wei Qing's sword-wielding hand trembled slightly, and Huo Qubing was also itching to get started, eager to grab his weapon and join in the practice.

The remaining light and shadow suddenly dissipated, leaving only Meng Tian and Zhang Han standing in front of the two men.

The former's spear was like a dragon, and the sparks from its tip condensed into lightning patterns in the air, which was the starting stance of "Wind and Thunder Strategy"; the latter's heavy sword slammed into the ground, and black chains crawled out from the cracks in the ground, which was the killing move of "Ironclad War Song".

The two major martial arts systems of military strategists slowly unfolded before the two, beginning to show their brilliance.

After the demonstration, the silver-armored young general and the black-armored warrior faced Wei Qing and Huo Qubing directly, and challenged them: "Do you dare to fight?"

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously drew their swords from their waists.

Huo Qubing's lips curled into an arrogant smile, while Wei Qing's eyes darkened and his aura rose steadily.

In the pure white space, four completely different auras collided violently, thus beginning the duel between military generals.