When the magistrate returned the gifts they had given, those who had given gifts became somewhat uneasy.
Like the county magistrate, they also suspected that they had encountered a fake eunuch.
Ignoring the speculations of outsiders, Zhang Rang arrived at an open space in the west of the city early the next morning, guided by the magistrate of Fuchun County.
Looking at the hundreds of teenagers on the open ground, each one was full of fighting spirit and confidence.
Zhang Rang nodded in agreement. If he could identify some promising talents, he would surely win the Emperor's favor.
The magistrate of Fuchun County approached Zhang Rang and asked, "Attendant Zhang, the young men are all assembled. May we begin the assessment?"
Zhang Rang's eyes darted around, then he glanced at the group of teenagers and the arena in the center, and said, "We can begin, but I think we should have a different kind of competition?"
"Uh... a new competition?"
The magistrate of Fuchun County stared blankly at Zhang Rang, wondering what kind of trouble this eunuch had come up with this time.
"The magistrate also knows that these people will become generals in the future. A general should be brave and invincible, able to fight his way through thousands of troops, just like the Marquis of Dingbian in Xiliang. Only in this way can he be worthy of the title of general!"
"this...."
The magistrate of Fuchun County stared blankly at Zhang Rang. Shouldn't a general be a strategist who plans and wins battles from afar? How did he become a reckless warrior on the battlefield?
"Then, I wonder, how does Zhang Changshi think the assessment should be conducted?"
However, there were some things the magistrate of Fuchun County didn't say aloud. After all, Zhang Rang was in charge of the assessment, so he had to listen to the eunuch.
"Let's make it lively and let them fight it out. In the end, those who can stand will stay and those who fall will be eliminated."
Zhang Rang believed that those who could emerge from the chaos and persevere to the end must be rare and exceptional generals. Based on his understanding of the emperor, the emperor seemed to appreciate brave and fierce soldiers, which was why he came up with this idea.
The magistrate of Fuchun County was somewhat taken aback. Could assessments be conducted in this way?
"Oh, and also, to ensure fairness, they are prohibited from forming groups of more than three to gang up on one person. Anyone who violates this rule will be immediately eliminated."
Finally, to prevent some people from having any ulterior motives, Zhang Rang added another clause.
"I will obey Zhang Changshi's orders!"
The magistrate of Fuchun County stepped down and loudly announced the competition rules formulated by Zhang Rang to everyone.
The crowd erupted in uproar. What kind of move was this? Were they treating their own son like a street thug?
But no one dared to speak out, since their children's future was in the hands of others, so they had no choice but to swallow their anger.
The boys were led to the middle of an open space. After the examiner announced the rules, everyone became wary of those around them.
"The assessment begins!"
As soon as one of the imperial guards finished speaking, a young man in the crowd swept his leg and tripped the person next to him.
"Down! Eliminated!"
The boy who had fallen was about to get up when the official conducting the assessment nearby announced his elimination. The boy angrily punched the ground and left dejectedly!
Those around noticed this and immediately began attacking the opponent's lower body, causing chaos in the open space and resulting in the elimination of unlucky players.
The heads of various families who were watching from a distance shook their heads and sighed as they saw their children leave.
“Zhang Changshi, do you think this is not appropriate? Many truly skilled people have been ambushed and knocked down. Isn’t it a great pity to eliminate them so easily?” The magistrate of Fuchun County asked with some concern.
"Hmph! If you can't even defend against this kind of sneak attack on the battlefield, how can you lead an army? Being ambushed only proves your incompetence!"
Zhang Rang snorted lightly, then looked at a young man in the crowd, "Look at that kid, so many people tried to ambush him but were killed each time. This is the kind of person the Emperor needs!"
Following Zhang Rang's gaze, the magistrate of Fuchun County saw a young man knock down his opponent with a single punch and then begin searching for his next target.
"Hiss~ Isn't that the little tiger from the Sun family? He's so fierce!"
"Oh? You know this child's background?"
The magistrate of Fuchun County nodded. "This boy is the county lieutenant of Fuchun, the eldest son of Sun Zhong. He has been exceptionally brave since childhood, and few of his peers can rival him. He is known as the Tiger of the Sun family. I heard that his ancestor was Sun Wu from the Spring and Autumn Period!"
"Oh? So you're a descendant of a military strategist!"
Zhang Rang exclaimed as if he had discovered a precious gem, "So young yet so brave! His Majesty will surely be delighted to see this!"
Meanwhile, Sun Jian had already defeated about a dozen opponents in the crowd, and the surrounding youths, fearing his ferocity, dared not approach him any further.
Sun Jian stood still and stopped attacking others. He believed that his performance had been seen by Yu Lin Lang and Zhang Rang, and that he was sure he would be selected. He didn't need to defeat others and ruin their future.
Upon closer inspection, one sees that while they are brave and fierce, they are also kind and benevolent.
A member of the Imperial Guard from Hejian looked at Sun Jian and nodded, "This young man is not only exceptionally brave, but also thoughtful and considerate of his hometown. He has the demeanor of a great general and will surely achieve great things in the future."
Zhang Rang's face was also full of smiles; the trip to Jiangdong had indeed been worthwhile.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded in the open space. Elsewhere, there was lively fighting, but here at Sun Jian's place, it was cold and deserted. Whether out of fear or respect, no one chose to fight Sun Jian.
Sun Zhong, standing in the crowd, looked at his son and stroked his beard with a look of satisfaction on his face.
After about 35 minutes of chaotic fighting, seven people remained on the field. Everyone was wary of each other. They only needed to eliminate two more people to be selected for the Imperial Guard. No one wanted to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
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