Chapter 108: [Martial Exam]

Chapter 108: "Martial Trials"

The world was not exactly lacking in talent, though perhaps not quite as numerous as stars in the sky. Yet those who could capture Huo Ling's attention and prove useful to her were few and far between.

Dealing with Song Xu was merely something Huo Ling handled casually. At the moment, she had more pressing matters on her mind.

Much of Huo Ling’s understanding of court politics stemmed from the late emperor.

During his reign, the late emperor had continuously worked to weaken the nobility, suppress powerful families, and promote officials of common birth.

While serving as empress, Huo Ling had collaborated with the late emperor to advance these reforms.

After the late emperor’s death, the court faced wave after wave of crises. Huo Ling’s top priority was to stabilize the government and ensure a smooth transition of power without further turmoil.

Therefore, over the past two years, Huo Ling had adhered to the established policies of the Jingyuan era, making no significant changes.

Even among the court officials, aside from a group of trusted aides she had promoted, the rest had already established their reputations during the Jingyuan era.

With the Yanbei campaign now concluded, the court gradually emerged from the shadow of the late emperor’s passing, and naturally, Huo Ling wished to implement new policies.

Since the downfall of Prince Duan’s residence and the Duke of Liu’s estate, the influence of the nobility had diminished.

Powerful families now controlled half the court. Given her current position, directly confronting them would be unwise.

To curb the power of these families, she needed to focus on cultivating a new generation of officials from common backgrounds.

As Huo Ling pondered how best to elevate such officials, she received a petition from An Hongyu.

An Hongyu was a man who could never remain idle. Having spent decades enduring the harsh winds and sands of Yanbei, returning to the refined and luxurious life of the capital left him feeling like a fish out of water.

Once his injuries had improved slightly, he went to the Huiwu Pavilion to join Zhou Jiamu.

Zhou Jiamu's experience was far less than An Hongyu's, but on one hand, An Hongyu had received orders from Huo Ling; on the other, Zhou Jiamu possessed genuine talent and learning.

The two got along quite harmoniously, often discussing military affairs and practicing tactical drills.

Through these discussions, An Hongyu gradually reviewed his years of experience leading troops in battle, eventually taking time to compile all his insights into a memorial.

After receiving the memorial, Huo Ling read it over several times.

The problem that had troubled her for so long now had a solid solution.

***

When Zhou Jiamu received Huo Ling's summons, he was working out on the training field.

Not daring to delay, he returned to his quarters for a quick cleanup, changed into clean and tidy clothes, then hurriedly followed Cui Hongyi into the palace.

Huo Ling had already moved back to the imperial palace from the western suburbs.

The Weeping Crabapple in the Shouning Palace had reached its blooming season, its blossoms a delicate mix of red and white, light and graceful.

When the palace attendants helped Huo Ling dress, they carefully selected a long skirt that matched the season. Her hair was loosely tied up with a single hairpin, falling loosely behind her ears. Her wrists were bare, without any bracelets, and she wore only a pair of pink pearl drops.

In contrast, the palace attendants and eunuchs standing behind her, as well as Zhou Jiamu himself, were all perfectly groomed, wearing attire befitting their ranks and status.

As old acquaintances, Huo Ling was in no rush to get straight to business: "How have you been finding your time at the Huiwu Pavilion?"

At this, Zhou Jiamu replied cheerfully, "When I was stationed in Yanxi, I had neither the time nor the energy to study military texts or organize my thoughts. The Huiwu Pavilion houses generations of military treatises, and over the past two years, I’ve read quite a few. It feels like I've gained deeper insight."

Reading his face, Huo Ling saw no trace of reluctance—clearly, he meant what he said.

The position of Huiwu Pavilion Scholar is a sinecure. If someone who's all about comfort were stuck there for two years, they might just rot away.

But for Zhou Jiamu, who lives to get back to the front lines, his time at Huiwu Pavilion has turned into a chance to hone his edge and build patience.

By the time he returns to battle, he might just reach a whole new level.

Huo Ling smirked and said, “As long as you feel like you’ve gained something. You know why I called you in?”

On the way over, Zhou Jiamu had his suspicions: “Is it about General An’s memorial?”

“You read it?” Huo Ling asked.

Zhou Jiamu shook his head. He hadn’t seen the document itself, but An Hongyu had run some things by him and asked for his thoughts.

Huo Ling drummed her fingers and slid the memorial across the table for Zhou Jiamu to read first.

An Hongyu had laid out plenty of problems within the Great Yan military.

One big issue was the lack of solid field commanders.

Great Yan had been at peace too long, with little real fighting.

That was good on the surface, but it also shut out chances for officers without connections or family names from rising through the ranks.

Even in Yanbei, where there was more action, most mid-level officers still came from military families or noble houses. Many had never seen real combat, yet landed cushy posts just because of their backgrounds.

An Hongyu wasn't trying to knock those army brats and bluebloods—some of them were decent enough.

But more often than not, they didn’t deserve what they had.

The higher you go, the fewer spots there are.

Once these guys take the top seats, it makes it even harder for real talent to break through from below.

…

If the situation weren’t so serious, Zhou Jiamu would have cheered for An Hongyu’s memorial.

It felt like An had said exactly what he'd been thinking.

He didn’t come from a powerful family, and being half Qiang and half Yan made things damn near impossible in the military.

For a long time, even when he bled for victories, his superiors hogged all the glory. What little was left for him was barely worth mentioning.

And that was considered being downright charitable.

With a different, less scrupulous commander, he wouldn’t have gotten so much as a thank-you.

Of course, despite how rough it was, he’d clawed his way up in the end.

But people like him—those who made it through hell—were few and far between.

Looking at Huo Ling with hope in his eyes, Zhou Jiamu asked, “You’re showing me this memorial for a reason. What’s the plan?”

“The Empress Dowager wants to pick out a group of up-and-coming fighters.”

“How will you run this selection?”

Huo Ling laid out her plan: “We’ll hold a fighting tournament under the court’s name. No questions asked about family background or age. Anyone who hasn’t served yet can sign up, and we'll take the toughest among them.”

This idea was inspired by the selection process at the Yanxi Prefecture Academy back then.

Talk is cheap.

Real skill shows in action.

Zhou Jiamu was instantly intrigued.

Huo Ling’s proposal excited him more than winning a major battle.

Yet, the more excited he became, the calmer he grew. "After ranking these candidates, were you planning to grant them all official positions?"

Huo Ling nodded. "Naturally."

Zhou Jiamu said, "I fear some will call this exam a joke."

Huo Ling replied, "That's exactly why I summoned you. If we're going to hold an exam, it can't be limited to martial skills alone. Military strategy, battlefield formations, war game simulations—these should all be part of the assessment."

A genuine smile appeared on Zhou Jiamu’s face, though he remained objective. "Such a selection would produce officers with real ability, but exceptional commanders and strategists still require combat experience. No exam alone can create them."

Huo Ling smiled. "Generals like you and General An are once-in-a-generation talents, of course. But what I want is a group of capable field-grade officers. How far they rise will depend on their own grit and luck."

Zhou Jiamu couldn’t help but wonder—if he had encountered such a competition in his youth, would he have been noticed sooner? Would his path have been smoother?

Seeing Zhou Jiamu’s enthusiasm, Huo Ling cut to the chase. "I summoned you here to entrust this matter to you. Go back and work with General An and the War Ministry. Draft a feasible plan for my review."

"We can start with a pilot program. If it works, we’ll make it standard practice."

If it failed to meet her expectations, it would naturally be dropped.

Zhou Jiamu solemnly replied, "Your Majesty need not worry. I’ll give it my all."

After being benched for so long, this was the first time Huo Ling had put him to work.

Whether for his own future or for those like him without noble backgrounds, Zhou Jiamu was determined to see this through.

He threw himself into the project and believed he was fully prepared. Yet when he submitted the proposal for a "Martial Exam" to the court, the opposition was way worse than he expected.

An avalanche of petitions slammed the exam.

"Handing out commissions based on one contest—isn’t that reckless?"

"Military command comes from experience and accumulated wisdom. I’ve never heard of great generals being made in some tournament."

"If this really worked, there’d be no need to involve commoners. Just pass around General Zhou’s scheme to the army and have every soldier and officer fight their way up. Rank the top hundred, the top thousand—make the first a Grand General, the second a Zhongwu General..."

"With so many generals suddenly appearing, surely when Great Mu attacks Yanbei again, they’ll crush the enemy and glorify Great Yan!"

Though such criticisms stung, Zhou Jiamu could handle them.

What he struggled with were the personal attacks piled on top.

After over a decade in the military and two years in the capital, this was the first time Zhou Jiamu faced a gang-up from the whole court.

At first, he tried to argue, but he was no match for their rhetoric. Soon, the barrage had him reeling. By the time court adjourned, he was left thinking—just for floating this exam idea, how did he become a national disgrace who owed the Empire an apology?

When Cui Hongyi caught up to him, Zhou Jiamu was so dazed he almost tripped. Cui quickly called out, "General Zhou, watch your step."

Zhou Jiamu lowered his head, glanced at the steps before him, then followed the sound to look at Cui Hongyi. After a long moment of scrutiny, he finally recognized him: "Ah, it's Attendant Cui. Does the Empress Dowager have any instructions?"

Cui Hongyi suppressed a laugh inwardly, cleared his throat softly, and gestured with his hand: "General Zhou, please. Her Majesty wishes to see you."

When Zhou Jiamu met Huo Ling, she had two large stacks of memorials piled before her.

She was still dressed in her court attire, but her expression and posture were relaxed. She casually picked up a memorial to peruse, and upon reaching an amusing part, even snorted with laughter.

"Your Majesty," Zhou Jiamu said complainingly.

He didn’t even need to look.

Given that no major events had occurred in the court recently, those two stacks of memorials were undoubtedly all criticizing him.

"This memorial is truly well-written," Huo Ling remarked, chuckling as she praised it to Zhou Jiamu. "Well-argued with both style and substance. Let me see who this official is."

Zhou Jiamu — "..."

Huo Ling not only memorized the official’s name but also set his memorial apart. When she looked up again, Zhou Jiamu was still standing there stiffly. Amused, she said, "Why are you still standing?"

Zhou Jiamu, feeling that he and Huo Ling were on the same page regarding this matter, spoke with particular confidence: "Your Majesty, why didn’t you speak up during today’s court session?"

"I'm not ready to step in just yet," Huo Ling replied. "Do you know why so many people are opposing you?"

Zhou Jiamu recalled the criticisms from that morning: "Because my proposal isn't fully developed?"

Huo Ling countered, "What part of your proposal do you think is lacking?"

Zhou Jiamu fell silent, deep in thought.

Huo Ling shook her head. "Don’t let their words mislead you. They're dead set against the whole Martial Exam idea. Do you know who wrote these memorials?"

Sensing there was something deeper at play, Zhou Jiamu’s expression turned serious. "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Huo Ling explained, "Most of these detractors are from military clans or noble houses—or have ties to them."

The penny dropped for Zhou Jiamu.

These people weren’t opposing him because he was wrong—they were opposing because they instinctively recognized how the Martial Exam would affect them.

Previously, they could freely place their family members into the Imperial Guards or appoint them as mid-ranking officers in the army.

Now, the court wanted to hold a Martial Exam to select mid-level commanders through assessment...

With limited positions up for grabs, if some were taken, others would naturally miss out.

Huo Ling searched through the piles for a moment, then pulled out two memorials and handed them to Zhou Jiamu. "These are from An Hongyu and Minister of War Li Hansong. Take a look."

Zhou Jiamu opened them, and the pent-up frustration inside him finally eased somewhat—at last, someone was backing him up.

He also realized the true reason the Empress Dowager had instructed him to consult An Hongyu and the Ministry of War.

It wasn’t out of concern for his potential oversights—it was a hint for him to rally supporters in advance.

If the court were treated like a game, this game had no black-and-white answers, no clear victory or defeat. It was always a balancing act.

Good policies don’t always pass.

Even if they do get implemented, officials may give lip service while covertly resisting, and never really work in the end.

After realizing this, Zhou Jiamu's thoughts became clear: "I can seek the support of some less prominent military families. I bet they'd be eager to see the Martial Exam take place."

Huo Ling said, "If our opponents are the nobility and military officers, then you can also count on some powerful allies."

"Who?"

"The Three Grand Councilors."

If all Three Grand Councilors supported the Martial Exam, and she took a public stand, the matter would be decided.

But would the Three Grand Councilors support it?

Unless they opposed it purely to oppose her, Huo Ling couldn't see why they wouldn't support it.

Whether it was the nobility or military officers, when she targeted their interests, why should the Three Grand Councilors care? They represented the aristocratic families and scholar-officials.

If they truly went so far as to oppose her just for the sake of opposition...

Zhou Jiamu wasn't well-versed in court politics, but he was intelligent. After Huo Ling’s guidance, he knew what to do.

After a full month of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, with the Three Grand Councilors throwing their weight behind it one after another, Huo Ling stepped forward to quash all dissent and set the Martial Exam for August that year.

Zhou Jiamu was only half at ease. The other half of his worry was that those who failed to block it might cook up some scheme.

Sure enough, they wouldn't let it lie.

After the registration deadline, Zhou Jiamu hurried into the palace.

"Your Majesty, they've sent unaffiliated clan members to register for the Martial Exam. Among the over a thousand applicants, at least a hundred are openly affiliated with them."

Huo Ling was in high spirits lately. Standing before a potted plant with pruning shears in hand, she was deciding which branches to cut. "What are you worried about?"

Zhou Jiamu pursed his lips. "I'm concerned that if we allow them to participate, most of the final picks might be their people. Then... the Martial Exam would become a farce."

Ordinary commoners might learn decent martial skills, but they could hardly get their hands on advanced military tactics, battlefield formations, or sand-table simulations.

Meanwhile, those from noble families had all that at their fingertips.

There was an even more obvious disparity: commoners couldn't exactly feast on meat, yet without meat and physical training, how could one develop a strong physique?

Huo Ling finally zeroed in on her target and snipped off a branch. "You've got it wrong."

Zhou Jiamu looked puzzled.

Huo Ling continued, "I know what you're thinking. Those from military or noble families could secure good positions through family connections even without this exam. By participating, they might muscle out the commoners for limited spots.

"But what I aim to eliminate are the incompetent ones, not those with genuine talent.

"In time, those who pass the Martial Exam will have better opportunities than those who didn’t take it."

Zhou Jiamu hung his head. "Indeed, I was mistaken."

Huo Ling said, "You've got to give to get. This time, the majority of those selected will likely come from military families, with only a small fraction—perhaps just a handful—being commoners.

"But this situation will gradually change.

"Tell me, are there more offspring from military and noble families, or more commoners? With greater numbers, standouts will emerge."

Zhou Jiamu's brows gradually smoothed.

Huo Ling’s hands grew tired from pruning and she handed the scissors to Zhou Jiamu.

A palace maid nearby quickly presented a warm, damp towel. Huo Ling wiped her palms and pointed to a branch as thick as a finger, signaling Zhou Jiamu to cut it.

"True fairness is rare in this world. Don’t focus solely on this one competition or immediate results. Let them enjoy their victory—what matters is whether we can establish the Martial Exam as a lasting tradition."

Even if only a handful of commoners made the cut each time, as long as a path was opened, small steps would add up over time.

Once these individuals climbed the ladder, the situation would begin to change.

Rather than assigning the task to someone new, Huo Ling stuck with Zhou Jiamu to oversee the Martial Exam again.

Neither Huo Ling nor Ji Xianshan could attend every match in person; she only intended to meet those who made their mark.

After some consideration, however, Huo Ling called in two senior princesses and asked if they would be interested in observing the matches on her behalf.

Thrilled by the entertainment, the two princesses readily agreed.

Upon returning to the palace, both princesses were buzzing with excitement.

After all, the Martial Exam inevitably featured thrilling arena battles—knock-down, drag-out fights that got the adrenaline pumping.

After seven consecutive days of assessments, the Martial Exam finally concluded. Sticking to his standards, Zhou Jiamu evaluated all candidates comprehensively and whittled it down to just twenty.

Though there were no age restrictions, most winners were young—the eldest was just over thirty.

Among these twenty, seventeen came from noble or military stock, while only three had humble beginnings.

Three days after the exam, Huo Ling hosted a banquet in the palace to honor them.

Every recipient of the invitation felt truly honored.

Huo Ling attended the banquet alongside Ji Xianshan.

At the feast, she politely sipped from her cup whenever anyone raised a toast.

For those from prestigious families, she spoke of their family legacies.

For those with humble beginnings, she asked about their hometowns and livelihoods.

By the end of the toast circuit, not only the inexperienced candidates but even Zhou Jiamu, An Hongyu, and others seated nearby as guests felt that the Empress Dowager’s demeanor was truly one of graciousness and thirst for talent.

After three rounds of drinks, Huo Ling shot Cui Hongyi a look.

Cui Hongyi stepped forward, produced an imperial decree from his sleeve, and announced the court’s rewards for the candidates—

The top scorer was awarded the rank of a sixth-grade captain, the second to fifth received deputy sixth-grade positions, and the sixth to twentieth were granted seventh-grade titles.

Though so many military officers were appointed at once, Huo Ling had no intention of keeping them in the capital. Instead, she planned to send them to the provinces for experience.

However, given her status, the banquet was enough—further arrangements could be left to the Ministry of Personnel with a simple order.

By the time all twenty had departed the capital one after another, the city was buried under heavy snow.

Huo Ling, leaning on...

Huo Ling held an oil-paper umbrella, treading through the untouched snow as she ascended the Star-Gazing Tower alone. Her gaze pierced the endless snowfall, and she saw the twenty figures scattering across distant lands.

Just like in the past, when she had made the decision to send a group of officials to Yanxi.

Huo Ling had two strengths: one was her skill in strategic planning, the other her prowess in hunting.

No exceptional hunter bags prey without patience.

Luckily, she had both—patience to spare and time to burn.