Chapter 23: Endless Reversals, A Stunning Triumph  

In the first round, Su Chen won decisively, and shockingly, he had only recited half of his masterpiece!  

That half-poem alone had overwhelmed Great Qin’s literary scene, leaving it gasping for air.  

Seeing such a result, Ji Hanqing, the Duke of National Defense’s son, grew deeply curious about Su Chen. Someone favored by the Empress was indeed extraordinary—not an ordinary talent!  

“Hmph!”  

The Prince of Yan’s Heir, however, gave a faint smile. Outwardly gentle, his heart brimmed with arrogance, still filled with disdain for Su Chen.  

The path of pen and ink is mere child’s play, not worth mentioning!  

Under the clear sky and gentle breeze, the weather wasn’t hot, yet many officials’ faces flushed, then turned ashen.  

The more they had scorned and mocked Su Chen before, the more their faces stung now.  

“No need to worry, gentlemen. One cannot have both fish and bear’s paw. With such deep mastery in literature, he surely had little time or energy for cultivation.”  

A middle-aged man with a mustache beside the Left Chancellor hit the nail on the head.  

“Lord Pang speaks truly!”  

Hearing this, surrounding officials nodded in agreement.  

“The first round, the literary duel, goes to Su Chen!”  

“Now, the second round, the martial duel, begins. Let me explain the rules.”  

“The rules are simple: if Young Master Su Chen can win three consecutive matches, he will claim victory in the martial trial.”  

The official in a maroon robe and black hat announced, prompting smirks from many officials.  

An expected outcome.  

Though it sounded blatantly unfair, in truth… if Su Chen wanted to prove himself, he had to dominate the field!  

To put it bluntly, from the moment he stepped onto the stage, he faced a sea of enemies!  

Although the Left Chancellor’s son, Duan Yicheng, was now out of the running due to his shattered confidence, essentially eliminated.  

It seemed the Left Chancellor’s faction was no longer in play?  

All their careful planning had paved the way for the other two competitors?  

How frustrating!  

What caught the gloating onlookers off guard was—  

“Who set these rules?”  

As the officiant finished, Ji Hanqing shot to his feet, his sword-like brows furrowed!  

No doubt about it.  

He had objections—strong ones.  

Though some knew Ji Hanqing wasn’t keen on becoming the Imperial Consort, no one expected him to openly defend Su Chen.  

You don’t want to win that badly?  

The answer was…  

“Who the hell wants to win?!”  

“You think I’m honest, so I must be dumb?”  

“Winning now would just put me on Her Majesty’s radar for real.”  

Ignoring the crowd’s stares, Ji Hanqing stood tall, fearless.  

That was one reason.  

More importantly, Su Chen was to his liking.  

The half-recited Song of Righteous Energy, especially the line about the righteous energy of heaven and earth, resonated deeply with Ji Hanqing, who already saw Su Chen as a kindred spirit.  

For your righteous spirit, I’ve got your back!  

With unwavering conviction, he declared, “I think it’s enough to have just one person left standing on this stage. Why make it so complicated?”  

As he spoke, a dull thud echoed, and Ji Hanqing’s figure appeared on the competition platform.  

His posture was straight as a pine, his aura as steadfast as a mountain.  

He gazed down indifferently at Duan Yicheng and the Prince of Yan’s Heir.  

“First match—who’s up?”  

His plan was simple: defeat the other two, then concede to Su Chen when he took the stage.  

A win-win for everyone!  

At that moment, officials who favored Su Chen or held a good impression of him breathed a sigh of relief.  

With Ji Hanqing stepping in, the matter seemed settled.  

Those with ulterior motives, however, looked grim.  

They never imagined Ji Hanqing would throw a wrench in their plans!  

“That bastard!”  

Duan Yicheng, frantically trying to recover, cursed through gritted teeth.  

Ji Hanqing’s sudden challenge had cut off his last chance to recuperate, fueling his rage.  

He was completely out of the game now!  

Elsewhere—  

“Your Highness, what do we do now?”  

A strategist beside the Prince of Yan’s Heir spoke in a hushed tone.  

Ji Hanqing, the top prodigy of Great Qin’s younger generation, had dominated all other talents since his debut.  

With him backing Su Chen, their chances of winning were slim.  

Yet the Prince of Yan’s Heir remained composed, as if holding a winning hand.  

“No matter.”  

With those two words, he made no further arrangements.  

Meanwhile, as the true protagonist—  

Su Chen was listening to Chi Tong brief him on the “nice guy” on stage.  

Son of the Duke of National Defense, young general, martial genius…  

“With him stepping in, looks like you can just coast to victory.”  

“Talk about luck!”  

At Chi Tong’s teasing, Su Chen didn’t agree, instead sighing meaningfully, “Not necessarily.”  

“As they say, the dog that bites doesn’t bark. There’s likely more than one hiding their true strength.”  

“Hm?”  

In that instant—  

A breeze swept through, followed by a startled cry:  

“Your Highness?!”  

Under the crowd’s puzzled gazes, the Prince of Yan’s Heir suddenly stood.  

With Ji Hanqing’s reputation dominating the capital, his intervention should’ve sealed the outcome.  

Yet, at this moment, the Prince of Yan’s Heir made his move.  

“Your Highness is being reckless.”  

“Indeed, Ji Hanqing’s obsessed with cultivation. How could Your Highness match him?”  

“This is trouble.”  

As the Prince stepped onto the stage, many officials shook their heads.  

It wasn’t that they doubted him, but Ji Hanqing was simply too strong.  

Boom!  

What happened next defied all expectations.  

As the Prince of Yan’s Heir took the stage, an overwhelmingly terrifying power erupted from him.  

In an instant, his cultivation surged to the Sixth Layer of Foundation Building!  

“Heavens!”  

“How is that possible?!”  

“Sixth Layer of Foundation Building—stronger than Ji Hanqing by a whole layer!”  

The officials’ eyes nearly popped out in shock.  

Meeting Ji Hanqing’s stunned gaze, the Prince of Yan’s Heir smirked with arrogant disdain.  

He’d hidden his strength for years, waiting for this moment to shock the world.  

Now, with the opportunity before him, he went all out.  

“The Empress… must be mine. Anyone in my way will die!!”  

Bang!  

As expected, with a one-layer gap in cultivation, even Ji Hanqing, caught off guard, was blasted off the stage in an instant.  

Though unharmed, the outcome was clear.  

Ji Hanqing was both ashamed and frustrated—he’d failed to help at all.  

This is bad!  

After sending Ji Hanqing flying, the Prince of Yan’s Heir turned his icy gaze to Su Chen.  

“Ji Hanqing’s sin doesn’t warrant death. You, on the other hand…”  

“Surrender or die!”  

At his words, all eyes turned to Su Chen.  

With even Ji Hanqing defeated, many assumed Su Chen would hesitate or cower in fear.  

But when they looked, Su Chen’s expression didn’t change.  

As if he hadn’t heard, he lazily stretched, then strolled toward the stage.