Quick Transmigration: The Pregnant Little Fairy is Pampered by the Heirless Boss

Chapter 358 Princess Chang's Rebellion 19

After the martial arts competition ended, everyone escorted Ji Xiaosong back to the ruling council.

Tie Zhenshan rubbed his hands together, his face full of anticipation: "Your Excellency, what do you think of Xie Lin? He's a good archer and has a strong physique!"

Su Yan gently waved her folding fan and added with a smile, "Minister Wen of the Ministry of Rites is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and has a gentle temperament. He is also an excellent choice."

Zhao Wushang followed at the back, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, but he didn't utter a word.

Ji Xiaosong didn't stop walking, and simply said, "They're all good."

"Then..." Tie Zhenshan scratched his head anxiously, "You should pick one!"

She turned around and smiled: "What's the rush?"

This casual rhetorical question left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

The government neither agreed nor refused; this attitude is... intriguing.

That night, Su Yan's residence was brightly lit.

"The ruling party is dissatisfied with the people we elected!" Tie Zhenshan took a swig of wine, his face full of worry. "Are we supposed to find a celestial beauty?"

Su Yan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, then suddenly smiled: "Since governing is such a difficult decision, why not recruit talented people widely and hold a nationwide selection process?"

"What?!" The old general spat out a mouthful of wine. "You're going to hold a talent show for the ruling party?!"

"No." Su Yan unfolded a blank edict. "Tomorrow I will draft a 'Recruitment Order,' stating that the new Xia government wishes to select talented individuals to govern the country, and that anyone with outstanding virtue and talent may be nominated."

Zhao Wushang suddenly stood up, his chair crashing to the ground: "Nonsense!"

"General Zhao, don't be in such a hurry." Su Yan gave him a meaningful look. "This 'talent' is not just about literary talent and military prowess..."

Zhao Wushang's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows on his angular face. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he finally managed to utter, "Does Lord Su know what he's saying?"

He suddenly drew his sword and slammed it into the table with a clang.

As the sword trembled, it reflected the corners of his bloodshot eyes: "How can a ruler, so noble, be chosen like livestock in the marketplace..."

He suddenly choked up halfway through his sentence, as if stung by the metaphor he had blurted out.

Tie Zhenshan was sobered up by the shock, but then he saw Su Yan calmly pick up the teacup that had been split in two: "If General Zhao had drawn his sword three days earlier, Xie Lin would not have had the chance to show his skills at the training ground today."

The jade pendant on the sword tassel suddenly broke and shattered on the ground.

Zhao Wushang staggered backward as if all his strength had been drained, his armor crashing into the antique shelf and shaking dust into the room.

He looked down at the shards scattered on the floor, his voice hoarse and incoherent:

"...This humble general has lost his composure."

As he turned to leave, the hem of his armor swept across the threshold, knocking over a glass lamp.

The firelight meandered like a river on the bluestone slabs, much like the unspoken thoughts in his heart that he had kept hidden for many years.

*

The announcement of the "Recruitment Order" caused a stir in the new summer.

Talented individuals from all over the country flocked to the capital. Young masters from prominent families composed music and poems overnight, border generals rushed back to the capital, and even hermits who had been living in seclusion in the mountains came out of the mountains one after another.

There was much discussion in teahouses and taverns:

"I heard that candidates have to pass five tests: written test, martial arts test, moral character test, appearance test, and... cough, reproductive qualification."

"What?! We need to investigate that too?!"

"Of course! This is for the heir to the throne!"

Betting odds even started circulating, with Xie Lin and Wen Ruqing's odds being far ahead of the competition.

Meanwhile, the odds for a certain Imperial Guard commander, who had been secretly added to the list by the common people, were quietly rising...

*

Three months later, the top 100 talents gathered in the capital.

In front of the Wenhua Hall, the young talents stood in order.

There were refined scholars holding books, valiant generals with long swords at their waists, and even young caravan masters with exotic flair, their waists adorned with dazzling gems that gleamed in the sunlight.

Ji Xiaosong sat high in the hall, looking at the list and chuckling: "Minister Su has certainly gone to great lengths."

Su Yan bowed: "Please, Your Excellency, select the virtuous and capable."

Tie Zhenshan pointed impatiently at the front row: "That Xie Lin! And that Western Region boy who can dance!"

Ji Xiaosong's gaze swept over everyone, then suddenly stopped at the very end.

Zhao Wushang had somehow blended into the group, his black outfit standing out starkly against the surrounding elegant attire.

When he saw her looking at him, his ears turned red, but he stubbornly straightened his back.

"General Zhao, what is this...?" She raised an eyebrow.

“This humble general…” he gritted his teeth, “is also here to run for office.”

The whole hall was in an uproar.

Tie Zhenshan opened his mouth wide, Su Yan's folding fan fell to the ground with a "thud," and even Rongrong fell off the beam.

Ji Xiaosong suddenly stood up, her crimson court robes spreading out like flames.

She slowly descended the jade steps, amidst the intense gazes of a hundred people…

It stopped in front of Zhao Wushang.

"Reason?" she asked.

Zhao Wushang knelt on one knee and presented his sword with both hands: "This humble general... has a sharp sword that can protect the ruler for a lifetime."

"anything else?"

"His arrows are accurate; he can teach the young prince to hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away."

"besides?"

He looked up, his eyes brimming with starlight: "Sincerity...unwavering for years."

The hall was silent, and all eyes were on Ji Xiaosong and Zhao Wushang.

Zhao Wushang knelt on one knee, his back ramrod straight, but his fingers trembled slightly.

He had never revealed his true feelings in front of so many people before, and at this moment he felt his throat tighten and even breathing became difficult.

Ji Xiaosong looked down at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, but she did not reach out to take his sword.

"I understand General Zhao's intentions," she said softly. "However, I should not be General Zhao's wife."

She suddenly turned around, her crimson court robes drawing a sharp arc in the air, and walked straight to the front of the line, where Ashina Yun, the young master of the Western Regions caravan, stood.

The young man wore a snow-white brocade robe, his silver hair was tied up, and his azure eyes were as clear as the sky.

As Ji Xiaosong approached, he gracefully performed a Western Region salute, lightly touching his brow with his fingertips: "Your Excellency."

Ji Xiaosong reached out and lifted his chin, examined him carefully for a moment, and then suddenly smiled: "You're the one."

The entire hall erupted in uproar!

Tie Zhenshan suddenly stood up: "Ruling! What else does this kid have besides his good looks?"

Su Yan snapped her folding fan shut, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

And Zhao Wushang...

He remained kneeling on one knee, like a frozen statue.

Ji Xiaosong's choice may seem ruthless, but it actually contains a deeper meaning.

As she slowly walked towards the palace gate, her black official boots paused briefly in front of Zhao Wushang, and a strand of hair fell onto the young general's shoulder armor.

“Three new prefectures have been established in the North.” Her voice was so soft that only he could hear it. “We still need a governor who can keep the Di tribe in check.”

Zhao Wushang's pupils suddenly contracted.

The northern border was where he fought alongside Ji Xiaosong against the barbarians many years ago, and it was also the burial place where Sima Rui inscribed the words "The people are the most important" on his deathbed.

His sword clattered to the ground, and he suddenly understood the profound meaning of governing.

That night, the appointment document for the new governor of the North and the marriage certificate for the young master of the Western Regions were issued simultaneously.

When Tie Zhenshan burst into the administration's study, he saw Ji Xiaosong caressing a map of the northern border, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the border line.

"You're throwing your sharpest sword into the sand!" The old general stamped his feet in frustration.

The candlelight crackled and popped, illuminating the undercurrents in the governor's eyes: "General, do you know what the Empress Dowager said before she died, besides saving Xuan Ye's life?"

The first snow of the winter began to fall outside the window, and her voice was even softer than the snow: "She said that the love of an emperor is like a knife; if you get too close... it will hurt his spine."

At this moment, at the North Gate, Zhao Wushang reined in his horse and looked back through the blizzard.