King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

At the same time, the scholars who were pushed to the forefront by the order of His Royal Highness Prince Lu reacted even more violently.

In a secluded courtyard outside the city of Jinan, several scholars were gathered together, with sad faces and sighing.

"This Prince Lu is really too much! We have studied hard for more than ten years just to get a place on the list of successful candidates and bring honor to our family. But now, with just one sentence, he has completely shattered our dreams!"

A thin scholar threw the book in his hand to the ground with an angry look on his face and said with gritted teeth.

"That's right! How can we scholars, who are weak and powerless, be compared with those warriors? Isn't this a clear humiliation to us?"

Another scholar echoed, his tone full of helplessness and despair.

However, not all scholars were opposed to the military examination.

In the city of Jinan, in an ancient and elegant house, a handsome young man in a green shirt was dancing vigorously in the yard with a long sword in his hand.

He has sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and a confident smile on his lips. His every move exudes an extraordinary and heroic temperament.

"Okay! Come again!"

The young man let out a low shout, and the sword in his hand stabbed out like lightning, with the tip of the sword pointing directly at a willow tree in front of him that was as thick as a bowl.

"Shh!"

With a slight sound, the willow tree broke, and the broken end was as smooth as a mirror, which showed the exquisiteness of his swordsmanship.

"Haha! It feels so good! It feels so good!"

The young man put away his sword and stood, looking at the willow tree that was cut down by his sword, a satisfied smile on his face.

His name was Li Wenxuan, a famous talent in Jinan Prefecture. Not only was he proficient in poetry and songs, but he also had practiced martial arts since childhood and had superb swordsmanship.

Instead of feeling repulsed by the martial arts test proposed by His Royal Highness Prince Lu, he was full of anticipation.

"A real man born in this world, how can he only know how to write poems and essays, without thinking about defending his country? Your Highness Prince Lu's move is exactly what I want!"

There was a gleam of excitement in Li Wenxuan's eyes. He believed that this would be a great opportunity to prove himself.

……

In a small mountain village a hundred miles away from Jinan Prefecture, there lived a young man named Zhang Tiezhu.

He has been obsessed with mathematics since he was a child. He is immersed in the world of numbers and symbols all day long and has no interest in anything else.

Everyone in the village said he was a "math nerd". He couldn't even write his own name and could only use the numbers "12345" instead.

On that day, Zhang Tiezhu was sitting under a big locust tree at the entrance of the village, holding a branch in his hand, drawing all kinds of strange symbols on the ground and muttering to himself.

"The sun is... um... 93 million miles from the earth..."

"No, no, it should be 92,955,807 miles..."

"Oh, it's amazing! The universe is so amazing!"

Zhang Tiezhu was calculating while immersed in his own world, with an obsessed look on his face.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Tiezhu, Tiezhu, what are you doing?"

Zhang Tiezhu raised his head and saw that it was the village hunter Old Man Zhao, who was looking at him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Uncle Zhao, I'm calculating how far the sun is from us."

Zhang Tiezhu answered without even raising his head.

"The sun?" Old man Zhao was stunned for a moment, then he burst into laughter. "I say, Tiezhu, you are a math nerd, you only know how to calculate these useless things all day long. If you have the time, you might as well go hunting with me in the mountains!"

Zhang Tiezhu ignored the old man Zhao's ridicule and continued to calculate with his head down.

"The distance from the sun to the earth is 92,955,807 miles ..."

"No, no, it still seems wrong..."

Zhang Tiezhu frowned and thought hard, but he still couldn't get an accurate answer.

Just then, a piece of news spread to this remote mountain village like a gust of wind.

"Have you heard? His Royal Highness Prince Lu is going to hold a martial arts test. As long as you pass it, you can become an official!"

"Is this true? Then wouldn't it be possible for us peasants to have a chance to stand out?"

"So what are you waiting for? Go sign up now!"

For a moment, the whole small mountain village was in an uproar, and the villagers ran around to tell each other and talk about it.

Zhang Tiezhu also heard the news. He raised his head and looked at the sky in the distance, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Martial arts test? What is that? Can you eat it?"

……

Zhang's mother sat on the earthen kang, holding an embroidery needle in one hand and a piece of coarse cloth in the other, with a worried look on her face.

The news that Prince Lu was recruiting talents spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys, and every household was talking about it.

"Hey, you see, this Prince Lu is the same, he has a good life, why does he have to mess around with these things?"

Aunt Wang's voice from next door floated in through the window.

"Who said it wasn't? I heard that this time they are going to select the top martial arts scholar. Only those who are good at both literature and martial arts can become high-ranking officials! We are peasants, and our ancestors have never produced any great figures. I'm afraid our joy will be in vain this time!" another woman echoed.

Zhang's mother sighed, put down the needlework in her hands, and looked into the yard. She saw Zhang Tiezhu squatting on the ground, holding a branch in his hand, writing and drawing on a pile of sand.

He was mumbling something, and no one knew what he was doing.

"This kid, all he does is play with these junk all day long, and doesn't even know how to learn something serious!"

Mother Zhang muttered unhappily.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and a bold idea came to her mind.

Doesn’t the King of Lu want to select talents?
Although my Tiezhu is not good at martial arts, he has a sharp mind! Maybe...

The more Zhang's mother thought about it, the more feasible it seemed to her.

She stood up suddenly, walked quickly to the yard, snatched the branch from Zhang Tiezhu's hand, and said in a hurried tone:
"Tiezhu, stop playing! Mom has something to tell you!"

Zhang Tiezhu was startled by this sudden action. He raised his head, looked at his mother blankly, and asked:

"Mom, what's wrong? What happened?"

Mother Zhang took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and said:
"Mother heard that the Prince of Lu is going to hold a martial arts test in Jinan Prefecture to select talents. Mother thought that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you can..."

"Mom, don't worry about it. How can I know any martial arts?"

Zhang Tiezhu interrupted his mother's words with a smile on his face:
"You know I like to play around with numbers. I'm not good at playing around with swords and guns."

"No, you have to try this time!"

Zhang's mother said firmly:
"Mother knows that you have a good brain. Maybe you can shine in the martial arts test. Even if you can't become an official, it's good to go out and see the world!"

Zhang Tiezhu wanted to say something else, but seeing his mother's unquestionable look, he could only nod helplessly and said:
"Okay, Mom, I'll go."

……

The next morning, Zhang's mother packed her bags and set off with Zhang Tiezhu. Before they left, many people in the village came to watch, pointing and talking about Zhang Tiezhu.

"Hey, isn't this the idiot from the Zhang family? He also wants to take part in the martial arts test? Stop making me laugh!"

"That's right. With his small body, I'm afraid he can't even withstand a punch. It would be a waste of his life if he goes!"

"I think he wants to go to Jinan Prefecture to visit the brothels, right? Hahaha..."

Faced with the ridicule and doubts of the crowd, Zhang's mother remained unmoved. She held Zhang Tiezhu's hand and walked out of the village with her head held high.

It was as if he didn't hear the harsh taunts.

Along the way, Zhang Tiezhu was still immersed in his own world of mathematics and was completely unprepared for the upcoming martial arts test.

Zhang's mother kept nagging him, hoping that he would change.

"Tiezhu, mother is telling you, when you get to Jinan Prefecture, you have to be more restrained. Don't just do those useless things all day long. Learn more martial arts from others, okay?"

"Also, you should be more careful about what you say and do. Don't always be like a wooden lump. Chat with the girls more. Maybe you can..."

Zhang Tiezhu was almost overwhelmed by his mother's nagging. He sighed helplessly and said, "Mom, don't worry, I know what to do."

"What do you know?" Zhang's mother said angrily, "When I see you like this, I feel anxious!"

In this way, the mother and son quarreled all the way and finally arrived in Jinan Prefecture.

As soon as he entered the city, Zhang Tiezhu was stunned by the scene before him.

The wide streets, the rows of houses, the bustling crowds, and the dazzling array of goods, all of these were overwhelming.

"Wow! Mom, this is Jinan Prefecture? It's so magnificent!"

Zhang Tiezhu couldn't help but exclaimed.

Zhang's mother was also dazzled. She patted Zhang Tiezhu on the shoulder and said, "Tiezhu, let's find a place to stay first, and then go and inquire about the martial arts test."

They found an inn to stay in and after settling their luggage, Zhang's mother took Zhang Tiezhu out to inquire for news.

"Young man, do you know where to sign up for the martial arts test held by His Royal Highness Prince Lu?"

Zhang's mother stopped a passerby and asked.

The man looked the mother and son up and down, looked at Zhang Tiezhu with a strange look, then pointed in the direction of the east of the city and said:
"Go east from here and you will see a tall mansion. That is Prince Lu's Palace."

Zhang's mother thanked the passers-by and took Zhang Tiezhu towards the east of the city.

"Tiezhu, see? This is Jinan Prefecture! When you become a high-ranking official, we will move here!"

Zhang's mother patted Zhang Tiezhu's shoulder excitedly.

Zhang Tiezhu didn't react at all. He was staring at a vendor selling candied haws on the roadside. To be more precise, he was staring at the abacus next to the vendor, muttering to himself:
"One, four, seven, two, five, eight, three, six, nine..."

"You kid, it's already this late, and you're still calculating! Come on, go sign up!"

Zhang's mother pulled Zhang Tiezhu and squeezed into the crowd of people who were registering.

The registration office was located in an open space at the city gate, and it was crowded and bustling.

Zhang's mother finally squeezed to the front, but was dumbfounded.

The notice board clearly read: "Lu Wangfu is recruiting talents, both civil and military, and the best will be hired."

"Study both civil and military? Why do we need to take the civil test? Tiezhu, can you write?"

Mother Zhang grabbed her son's hand and asked nervously.

Zhang Tiezhu was stunned by the question. He had been sensitive to numbers since he was a child, and arithmetic was his strong point, but writing... He scratched his head and said awkwardly:

“Does being able to write your own name count?”

When Zhang's mother heard this, she was immediately panicked.

What should I do? If I had known I would have to take the exam, I shouldn’t have come to join in the fun!

While they were hesitating, a soldier nearby noticed the mother and son and asked with a smile:
"Big sister, is this your boy? Is he here to sign up for the martial arts test?"

Mother Zhang sighed and said with a bitter face:

"My dear military officer, you don't know that this child has never liked martial arts since he was young. He just likes to play with numbers. But the notice says that he should learn both literature and martial arts. What should I do?"

After hearing this, the soldier burst into laughter:

"Big sister, don't worry! This martial arts test is not just about testing your fists and feet. More importantly, it requires a flexible mind and strategic thinking! Since your boy is good at math, he might be able to win on the battlefield by surprise!"

The soldier's words gave Zhang's mother a glimmer of hope. She asked tentatively:
"Really, really?"

"Of course it's true!" The soldier assured, patting his chest. "Look, all those who come and go to sign up are big and strong men. Although your boy looks skinny, he has a good brain. Maybe he can give us a surprise! Besides, even if he doesn't get selected, it's good to come out and see the world, don't you think?"

The soldier's words made Zhang's mother feel much better.

She smiled gratefully at the soldier, took out the few copper coins she had left, and handed them over:

"Military, you have worked hard, have a drink of water."

The soldier quickly waved his hand and refused:

"Sister, what are you doing? We are soldiers, how can we accept your money?"

As he spoke, he took out five copper coins from his pocket and stuffed them into Zhang's mother's hand. "Take these five coins and go to the city to find an inn to stay in. Three months later, bring the child to gather here early in the morning. Don't miss the time."

Zhang's mother wanted to refuse, but the soldier stuffed it into her hands, so she had no choice but to accept it with many thanks.

At this time, there was a commotion in the crowd, and a young man in brocade clothes slowly walked over, surrounded by a group of guards.

"Look, it's the young master of the Li family, Li Wenxuan!"

"I heard that this Young Master Li is a man of both civil and military talents, proficient in all eighteen martial arts, and is capable of playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He is the best candidate for the first place in this martial arts test!"

There were bursts of admiration from the crowd, and people looked sideways, wanting to catch a glimpse of this gifted child of destiny.

Li Wenxuan came to the sign and frowned slightly:
"Mastering both civil and military skills? Why is there a civil service exam? Humph, what a waste of time!"

He turned around and ordered the guards around him: "Go, tell me your name!"

After saying that, he no longer paid any attention to it, walked straight to the gorgeous carriage on the side of the road, and drove away.

……

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the open space that was bustling with people on the registration day is now surrounded by people.

The tall wooden fence surrounded the venue into a huge circle. Outside the fence, countless pairs of eyes looked inside anxiously, hoping to catch some news about the exam.

Inside the fence, the atmosphere was particularly solemn. Soldiers in uniform, holding halberds, majestically guarded the area.

In the center of the venue, a high platform was built. Above the platform, a huge red flag fluttered in the wind, with the word "Wu" written on it. The strokes were sharp, as if it contained the power of thousands of troops.

Under the high platform, hundreds of tables were neatly arranged, and on each table were placed the four treasures of the study and some strangely shaped instruments.

The candidates sat upright with different expressions. Some had frowned as if they were thinking hard; others were confident, staring at the podium with sharp eyes as if they were sure of winning.

Zhang Tiezhu nervously pinched the corner of his clothes, his palms full of sweat.

He secretly looked at the candidates around him, and saw that they were all tall and strong, with sharp eyes, as if they were warriors who had experienced many battles. (End of this chapter)