NOVEL NEXT Ch. 18
Chapter 18: Shock from the Imperial Capital
Jiang Zhaoming gazed at the golden scroll of the Dragon Ranking floating before him, the corners of his lips slightly lifting.
“Not bad, this month’s efforts were not in vain.”
After all, this month he had to handle the mountain of governmental affairs while personally leading troops into battle — such an achievement was only natural.
However, when his gaze moved upward and landed on the name at the very top of the list, his smile instantly froze.
“Jiang Zhaoding... eight thousand points of Imperial Destiny Value?”
It was as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over his head.
Jiang Zhaoming’s entire body trembled.
His imperial elder brother had already reached such a height, while he himself had only just begun.
And according to the Ancestral Decree of Great Zhou, everything he possessed now — before ascending as the Emperor of Great Zhou — was nothing more than a castle in the air.
Unbidden, the worst possible outcome surfaced in his mind.
If one of his elder brothers were to ascend the throne, even if he pacified the entire Anxi Prefecture, what awaited him would likely be nothing more than a single line:
“Royal Brother, you have worked hard. Tomorrow, return within the passes and enjoy your peace.”
Even more terrifying, if one of the colder, more ruthless brothers were to take the throne, all his merits would vanish like smoke, replaced by a chilling decree:
“Criminal Jiang Zhaoming, who commands troops to build his own power — his heart deserves death!”
At this thought, he clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.
Even if some of his brothers were kind-hearted, he would never allow such a thing to happen.
“These days I’ve been praised so much that I’ve grown conceited. Fortunately, this Dragon Ranking helped me adjust my mindset in time. I must never fall into the trap of arrogance again.”
Startled into full sobriety, Jiang Zhaoming lost all thought of rest and decided to enter the River of Fortune to take a look.
At the same time, countless princes, imperial relatives, and key officials of Great Zhou began paying close attention to the Dragon Ranking’s latest update.
---
Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Luanfeng Hall.
Since the Dragon Ranking was collected and compiled solely by the Emperor of Great Zhou himself, its secrecy was unparalleled under heaven.
Even the Empress of Great Zhou could only view the changes to the ranking at the same time as everyone else.
Within the resplendent Luanfeng Hall, the Empress’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly.
“Qian’er actually dropped to second place?”
Her fingertip gently tapped the list, where Jiang Zhaoqian’s name emitted a dim golden glow.
Beside her stood her most trusted maidservant, Abi, who watched the rankings of each prince and compared them with the previous issue.
Before long, Abi’s gaze fell upon a name placed near the upper middle section.
“Your Majesty, please look — Prince Jiang Zhaoming’s ranking has risen quite rapidly as well.”
The Empress lifted her phoenix eyes toward Jiang Zhaoming’s name, and upon seeing the Imperial Destiny Value behind it, even she was taken aback.
“Abi, which family does this Jiang Zhaoming belong to again?”
Without hesitation, Abi quickly replied, “Prince Jiang Zhaoming’s maternal family is the Qin family of the Divine General Qin.”
At the mention of that title — Divine General Qin — even the Empress’s phoenix eyes trembled slightly.
In Great Zhou, there were but a handful of individuals who bore the title Divine General, and among them, Qin was the youngest — and the one with the fewest descendants.
Thus, to this day, the Qin family had produced only this one prince — Jiang Zhaoming.
Because of this, during the struggle for the throne, most of the imperial clans and noble families had long dismissed the Qin household as irrelevant.
Yet Jiang Zhaoming, at the age of twenty-one, had gained nearly four hundred points of Imperial Destiny Value within merely two months.
This alone was enough to make many noble families’ hearts tremble, forcing them to take this rising star seriously.
The Empress turned to Abi and ordered, “Quickly, have our spies in Anxi Prefecture report on the situation there.”
“Abi obeys.”
Bowing, Abi swiftly exited the Luanfeng Hall and hurried toward the palace gates.
A similar scene unfolded among the numerous other noble factions — they all sorely lacked intelligence on the Prince of Anxi and his prefecture.
---
Imperial Capital, Qin Residence.
Before the vermilion gates stood two fierce beasts of Xuan Iron, guarding the mansion.
Within their ferocious eyes, faint streaks of lightning flickered.
Inside the residence, a petite figure holding a jade pendant engraved with a dragon pattern hurried through the corridor.
“Elder Sister! Elder Sister!”
Qin Lingyi lifted the hem of her skirt as she ran across the courtyard.
Pushing open the carved wooden doors of a side hall, her cheeks were flushed from running, yet her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“The Dragon Ranking’s updated! A-Ming jumped straight to seventy-fourth place this month!”
Inside, a beautiful woman in a plain long dress reclined gracefully on a soft couch, reading a book.
Hearing the commotion, she slowly lifted her eyes — clear as autumn water, yet as unfathomable as a deep pool.
This was none other than Jiang Zhaoming’s mother, Qin Guiyan.
As the eldest daughter of Divine General Qin, she was not confined within the deep palace like the other concubines.
Back then, Divine General Qin had traded his illustrious military merits for a special privilege — allowing his daughter to return home at will.
Since the founding of Great Zhou, such an honor had been exceedingly rare among imperial consorts.
“Yi’er, slow down.”
Setting aside her book, Qin Guiyan lifted her slender hand.
A cup of fragrant tea floated gently before Qin Lingyi.
The tea was just the right warmth, with a few green leaves unfurling in the cup, releasing a tranquil aroma.
Qin Lingyi downed it in one gulp, finally catching her breath. “Sister, how can you stay so calm? A-Ming is just starting to shine — I’m afraid…”
“Afraid someone will harm him and strangle him in his infancy?”
Qin Guiyan’s lips curved faintly as her fingers idly caressed the edge of the book.
Beneath her serene demeanor, a cold gleam flashed deep within her eyes — the inherited battle spirit of the Qin bloodline.
“Since A-Ming has chosen this path, these storms are inevitable.” Her tone was soft, yet held an unshakable firmness.
“Besides…”
Her jade finger tapped lightly, and a golden formation suddenly appeared in the air within the hall.
As the patterns flowed, a vast map of the Western Regions became faintly visible — the spot marking Anxi Prefecture glowed brilliantly.
“To think of touching the child of Qin Guiyan?”
She looked westward, smiling, yet the entire hall seemed to grow colder.
Long before Jiang Zhaoming had entered Anxi Prefecture, she had already purged every spy that the noble clans had planted there.
Those families dreaming of scheming against her son — they might as well be dreaming of the heavens.
Moreover, she had not forgotten that the famous Great General of the Anxi Army, Wan Donglai, had once called her father teacher.
---
As for the petty intrigues within the central lands, Jiang Zhaoming knew nothing.
He had no idea that his rapid rise had already stirred killing intent among certain factions.
Even if he had known, he would not have cared.
At this moment, within the River of Fortune, Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he examined the streams of information before him.
【You reclaimed Luntai and Kuqa Counties in Anxi Prefecture, gaining Blue Fortune ×5】
【Your recognition within Anxi Prefecture reached Level 1, gaining Blue Fortune ×3】
【You gained the admiration of Wan Donglai, gaining Blue Fortune ×1】
……
Nearly sixty lines of fortune increase notifications left Jiang Zhaoming dazzled.
Among them, he saw admiration from various internal officials and generals, and witnessed his recognition level within Anxi Prefecture skyrocketing.
Thus, his total fortune had reached an all-time high.
【Remaining Fortune: Blue ×10, Green ×34, White ×47】
“What a rich haul. Let’s upgrade these fortunes first…”
With a thought, Jiang Zhaoming upgraded all the fortune he could.
【Remaining Fortune: Purple ×1, Blue ×3, Green ×8, White ×7】
Looking at the vast reserves of fortune in his hands, Jiang Zhaoming felt a surge of emotion — and decided to take a bold step.
To fish in another region.
According to the River of Fortune’s rules, changing fishing locations might yield Fortune Blessings from other planes.
Within the Saint Tang Plane, he had already explored nearly all accessible blessings, save for those hidden deep within the river’s depths.
To increase the variety of Fortune Blessings — and to prepare for the recapture of the remaining seven counties in eastern Anxi Prefecture next spring — changing fishing grounds was imperative!
After recording the coordinates of the Saint Tang Plane’s fortune zone, Jiang Zhaoming gripped the paddle at the stern and began to row.