Chapter 115: Candidates for the Next Emperor

"Become a Martial Ancestor and vie for the next throne?"

Puzzled, Lu Sheng asked, "How old is the current Emperor? Do none of his descendants have the strength of a Martial Ancestor?"

Due to the necessity of verifying bloodlines and other such factors, an Emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty must possess the power of a Martial Ancestor. Consequently, even the children of the Emperor cannot ascend to the throne if they fail to reach that level. This creates an opening for others who have attained the rank of Martial Ancestor to compete for the imperial crown. Lu Anshi is not a child of the current Emperor; for him to become a top contender, he must not only reach the rank of Martial Ancestor but also ensure that none of the Emperor's own offspring do so. Lu Sheng, lacking deep knowledge of the imperial court, posed this question to clarify the situation.

"None!" Luo Liheng interjected, having grown up in the Martial Academy and being deeply intertwined with the Lu clan of the Great Jing. He was intimately familiar with these matters. "The current Emperor has three sons and one daughter, as well as over a dozen grandchildren. However, as of now, not a single one has shown the potential to become a Martial Ancestor. That is why Lu Anshi, who has a high probability of reaching that rank, is widely recognized as one of the leading candidates for the next Emperor. Once he breaks through, he will be able to compete for the throne alongside Lu Anyong, the grandson of the previous Emperor, who has already attained the Martial Ancestor rank."

Meanwhile, Lu Hongyuan added, "Lu Hongchang, the current Emperor, was born in the 840th year of the Great Jing calendar. This year is 928, making him 88 years old. Although his strength as a Martial Ancestor keeps his vitality intact and allows him to handle state affairs, history shows that emperors rarely live past a hundred. His time is likely drawing near within these next few years. Therefore, you must be extremely cautious of Lu Anshi, who is a strong candidate for the next Emperor and a likely future Martial Ancestor!"

Speaking, he asked with curiosity, "Come to think of it, I don't know which branch of the Great Jing Lu clan you hail from. How is it that I have never seen you before?"

Just as Lu Sheng was about to reply, Luo Liheng preempted him: "This is Lu Sheng, who bravely subdued the flood dragon two years ago and was just brought back by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains. He is from the Bingzhou Lu clan, the thirty-sixth generation descendant of the Jing Emperor, and belongs to the 'Yun' generation. This morning, he defeated Lu Yunfei in the martial arena in front of everyone. Your grandson, Lu Yunji, and your grand-nephew, Lu Yunxi, witnessed it alongside me. That is why Lu Yunfeng wants to challenge him—to decide who truly is the number one of the younger generation!"

"The Bingzhou Lu clan!"

"You are from the Bingzhou Lu clan!"

"Could it be that you are the one from the Lu family of Black Stone Island who possesses the heritage of the Bingzhou Lu clan?" Lu Hongyuan looked at Lu Sheng, stunned. Only then did he recall a piece of news he had read, suddenly realizing who stood before him.

"I never imagined it! I never imagined that you would have the strength to defeat Lu Yunfei! Does this mean the one who becomes a Martial Ancestor in this generation might be you?" Lu Hongyuan gripped Lu Sheng, his voice trembling with excitement. For the long-declining Bingzhou Lu clan, even a single Martial Ancestor is of vital importance. Lu Hongyuan had pursued that dream for decades, only giving up in his sixties to become an editor at the Martial Archive.

"How about that? Shocked, aren't you?" Seeing Lu Hongyuan’s excitement, Luo Liheng chuckled, pointing at himself with great self-satisfaction. "He is now a Grade Seven Editor at the Martial Archive, and I am his deputy, a Grade Seven Examiner! It feels as if, having become his deputy, I share in all his glory!"

"Hmph!" Recovering from his shock, Lu Hongyuan released Lu Sheng and scoffed. "A mere Grade Seven Examiner, showing off in front of me? Do you believe I could have a word with your grandfather and have you transferred away from Lu Sheng, putting my grandson in your place instead?" He seemed to be seriously considering the idea, turning to Lu Sheng: "We are both of the Bingzhou Lu clan. I would feel much more at ease if Yunxi and Yunji were by your side. What do you think? Should I have them come over to assist you at the Martial Archive?"

Ever since the main branch of the Bingzhou Lu clan was forced into the grasslands and the title of Prince of Jin was abolished, the clan had not flourished. Now that a talented clansman recognized by a Grandmaster had finally emerged, Lu Hongyuan could not help but pay special attention. Placing Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji under Lu Sheng’s wing was also a way to secure guidance for them.

However, these words greatly displeased Luo Liheng, who had been wracking his brains on how to curry favor with Lu Sheng to obtain dragon meat. "Hey! Hey! Old Man Lu, you can't just snatch my job! Not only was this position personally designated by the Chief Editor Luo, but Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji have yet to enter official service. Even if they wanted to, they would have to start from the ninth grade. Even if everything went smoothly, it would take them nine years to reach the seventh grade!"

Having entered service at twenty-one, Luo Liheng had spent nine years as an instructor at the Martial Academy before finally reaching the seventh grade. Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji were martial masters; even with their background in the Great Jing Lu clan, they couldn't possibly start at the seventh grade. Luo Liheng touched his chin, looking smug: "My old man was right to have me start my service early. If you want to take my spot, there's only one answer: No way!"

"Heh!" Seeing Luo Liheng’s smug expression, Lu Hongyuan shook his head. Rather than arguing with the impish youth, he turned to Lu Sheng: "How about this! You are entitled to two part-time assistants. Yunxi and Yunji are both martial masters; let them start as part-time scribes. From now on, I leave them entirely in your hands!"

With one sentence, he had entrusted Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji to Lu Sheng. *This old man is truly opportunistic,* Lu Sheng thought. *Once he figured out why Luo Liheng was following me, he rushed to push his own people onto me. Truly, old age brings craftiness.*

While he thought this, Lu Sheng did not refuse. Seeing the merit points recorded by the Ruyi artifact from Lu Yunxi and Lu Yunji, he replied, "Rest assured, Gong Hongyuan. As long as they are obedient, I will treat them just as I do Luo Liheng."

He then added, "However, there is one matter that requires your assistance, Gong Hongyuan. Once it is accomplished, the entire Bingzhou Lu clan will benefit!" He proceeded to tell Lu Hongyuan about the plan to reclaim the title of Prince of Jinyang, which he had previously discussed with Lu Chunyuan and Lu Hongjin. From the information gathered, Lu Sheng knew that Lu Yunxi’s family held great influence within the Bingzhou Lu clan. Furthermore, judging by Lu Hongyuan’s martial prowess, he was among the strongest in the capital if no Martial Ancestor of the Bingzhou Lu clan was present. With him acting as a bridge, he could surely rally a faction from within the Bingzhou Lu clan for his cause.