Chapter 005: A Martial Arts Prodigy

Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that you must immediately proceed to the Funing Hall for an audience to discuss state affairs said Eunuch Liu, his forehead glistening with sweat and his voice urgent

How can I leave Kaifeng City? Zhao Chen stared at the wine cup in his hand, pondering this question again

"Not bad! Wang De, I ask you, what do you think of the Jurchens?" Zhao Chen said

Since arriving in this era and becoming the Crown Prince Jingkang, Zhao Chen has felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. As the Crown Prince, he has no friends; around him are only a few eunuchs and palace maids. These eunuchs and maids speak to him in hushed tones, fearing they might offend him, the Crown Prince, let alone engage in discussions with him. Moreover, Zhao Chen has no siblings and resides alone in the Eastern Palace. As the Crown Prince, he is also unable to leave the palace.

Wang De was very surprised; the Crown Prince was only ten years old. In the past, he had always regarded the Crown Prince as a child, but today, the Crown Prince's words were nothing like those of an ordinary child. He thought to himself that the Crown Prince, being of royal lineage, was the Emperor's legitimate son and the direct grandson of the Retired Emperor. From the moment the Crown Prince was born, he was destined to inherit the throne of the Song Dynasty, and thus had received various forms of education from a young age, which explained his remarkable insights. This was why he was so different from ordinary children. However, he was unaware that this Crown Prince had a background that was completely different from others. The Crown Prince appeared to be only ten years old, yet he possessed the knowledge and experience of a seventeen-year-old modern youth

Zhao Chen smiled beside him, while the eunuchs and palace maids nearby were secretly taken aback, thinking that Wang De was too rude and lacked manners! Although Wang De was skilled in martial arts, he was merely a subordinate officer and did not understand many of the rules of the palace! In the palace, when dining with the Crown Prince, one must chew slowly and quietly, and one should not eat too quickly or too much; all of these were unknown to Wang De

"The Jurchens? They are barbarians, unrefined and lacking in education, not worthy of consideration! However, the Jurchen army is indeed formidable; our Song forces are far from being their match!" Wang De pondered for a moment and said

Zhao Chen sat cross-legged on a large rock, and at times a red glow flashed across his face, a radiance emitted from the successful cultivation of the Huangtian Jue! Suddenly, Zhao Chen let out a long howl, which resonated continuously and drifted towards the distance! Beside him, Wang De displayed an expression of disbelief!

Zhao Chen nodded, feeling relieved. Having once been a modern student, he naturally harbored dreams of martial arts and looked forward to becoming a master of martial skills. If he were to miss the age for practicing martial arts and could not become a master, it would be a great regret

The rapid success in martial arts left him feeling as if everything had been swept away, and at that moment, only terror remained in his heart

"Come here, prepare the food and drinks, I want to feast with General Wang here!" Zhao Chen laughed heartily

Indeed, Zhao Chen's ability to open all twelve meridians in such a short time is partly due to the Huangtian Jue and partly related to his innate talent. In the past, Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty was the greatest master in the world, undefeated across the nine provinces. Zhao Kuangyin's brother, Zhao Guangyi, was also a renowned master. The Zhao family has always possessed exceptional talent. This remarkable talent has been passed down through generations and is recorded in texts. Unfortunately, since the time of Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi, the Zhao descendants, who have governed the world and lived in the royal family, have all indulged in pleasure, and no one has practiced martial arts for a long time. Thus, no one knows that this martial talent still flows in their bloodline.

The Huangtian Jue is indeed a top-tier martial art created by Emperor Taizu of Song. In just ten days, Zhao Chen has already developed a faint internal energy, and he is overjoyed. According to Wang De, it typically takes an ordinary person six months to reach Zhao Chen's current level.

He was about to rise and speak to Wang De when, at that moment, hurried footsteps were heard from a distance! More than ten eunuchs were running towards this direction, and leading them was none other than Eunuch Liu!

... ...

Indeed! How could they possibly let go of our Song Dynasty? Zhao Chen strongly agreed with this statement

On the morning of the second day, Zhao Chen arrived once again at Ju Jing Garden, where Wang De had been waiting for a long time.

In three months, I have cultivated the Huangtian Jue to the third level, unblocking all twelve meridians in my body. However, the Huangtian Jue consists of ten levels, and only upon reaching the tenth level can one enter the innate realm. Each level of the Huangtian Jue is more difficult than the last, and it is uncertain how many years it will take to reach the tenth level. Zhao Chen opened his eyes, his face filled with excitement at this moment

"It is easy to say that the common people resist, that civil officials are not greedy for wealth, and that military generals are not afraid of death... but how easy is that?" Zhao Chen shook his head

"You said, if they head south, what should we do?" Zhao Chen said

Those northern barbarians are all ambitious and ruthless, always seeking more than they have! The female and the *Tushu* real person have already conquered the Liao Kingdom, and naturally, they will not spare our Great Song!

Is Your Highness troubled by something? Although Zhao Chen appeared rough on the surface, he was quite perceptive internally. Upon noticing the unusual tone in Zhao Chen's voice, he hurriedly inquired.

The Jin state is now powerful, and they will inevitably take military action against the Song Dynasty! In Zhao Chen's view, this is an obvious matter; he does not understand why the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty remain oblivious to it

We can only resist with all our might! In fact, the population of my Song Dynasty is hundreds of times that of the barbarian tribes, and the wealth of my Song Dynasty is also hundreds of times greater than that of the barbarians. Our weapons far surpass those of the barbarians; however, the people of my Song Dynasty lack the spirit and there are too few who dare to resist, which is far inferior to the barbarians! If every citizen of my Song Dynasty were to resist, and if the civil officials were not greedy for wealth and the military generals were not afraid of death, we would not fear those barbarians!

Wang De was silent for a moment and nodded

What has happened? Zhao Chen was taken aback and stood up from the stone, while Wang De also turned to look in that direction

Time passes day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it is already August

The Crown Prince is indeed a martial arts prodigy; in just three short months, he has already opened all twelve meridians in his body! Even I took three years to reach such a level back in the day! Could it be related to the Royal Heavenly Technique?

From this day forward, Zhao Chen truly began to practice martial arts under Wang De.

"Do you think the Jurchens will move south?" Zhao Chen asked

Between nations, there exist only stark interests! In the era of cold weapons, if a nation is strong, it will inevitably engage in military actions against its neighboring countries! When foreign tribes grow powerful, they will certainly move southward, as the Xiongnu, Jurchen, and Mongols have all invaded the Central Plains, even occupying it and enslaving the Han people! If the Central Plains are strong, it will also engage in military actions against foreign tribes, as seen in the Han and Tang dynasties, where the powerful Han dynasty destroyed the states of the Western Regions, and the powerful Tang dynasty defeated Goguryeo and the Turks! War is an eternal theme of humanity, and it is unavoidable! It was not until the advent of nuclear weapons that, under the terrifying deterrence of nuclear arms, the world barely achieved peace! If there were no nuclear weapons, the Third World War would have already broken out!

Upon careful consideration, it seems that only Wang De can accompany him for conversation on a regular basis! As a military general, Wang De is rough in demeanor and straightforward in character; he is someone who dares to act and speak without overly considering the identity of this young crown prince. Therefore, Zhao Chen decided to keep Wang De around.

Wang De was taken aback; he turned his head and saw Zhao Chen with a beaming smile, a glimmer of anticipation in Zhao Chen's eyes

In May, the time until the Jurchen troops march south again is drawing ever closer, and Zhao Chen's anxiety is growing increasingly intense

Your Highness is now practicing martial arts, which is the appropriate age! If one begins training too early, the meridians within the body may not have fully developed, and cultivating internal energy could harm these meridians. Therefore, when children practice martial arts, they often start with external techniques to strengthen their bodies. However, even external techniques should not be overdone, as children's bodies are delicate, and any misstep could lead to injury. Your Highness is now ten years old and practicing internal techniques, so there are no such concerns.

The eighth month of the lunar calendar marks the arrival of autumn! The autumn leaves are falling, and even in the gathering place of books, a scene of desolation has emerged!

So you also know that the Jurchens will move south! Zhao Chen smiled wryly

It can be said that Zhao Chen is the only martial arts practitioner among the royal descendants after Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi, and he is also the only royal descendant who has fully realized the martial arts talent inherent in his bloodline

Soon, the food and drinks were served! Wang De was a rough man, and he immediately began to eat heartily and drink from a large bowl

Your Highness, if there are no other matters, I shall take my leave for now! I will return tomorrow to teach you the swordsmanship! However, the Great Zheng swordsmanship is passed down from the founding ancestor, and foreign ministers are not permitted to practice it, so I cannot instruct you in that! What I will teach you is the swordsmanship used in the military for defeating enemies, which I have created myself

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Zhao Chen nodded. He had originally prepared to let Wang De leave, but after a moment's thought, he suddenly said: "General Wang, why not stay and chat with me for a while!"

Listening to such an edict, observing the anxious faces of the eunuchs, and watching the autumn leaves fall around him, Zhao Chen suddenly felt a sense of foreboding in his heart

Good! Wang De nodded his head

"General Wang, I am now ten years old. Is it too late for me to learn martial arts?" That evening, after finishing his training, Zhao Chen couldn't help but ask.

Even subordinate officers like Wang De are aware that the Jurchens will march south, yet the Emperor and Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty remain oblivious to this matter! Or perhaps they are aware, but simply refuse to entertain such thoughts! This is nothing more than the proverbial act of covering one's ears while stealing a bell!

It is already May! Zhao Chen took a few bites of the meal, raised his wine glass, took a gentle sip of the wine, and sighed softly.