Great Ming Imperial Capital.

Within the majestic palace walls lay a spacious square spanning over a hundred yards. Emperor Jiajing, clad in a five-clawed golden dragon robe and crowned head, stood with hands clasped behind his back. Behind him, two elderly men dressed in red Ming official attire were deferentially attending to him with bowed torsos.

"Weizhong, what are my chances of subduing the divine beast?" Emperor Jiajing slowly spoke.

At that time, there were strange signs in the sky. A crimson cloud covering a hundred acres churned and undulated in the distant horizon, as if something was about to burst out from within at any moment!

Upon hearing the Emperor address him first, the more aged of the two ministers instantly revealed a delighted expression on his face. In contrast, the other elderly minister's face completely fell, as dejected as a mourning concubine.

"Your Majesty's divine martial prowess makes you unequaled in the present age. Even if a heaven-sent divine beast descends, it would merely be a small trial on Your Majesty's path to transcendence. How could there be any possibility of failure?"

The essence of flattery lay not in extravagant wording or eloquent rhetoric, but in stroking the pleased spot. Hearing the phrase “path to transcendence”, Emperor Jiajing’s face indeed revealed a faint smile.

“Well said! This battle, I shall be victorious! I absolutely will not disappoint Weizhong and my civil and military officials!” Emperor Jiajing’s fighting spirit soared.

Weizhong was the style name of Grand Secretary Yan Song. Yan Song continued bending at the waist like a boiled old shrimp. But from the corner of his eyes, he slyly glanced at his colleague, seemingly conveying:

Did you hear that? In His Majesty’s eyes, among his Ming ministers there were only two names: One called “Weizhong”, the other called “Civil and Military Officials”.

Feeling Yan Song's gaze upon himself, Xu Jie couldn’t help the surges of powerlessness welling up inside despite possessing 8th Stage Divine Transformation Realm cultivation.

"Why can’t I ever best Yan Song?" Xu Jie sighed to himself.

Just as the two old geezers were locked in mental combat, a clear and resonant cry suddenly emanated from within the crimson clouds at the horizon!

That bird cry seemed capable of penetrating heaven and earth!

But besides the mass of crimson clouds, Emperor Jiajing and Ministers Yan and Xu still did not catch sight of the divine beast.

In the next moment, an abrupt change occurred. The crimson clouds began condensing as they rapidly contracted, finally coagulating and morphing into an exquisite massive vermilion bird!

Having taken corporeal form, the crimson giant bird instantly locked onto its target: Emperor Jiajing.

“You’ve arrived!”

Sensing its gaze, Emperor Jiajing did not display the slightest trace of fear or retreat. On the contrary, he proactively went to meet it.

A man and a bird made contact high up in the air over a hundred yards above the ground. Then in the next moment, both simultaneously vanished.

“Prime Minister Yan, this is Heaven's Way initiating the [Battle of Acknowledgment].” Xu Jie quietly spoke.

Yan Song sneered in response, “This old man is ignorant and lacking in knowledge. Many thanks to Lord Xu for your guidance.”

Hearing his sarcastic tone, Xu Jie was secretly delighted instead. Perhaps in terms of the Emperor’s favor, he couldn’t compare to Yan Song. But if competing in scholarship, even Yan Song couldn’t compare to Xu Jie, publicly recognized in the Ming court as Foremost Confucian Scholar.

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As Xu Jie thought this, his thoughts and mindset had long ago been seen through by Yan Song.

A Hanlin academic? Exceptionally learned? Able to deduce with a single glance that His Majesty and the divine bird disappearing was due to Heaven's Way leading them into a special space for the [Battle of Acknowledgment]? Xu Jie was indeed profoundly knowledgeable and multi-talented.

But what Xu Jie was capable of deducing, could he, Yan Song, not also deduce?

In fact, many in the Ming court had forgotten that a hundred years ago, he, Yan Song, had also formerly served as an Academician of the Hanlin Academy.

Before becoming the treacherous minister reviled by all in Ming, he, Yan Song, had also been the foremost Confucian scholar and master of the age!

“Boy, don’t even think about besting me for another ten years.” Yan Song indifferently glanced at Xu Jie as he sneered in his heart.

The two men remained motionless on the empty square, awaiting the final outcome of the [Battle of Acknowledgment].

Time slowly trickled by. Day and night alternated. They continued standing there still as clay statues for a full seven days until finally, an anomalous crack split open in the tranquil sky.

On the square, the two chief and secondary Ming ministers who had maintained perfect motionlessness akin to mud sculptures also finally moved.

The two simultaneously knelt to ceremoniously welcome back the returning and triumphant Ming Emperor!

Sure enough, a stalwart figure stepped out from the crack - Emperor Jiajing.

Despite an intense seven-day battle, Emperor Jiajing still appeared in high spirits without the slightest hint of fatigue from prolonged fighting. But clear scratch marks, damage, and scorch marks could be seen on his five-clawed golden dragon robe, indicating intense combat.

Yet Yan Song and Xu Jie’s gazes both focused upon Emperor Jiajing’s left shoulder. A fiery young fledgling, merely the size of a sparrow, rested there. Extremely well-behaved and docile without a trace of its former ferocious bearings.

"Your Majesty, this is...?" Yan Song revealed an astonished expression.

“Hahahaha!” Emperor Jiajing burst into loud laughter. “The Battle of Acknowledgment had Heaven's Way's blessings. The divine beast’s might was formidable indeed. But with the great battle concluded, it naturally reverted back to its juvenile form.”

Yan Song put on a receptive appearance, further indulging and greatly satisfying Emperor Jiajing’s vanity.

Witnessing the casual question-response exchange between monarch and subject, Xu Jie finally realized a bit late Yan Song’s deliberate intent.

“Old Yan knew perfectly well yet still pretended ignorance?”

“Feigning foolishness to play the fool could actually still curry favor with His Majesty?”

“Had I actually lost due to insufficient baseness and shamelessness?”

Xu Jie felt like he just drank a bowl of rice porridge, only to discover mouse droppings stuck at the bottom after finishing. His entire body shuddered in discomfort, yet he was still reluctant to outright admit defeat!

Finally, Xu Jie braced himself before gritting his teeth. “Your Majesty subdued the divine beast, greatly boosting our dynasty’s fortunes. This subject requested to compose a hundred splendid poetic verses to congratulate Your Majesty.”

“Oh?” Emperor Jiajing was initially startled upon hearing this before nodding in satisfaction. “I have always enjoyed Hua Ting’s writings. Unfortunately busy with government affairs, you seldom had time to compose poetic verses. Today this Emperor subdued a divine beast and it is only fitting that a hundred great literary works emerged.”

Xu Jie hurriedly knelt to knock his head on the floor in obedience. Inwardly, however, his emotions were mixed between joy and worry.

He was happy at finally obtaining the Emperor’s delight, but worried that his current behavior was no different from a fawning petty official.

Observing nearby, Yan Song sneered coldly in his heart, ‘Old punk daring to compete with this Prime Minister over favoritism?’

He made a coughing sound before saying with a face full of fawning smiles, “A divine beast entering Ming is truly an auspicious omen. This subject will immediately spread the word for all the realm to know Your Majesty is the enlightened sage ruler.”

“Mm! As expected from the Chief Minister Weizhong singled out by me. The model for all officials.” Emperor Jiajing repeatedly nodded in approval.

Still kneeling on the ground, Xu Jie nearly fainted from feeling stifled upon hearing this.

But Yan Song continued speaking, “With the divine beast’s arrival still unknown what it should be named. May Your Majesty confer a name so it can be spread for all the realm.”

“Confer a name for the divine beast?” Emperor Jiajing's eyes lit up, his pleased spot having been completely stroked. He pondered deeply for a while before finally managing to come up with a satisfactory name.

“This Emperor named thee, Great Ming Vermilion Bird!”

Yan Song immediately prostrated, “Great Ming is unparalleled under heaven! Great Ming’s radiance eternally undying for all ages!”

“Well said! Well said indeed Weizhong! Hahahaha!” Emperor Jiajing laughed heartily in satisfaction, his loud laughter echoing endlessly within the imperial palace.

Xu Jie was completely astonished!

Great Ming unparalleled under heaven?

Great Ming eternally undying radiance for all ages?

These words effortlessly uttered by old Yan Song unexpectedly showed such shocking brilliance? What level of bold unconstrained talent was this?

Xu Jie finally understood he couldn’t compare to Yan Song. Whether in talent or shamelessness, he completely paled in comparison, moreover by a significant margin.

"I won't compete with Yan Song for at least ten years..." Xu Jie sorrowfully thought to himself.