Golden Ranking Appears, My Empress Turns Out to Be Wu Zhao

[Renowned Marshal Ranking – Rank 10]

[Qi Jiguang]

[Nation: Ming Dynasty]

[Marshal Rating: Five Stars]

[Military: First-Rate]

[Political: Super First-Rate]

[Strength: First-Rate]

[Reward: One Top-Tier weapon, one set of Top-Tier marshal armor, one Top-Tier military formation, national fortune of affiliated country increased by 5%]

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Ming Imperial Palace.

"What?"

"Qi Jiguang is only in Rank 10?"

Zhu Houzhao could hardly believe it.

He had invested massive resources into Qi Jiguang, yet he only ranked 10th?

He should have at least made it into the top five!

Could other nations have hidden marshals?

He quietly looked toward the generals in the court.

At that moment, the Heaven Dao Reward descended.

A long spear with extraordinary energy appeared in Qi Jiguang's hand.

At the same time, a set of remarkable armor appeared, radiating awe-inspiring presence.

Zhu Houzhao felt a strange yet powerful emotion welling up in his chest.

As the Emperor, he could clearly sense the increase in national fortune.

It was an excellent outcome.

"General Qi, how do you feel?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I feel my command over military formations has greatly improved."

"Especially with this spear and armor in hand, I could even defend against Land Immortals."

"Good. In that case, I can finally feel assured of your safety in this upcoming campaign."

Zhu Houzhao nodded.

"Your Majesty, I have disappointed you by only ranking 10th on the Renowned Marshal Ranking."

"You have spent countless resources and effort in raising me, yet the result is not ideal. I..."

"Sigh!"

Zhu Houzhao quickly interrupted him.

"General Qi, making it onto the Renowned Marshal Ranking at all is already outstanding."

"The Nine Provinces are vast, and the number of marshals is immense. Your inclusion is Heaven Dao's affirmation."

"How can you belittle yourself?"

"Besides, you are still young and have immense potential. In the future, you may very well surpass those who currently rank above you."

"I have great confidence in you!"

"Enough, go prepare now!"

"Be ready to march at any moment. Head straight to Shanhaiguan. Ling Luoshi and Yu Huatian will cooperate with you!"

"This campaign against the Qing Dynasty is your moment to prove yourself!"

"There will only be this one opportunity!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am fully prepared and ready to depart at any time!"

==========

"Qi Jiguang?"

"Is it really Qi Jiguang?"

"I've heard of this general. He is from the Ming Dynasty."

"He is highly favored by the Emperor and is still very young."

"And yet he has already made the top ten. That's incredible."

"Too bad he's only tenth and not higher on the ranking."

"His military ability is first-rate, political talent is super first-rate, and strength is also first-rate. Clearly, this Qi Jiguang is not simple!"

"Obviously! If he were ordinary, how could he make the Renowned Marshal Ranking?"

==========

Temujin Military Tent.

"Qi Jiguang? National Master, do you know this person? I don't believe I've ever heard of him."

"Khan, Qi Jiguang is a young general promoted by Zhu Houzhao since his days as Crown Prince."

"He is highly trusted and has now built a formidable army."

"Interesting. That Zhu Houzhao boy has a keen eye. He noticed Qi Jiguang's potential in military command early on and began grooming him right away."

"Unfortunately, he is still too young and only managed to rank 10th."

"Otherwise, his position could have been much higher."

"Compared to my generals like Muqali, he is still far behind!"

Temujin chuckled, his eyes filled with pride.

Even though the Ming Dynasty had secured Rank 10, he didn't mind.

Qi Jiguang's army would, in the end, be crushed under the iron hooves of the Yuan Dynasty.

National Master Phagpa opened his mouth slightly, as if wanting to say something.

But in the end, he chose to remain silent.

Qi Jiguang was far from ordinary.

From what he had gathered, Qi Jiguang was one of the leading marshals in the Ming Dynasty campaign against the Qing Dynasty.

If Zhu Houzhao had entrusted him with such an important task, how could he possibly be simple?

==========

Qin Imperial Palace.

Ying Zheng summoned Bai Qi and Shang Yang to court.

"Monarch Wu'an, what do you think of this Qi Jiguang from the Ming Dynasty?"

Ying Zheng asked.

"Qi Jiguang? Never heard of him."

"However, to be valued by the Ming Emperor, he must be capable. At least he has potential."

"If he grows, he may become a worthy opponent."

"Of course, only an opponent. Compared to me, there's still a huge gap."

Bai Qi glanced at the intelligence file from Black Ice Platform regarding Qi Jiguang.

He casually shared his opinion.

Still, his eyes held nothing but pride.

Qi Jiguang had not even entered his view.

The man was too inexperienced. Even if he matured, the gap between them would remain immense.

"Master, what do you think of this general?"

"Can we win him over?"

"Your Majesty, it is unlikely. He is the Ming Emperor's most trusted marshal, and he is not one to seek fame or gain."

"He may not be a match for Monarch Wu'an, but he is not to be underestimated either."

"In my opinion, his talent in commanding troops is on par with our own generals like Meng Tian and Wang Ben."

"In the future, we must keep a close eye on him."

"Most importantly, his command skills are excellent, and his individual combat ability is also formidable."

"He is a serious threat."

Shang Yang's expression was grim. He was extremely wary of Qi Jiguang, who had ranked tenth.

And who exactly was Zhu Houzhao?

If someone could earn Zhu Houzhao's favor, even if they had shortcomings now.

They would be systematically trained to overcome them in the future.

He might very well become Bai Qi's greatest rival one day.

"Come!"

Ying Zheng shouted.

A shadow appeared instantly. It was the Black Ice Platform Leader.

"Your Majesty!"

"Send agents into the Ming Dynasty at once. Gather all possible information on Qi Jiguang."

"Monitor him closely!"

"Every word and action of his must be reported back to me."

Ying Zheng took foreign marshals extremely seriously.

He valued them even more than Land Immortals.

Land Immortals could cause considerable damage.

But compared to marshals who determined the outcome of wars, the damage was negligible.

They could lead to the deaths of thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands.

No level of caution could be too much.

Especially now that Qi Jiguang was officially ranked on the Renowned Marshal Ranking.

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Tang Dynasty, Taiji Hall.

"General Li, what do you think of this Qi Jiguang from the Ming Dynasty?"

Li Shimin looked at the white-robed general in the hall and asked quietly.

"He is a worthy opponent. But I am in no way inferior to him."

"As for who is stronger, we'll have to face each other in battle to find out."

"Otherwise, there's no point in speculating."

The white-robed general was full of confidence. Though his words were modest, his expression was not.

A flicker of disdain passed through his eyes.

"Good. With your words, I feel at ease."

"This campaign against the Turkic Kingdom will depend on you!"

"Victory is the only option. Defeat is unacceptable!"

"This war with the Turkic Kingdom is one we cannot afford to lose."

Li Shimin's tone turned serious. At the same time, he felt a sense of anticipation.

If his guess was correct, this white-robed general might also appear on the Renowned Marshal Ranking in the future.

He would have to cultivate him carefully.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not let you down!"

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Sui Imperial Palace.

"Chengdu, what do you think of this Qi Jiguang from the Ming Dynasty?"

Yang Guang asked Yuwen Chengdu.

"Your Majesty, Qi Jiguang is merely Rank 10 on the Renowned Marshal Ranking."

"Under my Phoenix-Winged Gilded Mace, he would not last more than three strikes!"

Yuwen Chengdu was full of arrogance.

When speaking of Qi Jiguang, his eyes were filled with undisguised disdain.

To him, Qi Jiguang was no more than a helpless chicken, easily crushed.

Yang Guang burst into hearty laughter.

He loved this kind of unshakable confidence.

So much so that even he started to believe Yuwen Chengdu's words.

He truly thought Qi Jiguang was unworthy of mention.

Compared to his Grand General Tianbao, Qi Jiguang was simply not on the same level.

Yuwen Tuo watched in stunned silence from the side.

One was overly ambitious. The other was blindly arrogant.

Did they really look down on Qi Jiguang from the Ming Dynasty?

Even if they didn't believe in Qi Jiguang's ability, they should at least respect the Ming Emperor's judgment.

If someone was personally selected and cultivated by Zhu Houzhao, how could they be ordinary?

Most importantly.

At the end of the day, Yuwen Chengdu was merely a powerful general.

He might be skilled in battlefield combat.

But when it came to large-scale warfare, how could he compare with real marshals?

Leading tens of thousands was his limit.

If he were to command hundreds of thousands, the results would likely be disastrous.

In true wars between nations, hundreds of thousands clashed every time.

The level of strategy required to command such forces was staggering.

Yuwen Chengdu was nothing in that regard.

Still, Yuwen Tuo could only think about these things.

He didn't say them out loud.

No matter how capable he was, he couldn't wake someone who pretended to be asleep.

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Northern Song Imperial Palace.

"Qi Jiguang? An unknown figure like him made it onto the Renowned Marshal Ranking? So much for the word "famous"."

"Tong Guan, how do you compare to this Qi Jiguang?"

Emperor Zhao Ji turned to Tong Guan beside him, curious.

"Your Majesty, he's just a nameless nobody."

"Fighting one against ten would be easy."

"Give me fifty thousand troops, and I will annihilate his five hundred thousand soldiers!"

"Defeating a larger force with fewer troops is nothing."

Tong Guan said proudly.

His tone was dismissive, as if he had already achieved such feats.

His words left everyone around him dumbfounded.

And yet, Zhao Ji actually believed him.

He truly thought Tong Guan could destroy Qi Jiguang's five hundred thousand troops with only fifty thousand.

Only an absolute fool could come up with such a notion.

"Minister Tong, you truly never let me down!"

"Good, good! The task of quelling the domestic rebellions is yours."

"I await your triumphant news!"

"Your Majesty's trust will not be in vain!"

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

List of Characters:

Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )

・Zhu Houzhao ( 朱厚照 ) — Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Sword Stained With Royal Blood ( 碧血剑 )

・Qi Jiguang ( 戚继光 ) — General of Ming Dynasty

Qin's Moon ( 秦时明月 )

・Ying Zheng ( 嬴政 ) — Emperor of Qin Dynasty

・Bai Qi ( 白起 ) — Commander of Qin Dynasty

A Step Into The Past ( 寻秦记 )

・Shang Yang ( 商鞅 ) – Prime Minister of Qin Dynasty

Legend of the Condor Heroes ( 射雕英雄传 )

・Temujin ( 铁木真 ) — Emperor of Yuan Dynasty

Broken Void ( 破碎虚空 )

・Phagpa ( 八思巴 ) — National Master of Yuan Dynasty

Great Tang Twin Dragons Legend ( 大唐双龙传 )

・Li Shimin ( 李世民 ) — Emperor of Tang Dynasty

・Yang Guang ( 杨广 ) — Emperor of Sui Dynasty

Xuanyuan Sword ( 轩辕剑 )

・Yuwen Tuo ( 宇文拓 ) — Supreme Master of Sui Dynasty

Water Margin ( 水浒传 )

・Zhao Ji ( 赵佶 ) — Emperor of Northern Song Dynasty

・Tong Guan ( 童贯 ) — Minister of Northern Song Dynasty

Legend of Tang ( 说唐 )

・Yuwen Chengdu ( 宇文成都 ) — General of Sui Dynasty

・Xu Shiji ( 徐世勣 ) — General of Tang Dynasty