Chapter 1181: The Chaotic Grand Court Assembly

Cao Cao quickly realized what those dozen streaks of light were, as they ended up crashing the Grand Court Assembly, courtesy of his own ministers and generals.

The moment the light appeared from the sky, Guan Yu instinctively looked outside, while Xun Yu, Chen Qun, and others also sensed something and turned in that direction.

As the streaks of light rushed in, Liu Xie noticed them too, but before he could panic, the radiance had already entered the bodies of the civil and military officials in the hall.

As the blue radiance entered Guan Yu's body, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and a blue-scaled dragon silhouette immediately wrapped itself around him.

The manifestation of Guan Yu's fortune seemed to trigger a reaction from Cao Cao's side, as a wave of fortune manifestations sprouted, much like mushrooms after the rain.

Whether it was Xun Yu's benevolent qilin or the headless giant figure surrounding Dian Wei, all these apparitions faced off against Guan Yu’s Azure Dragon, clearly not just for show. And Cao Cao’s imposing coiled dragon was certainly over the top, making quite the scene.

Although a coiled dragon signifies a dragon that has not yet ascended to the heavens, it still symbolizes supreme power in the human realm. Liu Xie, though raised under the care of women, knew what it meant. His gaze toward Cao Cao turned colder.

Standing next to Xun Yu, Chen Qun could only offer a bitter smile. He had been so close to manifesting the Five Virtue Qilin, but in the end, Xun Yu surpassed him by a margin, leaving him with only a blooming flower apparition. Although still representing the Five Virtues, he could only act as a foil to Xun Yu.

Ma Chao, on the other hand, manifested a towering figure with hair and beard flaring, crackling with lightning. It was evident at a glance that this was the Thunder God from ancient times. However, with so many gathered, nearly everyone who had gained fortune was forced to reveal their apparitions.

One had to admit, the average quality of Cao Cao's camp was incredibly high. Even Cao Hong managed to manifest a Pixiu (a mythical creature said to bring wealth and luck), fitting given his well-known love for hoarding wealth and never spending it.

Amidst the many apparitions, Sima Yi's fortune manifested as a simple and ordinary plant, resembling Chen Qun’s, though much more indistinct and smaller. It wasn’t particularly eye-catching.

"My fortune manifestation...," Sima Yi pondered silently. "It reflects my inner self, presenting a humble face to the powerful while slowly absorbing their strength until I achieve my goal. This is the power of the Ren Ding (human tripod) manifesting one's true heart and fortune. Liu Xuande truly possesses great fortune..."

"Then, what should I do now...?" Sima Yi glanced at the already sullen-faced Liu Xie on the dais, and a smirk tugged at his lips. Indeed, it was the perfect opportunity.

In this chaotic scene, Liu Xie's first Grand Court Assembly had been completely disrupted, leaving him no choice but to angrily fling his sleeves and storm out.

Xu Zi, looking up at the fortune above the royal palace, watched as the streaks of light from the heavens merged into the fortune of the Han Dynasty, which grew even thinner. But the surge of fortune from the east brought a smile to Xu Zi’s face. "This is just the decline of one generation of Han fortune..."

"Xun Wenruo, you've earned the second spot, and second place it shall be. Li Wenyu has already retired, and Zhou Gongjin must be tied to Sun Bofu. The second position can only go to you," Xu Shao said to himself after witnessing Xun Yu’s Five Virtue Qilin.

He had already met Zhou Yu, and while Zhou Yu was undoubtedly a rare genius, it was clear that without Sun Ce, Zhou Yu’s abilities were reduced by thirty percent. Based on current performances, Xun Yu could firmly take second place.

"As for Jia Wenhe, it's better to remove him from the top three entirely," Xu Shao mused. He wasn’t questioning Jia Xu's capabilities, but rather his existence as a person. He had already marked down Li Ru, who had retired or died, for the top three.

This decision took some thought, but Xu Shao ultimately concluded that factors like planning, influence, and talent management had to be considered when ranking civil officials, not just intelligence.

Li Ru had only left a few recorded strategies, but since he was the key figure who built up Dong Zhuo’s power, making him the true strategist behind the strongest warlord at the time, he deserved a spot. Furthermore, his success at the Battle of Hulao Pass, despite Dong Zhuo’s eventual defeat, merited recognition.

As for the evil deeds Li Ru committed, Xu Shao didn’t care. His rankings were based on ability, not morality. If it were about virtue, the ranking would be meaningless. After all, anyone in civil service, even if their heart remained pure, would inevitably dirty their hands.

That was why, with Li Ru marked as a top-three contender, Jia Xu had to be bumped out.

"If Tian Yuanhao and Ju Gongyu hadn’t died so tragically, they both would have made the top ten," Xu Shao thought, after kicking Jia Xu down to fourth place. He continued rearranging the rankings.

"Guo Fengxiao is highly specialized, so I’ll push him down a bit. After all, this is a ranking of overall ability. I'll just add a note that he has no equal in cunning and insight." Xu Shao made room for another name.

"Fa Xiaozhi... Based on military achievements alone, he could break into the top five, but let’s not forget his specialization. Plus, his overall capability still needs improvement..." Xu Shao marked out another position.

"Lü Zijing, steady and reliable, Liu Xuande's right-hand man, can be placed in fifth..." Xu Shao hesitated to write more. Although he knew how terrifying figures like Xun You and Chen Gong were, their lack of military command experience was a limiting factor.

It wasn’t that they lacked the ability, but rather the opportunity. Characters like Xun You were brilliant strategists but had no experience commanding large-scale battles. Someone like Li You could easily defeat him in a one-on-one contest of battlefield command, simply due to experience.

When skill levels are similar, experience becomes the deciding factor. Most of Cao Cao's men suffered from a lack of experience. Until they commanded armies of at least 100,000 veteran soldiers, their large-scale warfare strategies would remain theoretical.

Thus, Xu Shao was left in a bind. Despite Xun You, Chen Gong, and Cheng Yu being top contenders based on talent alone, they were edged out by less experienced but better-situated officials like Shen Pei, Xu You, and Xun Chen. It was an unfair defeat, but that was the reality.

"This ranking will be tricky to release..." Xu Shao sighed. "I’ll have to travel a bit more and observe the fortune apparitions of these top officials to be sure."

Xu Shao knew he had taken on a rather troublesome task, but it was one he gladly embraced. Once the ranking was published, it would mark the pinnacle of his career. Having enjoyed all life had to offer, it was time to pursue a lasting legacy.

"Still, there’s something about Li You that feels off..." Xu Shao muttered as he stared into the sky, puzzled by the dark and shadowy figure of Li You, sensing that the man was far from weak.

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