Just when Xuan Yuanhao was immersed in cultivation step by step, something big happened in the court of Yunwu County and State.

In a building in the palace.

Bao Runzhe and the current Holy Lord Zhou Zhengyu are discussing how to receive and resettle an envoy from the Tianlan Kingdom.

"Saint Lord, this time the Tianlan Kingdom sent a little prince to convey the news of the Qingzhou competition in a year. Although this little prince is not at a high position and is not the direct line of Emperor Nangong, he came on behalf of the Tianlan Kingdom and we can't afford to offend him. Look, the tone of this reception work is positioned as "not humble or arrogant, and wealth is dispersed and disasters are eliminated"?"

As the chief minister of the Yunwu County and the current sage master Zhou Zhengyu, Bao Runzhe, naturally, always considers the court in every aspect.

"It's so good. We must be enthusiastic and considerate, not offend the little prince, but also generous and decent, without being willing to cater to it, which has deteriorated the reputation of our Yunwu County."

Zhou Zhengyu sighed unconsciously after speaking.

How can Yunwu County and the State get fame?

The land of the nine provinces is divided into empires, kingdoms and counties, and counties are the lowest level.

The counties and states are divided into five levels, namely platinum diamond, gold, silver, bronze, and black iron.

Taking Qingzhou as an example, Qingzhou has a total of 108 counties and states, which are under the jurisdiction of the Tianlan Kingdom. Among them, nine Platinum Diamond counties, eighteen Golden counties, twenty-seven White Silver counties, and thirty-six Bronze counties, and the remaining 18 are Black Iron counties.

The Black Iron County is the lowest level among the counties and states, and its location is very dangerous. Due to its weak strength, it is very likely to be dismembered and divided by the surrounding large counties and states, or become a hunting ground.

For example, the Qingzhou Competition one and a half years later was arranged to be held in a fifth-class Black Iron County.

The classification of counties and states is re-determined every ten years by having the Qingzhou competition.

In that competition nine years ago, Yunwu County performed poorly, and fell from a third-class silver County to a fourth-class bronze County, which was already in a very dangerous position.

Although the Tianlan Kingdom nominally has jurisdiction over the counties and states in Qingzhou, this jurisdiction relationship is relatively loose and does not directly participate in direct political, economic, military and cultural management of major counties and states.

Theoretically, the Tianlan Kingdom is more like a loose joint organization, with 108 counties and states mainly relying on the Tianlan Kingdom, and paying a certain proportion of spiritual stones or equal value of heaven and earth treasures every year; the Tianlan Kingdom represents all counties and states to handle things between Qingzhou and the other eight states externally, and coordinate the relationship between counties and states internally.

Because Qingzhou's nine first-class platinum diamond counties and countries have strong strength and have the ability to compete with the Tianlan Kingdom, they do not buy the accounts of the Tianlan Kingdom, and the spirit stones that need to be paid every year are often deliberately denied or discounted.

Therefore, the Tianlan Kingdom has increasingly exploited the other four levels of counties and states, especially the third and fourth-class counties. Therefore, the Yunwu County, which is a fourth-class bronze county, is undoubtedly the target of being key to exploitation.

Whether it is a prince, a prince, or even some large families, they visit each other from time to time, calling it an investigation, but in fact they are just to make a fortune, make more or less money, and leave with oil under their feet.

The Tianlan Kingdom also borrowed a name from time to time and asked the county and state to pay additional tribute to the spirit stones it should pay every year, so as to continuously strengthen its strength, cope with the eye of the nine first-class platinum diamond counties and states, and seize power.

This time, the young prince named Nangong Shi brought a group of subordinates to Yunwu County. Although he was here to inform Qingzhou to compete in a year and a half later, he was to fight Qiufeng to a greater extent. If he was placed in the first-class Platinum Diamond County and the second-class Golden County, he might not take him seriously, but Yunwu County, as a fourth-class bronze county, still could not afford to offend him.

Nangong Shi is the legitimate son of an idle prince of the Tianlan Kingdom. He had no power at all. It was not his turn to inform the competition of the county and state. However, Nangong Shi was good at engaging in the camp and had a powerful prince in the Tianlan Kingdom. He also had a terrible relationship with a direct descendant of the Zhao family, the largest family in Qingzhou, and became a confidant. Therefore, he was very prosperous in the Tianlan Kingdom.

At present, what Zhou Zhengyu is most upset about is not how to deal with Nangong Shi. At worst, he will lose money and eliminate disasters. What really makes him embarrassed is the issue of the 100 Foundation Establishment candidates who participated in the Qingzhou Competition a year and a half later.

"The Holy Lord, it's only been more than a year since the 'Qingzhou Competition' once every ten years, but it's hard to decide on the candidates for the competition. It's easy to select 100 high-level personnel in the Foundation Establishment Realm, but it's too difficult to achieve good results."

Bao Runzhe was worried. In the Qingzhou Competition nine years ago, Bao Runzhe also tried his best to select 100 candidates, but the result was not satisfactory.

The reason why it is difficult to determine the participants is because the Qingzhou Zhulu Competition is special.

According to the provisions of the Qingzhou ten-year competition, each county and country selects 100 participants from the Foundation Establishment Realm to represent their country to participate. Finally, the total score and total ranking of each county and country is calculated based on the comprehensive scores of these 100 disciples, and the rankings of the five levels of counties and countries are rearranged.

The reason why all participants are Foundation Building Realm personnel is that the Foundation Building Realm is very special in the martial arts system and is in a stage of connecting the past and the future.

Strictly speaking, the general, the path of martial arts, starts with foundation building, and the strength of the martial arts masters in the foundation building realm represents the martial arts heritage and future prospects of a county and country.

For these countries in Qingzhou, it is very difficult to practice to reach the level of martial arts at the Jindan realm or above. It is at the top of the martial arts system. It can be said that it has basically left the category of mortals and is addicted to practicing Taoism, so naturally disdain to participate in such competitions for power and profit.

Moreover, large sects, who are dedicated to the Tao, generally will not actively organize their disciples to participate in this type of competition. Of course, if the disciples go to participate in their personal names, the sects will not usually object, which is equivalent to a trial.

However, the risk of Qingzhou competition is still very high, because Qingzhou competition does not prevent life and death. Counties and states can fight at will, and hunting the opponent will also have points rewards. Each country determines the total ranking based on the points obtained by the final survivors.

Because of this, some major forces, such as sects and aristocratic families, will not send the most talented and potential children of the direct line to participate even if they send their disciples to participate. This risk is too great. Once there is a problem, the sects and aristocratic families will suffer a huge blow.

After all, the Foundation Establishment Realm warrior represents the future of a sect and power.

"Saint Lord, there is a saying that I don't know whether to say it or not." Bao Runzhe wanted to speak but stopped.

"Although you and me are nominally kings and ministers, they are actually friends, so there is nothing that cannot be said in person." Zhou Zhengyu said.

"Saint Lord, this time we will select 100 Foundation Establishment Realm participants. Can the eight princes also make a difference and give out forty places, and each prince recommends five candidates. The performance and results of these five people in the Qingzhou Competition are also one of the assessments of the prince, and in the future, it will also be considered a reference standard for the inheritance of the grand throne."

Bao Runzhe told Zhou Zhengyu about an idea he had thought hard during this period.

The eight princes have more or less powers in their own hands, and behind them there are forces who secretly support them. For their own future, the eight princes will naturally do their best to choose the strongest candidate.

This is a good thing not only for the prince but also for the counties and states, so why not do it?

Sure enough, Zhou Zhengyu glanced at Bao Runzhe with appreciation, "This idea is good. Add a little Jiu, and give her five places, otherwise she would blame me, the father for favoring boys over girls."

Although Zhou Zhengyu said it easily, he actually had other concerns.

Bao Runzhe has been in the court for many years and is a clever person. Zhou Zhengyu said it casually and he also heard it casually, but the deep meaning behind it is already clear.

Of course he knew that the Holy Lord was not very satisfied with his eight sons. The eldest son Zhou Shenghan showed his sharpness and was too domineering; the second son Zhou Shengjin was both virtuous and talented, but too lenient and cowardly; the third son Zhou Shengxiang seemed benevolent and filial, but actually was sinister and cruel, and was not the best candidate for the Holy Lord; the other five sons each had their own advantages and disadvantages; on the contrary, the ninth princess, who was a daughter, was smart and wise, had the world's mind, was lenient and strict, and had a moderate approach to and retreat, which was quite a bit like Zhou Zhengyu.

Although other counties and states in Qingzhou have learned from the succession of princesses, there is no precedent in the history of Yunwu County, and the Holy Lord hesitated.

It is obvious that the Holy Lord has made some decisions after this remark.

If the personnel selected by the Ninth Princess Zhou Ruozhu can stand out in the Qingzhou competition a year and a half later, the inheritance of the throne of Yunwu County may really be breaking the convention.

"Runzhe, you can discuss the remaining fifty-five places with several ministers. You can find a good result from the army, sect, and aristocratic families. I hope that the competition will have a good result in a year, and it is best to return to the third-class silver counties and states."

Of course, Zhou Zhengyu also knew that returning to the third-class silver counties and states was not easy for Yunwu County. In the last Qingzhou competition, Yunwu County took a lot of effort to select and find 100 high-level disciples from the Foundation Establishment Realm to participate in the competition. Unexpectedly, he was ambushed by other stronger counties and states, and suffered heavy casualties. Yunwu County was therefore reduced to a fourth-class bronze counties.

Soon, the news about letting the eight princes and one princess select five Foundation Establishment personnel to represent Yunwu County and participate in the Qingzhou Competition. Although the Holy Lord did not explain the profound meaning, a discerning person could tell at a glance that the competition in Qingzhou Competition is related to the future development and safety of the counties and states. This major competition made the eight princes select five participants, obviously intending to evaluate the eight princes, which has a lot to do with who can inherit the Grand Prix in the future.

The Ninth Princess Zhou Fangzhu also received five quotas, which made many people a little confused. They could only think that the Holy Lord did not want to ignore the most beloved Ninth Princess, which made her feel ignored and neglected, so she also gave five quotas separately.

Although Bao Runzhe understood the profound meaning of the Holy Lord's move, he did not promote it everywhere. One reason was that this was just his own private speculation, and the other reason was that Bao Runzhe also had his own little abacus.

He knew that his youngest son Bao Daqiu liked the ninth princess Zhou Ruozhu. If his future daughter-in-law could hold the throne of Yunwu County, then their Bao family could stand for at least a hundred years.
Chapter completed!