The Emperor and the Grand Marshal

Once upon a time, beneath the old banyan tree at the village entrance, a little boy with features as delicate as a carved jade figurine was flipping through an old book whose pages had already yellowed, his brows slightly furrowed and his face solemn.

Just then, a boy with thick brows and large eyes, his skin tanned dark by the sun, came running over.

"Hongxu, what are you reading?"

The Art of War.

The boy called Hongxu turned a page of the book in his hands, which was clearly far too advanced for someone his age.

The other boy leaned over and took a look, but he could not recognize a single character and had no idea what was written on the page.

"What does this say?"

"To put it simply, it's about all kinds of military matters."

Although Hongxu explained, the other boy only looked even more confused. In the end, he simply asked,

"Why are you reading this?"

"Mm, because I want to become the Grand Marshal of All the Armies under Heaven when I grow up!"

"The Grand Marshal of All the Armies under Heaven?!"

The boy's eyes immediately lit up at the words.

"Then I want to become the Grand Marshal of All the Armies under Heaven too!"

"No."

"Why not?"

The boy looked thoroughly indignant.

"It's called the Grand Marshal of All the Armies under Heaven. Naturally, there can only be one in the whole world. Otherwise, could he still be called the Grand Marshal of All the Armies under Heaven?"

"That kind of makes sense? Then I'll be the one! I'm better at fighting than you!"

As he spoke, the boy flexed his nonexistent biceps.

Hongxu was speechless inside. He moved his gaze away from The Art of War in his hands and onto