It seems the news has leaked, or rather, it's not so much a leak as it is incredibly gossipy. This morning, there were at least dozens of palace maids and guards, and King Wu Cheng fled the palace cursing all the way, with dozens of imperial guards chasing after him. Anyone with a modicum of sense would realize something is amiss. After all, who is King Wu Cheng? He's King Zhou's fellow disciple and brother-in-law. Today, he's being chased by the imperial guards for no apparent reason. It's truly baffling.
Thus, rumors spread throughout the palace: a major event! A major event! Some said that King Wu Cheng went in and killed King Zhou, the reason unknown; others said that King Wu Cheng escaped from the Queen's palace, surely because King Zhou saw him flirting with Daji and wanted to kill him; still others said…
There were many ways to tell the truth. Under the persistent questioning of a large group of gossipy people, a guard in the queen's palace finally revealed the truth after being promised a great deal. This immediately stunned everyone in the palace. No one expected things to turn out this way, and no one could have imagined that things would be so complicated.
The news spread quickly, and soon everyone in Chaoge knew about it. King Zhou was furious and ordered all the palace maids and guards involved to be arrested and executed. He also ordered the arrest of King Wu Cheng's family, claiming that King Wu Cheng was plotting a rebellion. After these actions, seventy-eight palace maids and guards were killed, which finally suppressed the rumors, which then circulated quietly among the people.
A nationwide warrant for the arrest of King Wu Cheng was issued, and his portrait was posted everywhere. King Zhou gave a death order that King Wu Cheng was not allowed to leave the country. No matter which checkpoint he was on, he was to be killed on the spot. At the same time, he ordered all the feudal lords not to harbor King Wu Cheng or to advise him, otherwise they would be regarded as traitors.
For a moment, King Wu Cheng didn't know where to flee. He proceeded cautiously along the way. Upon hearing that Ji Chang of Xiqi was recruiting talented people, King Wu Cheng had an idea. He knew that even if Ji Chang was a kind person, it didn't necessarily mean that Ji Chang wouldn't oppose King Zhou. King Zhou had killed his son. If he went there and persuaded Ji Chang, perhaps Ji Chang would also rebel against Yin Shang. At that time, they could avenge their great hatred together, which would be quite satisfying.
Having made up his mind, King Wucheng headed towards Xiqi. Along the way, he encountered some difficulties, but was assisted by Nezha, also known as Lingzhuzi, who had descended from the mortal realm. Xuantian told him, "You still have some things to do." He then sent Nezha down to the mortal realm to wait on King Wucheng and guide him to Xiqi.
With Nezha's help, King Wu Cheng successfully escaped to Xiqi, found the Marquis's residence, and after meeting Ji Chang, told him about his ordeal. Ji Chang was furious and said, "King Zhou is tyrannical, what use is there for me not to rebel?"
Jiang Ziya then listed the ten major crimes of King Zhou, and Ji Chang raised his banner high and declared to the world: We, the people of Xiqi, have rebelled!
Thirty-nine Wen Zhong led troops to pacify Xiqi, and King Wu Ji Fa ascended the throne.
After returning to the court, Wen Zhong learned the truth about King Wu Cheng's rebellion from the sidelines. He was so angry that his face turned black and his lips turned purple. When he met King Zhou, he cursed King Zhou so severely that King Zhou did not dare to refute him. After all, the authority of his teacher was deeply imprinted in his mind and could not be forgotten in a short time.
After cursing for a while, Wen Zhong also felt it was pointless. What was the use of him making a fuss by himself? After cursing for a long time, he left, forgetting to even mention the matter of Yin Hong and Yin Jiao.
After Wen Zhong left, King Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Daji entered. Seeing King Zhou's expression, Daji chuckled and said, "King Zhou is afraid of the Grand Tutor?"
When King Zhou saw that it was Daji, he frowned and smiled bitterly after hearing her words: "My teacher is just too short-tempered. In the past, when I was with King Wucheng..." At this point, King Zhou suddenly stopped talking, his expression indifferent, with an indescribable desolation.
Daji comforted him at the right moment, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't be sad anymore. It wasn't your intention that King Wu Cheng happened. It just happened too suddenly."
Suddenly? Is that even a word? Daji sneered inwardly. The wisps of black mist she released when she left the banquet were no ordinary thing; they were the instincts of the nine-tailed fox spirit—a bewitching aura capable of igniting lust in men. Even a mortal like King Zhou, let alone a Taiyi Golden Immortal, would be bewitched and lose control if not careful. Daji's actions served two purposes: first, to eliminate her rival, Consort Huang; and second, to further undermine the Yin Shang court. First, King Wu Cheng left, then Princes Yin Hong and Yin Jiao were arrested—a significant loss for the Yin Shang court.
At this time, Xiqi rebelled, and there was no one in the court who could be of use. Grand Tutor Wen Zhong had no choice but to lead troops again to quell the rebellion in Xiqi. The situation was as it had been before, with little change.
Now, Ji Chang of Xiqi, after rebelling against the Shang dynasty, proclaimed himself King Wen. However, he did not know that his life would not last long. After eating his son's flesh and beheading Chong Houhu, Ji Chang was depressed and eventually fell ill, causing great anxiety among his ministers.
King Wen's illness worsened daily, showing no signs of abating, and his condition became critical. Officials, both civil and military, frequently came to inquire about his well-being.
One day, King Wen issued an edict: "Summon the Prime Minister to the palace." Shortly afterward, a guard went to deliver the edict.
Ya entered the inner palace, knelt before the dragon bed, and said, "This old minister Jiang Shang has been ordered to enter the inner palace to inquire after Your Majesty's well-being."
King Wen said, “I have summoned you here today for no other reason than this. I reside in the northwest, guarding the Dui direction, commanding two hundred vassal lords, and I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s grace. Although we are currently in turmoil, we still maintain the proper relationship between ruler and subject, and have not yet become estranged. Although I returned victorious from my campaign against Hou Hu, my heart was filled with treacherous thoughts. Rebellious ministers and traitors are punishable by all, but with a wise ruler above me, to execute them without understanding the emperor’s authority is tantamount to acting arbitrarily. Moreover, I share the same rank as Hou Hu, and to act arbitrarily is a grave crime. After killing Hou Hu, I have heard the sound of weeping every night, and I stand before my bedside when I close my eyes. I think I cannot remain in this world for long. Today I have summoned you here because I have one word that you must not fail to say: If, after my death, Your Majesty’s heart changes, you must not listen to the vassal lords’ instigation to attack Your Majesty as a subject. If you, Prime Minister, disobey my words, we will not meet again in the afterlife.”
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