Fei Zhong accepted the gift from San Yisheng without questioning You Hun; You Hun, in turn, did not question Fei Zhong either; both claimed ignorance. One day, King Zhou was playing chess with the two ministers at the Star-Picking Tower. King Zhou won two games in a row and was overjoyed, ordering a banquet to be held. Fei and You served at his side, exchanging cups and passing around toasts. In the midst of their revelry, King Zhou suddenly spoke of the elegance of Boyi Kao's zither playing and the wonder of the monkeys' songs, and then remarked, "Ji Chang, having eaten his own flesh, speaks of the pre-heavenly numbers, which are all nonsense; there was never a predetermined number." Fei Zhong seized the opportunity to speak, saying, "I have heard that Ji Chang harbors rebellious and disloyal intentions, and I have always been on guard against him. Several days ago, I sent my trusted men to the village to investigate the truth. The soldiers and civilians of the village all say that Ji Chang is truly loyal and righteous. Every month on the first and fifteenth of the lunar calendar, they burn incense and pray for Your Majesty's prosperity, the submission of the barbarians, peace and prosperity for the nation, favorable weather, the happiness of the people, the eternal prosperity of the state, and tranquility in the palace. Your Majesty imprisoned Ji Chang for seven years without a single complaint. In my opinion, Ji Chang is truly a loyal minister." King Zhou said, "You said the other day that Ji Chang 'appears loyal on the outside but harbors treachery on the inside.'" "He harbors evil intentions and is not a good person. Why do you contradict yourself today?" Fei Zhong then reported, "According to people, Chang is either loyal or treacherous, and it's hard to tell at a time. Therefore, I secretly sent my confidants to investigate the truth, and only then did I realize that Chang is a loyal and upright person. As the saying goes, 'A long road tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's true character.'" King Zhou asked, "What does Minister You think?" You Hun replied, "According to Fei Zhong's report, it is indeed correct. According to me, Ji Chang suffered hardship for several years, imprisoned day and night, yet he instructed the people of the village. The people were grateful for his virtue, and his customs became beautiful. The people knew loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, and did not know how to do evil. Therefore, the people called Ji Chang a sage and followed good people every day. Your Majesty asked me, and I dared not answer falsely. Even if Fei Zhong had not reported this earlier, I would have already spoken." King Zhou The King said, “Since both of you have agreed, Ji Chang is indeed a good man. I wish to pardon Ji Chang. What do you two think?” Fei Zhong replied, “Whether Ji Chang should be pardoned or not is not my prerogative; however, Ji Chang’s loyalty and filial piety have led him to remain imprisoned without complaint. If Your Majesty takes pity on him and grants him permission to return to his homeland, it would be as if Ji Chang has been given a new lease on life, a new homeland. His gratitude for Your Majesty’s life-saving grace will never cease. He will serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty, never failing to repay the kindness and grace he has shown throughout his life. I believe Ji Chang will remain loyal to Your Majesty for as long as he lives.” You Hun, who was standing nearby, saw Fei Zhong’s strong recommendation and assumed that he had received gifts from Xiqi. “How can I let him do this on his own? I must make Ji Chang grateful.” You Hun stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty’s grace…” Having pardoned Ji Chang and bestowed upon him another favor, he will naturally be devoted to the country. Moreover, the Eastern Marquis Jiang Wenhuan has rebelled, attacking Youhun Pass. General Dou Rong fought a seven-year battle without a victor. The Southern Marquis E Shun has also rebelled, attacking Sanshan Pass. General Deng Jiugong also fought for seven years, killing half the enemy. The fighting has never ceased, and war rages everywhere. In my humble opinion, Ji Chang should be granted a royal title, given a white banner and a yellow battle-axe, and given the authority to wage war independently, acting on behalf of the emperor, and establishing his authority over Xiqi. Furthermore, Ji Chang has a reputation for virtue, and all the feudal lords under heaven fear and submit to him. If the southeastern and western regions knew of this, they would retreat without a fight. This is truly a case of "the number of unworthy men who are chosen is far greater than that." King Zhou was overjoyed upon hearing this, saying, "You Hun is both intelligent and virtuous, and extremely lovable. Fei Zhong is adept at recruiting virtuous men, and truly admirable." The two ministers thanked him for his favor. King Zhou immediately issued a pardon, specifically pardoning Ji Chang to leave the capital immediately. A poem testifies to this: Ancient...
The cycles of destiny are vastly different; it takes seven years to fully emerge from the cage.
Fei You, bribed, offered his advice, but the fate of the nation was merely a pipe dream.
King Wen returned to his homeland, and father and son were reunited at the Five Passes.
Auspicious signs appeared at Lingtai, and a flying bear arrived; I met Taigong by the Wei River. (Ancient)
Meanwhile, the envoy, bearing the pardon, left Chaoge, and the officials were overjoyed upon hearing the news. Ji Chang returned to Xiqi. (The story continues.)
Chaos broke out in Chaoge on the 29th, and Shang Rong abdicated.
Not to mention that Ji Chang returned to Xiqi, chaos broke out again in Chaoge.
It all started with the matter of Empress Jiang. After Empress Jiang died, the position of Queen was vacant in the harem. The harem was a place where power was contested, and now that Empress Jiang was dead, all the concubines wanted to enter the central palace, become the head of the harem, and rule the world.
The concubines in the harem were mostly sons and sisters of feudal lords and ministers. The position of queen naturally affected the power struggles among ministers in the future. If the harem was in chaos, the court would also be in chaos.
These past few days, the court has been debating who can take on the role of queen. Even veteran ministers like Shang Rong and Bigan are arguing. The court is in complete chaos. Everyone has their reasons, and everyone has theirs.
After several days of arguing, two factions emerged among the court officials: one supporting Consort Huang, the sister of King Wu Cheng, and the other supporting Daji, led by Fei and You.
Those who support Daji are the faction of Fei and You. In recent years, King Zhou has favored the two, and they have formed their own faction in the court. Most of them are minor officials who were promoted to official positions with their support or guidance. They are numerous and their voices are the loudest in the court. Those who support King Wu Cheng's sister are mostly old officials in the court. They are deeply rooted and cannot be compared with the faction of Fei and You. Although they are fewer in number, Fei and You have only been promoted in recent years. Although they are numerous, they are not easy to compete with.
That day, after other matters were discussed in the imperial court, the topic of establishing an empress came up again.
Fei Zhongxian stepped forward and said, “Consort Su Daji is virtuous and kind, and has done many good deeds. She has a good reputation among the people of Chaoge. Since Consort Su entered the palace, everything she has done has been praised. She has the same demeanor as Queen Jiang. She is the only candidate for queen. I propose that Consort Su be made queen.”
As soon as Fei Zhong spoke, a group of officials led by You Hun stood up to second his opinion, saying in unison that Daji was virtuous and the best candidate to be queen.
Xiang Shangrong stepped forward and said, “Consort Su is indeed virtuous, but she is not quite qualified to be Queen. Firstly, she has only been in the palace for a short time. Although she acts appropriately, she lacks experience in managing the harem. Secondly, Consort Su is not experienced enough to command respect as Queen. The harem is where the King rests. If the harem is in chaos, it will affect the King, and if the King is affected, it will affect the entire foundation of the Shang Dynasty. Therefore, she is not suitable to be Queen. On the other hand, Consort Huang, the sister of King Wucheng, is also known for her virtue and has extensive experience in the harem. She is qualified to control the harem. Her brother, King Wucheng, is also brave and virtuous, a pillar of our Shang Dynasty. Therefore, Consort Huang should be the only choice for Queen.”
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