Inside the palace, officials stood in rows, while Wen Zhong sat alone on a grand chair with his eyes closed, resting.
The civil officials standing to the side were led by Chancellor Shang Rong and Vice Chancellor Bigan. Shang Rong was also an important minister during the reign of the former king, whose status was second only to Wen Zhong. Bigan's identity was even more special; he was the younger brother of Emperor Yi and the uncle of King Shou of Yin.
On the other side, the military commander was led by a middle-aged man with a resolute face. Although he was much younger than Shang Rong and the others, he must be extraordinary to be in this position. He was Huang Feihu. The Huang family had been loyal and virtuous for seven generations, serving the Shang Dynasty for more than two hundred years. When Huang Feihu came to power, he was in Chaoge, while his father was guarding Jiepai Pass. He was a high-ranking official and was deeply trusted by Emperor Yi.
At this moment, hundreds of officials in the court waited quietly, including Emperor Yi on the throne, who was also resting with his eyes closed.
A moment later, a sound came from outside the hall.
"General Kong Xuan, commander of Sanshan Pass, has arrived."
"Summon them quickly," Di Yi said, opening his eyes.
“Xuan Kongxuan paid homage.”
“Xuan Kongxuan paid homage.”
A series of sounds traveled from outside the court hall into the distance.
All the ministers, including Wen Zhong, turned their gazes toward the outside of the hall.
Soon, a tall figure slowly walked into the hall under the sunlight, his body faintly radiating five-colored light. The person who came was Kong Xuan, who had just returned to Chaoge.
Under the watchful eyes of the civil and military officials, Kong Xuan slowly stepped forward. Upon seeing Wen Zhong, he nodded slightly, and the latter nodded in return. Then, he bowed slightly to Emperor Yi on the throne and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Kong Xuan pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"Haha, General Kong, you're finally back! You must be tired from your journey. Someone, bring a seat." Di Yi laughed loudly, and soon two people brought a chair and placed it opposite Wen Zhong.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kong Xuan said again. He then sat down.
Kong Xuan seemed somewhat arrogant in front of everyone. Apart from Wen Zhong and Di Yi, he didn't even glance at the others from beginning to end. However, no one present showed any anger at this behavior; on the contrary, they felt it was perfectly normal.
Kong Xuan's identity was not a secret in the entire court; everyone knew his background and held him in high esteem.
"General Kong, your return is timely. The barbarian tribes of the North Sea have started another rebellion, affecting many vassal states. The letter requesting aid arrived in Chaoge several days ago."
"I heard that you are going back to the capital to report on your duties, so I have specially left this matter until you return to discuss it. I wonder what your thoughts are?" Emperor Yi asked.
Upon hearing this, Kong Xuan nodded slightly, then turned around to look at the row of military officers behind him, and then at Grand Tutor Wen beside him.
"Your Majesty, the alien races of the North Sea are mostly remnants of the demon race, and behind the demon race is the goddess Nuwa. I wonder if we could consult the Nuwa Temple about this matter?" Kong Xuan asked.
Nuwa, as the Holy Mother of the Human Race, held an extremely high position in the Shang Dynasty. Whenever there was a war, the Human King would personally visit the Nuwa Temple to offer sacrifices and report to the gods. A priest would also personally perform divination, and only if an auspicious divination was obtained would troops be dispatched.
"Alas, that is precisely why we are waiting here for the general to return. The matter of the demon race has become a major concern for the court. Every few years, they always cause some chaos. In recent years, they have become even more outrageous, even committing the massacre of a city."
At this point, Emperor Yi sighed.
"Alas, General Kong, you also know the relationship between those demons and that person, so I am somewhat worried."
Kong Xuan nodded upon hearing this. He knew Di Yi's concerns; he feared that annihilating the demon race in the North Sea would offend Nuwa.
On the way back, Kong Xuan had already sensed the loss of the Shang Dynasty's fortune, the reason being the war in the North Sea.
"Your Majesty, I believe the battle of Beihai must be fought, but we must not hesitate to appeal to the Nuwa Temple. Regardless of the outcome, the court must send troops to support us," Kong Xuan said, bowing.
"Grand Tutor, what do you say?" Kong Xuan then looked at Wen Zhong.
Wen Zhong stroked his beard and nodded calmly.
"Indeed, this battle must be fought, and we must resolve the North Sea issue in one fell swoop. Otherwise, dragging it out will only prolong the battle and be detrimental to the development of the court."
"Then who will be the commander?" Emperor Yi asked, looking at the assembled officials.
On the military side, Huang Feihu hesitated for a moment, then slightly lifted his foot to step out of the ranks. But his gaze suddenly fell on Wen Zhong, and seeing that Wen Zhong's head shook slightly, he quickly withdrew his foot.
"The North Sea is nothing but a piece of land; I can handle it all," Kong Xuan said proudly.
Emperor Yi was about to agree with a look of delight when a figure walked in from outside the palace. It was Yin Shou.
“Shou’er…” Di Yi was a little puzzled. Shouldn’t Yin Shou be out training troops at this time? Why has he come back?
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty," Yin Shou said, bowing.
"Greetings, General Kong." He then bowed to Kong Xuan.
"Huh..." Kong Xuan looked at Yin Shou with some surprise, surprised by the density of his aura and even more surprised by his cultivation level. Although he did not understand his current strength, Kong Xuan could feel the vast blood and qi power and the powerful force contained within Yin Shou's body.
“Father, I am willing to lead troops to conquer the North Sea to relieve the court’s troubles,” Yin Shou said.
"Oh?" Di Yi's face showed a hint of interest.
Over the years, he has become increasingly unable to understand his son. He only knows that Yin Shou has changed a lot and is more composed than before. In recent years, he has even trained tens of thousands of troops, known as the Heavenly Dragon Legion. Even he doesn't know much about this legion, only that Zhong has mentioned it.
Kong Xuan looked at Yin Shou with some surprise. He could see the strong confidence in the other man. After thinking for a moment, he slowly sat back down.
“Your Majesty, since Prince Shou has volunteered, I think we should give him a chance,” Wen Zhong said.
"Yin Shou, are you willing to sign a military pledge?" Wen Zhong turned around and shouted loudly.
Upon hearing this, Yin Shou's expression turned solemn. He knelt on one knee and bowed, saying...
"Yin Shou is willing to sign a military pledge: if he fails to capture Beihai within six months, he will bring his head to me." After saying this, he kowtowed to Emperor Yi.
"Whoosh..."
The entire court was immediately in an uproar. No one underestimated Yin Shou, but they were shocked by his claim that he had resolved the North Sea in just six months. That was too fast. It would take more than a month to march from Chaoge to the North Sea, so the time left for Yin Shou was far less than six months.
"Hahaha... I didn't expect that Prince Shou would change so much after more than ten years. He has such a great presence. Not bad, not bad." Kong Xuan said with an appreciative expression.
“Very well, Your Majesty, since Prince Shou is so determined, why don’t we do him a favor?” Wen Zhong also said.
On the civil official's side, Bi Gan gently tugged at Shang Rong's sleeve, and the former shook his head slightly at him.
"Very well, you said it yourself. If you are disrespectful, even if you are the Crown Prince of the Great Shang Dynasty, I cannot protect you." Emperor Yi stood up and said.
"We will win this battle." Yin Shou raised his head, stared at Di Yi above, and said decisively.
Soon, news of Yin Shou's impending expedition to the North Sea spread throughout Chaoge. Ordinary people had no particular concern about this; in their view, the North Sea's minor troubles were nothing to worry about, and it didn't matter who led the expedition. However, some people from the vassal states who remained in Chaoge were astonished.
Not to mention that the North Sea involves the demon race, Yin Shou's current status as the crown prince means he cannot leave Chaoge at will, not to mention that he has signed a military pledge.
At the Zhutian Tower, Yin Shou, who had come after the court session, knelt before Li Daoyi.
“Master, everything is going according to your plan. Father has agreed to let me go on the expedition,” Yin Shou said.
“Hmm, very good. What did Kong Xuan say?” Li Daoyi asked.
"General Kong originally planned to lead the expedition himself, but after I volunteered, he didn't mention it again."
"Indeed, he's not simple." Li Daoyi nodded.
"Do you know much about Kong Xuan?" Li Daoyi then asked.
Yin Shou pondered for a moment after hearing this, and then spoke.
"General Kong entered the officialdom during my grandfather's reign. His identity is very mysterious. However, it is certain that he is as proficient in Taoist magic as the Grand Tutor, but no one has ever actually seen him make a move."
“However…” Yin Shou hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Um?"
“But I just remembered something,” Yin Shou said.
"What is it?"
“When I was a child, I overheard Grand Tutor Wen and my father talking about Kong Xuan. This person seemed to have some connection with our Shang Dynasty. Grand Tutor Wen also mentioned the legend of the black bird descending to give birth to Shang,” Yin Shou said.
"The black bird descended and gave birth to the Shang dynasty, so that's how it is." Li Daoyi nodded.
In the world of Investiture of the Gods, the phoenix is also known as the Black Bird. Some people say that the Black Bird is the incarnation of the phoenix, a divine bird of destiny, symbolizing good fortune and wealth. Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Ku, a woman ate an egg laid by the Black Bird and became pregnant, giving birth to Qi, who was the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty.
Li Daoyi guessed that the Xuan Bird should have a close relationship with the Phoenix, but it should not be the Phoenix, since the Phoenix was suppressed in the Undying Volcano at this time. However, it could not be ruled out that it was an incarnation of the Phoenix. After all, in the ancient primordial era, the strength of the Yuan Phoenix far exceeded that of the saints at that time. Even Tongtian and the others had to call her senior. With her peak Quasi-Saint strength, it would not be difficult for her to leave a wisp of an avatar for him.
Kong Xuan, born of a phoenix and the first peacock in the world, naturally helped the Great Shang Dynasty and used its fortune to cultivate, hoping to one day break through to the Hunyuan realm.
There was another reason why Li Daoyi was so certain about the identity of the Black Bird, which was also related to Kong Xuan's position. In the original Investiture of the Gods, when the feudal lords attacked King Zhou, Xiqi, with the help of sages such as Nuwa, created a gimmick of the phoenix singing on Qishan Mountain.
After the Phoenix Cries at Qishan, Kong Xuan did not choose to abandon the Shang Dynasty. Instead, he became the marshal of the Shang Dynasty, sweeping away countless immortals and gods. In the end, it was only because the sage shamelessly intervened that Xiqi had no chance of winning.
Therefore, Li Daoyi believed that Kong Xuan must have chosen to fight for the Shang Dynasty because the false auspicious omen of the phoenix singing in Qishan had caused his birth mother to be humiliated.
"Master, is there something wrong with Kong Xuan?" Yin Shou couldn't help but ask when he saw Li Daoyi remain silent for a long time.
“It’s alright. Remember, Kong Xuan is just as trustworthy as Wen Zhong, and his true strength far exceeds your imagination,” Li Daoyi replied.
"Yes, disciple understands." Yin Shou nodded.
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