Chapter 10

On the day of Geng in the twelfth lunar month of that year, the woman named Se gave birth to a son. In his excitement, Wu Ding unceremoniously dismissed his wife and established Se as the primary wife. After all, the father and brother of that lady had perished in the turmoil of the previous years, and without a clan to rely on, she was destined for the same fate as a noble without an army—eventually being cast out.

Upon hearing that his wife had accomplished such a "great achievement," Wu Ding applauded and cheered, promptly rewarding her with more fiefs and subjects. Originally known for offering tributes in the form of banners under the name "Shi," this small Xia tribe quickly expanded, thereafter adopting the name "Ge" and transforming into a purely military tribe. It gradually developed into a nation within a nation, becoming a place that all the oppressed tribes of the various Xia aspired to.

First, Wu Ding helped Fu Hao's clan to annihilate the once illustrious Shao Shi Qi clan. The wife of Qi Hou Cheng was nearly sixty years old and had previously mistreated Fu Hao. Wu Ding pierced her nose with a grass rope and led her before his beloved wife, requesting Fu Hao to personally stab the old woman to death. The young Fu Hao, who would faint at the sight of blood in her youth, now derived immense pleasure from the cries and struggles of her enemy, as well as from the blood that splattered all over her.

But he still warned Wu Ding, saying: "Please allow me, the king, to consult the oracle first." Wu Ding glared, saying: "I will not consult alone!" How could he consult? What if the deity disapproved of his marrying the priestess? Fu scratched his head and said: "As the king, I have dominion over the world and its people. Since she is a priestess, she should come from a prominent background, right? She should be able to..." "Even if she is a slave," Wu Ding said decisively, "can I not grant her a prominent status?!" Fu scratched his head again: "As the king, I have dominion over the world and its people. Since she is a priestess, she should come from a prominent background, right? She should be able to..." "Even if she is a slave," Wu Ding said decisively, "can I not grant her a prominent status?!"

Fu Hao ascended to a high position with great pride—she was no longer the innocent girl from the banks of the Qi River. Now, she was the mother of a powerful nation, a rare and intelligent noblewoman of her time, having received education in literacy, divination, and other priestess teachings, with knowledge sufficient to rival that of noble men. Utilizing Wu Ding's special favor, she began to reflect on her tragic experiences and embarked on a brutal campaign of revenge

King Wu Ding secretly brought the woman Se Nu back to the palace and summoned Fu Shuo, asking him straightforwardly: "I want to make this woman my primary wife, what should I do?" He did not ask, "Is it possible?" but rather, "What should I do?" because he knew that Fu Shuo was full of strategies and would surely come up with a good solution.

The fate of Lady Hao underwent a complete transformation, as she unexpectedly became the primary consort of the sovereign and potentially the mother of the next ruler. Due to her surname, she was thereafter referred to as "Lady Hao." After her death, as her memorial day was designated on the Xin day, she was also honored as "Mother Xin" or "Matriarch Xin." This honor was bestowed upon her by her two sons, who succeeded in ascending to the supreme throne after Wu Ding: they were Zu Geng, who followed Wu Ding, and Zu Jia, the great reformer of the Shang Dynasty.

According to the research on oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions, Wu Ding had three legitimate wives, namely, Bi Xin, Bi Gui, and Bi Wu, among whom Bi Wu was the wife Zhuang, and should have been before Fu Hao, giving birth to the legitimate eldest son, Xiao Ji. However, there are still differing opinions in academia on this matter, and since it is a novel, there is no need to consider it too deeply

As the head of the royal family, the father and teacher, Marquis Xiao, persuaded Wu Ding: "The sorcerers are guilty, but only one person should be held accountable. Even Ban Geng, who killed so many sorcerers back in the day, did not wipe out a single great clan." Wu Ding replied fiercely: "I am not Ban Geng. If you, father and teacher, miss Ban Geng so much, you might as well go accompany him!" At that moment, he dispatched Marquis Xiao to guard Ban Geng's tomb.

Upon hearing this, Fu realized that the monarch had made up his mind and was determined to follow a single path to the end. After careful consideration, he patted his chest and declared, "I will take responsibility for this!" Based on the surname of the Seer, he exerted considerable effort to locate a small tribe among the various Xia clans, summoned the chieftain, and through a combination of coaxing and intimidation, convinced him to recognize the Seer as his own daughter, and then pretended to present her to Wu Ding and Tu Shu—though at this time, the Seer was already pregnant, having felt the monarch's favor.

Fu Hao had a second master, and there was also a third master, a mid-level shaman, whose fate was not much better than that of the Qi clan. The most tragic was the traveling merchant who sent Fu Hao to the shrine of Xuan Nu; Fu Shuo slandered him for plotting rebellion, dispatched troops to annihilate his entire clan, and bound seven members of his family, including grandfather and grandson, before Fu Hao to be burned alive. The merchant's property, including slaves and guards, was confiscated by the royal family, and Wu Ding took not a single cent, bestowing everything upon Fu Hao. When Fu Hao took leave to return to her "maternal home," she utilized these assets and soldiers to oust the unfortunate leader of the Zhu Xia clan (her nominal father) from power, seizing the territory and the people for herself. The merchant's property, including slaves and guards, was confiscated by the royal family, and Wu Ding took not a single cent, bestowing everything upon Fu Hao. When Fu Hao took leave to return to her "maternal home," she utilized these assets and soldiers to oust the unfortunate leader of the Zhu Xia clan (her nominal father) from power, seizing the territory and the people for herself

In this period of significant political turmoil, the monarch was supported by several military nobles. Wu Ding promised them that once the matter of the first rank's abolition and establishment was completed, he would immediately lead troops to attack the Renfang. After the autumn harvest of the following year, Wu Ding personally led the army and advanced eastward all the way to the seaside. The Renfang were defeated, with half fleeing south to join the Huaiyi and the other half becoming slaves—amounting to over 20,000 individuals, which would suffice for three to four years' worth of sacrifices for various annual rituals

Fu was taken aback; he did not expect the monarch to bring back a priestess from the Shrine of the Mysterious Bird. The priestess is a messenger of divine will, a gift from God to all men in the world, and no one can possess her alone. However, upon further reflection, the monarch of the Yi people is a descendant of God, and it is only natural to be a bit more lenient towards one's own descendants. Thus, it is not impossible for God to turn a blind eye to this matter.

Certainly, as Lady Fu Hao was the primary wife, she would inevitably face opposition from various ministers, royal family members, and shamans. However, at this point, King Wu Ding had already consolidated his power; did he still care about such nonsensical advice regarding "status" and "bloodline"? He and Fu Yao seized this opportunity to identify a few fools who dared to be disloyal to the monarch, unleashing a massacre. In fact, he captured the most vehement opponent, Bu Kua, intending to behead the entire Bu clan as a sacrifice to the deity. He and Fu Yao took this opportunity to identify a few fools who dared to be disloyal to the monarch, unleashing a massacre. In fact, he captured the most vehement opponent, Bu Kua, intending to behead the entire Bu clan as a sacrifice to the deity.

Against this backdrop, the first female commander in the history of Chinese civilization was born