Chapter 5, a chilling contemplation

Previously, sending Wen Zhong to battle and then using the name of sacrificing to the goddess Nuwa was a way for the old ministers to test King Zhou's tolerance towards them

The old ministers joined forces to dominate the court, and with members of the royal family such as Jizi and Ziqi harboring discontent, they imposed various constraints on Zishou

Today's morning meeting left him in a cold sweat

Has the son ever demonstrated the potential to be a wise ruler

... ...

King Zhou has never possessed the aura of a ruler, and he is utterly incapable of managing the court dominated by his old ministers, lacking even the authority to promote his trusted confidants

The envoy has completed the transmission of the imperial decree, and Shang Rong emerged again, bouncing about, his face filled with worry, completely devoid of the previous joy: "Your servant Shang Rong respectfully reports to Your Majesty! When a ruler governs with virtue, the people will naturally find joy in their work without the need for orders. Moreover, Your Majesty has thousands of beautiful women in the imperial harem, including concubines and consorts. If you now wish to select more beauties, it is feared that the people will be disappointed!"

Shang Rong found a good excuse; just as the rebellion in Beihai was occurring, causing suffering to the people and wasting resources, how could it be appropriate to hold a selection of talents at this time

Jiang is the daughter of Duke Jiang Huan of Dongbo, and Huang is the sister of King Wucheng, Huang Feihu

This is the formation of the lineup

However, King Zhou acted contrary to common sense. He had never before offered sacrifices to Nuwa and should not have known who she was, yet he suddenly took the initiative to proclaim Nuwa's merits and went to the Nuwa Palace to offer incense for the greater good of all the people in the world

After being persuaded by the masses, Shang Rong finally bowed his head and said: "The old minister awaits punishment, as the Prime Minister holds a prominent position in the court, serving the sovereign for three generations, and cannot but speak to the king!"

At that moment, Shang Rong was astonished; his joy and surprise were all feigned, intended to conceal his true emotions within.

What female power? The consorts of the three palaces.

After thinking for half a day without coming to a conclusion, I might as well withdraw from the court for now

Zi Shou was the third son of Emperor Yi. Above him were his uncle Ji Zi and his elder brother Zi Qi, both of whom were renowned sages known throughout the world. According to the succession system, whether it was 'the brother's end leads to the brother's succession' or 'the father's death leads to the son's succession', it was not his turn to ascend the throne. Nevertheless, he still became King Zhou.

The ministers stepped forward one by one to offer their counsel, and Zi Shou observed clearly that only a few remained neutral, with Fei Zhong and You Hun being the highest-ranking among the advising officials. As for the military generals, they were likely to be more straightforward, and not many of them spoke up.

Who is Feilian? He is an ordinary doctor, like Feizhong and Youhun, and belongs to the inner circle of King Zhou. He holds no real power and is usually quite inconspicuous. If he were to take command, he would surely face defeat

Before the child traversed, his previous incarnation, King Zhou, attempted to resist and cultivate his own trusted aides, such as Fei Zhong and You Hun. However, with his power and status as emperor, he could only promote a few individuals he trusted to positions such as admonishing officials or ministers.

The son has no way to refute this; being a foolish ruler is not an easy task. Underneath, every loyal minister has eyes as wide as copper bells, closely watching your every word and action, making it impossible for any policy to be implemented.

One can only make a few more moves like the recent last-minute change of leadership, establishing one's own image of incompetence, and gradually promoting treacherous ministers like Fei Zhong, who flatter the king and obey his every command, in order to openly become a foolish ruler

Those who obstruct are all targets of King Zhou's purging and punishment

Could it be that their plans have all been discerned by King Zhou?

In my esteemed Shang Dynasty, with a multitude of talents, how is it that only a few treacherous individuals keep surfacing repeatedly

It is said that seeking momentary pleasure will inevitably lead to the return of chaos, jeopardizing the hard-won peace of the world.

Of course I know, but he accepted the flattering gesture of King Zhou by composing a poem in the Nuwa Palace, merely offering a word of advice without further comment

It is still necessary to carefully consider how to handle this

Then why did the old ministers allow the son to ascend the throne

Shang Rong was drenched in cold sweat

... ...

Did the generals led by Huang Feihu not strongly advise against it?

Did Fei Zhong, You Hun, and others not offer any counsel?

Shang Rong steadied his mind, resolutely deciding to make a change. As a veteran minister of three dynasties, holding a position of great authority, he had already found satisfaction.

Is everything truly under the control of King Zhou?

Was the subsequent selection influenced by King Zhou's infatuation with beauty

Isn't Mulan just a general! This implication is too obvious

That is not correct, it seems unfeasible. Among loyal ministers, there are certainly capable ones. What if they truly succeed in quelling the rebellion?

Without unity of purpose, nothing can be accomplished

Of course not, only the valiant deeds of propping up the beams and replacing the columns to save my father, which is to say, a strong physique.

Among these, there are factors strongly recommended by the old ministers Shang Rong, Mei Bo, and Zhao Qi.

For example, after Shang Rong ascended the throne, he became the Chancellor

From the previous generations, Wu Ding passed on to his son Zu Geng, Zu Geng passed on to his brother Zu Jia, Zu Jia passed on to his son Bing Xin, Bing Xin passed on to his brother Geng Ding, Geng Ding passed on to his son Wu Yi, Wu Yi died suddenly, and his son Tai Ding ascended the throne. Tai Ding passed on to his son Di Yi, Di Yi passed on to his son Di Xin, and Di Xin is known as King Zhou. However, there is a problem here

In today's morning meeting, King Zhou's intentions were even more open and aboveboard

Shang Rong did not know until he cautiously followed King Zhou to the Nuwa Palace and saw King Zhou composing poetry, that he realized everything was over

Among these individuals, Shang Rong was previously the minister in charge of rites and music, Mei Bo was the younger brother of Tai Ding, and can be considered a great-uncle of King Zhou. As the Minister of State during three reigns, the old ministers held significant power. Additionally, since Zi Qi was born before his mother became queen and was not considered a legitimate son, Zi Shou ascended to the throne in this manner

After enduring for seven years, King Zhou is about to begin his counterattack

There are too many loyal ministers in the court, which truly hinders effective performance

No wonder that the son feels his authority is insufficient, even wanting to be a tyrant but unable to do so

The Shang Dynasty differed from other dynasties in that the succession of emperors was based on a combination of the two systems of "younger brother succeeding elder brother" and "son succeeding father". The elder brother would pass the throne to the younger brother, the younger brother would pass it to his son, and the son would then pass it to his younger brother, continuing in this manner as long as no unforeseen events occurred

At the beginning of the morning assembly, King Zhou ordered a change in command, instructing Feilian to replace the mindless loyalist Wen Zhong and return to the capital. This already indicates that King Zhou has seen through their plan

No, it is not too late yet

The Prime Minister's Office

But this is precisely the determination expressed by King Zhou, who is resolved to regain power even if the rebellion fails

Others become tyrants through a certain accumulation; initially, they are not so foolish. They must gradually grasp power and promote sycophants bit by bit in order to succeed

For power

Shang Rong is sitting on the ground in a cross-legged position

The child sighed inwardly, having no choice but to temporarily set aside the matter, waiting for Doctor Fei to take command, and for the Northern Sea troops to suffer defeat, so as to find a pretext to send these loyal ministers to the front lines.

Shang Rong's expression constantly changed, and it was precisely for this reason

It is unwise for the ruler to indulge in the pleasures of women while there are frequent occurrences of floods and droughts

At this moment, the emperor noticed that something was amiss. How could it be that, as a dignified sovereign, his voice held so little power? He felt... quite constrained.

There are indeed quite a few people who offer advice and counsel

Moreover, Huang Feihu's stance is quite clear; would this veteran general not know that Feilian is destined to fail

That is to say, the officials have no power to speak of

The poem praises the female general, which is aimed at rallying female power

Of course not, that is merely a blatant test

In the court, there are certainly loyal ministers to the monarch, such as Wen Zhong, but there are more neutral parties like King Wu Cheng, Huang Feihu, who merely observe from the sidelines

Now that the turmoil in Beihai has not yet ceased, it is appropriate to cultivate virtue, love the people, cherish financial resources, and uphold governmental decrees. Even Yao and Shun did not surpass this; why then must one be overly concerned with selecting attendants in order to find joy? I, a humble servant, am unaware of the taboos and hope for your understanding

King Zhou was not only trying to win over the concubines, but also the neutral military forces behind them

Let Wen Zhong lead the army to quell the rebellion, thereby weakening the power of the few brainless officials in the court who support King Zhou. This was actually the idea of several old ministers

The son wishes to be a tyrant, but among the entire court of civil and military officials, few aspire to be treacherous ministers

The primary consort of the Central Palace is Lady Jiang, and the consort of the Western Palace is Lady Huang

Shang Rong's already dry clothes were once again soaked. Although he had come to understand these things, it was already too late. The one who prevented the selection from jumping around the most joyfully was himself

What he desires now is simply to see things through to the end