Chapter 34: Dong Qi Established, Eastern Barbarians Pacified

  Zhang Zixing finally understood why he could easily subdue the Golden Spear, and secretly thought it was lucky - if he hadn't gone to the market that year, didn't care about Sun Bi's business, didn't meet Yun Zhongzi, he wouldn't have obtained the War Soul Technique. If he hadn't coincidentally combined the seven styles into one, he also wouldn't have had the True Martial Spirit Technique... The doubts about the conflict between the War Soul Technique and the Su Nu Jing were also resolved: Huang Di and Chi You represented two extremes, their powers naturally couldn't coexist. However, that strange energy from the super brain that reconciled the two was very interesting to Zhang Zixing - what kind of energy was it, that could make the powers of these two arch-enemies "make peace"?

  Zhang Zixing looked at Zou Xicheng's sincere expression, knowing that he had misunderstood himself as Chi You reincarnated due to a series of misunderstandings, and was overjoyed in his heart. He didn't bother to explain. Although they had captured a large number of Dongyi soldiers for the time being, they hadn't fundamentally solved the problem of Dongyi. If they let it go like this, they might only get temporary peace, but the situation on the eastern border would still be grim. Since the King of Wu was mistaken, he might as well take advantage of the mistake to thoroughly subdue Dongyi and become a major force in restraining the Marquis of Eastern Bo in the future.

  Zhang Zixing had thought of gradually weakening the military strength of the vassals, but at present, the four vassals' wings were already full-fledged. Even as the Son of Heaven, he could not act rashly without considering the consequences, otherwise, in case of unpreparedness, war would break out everywhere, and the consequences would be unbearable. The most feasible way was to use the strategy of pitting one vassal against another, which was also another important purpose for him to conquer Dongyi.

  As soon as Zou Xi confirmed that Tianzi was the reincarnation of Chi You, he immediately took the initiative to offer all the treasures he possessed, including the mining vein map, smelting techniques, and Chi You's flag. Zhang Zixing was overjoyed and immediately took out one of the Heaven and Earth Creation Pills he had obtained from Deng Hua and gave it to Zou Xi to take. After taking the pill, Zou Xi felt that all the lingering illnesses in his body were gone, and his left leg, which had been drained by the Corpse Devouring Insect, miraculously grew new flesh and muscle, recovering to its original state in an instant. Even his scattered spiritual power began to show signs of re-gathering.

  Zhang Zixing was amazed at the divine effect of the Tian Di Cang Hua Dan, no wonder Deng Hua and Wu Ping were so stingy that day. He left the mine vein secret map behind, and the rest were all returned to Zou Qi, because what he needed most was the mineral resources of Dong Yi. The rest did not have too much attraction for him, it's better to use this to show kindness to Zou Qi. Zou Qi was grateful and repeatedly thanked the emperor's generosity and rebirth grace, expressing his willingness to die for his master.

  That mining map not only detailed the distribution of mineral deposits in the Eastern Yi region, but also marked the veins of other places. Although these were just surface mineral veins, for Zhang Zixing who urgently needed resources, it was already a huge surprise. It seems that this Chi You Great God is indeed an outstanding geologist.

  Zhang Zixing was in a good mood and said, "I didn't think that I and the Eastern Yi had such a deep connection. Since it's like this, I don't want to make things difficult for my own people either. Tomorrow, I will release all of the Eastern Yi prisoners... But even if you are released and return home, how can you eradicate the suffering of the various Eastern Yi tribes?"

  Zou Yiren was about to thank him when he heard the last sentence, his body shook and he stood there in a daze.

  "Please, master, have mercy and relieve my family's suffering for generations!" Zou Ji deeply believed that this "Chi You reincarnated" master would definitely be able to alleviate the suffering of the Eastern Yi people. He hastily knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly. Yuji heard this and also knelt down.

  Zhang Zixing helped them up and said seriously: "Since the Eastern Yi are also my people, I will definitely do my best."

  The next day, Zhang Zixing summoned the kings of various tribes, including Youhu, Zhongli and others, to gather together. Under the testimony of Zou Ji, all the tribes acknowledged that Da Shang Tianzi was the reincarnation of Chi You, and were willing to surrender and asked for forgiveness.

  Zhang Zixing never intended to kill these kings, as that would only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. He also understood that a considerable number of kings had submitted due to circumstances, but since he had taken control, it was an opportunity to strike while the iron was hot and propose his long-considered plan for reform in Eastern Yi - to merge all countries in Eastern Yi into one country, remove the "Yi" character from Eastern Yi, rename it "Eastern Qi", have Da Shang assist Eastern Qi in building a large capital city, establish a new king with the title of "Qi Hou" (following the style of addressing Da Shang's nobles), and appoint the original tribal leaders as high-ranking officials of Eastern Qi, rewarding them heavily from the imperial court but requiring unconditional obedience to Qi Hou's orders, with severe punishment for any disobedience. Eastern Qi would be garrisoned by regular troops dispatched by Da Shang, allowing each tribe to retain a small portion of private soldiers while disbanding the rest and turning them into ordinary civilians engaged in production. Da Shang would send various levels of administrative officials and large numbers of artisans to guide and assist Eastern Qi's construction and development, as well as educate its people... Of course, these were only preliminary plans, with specific reform measures to be announced after the selection of Qi Hou was confirmed.

  Zhang Zixing knew that these kings had their own thoughts, and immediately showed a tough attitude of "must change": since you all recognize me as the great merchant Tianzi is the reincarnation of the god of war, that is, the master of Dongyi, then I only manage my own land, you just need to obey, can't have dissent. Of course, he was not tough all the time, and also gave heavy benefits to the chiefs of various tribes, including generous rewards and hereditary official positions.

  After hearing these terms, the kings of various tribes were shocked and reacted differently, whispering to each other for a while.

  The kings of the Eastern Yi tribes are well aware that, given the current situation, all the Eastern Yi tribes are in an absolutely weak position. Unless they do not care about their lives or the safety of their people, it is impossible to refuse submission. This Shang Tianzi only needs to punish one crime of invading the border, and he will exterminate the entire tribe. The most important thing is that even the strongest Wuji King has expressed his loyalty to the Tianzi, so the Eastern Yi tribes can no longer unite as before to resist the Shang Dynasty.

  So, the kings of various countries reached a tacit understanding, only striving for their own or their people's interests to the greatest extent, and did not express any objections to the overall direction of "building the Eastern Qi". Some bold kings even asked Zhang Zixing all sorts of questions, including garrison troops and positions. Zhang Zixing's knowledge and wisdom were fundamentally incomparable to those of these kings, and those questions were quickly answered by him in a clear and irrefutable manner. In the end, the focus of the discussion fell on the key issue of who would take on the role of Qi Hou. Zhang Zixing had previously hinted at the idea of "Qi people governing Qi", so the various tribal leaders all tried their best to demonstrate their loyalty and determination to the emperor, with no end to the debate.

  Zhang Zixing's gaze fell on Wu Jiwang, Zou Qi, who deeply believed in his identity as the reincarnation of Chi You, and even had a kind of fanatical loyalty. With years of ruling over the Eastern Yi, his prestige still lingered, and despite his greatly reduced magical powers, he was still the most suitable candidate for the position of Duke of Qi at present. However, Zou Qi seemed to be unaware of this intention at this time, nor did he participate in the competition for the position of Duke of Qi, but instead appeared to be indifferent, with a look that said "this has nothing to do with me".

  At this time, the silent Moon Girl suddenly spoke up: "I am unworthy, but I wish to serve as the Queen of Qi and assist Your Majesty in governing Eastern Qi."

  As soon as Yu Mei spoke, the debate among the tribal leaders stopped immediately. No one dared to raise any objections. The customs of Dongyi and Daxiang were different. Even if it was a woman, as long as she had the ability, she could take charge. Yu Mei was able to become the Queen of Youhu in the first place because of this. After the destruction of Cang Jie Wang and Shen Gong Jing Qi, the You Hu clan had already become the most powerful country in Dongyi. More importantly, Yu Mei was now the beloved concubine of the Daxiang Emperor, and she "voluntarily" came to take on the role of Qi Hou. It was likely that this was the emperor's intention, so who would dare to compete with her? The kings all expressed their agreement in unison, and even the despicable Zou Xi spoke up, expressing his willingness to do his best to assist the main mother in governing Dongqi.

  Zhang Zixing's expression changed, and he did not comment on this. His intention was to let Zou Xi, who had the highest prestige in Dongyi, become the Qi Hou. Unexpectedly, Yu Ji suddenly volunteered in public, which was beyond his expectations. In front of many kings, he couldn't lose his temper, so he just said that he still needed to consider it carefully and asked each tribal leader to go back and rest first, and then make a decision later.

  As soon as the tribal leaders left, Zhang Zixing dismissed his attendants and frowned at Yuemei, asking: "Princess Moon, why did you make this decision on your own?"

  The Moon Princess lowered her head and remained silent, while Zhang Zixing's anger intensified, his tone also becoming heavier: "You have a big nerve! I'm afraid you've already colluded with Zou Qi! This move has completely disrupted my plan. Do you always trust my promises and want to stay here to personally witness the development of Dongqi before feeling at ease?"

  The princess saw that he was truly angry, and quickly knelt down, saying in a low voice: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I am not distrustful of you, the terms you set for Eastern Qi are greatly beneficial to my clan. I believe that within ten years, my clan will be able to gradually escape poverty... I, Yue Ji, only wanted to share some of the burden with my husband. Moreover, when my husband first met me, he had already proposed that I become his assistant in governing the eastern lands. Has Your Majesty forgotten?"

  Zhang Zixing listened to her soft plea, and also called "husband", his heart softened, and he helped up Yuemei: "Husband knows your ability, can also take on the position of Qi Hou, but you are already my wife, not an ordinary identity. We have just married, our feelings are strong, how can I bear to leave you alone in this distant eastern border? Besides, Dongyi is poor and difficult to change in a short period, the path of reform is fraught with difficulties, it's better to let Zou Xuan be the Duke of the East, and you come back to Chang'an with me to enjoy wealth and glory together."

  Yuè Jī shook her head and said, "Husband, have you ever thought that I, a humble Yi girl, was favored by the Emperor and made a noble consort? It's inevitable that people would gossip about me. At this time, the situation in Eastern Qi is still unstable, it's better to stay behind and help your husband govern, wait until there are achievements, then come to Chang'an and reunite with your husband."

  Zhang Zixing sighed, knowing that although Yuemei said so, she still had a knot in her heart. She could become the king of Youyuxi country, naturally understanding the horror of power struggles. If she went to Chaoge like this, first, her identity might be underestimated by others; secondly, in Chaoge, she would have no relatives or powerful backers to rely on; thirdly, she was afraid of being ostracized by the queen and other concubines, so she must be cautious and careful. Moreover, Yuemei had lived in Dongyi for many years and didn't want to leave this familiar land, so she wanted to stay behind and help her people develop.

  Zhang Zixing's persuasion was ineffective, and he let out a long sigh, revealing a bitter smile. He knew that Yuexi was very strong-willed, and it was unlikely that she would change her mind now. Even if he were to force her to leave with him, she wouldn't truly be happy. Nevertheless, Zhang Zixing made one last effort: "Yuexi, you've been putting yourself in a difficult position by being at odds with your own people, and you've suffered a great deal of injustice. Now that the Eastern Yi have been pacified, it's the perfect opportunity for your husband to make it up to you. Do you remember when your husband promised to bring you true happiness? Are you going to let me become a man who breaks his promises?"

  The moon princess's slender body trembled, and tears fell: "The moon princess had already admired her husband deeply when she read his three great strange books in the eastern land. Later, when she saw her husband's wisdom and bravery with her own eyes, she couldn't help but feel that way. That night, when she received her husband's true feelings, the moon princess had completely fallen in love with him... Being able to meet her husband and receive his favor was already the greatest happiness of the moon princess's life, how could she dare to ask for more..."

  Zhang Zixing was deeply moved by her words and gently took her hand. He had known Yuemei for only a short time, and their marriage had been hastily arranged with political considerations in mind, as he had used her to kill the nine infants and calm the Eastern Barbarians through her connection to the Flawless King. Although Zhang Zixing had always had affection for her, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his desire outweighed his love. But now, hearing Yuemei's confession, he felt both guilt and tenderness in his heart.

  "Please, husband, rest assured that I will govern Dongqi well and not disappoint your high expectations. You are a great merchant king, and in the future, you will surely have many more consorts. At that time, please don't forget that in the distant palace of Dongqi, there is still a devoted woman eagerly waiting..."

  Zhang Zixing tightly hugged Yuè Jī, feeling her body temperature and slight tremble, his heart filled with tender emotions. After a while, he finally spoke out the six words that sounded like an oath: "Unintentional thoughts, unforgettable!"

  The persistent low fever has finally subsided, although I haven't fully recovered, I feel much better now. Here's an extra chapter, please give me your support!

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