Chapter 22: The Debate Over Wedding and Funeral Rites

  Zhang Di Xin had just entered the palace gate when Bi Gan grabbed him: "Your Highness, where are you going? Have you forgotten about your wedding?"

  Marry?!!! Zhang Di Xin felt his head swelling up as soon as he heard it: "Imperial Uncle... Imperial Uncle, where did this marriage come from? Which girl am I supposed to marry? Imperial Uncle... hey... Imperial Uncle..."

  Bi Gan didn't have time to explain to Zhang Di Xin, and directly ordered someone to push the crown prince into the room. There was still half an hour before the auspicious moment, but the groom actually did such a thing, it's simply absurd!

  "Who am I marrying? Whose family member am I going to marry?" Zhang Di was confused and asked as he was being changed into his clothes by the servants, but unexpectedly, they all pretended not to hear him and hurriedly helped the crown prince get ready without saying a word. "Hey! Have you all become mute? Can't one of you say something?"

  "Hey, say something!" Zhang Disen was at his wit's end with these underlings and could only sulkily say, "If no one speaks up, take them all out and behead them!"

  Hearing that there was a threat to her life, the lead palace maid immediately knelt down on the ground: "Your Highness spare my life, Your Highness spare my life! The Grand Tutor and the Emperor's uncle ordered us not to speak with you, otherwise... otherwise it would be a crime punishable by beheading... I am also helpless..."

  How are these two people everywhere! Zhang Di Xin was impatient in his heart, got up and left, a group of servants closely followed, stretched out their hands to push the door, but didn't know when the door had been locked, even the windows were the same!

  Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, you two are really something! You two are really capable! Zhang Emperor Xin couldn't help but smile wryly at this time. He came to the Shang Dynasty and didn't do anything, but he got three wives for free... This... This is probably the real absurdity...

  Zhang Disin was treated with great courtesy, being escorted out like a noble lady. The soldiers cleared the way on all sides, and black carpets were laid out on the ground as they passed through Xianqing Hall and Xuanhe Hall, straight to Wu Gate. This procession was even more grand than when Wen Zhong led his troops back in triumph.

  Black raven feathers, overlapping scales, on the black carpet is a dense brocade, four sides of incense burners, eight directions of officials kneeling and worshiping, showing off power and prestige, magnificent and resplendent.

  "The Crown Prince has arrived, let the music begin!" Suddenly a loud shout was heard, and over a dozen rows of bronze bells rang out in unison. Red silk ribbons floated down from mid-air as Emperor Zhang walked among them, feeling his spirits soar.

  Outside the Meridian Gate, the leader was dressed in a plain cloud-patterned brocade, with a five-colored divine cow, short horns and many whiskers, a face full of heroism, it was actually Huang Feihu, son of Huang Guanzhong, the guardian of the border pass.

  Huang Feihu saw the prince arrive and knelt down on his knees: "The prince's holy kindness, the princess has arrived."

  Zhang Di Xin looked at Huang Fei Hu, but didn't know what to do. He had only seen a Shang Dynasty wedding once before, and that was his own, but this was the first time he had ever seen a real big girl get married!

  "This..." Zhang Di's eyebrows furrowed as he turned his gaze towards Wen Zhong, "This is your idea, you'd better speak up!"

  Wen Zhong thought it was a serious matter, originally intending to watch the show, but seeing Zhang Di's eyes flashing, he knew he had encountered trouble and quietly hid behind him: "Your Highness, what's going on?"

  Zhang Di Xin didn't say a word, and secretly handed over a piece of brocade to Wen Zhong. When the Grand Preceptor saw it, his face suddenly changed, and he stared at the Crown Prince with wide eyes. The Crown Prince, however, shook his head and looked away as if he hadn't seen anything.

  Everyone knelt down, but did not listen to the crown prince's orders. They did not dare to get up. When Taishi saw that the situation was not right, he could only clear his throat and say: "All officials rise!"

  Everyone stood up, and Huang Feihu led out a woman in red from the eighteenth yellow sedan chair and handed her over to the prince. As soon as he touched her hand, Emperor Zhang felt something strange - although her hands were slender like a woman's, they had a layer of calluses, seemingly obtained through years of cultivation.

  Zhang Di Xin lowered his head to take a look, but the woman's feet were not wearing dragon and phoenix patterned shoes, but instead black brocade martial arts boots. Had he married a female warrior?!

  Zhang Di Xin was taken aback for a moment, and his mind went blank. Zhong Jian saw this and shook his head, "This temper of yours is indeed hard to change." He patted Zhang's elbow with one hand: "Pay respects to Heaven, perform the ritual!"

  As soon as the order was given, five hundred executioners dressed in red robes marched out first, followed closely by five hundred slaves. Hundreds of silver lights flashed, and hundreds of heads flew with blood!

  The live sacrifice! Zhang Di Xin couldn't bear to watch, wanting to stop it, but it was already too late. The crowd watched without batting an eyelid, their faces expressionless, and some even pointed and gestured towards the slaughterhouse with joy and laughter.

  "Worship Heaven!" As soon as the sacrifice was over, Wen Zhong shouted loudly, and the drums and music sounded together, almost deafening. Zhang Emperor Xin held the bride's hand and stepped up onto a high platform several zhang high, while an attendant on one side handed him three thick incense sticks.

  On the incense burner above, carved dragons and phoenixes, it's not necessary to say more. Zhang Emperor Xin inserted one by one into the burning cauldron, but in his heart, he suddenly felt a pang of sorrow. Hearing that Zhong and Bi Gan, such famous virtuous ministers, saw this live sacrifice, they actually took it for granted, human life is really like grass.

  "...gift..." Having heard Zhong's words finish, Emperor Zhang Xian beckoned with his hand to signal the drums and music to stop, pointing at the person being sacrificed he asked: "Who is this?"

  This... As soon as everyone heard it, they immediately discussed it in a flurry. What else could hundreds of slaves be for? The custom of human sacrifice was prevalent in the Shang Dynasty, and if there were grand events, not to mention thousands or hundreds of people. At this time, Emperor Zhang asked, but the crowd didn't know what to do.

  "This is a servant's duty, but it is also the people of our great commercial nation. Why slaughter the merchants like this?" As soon as Zhang Emperor Xin spoke, he sparked a flurry of discussion among the officials.

  "What's wrong with the prince?"

  "How can this be so greatly overturned after continuing for hundreds of years?"

  "Has the Crown Prince gone mad?"

  Even the current Grand Preceptor, Bi Gan, couldn't help but frown and was about to speak up when an elderly official with a head full of white hair stood up slowly and said: "I am born lowly as an ant or a dog, what is this talk of merchants? Your words are damaging to the imperial authority."

  Everyone listened and said that the words of the prime minister were reasonable. The person who spoke was Shang Rong, a veteran official of the Shang Dynasty for three generations. He was known for his straightforward remonstrance, feared neither heaven's wrath nor the king's tactics, and was a famous virtuous man in the world, deeply respected by the people. Hearing that the crown prince had committed such a great atrocity, he was even more enraged, speaking bluntly without reserve!

  Zhang Di Xin did not expect that in such a situation, Shang Rong would dare to openly sing a discordant tune. He was annoyed in his heart and pointed at the sky: "Within the four seas, all are the king's land; on the borders of the land, all are the king's ministers. Is this not my great Shang territory?"

  Shang Rong nodded in agreement, but Zhang Di Xin's anger grew even stronger. He pointed at the slave and said: "Even if it is the king's land, are you a minister of the king?"

  "What the prince said is extremely correct, but what the prime minister said is slightly biased. If this slave is not my son Zimin, then whose land should it be?" Just as Emperor Zhang's voice fell, a slender and plump man stood up and asked back.

  "Fei Zhong! Don't spout nonsense!" If according to Fei Zhong's words, it would be a crime of treason. Shang Rong didn't dare, hastily knelt down on the ground, "Your Highness shouldn't believe the slanderous words of a small person, Cheng Tang's etiquette and law, how can I dare to disobey!"

  Fei Zhong? Zhang Di Xin couldn't help but raise a thread of murderous intent upon hearing this person's name. If it weren't for this person's two-facedness, fawning and flattering, serving as that corrupt official, how could the Shang Dynasty have fallen so quickly?!

  Fei Zhong thought he had gained the upper hand, his face flushing with excitement, and gazed at the prince's eyes with even more fervor. Zhang Emperor shot Fei Zhong a cold glance, then opened his mouth to say: "Fei Zhong, what kind of status do you have, daring to defy the prime minister? Guards, take him away and give him another severe beating!"

  Fei Zhongyi heard the Crown Prince's loud voice and immediately turned pale, sweating profusely. The other officials thought that this person was usually deceitful and had done many bad things, but when they heard Zhang Emperor Xin's words, they all showed joy on their faces.

  "Your Highness, today is a good day, don't get angry easily." Wu Zhong feared that things would get out of hand and against reason, so he opened his mouth to advise. Zhang Di Xin saw this and could only hold back his anger: "Fei Zhong, what position do you currently hold?"

  "Little... little people... for the imperial court... below... below the great official..." Fei Zhong replied with a trembling heart, not even daring to raise his eyebrows, "Your Highness... spare my life!"

  "Summon Xia Dafu? Come on, after a few days, let Fei Zhong go to the Yu Ma Jian to wait!" Zhang Emperor Xin naturally didn't know what official position Xia Dafu was, and directly gave the order.

  Fei Zhong did not understand what the crown prince meant by "official position", and when he heard the words "imperial horse", he knew in his heart that it was not a good official position. Emperor Zhang of Xin saw that no one else reacted, and only then remembered that the Shang Dynasty probably didn't have imperial horses yet, so he changed his words: "It's just to let you feed the horses, from now on, all the horses in the palace will be managed by this person."

  Husband! The first time I met the prince, I actually had to go and be a groom! My three boxes of heavy silver! When Fei Zhong heard this, he felt suffocated in his chest, his eyes turned black, and he fainted directly!

  "Your Highness, the ancestral rites and laws should be measured by inches, not a single step can be overstepped." Shang Rong saw that Fei Zhong was at a disadvantage, his tone also softened somewhat, but he still admonished Zhang Emperor.

  Isn't this over yet? Even getting married is such a hassle! Zhang Di Xin silently cursed in his heart, but helped Shang Rong up: "The Prime Minister's words are reasonable, let's put this matter on hold for now and discuss it again tomorrow."

  When dealing with someone as stubborn as Shang Rong, you have to use gentle methods. If you come at him hard, he'll only get harder. He's the type who knows that eggs can't crack stones, but he'll still try to smash himself against you until he's covered in bruises before he'll give up.

  "It's settled!" Wen Zhong saw that things were at a standstill, and he didn't dare to hesitate any longer. If they delayed for a while, who knows what kind of trouble would arise? He immediately shouted out.

  The music started as soon as the voice fell, and everyone was celebrating like before. This turmoil was automatically forgotten and erased. Shang Rong followed at the end of the team, thinking about what Zhang Di Xin said, the more he thought, the more worried he became, the more anxious he felt. The Xianqing Hall banquet was also cancelled, and he turned around to leave. The crown prince said that this matter should be discussed later, it's better to hurry up, don't break the ancestral etiquette...

  The feast in Xianqing Hall doesn't need to be mentioned, Zhang Emperor hastily made his way through it, and now the moonlight was dim, he swayed back and forth as he walked towards the Joy Palace. As soon as he entered the palace, he saw that the doors were tightly closed, with six women standing opposite each other at the entrance, each holding a long sword in their hands.

  "Hmph... Still think you can intimidate me?" Zhang Di Xin sneered, ignoring the crowd and walking straight in. As he approached the woman, there was a "clang" sound, and a silver light flashed out, stabbing directly at his chest! Not good! Zhang Di Xin was shocked, and half of the wine's effects instantly dissipated. His body rapidly retreated backwards. The six men saw him retreat and drew their swords, surrounding him!

  "This is why!" Zhang Di Xin shouted, but the six men did not speak, only continuing to attack. For a time, under the moonlight, it was all silver light flashing, figures dancing wildly!

  Zhang Di Xin originally thought it was a probe and didn't take it seriously, but unexpectedly the sword in front of him pierced through his chest and new clothes, "hiss" sound, and took away a piece!