Chapter 4: Wen Zhong Visits His Master, Three Kings Engage in a Secret War

  Zhang Di Xin saw Jiang Wen Qi and Yang Jiu, only then did he realize that he had been in the imperial garden for a long time. The two of them couldn't find him anywhere and hastily returned to the mansion, ordering people to search for him.

  Zhang Di Xin couldn't reveal the truth about the unbridled Daoist, so he casually made up a reason and told them to let it go. Just as they were about to return to the mansion, they heard that the Grand Preceptor had returned triumphantly and needed to be welcomed at the Wu Men gate!

  Wen Zhong was a veteran minister of the Shang Dynasty, with both literary and military talents, who excelled in leading troops and was the most important figure in the Shang army. Although he was not a top-notch person, he had extensive knowledge and connections with many people in the Ji teaching. When Zhang Emperor Xin heard that Wen Zhong had arrived, he felt seven parts joy, two parts surprise, and one part worry.

  Yin Shang Taishi heard that Zhong Fu served two generations of monarchs, exhausting his mind and thoughts; he conquered the east and west, stabilized the Jiangshan of the capital city, and maintained the vitality of Yin Shang. He was a man of integrity and justice, with great prestige, and was deeply loyal to the Shang Dynasty. The common saying "Wen is enough to bring peace to the country, Wu is enough to stabilize the nation" refers to Wen Zhong.

  With such a powerful minister returning, Zhang Emperor Xin was naturally delighted. However, he had two parts of curiosity, and it was said that Wen Zhong had a third eye between his eyebrows. In "The Investiture of the Gods", it is said that Wen Zhong's head has three eyes, with the middle one being divine and having a white light of several inches, which can distinguish between good and evil, loyalty and treachery, and the blackness and whiteness of human hearts. This eye power is comparable to modern laser penetration instruments, what kind of divine power would it be?

  However, this third eye was also what Zhang Di Xin worried about. After all, Wen Zhong had some divine power and was very familiar with Shou Wang. He must be careful not to reveal any flaws.

  "The King of Shou is approaching, the Taishi army has arrived outside the Wu Gate." The lower official hastily reported this, and Zhang Emperor Xin also didn't have time to think much, and hurriedly left.

  This was the first time Zhang Emperor Xin had participated in such a grand ceremony since he became the emperor, and before he even reached the Meridian Gate, he could already feel the majestic atmosphere spreading out. Looking far into the distance, there were flags and banners standing densely, in an orderly manner. A carved flower red carpet stretched from the Xianqing Palace to the Meridian Gate, with two rows of imperial guards holding flags and standing tall on either side.

  Outside the Meridian Gate, officials had already gathered. Today, Emperor Yi stood at the forefront, wearing a black ceremonial robe with a pattern of flying black birds on it, looking majestic and dignified. Behind Emperor Yi were two slender men, their eyebrows and eyes somewhat similar to those of Emperor Yi, also dressed in ceremonial robes.

  "Taishi returns triumphantly, yet the three princes don't even come to welcome him. Hehe, I suppose this person is drunk somewhere again."

  "It's better if he doesn't come, then Brother Wang's position as emperor..." Hehe...

  These two are the two princes of King Zhou, the one who spoke earlier is Wei Zi Qi, and the one who followed up is Wei Zi Yan. At this time, Emperor Yi was still young and had not yet established a crown prince, so both Zhang Di Xin and the two princes had the possibility of becoming the crown prince. However, Emperor Yi favored King Zhou, which made these two princes resentful towards Zhang Di Xin.

  Weizi Qi and Shou Wang were full brothers, but Weizi Qi was born to Emperor Yi's concubine, who later became the empress after giving birth to Shou Wang. Weizi Yan was born to another concubine. According to the rituals of the Shang Dynasty, both Weizi Qi and Weizi Yan belonged to the sons of concubines.

  It was precisely because of his identity as a "concubine's son" that even King Zhou's elder brother, Wei Zi Qi, had deep reservations about King Zhou. Wei Zi Yan had little opportunity to covet the throne and was dissatisfied with King Zhou's usual arrogance and extravagance, so he naturally joined forces with Wei Zi Qi.

  In the distance, a sudden burst of noise was heard, and then a team of people on horseback rushed over, with black-clad soldiers in dark robes, war horses galloping, kicking up countless clouds of dust on the ground, matching the colorful sky above, extremely majestic.

  Suddenly in the sky, a colorful light burst forth, and the Ink Qilin appeared in mid-air. A person wearing a dragon-tiger bright brocade robe with a plain-colored carved long gown behind him, holding a pair of male and female whips, stood proudly in mid-air!

  Mo Qi Lin fell with the wind, and that person flipped over with the momentum. The two whips were placed in front of him, and he knelt down on the ground. The soldiers behind saw that person doing this, thinking it was a grand courtesy, shouting "Long live!"

  "Thanks to Heaven's favor, this expedition has conquered all directions, fortunately without disgracing the order!"

  "Your Imperial Highness is too polite, please get up quickly." Wen Zhong had assisted Tai Ding and achieved great military merits, and was also on good terms with Emperor Yi. He was slightly older, so he addressed him as "Imperial Brother".

  The Zhongyuan Shang Dynasty referred to its vassal states as "fang". After Emperor Yi ascended the throne, he launched military campaigns in all directions against the Fang countries of Gui, Tu, Qiang, Ren and Hu, among others. Although they were intended to establish merit, the emperor felt a deep sense of emotion after Wen Zhong's single victory.

  Wen Zhong stood up, and only then did he realize that this person was quite tall and sturdy. Although he was already over fifty years old, his spirit was still vigorous and lively. The whiskers under his mouth hung down to his chest, and the three vertical eyes on his forehead were slightly closed, giving off a somewhat majestic air of a great martial saint of later generations!

  Wen Zhong stood up, but his eyes fell on Zhang Disin, and he couldn't help but frown: "The King of Shou's armor, what is the reason for this?"

  Wei Ziqi and Wei Ziyuan couldn't help but secretly laugh when they heard Zhong Xun's question. Zhang Emperor Xin was a transmigrator after all, and he didn't like the loose and long clothes of the Shang Dynasty. So, he simply wore armor in the palace, which was convenient and made him look capable. The Shang Dynasty valued martial arts, so when the people in the palace saw Shou Wang dressed like this, they found it strange. However, today, after hearing Zhong Xun's words, they felt a bit out of place.

  "A general never removes his armor, a warrior never relaxes his bow. The Grand Tutor has come from afar, and I still wear my helmet and armor. How could I be lazy in the depths of the palace?" Emperor Zhang Xin was also helpless, having rushed to arrive, he had forgotten to change into court attire, and thus responded with quick wit.

  Wen Zhongben was a military man by origin. Seeing Shouwang being so fond of martial arts, he was overjoyed in his heart. He nodded slightly at Zhang Dexin and smiled it off.

  Wei Zi Yan saw Zhang Emperor Xin resolve the crisis, his expression turned cold, and he was unhappy in his heart. He secretly thought to himself that this King of Shou had always been reckless, so how could he be so eloquent today?

  Many people entered the temple, and Zhang Emperor Xin specially looked for his brother-in-law Yang Ren, but did not find any trace of him. However, he heard news about another important merchant, Wu Cheng Wang Huang Feihu, who had made great military achievements in this expedition to the five regions, but was not seriously injured, and was currently recovering at the Yellow Rolling Pass.

  Huang Feihu can be called the first general of commerce, and riding on a five-colored divine cow is also a divine object. If Zhou Wang was not tyrannical and forced his wife Jia Shi to death, he would not have rebelled against Chao Ge and assisted Western Zhou!

  Zhang Emperor secretly thought that if he had the chance, he would definitely go to Jiepai Pass and take a trip. Otherwise, Wu Cheng Wang might break through the five passes and destroy himself in the end. Even if he couldn't stay, he could only take the initiative to eliminate this great general who destroyed Shang, before he sprouted!

  When Zhang Dezhen arrived at Xianqing Hall, Emperor Yi was making a speech before the banquet, thanking Heaven and the ancestors of Cheng Tang for their blessings, which had brought an end to the chaos. After expressing his gratitude to these invisible spirits, he finally turned his attention to Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong and the meritorious generals, lavishing them with many rewards and well-deserved praise.

  When Emperor Yi finished speaking, the host announced that the banquet had begun. The musicians and music slaves then struck up some ancient and simple melodies on bronze drums and bells. The palace maidens, dressed in colorful clothes, brought out the wine and food one by one. The utensils used to hold the food were made of different materials such as jade, bronze, and pottery, but their shapes and patterns were somewhat plain. The main courses consisted of beef, mutton, pork, and fish, accompanied by some fresh vegetables.

  In an instant, outside the Xianqing Hall, slogans rose in unison. The crowd looked over and saw four naked men shouting and carrying a large tripod over two meters high into the hall. In the tripod, cooked meat was first placed inside to cook, then taken out by eunuchs or servants, dipped in various seasonings, and presented to the emperor and ministers. This is the "Tripod Food" of the Shang Dynasty.

  However, the "Ding food" of the Shang Dynasty had a strict hierarchy system. The Son of Heaven used nine Ding, the vassals used seven Ding, the nobles used five Ding, and the rest used three Ding. If there was an error, it would be considered treason, which is a very serious crime.

  Zhang Di Xin ate some, and indeed felt refreshed. It was absolutely a purely natural and harmless kind, but the taste was far inferior to what he had concocted in Shou Wang Fu. However, it was also understandable, as the Shang Dynasty's development had stagnated, and the seasonings were incomplete, which was within reason.

  "I've long heard that Prince Wang is a heavy drinker, but today in Xianqing Hall he's being so restrained. Is it because the food doesn't suit his taste?" Wei Zixi was dissatisfied with Emperor Zhangxin's behavior at the Wu Gate earlier and saw that Shouwang had no appetite for food, so he teased him, "Is it still the illness from a few days ago that hasn't fully recovered?"

  "Heh heh…… wasn't it at the Huálóng Pool where you drank too much water, and now you can't even drink wine?" Wei Ziyán interjected a sentence, which suddenly made Zhang Disheng's expression turn cold: "Second Imperial Brother, how did you know that I fell into the water?"

  The matter of King Zhou getting drunk and falling into the water had been repeatedly declared by Emperor Yi as not to be mentioned again. Now that Wei Ziyuan brought it up, it naturally showed that he was involved in the incident at Huazheng Pond. When Wei Ziqi heard this, his face also turned cold, and he gave Wei Ziyuan a stern look.

  "With this IQ, you still want to harm me? It's really pitiful for the two of you 'wise men'! Zhang Di Xin sneered in his heart, but replied calmly: "Thank you, Brother Wang, for your concern. I've just recovered from a serious illness and my body hasn't fully recovered yet, so it's not suitable for me to drink too much. Please forgive me, Brother Wang.""

  "I've long heard that the Third Prince has been ill, and it seems like he's become a completely different person. Today, I see him and indeed he is not the same as before. Could it be that due to his serious illness, even his temperament has changed?" Wei Zixi saw Zhang Emperor Xin repeatedly showing weakness, thinking that this Shou Wang must still not have recovered from his old illness, and in his words, he was even more sarcastic: "Third Prince's martial arts are exceptional, I have a few useless martial artists here who would like to learn from the prince, what does the prince think?"

  "As soon as he heard Wei Ziyan's words, Zhang Di Xin pretended to be hesitant, but his eyes did not glance at Emperor Yi and Wen Zhong. These two also wanted to see the strengths and weaknesses of the two princes, so they didn't want to interfere too much, chatting happily on the side."

  "Haha……I've long heard that Brother Wang has been practicing martial arts diligently. Why don't I, your younger brother, have a match with you? It just so happens that we can also ask Master Wen to give us some pointers, which would be a great fortune." Zhang Disheng said, holding onto Wei Ziqi's hand and preparing to head towards the seats.