Clearing the Sides

The tale splits in two.

At this moment, inside the royal palace of Xi Qi City, the atmosphere was fervent and impassioned.

Atop the newly built great hall, Ji Fa, who had proclaimed himself King Wu of Great Zhou, sat high upon the royal throne. Below him, the civil and military officials stood in ranks on either side, while Shen Gongbao, the state preceptor of Xi Qi who held great power in his hands, stood before the hall with a feather fan in hand, every inch the transcendent immortal with the bones of the Dao.

Everyone was currently discussing the strategy for the army's first campaign.

"Your Majesty, this minister believes that in our army's first battle to Attack Shang, we must not only make a grand display of force, but also pull out the hardest nail Yin Shang has planted in the north," Shen Gongbao said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping the entire hall.

"Whom does the state preceptor refer to?" Ji Fa leaned forward and asked.

"The Marquis of the North, Chong Houhu."

Shen Gongbao gave a cold laugh. The feather fan in his hand pointed straight north as his voice abruptly rose:

"Chong Houhu is Di Xin's most faithful claw and fang. In ordinary times, he helps the tyrant do evil. Not only has he slaughtered the people of the north, he has also repeatedly informed the court in secret and framed the lords of the four directions. This villain's crimes are piled high; he has long since provoked the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of men. If our Xi Qi wishes to march east toward Chaoge, we must first snap off this arm of Di Xin."

In truth, aside from the line about him being a faithful claw and fang, everything else in