Jiang Ziya: Stop Trying to Persuade Me, I'm on the King's Side

The next day.

The distant and solemn tolling of the bell Yunxiao, and the court assembly in the Nine Chamber Hall officially began.

Civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, filed in and lined up on both sides of the main hall.

Most of them wore a solemn expression.

Yesterday, the King suddenly summoned Jiang Shang. Although the news did not spread, how could the slightest movement in the palace be kept from these old foxes who had been entrenched in the court for many years?

Something big is about to happen.

Prime Minister Shang Rong and Bi Gan exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's reactions.

King Wu, Huang Feihu, stood at the head of the military generals, his body ramrod straight, but his slightly furrowed brows revealed his inner turmoil.

Jiang Ziya, standing at the forefront of the officials, remained completely calm and composed.

He stood with his hands at his sides, his eyes slightly closed, as if in a meditative state, indifferent to everything around him.

Over the past fifteen years, he has become accustomed to such scenes.

"The King has arrived!"

With a loud announcement from a palace attendant, Di Xin, dressed in a black royal robe, slowly emerged from the back of the main hall.

"Your Majesty, we, your the King!"

The shouts echoed throughout the main hall.

"My beloved subjects, rise."

"Thank you, Your the King."

The officials rose, and the court assembly officially began.

At this time of day, officials would usually step forward to report on government affairs.

But today, the main hall was deathly silent.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for That One king on the throne to speak.

They knew that they weren't the main characters today.

a long time.

Di Xin finally made his move.

"Since the Cheng Tang, our Great Shang Dynasty has enfeoffed eight hundred vassal lords to guard the four directions for our Great Shang Dynasty. They have made great contributions and have worked hard."

"I am greatly comforted."

The assembled officials bowed and said in unison.

"All this is due to the King's grace."

"Hmm." Di Xin responded noncommittally, then changed the subject.

"However, the position of a feudal lord has always been inherited by the eldest son of the legitimate wife,"

"The rest of his descendants, though of royal blood, received no fiefdom, had no place to stand, and were left adrift and destitute."

"This is neither the way of a king, nor the way of a benevolent ruler."

"Whenever I think of this, my heart aches with unbearable sorrow."

Di Xin leaned forward slightly, and his gaze, obscured by the tassels of his crown, seemed to sweep over everyone in the hall.

"Therefore, I have decided that, from this day forward, I will extend my benevolence and favor to the sons and brothers of the feudal lords."

"Except for the eldest son of the principal wife, who can inherit his father's original title, all other sons of feudal lords, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate,..."

"Each of them may equally divide their fathers' fiefdoms and establish their own fiefdoms to serve as bulwarks and protect a region for our Great Shang Dynasty."

"This decree is called 'Recommendation '."

"May all the princes and nobles of the world feel the king's boundless grace and forever serve our Great Shang Dynasty dynasty, guarding the four corners of the land."

Boom!

The moment the words "Edict of Recommendation" were uttered, the entire Nine Chamber Hall erupted in chaos.

All the ministers, whether civil or military, were completely dumbfounded.

They stood there dumbfounded, wondering if there was something wrong with their ears.

Should all the sons of the feudal lords be equally granted fiefdoms?

What's the logic behind this?

This is not a gift!

This is not a favor; it is undermining the foundation of the Great Shang Dynasty and forcing all the feudal lords to rebel!

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the hall erupted in chaos.

"Your the King! You mustn't!"

After a brief silence, Prime Shang Rong was the first to react. He rushed out of the queue and knelt down with a thud.

"Your the King, the system of enfeoffing feudal lords is an ancestral law and the cornerstone of our Great Shang Dynasty's stability and prosperity! How can it be lightly altered!"

"If this Edict of Recommendation is implemented, the vassal states will inevitably be continuously divided and weakened. Within three generations, they will have no usable troops and no defensible land!"

"At that time, the four protective barriers of my Great Shang Dynasty will be completely destroyed!"

"This move is tantamount to destroying our own foundation; it is a policy that shakes the very foundation of the nation! Your the King, please reconsider and rescind your decree!"

Shang Rong's voice was choked with sobs, filled with fear and despair.

Yabigan Bi Gan behind, kneeling on the ground.

"Your the King is wise! The Prime Minister is absolutely right! The laws of our ancestors must not be changed!"

"The stability of our Great Shang Dynasty today is entirely due to the protection of the eight hundred vassal lords who guard the four directions."

"Now that Your the King has issued this decree, all the feudal lords are filled with fear and resentment. At that time, the world will be divided, and the Great Shang Dynasty will be in grave danger!"

"Your the King, please reconsider and rescind your order!"

"Your the King, please rescind your order!"

"Your the King, please rescind your decree!"

With the two high-ranking officials taking the lead, all the civil and military officials, regardless of their inner thoughts, knelt down in unison, forming a dense, dark mass.

Their fearful pleas echoed throughout the entire Nine Chamber Hall.

This decree is too harsh and too insane.

Their madness was so overwhelming that they felt no trace of the king's benevolence, only a chilling cold and murderous intent.

Di Xin on the throne.

He looked down at the ministers kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly, without showing the slightest emotion.

These people's reactions were exactly what he expected.

He waited, until they had said everything they needed to say.

After a long while, the wailing and pleading in the hall gradually subsided, leaving only suppressed sobs.

Everyone raised their heads, looking at the high and mighty emperor with pleading, expectant, and even fearful eyes.

Hopefully, he will retract that order that could overturn the world.

However, despite the earnest pleas of his ministers below, Di Xin on his throne remained unmoved.

His expression remained obscured by the crown, making it impossible to discern his true nature.

My mind is made up.

The four cold words came from the throne, leaving no room for negotiation.

That unwavering resolve chilled the hearts of all the ministers who had dared to remonstrate with His Highness.

"Your the King!"

Shang Rong wanted to persuade him further, but Di Xin coldly interrupted her.

"This matter need not be discussed further."

It's over.

These two words came to mind for everyone.

They knew this Human Emperor all too well.

Once he makes a decision, there is no possibility of changing it.

A sense of despair spread throughout the hall.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Shang Rong caught a glimpse of the figure who had remained silent throughout.

Grand Tutor, Jiang Shang!

Yes! And there's Grand Tutor Jiang!

Shang Rong seemed to have grasped at the last straw.

Although this Grand Tutor Jiang was a recluse, he had been in charge of the government for the past fifteen years, and his abilities and prestige had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

More importantly, he was deeply trusted by the King!

Perhaps, only he could persuade the King to change his mind!

"Grand Tutor Jiang!"

Shang Rong suddenly turned her head to look at Jiang Ziya and shouted in a hoarse voice.

"Grand Tutor! You are the head of all officials, why do you remain silent?"

Bi Gan also looked over eagerly.

"Yes, Grand Tutor! The Great Shang Dynasty dynasty is now in imminent danger. I urge you to quickly advise the King to rescind his decree!"

"Please, Grand Tutor, advise the King!"

Swish!

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Ziya.

The kneeling senior officials all looked at him with expectant and pleading eyes.

They hoped that this Grand Tutor, whom the King relied on, would step forward and set things right.

Under the watchful eyes of the masses, Jiang Ziya finally made his move.

He slowly stepped out of the queue and came to the center of the hall.

He first bowed deeply to Di Xin, who was seated on the throne.

Then, he turned to look at Shang Rong and Bi Gan, who were kneeling on the ground.

"Your Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Vice Prime Minister, and all of you."

His voice was calm, yet it clearly resonated throughout every corner of the hall.

"In my opinion, both of you, as well as your colleagues, have misunderstood His the King's good intentions."

What?

Shang Rong and Bi Gan suddenly raised their heads, their faces filled with disbelief.

Is this a misunderstanding?

What's there to misunderstand about this strategy that led to the downfall of a nation?

Then Jiang Ziya continued.

"Your the King's action, though ostensibly Recommendation, is in reality Recommendation."

"It is a supreme benevolent policy that benefits all living beings and all people!"

These words shocked the entire audience!

Everyone wondered if there was something wrong with their ears.

Benevolent governance?

A gift?

Has Jiang Ziya gone mad? Or has the King given him some kind of bewitching potion?

Shang Rong was so angry that he trembled all over, pointed at Jiang Ziya, and couldn't say a word for a long time.

"You... you..."

Jiang Ziya ignored their astonished expressions and continued speaking to himself.

"His the King, mindful of the hardships faced by the sons of the feudal lords, has specially allocated lands that should have been inherited only by the eldest son of the legitimate wife to them, so that they too may possess their own fiefdoms."

Such kindness is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.

"Tell me, what loving father in the world would refuse to let his son receive the emperor's favor and rewards?"

"If those feudal lords are truly loyal to the king and love their country, upon hearing this decree, they should kowtow and thank the King's favor towards their offspring."

"Why do you gentlemen believe that they will rebel because of this?"

Jiang Ziya's gaze slowly swept across the faces of each minister.

"Unless..."

"In the hearts of you gentlemen, do those feudal lords harbor rebellious intentions?"

"So that's why they see the King's favor as a means to weaken them?"

"So, that's why they rebelled so brazenly because of this favor?"

Jiang Ziya's voice suddenly rose in pitch, like a resounding bell, striking hard in everyone's hearts.

"May I ask you gentlemen, is it so or not?"

"I..."

Shang Rong opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Bi Gan's face turned ashen, and his body swayed precariously.

It's over.

It's all over.

Jiang Ziya's words completely blocked all avenues of retreat.

He tightly bound the concepts of "Edict of Recommendation" and "loyalty" together.

To accept the Edict of Recommendation is to be a loyal subject.

To refuse is to be a treacherous and disloyal subject!

Under this logic, who would dare to oppose it? Who would dare say that the feudal lords would rebel because of this?

Doesn't that mean admitting that you believe the feudal lords were inherently disloyal?

The ministers felt a chill run through their bodies.

"What the Grand Tutor said is very much in line with my thoughts."

Di Xin made the final decision, ending the debate.

"That's settled then."

"Convey my decree!"

"Announce to the eight hundred vassal lords throughout the land!"

"The Edict of Recommendation shall be implemented immediately, effective today!"

With that, he waved his sleeve, not glancing at the people in the hall again, and turned to walk into the depths of the hall.

Jiang Ziya then turned around and walked steadily out of the hall.

He paused slightly as he passed Shang Rong.

"Prime Minister, times have changed."

Leaving behind a cryptic remark, Jiang Ziya walked out of the hall without looking back and disappeared into the sunlight.

"The Prime Minister..."

Shang Rong gripped Bi Gan's arm, tears streaming down her face.

"This Great Shang Dynasty... is going to force the feudal lords to rebel!"

He stared in the direction Jiang Ziya had left, his jaw clenched.

"Jiang Ziya..."

What are your true intentions?

"Why did you help the King, pushing this Great Shang Dynasty dynasty into an abyss of no return?"