Recaps

Zhunti, Jieyin, and Yuanshi forged a false Di Xin and made him write an insulting poem about Nuwa to provoke her. As Nuwa prepared to attack them, Zhou Ming effortlessly suppressed her Sage power without the three Sages noticing.

• Zhunti isolated the real Di Xin in a sealed space while he and the other Sages transformed an avatar into Di Xin.
• The false Di Xin wrote a poem praising Nuwa’s beauty and declaring that he would bring her to Chang Le.
• Shang Rong, Bi Gan, and the other ministers begged Di Xin to erase the poem, but the false Di Xin defended it as sincere admiration.
• Nuwa realized the Sages had deliberately humiliated her and erupted in fury, preparing to attack them.
• Zhou Ming pressed Nuwa’s shoulder and instantly suppressed her power, leaving her shocked while the three Sages remained unaware.

Zhou Ming restrained Nuwa from attacking Zhunti, Jieyin, and Yuanshi, insisting she wait and settle their Karma during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. Nuwa questioned why he was pushing the Tribulation forward and demanded to know what she would gain by cooperating.

• Zhou Ming stopped Nuwa from pursuing revenge and persuaded her to watch the events unfold.
• Zhunti planted a suggestion in the ministers’ minds to keep them silent about the blasphemous poem, then returned the poem to the wall after Shang Rong’s attendant washed it away.
• Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti departed Nuwa Palace, while Nuwa confronted Zhou Ming about restraining her.
• Zhou Ming said the Sages’ schemes would help start the Tribulation and told Nuwa to cooperate until she could take revenge during it.
• Nuwa asked Zhou Ming what benefit she would receive from waiting, arguing that she could demand compensation from the Sages immediately.

Zhou Ming persuaded Nuwa to join his plan in the Investiture of the Gods Calamity by offering to cancel two of the debts of gratitude she owed him. After Zhou Ming left, Nuwa agreed to play her part and resolved to make the three Sages pay during the Tribulation.

• Zhou Ming offered to cancel one debt if Nuwa acted with the three Sages, and another if she made a move during the Tribulation.
• Nuwa accepted the bargain, agreeing to cooperate and act as Zhou Ming instructed.
• Nuwa asked why Zhou Ming needed her help, and he said his strength was too great for him to enter the Tribulation directly.
• Nuwa reasoned that Zhou Ming wanted her to help Tongtian against Yuanshi, Jieyin, Zhunti, and likely Taiqing, and Zhou Ming confirmed that she had guessed correctly.
• Zhou Ming told Nuwa to return to Wa Huang Palace and go to Chaoge to demand an explanation from That One, the Human Emperor, then vanished.
• Nuwa returned to Wa Huang Palace, vowing to retaliate against Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti as she prepared for her first performance.

Nuwa staged a furious attack on Chaoge, then claimed that Great Shang’s remaining destiny prevented her from punishing Di Xin and sent Jin Feng to announce Heaven’s Mandate for Zhou. The phoenix omen drew reactions from the sages, with Tongtian resolving to fight for the Interception Sect’s chance.

• Nuwa unleashed her Sage pressure and flew toward Chaoge, but two red beams from the royal palace formed a barrier that stopped her outside the city.
• Nuwa pretended to calculate the heavenly cycles and declared that Great Shang had twenty-eight years of destiny left, while threatening to bring down the dynasty another way.
• Nuwa ordered Jin Feng to go to Xiqi and cry out in her true form atop Mount Qi, and Jin Feng’s phoenix cry announced that Heaven’s Mandate was with Zhou.
• Jieyin and Zhunti celebrated the omen as the prelude to the Investiture of the Gods Calamity and the West’s rise.
• Yuanshi and Laozi reacted to the phoenix omen, while Tongtian vowed to defy Heaven’s Mandate and win hope for the Interception Sect.

Fei Zhong and You Hun misread the King's poem at Nuwa Palace as a signal that he wanted another consort, then plotted to pressure Su Hu into offering Su Daji. Their plan left Su Hu in Jizhou feeling an ominous unease.

• Fei Zhong asked You Hun what the King had meant by writing a poem at Nuwa Palace, and they concluded he wanted another consort.
• You Hun proposed Su Daji, the daughter of the Marquis of Ji, as a prospective consort for the King.
• You Hun persuaded Fei Zhong to make Su Hu offer his daughter voluntarily when the regional marquises came to Chaoge, using threats or inducements if necessary.
• Fei Zhong agreed to meet Su Hu with You Hun and make sure Su Daji entered the palace.
• Su Hu, reading military texts at his residence, felt a sudden chill and sensed an invisible threat spreading toward Jizhou.

Nuwa summoned the three demons of Xuanyuan Tomb and ordered them to enter Chaoge and bewitch Di Xin. She prepared them to bypass the city’s protective formation, and the demons left to carry out her plan, with the Nine-tailed Fox tasked to possess Su Daji without harming her soul.

• Nuwa summoned the Nine-tailed Fox, Nine-headed Pheasant Spirit, and Jade Pipa Spirit with the Monster Summoning Banner and ordered them to topple Great Shang by charming Di Xin.
• The three demons warned Nuwa that Chaoge’s Human Dao formation would suppress and kill them if they entered.
• Nuwa used the Power of Creation to remove their demonic aura and promised them a protective art that would let them enter the city safely.
• Nuwa ordered the Nine-tailed Fox to possess Su Daji and enter the palace, warning her not to harm Su Daji’s soul.
• Nuwa gave the Nine-tailed Fox a Protective Jade Talisman to conceal Su Daji’s soul and protect the fox, then dismissed the three demons.

The Nine-tailed Fox entered Su Daji’s body with the Creation Jade Talisman so she could infiltrate the palace and charm the Human Emperor. She left Su Daji trapped within her own body and prepared to wreak havoc across Great Shang Dynasty.

• The Nine-tailed Fox promised the Nine-headed Pheasant Spirit and Jade Pipa Spirit she would establish herself in the palace and later bring them there.
• The Nine-tailed Fox entered Su Daji’s room at Marquis Ji’s Manor and magically prevented anyone outside from hearing them.
• The Nine-tailed Fox restrained Su Daji and used Empress Nuwa’s Creation Jade Talisman to suppress her soul and take control of her body.
• The Nine-tailed Fox became Su Daji and declared she would enter the palace and overthrow the Human Emperor’s realm in Su Daji’s place.
• The disguised Nine-tailed Fox dismissed a maid who asked about the noise, then looked forward to meeting the Human Emperor.

“Su Daji” settled into her role at the Su residence and tried to persuade Su Hu to take her to Chaoge, hoping to reach The King and carry out Nuwa’s decree. Su Hu refused, so she turned to Su Quanzhong for support, leaving him unsure how to answer.

• “Su Daji” maintained her delicate, obedient act before the servants and her family.
• Su Hu told Su Quanzhong he would manage Ji Province while Su Hu traveled to Chaoge to pay respects to The King.
• “Su Daji” realized Su Hu’s journey was her chance to reach Chaoge and asked to accompany him.
• Su Hu firmly refused, citing the hardship and danger of the journey and insisting she stay in Ji Province.
• “Su Daji” tried to sway Su Hu with a pleading, coquettish appeal, then turned to Su Quanzhong and asked whether he also thought she was a burden.

Su Daji persuaded Su Hu to let her accompany him to Chaoge, and the convoy departed three days later. In the carriage, she revealed her demonic nature and anticipated bringing Di Xin and the empire under her influence.

• Su Daji tearfully appealed to Su Quanzhong and Su Hu to let her travel to Chaoge, and Su Quanzhong backed her request.
• Su Hu agreed to take Su Daji, but ordered her to stay inside the courier station in Chaoge and warned that he would send her home if she caused trouble.
• Su Daji promised to behave while privately planning to pursue her mission in Chaoge.
• Three days later, Su Hu's convoy departed Jizhou for Chaoge, with Su Quanzhong bidding farewell to his father and sister.
• Inside the carriage, Su Daji dropped her gentle act, handled the jade talisman from Empress Nuwa, and anticipated making Di Xin fall for her and surrender the empire.

Fei Zhong and You Hun pressured Su Hu to offer Daji to the King in exchange for influence, but Su Hu angrily refused and defended his daughter and the King. The two ministers left threatening retaliation and planned to recruit intermediaries before resorting to a royal edict.

• Fei Zhong and You Hun saw that Su Hu had arrived in Chaoge and went to visit him at the posthouse.
• Su Hu tried to refuse them, but Fei Zhong and You Hun entered anyway, claiming they had come to welcome the feudal lords on the King's behalf.
• You Hun urged Su Hu to send Daji to the palace, promising that Su Hu would become the King's father-in-law, while Fei Zhong warned that the King might issue an edict if he refused.
• Su Hu denounced the pair for encouraging the King to indulge in women and declared that he would never sell his daughter for honor or wealth.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun stormed out after threatening Su Hu, then agreed to find intermediaries and use the King's authority if he continued to refuse.

Su Daji tried to persuade Su Hu to let her enter the palace, hoping to fulfill Empress Nuwa’s mission, but he refused out of loyalty to his daughter and faith in The King. After Su Hu ordered her to stay in the rear courtyard until they returned to Jizhou, Su Daji decided she would find another way into the palace.

• Su Daji pretended to worry about Su Hu and learned that he had sent Fei Zhong and You Hun away after they urged him to send her into the palace.
• Su Hu vowed that he would never sacrifice his daughter for the family’s advancement, and Su Daji pretended to offer herself to protect the Su family and Jizhou.
• Su Hu rejected her offer, insisting that Fei Zhong and You Hun had acted on their own and that The King was wise and would never demand such a thing.
• Su Hu told Su Daji to remain in the rear courtyard until the court audience ended and they could return to Jizhou.
• Alone in her room, Su Daji cursed Su Hu and resolved to enter the palace by other means.

Su Daji subtly pressured Su Hu to agree to send her into the palace, while pretending to be a devoted daughter. Su Hu refused again but revealed that Grand Tutor Wen’s absence left him feeling powerless, and Su Daji prepared to make one final push.

• Feudal lords visited Su Hu and urged him to accept The King's demand, while Su Daji quietly undermined his resolve.
• Su Daji tearfully argued that entering the palace would protect the Su family and Jizhou, but Su Hu refused to sacrifice his daughter.
• Su Hu lamented that Grand Tutor Wen was away leading a campaign against Yuan Futong in the North Sea, leaving Fei Zhong and You Hun unchecked.
• Su Daji welcomed Wen Zhong's absence and resolved to keep pressuring Su Hu until he agreed.
• Su Daji left to prepare for her eventual palace entrance and planned how to make the Human Emperor remember her.

Jiang Huanchu investigated rumors that Di Xin had ordered Su Hu to offer up his daughter and concluded that Fei Zhong and You Hun had acted without the King's command. Queen Jiang agreed the King was innocent, and she prepared to visit him with ginseng soup so she could warn him indirectly.

• Jiang Huanchu heard that marquises were pressuring Su Hu in the King's name and suspected Fei Zhong and You Hun had abused their influence.
• Jiang Huanchu went to the palace and asked Queen Jiang whether Di Xin had truly ordered Su Hu to offer up his daughter.
• Queen Jiang insisted Di Xin would never issue such an order and blamed Fei Zhong and You Hun for borrowing the King's authority.
• Jiang Huanchu advised Queen Jiang to raise the matter indirectly so she would not appear to interfere in state affairs or undermine the King's authority.
• Queen Jiang resolved to warn the King about the ministers and ordered a carriage to Nine Chamber Hall, saying she would bring him ginseng soup.

Queen Jiang brought Di Xin ginseng soup and urged him to select consorts, ostensibly for Great Shang’s sake but because she had heard rumors about Su Hu. Di Xin challenged her assumptions about his motives, leaving her embarrassed and speechless before he began explaining what he knew of Fei Zhong and You Hun’s actions.

• Queen Jiang visited Di Xin in the Nine Chamber Hall with ginseng soup, and they discussed their sons Jiao'er and Hong'er spending time with Nezha.
• Queen Jiang suggested that Di Xin select virtuous consorts to fill the harem and strengthen Great Shang.
• Di Xin asked whether Queen Jiang had heard about Su Hu’s matter, and she admitted that rumors had reached her.
• Queen Jiang offered to oversee a consort selection and questioned why Di Xin had made such a fuss over a minister’s daughter.
• Di Xin asked whether Queen Jiang thought he was lustful, then pointed out the contradiction in her urging him to take consorts.
• Di Xin said that although he had not instructed Fei Zhong and You Hun, he had known about their actions.

Di Xin reassured Queen Jiang that he had reasons for allowing Fei Zhong and You Hun to pressure Su Hu, then dismissed her concerns. After she left, he revealed that he knew Su Daji was a Nine-tailed Fox and decided to keep her in the palace while investigating how Sage methods had bypassed Chaoge’s Human Dao array.

• Queen Jiang warned Di Xin that Fei Zhong and You Hun’s actions against Su Hu would damage the king’s reputation and discourage loyal ministers.
• Di Xin told Queen Jiang that the matter had nothing to do with him publicly and dismissed her without revealing his reasons.
• After Queen Jiang left the Nine Chamber Hall, Di Xin revealed that Su Daji was a Nine-tailed Fox who had entered Chaoge disguised as a human.
• Di Xin realized that Sage methods had bypassed the Human Dao Destiny array and decided to inspect Chaoge more closely.
• Di Xin decided to keep Su Daji in the palace under his watch rather than kill her, and warned her not to disappoint him.

On the day the marquises paid court, Di Xin confronted Ji Chang over rumors that Heaven’s Mandate belonged to Zhou, then let him go with a warning. Su Hu arrived with a memorial to present, while the disguised Su Daji hoped his confrontation with Fei Zhong and You Hun would force her father to send her to the palace.

• Su Daji urged Su Hu to avoid clashing with Fei Zhong and You Hun, but her concern vanished after he left and she privately hoped he would provoke them.
• The Four Great Marquises reported on their territories, and Di Xin questioned Ji Chang about the rumor that Heaven’s Mandate was with Zhou.
• Ji Chang denied treason, and Jiang Huanchu, E Chongyu, Chong Houhu, Bi Gan, Shang Rong, and Huang Feihu pleaded for him.
• Di Xin dismissed the accusation as a warning, ordered Ji Chang to govern Xiqi and suppress further rumors, and allowed him to withdraw.
• Su Hu announced that he had a memorial to present, and Di Xin ordered him summoned into the court.

Su Hu accused Fei Zhong and You Hun of falsely invoking Di Xin’s authority to pressure him into sending Su Daji to the palace, but the two ministers claimed they had only made a suggestion. Di Xin publicly denied wanting more consorts, fined them one year’s salary, and left Su Hu dissatisfied as he ordered them to apologize.

• Su Hu entered the Nine Chamber Hall and impeached Fei Zhong and You Hun for allegedly forging the King’s will and forcing him to offer Su Daji to the palace.
• Di Xin asked Fei Zhong and You Hun whether he had ever ordered Su Daji to be brought to the palace, and they denied forging an edict.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun claimed they had merely suggested Su Daji enter the palace, while Su Hu accused them of using feudal lords to threaten him.
• Di Xin told the court he did not want more consorts and warned ministers not to presume to interpret his intentions.
• Di Xin fined Fei Zhong and You Hun one year’s salary, dismissed Su Hu’s plea for harsher punishment, and told the two ministers to apologize to him.

Di Xin asked Su Hu to send his daughter Su Daji to the palace as a companion for the Queen, insisting the request did not violate his promise not to take a consort. He dismissed court while threatening to question Su Hu’s loyalty if he refused, leaving Su Hu furious and trapped by the demand.

• Jiang Huanchu urged Su Hu to accept Di Xin’s explanation and stop pursuing Fei Zhong and You Hun.
• Di Xin told Su Hu the Queen was lonely and asked him to send Su Daji to the palace to keep her company.
• Su Hu protested that Su Daji was unsuited to palace life, but Fei Zhong and You Hun vouched for her talents and accused Su Hu of having ulterior motives.
• Di Xin challenged Su Hu to trust his promise and warned that refusing the request could cast doubt on his loyalty to Great Shang.
• Di Xin dismissed court, and Fei Zhong and You Hun mocked Su Hu as they left him standing alone in the hall.

Su Daji persuaded Su Hu to accept the king’s order for her to enter the palace, arguing that refusing would endanger their family and Jizhou. She hid her satisfaction over the decision and planned to manipulate Di Xin once she was inside.

• Su Daji greeted Su Hu and learned that the king had ordered her to enter the palace to accompany Empress.
• Su Hu erupted in anger, accusing the king of using a false excuse to bring Su Daji into his harem.
• Su Daji warned Su Hu that refusing the order could bring ruin upon the Su family and Jizhou.
• Su Daji urged Su Hu to send her into the palace to preserve the family’s dignity and safety.
• Su Hu reluctantly agreed to send Su Daji to the palace, while she secretly resolved to ensnare Di Xin and bring down Great Shang.

Di Xin exposed the Nine-tailed Fox possessing Su Daji, seized and suppressed the jade talisman, and spared the demon by making her the Queen’s pet. After Su Daji awoke, she refused Di Xin’s offer to send her back to Jizhou and chose to remain in the palace with the fox.

• Di Xin saw through the Nine-tailed Fox’s disguise and identified the jade talisman she wore.
• Di Xin forcibly took and sealed the talisman, causing the Nine-tailed Fox to reveal her true form and beg for mercy.
• Di Xin spared the Nine-tailed Fox but ordered her to become a pet for the Queen.
• Su Daji awoke after the fox left her body, and Di Xin offered to seal her memories and return her to Jizhou.
• Su Daji chose to stay in the palace, and Di Xin sent her to the Queen with the little white fox.

Jiang Ziya received Sect Master Tongtian’s order to return to Chaoge and lead the Interception Sect’s disciples through the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. Shen Gongbao was sent to Xiqi to urge Ji Chang to attack the Great Shang Dynasty, and he left the mountain intent on using his nominal authority to his advantage.

• Sect Master Tongtian ordered Jiang Ziya to enter Chaoge and command the Interception Sect’s disciples during the Tribulation.
• Sect Master Tongtian explained that Jiang Ziya’s role was to protect the disciples from needless deaths and said the Human Emperor would support him.
• Jiang Ziya accepted the task and departed Jinao Island for Chaoge.
• Venerable Lord Yuanshi ordered Shen Gongbao to go to Xiqi and persuade Ji Chang to raise an army against the Great Shang Dynasty.
• Shen Gongbao asked when the Twelve Golden Immortals would descend, but Venerable Lord Yuanshi told him to focus on Ji Chang’s rebellion.
• Shen Gongbao left Jade Void Palace, planning to use his status as the campaign’s leader to mobilize the Chan Sect’s forces.

Jiang Ziya arrived in Chaoge and met Di Xin, who appointed him acting Grand Tutor until Wen Zhong returned. Jiang Ziya accepted the post as a subject of the Great Shang Dynasty and set out for the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

• Di Xin sensed Jiang Ziya entering Chaoge and ordered palace guards to bring him to the Nine Chamber Hall.
• Jiang Ziya told Di Xin that his master had sent him to assist the Human Emperor during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.
• Di Xin appointed Jiang Ziya acting Grand Tutor, granting him authority over the Grand Tutor's Mansion and court affairs until Wen Zhong returned.
• Di Xin assured Jiang Ziya that court officials would cooperate and that he could return to Jinao Island after the Tribulation.
• Jiang Ziya accepted the appointment as Jiang Shang, pledged his loyalty to Di Xin, and headed to the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

Shen Gongbao arrived in Xiqi on Venerable Lord Yuanshi’s orders and urged Ji Chang to fulfill Heaven’s Mandate by helping Zhou rise against Shang. Ji Chang concealed his ambition behind professions of loyalty to the Human Emperor, then accepted Shen Gongbao as Xiqi’s Grand Counselor while postponing any action.

• Shen Gongbao introduced himself to the guards at the Marquis of Xibo’s residence as a Chan Sect disciple, and Ji Chang and Bo Yikao welcomed him inside.
• Shen Gongbao reassured Ji Chang that Ji Shudan and Nangong Shi’s sons were thriving under the Chan Sect’s Golden Immortals.
• Shen Gongbao declared that Heaven’s Mandate favored Zhou and that Venerable Lord Yuanshi had sent him to assist Ji Chang.
• Ji Chang briefly rejoiced at the prophecy, then remembered the Human Emperor’s power and publicly insisted that Xiqi remained loyal to Shang.
• Shen Gongbao pressed Ji Chang to accept Heaven’s Will, and Ji Chang said the time was not right for action but appointed him Grand Counselor.
• Ji Chang ordered Bo Yikao to arrange a banquet to welcome Shen Gongbao.

After fifteen years of stalemate in the North Sea, Di Xin decided to accelerate the conflict by issuing an Edict of Recommendation that would dismantle the feudal lords’ power and provoke rebellion. Jiang Ziya agreed to prepare to lead Great Shang’s forces, and Di Xin planned to announce the edict at the next court assembly.

• Queen Jiang, Consort Huang, Su Daji, the Nine-tailed Fox, and the Nine-headed Pheasant Spirit left the garden when Jiang Ziya arrived to meet Di Xin.
• Di Xin noted that Jiang Ziya had served in Chaoge for over fifteen years and that Wen Zhong had been stalled in the North Sea for the same length of time.
• Di Xin showed Jiang Ziya the Edict of Recommendation, which would force the feudal lords to surrender their power or face charges of rebellion.
• Jiang Ziya predicted that Ji Chang would rebel to prevent Xiqi from being divided among his hundred sons, while the other feudal lords might also turn against Great Shang.
• Jiang Ziya pledged to handle the mortal war and promised to pacify any rebellious lords with Great Shang’s forces.
• Di Xin ordered Jiang Ziya to prepare as he announced that he would formally reveal the edict at the next court assembly in Nine Chamber Hall.

At court, Di Xin announced the Edict of Recommendation, ordering the sons of the regional lords to divide their fathers’ fiefs and establish separate states. Jiang Ziya defended the decree as benevolent, Di Xin made it effective immediately, and Shang Rong feared the policy would drive the lords to rebel.

• Di Xin announced that all sons of regional lords except the legitimate eldest could divide their fathers’ fiefs under the Edict of Recommendation.
• Shang Rong, Bi Gan, and the assembled officials begged Di Xin to withdraw the decree, warning it would undermine Great Shang and provoke rebellion.
• Di Xin refused to reconsider and declared that the matter was settled.
• Jiang Ziya argued that the decree was a royal favor and implied that only disloyal regional lords would oppose it.
• Di Xin ordered the decree announced to the eight hundred feudal lords and put into effect immediately.
• Jiang Ziya told Shang Rong that the times had changed and left, while Shang Rong feared Great Shang was driving the lords into rebellion.