Forcing the Palace

Fei Zhong and You Hun, who only moments ago had pinned all their hopes on Di Xin stepping forward to protect them, saw the last trace of hope in their eyes vanish completely after hearing his icy words.

The two stared blankly upward at Di Xin before them, their hearts turning cold as they found him utterly unfamiliar.

Was this still the king who had indulged them in every possible way?

At the sight of their shattered expressions, Di Xin grew increasingly irritated. He lifted his foot and kicked out impatiently, coldly berating them, "You two useless fools! This is the Grand Preceptor of Great Shang, and my own mentor. Even I would not dare show the slightest disrespect before him—yet you dared rashly offend him?"

Those frigid words completely extinguished their last hopes of luck.

Boundless terror instantly swept through their hearts. They understood with absolute clarity that their good days of relying on royal favor to run rampant through the court had come to a complete end.

The two still wanted to plead and defend themselves when a leisurely, teasing voice suddenly drifted in from outside the hall, breaking the deadlock within:

"Tut, tut. Today's morning court is truly lively. I arrived at just the right time; presumably, I have not missed any earth-shattering event."

Shen Gongbao, the State Preceptor, entered the great hall at an unhurried pace, clad in an elegant plain Taoist robe and wearing a star crown.

He had not deliberately arrived late. There was still half an hour before morning court officially began. At this hour on ordinary days, let alone the civil and military officials, even Di Xin had not yet entered the hall. There had been ample time to spare.

Wenzhong raised his eyes toward the newcomer and was slightly startled at