Wenzhong Marches to Rebel, Di Xin Like a Fish in Water

Like a fish returned to the sea, Di Xin was overjoyed. Just as Wenzhong was brooding inwardly and secretly swearing that, upon his return, he would purge the harem, eliminate the demon consort, and stabilize the foundations of Great Shang, an urgent report suddenly came from outside the manor: King Wu Cheng, Huang Feihu, had knocked at his gate late at night, urgently seeking an audience.

The night was deep; the hour for court officials to discuss affairs had long since passed.

Wenzhong frowned slightly and pondered to himself:

An urgent visit in the dead of night—something major must have happened.

Left with no choice, he suppressed his plans to cleanse the harem and temporarily set aside his grand scheme of slaying demons, summoning Huang Feihu inside.

Huang Feihu strode into the study, still covered in the dust of travel, his expression exceedingly grave. Without even the slightest polite greeting, he went straight to the point and reported in a deep, urgent voice, "Grand Preceptor, an urgent dispatch from the frontier—King Pingling has rebelled!"

"Outrageous!"

Wenzhong flew into a rage at those words, fury churning between his brows, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"The court has treated him generously, granting him command over a region and bestowing every courtesy upon him. How dare he brazenly raise troops in rebellion when the court has only just been settled and the realm is yet unstable!"

King Pingling's sudden rebellion was like thunder exploding from level ground, completely disrupting all of Wenzhong's plans.

Within, a demon consort was throwing the palace into chaos and the king's heart had fallen into neglect; without, a feudal lord had rebelled and war was about to erupt. Beset by troubles within and foes without, Great Shang's situation became increasingly precarious.

The matter was urgent and