Strange Sight

"Enough! You two!"

"Senior Uncle, what do you need us to do?"

Zhu Wushuang and Xiang Wuchen looked at Our Lady of Wudang in confusion, having no idea why their Senior Uncle had summoned them.

"Come with me. The Sect Master wants to see you."

Our Lady of Wudang walked ahead, with the two following behind her. "Thud, thud..."

Four neat rows of holes were left in the ground.

"Master, I have brought them. These two possess deep karmic fortune."

Tongtian sat cross-legged atop a massive cloud. Hearing Wudang's voice, he slightly opened his eyes.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

The two knelt below, gazing at Tongtian with admiration.

Tongtian counted on his fingers and discovered that these two truly possessed deep karmic fortune. "Very good."

Hmm?

Tongtian had only been focused on their fortune just now. When he carefully examined the two of them, he was rather dumbfounded.

These two?

Could they be sent into Zhou Wang's harem? Would that work? Would Zhou Wang even want them?

"Rise and speak."

The two stood up, both considerably taller than Tongtian, who was seated on the cloud. He had to tilt his head back to look at them.

"Yes, Sect Master."

Tongtian considered his words. "Do you two know transformation arts?"

"Of course we do."

"Could you... could you make yourselves prettier?"

Zhu Wushuang pouted, her nostrils turned upward. Tongtian felt displeased. Why is this child glaring at me through her nostrils?

"Sect Master, I think this form is already very beautiful!"

"Exactly..." Xiang Wuchen strongly agreed with Zhu Wushuang. The two of them were beauties within their tribe, with countless admirers.

"It is not bad, but you are somewhat too large and do not suit Human Race standards of beauty. How about this? Make yourselves smaller." Tongtian was quite stubborn about this.

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Though reluctant, they could not disobey the Sect Master. Their bodies slowly shrank until they were like Human Race women, though their appearances were still not particularly attractive.

"I told you to make yourselves prettier! Don't you know what pretty means?!" Tongtian roared in fury. These two were truly hopeless. Uncle had been right—they were as stupid as pigs! So that was how the phrase was used!

Our Lady of Wudang stood silent as a cicada in winter. Seeing her Master lose his temper, she hurriedly said, "When you went down the mountain to travel before, those... women in the brothels..."

"Yes..."

Their faces shimmered vaguely, and they finally transformed into fairly acceptable appearances.

"Very well. I have a task for you. Golden Turtle Island is currently sealed off, yet the Killing Tribulation continues. This is no good strategy. Great Shang's fate is linked to the Jie Sect. You two must take the lead and enter Great Shang's harem to assist Zhou Wang, ensuring that he governs Great Shang diligently."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Tongtian then made arrangements. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Come with me."

He felt it would be better to let Wang Yuan take a look. Uncle knew of matters beyond the Heavenly Dao, so perhaps he might have some good plan. But he first instructed them that they must never reveal his identity, then led a pig and an elephant toward the Immortal Mountain.

Now, in Chaoge, ever since his incense offering, Zhou Wang had felt his mind to be in utter turmoil. At times, Nüwa's image would constantly appear in his thoughts.

"Great King, you have looked unwell lately. Could you be ill?" Royal Uncle Bi Gan asked worriedly.

Zhou Wang waved his hand. "Royal Uncle, I do not know why either. Lately, my head has always felt muddled, as though I were having hallucinations..."

Bi Gan deeply admired this Great King. Zhou Wang had not been on the throne long, yet he had implemented the New Policy, making Great Shang prosperous and its people strong. He truly counted as an enlightened ruler.

"Should we summon the imperial physicians to examine you?"

Zhou Wang shook his head. "Royal Uncle, I have the strength to bear beams and replace pillars, as well as some divine abilities. There is nothing wrong with my body. I simply feel mentally exhausted, likely due to having worked too hard lately."

Bi Gan sighed. "Alas, Great King, you have worked far too hard. I have heard that you have not visited the harem for a long time. Though Great Shang already has royal heirs, when the Late Emperor entrusted the orphan to us, he told us to expand Great Shang's royal line. How about... taking several more imperial consorts?"

Zhou Wang waved his hand. "I have no interest in lingering in the harem. The feudal lords are restless, and the Eastern Barbarians repeatedly harass our borders. Those barbarians—sooner or later, I will cut them down beneath my horse's hooves!"

By the end, he was brimming with killing intent. Every autumn, the Eastern Barbarians would disrupt the frontier, seize grain, and murder people. Meanwhile, the feudal lords in every region paid lip service while defying orders, unwilling to deploy their own troops. One matter after another gave Zhou Wang a terrible headache. It seemed the New Policy had to be implemented without delay. Only by holding all authority beneath Heaven in his hands was there a proper path forward.

Bi Gan nodded. "Though campaigning against the barbarians is a matter of national importance, producing heirs is equally important. Leave this matter... to this old minister."

Zhou Wang waved his hand. "Do as you wish, Royal Uncle."

After Bi Gan returned, at the next morning's court session, Zhou Wang wore a white dragon robe (its exact color is unclear, as there are no records; however, Great Zhou possessed the virtue of fire and promoted red dragon robes, so by this reasoning, Great Shang should have possessed the virtue of metal, whose color was white) and a crown with hanging jade beads. Looking down at those below, he said, "Under my New Policy, many have refused to carry out government orders. They must be executed."

After those killing words were spoken, everyone below fell silent as cicadas in winter. Had the Great King become enraged?

"Mu Hua of Chongye, guardian of Nanmu, has refused to carry out government orders. Guards, tear him apart with chariots!"

The palace guards below had long since received the Great King's order. Upon hearing the command, they immediately pressed a man in his forties from the back onto the ground.

"Spare me, Great King! Spare me, Great King!"

Mu Hua knelt on the ground and begged without stop.

Seeing this, none of the other ministers dared plead for Mu Hua. "Drag him away!"

Outside the Noon Gate, five carriages had already been prepared. After Mu Hua was bound, he was torn into several pieces by the chariots.

At this moment, Zhou Wang said, "This shall be the fate of those who obstruct the New Policy."

"Great King, you are wise..."

The ministers all fell to their knees.

At this moment, Bi Gan stepped forward and said, "Great King has not entered the harem for some time and has toiled for state affairs, filling us ministers with guilt... Do any of you have candidates who could relieve the Great King's worries?"

The moment these words were spoken, Zhou Wang frowned and shook his head. This old Royal Uncle truly was something else. Why did he have to bring up this matter? How could he be in the mood for it?

Yet he could not say anything else. After all, Bi Gan was his old Royal Uncle, and he still had to give him this respect.

Everyone was slightly stunned. They knew what kind of man Zhou Wang was. Though he had a harem, he did not indulge in it. It could even be said that he rarely visited the harem.

Quite a few people immediately understood and began speaking up.

"Great King, I have a daughter of sixteen, radiant and fair-toothed, whom I may offer to you..."

"Great King, there are two women in my household, both of whom are..."

Everyone below felt this was a good opportunity. They all stepped forward, declaring how beautiful the girls in their families were and how lovely their nieces were!

Zhou Wang stared blankly at the ministers below, who were arguing until their faces were red. In truth, he understood their intentions. They wanted nothing more than to become related to him by marriage and consolidate their positions.

But did they have no shame at all?

Some of them were so ugly. With faces like theirs, could they really produce beautiful daughters?

Even if their daughters were pretty, they had probably been born from their wives cheating on them, hadn't they?

Zhou Wang grew increasingly irritated as he listened. "Enough! We shall discuss this another day!"

He slapped the table, and everyone below shuddered in fright, not daring to say another word.