When the Crow Army bound Chong Heihu, cheers erupted throughout Ji Province City. Su Hu alone looked troubled.
He understood the stakes. Capturing a general or two would be one thing, but Chong Heihu was the brother of the Northern Marquis, one of the Four Great Vassals.
If they made an enemy of him, Chaoge aside, the north would never let the matter rest.
They were all vassals, and Chong Houhu was one of the Four Great Vassals. Su Hu had to be wary of him; he did not want matters to turn irreparable.
A group of men shoved Chong Heihu into the hall.
"Kneel!"
Someone barked the order, but Chong Heihu remained standing.
Su Hu waved a hand. "Leave us."
Once they were alone, Su Hu personally untied his ropes, then bowed. "My lord, I have wronged you."
Chong Heihu snorted. "Su Hu, why put on this act? Do you not know you have committed an unpardonable crime?"
Su Hu sighed. "How could I not know, my lord? It is just that, some time ago... Zhou Wang sought to take my daughter by force..."
"Spare me. Do you think I do not know what happened? Su Hu, you have long harbored thoughts of rebellion. You are merely looking for an excuse. You thought Western Qi's mighty forces meant you need not fear the Great King. Hah."
Chong Heihu sneered. Zhou Wang had recounted every word of their exchange that day, and Chong Heihu had understood: Su Hu had likely intended to rebel for some time. Now he merely regretted it. That old rogue Su Hu had a mind as deep as a well.
"Brother..."
The familiar address brought back the old days. They had once gotten along well enough to swear brotherhood, but now...
Remembering their former bond, Chong Heihu felt a pang of melancholy. "Elder brother, hear me out. Send your daughter to Chaoge. Would it not be splendid to become kin to the royal family?"
"Well..."
Su Hu hesitated, then suddenly thought of something. "Someone, bring tea and food."
Before long, wine and dishes arrived. "Wait here a little while, brother. Eat something first."
Before Chong Heihu could respond, Su Hu had left.
In the Inner Hall, Su Hu bowed abruptly. "Immortal masters, I am truly at a loss. I beg you to show me a way forward. Quanzhong has already been captured. Though Ji Province narrowly won one battle, I know our city will fall any day now. Otherwise, I can only kill my wife and daughter, then fall on my sword to preserve my good name."
Zhu Wushuang and Xiang Wuchen exchanged glances. "Marquis, why go so far? What exactly happened?"
Only three parts of what Su Hu had said were true; the other seven were false. He hoped to use those words to pressure the two fellow disciples.
But his scheme had gone astray. Someone had foreseen all this long ago.
Su Hu gave them a brief account.
Xiang Wuchen said evenly, "Though we cultivate in the mountains, we understand affairs of the Mortal World. As the saying goes, 'To the shores of the land, all are the king's subjects; beneath the whole of heaven, all is the king's realm.' Your rank may be exalted, Marquis, but you are still a subject of Great Shang. Such defiance is neither benevolent nor righteous. Besides, Da Ji understands what is at stake. What reason do you have to refuse?"
Zhu Wushuang sneered inwardly. Su Hu truly was shameless. Just moments ago, he had hoped to use the two of them against Great Shang. Unfortunately for him, he had reckoned wrong.
"So... even the immortal masters see it that way. Very well!"
He returned to the front hall. "Brother, I was wrong about this..."
"Ah, if only you had seen sense sooner, elder brother. Why provoke the Human Emperor's wrath? I have a plan and will make sure you are not implicated. But your daughter should reach Chaoge as soon as possible."
"Of course..."
Chong Heihu was released that night, and Su Quanzhong returned as well.
Su Hu had made his decision. In the Inner Hall, Da Ji chatted with Zhu Wushuang and Xiang Wuchen. "Sisters, try this Hundred Flowers Wine. I brewed it myself. It has a light, elegant flavor."
"Da Ji, you truly have clever hands. Do you understand what we told you?"
"I do. The Human Emperor is supreme among the Human Race. If I enter the palace, I will urge the Great King to put affairs of state first and never let him neglect the court."
"Exactly."
After finishing her second bowl of rice, Zhu Wushuang patted her stomach. "Also, find a chance to bring us into the palace. The three of us can look after one another. Senior Sister Xiang, I hear cultivating beside the Human Emperor brings many benefits?"
"Of course. As the Human Emperor, he bears the imperial aura of nine dragons. It can speed our cultivation."
"Ah, what a pity we cannot cultivate on that senior's Immortal Mountain. Give me eight hundred or a thousand years there, and I might break through to the Golden Immortal realm."
"Enough, enough. Do not be greedy. That senior already gave us..."
Zhu Wushuang nodded.
Three days later, Da Ji set out for Chaoge.
The moment Zhou Wang saw her, he froze. "How can she look so alike?"
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Da Ji looked exactly like Nüwa's sacred statue. The resemblance had lodged in his heart like an obsession.
It truly...
It truly left Zhou Wang speechless.
"Good, good, good! Su Hu, Marquis of Ji Province, shall henceforth be the State Father. Choose a site in Chaoge and build the State Father Manor!"
That night, Zhou Wang took Da Ji to his bed. Her beauty stirred him so deeply that he no longer wanted to attend to court affairs.
"Great King... it is the fourth watch. Time to rise," a palace attendant said softly.
"Great King..."
No response?
It was the attendant's duty to wake Zhou Wang, and he dared not neglect it.
"Great King, time to rise!" He raised his voice a little.
Zhou Wang woke groggily, his displeasure rising. "I am unwell today. Court is canceled for the day."
The attendant was startled. "Great King, shall I summon the royal physician?"
"No need!" Zhou Wang sounded impatient.
Just then, Da Ji woke. Hearing their exchange, she began to weep softly, tears falling like rain on pear blossoms. Zhou Wang was alarmed. "My beauty, what is wrong? Who has mistreated you?"
"The Great King has mistreated me..."
Zhou Wang: ...
"When have I mistreated you?"
"Great King, do you want the whole world to spit on me?"
Zhou Wang flew into a rage. "Who dares? I will kill him!"
"Great King, I have only just entered the palace. If you do not attend court, people will say I have bewitched you, and the whole world will revile me. Would that not make me a sinner condemned for a thousand years?"
Da Ji's words stopped Zhou Wang short.
"Great King, if you truly care for me, attend court and see to the affairs of state. I do not wish to be reviled by all under heaven."
"Well... very well. Someone! Dress me."
Zhou Wang was exceedingly reluctant, but there was nothing he could do. Da Ji had dragged him out of bed.
And attending court was not enough. He had to handle its affairs properly, too?
That day, Zhou Wang attended to state affairs even more diligently than usual.
Da Ji breathed a sigh of relief. She had not let her two sisters' kindness go to waste.
The days flew by. In the blink of an eye, Da Ji had been in the palace for a month, and Zhou Wang had spent it in equal parts misery and bliss.
He was exhausted to death every day, yet the more worn out he was, the happier Da Ji seemed. When his beauty was happy, so was he. She also forbade nightly revelry: there had to be proper hours, and he had to share his favor equally throughout the palace...
Everyone in the harem thought well of Da Ji.