Deep within Zhaoge City's palace, in a bedchamber shrouded in mist, King Zhou sat alone before his desk, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingertips. A trace of barely perceptible relief lay hidden in his eyes.
News had arrived from Sanshan Pass: Kong Xuan had rescued Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, and the two princes were safe and sound. At last, the burden that had weighed on his heart for so long was completely lifted.
As long as his two children were safe, he could continue performing his part in Zhaoge City without worry.
Trembling soldiers reported from outside the hall, each one bringing news of their failed attempts to capture the princes.
King Zhou suddenly raised his eyes, and his entire bearing changed. The calm expression he had worn was instantly replaced by fury.
He slammed his palm onto the desk and rose to his feet, bellowing so loudly that even the hall's beams and pillars trembled faintly.
"Bunch of useless trash! You could not even catch two children! What use are you? Drag them away and give them a severe beating!"
His eyes were wide with rage, his beard and hair stirring slightly. He looked utterly violent, stripped of a king's usual composure, more like a tyrant provoked into a frenzy.
The attendants trembled in terror, not daring even to raise their heads. They believed their king had truly been blinded by rage, unaware that all this fury was merely King Zhou's deliberate disguise.
From that day onward, King Zhou's temperament became increasingly erratic. He hid in his bedchamber all day, no longer attending court or concerning himself with affairs of state.
Daji dressed herself with great care and brought Hu Ximei and Lady Wang with her, flattering him at his side day after day. They sang softly,