"Report! Seven lords in the Eastern Region have openly rebelled!"
"Report! Six lords in the Southern Region have openly rebelled!"
"Report! Eight lords in the Western Region have openly rebelled!"
"Report! Zhang Guifang has been defeated. The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea have seized the opportunity to capture cities and territory!"
In a short span of time, reports of lords rebelling kept pouring in, forcing Zi Shou to convene a court assembly at once.
"Ministers, the lords across the realm have rebelled. How do you think we should deal with this?" Zi Shou asked.
His expression gave nothing away. No one could tell what he was really feeling.
The ministers all looked solemn. Faced with so many rebellious lords, none of them could remain calm.
In a single day, lords had rebelled in the east, south, west, and north. Great Shang was engulfed in turmoil, and the situation had grown dire.
Everyone understood that, given such a grave situation, the slightest misstep could bring down Great Shang.
"Your Majesty, the lords' rebellion is no coincidence. It is all because of Your Majesty's Three-Year Development Plan!" Shang Rong said.
He had warned the King long ago that if he insisted on his own course, the whole realm would rise against him.
And now? In just a few days, so many lords had rebelled.
And this was only the beginning. The other lords had yet to rebel, but they were all watching Great Shang's every move.
If Great Shang failed to handle this matter properly, it would not be long before every lord in the realm rebelled.
"How do you think we should deal with this?" Zi Shou asked, his expression impassive.
The rebellion of the lords had been within his expectations, so there was nothing surprising about it.
Moreover, though lords had rebelled in the east, south, and west, they were all minor lords.
There was no need to send out a great army to suppress them. A single order would be enough for Great Shang's local generals to wipe them out.
But the situation in the North Sea was serious. These were no minor lords—they were the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.
This was an exceedingly grave matter, and the reason the ministers were so alarmed!
Did the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea matter?
Of course they mattered! Otherwise, Grand Tutor Wen would not have personally led an army to suppress them.
At his insistence, Grand Tutor Wen had returned to court, but the campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had not been called off.
Zhang Guifang had taken his place. He was a veteran commander with exceptional ability.
But now Zhang Guifang had been defeated in the North Sea, and the Seventy-Two Route Lords were sweeping across Great Shang's northern territories. No one could stop them!
If this matter was not dealt with quickly, the Seventy-Two Route Lords could capture cities and territory, and potentially shake Great Shang to its foundations.
"Your Majesty, this old minister still believes the Three-Year Development Plan is too radical. If Your Majesty would revoke the decree, it would surely have a remarkable effect!" Shang Rong said.
The meaning was clear. He had nearly come out and said that the lords' rebellions were all caused by the King's Three-Year Development Plan.
The way to turn the situation around was simple: abolish the Three-Year Development Plan.
Shang Rong was not alone in thinking this way. Many ministers immediately stepped forward to support him.
"The Three-Year Development Plan will not be changed. I'm asking how to resolve the problem before us, not whether we should change course!" Zi Shou said gravely.
He had warned Shang Rong repeatedly, yet the man still didn't know when to stop. Did Shang Rong really not understand what he was thinking?
If he had been so wary of the consequences, why would he have introduced the Three-Year Development Plan?
If he could have taken things slowly, why would he have chosen such a radical approach?
"Your Majesty, lords have already rebelled. If you still refuse to admit your mistake, the realm will only descend into chaos!" Shang Rong said mournfully.
Even at a time like this, the King remained so stubborn. This was completely unlike what Shang Rong had expected.
In his despair, he couldn't help worrying: if the King refused to change his ways, what would become of him?
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, the realm won't fall into chaos!" Zi Shou said firmly.
He glanced at Shang Rong again. He understood the man's intentions perfectly, which was all the more reason he couldn't agree.
"Your Majesty, put your mind at ease! This old minister is willing to go to the North Sea. I can surely suppress the Seventy-Two Route Lords!" Grand Tutor Wen Zhong said, stepping forward.
Everyone's eyes turned to Wen Zhong. Quite a few ministers breathed a sigh of relief.
In their eyes, with Grand Tutor Wen Zhong leading the campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords, victory was assured.
"If the Grand Tutor goes in person, I would naturally be at ease. But I will lead the expedition myself!" Zi Shou declared.
The moment he spoke, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone stared at him, dumbstruck.
What was going on?
Aside from the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, lords had also rebelled in the east, south, and west.
If the King personally led an expedition to the North Sea, what would happen to the other rebellious lords?
Besides, the moment the King left on his expedition, even more lords might rebel.
"With this old minister here, why must Your Majesty lead the expedition in person?" Grand Tutor Wen Zhong said gravely.
Even he hesitated. In the current circumstances, the safest choice was for the King to remain in Zhaoge and hold court.
The other ministers also came forward to remonstrate. No matter what, they refused to agree to the King leading the expedition.
"My mind is made up. Say no more! As for the lords who have already rebelled, have the Four Lords each go and suppress the rebels in their own regions!
"Also, summon the Chen Tang Pass General and the San Shan Pass General to Zhaoge. They will join me on this expedition!" Zi Shou said.
After saying this, he paid no heed to the ministers' reactions and turned to leave.
The decision to lead the expedition had been made. He was the King of Great Shang, and if he was truly determined, no one could stop him.
Of course, he knew how dangerous it was to lead the expedition himself. But the rewards outweighed the risks.
If he didn't lead the expedition himself, how could the lords who were still watching decide to rebel?
If he didn't lead the expedition himself, how would the deities within Great Shang dare to show themselves and stir up trouble?
Besides, there was clearly more than met the eye behind the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.
The Canonization of the Gods was already set in motion. He had little time to waste. Risking everything in one throw was his only choice.
"At last, the Luck Torch has finished transforming!"
As soon as he returned to his chambers, Zi Shou sensed a change in the Luck Torch. His face lit up with delight.
He hurried into the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors. For him, the moment of a great harvest had finally arrived.
Inside the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors, the Luck Torch blazed fiercely. It had grown to the size of two fists.
That clearly meant his own luck had nearly doubled during this period.
The Luck Flame was now pulsing violently, as though something was about to emerge.
As Zi Shou watched, the Luck Flame continued to writhe until, with a thunderous boom, it burst apart.
A clear phoenix cry rang out. The Phoenix was reborn through fire, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky.
The Luck Flame was no longer a mass of fire. It had become a Phoenix, one wreathed in black flames.
"The Mysterious Bird descended from Heaven, and Shang was born!" Zi Shou murmured.
He was no stranger to the Phoenix wreathed in black flames. It had appeared around him once before.
In that case, it made sense that the Luck Torch had ultimately transformed into this.
The last time he saw the Phoenix wreathed in black flames, he had already suspected something.
According to later legends, there was always the saying: "The Mysterious Bird descended from Heaven, and Shang was born."
The Mysterious Bird was black, and it certainly seemed to mean the same thing as the Phoenix now wreathed in black flames.
The luck gathered around him was both the luck of the Human Race and the luck of Great Shang. The two were one and the same.
Now that the Luck Flame had transformed into a Phoenix wreathed in black flames, it was clear that the saying held some truth.
Whatever the Mysterious Bird was, it was closely tied to Great Shang. He already had some guesses of his own.
But he didn't dwell on it. Whatever form the Luck Flame took was unimportant.
What mattered was that the Luck Flame had transformed, and the Luck Torch had reached a new level.
The possibility of opening the Second Layer of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors. The chance to draw a Myriad Heavens Treasure.
Both were of the utmost importance to him!
Especially during this transformation of the Human Race, the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors was his greatest trump card.
He didn't draw a Myriad Heavens Treasure right away. After the Luck Torch transformed, he headed for the Second Layer of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors.
A towering gate stood before him. He reached out with both hands and gave it a gentle push. The doors swung open.
The scene was familiar: row upon row of towering statues stood in the hall, each emanating an awe-inspiring aura.
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