I, Huang Feihu, Would Brave Boiling Water and Raging Fire for Great Shang for Generations!

"King of Wucheng."

Huang Feihu stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Your subject is here."

Zi Shou said, "You have rendered meritorious service. How about I appoint you Grand General? As long as you quell rebellions and slay my enemies, I will guarantee wealth and glory for your family for generations."

Huang Feihu replied tremulously, "Your Majesty, I already am."

Zi Shou waved a hand. "No matter. Then I shall grant you the additional title of King of Wucheng Who Guards the Nation, hereditary in perpetuity. How does that sound?"

Huang Feihu said apprehensively, "Your Majesty, you have already granted me that title too."

Zi Shou laughed heartily. "You have them all? Then why aren't you thanking me already?"

Huang Feihu cupped his hands and knelt. "Your subject-thanks Your Majesty for your grace!"

What reason was there not to thank him? It was all too obvious!

He had just addressed him as the King of Wucheng, yet spoke of appointing him Grand General and granting him the title of King of Wucheng. Did His Majesty not know? Could he really be that foolish?

Of course not.

He was plainly saying that Huang Feihu had already reached the point where no further honors could be bestowed upon him!

Zi Shou suddenly added, "Commander Kong has been transferred to the North Sea, leaving the post of Defending General of the South Gate vacant. Would the King of Wucheng be willing to ease my burdens and guard Chaoge's South Gate?"

The final blow had fallen!

For some reason, however, Huang Feihu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was neither being dismissed nor sidelined. Although the South Gate Defending General held little authority, he still commanded troops. His military command had not been stripped away, which meant King Zhou was giving him a period of observation.

As long as he performed well, he would be employed again in the future. When it came to warfare, Huang Feihu was confident that few at court could match him. Given an opportunity, he could rise again. There was nothing wrong with taking a brief respite to demonstrate his loyalty.

And so, smiling more brightly than the April sun, he cupped his hands, knelt, and bowed three times. "I, Huang Feihu, would brave boiling water and raging fire for Great Shang for generations!"

For a moment, his true feelings poured forth.

This...

Zi Shou was dumbfounded. Was this man an idiot?

I not only made a mockery of you, I demoted you too, and you're this happy?

If I had you beheaded right here in court, would you leap up and dance a yangge for me?

The assembled officials were still stunned by King Zhou's earlier exchange with Huang Feihu. What kind of utterly baffling maneuver was this?

But after hearing King Zhou demote Huang Feihu, they froze for a moment before gradually catching on.

The Huang family wielded enormous influence, and its achievements overshadowed the sovereign.

Putting themselves in his shoes, they could all understand King Zhou's actions.

And on closer consideration, what had Huang Feihu done?

He had transferred Kong Xuan into Fei Lian's army to suppress the rebellion without consulting King Zhou.

The post of South Gate Defending General was neither particularly high nor particularly low, but it involved guarding Chaoge City's gate—the capital's first line of defense.

If Huang Feihu could transfer its commander away so easily, wouldn't that mean Chaoge's gates would stand wide open if he wished to rebel or collude with the enemy?

How could King Zhou's mention of this matter have been intended as a reward?

He clearly meant to punish him! Even severe punishment and dismissal would not have been excessive.

At this thought, the officials could not help marveling at King Zhou's mercy.

Despite Huang Feihu's immense authority, he had merely demoted him as a warning. On the surface, it was even a "reward," allowing this powerful King of Wucheng to retain his dignity.

No wonder the King of Wucheng was moved to tears of gratitude. This was an immense act of grace.

The civil and military officials all bowed in admiration.

What did I do?

Zi Shou felt that he had performed quite well. The rewards he had granted Huang Feihu were riddled with problems.

What sense did it make to appoint a serving Grand General as Grand General, or grant the King of Wucheng Who Guards the Nation the title of King of Wucheng Who Guards the Nation?

That was clearly the behavior of a foolish ruler!

Not to mention calling a demotion a reward afterward. It was so outrageous, so humiliating, yet not one official objected?

Not a single one did.

Zi Shou could not understand it, but he was happy to have demoted Huang Feihu.

You won't be able to sneakily transfer Kong Xuan away again during the next rebellion, will you?

Zi Shou worked it out. In another six months or so, the various Feudal Lords should finish selecting maidens and come to Chaoge to pay homage.

When the time came, he would have Su Hu present Daji. Su Hu would then curse him as a foolish, immoral ruler, inscribe the Rebel Poem, and finally rebel in a fit of rage.

Although that rebellion had failed in the novel, Zi Shou had plenty of ways to help him succeed and carve out his own territory. Then Su Hu could curse him every day and spread his wicked reputation throughout his domain, steadily increasing his foolishness value.

But that seemed to mean he would not be able to bring Daji into the Imperial Harem. What a pity!

If the other selected maidens were not as beautiful as Daji, how was he supposed to wallow in the beauties of the Imperial Harem?

That was another problem.

After some thought, Zi Shou decided to dismiss court. Future matters could wait until the future.

Several months later, the New Year approached.

Over those months, Zi Shou dared not meddle recklessly. He obediently waited for the various Feudal Lords to pay homage, intending to use Su Hu's rebellion against Shang to cement his reputation as a foolish ruler, lest more tinkering get him mistaken for an enlightened sovereign again.

Aside from continuing to train the Royal Guards in the Overlord Step, he occasionally visited the Imperial Harem to get better acquainted with his consorts.

Every one of them was a stunning beauty whose looks could hold their own. Being able to look but not partake was terribly frustrating, and they were legally married to begin with.

Unfamiliar or not, they could slowly get to know each other. He needed a backup plan in case Daji could not enter the palace.

Whether it was Queen Jiang, Consort Huang of the Western Palace, or Consort Yang of Qingqing Palace, once he had gotten to know them, he gradually became able to interact with them normally.

When Huang Feihu, now guarding the gate, heard the news, he worked even harder. The moment I was demoted, His Majesty began favoring Consort Huang. The Huang family is heading in the right direction!

Huang Feihu even personally carried a lantern on nighttime patrols of the gate, leaving the Defending Generals of the other three gates grumbling incessantly. Why did he have to be so zealous about guarding a gate? Raising the standards made everyone suffer. Couldn't they all just coast together?

But they only dared complain inwardly. Although Huang Feihu had been demoted, he was still the King of Wucheng Who Guards the Nation. Who knew when he might be promoted back? He was not someone they could afford to offend.

With no other choice, they followed his example, getting up at night and carrying lanterns to patrol their gates. They actually caught quite a few petty criminals, and order in Chaoge City improved day by day, earning considerable praise from the common people.

After Zi Shou learned of this, he could only grumble inwardly like the Defending Generals of the other three gates. Huang Feihu was practically setting himself against him.

But what could he do? He had already demoted the man. Surely he couldn't drag him outside and have him beheaded? What if the execution unearthed something and it turned out Huang Feihu really was planning a rebellion?

Then it would surely become proof that His Majesty was wise and could foresee the future.

After all, in Investiture of the Gods, Huang Feihu really had betrayed Great Shang, transforming from Yin Shang's King of Wucheng Who Guards the Nation into Western Zhou's founding King of Wucheng. He had a criminal record!

Because he dared not act rashly, Zi Shou's foolishness value barely increased. He only occasionally slept in and skipped court, or sent Royal Guards who had mastered the Overlord Step out of the palace to wander around. It took nearly half a year to save up enough for a single Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

For a while after taking the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, he experienced the thrill of cultivating immortality: ten minutes at court, an hour on the privy. The smell could be detected even inside the Nine-Chamber Hall.

The officials were deeply concerned. King Zhou had once been a mighty man capable of holding up a beam while replacing a pillar. Surely his recent diligence in governance and exhausting mental exertions had weakened his body.

After that, his inability to get out of bed and attend court seemed perfectly reasonable.

An enlightened ruler was a rare blessing. Naturally, his health came first. Minor matters could be handled by them, the senior ministers, to ease their sovereign's burdens.

Zi Shou felt that this was no life for a human being. A single day without being a foolish ruler left him uncomfortable all over.

He had no idea how long remained before the investiture of the gods, but his foolishness value had made virtually no progress in half a year. At this rate, he might not succeed in cultivating immortality even after another decade or more. If he couldn't punch the Three Pure Ones and kick Hongjun, wouldn't he be doomed to burn to death on the Deer Terrace?

He had to find a way to make the Feudal Lords come pay homage early.

Please send recommendation votes and tips.