Several days later, when Senior Grandee Mei Bo, Prime Minister Shang Rong, Second Minister Bi Gan, and the others approached Fei Zhong to request an audience with King Zhou, Fei Zhong agreed.
His agreement was of little use, however. He merely said, "The Son of Heaven has sunk into wine and women and neglected affairs of state. This portends great turmoil. As ministers, you gentlemen have a duty to uphold righteousness, whether advancing or withdrawing. A sovereign must have ministers who remonstrate with him, and all of us bear that responsibility. Why not ring the bells and beat the drums today, gather the civil and military officials, and invite His Majesty to court? Let each present his concerns and remonstrate with all his strength. Only then will we uphold the obligations between sovereign and subject."
Shang Rong looked thoughtful. He had long since realized that King Zhou's recent debauchery and misrule were only a facade, intended to lure those restless traitors into rebellion.
Fei Zhong was King Zhou's mouthpiece. Judging by the signal he had conveyed, the time must have come.
Thus, Shang Rong said, "Grandee Fei speaks reason."
Bi Gan's expression turned somewhat strange as he recalled Zi Qi and the Late King's Edict. Had King Zhou still been the wise ruler he once was, Bi Gan would never have been willing to help Zi Qi. But now that King Zhou had sunk into wine, women, and unbridled debauchery...
Alas.
He thought no further. Together, Shang Rong and Bi Gan instructed the official overseeing the hall, "Ring the bells and beat the drums. Invite His Majesty to court."
Zi Shou was playing Go in Shouxian Palace.
Even in the Imperial Harem, he could hardly spend all day in bed. He still needed other forms of entertainment.
Zi Shou had originally intended to play cards, but making a deck was too much trouble, so he had switched to Go.
When he tired of Go, he could always play five-in-a-row.
His opponent was Consort Huang of the Western Palace, while Queen Jiang and Daji watched from the side.
Anyone with eyes could see that Zi Shou was about to lose. Noble Consort Huang's white stones already occupied eighty or ninety percent of the board.
Just then, bells and drums rang out in the great hall, and the attendants reported to Zi Shou, "Your Majesty, please attend court."
Zi Shou had been agonizing over how to escape. He had cobbled together the game of Go himself, but he really was not very good at it. Once these women had worked out its rules, each played better than the last. Only Queen Jiang had the grace to lose a few games deliberately. Even Daji showed him no mercy.
Noble Consort Huang was the most ruthless. Without a thought for their affection in bed, she struck viciously with every move. Every time Zi Shou thought his great dragon of stones was taking shape, she wiped it out in just two or three moves.
She was probably resentful that he had transferred Huang Feihu to the North Sea. But he had no choice! Your Huang family keeps working against me.
"We shall count this game as a draw. Rest here for now, my beauties. I will return once court is over." Zi Shou tossed down his stone and hurried off to the hall. Losing this badly was humiliating!
Whatever remonstrations the ministers might offer no longer mattered. The Beacon Tower would be finished within the next few days anyway. Once it was done, he would take Daji there and light beacon fires to make fools of the feudal lords. His status as a fatuous ruler would be firmly established, and the ministers would be unable to stir up any waves. Even if Yun Zhongzi came, he would only deliver a wooden sword. Zi Shou could simply chop it up for firewood.
Noble Consort Huang puffed out her cheeks like a child. She had clearly been about to win. How could he possibly call it a draw?
But the ministers had already beaten the drums and rung the bells. She could not keep him here.
Queen Jiang watched Zi Shou's retreating back with some concern.
Daji stepped forward and asked, "Sister, are you worried that the ministers will fail to understand His Majesty's intentions?"
Queen Jiang nodded. At first, neither she nor Noble Consort Huang had known the truth, and they had mistakenly believed that King Zhou had genuinely sunk into wine and women. Fortunately, Daji had later explained to them that it was all a stratagem. Only then had they felt at ease enough to sit here playing Go. But the ministers did not understand. They probably all thought King Zhou had truly become a fatuous ruler.
"What is there to worry about? He will not even admit to losing a game. Would he be afraid of the ministers' frank admonitions? If you ask me, he finds them sweet as honey." Noble Consort Huang rose to her feet. A tiger's daughter from a military household, she was decidedly bold and fierce. Unlike Daji's alluring beauty or Queen Jiang's dignified elegance, she possessed an extra measure of heroic spirit.
She was right about that. Zi Shou really did wish every civil and military official at court would point straight at his nose and berate him.
"You are mistaken there, Sister." Daji smiled softly, picked up a black stone from the floor, and placed it on the board. "Would you take another look?"
Noble Consort Huang looked and saw that the black stones had suddenly come alive across the entire board. If the game continued, the white stones would undoubtedly lose.
Daji pointed at the board. "His Majesty calculated everything long ago. Within the next few days, he will make his final move. The treacherous ministers and rebels have already entered the board, and His Majesty is the one placing the stones."
"You are clever, Sister. No wonder you have won His Majesty's affection." Admiration stirred in Queen Jiang's heart. Among the consorts of the Three Palaces, only Daji could fathom King Zhou's thoughts.
She felt no jealousy. Daji possessed an orchid's heart and a fragrant herb's spirit. Though deeply favored by King Zhou, she understood the distinctions of age and rank. She never spoke out of turn or behaved arrogantly. Besides, the Imperial Harem needed such an understanding consort.
"Not at all." Daji shook her head. "You are virtuous and gracious, Sister, and you preside over the Imperial Harem. I still have much to learn from you."
Leaving the affairs of the Imperial Harem aside, Zi Shou had already entered the Nine-Bay Hall.
Bi Gan stepped forward, prostrated himself, and reported, "Your Majesty, why have you stayed away from court for so many days, sitting in the depths of the palace and making no effort to set the government in order? Someone at your side must be clouding your sagely judgment. I beg Your Majesty to place affairs of state first, firmly abandon your former course, cast aside slanderers and distance yourself from sensual pleasures, attend diligently to government, and show compassion for the people. Then Heaven will favor us, the nation will prosper, the people will flourish, all under Heaven will enjoy peace, and the four seas will receive boundless blessings."
Zi Shou sighed inwardly. Bi Gan was still far too tactful. Why not simply say there was a demon in the Imperial Harem and King Zhou was a fatuous, immoral ruler?
To establish his image as a foolish ruler, Zi Shou raised an eyebrow and said, "I have heard that the four seas are at peace and the people content in their livelihoods. Only Jizhou has defied my commands, but with Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong there, it is no cause for concern. Your words are excellent, Second Minister. How could I not understand them? But the Prime Minister handles all the court's affairs on my behalf. Surely that is sufficient."
Hearing this, Bi Gan felt even more disappointed. What sort of words were these?
Perhaps Zi Qi would make a better king.
Shang Rong remained silent. All of this was part of the stratagem.
Chong Houhu also stood to one side, watching the amusement. Taking this as their cue, the traitors at court would mistake King Zhou for a fatuous ruler and inevitably rebel. When that happened, Chaoge might suffer the flames of war. Where would be a good place for him to hide?
While sovereign and ministers discussed affairs of state, the Meridian Gate official reported, "A cultivator from Mount Zhongnan, calling himself Yun Zhongzi, requests an audience with Your Majesty. He has a confidential matter of great importance and did not dare enter court without permission. He awaits Your Majesty's decision."
Here he comes, here he comes. The ministers rang the bells and beat the drums to see me because they wanted to bring out Yun Zhongzi and have him eliminate the demon.
Judging by the rumors in the streets, everyone thought that once the demonic consort was removed, King Zhou would become a wise ruler again.
What a joke. Would I let you get rid of Daji? Would I become a wise ruler?
Zi Shou had already thought it through. He had to confront Yun Zhongzi head-on and show the ministers his unyielding attitude.
He had to make them understand that King Zhou really was a fatuous ruler-the utterly incurable kind.
Moreover, if he humiliated Yun Zhongzi this time, the people of Chaoge City who trusted Yun Zhongzi implicitly would surely become disappointed in him as well.
I am determined to be a fatuous ruler!
Thus, Zi Shou said, "Summon him!"
Yun Zhongzi entered the Meridian Gate, crossed the Nine-Dragon Bridge, and proceeded along the broad avenue. In flowing robes with wide sleeves, a fly-whisk in hand, he approached with slow, ethereal steps.
Carrying a flower basket in his left hand and holding his fly-whisk in his right, he approached the eaves. Even some courtiers who had never seen Yun Zhongzi were won over by his immortal bearing.
Yun Zhongzi held his fly-whisk and bowed in greeting. "Your Majesty, this humble Daoist, Yun Zhongzi, offers his respects."
Zi Shou narrowed his eyes. This fellow had stepped through the hall's doorway with his right foot first. Excellent. He would have to charge him with a crime.
"What crime should Yun Zhongzi be charged with for stepping through the hall's doorway with his right foot first?"
Even Zi Shou himself felt embarrassed hearing those words. Who had ever been convicted for which foot they stepped with?
Kings who punished people for their words were widely criticized. Punishing someone for his steps was certainly sheer madness.
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