Chapter Summaries

After transmigrating as King Zhou, Zi Shou received a system that rewarded foolish rule and decided to pursue it, but his first attempt at breaking court protocol was mistaken for evidence of enlightened leadership. He agreed to visit Nuwa Palace to offer incense, setting up the infamous poem that would offend the goddess.

• Zi Shou discovered the Foolish Emperor System, whose points could buy pills, artifacts, and people, and resolved to become a foolish emperor.
• Zi Shou dismissed court himself to violate protocol, but Shang Rong interpreted the breach as a promising sign of the king’s growing authority.
• Shang Rong asked Zi Shou to visit Nuwa Palace for Empress Nuwa’s birthday and offer incense.
• Zi Shou praised Nuwa’s deeds and explained that his visit would pray for peace and timely weather, impressing the officials with his apparent concern for the realm.
• Zi Shou realized his speech had made him seem enlightened, but he still issued a decree and rode with the officials to Nuwa Palace the next day.

Zi Shou visited Nuwa Palace and tried to compose a poem that would make him seem like a foolish ruler. His modified Ballad of Mulan instead moved the officials to praise him as wise.

• Zi Shou rode to Nuwa Palace with Huang Feihu and the officials, then pretended to be captivated by Nuwa's statue.
• When Shang Rong urged him not to write a poem, Zi Shou insisted and struggled to invent suitable verses.
• Zi Shou wrote a modified Ballad of Mulan that portrayed King Zhou as a heartless and foolish ruler.
• The officials interpreted the poem as praising Mulan and comparing her deeds to Nuwa's salvation of the world.
• Shang Rong praised Zi Shou's devotion, and the officials cried out, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Nuwa was moved by King Zhou’s poem about Mulan and tried to preserve his remaining fortune by ordering the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb to guide him toward righteousness. Meanwhile, Zi Shou trained his Royal Guards and recalled Grand Tutor Wen from the North Sea rebellion, choosing a new commander from among the civil officials.

• Nuwa admired Zi Shou’s poem, judged him a wise ruler, and learned that he had twenty-eight years of fortune remaining.
• Nuwa summoned the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb and ordered them to enter Zi Shou’s palace and guide him toward righteousness.
• Zi Shou trained three hundred Royal Guards and received ten points of foolishness value for his recent absences from court.
• At court, Zi Shou learned that Grand Tutor Wen had made little progress against Yuan Futong and the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.
• Zi Shou overruled the ministers, issued twelve Golden Order Tablets to recall Grand Tutor Wen, and selected a thin, shriveled civil official to replace him.

Zi Shou tried to appear like a foolish, pleasure-seeking ruler by appointing Fei Lian to command the North Sea campaign and ordering a mass selection of consorts. His ministers instead praised his choices as wise, leaving him unable to provoke the outrage he wanted.

• Huang Feihu and Lu Xiong objected to Fei Lian replacing the Grand Tutor, but Zi Shou insisted and sent him to the North Sea with one hundred Royal Guards.
• Zi Shou prompted the ministers to discuss his poem at Nuwa Palace, and Fei Zhong interpreted it as praise for Fu Hao and a sign of Zi Shou's hopes for victory.
• The ministers praised Zi Shou's poem and accepted Fei Lian's appointment as wise, despite Zi Shou's hopes that they would criticize him.
• Zi Shou ordered the feudal lords of the Four Garrisons to select one hundred beautiful women apiece for the Imperial Harem.

Zi Shou abandoned his attempt to select beauties after Shang Rong and other ministers remonstrated, while privately resolving to weaken the court’s loyalist faction. At home, Shang Rong interpreted Zi Shou’s recent actions as a calculated bid to reclaim power and decided to change sides before it was too late.

• Shang Rong and several ministers opposed Zi Shou’s plan to select beauties, citing the North Sea rebellion and the people’s hardships.
• Zi Shou dropped the proposal and considered how he could weaken the loyal ministers without letting capable officials defeat the rebels.
• Shang Rong recalled how veteran ministers had helped Zi Shou take the throne and then restricted his authority while he tried to promote confidants.
• Shang Rong concluded that Zi Shou’s Nuwa Palace poem and his choice of Fei Lian as commander were deliberate moves to court the military faction and challenge the veteran ministers.
• Shang Rong realized he had opposed Zi Shou’s latest test, but resolved to change his allegiance and preserve his reputation.

Fei Lian learned that King Zhou had sent him to quell a demonic rebellion and recruited Kong Xuan to help him survive the campaign. At Wen Zhong’s camp, a message warned that the Investiture of the Gods had changed, and Wen Zhong prepared to welcome a great general.

• Fei Lian feared he had been made a sacrificial pawn, so he discussed the campaign and his survival with his sons E Lai and Ji Sheng.
• Ji Sheng persuaded Fei Lian to recruit Kong Xuan, the Daoist general guarding Chaoge City’s southern gate, and Fei Lian took him along without King Zhou’s knowledge.
• The chapter revealed that the North Sea was an ancient battlefield overrun by monsters and that many of Yuan Futong’s seventy-two rebel lords were powerful demons.
• Wen Zhong received an azure spirit talisman stating that the Investiture of the Gods had changed and that he should act according to circumstances.
• Wen Zhong calculated the situation and ordered his attendants to accompany him to welcome a great general.

Fei Lian’s army won a major battle against Yuan Futong’s North Sea rebels after Kong Xuan used the Five-Colored Divine Light to subdue their sorcerers and warriors. As Yuan Futong charged toward Fei Lian, Zi Shou’s personal guards overcame their fear and began to act.

• Fei Lian sent E Lai to battle Yuan Futong’s forces, and E Lai won the opening fight before the rebels refused further combat.
• Fei Lian led the army against a renewed rebel attack, but a Daoist restrained E Lai and the Shang Army began to retreat.
• Kong Xuan swept the battlefield with the Five-Colored Divine Light, freeing E Lai and turning the rebels’ cultivators into animals.
• E Lai and Fei Lian led the pursuit as the rebels fled, while Kong Xuan gathered the subdued monsters.
• A remnant of Chi You’s soul entered Yuan Futong, who charged toward Fei Lian’s position and frightened the ordinary soldiers.
• Zi Shou’s personal guards repeated that they were the sovereign’s guards and began overcoming their fear as Yuan Futong approached.

Yin Pobai and the Emperor’s Royal Guards fought Yuan Futong in the North Sea, where their sacrifice helped protect Fei Lian and Kong Xuan as Yuan was killed. Back in Chaoge, Zi Shou’s attempt to appear foolish by training the guards instead earned him the court’s praise after news of their victory arrived.

• Yin Pobai joined the Emperor’s Royal Guards’ charge against Yuan Futong and was wounded while helping shield his commanders.
• Kong Xuan brought down Yuan Futong, while Fei Lian watched the guards’ sacrifice and survived the battle.
• Wen Zhong and Huang Feihu urged Zi Shou to stop training the guards, but Zi Shou refused and continued seeking foolishness value.
• A messenger brought urgent news from the North Sea, and Zi Shou learned that Fei Lian had suppressed the rebellion and Yuan Futong had been beheaded.
• Wen Zhong read the report and praised the guards’ courage, prompting the court to acclaim Zi Shou’s wisdom.
• The messenger died, and Zi Shou darkened his expression as the imperial physician joined the officials’ praise.

After the North Sea rebellion was suppressed, Zi Shou tried to turn the victory to his advantage by planning a consort selection and the creation of palace eunuchs, hoping to earn a reputation as an incompetent ruler. When Fei Lian returned with the victorious army, Zi Shou began plotting how to punish the generals and exile Kong Xuan.

• Zi Shou blamed Huang Feihu for bringing Kong Xuan to the North Sea and decided he could demote him, while the Royal Guards’ bravery won them and Zi Shou praise from the army.
• Shang Rong judged King Zhou’s position too powerful to oppose and proposed selecting consorts from across the Four Garrisons; Zi Shou approved the decree.
• Zi Shou imagined establishing palace eunuchs and an Eastern Depot to damage his reputation and strengthen his control over officials.
• Months later, Fei Lian returned after completely quelling the rebellion, and Zi Shou wondered how to avoid rewarding the victorious generals.
• Zi Shou singled out Kong Xuan as an obstacle and resolved to find an excuse to exile him to the frontier.

Fei Lian and Kong Xuan returned to court after crushing the North Sea rebellion, and the people celebrated them as heroes. Zi Shou rewarded the commanders and ordered the Emperor's Royal Guards to leave the army and return to farming, hoping to curb their future troublemaking.

• The triumphant army entered Chaoge as crowds praised Fei Lian and King Zhou, while Fei Lian credited his guards and urged them not to seek fame.
• Fei Lian and Kong Xuan brought the generals before Zi Shou, and Fei Lian resolved to serve Great Shang loyally after reflecting on the Royal Guards' sacrifice.
• Zi Shou welcomed the returning army with forced emotion and praised Fei Lian and the Royal Guards for their service.
• Zi Shou enfeoffed Fei Lian as Earl of the North Sea, appointed Kong Xuan North Sea Commander, and awarded the army a million in gold.
• Zi Shou granted the Royal Guards leave to lay down their armor and return to their farms, while officials murmured over the unusual order.

Chong Houhu and Huang Feihu interpreted King Zhou’s appointments and political moves as warnings designed to weaken powerful vassals and ministers. After rewarding Kong Xuan, Zi Shou turned his attention to Huang Feihu, who braced himself for punishment.

• Chong Houhu concluded that Fei Lian’s appointment as Earl of the North Sea warned him and the other regional lords to remain loyal to Great Shang.
• Chong Houhu interpreted King Zhou’s request for one hundred beautiful maidens from each region as a test of the vassals’ loyalty.
• Huang Feihu believed King Zhou had used the Nuwa Palace poem and the North Sea campaign to curb his influence and take control of the military.
• Zi Shou announced that Kong Xuan deserved a reward for accompanying Fei Lian on the campaign, and Huang Feihu anticipated that the king would demote him.

Zi Shou demoted Huang Feihu to guarding Chaoge’s southern gate, but Huang mistook the move for a chance to prove his loyalty and worked harder than ever. Over the following months, Zi Shou struggled to increase his foolishness value and decided he needed to make the lords pay homage early.

• Zi Shou offered Huang Feihu honors he already held, then reassigned him to command Chaoge’s southern gate; Huang Feihu thanked him and vowed to serve Great Shang for generations.
• The officials interpreted the reassignment as a merciful punishment for Huang Feihu’s unauthorized transfer of Kong Xuan, while Zi Shou privately wondered at their reactions.
• Zi Shou planned to use Su Hu’s future rebellion to build his reputation as a foolish ruler, but postponed his plans and spent the next months training the Royal Guards and visiting his consorts.
• Huang Feihu patrolled the southern gate diligently, prompting the other gate commanders to follow his example and improving order in Chaoge.
• Zi Shou took a Marrow-Cleansing Pill, suffered severe stomach trouble, and found that his foolishness value barely increased over half a year.
• Zi Shou resolved to find a way to make the lords come pay homage early.

Zi Shou ordered the lords to attend their audience in Chaoge early, intending to celebrate a unified Spring Festival. Wan Nian interpreted the order as a demand to establish an accurate calendar, while Chong Houhu praised the supposed political strategy and Daji followed her father to Chaoge as a palace candidate.

• Zi Shou learned that the regions celebrated the Laji Festival at different times and ordered all the lords to come to Chaoge early with tribute and palace candidates.
• Wan Nian concluded that King Zhou wanted him to create an accurate calendar and pledged to meet the audience deadline.
• Chong Houhu stayed in Chaoge, believing the early audience would expose disloyal lords and let the Royal Guards arrest them.
• Su Hu worried that he could not prepare tribute or palace candidates in time, so Daji followed him to Chaoge in her own carriage.

Zi Shou went undercover in Chaoge to abduct a beautiful commoner woman and make the vassals see him as an incompetent ruler. Just as he found his target and sent the Royal Guards after her, other men abducted her first.

• Su Hu entered Chaoge with Zhao Bing and Chen Jizhen, while Daji secretly followed him into the city.
• Zi Shou disguised himself and took You Hun through the streets, explaining that he wanted to abduct a commoner woman to tarnish his reputation among the vassals.
• After spotting a beautiful woman, Zi Shou recruited You Hun to help bring her into the Imperial Harem and sent him to summon the Royal Guards.
• Zi Shou and the Royal Guards found the woman, but several burly men pulled a sack over her and carried her away before they could act.

Chong Yingbiao abducted Daji and drove her to attempt suicide, but Zi Shou arrived too late to prevent her injury. When Su Hu found his daughter, Zi Shou knocked Chong Yingbiao unconscious and claimed responsibility, leaving his plan to provoke Su Hu’s rebellion in jeopardy.

• Chong Yingbiao abducted Daji and took her to a secondary residence, where he threatened her despite learning she was the Marquis of Jizhou’s daughter.
• Daji threatened to kill herself and smashed a lampstand against her head as Zi Shou and the Royal Guards broke into the residence.
• Zi Shou pushed Mei Wu aside, entered the room, and found Daji lying in a pool of blood.
• Su Hu rushed in, recognized Daji, and grieved over his injured daughter.
• Zi Shou realized Daji’s apparent death could disrupt his plans, knocked Chong Yingbiao unconscious, and told Su Hu, “This was indeed my doing.”

After Daji revived and identified Chong Yingbiao as the man who attacked her, Zi Shou took the blame while planning to use the incident to bring Daji into the palace. Su Hu mistakenly concluded that Zi Shou had saved Daji and sacrificed his reputation to prevent war, then went to demand justice from Chong Houhu.

• Zi Shou questioned You Hun and his guards, then took public responsibility for Daji’s supposed abduction and death.
• Daji woke briefly, described being carried back from the Nine Hells by a great bird, and accused Chong Yingbiao of trying to molest her before fainting again.
• Zi Shou suspected the Nine-Tailed Fox had possessed Daji and planned to make Su Hu offer her at the royal audience, while shielding Chong Yingbiao.
• Su Hu interpreted Daji’s vision and the ruined residence as evidence that Zi Shou had saved her and accepted blame to prevent a conflict between the lords.
• Su Hu visited Daji, then went to Chong Houhu’s residence that night to demand justice for Daji and Zi Shou.

Chong Houhu persuaded Su Hu that King Zhou’s apparent offenses were part of a scheme to expose disloyal vassals, especially Ji Chang. Su Hu agreed to denounce the king publicly and help draw out the rebels, leaving Daji’s entry into the palace and a purge of traitors as the intended outcome.

• Su Hu confronted Chong Houhu, who explained that King Zhou’s palace selection and homage gathering were meant to expose disloyal vassals.
• Chong Houhu blamed Ji Chang and Xiqi for spreading rumors that portrayed King Zhou as cruel and lustful.
• Chong Houhu told Su Hu to refuse the king’s request for Daji and denounce him, so rebellious vassals would believe Su Hu had turned against Great Shang.
• Chong Houhu predicted that You Hun would help secure Su Hu’s pardon, after which Su Hu could use a Rebel Poem to signal disloyal ministers.
• Su Hu accepted the plan, expecting Daji to enter the palace and himself to gain credit for helping King Zhou purge traitors.

Zi Shou arranged for Su Hu to refuse his demand to send his daughter into the Imperial Harem, then staged an arrest and pardoned him so he could return to Jizhou and rebel. The officials condemned Zi Shou’s conduct, while Shang Rong began to suspect that the audience with the lords of the Four Garrisons had a hidden purpose.

• Zi Shou summoned Su Hu and demanded that he send his daughter to serve in the Imperial Harem.
• Su Hu refused and denounced Zi Shou for following the path of Xia Jie.
• Zi Shou ordered Su Hu arrested, but You Hun urged him to pardon Su Hu and send him back to Jizhou.
• Zi Shou accepted You Hun’s proposal and ordered Su Hu to return to his domain immediately.
• Wen Zhong struggled to find a way to remonstrate, while Shang Rong watched the lords of the Four Garrisons and formed a suspicion.

Shang Rong interpreted Jiang Huanchu’s remonstrance as loyal counsel and Ji Chang’s defense of Su Hu as a bid to undermine King Zhou and rally the vassals. As the ministers grew disappointed with Zi Shou, calendar official Wan Nian stepped forward and announced that he had fulfilled his mission.

• Shang Rong reasoned that King Zhou had used the Su Hu affair to expose disloyal vassals and decided to watch the Marquis of the East and the Marquis of the West.
• Jiang Huanchu remonstrated with King Zhou through metaphors about virtue, roots, and clear sources.
• Ji Chang defended Su Hu and questioned why King Zhou had summoned the vassals and delayed their Laji Festival and year-end tax collection.
• Zi Shou refused to explain his actions, leaving the ministers disappointed, while Wen Zhong wondered whether Great Shang’s fate could be changed.
• Wan Nian prostrated himself before the court and declared that he had fulfilled his mission.

Wan Nian presented the accurate Wan Nian Calendar, and Zi Shou named the new year’s festival the Spring Festival, boosting the king’s standing among his officials and the lords. As Su Hu left Chaoge, he publicly declared his rebellion, and Huang Feihu pursued him.

• Wan Nian presented Zi Shou with the Wan Nian Calendar, which precisely defined the months and seasons.
• Zi Shou named the start-of-year festival the Spring Festival and assigned Wan Nian as deputy director of the Astronomical Bureau.
• Shang Rong and Ji Chang recognized how the calendar could improve harvests and strengthen King Zhou’s reputation.
• Su Hu left Chaoge, then declared outside the city gate that he would no longer pay homage to Shang.
• Huang Feihu heard Su Hu’s Rebel Poem, mounted the Five-Colored Divine Ox, and challenged him to fight.