"Your Majesty, did you only come now because, at noon, yang energy is at its strongest and Heaven's Way shines bright, befitting your status, while the sun itself can bear witness to the oath of our wager?"
Bi Gan stroked the dry, sparse beard beneath his chin, rolled his eyes thoughtfully, and spoke slowly.
Hearing this, Huang Feihu immediately cast an admiring glance at Bi Gan.
A great sage truly was a great sage. Everything he said was clear and logical, not only well reasoned but laden with hidden meaning, ensuring Di Xin could not go back on the wager.
"Hahaha! You scholars love dreaming up nonsense on a full stomach. To think you could concoct such drivel, Chancellor!" Di Xin threw back his head and laughed. He delivered another two heavy slaps to Bi Gan's shoulder, neatly pocketing 50 negative emotion points before continuing with a broad smile, "The reason I came at noon is simple. Don't people always say trouble comes sooner or later? Noon is neither early nor late, so naturally, no trouble!"
[Negative emotion points from Bi Gan: +99...] [Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +99...] [Negative emotion points from Shang Rong: +99...]
The instant those words fell, Di Xin saw the figures in his system backend scroll wildly, adding a full 999 and reaching the grand total of +11379.
What fucking nonsense-trouble comes sooner or later, so he came at noon because it was neither early nor late!
Faced with such words, not only Bi Gan and Huang Feihu but even Shang Rong, the loyal minister who had recently begun viewing Di Xin in a new light and considering pledging his allegiance, could not help grumbling inwardly.
"Hahaha! Was the joke I so painstakingly prepared for you, my ministers, not funny?"
Di Xin delivered two heavy pats to Bi Gan's shoulder and asked with a chuckle.
"Funny, very funny..." Bi Gan nodded repeatedly, saying what he did not mean, while the corners of his mouth kept twitching.
Making so many ministers wait here just for a joke-this tyrant was growing more absurd by the day!
"If it was funny, Chancellor, why aren't you laughing? Give me a smile."
Hearing his answer, Di Xin continued as though nothing were amiss.
[Negative emotion points from Bi Gan: +50...]
Despite his utter reluctance, Bi Gan could only force the corners of his mouth to twitch, squeezing out a strained smile.
"King of Wucheng, why aren't you smiling?"
Di Xin nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Huang Feihu and asked with a smile.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +99...]
Huang Feihu's face darkened, but when he saw Di Xin's eyes and Zheng Lun standing behind him, watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey, he hurriedly forced out a faint smile.
"Good! Seeing you all so happy, my painstaking efforts have finally paid off." Di Xin clapped his hands and laughed, genuinely pleased.
You bunch of turncoats, your bodies are in Chaoge but your hearts are in Xiqi. If I didn't use you as negative emotion point cash machines, I wouldn't deserve to be called a tyrant.
"Your Majesty, it is getting late. How do you intend to help these Abandoned People with their spring plowing? If they cannot plow in time, we cannot keep allocating grain from the state treasury forever. After all, Grand Tutor Wen is still suppressing the rebellion, the Eastern Yi are watching like hungry tigers, and there is Western Rong as well. The state treasury cannot withstand such losses..."
After his lips had twitched for a long while, Bi Gan suppressed the gloom in his heart and sighed at length, pouring out his woes to Di Xin and playing on his sympathy to urge him to fulfill his promise and carry out the spring plowing.
"I came precisely to resolve this matter!" Di Xin smiled faintly, then turned toward Huang Feihu beside him. "King of Wucheng, I hear you never leave your ox's side, that where your ox is, there you are, and that your divine ox-riding skill has reached transcendent heights. Did you bring that Five-Colored Divine Ox of yours today, the one more important to you than your wife?"
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +250...]
Huang Feihu's face turned pitch-black, and flames blazed in his eyes.
Never leaving his ox's side and being wherever his ox was-that was one thing. But since when had his ox become more important than his wife?!
What were people supposed to think?!
"Your Majesty, I possess no divine ox-riding skill. But Five-Colored did indeed come. She's grazing just behind us."
Though thoroughly displeased, Huang Feihu still answered glumly, because he really did never leave his ox's side.
"Moo..."
Almost at the same moment, hearing Huang Feihu call her name, the Five-Colored Divine Ox let out a moo and trotted over. She snorted, then rubbed her huge head against Huang Feihu's chest, nuzzling and nuzzling, all clingy affection.
"That ox of yours is certainly well raised, King of Wucheng. Plump and sturdy, with a sleek, glossy coat. Clearly, she's enjoyed plenty of your tender nourishment..."
Watching this scene, Di Xin glanced beneath the Five-Colored Divine Ox's belly, immediately revealed a knowing smile, and spoke teasingly to Huang Feihu.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +250. Total: 12028...]
Huang Feihu's expression was as dark as storm clouds. Though everything Di Xin said was true, something about it left a strange taste in his mouth, as though there were something wrong with him and his ox.
"King of Wucheng, I wish to borrow your ox today."
At that moment, Di Xin looked at Huang Feihu and spoke with a smile.
"My ox is not available for bor-" Huang Feihu was about to shake his head without a second thought, but when he saw Zheng Lun behind Di Xin glare viciously at him, he could only change his tune. Utterly unwilling, he asked, "May I ask what Your Majesty wants Five-Colored for?"
"To borrow an ox is, naturally, to plow the fields!"
Di Xin spoke unhurriedly, enunciating every word.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +1000...]
The instant those words fell, a four-digit number flashed through the system backend. Di Xin's eyes lit up, and he could not resist giving Huang Feihu another couple of looks.
Just borrowing your ox to plow a little earns me this many negative emotion points? King of Wucheng, there's something seriously wrong with you!
"Five-Colored is my mount, a divine beast. She has never plowed a field. Please choose another draft ox, Your Majesty."
Huang Feihu clasped his hands and shook his head repeatedly.
"I know she's your most beloved mount, the one you ride between your legs every day! But you, the King of Wucheng, belong to our Great Shang, so your ox naturally belongs to our Great Shang as well. She must do her part for Great Shang." Di Xin chuckled. After delivering the words he had prepared long beforehand, he turned to Zheng Lun and smiled. "General Zheng, wouldn't you agree?"
"Your Majesty speaks reason. All under Heaven belongs to Your Majesty, let alone one little ox! If anyone believes he is not Your Majesty's subject, or that his possessions do not belong to Your Majesty, I shall chop off his dog's head and present everything he owns to Your Majesty!"
Zheng Lun nodded forcefully. White mist streamed in and out of his nostrils, and he raised both Demon-Subduing Pestles, looking ready to crack Huang Feihu's skull the very next instant if he refused.
"Hahaha! General Zheng, no need for such murderous intent. Do I not know the King of Wucheng? He is loyalty itself. How could he defy me..."
Di Xin raised his brows and chuckled, but deep within his eyes lay an unmistakable threat.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +1000. Total: +14028...]
Huang Feihu clenched his teeth, his face shifting between ashen and pale. Inwardly, he cursed Zheng Lun, that faithful lapdog of the tyrant, over and over. In the end, however, cowed by Di Xin and Zheng Lun's oppressive might, he pushed the mooing Five-Colored Divine Ox before Di Xin with tears in his tiger-like eyes. Then he turned away, unable to bear the sight, and said, "Please treat Five-Colored kindly, Your Majesty."
"King of Wucheng, what a deep bond between man and ox!"
Di Xin clapped his hands and lavished praise, his eyes gleaming.
Huang Feihu, and you still claim you don't know any divine ox-riding skill?!
"General Zheng, put the harness on her!" Di Xin gave Zheng Lun a meaningful look. The Heng General promptly dropped his Demon-Subduing Pestles, grabbed the rope, and looped it around her neck.
Moo? Moo? Moo?
The Five-Colored Divine Ox had been grazing and nuzzling her master when she suddenly found herself trussed up. Bewilderment immediately filled her huge, watery eyes, round as bronze bells. Opening her mouth with half-chewed cud still inside, she looked innocently at Huang Feihu and unleashed a devastating triple moo.
Unfortunately, Huang Feihu could not bear to watch his beloved ox plow the fields and offered her only the utterly useless sight of his back.
"Chancellor, open your eyes wide and watch closely!" At the same time, Di Xin looked at Bi Gan and chuckled, then called in a deep voice to the artisans behind him, "Come, hitch up the Curved-Blade Plow!"
The Curved-Blade Plow?!
As soon as Di Xin spoke, Bi Gan, Shang Rong, and the other high ministers looked utterly bewildered. Then they saw the artisans attach a strange-looking implement, built around a wooden frame with a triangular iron blade, to the ropes harnessing the Five-Colored Divine Ox.
Next, the artisan drove the gleaming triangular iron blade deep into the soil.
"Little heifer, hop on your little rocket and fly!" The next instant, Di Xin suddenly raised his foot. The full strength of the second level of the Essence Refining into Qi Realm poured forth and struck the Five-Colored Divine Ox's rump. Stung by intense pain, she surged forward, dragging the Curved-Blade Plow behind her. Meanwhile, Di Xin gave Bi Gan a playful look and said lightly, "Show them what it means to be thunderously badass, with lightning to boot!"
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