"The teacher, we are going to do next?" the disciple Yu Qing whispered softly.
Having seen the thousands of immortals gather at the Biyou Palace, Yuqing no longer values the riches and status of the mortal world.
If it was still the Yuanshiang Family dominating alone, with only Xīqī as the only place with rebel forces, then with the help of the disciples, it could be pacified and then returned to the mountain. That would also do.
Now that their offspring from the Yin family are causing trouble themselves, what's the point of us getting involved? We should just go back to the mountain directly.
Yuqing and Ji Li, these two disciples, were both taken in by Wen Zhong in the mortal world and had little concept of immortals. This time, it was as if their eyes had been opened.
Everyone is racing to Rome with all their might, and as disciples, we are relatively narrow-minded and didn't realize that we were just a step away from Rome. Now that we know, why should we retreat?
The eldest disciple Ji Li shook his head at him. Don't agitate our master! Didn't you see him spitting blood just now?
Yuqing also realized that he had blundered, and immediately fell silent.
Wen Zhong stood in the clouds, gazing at Chaohe City.
Even though the Bodhisattva Di Shati concealed himself very well, the blood sea aura was still captured by Wen Zhong's divine eyes.
The actions of Yin Jiao, in inviting foreign tribes and religions into the Central Plains, disappointed Wen Zhong greatly.
The old master pondered over and over again, but still decided to help King Zhu.
King Zhou is the legitimate ruler.
With the strongest military strength, his reign lasted for more than ten years with a long-standing reputation and he occupied the Central Plains. Theoretically, he was the most likely to put an end to the chaos.
Upon arriving in Xiao Du, Wen Zhong met with King Zhou without saying a word, raising his hand to deliver two whacks with a whip.
Evil came furious, drawing his sword to slash, but was kicked flying by Wen Taijun.
"The old master, you" King Zhou was beaten by the anger and urgency, but ultimately did not resist. He knew that he was in great need of Wen Zhong at the moment.
Yin Jiao knows how to ingratiate himself with Marici, smiling and feigning ignorance from time to time. How much more so for King Zhou, who can bend and stretch; this is the most basic quality of a ruler.
King Zhou has a somewhat king under adversity, and a ruler in prosperity.
In adversity, he often represses his various preferences and emotions.
"Your humble servant has been disrespectful, but now the state is as fragile as a stack of eggs, and I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict."
"What kind of edict is it?"
Wen Zhong said decisively: "Reform!"
With the tax revenues from the four directions of the world supporting it, the Great Shang Empire was invincible. Now that all four sides have rebelled and there is only the Central Plains left, a change must be made.
"Firstly, the use of human sacrifices must be abolished."
In turmoil, people are the most valuable. The Yuanshiang Empire frequently sacrificed thousands or even tens of thousands of humans to their ancestors. In critical moments, the ancestors offer no use and only ignite more hatred among the common people.
As an immortal, Wen Zhong of course knows that the barbaric human sacrifice system is actually constantly draining the Shang Dynasty's qi yun, but this habit has been inherited from Cheng Tang and cannot be changed urgently. Therefore, he did not make any changes.
Now it has come to the point where not changing it will lead to the fall of the nation. This must be changed.
King Zhou had little reverence for his ancestors, and abolishing human sacrifices would bring a large population increase, meaning he could raise more troops and taxes. This is no problem.
"Okay."
Wen Zhong continued, "Secondly, free the slaves and make them free citizens."
"This" King Zhou hesitated for a moment. He feared that if he just released the slaves, they would run to Xīqī and Nan Commandery immediately.
The tax rates in Xīqī and Nan Commandery are relatively low. If he is located in the Central Plains and has to fight on all four sides, the tax rate is too low, and he won't have enough money to fight.
"Strengthen the supervision at all border passes."
"Is there anything else, Your Teacher?"
"There is, low-born but virtuous, remove flattery and keep away from beauty." Wen Zhong's words are still the same set of "close to good ministers and far from evil ones." In the past, Jiang Hòu also said these words, but at that time King Zhou found them annoying. Now that the realm is in turmoil, he has no choice but to listen even if he is displeased.
"All as per Teacher!"
King Zhou, under the exhortation of Wen Zhong, implemented reforms.
Freeing a large number of slaves, although it seriously damaged the slave-owning class, did indeed make the country's strength rise by a significant margin in a short period of time.
King Zhou had limited ability in governing the country, but he was indeed a master at leading troops and waging battles.
The king of a country personally putting on armor and taking the lead in charging, inspiring others is unimaginable to ordinary people. Eleven unwilling nobles who refused to release slaves were defeated one by one, and their wealth and population, accumulated by their ancestors over generations, were transported in batches to Xiao Du. The fragile and tottering Yuanshiang social order was once again stabilized.
King Zhou was involved in internal strife, and the commandery of Nan Commandery was also engaged in warfare.
From the beginning to the end, King Zhou never gave Dang family's Marquis of Nan the title of commander-in-chief over the two hundred vassal states in the south.
Now, let's not even bother with it!
Dang Jiugong had been suppressed for two years. Now he was like a dragon entering the sea, leading troops to conquer those vassal states himself.
They are called vassal states, but their populations are at most a few ten thousand. When the Dang family's army swept through, it was as easy as plowing a courtyard or sweeping out a den.
They completely did not give the two hundred vassal states in the south any chance of survival, forcing the remaining vassal states to seek refuge with the Marquis of Nan Xu Shun, who had fled to the Huaihe region.
The Dang family also gained a large population and supplies by launching an expedition against these weak states.
Xīqī.
Yin Hong was thoroughly sidelined. Under the advice of Ji Dan, the reforms were implemented throughout the entire territory of Yin, including feudal system, patrilineal system, and well-field system. All were clearly divided into categories of rulers and vassals, big families and small families, public fields and private fields.
The system of rulers and vassals was abandoned due to strong opposition from his brothers like Gong Fa and Gong Xian. Ji Chuan did not express any opinion on it. However, the system of big families and small families as well as the well-field system were implemented, providing the people with a clear standard and making the relationships between brothers and public-private matters no longer as confused as before.
King Zhou's reforms were very thorough. While the reforms in Xīqī only changed half of it, they were not as thorough.
The Dang family did not engage in internal strife but instead launched wars.
Deng Xiu and Li Jing led their troops eastward, with the eyes of victory in sight as they were about to destroy Eu Shun, occupy the Huaihe River, and advance south to Wu and Hui, dominating the entire south.
Wen Zhong had set the strategy for King Zhou to stabilize both the north and south, with an emphasis on the east first, and then focusing on the west. The Eastern Marquis claimed an army of 600,000, but there were a lot of uncertainties in that number. It was probably around 300,000 at most.
In the original timeline, Jiang Wenfan, who succeeded the Eastern Marquis, took on the small Yanyun Pass. From the death of Ji Chuan and the establishment of Zhou State by Ji Fa, formally raising the flag of rebellion, it took over ten years to complete this task. There were small thoughts of not wanting to be a pioneering bird. The low combat effectiveness of the Eastern Lu army was also a contributing factor.
In Wen Zhong's view, the Eastern Lu region was the easiest to defeat.
Then conquer Xīqī and declare victory over the northern vassals by offering them amnesty.
Finally, relying on his old face, he could persuade Huang Feihu to surrender.
With both the Jia family and the Huang Consort alive, in this timeline, Huang Feihu has no deep enmity with King Zhou. He only ran to the south due to the chaos in Chang'e, in order to safeguard himself wisely.
After Huang Feihu surrendered, Dang Jiugong was given the title of "permanently governing the southern paradise" and the Great Shang Dynasty was once again reunified.
Dang Chanyu is not important. As a Daoist, she will not stay in the mortal world for long.
Wen Zhong planned it this way and carried it out accordingly.
In reality, Dang Chanyu indeed did not care about these worldly things. After returning to the southern territory, Dang Jiugong's son Dang Xiu led an expedition against the east, and she went back to Emei Mountain to practice Daoism.
