The Gate of Wandering Ghosts has always been an important pass for defense against the Eastern 200 states. Now Master Wen is attacking from the west. In fact, it's not that difficult.
The Shangguo regime of Yin Jiao also had many men of insight. For example, Yang Ren kept advising, hoping that just as the Deng family rebuilt the Three Mountains Pass, we don't have to say build a new city or new pass, but at least improve the defensive capabilities of the Wandering Ghosts Pass facing the west.
Unfortunately, the current population of Shangguo is less than 100,000, far from its former status as the most prosperous city in the world. Moreover, it has no tribute from the four states, resulting in a very poor financial situation.
While the Eastern Marquis has an army of four hundred thousand, in actual combat, it is like scattered sand. He leads two hundred vassal states, more like a ruler of the most powerful alliance.
Seizing the opportunity, all the vassal states rushed in. If they have to spend money to build a new city gate, they will start to blame each other.
It is absolutely inefficient and out of touch with the times for a ruler to control a group of two hundred vassal states while remotely governing the city of Shangguo. Yet, this is the basis of rule for Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu.
Unlike the Deng family in Han, he cannot annihilate all two hundred vassal states in the south, then integrate them into a unified state, and finally cultivate and repose. Nor can he use various strategies like Guo Jingwang's in the Western Vassal State, using intrigue, alliances, and sending his sons to inherit to divide and weaken the Western two hundred vassal states. He can only be a "mud plaster" craftsman who tries to keep things peaceful between the two parties.
Master Wen's recapture of the Wandering Ghosts Pass is a joyous event.
Another happy event is that King Zhou finally has a successor.
In the past, the palace was governed by Empress Jiang, the Yellow Consort, and the Yang Consort.
Empress Jiang has passed away, the Yellow Consort has fled to the southern capital, and the Yang Consort, who is related to the Yang family that supported Yin Jiao, has also hidden her identity after the chaos in Zhongguo.
King Zhou took in more than a dozen concubines after returning to Xiao capital. Even Master Wen didn't stop him. A young and healthy monarch without any descendants is too dangerous for a dynasty run by the ruling family!
The territory of the Shang Dynasty had greatly shrunk, and many ministers had defected to Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, especially talents like Fei Zhong and You Hun who left King Zhou's side. After eliminating many adverse influences, theauspicious Qi of the Shang Dynasty's celestial phoenix seems to have experienced a small rebound, with its fortune manifesting in reality as a newly-conceived concubine giving birth to a son.
The palace and the court were shaken, and many senior officials and generals had their attitude towards the situation stabilized again. This, in turn, helped to slightly improve the auspicious Qi of the Shang Dynasty.
King Zhou named the newborn son Wu Geng, with the subfamily of Zi and the surname of Wu, and given name Geng.
With an heir, the Shang Dynasty's vitality and spirit instantly changed.
At precisely this time, Yu Yuan, the senior disciple of Master Wen's brother, appeared at the pass. Master Wen immediately requested his senior disciple to help.
Yu Hua, Yu Yuan's disciple, served as a general at Si Water Pass, which was the first stronghold in defense against Xiqu. It was of great importance and could not be compromised.
Yu Yuan refused to take an official position in the Shang Dynasty but agreed to help at Si Water Pass in the capacity of a guest scholar.
On that day, Yu Yuan's invincible body was almost broken by Zhenxing, but it was later healed by Jinshen Shenmama through obtaining a golden elixir from Tengyue. Not only did the old injuries disappear, but his strength also significantly increased.
Yang Jie tried three times to steal open the gate of Si Water Pass, but was discovered by Yu Yuan. With eight-nine realms of power, a body as indestructible as jade and mastery of five-elements escape arts, neither could gain an advantage over the other at that moment.
In the battle, Master Jiang Ziya added a batch of heads to the pile.
He was sliced by Yu Yuan's Devouring Blood Sword, but this time there was no need for a cure. After Master Jiang Ziya returned to the Zhou army, he bled for seven days before finally passing away.
With all the blood flowing out and the person dying, the negative effects of the Devouring Blood Sword naturally disappeared.
Just as Jiang Ziya had died, the White Crane Youth of the Jade Purity Palace in Kunlun Mountain again brought him the immortal pill to save him.
With the man revived, the White Crane Youth returned to the Jade Purity Palace as Jiang Ziya expressed his gratitude. However, Jiang Ziya was filled with fear and hesitation towards the Devouring Blood Sword, and dared not use his old face to accept it again. There was no other choice but to retreat.
Yu Yuan guarded the western front, while General Qiu Yin transferred part of the troops to the south.
The Han army's conquest of the Southern Two Hundred States required great sacrifices, so they have no more strength to march north. The situation on the south line is relatively stable.
Master Wen led the four generals of Mo family to fiercely attack the Eastern Marquis. King Zhou personally led his army to subdue the Northern Vassal State, Duke Honghu, who occupied the state of Jizhou.
With the Shang Dynasty holding the west and south lines and fiercely attacking the east and north, the situation in the world has undergone a new change.
For Deng's family this year, except for attacking the Xiangni Area, they nearly did not go to war with others.
From top to bottom, the most important task was to cultivate farmland.
Deng Jiugong would inspect the spring plowing work in various places from time to time.
Even Huang Fei Hong had to plow three mu of land in front of all the officials and officials, with five-color fat oxen.
Big Fat Ox is a divine ox, with its own herd. It asked for two days off and returned to the group, bringing over five hundred and fifty cows for Han state. These are not just ordinary farm cows but warhorses, but they can also plow land!
The Han state immediately issued an edict, banning the consumption of beef!
This edict is similar to Zhou's original ban on alcohol. It is not aimed at ordinary people, who may not be able to afford beef this time of year. Even if they gather together, they would still be outmatched by the warhorses within the Five-Color Divine Ox Clan.
The edict caused a great deal of turmoil throughout the Han state, but the Deng, Huang, Li, and Su families were all linked by marriage. They had enough troops to suppress all kinds of discontent. The edict was gradually enforced.
In addition to cultivating the land, the biggest task for the Han state throughout that year was to manage water resources.
The Shilijiang, Jialingjiang, Hanzhijiang, and Huaihe Rivers frequently experienced floods. The officials tried their best but could not find the source of the floods. It was still the seductive jade who discovered the problem upon her return from her journey. She found that there was a water demon constantly causing havoc in the Huaihe River, stirring up four sides of the water bodies, making southern people suffer greatly.
"You monkey! Do you dare come out and compete with me, young master!" Nezha stood on a stone by the shore, holding the dragon-tooth spear, and shouted towards the center of the Huaihe River.
Nezha is only five years old, including the three years in his mother's womb, so he is about eight years old. After practicing the Whole Heaven Treasure Mirror for over a year, he has grown taller, and now he looks like a ten-year-old child to ordinary people.
The whirlpool in the center of the river slowly rose, hiding a malicious gaze.
The shape of the water monster resembles an ape, with a sunken nose, a prominent forehead, white hair, a blue body, and fiery eyes.
The name of the water monster is Wu Zhiqi.
His neck is a hundred feet long, and his strength is so great that he can move mountains and fill the sea. He often creates chaos by the Huai River, harming people.
During the time when Da Yu was controlling the water, he suppressed the water monster at the bottom of the river. After so many years, the restriction has loosened, allowing Wu Zhiqi to emerge again and trouble people.
For many years, Wu Zhiqi has been trapped. When Da Yu was controlling the water, he did not want to bear too much karma, so he did not kill it. Instead, he drove nine bone-penetrating nails into its four limbs and five internal organs.
The bone-penetrating nails have already been removed, but Wu Zhiqi's four limbs and five internal organs still suffered irreversible damage. Before, his previous Daoist realm was reduced to one-tenth of its original. Recently, when he fought with Nezha, he almost fell victim to a gold brick.
