Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 281 The King's Legacy
Seeing the astonished look on his youngest son's face, a sly glint flashed in the old emperor's eyes: "What, you've achieved your wish, aren't you happy?"

"Happy, happy!"

Zi Shou forced a laugh and then pondered, "But I feel... it's a bit too easy."

Rumble!
As the father and son were talking, dark clouds gathered in the sky above Chaoge, making the palace somewhat dim.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared, its light illuminating the palace, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

Is it going to rain?

Emperor Yi gave his son a deep look, but did not answer. Instead, he extended a hand: "Come with your father for a walk outside!"

Zi Shou stared blankly at his father's outstretched hand. If it were before, he would have already rushed over to help him up.

However, having just been scolded for this, he hesitated.

He knew that his father was born strong-willed and, as a king, had to maintain his dignity at all times and not allow others to see his weakness, which was why he had just reprimanded him.

"What are you still standing there for?" Di Yi said with some dissatisfaction.

"Didn't Father just say..."

Zi Shou said softly, but he quickly stepped forward and reached out his strong hands to support Di Yi's arm.

Emperor Yi tapped Zi Shou lightly on the head with displeasure, a smile appearing on his face. He snorted, "That was just now, and now is now. The king's will must always be the standard. This is the privilege of being a king."

Zi Shou silently accepted his father's lesson and remained silent.

"Let's go!" Di Yi said softly, casually putting on a robe and walking outside step by step with Zi Shou's help.

"Do you know why Father has been so slow to decide on the position of Crown Prince all these years?"

Emperor Yi looked out of the palace, not at his son, and spoke as he walked.

Zi Shou pondered for a moment and then said, "I think... I've guessed some of it."

"Heh, to be honest, I did hesitate a few years ago when it came to choosing you or your older brother."

Emperor Yi said softly, "However, I have already decided on a candidate in my heart over the past few years."

"Father...is he waiting for me?"

Zi Shou finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.

He came today to tell his father that he was going to officially compete with his elder brother for the throne.

To everyone's surprise, the old man reacted as if he had been waiting for him for a long time. Without any hesitation, after a brief exchange between father and son, he directly told him, "Alright, the throne is yours."

This matter was so simple that he could hardly believe it!
"Hehe, I have three sons. Grand Tutor Wen said that Ziqi is kind and benevolent, but a bit weak-willed. Your second brother is mediocre. Only you are brave and resourceful, and most like me."

Emperor Yi did not answer, but looked out of the palace and sighed, "Don't be fooled by the fact that these ministers are all loyal and patriotic. In reality, they are all shrewd and cunning old foxes."

Among these people are older nobles and commoners who were promoted from humble beginnings by their fathers; you should pay particular attention to these people.

After saying all this in one breath, Di Yi was slightly out of breath.

After a pause, Di Yi continued, "They come from humble backgrounds and know the hardships of ordinary people. So when they first enter the court, they will truly serve the country and the people. But once they hold high positions and have been away from the ground enjoying wealth for a long time, they change."

At this point, Di Yi's gaze sharpened: "They will form a new aristocratic power, but they will not have the accumulation of the old aristocracy, so their appetite will be even greater."

In their pursuit of more land, food, and power, they begin to exploit and oppress the common people. In fact, they are often more ruthless in their oppression of those who were once like them than the old-fashioned nobles, causing even greater harm.

Zi Shou's expression hardened, and he silently said, "I will remember."

"If Ziqi truly ascends the throne, given his personality, he will inevitably be controlled by these civil officials and ultimately become their puppet."

Emperor Yi said in a deep voice, "There is only one way to deal with them, and that is to never let these new and old nobles become a monolithic entity."

You need to let these new nobles compete and fight with the old nobles. Only when they compete and fight, and they are at odds, can you control them.

Zi Shou's eyes flashed: "Yes!"

"This is an internal problem!"

At this moment, Emperor Yi and Zi Shou had already left the palace. A strong wind blew in their faces, making Emperor Yi's figure appear even more hunched.

Zi Shou suddenly realized that as he grew up, his father, the towering figure and heroic figure in his memory, was also growing old.

At this moment, his father's once tall and strong physique had become thin and hunched...

Zi Shou's eyes flashed, and without any hesitation or fear of Di Yi's reprimand, he stepped forward and used his cloak to protect Di Yi in the middle.

This time, Di Yi, who always maintained his royal dignity, was not angry. Instead, a bright smile appeared on his face: "You've grown up."

He paused for a moment, then said softly, "Father... is getting old too."

He had never admitted to his aging and illness before, because the crown prince had not been decided and the successor to the dynasty was still undetermined.

As the king of Shang, he could not grow old.

And now... he can finally admit that he is getting old.

Zi Shou looked dejected and lowered his head, saying, "My child, I'm late."

He almost ground his teeth to powder as he said those words.

Because he could clearly feel that his father's life force was gradually slipping away. Although he wouldn't die on the spot, he was afraid that his life was running out and he wouldn't last much longer.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

Thinking of this, Zi Shou clenched his fist tightly, which was supporting his cloak. Although this punch had the power to split mountains and cleave seas, he had never felt so powerless.

Now that the father and son had spoken their minds, he was filled with regret.

Why was he so hesitant before, never thinking of taking this heavy burden off his father's shoulders sooner?

This has caused the king to be so exhausted...

If he had matured and understood these things earlier, perhaps his father's lifespan would have been longer!

"Keep your head up!"

When Di Yi saw his son's appearance, his expression became serious again, like an old lion king: "Remember, a king never cries, much less bows his head."

Zi Shou raised his head and said resolutely, "Yes!"

Upon seeing this, Emperor Yi smiled, his face full of wrinkles, and murmured softly, "You said you were late, but you're not late at all."

"No matter when you're ready, your father will hold out until the day you arrive. Do you...believe me?"

As he spoke, he smiled and looked at Zi Shou, his expression full of confidence.

Upon hearing these words and seeing his father's smile, Zi Shou was suddenly touched. His tall and upright body trembled, and his nose felt a little sore.

In order to avoid being seen by the old emperor, he had no choice but to tilt his head slightly and look at the turbulent sky.

"Good, this is how a king should be!"

Emperor Yi said happily, then said nothing more, but carefully examined the palace in the cold wind, as if trying to imprint it all in his mind.

Rumble!
At this moment, the wind grew stronger, and lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, the lightning reflecting on the faces of the father and son.

"Father, shall we go in?" Zi Shou said softly.

Emperor Yi ignored him and simply said, "My Great Shang Dynasty governs eight hundred vassal states and spans hundreds of millions of miles of land. Do you know who we need to pay special attention to?"

"The four states of Dongjiang, Xizhou, Nan'e, and Beichong!"

Zi Shou's eyes flashed and he said without hesitation, "He is also the head of the eight hundred lords in the four directions, and each of them commands two hundred lords."

"What do you think of Ji Chang as a person...?" Emperor Yi asked in a deep voice.

Zi Shou pondered for a moment and said, "It is said that he is diligent in his duties, loves talent, and is good at practicing benevolence. He has a good reputation for virtue."

"That's right. Do you still remember... your Aunt Ziyu?"

Emperor Yi spoke softly, his expression unusually complex this time.

Zi Shou nodded silently: "I remember!"

That little aunt was his grandfather's youngest daughter, not much older than him. Having a daughter late in life, his grandfather naturally doted on her.

His mother died of illness a year after giving birth to him, and he grew up with his aunt. Later, his aunt was married off to a distant place by his father in a political marriage, which became a rift between him and his father.

"Back then, the Zhou state recuperated and grew stronger in Qishan. When your grandfather was on his deathbed, in order to eliminate a great threat to his father, he tricked Ji Li, the leader of the Zhou clan, into going to Chaoge and killed him."

Emperor Yi's eyes flickered as he said, "After his son Ji Chang ascended the throne, he immediately reorganized his troops to attack Chaoge and avenge his father. At that time, the Yi tribes in the southeast of the Shang Dynasty also rebelled one after another, along with the Mengfang and Linfang tribes."

To prevent the Shang Dynasty from being attacked from both the east and the west simultaneously, your father had no choice but to arrange a marriage between your aunt and Ji Chang, and Ji Chang... agreed.

Zi Shou's gaze turned cold. This matter was later passed down as a beautiful story of "Emperor Yi marrying off his sister" to resolve the war, but they all knew very well that this was a step backward and a disgrace for the Shang Dynasty.

What did you think of from this?

The old emperor turned to look at his son and said.

"This Ji Chang... is ruthless enough, and also very patient."

Zi Shou said in a deep voice, "As the saying goes, the hatred of killing one's father is irreconcilable. At that time, he still agreed to a marriage alliance with us."

Emperor Yi's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly, saying, "That's because Ji Chang, after assessing the situation, realized that he was not yet our match and it was not advisable to start a war."

In order to appease me and buy them enough time, they agreed to the marriage alliance, and in the end, everyone was happy and reconciled.

“But… Auntie is dead!” Zi Shou said coldly, raising his eyes.

"You know how much your grandfather loved your aunt, but do you believe that if your grandfather were alive back then, he would have done the same for the sake of the Shang Dynasty in this situation?" Old Emperor Yi glanced at him sideways.

"Sacrificing my aunt for the sake of the Shang Dynasty."

Zi Shou grunted and said, "Even if Grandpa would do the same, does that mean it's right for all of you to do the same?"

“Shou’er, you must understand one thing: things in this world are not simply black and white, right and wrong. Some things... you can’t say whether they are right or wrong.”

"Your aunt is someone I raised. Do you think I didn't know about marrying her off to our enemy? This is pushing her into a fire pit! Do you think I'd feel good about it?"

The old emperor stared at him, his expression still calm, but he changed his self-reference from "I" to "I": "But as the master of a dynasty, what you should care about at any time is not personal gain or loss, but the safety and interests of the entire Shang Dynasty."

Zi Shou fell silent upon hearing this.

"You need to understand what those lords under our command are. When we are powerful, they are the most obedient dogs we keep, wagging their tails and following our every word."

Di Yi said coldly, "But once they discover our weakness, they will turn into the most ferocious wolves in the world, their eyes bloodshot as they pounce on us, tearing us to pieces, devouring our flesh and drinking our blood..."

Zi Shou opened his mouth, but this time he couldn't say anything.

Click!

Another bolt of lightning, like a sword in the hand of Thor, ripped through the dim sky and earth, followed by raindrops falling from the sky.

If Emperor Yi did not move, then Zi Shou also did not move.

"Among the four great lords, the Southern Marquis E Chongyu is upright and inflexible, while the Northern Marquis Chonghouhu is eccentric and violent, lacking both courage and strategy. Neither of them are worth worrying about."

Di Yi's eyes flashed as he said, "You must use both kindness and severity when dealing with E Chongyu. As for Chong Houhu, intimidation is sufficient. As for Dongbo Hou Jiang Huanchu..."

At this point, Di Yi glanced at Zi Shou, a smile appearing in his eyes.

Zi Shou sighed inwardly, because of his aunt's affair, he was extremely opposed to and hated arranged marriages.

Then... his father arranged for him to marry the daughter of the Marquis of Dongbo, who became his queen.

"Father knows that you are strongly opposed to the marriage alliance, and he also knows that you and the girl from the Huang family are in love. However, our Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty have a long-standing feud, and a great war is inevitable sooner or later."

The old emperor said in a deep voice, "The Marquis of the West and the Marquis of the South are close. If you cannot form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of the East to divide them, how will you deal with them?"
I know how you treated the princess. You say you hate everything your aunt suffered, but aren't you now making another girl suffer the same treatment as your aunt?

Upon hearing this, Zishou's pupils contracted, his body stiffened, and he sighed with some shame, "Father's teachings are correct, I understand!"

“Oh, by the way, while you were away, the princess gave birth to a son for you, who, according to the family genealogy, should be named Jiao…” Emperor Yi said softly.

"Ok?"

Feeling somewhat ashamed, Zi Shou suddenly looked up, his face filled with shock.

"Heh, don't make that face. The child was born shortly after you left Chaoge. There's nothing else wrong with it," Di Yi snorted.

Upon hearing this, Zi Shou thought about it carefully, calculated the time, and found that there was no problem, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wow…

With another clap of thunder, a torrential downpour began in an instant.

boom!
Upon seeing this, Zi Shou's true energy erupted, forming a protective shield about ten feet in size, keeping the heavy rain out.

"Father, from now on, I will shield you from the storms!"

Zi Shou said loudly.

"Good!" Upon seeing this, Di Yi's calm face revealed a faint smile of satisfaction.

"The Shang Dynasty may look the same on the outside, but it is riddled with holes and full of worms inside. Shou'er, can you... shoulder this responsibility?"

In the pouring rain, the father and son stood side by side, and at the moment when Emperor Yi sighed softly, the old king and the new king completed the succession.

……

At this time, in the Huang residence.

Boom!
In the pouring rain, Huang Feihu punched Li Jing in the chest. Li Jing's golden true energy erupted, which instead sent Huang Feihu staggering backward.

"Brother Li, your skill is superb!"

Huang Feihu looked at his fist with some suspicion, a flash of surprise crossing his face, and then praised with a smile: "As expected, a great reputation is well-deserved."

With Zi Shou absent, he conceived the idea of ​​challenging Li Jing to a duel, wanting to see just how capable the person Zi Shou was interested in was.

When they faced off again, they were basically evenly matched.

Unexpectedly, he seized the opening and threw a punch, but who knew that his punch, delivered by someone at the half-step Divine Realm, would instead send him flying.

He then realized that Li Jing's strongest skill was not offense, but... defense?
"Brother Huang, you flatter me!"

Li Jing clasped his hands in a respectful but not arrogant manner and said, "It's our first meeting. This person also seems to be a friend of Miss Yin, so I didn't dare to hit her too hard."

"Alright, it's raining so hard, everyone hurry up and come inside to take shelter!"

Yin Guangling glanced at Li Jing, who was evenly matched with Huang Feihu, and became more and more satisfied as she looked at him. She ran out and pulled the two of them inside, then looked outside and whispered, "I wonder how my cousin's trip went."

Zi Shou's purpose in coming to the palace was very simple.

The first step is to pay respects to the king upon returning home and announce his return. The second step is to formally inform the king that he intends to begin vying for the throne.

If the king acquiesces, then they will face off against the civil officials who support the eldest prince.

But if the king doesn't agree, he will directly lose his right to the throne...

They didn't really understand the prince's thinking either. If they wanted to compete, they could compete in private, but why tell the king directly?

The Huang Feihu siblings also showed signs of worry.

"This battle for the throne is going to be anything but simple!"

Li Jing, however, took it all in stride and kept glancing at Yin Guangling, thinking to himself, "But if I help the Third Prince obtain the throne, he will surely reward me. At that time, I won't ask for anything; I'll just ask him to grant me a marriage."

Oh, right, for such a big event, I must write a letter in advance to invite my master to attend the ceremony. My master is my only family..."

Just then, a figure stepped into the living room.

"Your Highness?"

Upon seeing the newcomers, Yin Guangling and Huang Feiluan were both surprised and delighted, but their smiles faded when they saw Zi Shou's serious expression.

"What was the result?" Huang Feihu asked in a low voice.

Zi Shou glanced at the three of them, his previously cold expression suddenly breaking into a smile. His eyes flashed as he softly said, "The throne is mine."

"what?"

The three of them were dumbfounded.

PS: I originally wanted to write a brief summary of this section, since Emperor Yi was already reduced to bones at the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods, but I felt that the capital of the Shang Dynasty was in dire straits at the end of the dynasty, so I wrote a little more to explain the difficult situation of the Shang Dynasty at that time. Please don't find it annoying.

(End of this chapter)