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

Chapter 384 Nuwa's Birthday
The music of Chaoge stretches for fifty miles, and eight hundred feudal lords pay homage to Ling Mountain.

This is the magnificent and prosperous scene of the Shang Dynasty capital imagined by the poet in the previous life of Yu Ding.

And here... is the ancient Chaoge!
The magnificent city wall sits on the earth, majestic and imposing, like an ancient behemoth lying down. The wall is as vast as a mountain range, and the years have left mottled marks on it.

But the city remained sturdy and never fell, becoming a symbol of humanity.

The Shang Dynasty was the legitimate successor to the Xia Dynasty!
As the capital of the Yin Shang Dynasty, Chaoge was undoubtedly the largest city of the human race in the prehistoric world.

none of them.

Because this giant city housed such a large population, even though the Shang dynasty had created nine openings in each of the four massive city walls, the daily flow of nobles and commoners still caused frequent congestion at the entrances.

The prosperity of this city is beyond description, and all the humans scattered throughout the primordial world regard this place as their dream, filled with longing for it...

Inside the royal city, the morning court session had not yet ended.

The Shang king sat high above, while his civil and military officials flanked him, discussing various government affairs.

"Report!"

Suddenly, a messenger rushed in, holding a scroll of bamboo slips, and said happily, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Wen has sent a report of victory and will be returning to court soon."

As they spoke, the bamboo slips were presented to the young Shang king.

Upon hearing this, most of the civil and military officials on both sides of the hall showed similar expressions, revealing joy.

Above, Di Xin took the letter, opened it, and laughed, "Good, Grand Tutor has indeed not disappointed me. Come, let me share the good news with all my beloved ministers."

The official in charge of the carriage took the bamboo slip and delivered it to the civil and military officials below the white jade steps.

Upon reading it, everyone saw that it stated that Yuan Futong, along with the seventy-two lords of Beihai, colluded with demons and monsters, wreaking havoc in the region. During the war, he was fortunate to have two celestial beings descend to earth to help him, which allowed him to quickly quell the rebellion.

The claim that two celestial beings descended to earth was naturally a fabricated explanation by Wen Zhong after he had "handled" the situation.

He didn't want to bring along the two disciples of Jade Cauldron Immortal, but with the Shang Dynasty beset by internal and external troubles, he needed to use this to build momentum for Emperor Xin and stabilize the court.

Emperor Xin immediately understood his meaning and sent the victory report to his civil and military officials.

As expected, after reading it, all the ministers offered their congratulations, saying that the king was ordained by Heaven and blessed by the heavens...

Thus, the morning court session ended in an atmosphere of high spirits.

In the rear hall.

"Grand Tutor's expedition went smoothly."

As Di Xin looked at the report of victory, a maidservant entered and said, "Your Majesty, the two princes have come to pay their respects."

"Let them in!" Di Xin nodded.

……

As the sun set in the distance, its golden-red afterglow bathed the people queuing in front of the city gate.

In the procession, an elderly man in a long robe stepped forward with the flow of people and approached Chaoge, slowly raising his head to look at the magnificent city.

"Chaoge..."

The old man's gaze was somewhat complicated. He murmured something, then put his hands behind his back and followed the flow of people forward.

Two teams of heavily armed Shang soldiers stood guard on either side of the cave entrance, responsible for preventing any disturbances and for checking and registering information.

"From Chentang Pass?"

The soldier looked at the travel permit in his hand and the unassuming old man in front of him with some surprise.

The old man grinned at him and chuckled, "Exactly!"

What brings you to Chaoge?

"Making a living by performing!"

"Performing arts?"

The sergeant in charge of the inspection looked at the old man with some surprise: "What skills do you have?"

The old man stroked his beard and grinned: "To be honest, I studied martial arts in the Kunlun Mountains for many years, and I know everything from astronomy to the like..."

The sergeant glanced at him and said, "Get to the point. Look at how the lines are arranged in the back."

The old man chuckled sheepishly: "I can read faces, draw talismans, catch ghosts, and tell fortunes, especially fortune-telling. How about I give you a reading, sir?"

"Turns out he's a charlatan!"

The soldier tossed the travel permit to the old man and waved his hand impatiently, saying, "Hurry up and go in, don't dawdle."

"I……"

The old man reluctantly passed through the long, dark doorway. When he looked back, the city gate behind him seemed to glow from the small opening. He shook his head and sighed, "Life is hard."

Soon after, the old man appeared on the streets of Chaoge.

The rebellion in Beihai did not attract much attention, and Chaoge remained a peaceful and prosperous place.

The moon has risen, but the city's liveliness has only increased.

The nobles of Daguan set out in their carriages, ready to begin their beautiful nightlife.
The commoners, weary from a day's work for silver coins, returned home.
As for those slaves...

Their lowly status meant they were no longer considered human; labor and enslavement had numbed their senses.

For them, day and night are not much different.

"So, are you ready...?" The old man's gaze traveled through the streets until it reached the royal city at the very center of the city.

It's past midnight!

Inside the Dragon Virtue Hall of the royal palace, a figure dressed in a royal robe adorned with gold-painted black birds and wearing a royal crown sat behind a table, seemingly dozing off with his hand propping up his head.

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew, startling him awake. He saw a Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly grace step through the gate and enter the main hall.

Di Xin glanced around and saw that the palace was brightly lit, but the guards and attendants were nowhere to be seen. However, he was skilled and bold this time, and he was not flustered. He said calmly, "What brings you to my palace, Daoist?"

The Taoist priest smiled and nodded at Emperor Xin, then pointed his sword and said, "I have a sword; please, Your Majesty, test it!"

Before Di Xin could answer, the Taoist pointed his sword, and instantly, a blazing sword light carrying an aura of destruction covered everything in the world.

Di Xin woke up with a start and exerted himself, only to find the table in front of him already shattered into pieces, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

He then realized that the soldiers guarding the main hall and the attendants serving him were also standing in the hall, and that everything just now was just a dream.

"Is it real? Or a dream!?"

Di Xin was still somewhat shaken, and his face was very pale. If it was a dream, it was too real.

The main problem was that the Taoist's sword was too terrifying; it seemed capable of slaying immortals and destroying everything.

He had never been so frightened since he achieved the status of a martial arts immortal.

He closed his eyes, still uneasy, and activated his inner energy, sensing that there was nothing unusual within his body.

In a simple courtyard within the bustling and vibrant city of Chaoge.

An old man paced back and forth in the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his expression filled with panic and worry.

A guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) is placed in the pavilion, and an incense burner is burning beside it.

"What brings you to me in such a hurry? Hmm? What's the panic?"

Suddenly, a figure shrouded in a cloak appeared behind him.

Seeing this, the old man hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with concern, "Immortal Master, the plan has changed. Wen Zhong has quelled the rebellion in the North Sea and will be returning to court soon."

"Don't worry, now that Wen Zhong has gone out, he won't be coming back easily. Continue to proceed according to plan!"

As the figure spoke, it suddenly transformed into a burst of golden light and vanished.

……

A beam of clear light passed through the gate of a small courtyard at the foot of the royal city and transformed into a Taoist priest.

"Judging from your sneaky appearance, you're definitely up to no good again."

In the courtyard, Bai Ze stepped forward and looked him up and down, then teased, "You've changed your appearance again and you're all sweaty. Tell me, what have you been up to?"

Kong Xuan shook his head and smiled.

Yu Ding raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said calmly, "I traveled all the way back from Beiju Luzhou. It's normal to sweat a little after such a long journey."

He didn't know if the Nuwa Palace incident was fate or if someone was orchestrating it.

In any case, to avoid alerting the enemy, he took a safe approach, entering the city as a street performer instead of using magic.

Bai Ze stared at the jade cauldron and said, "What is your relationship with those two witch clan boys... You must give me an explanation."

Yu Ding felt a little guilty under the gaze, then suddenly realized what was happening and snorted, "You want to confess, huh? Well, I'll just tell you straight then, those two brats are my disciples. What are you going to do about it? I can take whoever I want as my disciple, and you think you can control me? That's ridiculous!" "You..."

Bai Ze was taken aback. He had expected that Yu Ding would probably give him a vague answer and not give a direct answer to the question.

But he didn't expect Yu Ding to be so tough.

"Let me tell you, Bai Ze, times have changed, and the Demon Court is dead."

Yu Ding raised his hand and pointed at Bai Ze, saying, "It's really good that you old demons have survived. Stop thinking about causing trouble every day and plotting to overthrow the Heavenly Court and restore the Demon Court."

Think about the ancient Heavenly Court, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans, or even the Witch Clan. Which of them, after experiencing a great calamity, is now acting as recklessly and causing trouble as you have?

For a moment, Bai Ze was stunned by what Yu Ding said.

Seeing that Bai Ze had been subdued, Yu Ding quickly gave Kong Xuan a wink, and the two went into a room.

"Wait a minute, I didn't cause any trouble!"

Bai Ze realized what was going on and said, "I wasn't the one causing trouble. Wasn't I asking about how you took in two little witch clan brats?"

boom!
The only response he received was the closed door.

"Jade Cauldron!"

Bai Ze's face turned black with anger. Besides, he was just asking and had no intention of making trouble at all.

After all, Yu Ding also accepted a younger member of the demon race as his disciple.

But seeing Yu Ding's death... does that mean we can't even ask him anything?
"Brother Yu Ding, actually Brother Bai didn't mean to make things difficult for you..." Kong Xuan explained to Bai Ze with a wry smile.

Yu Ding glanced outside: "I know, but this guy is just destined to be a jerk, you can't give him too much kindness."

Uh… Kong Xuan paused for a moment, then changed the subject, saying, “Brother Yu Ding, what do you think about my becoming a deputy commander-in-chief…”

"I've already said General, General, why are you still talking about the Deputy General?"

Yu Ding laughed and said, "I have already informed Wen Zhong about this matter. He went to the North Sea to fight, and I heard that he has now quelled the rebellion and should be returning soon. His personal guarantee will be much more useful than a letter of introduction."

Kong Xuan nodded slightly. He had originally wanted to urge them to hurry up, but now that he had said that, he didn't dare to speak anymore.

Although what Brother Yu Ding said made sense, and he could get a higher official position through Brother Yu Ding's connections, he felt constrained by this matter and could only waste his time with them every day.

If he had sought other connections back then... he would probably be an official in the imperial court by now!
The next day!

As the sun rose, civil and military officials filed into the main hall to begin the morning court session, discussing and handling memorials and important military and political matters sent by officials from various regions.

Not long after that.

"Report! Your Majesty, the Marquis of Dongbo has sent an urgent report that the Marquis of Pingling of Donghai has rebelled, proclaiming himself King Pingling. Please send troops to support him."

Just as the civil and military officials were feeling somewhat exhausted, a sudden urgent report startled them all.

"Pingling...King? That dog dares to call itself a king!"

Di Xin glanced at the messenger below with a stern expression and said, "The Marquis of Dongbo commands two hundred vassal states in the east. When a rebel emerged under his command, instead of leading troops to quell the rebellion, he came to Chaoge seeking help. What is the meaning of this?"

The messenger, sweating profusely under the intense gaze, hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Dongbo has already ordered the young marquis to lead men to suppress the rebellion, but the Marquis of Pingling has colluded with many Yi tribes..."

"The barbarians?!"

Di Xin's eyes flashed. The so-called Yi Fang were actually human tribes outside the two hundred routes of the Eastern Yi, hence they were also called Dong Yi.

Besides the Eastern Yi, there were also the Southern Man, Western Rong, and Northern Di tribes, which were the great enemies of the Shang Dynasty and its feudal lords.

If we broaden our perspective, then the people in these barbarian tribes are also human.
However, these people were not enlightened by the sages of the Central Plains, and thus retained the fierce style of the ancient human race, embarking on a different path from the human race of the Central Plains.

These barbarians do not engage in production; when they lack anything, they invade the territories of the feudal lords. They steal cattle and sheep, they steal grain, they steal women...

Thus, these barbarians were also regarded as foreign races by the people of the Central Plains.

These barbarian merchants did form large armies with the feudal lords to annihilate them, but the enemy was fierce in battle. They would fight if they could, and retreat if they couldn't, relying on their geographical advantages.

When the allied forces were exhausted and wanted to retreat, they were caught up and attacked again... It was simply impossible to wipe them out in this way.

"It seems they want to be beaten again. Issue an order to the army; I will personally lead the expedition!"

Di Xin suddenly stood up, his expression cold: "If my great-grandfather couldn't kill them back then, then I will."

The current enfeoffment system dictated that the feudal lords submitted to the Shang king and paid tribute, but when the property and safety of the feudal lords were infringed upon, the Shang king would also send troops to protect them.

Only in this way can we gain the trust of the people; otherwise, the consequences will be severe.

In fact, these barbarian invasions happen from time to time, but what's frustrating is that these barbarians are impossible to kill; they just keep coming back to annoy people every now and then.

His great-grandfather was known as King Wu Yi of the Shang Dynasty.

At that time, the Shang Dynasty believed in divination and consulted oracles for all sorts of matters, even the succession to the throne. The interpretation of the divination results rested with the shamans.

His great-grandfather recognized the threat this divine authority posed to royal power. So, after resolving the threats posed by the sorcerers and divine authority, he launched campaigns against the Eastern Yi, the Western Rong, and the Northern Di, completely subduing these three scourges.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers were taken aback and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

Huang Feihu clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is the foundation of the nation, how can you act rashly? Feihu is willing to lead the army to quell the rebellion."

At this moment, Bigan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I think it would be wise to let Grand Tutor Wen take a detour to the East Sea to quell the rebellion."

Although the Grand Tutor has just returned from a campaign, firstly, the campaign against the North Sea was relatively recent, and the army would not be too exhausted; secondly, the Grand Tutor had returned victorious, and morale was high; thirdly, the journey to the East Sea from the Grand Tutor's location was closer than that from Chaoge; and fourthly, the Grand Tutor was proficient in the Five Elements Daoist arts..."

"I second the proposal!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers unanimously agreed and expressed their approval.

Di Xin looked at Huang Feihu, who had volunteered for battle, and Bi Gan, the prince who was offering advice, and after a moment's thought, he gave the following instructions:
"Draft an imperial edict! Order the Grand Tutor to detour to the North Sea to subdue Marquis Pingling and the various Eastern Yi tribes. Note: This time, you must make them suffer a great loss and draw blood."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers then showered Emperor Xin with praise.

After this incident, few people in the hall submitted further memorials for a while.

When the driver glanced at Di Xin's face, he shouted, "Those who have something to report, step forward; those who have nothing to report, the court is dismissed!"

Before he finished speaking, an old man stepped forward and shouted, "Your subject, Shang Rong, is in charge of the court's administration and music. I dare not fail to report any matters."

Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the third month, the birthday of the Goddess Nuwa. Your Majesty, please grace the Nuwa Palace with your presence and offer incense!

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

The ministers exchanged glances and then stepped forward to echo their sentiments.

Di Xin asked, "What merits does Goddess Nuwa possess that would make me, a mere emperor, disregard my imperial status and go to offer incense?"

Shang Rong reported: "The Goddess Nuwa was an ancient goddess, born with saintly virtues. At that time, Gonggong struck Mount Buzhou with his head, and the sky tilted to the northwest..."

After a moment's thought, Emperor Xin said, "Your memorial is approved."

……

In a small courtyard outside the royal city.

The mighty King of Shang did not recognize Nuwa… Yu Ding frowned as he stared at a floating mirror of light before him, reflecting the scene of the morning court session.

Of course, this scene was exactly the same as in the original Investiture of the Gods, which made him even more puzzled that there were people in the prehistoric world who did not know about Nuwa.

In addition, something else surprised him.

"The order hasn't changed, but King Pingling's reversal... seems a bit too early."

Yu Ding pinched his chin with his index finger and thumb and pondered. It was true that King Pingling rebelled after Yuan Futong, and it was indeed Wen Zhong who went to suppress him after returning to the capital.

But... the timeline was moved forward by more than ten years!
Because of the involvement of his two wicked disciples, Wen Zhong's campaign against Beihai ended more than ten years ahead of schedule.

"Prime Minister...Shang Rong!"

Finally, Yu Ding's gaze fell on the old man. He had deduced that the old man was problematic based on the original text of Investiture of the Gods.

Anyway, whoever brings up the matter of offering incense at the Nuwa Palace is in the wrong!

At this moment, he was even more certain. After all, if you wanted to bring up the matter of offering incense at the Nuwa Palace, no problem, you had plenty of time to talk about it.

But this old fellow remained silent like a mute, only revealing his thoughts the day before Nuwa's birthday, and then a whole bunch of people echoed his sentiments...

They didn't give Di Xin any time to react at all!
"That old bastard!"

Yu Ding shook his head, hoping that the trick he had left behind would come in handy...

Hehe, I was writing smoothly for a while, but I haven't figured out how to proceed with the Nuwa Palace story. I've been stuck on this for two days, so I'll continue writing.



(End of this chapter)