The concept of a born saint begins with Strange Tales from Liaozhai.

Duke Huan of Qi frowned, puzzled. "Why?"

Guan Zhong sighed and shook his head, “It is human nature for everyone to love their children, yet Yi Ya was able to cook his own son to offer to the ruler. This man is heartless; he can even abandon his own child, let alone the ruler?”

For a while.

The hall was silent.

Duke Huan of Qi's expression changed, and after thinking about it, he realized it was true, so he didn't refute it.

After a moment, he couldn't help but ask again, "What about Shu Diao? He castrated himself to enter the palace; his loyalty is beyond question!"

Guan Zhong shook his head again, "It is human nature that everyone loves their own body. Shu Diao castrated himself to get closer to the ruler. This man's desire for profit is more important than his life. If there is a greater benefit, he can abandon the ruler!"

Duke Huan of Qi frowned more and more, but he was still not giving up. "What about Kaifang? This man abandoned his own country to come to Qi, and he has served me very well!"

Guan Zhong still disagreed, saying, "Kai Fang betrayed his lord and abandoned his country to come here. This man is unrighteous. He can abandon his lord today, and he can abandon his lord tomorrow as well!"

Duke Huan of Qi was taken aback.

Finally, Guan Zhong used all his strength to whisper, "Your Majesty, never forget the words of the God of Wushan!"

"If you befriend virtuous people and keep away from petty people, the state of Qi can be at peace; otherwise..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Duke Huan of Qi understood the unspoken meaning.

Mentioning the God of Wushan, Duke Huan of Qi recalled the prophecy from several years ago, and his expression changed.

The mysterious voice of the God of Mist Mountain seemed to faintly echo in his ears.

"You really want to know?"

"Since you want to know, then I'll tell you."

"Your Majesty, in your later years you will indulge in sensual pleasures and extravagant lifestyles. While Guan Zhong is alive, things will remain peaceful. But once Guan Zhong dies, you will appoint treacherous officials, leading to chaos in the court and the decline of Qi."

"You lack the ability to recognize and utilize talent, and to distinguish right from wrong."

"As a hegemon, as the ruler of the most powerful vassal state in the world."

"In your later years, you will be trapped in the palace and starve to death. How pitiful and lamentable..."

Duke Huan of Qi was in a bad mood.

He was furious about the prophecy made by the God of Wushan that day, and even thought that the God of Wushan was just playing a trick on him. But now, when he heard Guan Zhong mention it, he couldn't help but feel a tightness in his heart.

At the same time, he was also somewhat unconvinced, not believing that it would be as the God of Wushan had said.

As he was thinking this, Guan Zhong, who knew Duke Huan of Qi very well, naturally saw his expression and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.

Several years ago, when he heard what the God of Wushan said, he thought it was absurd and impossible, but now, on his deathbed, he thinks back on it again and analyzes it carefully.

After analyzing the king's personality, he felt that what the God of Mist Mountain said might not be false.

Given the ruler's personality, he may very well end up like this!

What Lord Wushan said is very likely true!

Guan Zhong's expression was complex.

Unfortunately, what would happen next was something he, a man gravely ill and near death, could not see.

Guan Zhong felt a pang of regret.

At the same time, he sighed even more deeply.

I only hope that Your Majesty will heed the words of the God of Wushan.

……

Soon after, Guan Zhong passed away.

On that day, in the mourning hall, white banners fluttered like snow, and the wind whispered mournfully.

Guan Zhong lay in the coffin, his face serene, as if still contemplating state affairs.

And below the hall.

Duke Huan of Qi stood before the coffin, feeling not only grief but also an indescribable emptiness in his heart.

Time passed slowly.

After Guan Zhong's death, Duke Huan of Qi listened to the advice and thought that Guan Zhong's words made a lot of sense, so he expelled Yi Ya, Shu Diao, and Kai Fang.

Unfortunately, things went well at first, but not long after the three left, Duke Huan of Qi began to feel uneasy.

No one around him catered to him, no one spoke or acted according to his wishes.

He felt lonely, irritable, and physically uncomfortable, as if he had lost his soul.

The longer the days went by, the more he missed the days when the three of them were by his side, and the feeling of being held in high esteem, with everything going his way and every word agreeable to him.

Honest advice is hard to hear, but it can't compare to being cared for day and night and having your wishes fulfilled every night.

Duke Huan of Qi was shaken.

During this process, he couldn't help but think of what the God of Wushan had once said.

As he pondered, Duke Huan of Qi sneered inwardly, thinking, "As long as I am careful, what the God of Wushan said will certainly not come to pass!"

Soon, he, who was fond of pleasure and stubborn, could no longer restrain himself. Ignoring the earnest advice of Guan Zhong before his death, he sent people to summon Yi Ya, Shu Diao, and Kai Fang back to the palace, believing that he could control them.

As time went by, he grew older and weaker, becoming more and more afraid of loneliness and more and more dependent on Yi Ya and others.

After Yi Ya, Shu Diao, and Kai Fang returned, they began to plan the change of the crown prince.

The current Crown Prince Zhao is upright and follows the rules. He will definitely not give them important positions when he ascends the throne. What they want is an obedient, easy-to-control ruler who will allow them to continue to hold power.

Therefore, they chose Prince Wu Kui, the son of Princess Changwei.

At the urging of Lady Changwei, Duke Huan of Qi's most beloved concubine, Duke Huan wavered and considered deposing Crown Prince Zhao and installing Prince Wukui in his place.

When Crown Prince Zhao learned of the situation, he knew it was bad and fled without saying a word.

Upon hearing the news, Duke Huan of Qi was both angry and anxious. His already frail body completely collapsed, and he fell ill and could no longer attend court.

Because of his serious illness, he lost control of the government.

With Yi Ya and his gang in power, they no longer had any scruples.

They sealed off the palace and announced to the outside world that the Marquis of Qi was seriously ill and recuperating, strictly forbidding anyone from visiting him.

The palace gates were tightly closed, and the high walls were newly built. Under layers of guards, the inside and outside were completely isolated. No outsiders were allowed to enter, and no news was allowed to get out.

Even doctors were not allowed to set foot inside, and food and water were cut off.

It was as if the one in the royal palace was no longer the king of Qi, but merely an abandoned, dying old man.

……

The royal palace of the Qi Kingdom.

Inside the bedroom.

The light was dim, the curtains hung low, and a dull, rotten stench filled the air.

Duke Huan of Qi lay alone on the couch with his eyes open, staring blankly upwards.

Chapter 116 Azure Dragon Seven Constellations?!

At first, Duke Huan of Qi still held onto a sliver of hope and expectation, thinking that someone would come to his rescue.

Perhaps his wives and concubines, upon hearing the news, covered their faces and wept as they came to visit him, or perhaps his sons stayed by his bedside, calling out softly as they tended to him.

Alternatively, the court officials might notice something amiss, join forces to enter the palace, and rescue him from imprisonment.

Even if things don't improve, someone should come and administer medicine to him to help him recover.

Duke Huan of Qi thought about it over and over again.

From day to night, and from night to dawn, the area outside the palace remained deathly silent.

No matter how he shouted, whether he asked for food, or pounded on the edge of the bed, roared, cursed, or begged, there were no footsteps and no one answered him.

Under such torment, Duke Huan of Qi's consciousness gradually became blurred.

Hunger began to gnaw at his body, and thirst tore at his throat.

His expectations crumbled during the waiting, until only despair remained in the end.

Outside the palace, young masters like Wu Kui were busy gathering followers and vying for power, so they had no time to come and see him, let alone anyone else. With Yi Ya and others blocking their way, no one dared to come and see him.

Inside the bedroom.

Duke Huan of Qi's breathing grew weaker and weaker, sometimes lucid and sometimes delirious.

Everything from the past flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

There are images of his brother, Lord T, at the alliance meeting, displaying his high spirits and commanding the world; and there is also the scene of him standing on the altar at the foot of the misty Wushan Mountain, asking questions of the Wushan God.

There were even echoes of the words of the God of Mist Mountain.

"As a hegemon, as the ruler of the most powerful vassal state in the world."

"How tragic that you will be trapped in the palace in your later years and starve to death..."

The sound came from a great distance, yet it was incredibly clear.

Duke Huan of Qi's pupils trembled slightly, and his eyes revealed sorrow.

Lord of Mist Mountain?

Is this the God of Mount Kiriyama?

"Lord of Mist Mountain..."

Duke Huan of Qi gave a bitter smile.

He vaguely remembered that when the God of Wushan told him these prophecies, he was agitated and angry, feeling that the God of Wushan was playing a trick on him and did not believe it at all.

At the time, he angrily questioned him, which now seems ridiculous.

How could the prophecy spoken by the God of Mist Mountain be false?

It's just too unbelievable for ordinary people like them to believe.

Come to think of it, what kind of being is Lord Wushan? How could he possibly be deceived?

Even a monarch is nothing to someone like Lord Wushan...

He is now very old, but I suppose the God of Wushan is still the same as before?

Immortality?!

Perhaps it is even watching this place from afar on Mount Wu, looking at him with pity, looking at all this ridiculousness.

Duke Huan of Qi mocked himself.

Unfortunately, it's too late to say anything now.

Overwhelmed with remorse, Duke Huan of Qi gradually lost his will to live and closed his eyes in his bedroom.

A once-mighty power has come to an end.

His body gradually rotted, swelled, and became infested with maggots in the mortuary.

A stench resembling that of dead rats gradually permeated the bedroom and drifted outwards.

During this process, not long after the Marquis of Qi died, Yi Ya and the others found out.

After all, the Marquis of Qi was under their house arrest, and they deliberately deprived him of food and water and forbade anyone to approach him. Only their men guarded the outside of the palace.

They knew perfectly well when the Marquis of Qi died.

However, they did not spread the news, deliberately suppressing it and keeping the death a secret.

Because they concealed the information, others naturally didn't know either.

Time passed slowly.

It wasn't until the dissenting ministers were killed, they seized control of the court, and Prince Wu Kui ascended to the throne that Yi Ya and others officially announced the death of the Marquis of Qi.

By this time, Duke Huan of Qi's body had decomposed to the point that maggots were crawling out of the door and the stench was unbearable, making him truly one of the most tragic rulers.

As the funeral was held, the feudal lords learned that the Duke of Qi had died.

Before long, after their scouts gathered information, they found out exactly what had happened.