Film & TV: Public Enemy of Justice

They didn't gather in the council chamber until late afternoon. He even let out a loud burp as he entered, making everyone chuckle.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yaoxie, who came in later, was even more exaggerated than Nezha, letting out a series of burps.

That sound was truly an echo that reverberated through the empty valley, its mournful tone fading into the deepest recesses.

Nezha couldn't help but tease him, saying, "Senior brother, I never expected that I couldn't beat you, and I can't even eat as much as you. I'm ashamed."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yaoxie kicked Nezha, saying, "I can't possibly eat as much as you. I just have better digestion than you. When you're eating, the speed at which you reach out your hand is so fast that I can only see afterimages."

Jiang Ziya let his two fellow disciples joke around for a while before getting down to business: "This time, we captured Shanshui City more easily than we expected, and we didn't cause any casualties among the people in the city, which is something to celebrate. However, our battle is not over yet. King Zhou is still in Chaoge, causing chaos in the court with Daji, and the people of Chaoge are still suffering. We cannot relax yet; we must persevere until the final victory arrives."

Lin Yaoxie nodded, agreeing: "We cannot underestimate our enemy just because we have come to Shanshui City so easily. Our most important battle is still in Chaoge."

Guang Chengzi strolled over and offered his thoughts: "At this point, King Zhou only has Chaoge left. He will definitely be more irritable and unpredictable than before, and with Daji stirring things up, he may harm the people in the city. We must take Chaoge as soon as possible."

Lin Yaoxie put down his teacup and continued, "That's right, and most of the main force of the Shang Dynasty has already surrendered. We will soon be able to completely destroy the Shang Dynasty. Perseverance is victory."

Chaoge at this time.

Upon hearing the news of the disastrous defeat at the front, King Zhou was extremely depressed and rushed back to the palace. He lashed out at the seemingly carefree Daji, saying, "Our entire army has been wiped out. The Xiqi army is about to march into Chaoge. We are about to face a great calamity."

Daji did indeed comfort him: "Your Majesty is blessed with good fortune and has the assistance of all spirits. In my opinion, the Xiqi army is only temporarily strong and will ultimately fail."

King Zhou stepped forward and grabbed Daji's shoulders with both hands: "We can't send anyone else to repel the enemy. How can we turn the tide? Daji, now we can only rely on you."

Daji asked in confusion, "Me?"

"Yes, go and invite the gods. Only with the help of the gods can we defeat the Xiqi army." King Zhou looked at Daji with hopeful eyes.

Daji turned her back, unsure how to explain that it was just a trick of the fox den, so she could only say, "Your Majesty need not say more. I have always known that the war is urgent (Zhao Zhao's), and I have been asking the gods to descend, but no gods have descended."

King Zhou was at a loss and paced back and forth in the palace in agitation.

"No, I will personally lead the troops into battle. This land belongs to me, Emperor Xin. I will never allow anyone to take it from me!"

Daji then suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't we hold the city gates and delay the inevitable? Perhaps things will turn around. Who knows what might happen?"

Chapter 258 The Three-Day Expectation

After a moment's thought, King Zhou still lacked the courage to lead his troops into battle: "Fine, then we'll close the city and hold out."

Meanwhile, the Xiqi army had already reached Chaoge, preparing for their final battle.

Jiang Ziya and the others held their final discussion: "Today is the day of life and death for the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Shang dynasty's fate is sealed, and the destruction of Chaoge is only a matter of time. Today, we must do everything in our power. Let's set off!"

"Yes!" The soldiers of Xiqi had been waiting for this day for a long time.

When King Zhou and the Qi army arrived at the city gate, no one came to their aid, so he had to lead his troops out to fight on his own.

They brought along the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who had been forcibly conscripted, and confronted Jiang Ziya.

King Zhou was still dreaming: "You are all subjects of my great Shang Dynasty, yet you have raised an army in rebellion. Why don't you surrender quickly?"

Jiang Ziya said, "You have slaughtered the people and harmed loyal ministers, which is a heinous crime. Your subjects are no longer willing to serve you as king."

770

King Zhou remained obstinate: "You have deceived the emperor and spoken nonsense. What crime have I committed?"

Jiang Ziya listed his crimes one by one: "Hmph! You distanced yourself from wise men and listened to petty men, easily believing the words of Daji, thus becoming corrupt and morally bankrupt. You tortured the Empress with hot irons, beheaded the Crown Prince, and humiliated loyal officials. You devoured the flesh of palace women alive, examined their bones and marrow, and disemboweled them to examine their fetuses. You have harmed living beings and committed countless injustices throughout history. Your crimes are too numerous to mention."

The Xiqi army behind them shouted loudly, "Destroy the Shang! Destroy the Shang!"

At this moment, King Zhou was speechless when he heard Jiang Ziya's words.

Looking at the old, weak, and disabled soldiers behind King Zhou, Lin Yaoxie suggested to Jiang Ziya, "King Zhou is tyrannical and cruel, but the people are innocent. I think most of the soldiers behind him are forced to come. They are old, weak, sick, and disabled. They are innocent and are going to die here. Why don't we persuade him to surrender and give him a way out?"

Guang Chengzi agreed with Lin Yaoxie's words: "Yaoxie is right. In a war between two sides, the common people are innocent. Although King Zhou would be guilty even if he died ten thousand times, what wrong have the common people done?"

After a moment's thought, Jiang Ziya said to King Zhou, "King Wu, acting on the mandate of Heaven, attacked Shang with benevolence. We also do not wish to lose any more of our soldiers' lives. You have three days to announce to the world that you have abdicated and surrendered. Go back and consider it."

At this point, King Zhou had no choice but to retreat his troops back to the city.

Once inside the city, King Zhou began to drown his sorrows in alcohol again, angrily saying to Daji, "That Jiang Ziya is truly infuriating! He listed my numerous crimes in front of the two armies, and some of them involved you."

Daji countered with, "About me?"

King Zhou took another sip of wine: "Yes. About you."

Daji's eyes darted away: "He knows the king favors me. He's deliberately trying to anger the king."

King Zhou said, "He has long harbored ill intentions. Do you remember when he gave me a peach wood sword, saying it could subdue demons? In reality, he wanted to murder me."

Daji feigned weakness to King Zhou: "However, I remember that I was the one who saved you from this disaster. If it weren't for Shen Gongbao rescuing me, I would have been dead long ago."

King Zhou, wine cup in hand, suddenly recalled the past. He thought of the virtuous Queen Jiang, with whom he could confide his troubles; Queen Jiang always seemed to have a way to resolve them.

The worry.

But Empress Jiang was no longer with him. What use was Daji then, given all his favoritism? Thinking this, he suddenly felt disgusted with Daji. He rose and left the place of pleasure, went to Empress Jiang's former residence, and fell into a deep sleep.

For the first time, he dreamed of many people.

Chapter 259 King Zhou Immolates Himself

He dreamt of Empress Zhou, his son, Bi Gan, and countless others who died tragically because of him.

He woke up with a start, the image of everyone telling him that Daji was a monster, a fox spirit, still haunting his mind.

He broke out in a cold sweat, questioning himself for the first time: "Was it right for me to spoil Daji like this? I do whatever she says, and I feel like I've lost my own opinions. No matter what happens, I have to ask her. It's like after asking her, I'm just following her wishes. Is she really a fox spirit? If she really is, then what have I been doing all this time?!"

He looked at the moonlight outside the window and fell into a daze.

I don't know what to do now.

At that moment, he remembered the peach wood sword. Just as he was about to destroy it, he inexplicably kept it.

However, Daji was unaware of this matter; otherwise, she herself would not know whether she could have stayed.

Thinking of this, he left Empress Jiang's room and found an inconspicuous small bag in the kitchen, placed among many other odds and ends. King Zhou opened the ordinary gray cloth covering the package, revealing a peach wood sword inside.

He carried the peach wood sword on his back and quietly walked towards Daji's palace.

In the luxurious palace, the floor was covered with animal fur, so that walking on it would not make a sound.

King Zhou walked over and lit the candles by the bedside. The warm yellow light dimly illuminated Daji's face, making her already smooth skin appear even more translucent.

It should have been a beautiful scene, if it weren't for the extra white, fluffy tail that appeared behind Daji.

King Zhou was both surprised and somewhat expected by what he saw.

He wondered: Why was it exposed today after keeping it a secret for so long? Was it because the merchant was too happy and drank too much?

Or was it a deliberate attempt to let him know that all these years he had been doing so many cruel things for this vixen, killing his wife and children, and abusing loyal and virtuous people!

Let him die with resentment!

Is he really going to hand over his century-old business to someone else in three days?

The legacy of the Shang Dynasty was about to end with him.

No! He wouldn't allow himself to surrender; how could he face his ancestors if he did?

Even if he dies, he will still be the emperor of the Shang Dynasty. Di Xin looked at Daji sleeping soundly on the bed and gradually descended into madness.

0oooo Requesting flowers.

He spilled all the lamp oil on the ground. By then, there was no one left in the Star-Picking Tower; some were dead, and some had fled.

King Zhou lit the lamp oil, and soon a great fire broke out.

King Zhou gazed silently at Daji in the firelight: "Let us atone for the downfall of the Shang Dynasty together. How ridiculous I am that I would want to die with you at this point. Did you bewitch me, or did I bewitch myself? But it doesn't matter anymore. After death, we will both be ghosts. You don't have to be a fox spirit, and I don't have to be the ruler of this fallen kingdom."

..... 0

Having said that, he thrust the peach wood sword in his hand at Daji. Daji made no sound and revealed her true form—a fox with snow-white fur.

When King Zhou saw Daji in her original form, he suddenly remembered a little fox he had saved at the hunting grounds years ago. He was not a kind person, but when he saw the fox looking at him with teary eyes, he inexplicably saved her.

"Oh, it's you, little fox."

The flames had already reached the hem of his robes, but King Zhou still wore a wide smile.

Chapter 260 Lin Yaoxie Leaves

King Zhou bent down and embraced Daji in her original form, and they lay down on the bed together.

The fire grew larger and larger, and King Zhou was soon rendered unconscious by the thick smoke.

He instinctively pulled Daji closer, and as his life slipped away, he heard Daji calling him: "Your Majesty."

Such a light and airy sentence, I don't know if it came from the past, in a dream, or in his arms.

So be it. From now on, the events of "770" will be like smoke, turned to ashes, and gone with the wind.

The fire at the Star-Picking Tower burned all night.

Not only the people in the city saw it, but even the Xiqi army far outside the city saw it.

No one, including Lin Yaoxie, expected that Di Xin would die in this way.

This was his final act of mercy, giving himself his last shred of dignity without harming the lives of the people in the city.

The Xiqi army thus entered the city smoothly, and the people of the city lined the streets to welcome them.

They expressed their joy in every way they could think of, throwing flowers and eggs... King Wu walked at the head of the procession, and they all knelt down, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Listening carefully, Lin Yaoxie could also hear the common people saying, "This king is really a good king. He was so happy to meet the king for the first time and wasn't afraid at all."

Lin Yaoxie was also very happy, listening to the joyful laughter of the people, knowing that they would no longer have to live in constant fear. Hadn't everything they had gone through before been for this day?

He was happy not only for the people, but also for himself. He had persevered until this day, and he felt he had done a good job. This "did a good job" did not mean he had the greatest merit, but rather that he had done his best and had not backed down.

He will not regret in the future any moment when he felt he should have worked harder.

That's enough; all he wants is to have a clear conscience.

When everyone arrived at the palace gate, the carriage was covered with flowers, and each young man received a handkerchief thrown by the girls.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

The desolate palace instantly came to life.

King Wu first told everyone to go back and rest, and to discuss the next steps the next day.

Everyone accepted the order and settled into an empty palace at random.

Meanwhile, Lin Yaoxie, who should have been resting, was in Jiang Ziya's room, along with Ouyang Xue, Nezha, Guang Chengzi, and others....