PFC Recommendation No. 113
Recommendation No. 113
Emperor Xin sat on the magnificent dragon throne, his face as gloomy as ink and flames of anger flashing in his eyes.
His fingers drummed on the armrests of the dragon throne, and each tap echoed in the empty hall like a drumbeat.
After a while, Emperor Xin's voice was like the north wind in the cold winter, sharp and piercing:
"Somebody come!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a palace servant hurried in and knelt before Emperor Xin, not daring to raise his head:
"What is the king's order?"
Emperor Xin's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He stared at the palace servant and spoke word by word:
"Immediately summon Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, Uncle Wang Bigan, Prime Minister Shang Rong, and King Wucheng Huang Feihu to the palace! I have something important to discuss with you!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
When the palace servant heard Emperor Xin's words, he responded respectfully, then stood up and left, going to inform the important ministers of the country.
……
Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps and the clashing of armor could be heard in the palace corridor.
Luo Shu, Wen Zhong, Bigan, Shang Rong and Huang Feihu arrived one after another.
As soon as they entered the hall, they felt the strong anger emanating from Emperor Xin.
Before coming, they also inquired about it. No one expected that Jizhou Hou Su Hu was so tough. He dared to confront the king just because the king allowed his daughter to enter the palace.
When Emperor Xin saw that the Imperial Master Luo Shu had also come along, the anger on his face seemed to be diluted a little by Luo Shu's arrival, but he still said in a deep voice:
"I didn't expect the Imperial Master to be here. It just so happens that I also want to hear his opinion."
When Luo Shu heard what Emperor Xin said, his face was calm and he said calmly:
"I was discussing Taoism with my junior fellow apprentice Wen Zhong when I learned that the king had summoned him for an urgent matter, so I came to take a look."
Emperor Xin nodded slightly, expressing his approval of Luo Shu's arrival.
"This is the memorial submitted by Jizhou Marquis Su Hu. Please take a look at it and express your opinions after reading it."
As Emperor Xin spoke, he signaled the palace servants to take the memorial away and let Luo Shu and others have a look.
Luo Shu took the memorial, and the others - Wen Zhong, Bigan, Shang Rong and Huang Feihu - gathered around.
When the memorial was opened, a line of powerful words came into everyone's eyes. After reading it, Wen Zhong and others had different expressions on their faces.
Emperor Xin said coldly:
"I am the king of the Shang Dynasty. All lands under heaven belong to me, and all people in the land are my subjects. Am I not worthy of the daughter of the Marquis of Jizhou? This Su Hu is so arrogant and has no idea what he is talking about!
As soon as Emperor Xin finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Luo Shu raised his head slightly, a hint of barely perceptible surprise flashed across his eyes, and he thought to himself:
"This feudal monarch is so self-righteous. My beautiful daughter has already been engaged to someone else, why should you force her into the palace?"
Although Luo Shu thought so in his heart, he still remained calm.
Just as Luo Shu was about to express his point of view, Wucheng King Huang Feihu suddenly stood up. His voice echoed in the hall like thunder, and everyone was excited.
Huang Feihu's face was filled with anger, his eyes wide open as if he could spit out fire, and he shouted loudly:
"This Su Hu is so audacious!"
Huang Feihu's voice was filled with unquestionable majesty and anger, and he continued:
"Not only did he disobey the king's order, he also fled back to Jizhou overnight. How can this be the behavior of a subject? This is clearly a rebellion!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xin's expression became even more gloomy, and his eyes flashed with coldness, as if he wanted to cut Su Hu into pieces.
Seeing this scene, Wang Shubi Gan pondered for a moment and said:
"Your Majesty, calm down. King Wucheng, please be patient. Although Jizhou Marquis Su Hu disobeyed Your Majesty's will, he may not be a rebellion."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was stunned, and Wucheng King Huang Feihu frowned and looked at his uncle Bigan in confusion.
Emperor Xin had a sullen face and stared at his uncle Bigan with sharp eyes, as if he wanted to see some clues from his face.
"Uncle Wang, what do you mean by that?"
Emperor Xin's voice was deep and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty. "Su Hu has already made it clear that he will never pay homage to the Shang Dynasty! Isn't this an attempt to rebel?"
Uncle Wang Bigan frowned slightly, bowed, and answered respectfully:
"Your Majesty, although Su Hu's words are fierce, he may not really want to rebel. Maybe he was just angry and spoke wildly. Why don't we send an envoy to Jizhou first to understand the truth of the matter and then make a decision?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.
Luo Shu on the side also secretly admired that he was indeed a person with a smart mind who thought things through comprehensively.
Those who have watched the plot of Investiture of the Gods know that the reason why Su Hu spoke so harshly and claimed that he would never pay homage to the Shang Dynasty was not because he really wanted to rebel, but because he was forced to do so.
Su Hu knew very well what fate his daughter Su Daji would face if she entered the palace. It was a dragon's lair, a tiger's den, a palace full of conspiracies and traps.
As a father, how could he bear to let his daughter step into such a situation?
However, he had to obey the king's order. If he did not, his family and the people of Jizhou would suffer disaster. So Su Hu was ready to compromise, sacrifice Daji alone, and save the people of the entire city.
Just as Su Hu was about to compromise, Su Hu's son Su Quanzhong felt deeply unfair about his sister Su Daji's situation.
He was reluctant to see his sister being forced into the palace, and even more unwilling to see his family fall into trouble because of it.
So he advised his father and proposed to rebel against the business.
Su Quanzhong's words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.
After hearing his son's suggestion, Su Hu also experienced a fierce struggle in his heart.
He was well aware of the risks of anti-business, but he couldn't bear to see his daughter suffer.
After much hesitation and contradiction, he finally made a decision - to go against business.
At this time, Su Hu had already returned to Jizhou, and Luo Shu also knew that Su Hu's rebellion against Shang was a foregone conclusion.
So, Luo Shu raised a smile and said softly:
"Your Majesty, I think what your uncle said makes sense!"
His words echoed in the empty hall, like stones thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.
"Oh? What's your opinion, Imperial Master?" Emperor Xin asked.
Luo Shu nodded slightly and said slowly:
"Your Majesty, please send an envoy to Jizhou to have a talk with Su Hu. If the Marquis of Jizhou really has no real intention to rebel against the Shang Dynasty, and is just impulsive because of his love for his daughter, then Your Majesty can show your magnanimity, give him a lighter sentence, and give him a chance to reform."
Emperor Xin nodded in agreement. He knew very well that a king's mind should be as broad as the ocean.
Luo Shu continued:
"But if Jizhou Hou Su Hu really wants to rebel and disrupt the world, then Your Majesty does not need to hesitate any longer. You can directly mobilize the army and attack Jizhou with a thunderous force to set an example and let the world know that the majesty of the Shang Dynasty cannot be violated."
After hearing this, Emperor Xin's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He stared at Luo Shu, as if he wanted to imprint his every word in his heart.
His voice was steady and powerful, as if the entire hall was vibrating with his voice:
"What the Imperial Master said is absolutely right. I think it is feasible!"
Wen Zhong and others also nodded in agreement, with determination and approval flashing in their eyes.
"In that case, I will immediately issue an order to send an envoy to Jizhou."
Emperor Xin turned around and spoke to Luo Shu and the others, his voice revealing an unquestionable determination.
"In addition, I have decided to order Beibo Hou Chonghouhu to immediately strengthen surveillance of Jizhou and closely monitor Su Hu's every move, just in case."
He added, a wary gleam in his eye.
Luo Shu nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
He knew that Emperor Xin's move was extremely wise.
Strengthening surveillance on Jizhou will not only enable timely monitoring of Su Hu's movements, but also enable quick response when necessary to ensure the safety of the Shang Dynasty.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Wen Zhong and others said respectfully.
Emperor Xin glanced at the crowd again, his eyes flashing with determination, and said:
"I hope Jizhou Hou Su Hu won't let me down!"