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Chapter 1175 His Merit Overshadows His Master, So He Holds a Banquet

On the first anniversary of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, a major event occurred.

Zhou You launched an attack on Feiyun Prefecture, which was occupied by Dongfang Daqian, by sending troops from Qingchu Prefecture and Maijing Prefecture.

This was a sudden and unexpected blitzkrieg, with no prior warning.

Maijingzhou was caught off guard and captured in one fell swoop. The enemy's core loyalists were completely wiped out and ceased to exist.

After this battle, the Racist Church went from open to covert operations, abandoning its previous high-profile style.

Strangely, Dongfang Daqian, who should have been on the front line of resistance, disappeared without a trace. Not only was he gone, but even Mu Leizheng, who was always by his side, was nowhere to be found.

After a long period of preparation and waiting for the opportune moment, Zhou Daqian launched a stunning attack that directly conquered Feiyun Prefecture.

Thus, the Eastern Great Thousand forces, which had long been enemies of Lian Feihong, were completely swept into history and ceased to exist.

After this battle, Zhou Daqian's prestige increased further, and the voices opposing his joint control of Jingzhou became increasingly smaller.

Even in Feiyun Prefecture, which had just been conquered, Zhou Daqian's men were everywhere, attacking cities and taking over the government.

Zhou You's power already covered three of the eight prefectures in Zhili.

Some even privately referred to him as the most powerful person after the feudal lords, saying that no one could match him in terms of power.

Zhou You wielded real power, which he earned through his own hard work and determination. Unless someone possessed greater power than him, even a feudal lord could not strip him of his authority.

To reward this achievement, Lord Lian Feihong combined the conferment of his title with the celebration of his victory, hosting a banquet for Zhou You at the Heaven-worshipping Palace.

"The wind direction is wrong!"

Zhu Ruoxuan, the head of the personal guards, visited Zhou You on the eve of the banquet and gave him a direct warning.

Throughout history, those whose achievements overshadow their rulers have been known for their great accomplishments and power, eventually even threatening the monarch's position.

Throughout history, only the Martial Saint has been able to transcend worldly affairs and be immune to this curse, but others cannot.

The Heavenly Sword remained aloof, never interfering in the power dynamics of the capital, thus maintaining its superior and detached status. However, Zhou You could not do the same; he was caught up in the situation and was sinking deeper and deeper.

Now that the powerful enemy is gone and the world is at peace, Zhou Daqian has become the biggest hidden danger and unstable factor.

The Zhou family, with both father and son serving as governors, possessed combined power in four provinces, including three of the eight directly governed provinces. If they were to rebel, even the feudal lords would have to flee the capital in haste.

After the Lian family, which had been promoted to the royal family, overcame the difficult initial stage of their rise to power, their relationship with the Western Zhou clan also changed.

Many high-ranking members of the Lian family are already wary of, or even hostile to, the Zhou family's Western branch, because the existence of the Zhou family's Western branch is threatening the stable status of the royal family as the 'first family'.

Not to mention all those remnants and hostile forces that haven't been dealt with yet, who are mixed in with various factions, sowing discord among themselves.

All the intrigue and backstabbing converged on this banquet.

Zhou You let out a breath, "Everything is proceeding according to plan!"

"..."

Zhu Ruoxuan nodded and told Zhou You something: "Mu Leizheng has returned to the North. She is all alone and has no purpose." "It seems that Dongfang Daqian is plotting something that will surely lead to his death, and he has even dismissed her."

Zhou You pondered for a moment, then laughed, "Don't bother guessing, the truth will come in time."

The night before the banquet.

Zhou You was trying on his new robes when he suddenly heard someone requesting an audience; it turned out to be the Five Flavors Pharmacist.

The old pharmacist came to his door and went straight to the point, advising him to retire gracefully while he was still at the peak of his career. "You are the master of the Bitter Soup, and he is gone. I hope you can think about retiring in time and make a dignified exit after achieving great success!" "Not for anything else, but for the survival of the Zhou family!"

"The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow. So many noble families jointly recommended you to the throne, but you have taken away too many opportunities and resources. Resentment has been brewing for a long time, and it has finally reached the point of eruption."

"Today's Beijing is like a scorching volcano for you, burning your butt."

Zhou You could tell that the old pharmacist was sincere; he was only trying to persuade him because of the bitter soup.

Once upon a time, those allies in the same camp turned against each other ruthlessly after the enemy was defeated, in order to seize power and profit.

The Zhou clan's western branch has become the target of everyone's hatred; they are all waiting for this behemoth to fall and be devoured.

It cannot be ruled out that some of the more radical elements have joined forces with former enemies to secretly form a large-scale 'anti-Zhou alliance'.

"It's all about interests, who cares about whether we're friend or foe?"

Zhou You's mind became increasingly clear. He had a clear understanding of the general direction of the future, and he knew who his enemies and friends were!
The profound skill of "The Chronicles of the Mortal World" is to summarize the general trend of the world into a fixed pattern. Knowing the past and present, one can deduce the future trend.

The only thing that saddened Zhou You was the ambiguity of the feudal lord's attitude, clearly indicating that old feelings could not withstand the power.

This banquet is unavoidable; the only way is to get involved and make a clean break.

On the day of the banquet, the Heaven-worshiping palace had a total of 108,000 palace lanterns, including tall lanterns, water lanterns, seated lanterns, colored lanterns, and wind-rotating lanterns, which were fueled by various fuels such as soybean oil, beeswax, and whale fat.

The smoke filled the air, and the light was so bright that the sacrificial palace looked like a rising sun on earth.

The banquet was held on a high platform. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but this platform was the area Zhou You was responsible for when he served as a guard. It was called the Immortal's Terrace.

A canopy was erected on the high platform, and peacock velvet brocade was laid out. From top to bottom, each step was covered with a lambskin carpet.

Vats of orange-yellow, amber-colored wine, sealed for centuries, were lifted up the platform by strongmen, who carried them up step by step. Maids gracefully carried silver platters, delivering cold platters of fruits and vegetables in a flowing stream.

The court instruments were played with great effort, and the strings and wind instruments swirled and lingered, rising to the middle of the platform, where they drifted and mingled with the ethereal clouds, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.

Feng Junlian Feihong sat in the main seat and ordered the servants to clean the guest seat not far away, appearing somewhat impatient.

Because the nobles and high-ranking officials who were attending the banquet on both sides all saw that this was the seventh time he had sent people to clean the seats.

The desk and seats were long gone, not even a speck of dust remained; it was only the dust that had settled in the heart of the lord.

"My lord, the governor has arrived!"

Upon hearing the welcoming messenger's report, Lian Feihong was taken aback and overreacted. Then, after looking around, he said loudly, "Please come in, please come in!"

He returned to his seat, turned to the dignified woman beside him, and said softly, “After all, Zhou Daqian is my sworn brother and my trusted advisor. He deserves great credit for my rise to power.”

"In rewarding meritorious officials, I will not treat them unfairly!"

The woman was beautiful and dignified, the typical look of a virtuous wife. She parted her lips slightly and said, "What the lord says is true."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps climbing the steps attracted the attention of everyone around.

For a moment, even the music seemed to fade away, and only the movements of the newcomer remained in the world.

Feng Jun's breathing became tense. He stared intently at the end of the platform, where a person slowly walked up the steps and appeared in everyone's sight.

"Haha, Daqian, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Lian Feihong pointed to a seat to the side, "The head of the guests, the host's seat, has been vacant for a long time. Please take your seat quickly, everyone is waiting for you to start the banquet!"

(End of this chapter)