Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

It seems that all children love to explore new and interesting things. When they heard that Nezha had discovered something good, they ran over quickly.

A small pit had appeared on the beach, filled with seawater due to the ebb and flow of the tide. Several beautiful little fish swam in it. Nezha put his hand in the water and teased the fish. The other children imitated Nezha, having a great time.

Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in from the sky, and the sea, no longer as gentle as before, roared as if it would sweep people in.

The children scattered in fright. Nezha shouted, "Don't be afraid, everyone! Form a circle and walk back!" Perhaps out of fear, all the children gathered together and obediently followed Nezha's instructions.

They were about to leave the beach when a flash of golden light appeared, and suddenly three people appeared in front of them. The one standing in the middle was dressed in magnificent clothes, and most importantly, he had a pair of small horns on his forehead. The two people beside him seemed to be his attendants, looking obsequious.

Nezha stepped forward and asked, "Who are you? Why are you blocking our way?"

The man, dressed in fine clothes and looking very noble, said in an extremely arrogant tone, "I am the Crown Prince of the East Sea Dragon. How dare you brats act so wildly on my territory?"

Nezha was indignant and said, "We were playing properly and didn't offend you!" The Dragon Prince struck one of Nezha's friends with a palm, killing him instantly.

Enraged, Nezha fought with the Dragon Prince, beating him black and blue, then skinning and dismembering him before throwing him back into the Dragon Palace. Seeing his son in such a state, the Dragon King was furious and vowed revenge!

Chapter 1102 Flooding of Chentang Pass

When the Dragon King learned that Nezha had harmed his dragon son, he was furious and immediately revealed his true form, leaping up from the Dragon Palace deep in the East Sea.

Giant waves rolled across the East China Sea, and the coastline had long been washed away. Looking into the distance, the surging sea merged with the sky, and one wondered how high the sky was or how vast the sea was.

The Dragon King charged uncontrollably into the sky like a bolt of lightning, filled with rage and hatred. He roared, "Give me back my dragon son! Give me back my dragon son! Li Jing! Nezha! I will make you pay!"

With that, the Dragon King moved at breakneck speed towards Chen Tang Pass. The sea, as if now possessed, followed the Dragon King like a stampede of ten thousand horses, hurtling towards Chen Tang Pass. The merciless floodwaters engulfed everything in Chen Tang Pass. The Dragon King, circling above the pass, seemed to have lost his mind, repeatedly proclaiming, "Li Jing, all of this is because of your son! Give me back my dragon son! Nezha, come out!"

Seeing this, the people of Chentang Pass were completely unprepared. The torrential rain and the inexplicable seawater broke through their houses and separated their families.

So when people heard that all of this was because of Nezha, some people started shouting: "Li Jing, as the general of Chentang Pass, your son did such a rebellious thing, and you still want to protect them? Do you really want to kill us? Li Jing, come out now!" And so, the shouts and curses in the street never stopped.

Inside the mansion, Li Jing could vaguely hear certain conversations. He couldn't help but sigh to his wife beside him, "I, the dignified General of Chentang Pass, have spent my life fighting on the battlefield for the sake of the people's peaceful and prosperous life. But now, because of this unfilial son, he has brought such a great disaster to the people. I..."

The woman beside him was already sobbing uncontrollably. She clutched at Li Jing's sleeve, not daring to make any unreasonable requests, and only choked out, "Brother Jing, there must be a reason for this. Nezha would never do such a thing. I know him. Don't be angry. Let's find him and get to the bottom of this, okay?" Li Jing looked at the woman beside him and felt a pang of pity. He agreed to find Nezha and get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, but he remained silent on how to deal with him.

Hearing the Dragon King's roar in the sky and the floodwaters bursting their banks within the pass, Li Jing's heart was filled with turmoil. He stood in the courtyard, wearing a raincoat, and shouted to the Dragon King, "Dragon King of the East Sea, please rest assured, I will definitely find that rebellious son and find out the whole story. If it is truly Nezha's fault, I, Li Jing, will give the Dragon King a satisfactory explanation. I beg the Dragon King to spare the innocent people of Chentang Pass for the time being."

Hearing Li Jing's reply and knowing Li Jing's character over the years, the Dragon King could only reluctantly agree. As he left, the Dragon King said, "Li Jing, what we said today is understood between us. I hope you will give me an answer within three days, otherwise things will not be so simple." Then, the Dragon King Temple departed, and the rain gradually subsided.

Yin Shiniang quickly put on a cloak and rushed out of the Li residence with a worried expression. She looked around and called out, "Nezha, come out, it's your mother. Don't be afraid. Let's talk to the Dragon King together. I don't believe he would do such a thing. Come out first." The rain mercilessly lashed her face, making it impossible to tell whether the water on her face was tears or rain.

The people standing by, their usual benevolence gone, now wore ferocious expressions, accusing Yin Shiniang: "Yin Shiniang, hurry up and hand Nezha over to the Dragon King, don't make us suffer for him anymore." Shiniang, in her hoarse voice, tried her best to defend her son: "Nezha has been exceptionally well-behaved since he was little, he wouldn't do such a thing without reason, you must believe me."

As she spoke, she walked towards the Nuwa Temple. Only Yin Shiniang knew that from childhood, whenever Nezha was unhappy, he would go to the Nuwa Temple and tell the goddess Nuwa. She ran, muttering, "Nezha's mother believes in you, it's alright, we'll talk to your father and everything will be fine, don't be afraid."

Ignoring the rain and mud, Yin Shiniang arrived at the Nuwa Temple. The temple gates were tightly closed, but she sensed her son was there, so far yet so near.

Yes, her son was right in front of her, yet he kept the door closed, refusing to let his mother in. Yin Shiniang had no choice but to try to calm herself down through the door before saying, "Nezha is your mother. Your mother is here. Tell me what's wrong first, okay? We'll go find your father together. Your father and the Dragon King have been friends for many years. This matter will definitely pass. Come out and see your mother first, Nezha..." Nezha: "It was the Dragon Prince who was in the wrong first. I don't think I did anything wrong. I don't need to apologize."

Shi Niang comforted her, "Mother knows you won't do anything wrong, Mother believes in you, but we also need to explain things clearly to Father, so that others won't misunderstand you. You come out first."

Hearing his mother's hoarse voice after not hearing her for half a day, Nezha's heart softened. He opened the door and saw Shi Niang looking disheveled. A feeling he had never experienced before welled up inside him, though he couldn't quite explain it. Shi Niang immediately rushed forward and embraced Nezha.

Shi Niang pulled Nezha back to the Li residence via a side path. Nezha looked at Shi Niang, who had put on a raincoat, and was speechless for a moment.

Soon the two stepped into the Li family mansion. From afar, they heard their aunt say, "Nezha has never been as obedient as Jinzha or Muzha since he was little. This time, he's caused his brother such a huge disaster. He's utterly unfilial." Grandma sighed, "Jing'er, this matter concerns so many people. You can't let your soft heart get in the way..."

As she spoke, Shi Niang pulled Nezha in through the main gate, saying, "Nezha isn't that kind of person, Jing-ge, you know that." Nezha, who had just overheard his aunt and grandmother's words, was indignant and looked furious. Seeing this, Li Jing exclaimed, "You unfilial son, have you ever done such a thing?"

Enraged, Nezha stopped explaining and shouted, "Yes, I killed the Dragon Prince!" His mother, Shi Niang, was shocked and choked up, saying, "Nezha, you need to explain to your father why you did this. You're not the kind of willful child you're supposed to be."

At this moment, Li Jing was already furious. He picked up the weapon at hand and attacked Nezha. Jinzha and Muzha, who were standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Father, my brother must have some reason for doing this. Please let him go."

Chapter 1104 Immortal Enters the Dream

Several years passed, and the 999 meritorious deeds were successfully completed. Li Xiuyuan arrived as promised and asked Nezha, "How have you been, Nezha?" Nezha shook his stiff, lotus-root arms, which he couldn't move nimbly, and replied, "What do you think?"

Li Xiuyuan replied with a wry smile, "Today, you have completed your 999 meritorious deeds, and I have come to restore your physical body." As he spoke, Nezha suddenly felt his body begin to soften, and gradually he was able to move his various organs flexibly. Li Xiuyuan replied, "Actually, I have come several times recently. Seeing that you are not as impulsive and arrogant as before, I finally decided to help you. However, you must remember that benevolence, filial piety, righteousness, and loyalty are indispensable. You still have a long way to go to achieve great things."

This time, Nezha listened attentively to Li Xiuyuan's teachings. After giving Nezha some guidance, Li Xiuyuan took out the gifts he had prepared beforehand—the Wind-Fire Wheels, the Universe Ring, and other weapons, hoping these would help Nezha complete his trials in the mortal world as soon as possible. Seeing Nezha's change, Li Xiuyuan turned and left with peace of mind.

As an official in charge of the astronomical observatory, Du Yunxian's responsibility was to observe changes in celestial phenomena and promptly inform the emperor of Heaven's instructions, so as to identify loopholes in the ruling process and better govern the country.

After observing for the past few days, Du Yunxian discovered that ever since the King's favorite concubine, Daji, entered the palace, dark clouds had frequently swirled above the palace, like a gigantic beast threatening to devour everything. As an official in the Astronomical Bureau, Du Yunxian had a responsibility to inform the King of all this. However, he himself did not understand the reason, so how could he tell the King, and how could the King believe him?

Considering all this, Du Yunxian thought he should hold off for now and wait until things were clear before reporting to the King. Moreover, Lady Daji was currently favored by the King; making hasty guesses might bring about his death.

That night, all was quiet, and Chaoge was enveloped in tranquility. Du Yunxian had been busy observing celestial phenomena lately, and was already physically and mentally exhausted, so he went to bed early tonight. Perhaps because he was too tired, Du Yunxian had barely lain down when he began snoring.

In his dream, Du Yunxian arrived at a place that resembled a fairyland. The mountains were beautiful, the water clear, and the birds sang sweetly. Standing on a pebbly path, Du Yunxian was unsure where to go, gazing in bewilderment at the vibrant flowers all around him. Suddenly, a butterfly flew by, circling twice in front of his eyes. He raised his hand, and the butterfly landed on his palm before flying away again. Du Yunxian involuntarily followed.

After walking along the pebbled path for a long time, the butterfly stopped flying. It fluttered up and down twice in the air before disappearing into the flower bushes. Du Yunxian looked around; this place was somewhat different from the previous one. Ahead was a pool of emerald green water, with three or five white geese playing and frolicking on its surface. Behind him stood a large, magnificent house that looked quite different from the others.

The plaque above the gate read "Pavilion of Forgetfulness," and two large lions stood guard on either side, looking quite imposing. Du Yunxian thought to himself, "The owner of this house is truly living a life of leisure! Can such people really exist in this world? Have I stumbled upon the abode of immortals?"

He saw the door was ajar, so he went forward and pushed it open. As soon as he pushed it open, peach blossoms drifted out, carrying a delicate fragrance that was refreshing and invigorating, seemingly possessing the magical power to instantly forget one's sorrows. Du Yunxian continued forward, crossed a small bridge, and arrived at a pavilion. There he saw an immortal playing the zither; the music was melodious and beautiful, like a clear spring flowing through the body, washing away the impurities of the world.

Du Yunxian stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I am Du Yunxian, an official of the Astronomical Bureau. May I ask who you are?" The musician slowly stood up and replied, "Li Xiuyuan." Du Yunxian was greatly surprised; it was actually the Celestial Venerable who had entered his dream!

Li Xiuyuan spoke, "Today, I managed to enter your dream. I have something important to tell you." Du Yunxian asked, "May I ask what it is, Your Excellency?" Li Xiuyuan didn't waste any time and said directly, "Recently, dark clouds have been swirling in the sky above Chaoge, which you must have noticed." Du Yunxian suddenly realized, "So it's the work of demons?" Li Xiuyuan nodded, indicating his agreement.

He continued, "Did you know that Daji in the palace was a demon in disguise? She bewitched King Zhou, persecuted loyal officials, and her aim was to turn the court upside down." Du Yunxian looked at Li Xiuyuan in shock, unable to believe this fact. He asked, "How did you know that?"

Li Xiuyuan smiled. "Since I have a way to enter your dream, doesn't that prove my ability? Alright, you know exactly what to do next." As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xiuyuan disappeared into the smoke.

Du Yunxian cried out, "Immortal, don't go!" and suddenly woke up. Du Yunxian looked down and saw that he was still in his bed at home. The dream he had just had was so real that Du Yunxian himself found it unbelievable.

Suddenly he remembered what Li Xiuyuan had told him, so he hurriedly called his servants, quickly washed up, and rushed into the palace without even eating.

Inside the palace, King Zhou of Shang was frolicking with Daji in the garden. Daji was dressed in a thin veil, and with every step she took, a seductive fragrance filled the air. King Zhou was completely bewitched; his eyes were only on his beloved concubine, and he was too lazy to even attend the morning court.

Just as they were engrossed in their game, a eunuch came to report, "Du Yunxian, an official from the Astronomical Bureau, has come to see Your Majesty, saying he has important matters to report." King Zhou was displeased at being interrupted, and Daji, adding fuel to the fire, said, "You blind fool! Can't you see His Majesty is having a great time? Get out of here!" King Zhou waved his hand, indicating, "Summon him anyway. I want to see what important matter it can be!"

Du Yunxian came to pay his respects to the King, and seeing Daji there as well, he was momentarily at a loss for what to do. King Zhou spoke up, "What urgent matter do you have to discuss, my dear minister?" Du Yunxian hesitated, "This..." and glanced at Daji as he spoke. King Zhou smiled, embraced Daji, and said, "My dear minister, please speak freely."

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Chapter 1105 Using a borrowed knife to kill

So Du Yunxian took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I have been observing the stars lately and often see dark clouds swirling above the palace, as if evil spirits are at work. I suspect, I suspect..." King Zhou of Shang looked at his hesitant appearance and said, "Speak, I will not blame you."

Du Yunxian said, "Ever since Lady Daji arrived at the palace, these dark clouds have been swirling in the sky, never dissipating." He immediately knelt down, fearing the king might drag him out and behead him at the slightest provocation. King Zhou slammed his fist on the table, angrily rebuking him, "Nonsense! Don't utter such words again. Today, I will pretend nothing happened. You may leave!" Knowing King Zhou's nature well, Du Yunxian didn't linger and turned to leave. Behind him, Daji glared at him maliciously, like a viper flicking its tongue at its prey.

After Du Yunxian left, King Zhou of Shang comforted her, saying, "My beloved concubine, please don't mind. I don't believe a single word they said. Come on, let's continue having fun. I'll stay here with you today."

Daji feigned unhappiness and said pitifully, "Your Majesty, ever since I entered the palace, I have been trembling with fear, afraid of doing something wrong and displeasing everyone. Now, I don't know what I did wrong, why they say I came to bewitch Your Majesty. If that's the case, Your Majesty, please don't come to my place anymore. I don't want to be branded as a femme fatale." As she spoke, Daji squeezed out a few tears.

When King Zhou saw Daji crying, he was heartbroken and, disregarding everything else, quickly comforted her: "My beloved consort, don't be sad. I will avenge you, okay?" Daji saw her chance and sobbed, "I only had suspicions. Ever since I began serving Your Majesty, the Queen has been deliberately making things difficult for me. Could today's events have been orchestrated by her?"

Daji poured out her heart to King Zhou, accusing the Queen of framing her completely. She claimed that the Queen had instructed Du Yunxian to use celestial phenomena to frame her because she was favored by King Zhou, which had aroused the Queen's displeasure.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, did you hear what I told you before?" Daji looked at King Zhou with a wronged expression, leaning against him coyly, talking to him in an affected manner, and tugging at his sleeve, begging him to agree to her words.

King Zhou, gazing at the beauty before him, had no other thoughts. He was completely captivated by her: "My little beauty, I heard you. What you say makes sense. I will question the Queen later. If she does not admit it, I will naturally stand up for you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. You are the best and the one who loves me the most. But I don't want Your Majesty to always be at odds with the Queen because of me. I have tolerated everything before, but the Queen has gone too far this time. She actually had Du Yunxian tell Your Majesty that the strange phenomena in the heavens are all because of me. She really wants to portray me as a demon. If the Queen really succeeds and Your Majesty believes Du Yunxian's words, then I will be tortured and never see Your Majesty again." As she spoke, Daji looked at King Zhou with teary eyes, her little face aggrieved, as if the tears hanging on her eyes could fall at any moment.

King Zhou was easily swayed by this act, groaning and coaxing her in a gentle voice, "My beauty, don't cry. I will take care of things for you. There's no rush. Don't cry, don't cry. You'll look ugly if you cry, like a little cat." Upon hearing this, Daji naturally stopped crying, because she had only been faking it. Her purpose was to incite King Zhou's dissatisfaction with the Queen, thereby escalating the conflict between them, ideally leading to the Queen's death, so that she would have nothing left to fear. Moreover, since King Zhou had already said this, if she continued to act coy, it might anger him. It was best to stop there and quickly appease King Zhou so that he would cause trouble for the Queen.

It has to be said that Daji's scheme was truly brilliant, bewitching King Zhou so much that he was completely disoriented and didn't even know what day it was. "My beloved consort, I've already said I'll definitely stand up for you. I'll teach the Queen a lesson. That Queen is so inconsiderate! Ever since you arrived, she hasn't taken good care of you and has been causing you trouble every day. She's becoming less and less like a queen!" King Zhou spared no effort in coaxing Daji, wanting to be intimate with the beauty.

Since King Zhou acquired Daji, he indulged in singing and dancing every day, neglecting his duties and even the affairs of the state, which aroused the dissatisfaction of some key ministers in the court. Among them were Mei Bo and Shang Rong, both of whom held positions of considerable influence in the court.

Mei Bo was one of the vassal lords of the Shang Dynasty, and the Grand Minister of Education. Due to his outstanding achievements, he was appointed Grand Tutor. He was a descendant of the ancient sage king Tang of Shang. He was also a renowned loyal minister in the late Shang Dynasty, serving as a high-ranking official under King Zhou of Shang. He was a very upright and outspoken man, daring to speak his mind and act decisively. Seeing that King Zhou was becoming increasingly licentious and tyrannical because of Daji, he repeatedly dared to remonstrate with him, but King Zhou did not heed his advice.

Earlier, a minister advised him: "My lord, as your subjects, we should obey the will of the king. What the king wants to do is none of our business. The king represents heaven and is the Son of Heaven. We cannot easily offend him. It is not good for you to point fingers like this. Honest advice is always hard to hear. You should watch your words to avoid bringing disaster upon yourself!"

But Mei Bo surprisingly spoke out: "If Wen Jian dies, and everyone is afraid to speak out like me, what is the point of the court having us ministers?" After saying this, he turned and left without saying another word to that minister.

Even after that, he remained the same. Whenever he encountered King Zhou's tyranny and cruelty, he would point out King Zhou's wrongdoings directly in court, regardless of whether others were present or whether King Zhou was in a good mood. Therefore, the people in the court admired him greatly. They envied Mei Bo's courage to speak out and risk being executed to remonstrate with King Zhou. He was truly a loyal minister.

Chapter 1106 The Building Is About to Collapse

Mei Bo, whose surname was Zi, was a pure descendant of Tang, the founder of the Shang Dynasty. Strictly speaking, Mei Bo was even the uncle of King Zhou of Shang. According to the official records, during the Shang Dynasty, the twenty-second king, Tai Ding, enfeoffed his younger brother in Mei, making him a count. Subsequent generations were all known as Mei Bo. Therefore, Mei Bo's ancestors were descendants of King Zhou of Shang, albeit from a collateral branch. They were separated and became feudal lords, governing a region. No wonder Mei Bo had the confidence to challenge King Zhou of Shang; his background was powerful.

After a while of intimate play between King Zhou and Daji, King Zhou, under Daji's subtle and overt instigation, left to find the Queen.

King Zhou of Shang stormed off to find the Queen, and immediately flew into a rage, demanding, "Queen, what are you trying to do? You actually instigated Du Yunxian to frame Daji! Do you even have the demeanor of a queen?"

Queen Zhou looked bewildered. Because the incident happened so suddenly, she was unaware of it. She knew nothing about Du Yunxi's accusations against Daji, but she did know that most of the court officials disliked Daji. Since Daji's arrival, her king had not been able to properly handle state affairs for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I do not understand your meaning. I have never instigated anyone. I truly know nothing about what Du Yunxian did. However, since Du Yunxian did this, there must be a reason. He is Your Majesty's subject, and Your Majesty should know his character. If what he said was not true and had no factual basis, he would never arbitrarily slander someone. I urge Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly and clear my name." The Queen did not show any fear or panic despite King Zhou's angry glare. She had not done it in the first place, so why would she admit it? Moreover, that woman Daji was undoubtedly a demon, and King Zhou's coming to question her was probably her doing.

Queen Zhou thought that if she spoke up, even if King Zhou didn't do it, he would at least consider it. If he was rational, he would think about it carefully afterward. How could a queen be caught in such a compromising situation? Therefore, this matter had absolutely nothing to do with the queen.

But by this time, King Zhou was no longer the same King Zhou he once was. At the beginning, the Queen and King Zhou were very much in love. The young couple supported each other through thick and thin, and King Zhou only had the Queen. But later, as King Zhou held a high position for a long time, his humanity and emotions were no longer so pure. Until the appearance of Daji, King Zhou's tyranny and incompetence became even more exposed. Beauty and power blinded him to his own limitations, and he became complacent and arrogant. If this continued, the Shang Dynasty would be in danger!

"You ruthless and vicious woman! Even now, you're still trying to argue and sophistry. What do you take me for? I don't want to talk to you anymore. I don't even want to look at you. Look at yourself now! Where is the dignity of a queen? Stop wasting your breath on me and quickly confess your crimes. I won't punish you too much; you'll just have to reflect on your actions in seclusion for a few days." King Zhou didn't calm down as the queen had expected; instead, he fiercely lashed out at her.

Seeing this, the queen dared not say anything more, but she did not admit that she had done it. King Zhou, as the king of a country, had his own dignity, and even the queen could not arbitrarily contradict or disobey him. Therefore, she wisely chose not to defend herself. If she continued, what awaited her in the end would not be the understanding and clarity she thought she had, but imprisonment and torture, which would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

And so, the one-sided questioning and one-sided debate came to an end. King Zhou of Shang, taking the queen's silence as his own, assumed she had nothing to say and tacitly accepted the charges. Thus, a queen was locked in a room to reflect on her mistakes because of a concubine, causing an uproar throughout the country.

Thus, a minister and a queen were framed by Daji's sweet words and King Zhou's pity for the women.

At this moment, the righteous officials in the court stepped forward. Without a doubt, it was Mei Bo and Shang Rong. Like Mei Bo, Shang Rong also couldn't stand King Zhou's tyranny and cruelty. A queen was being wrongly accused because of a demon, and the country was on the verge of collapse. So, the two of them rallied the outspoken ministers in the court to submit a memorial.

After leaving the Queen's palace, King Zhou returned to Daji's palace. The two played and joked around for a while before the demons fought and he went to see the Duke of Zhou.

On this day, King Zhou sat on the throne, listening to the reports from his many ministers. "Your Majesty, I have something to report. Please grant me your permission." Mei Bo and Shang Rong exchanged a glance and a look. Mei Bo then stepped forward to report to King Zhou.

After hearing what Mei Bo said, King Zhou gave him face and said, "Mei Bo, if you have anything to report, please do so. I will listen."

"I heard that Your Majesty imprisoned the Queen yesterday. This is inappropriate. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider. The Queen is the mother of the nation. Doing so will cause panic throughout the country. I beg Your Majesty to release the Queen. Letting the people know will inevitably damage Your Majesty's reputation." Mei Bo did not bring up Du Yunxian's matter at the beginning, but advised King Zhou from the standpoint of national stability and the face of the royal family.

As expected, King Zhou did not fly into a rage at Mei Bo's words. Instead, he thought about it carefully and pondered his reasons. In the end, he did not listen to Mei Bo and release the Queen. He wanted to teach the Queen a lesson. Besides, it was just a few days of confinement, not a big deal. So, before Mei Bo could continue speaking, he directly refused: "I have my reasons for doing this. Mei Bo may not know, but it's just a matter of a few days of confinement. When the time comes, I will naturally release her. You don't need to say anything more. I have my own decision."

Meibo looked at King Zhou with a troubled expression. He hadn't even gotten to the point yet; how could he possibly bring the king to his senses? Reluctantly, he bowed and returned to his seat.