Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"So we've arrived. Then I'll be going now. I can go see my son, Boyi Kao. Your father has come to see you. I'm sorry, Ji Fa."

As he spoke, Ji Chang fell silent. Jiang Ziya sighed and cried out, "The Marquis of Xibo is gone! The Marquis of Xibo is gone!"

Upon hearing the commotion, a group of servants rushed over, and the masters of the mansion also rose to prepare for the funeral. In an instant, the Marquis of Xibo's mansion was in chaos. Jiang Ziya stood on the corridor outside the house, watching all this, and looked up at the stars. "The heavens have completely changed. King Zhou of Shang is doomed to die, and Ji Fa will succeed." After saying this, he walked back to his residence.

The following day, Ji Chang's funeral was held, and the entire nation was filled with grief. Jiang Ziya sighed a few times but remained silent. After the funeral was over, Ji Fa, with the assistance of Jiang Ziya and the officials in charge of rites, ascended the throne. Thus, Xiqi was finally nominally freed from the control of King Zhou of Shang and became the later renowned Zhou state. Ji Fa naturally became the first king of Zhou, known as King Wu of Zhou. Ji Fa was filial and posthumously honored his father Ji Chang as King Wen of Zhou, a momentous occasion that caused a sensation throughout the country.

Chapter 1135 The Great War between Shang and Zhou

Ji Fa had only been on the throne for a few days, and the peaceful days did not last long. The Shang army arrived, and a great battle was imminent. At Jiang Ziya's suggestion, Ji Fa decided to confront the Shang army head-on. This would both establish his authority and show King Zhou of Shang the strength of his Zhou state.

When the Shang and Zhou dynasties went to war, both sides had to send out their generals.

"Report, Your Majesty, Wen Zhong has led a large army and is encamped ten miles outside the city."

"Reporting, Your Majesty, Wen Zhong requests permission to fight."

"Reporting, Your Majesty, the enemy has led their troops to the walls of our city. Please give your instructions."

Ji Fa listened to the reports coming in one after another from his subordinates, feeling far from at ease. After all, Ji Fa had only recently become king, his power base was not yet secure, and all matters of state depended on Jiang Ziya for decisions. "Grandfather, what do you think we should do?"

"Your Majesty need not worry. We will send someone to meet the enemy. However, the most important thing is that Your Majesty must first find out who they have sent."

“What you say is true, Lord Shang. I will send someone to investigate immediately.”

A short while later, "Your Majesty, Wen Zhong sent Zhang Guifang."

"It was actually him?" Jiang Ziya asked in surprise.

"What's wrong, Father Shang? Is something amiss?"

“This person is highly problematic, let me tell you about him.” Jiang Ziya began to recount the deeds of Zhang Guifang.

It turns out that Zhang Guifang was known as the "jinx." He was the general of Qinglong Pass under the command of the Shang Dynasty. He was extremely skilled in martial arts, but more importantly, he was also well-versed in unorthodox methods. He had a deep understanding of these methods and could use illusions to injure people. These illusions were very strange.

When engaging in combat, Zhang Guifang would simply shout out his opponent's name, "So-and-so, why aren't you dismounting yet? When will you?" The person called would then dismount on their own. It was quite eerie, but in battle, both sides would inevitably announce their names first, and Zhang Guifang could thus always do so, making it infallible. Moreover, Zhang Guifang had a powerful sect behind him; the Jie Sect was backing him.

"He came to conquer the Western Qi army on Wen Zhong's orders, so he must have come prepared." Ji Chang was flustered. Even Jiang Ziya was wary of Zhang Guifang, so he was even more at a loss as to what to do.

"Father, what should we do?"

At this moment, Ji Shuqian, who was standing to the side, spoke up. He was an upright man, but also had a fiery temper. “Your Majesty, why don’t you allow me to go and meet Zhang Guifang? I would like to experience Zhang Guifang’s power firsthand.”

It turns out that Ji Shuqian was Ji Chang's twelfth adopted son. He was nominally Ji Fa's younger brother, but he was not Ji Chang's biological son, so he and Ji Fa only addressed each other as ruler and subject.

“Your Highness is reckless. Didn’t you hear what the Grand Father said? Zhang Guifang is a very strange and wicked person. How could you take such a risk? What if something happens to you? How am I supposed to explain this to the King? This is absolutely unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable. We should find someone else who is brave, resourceful, and skilled in magic.”

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will be fine. Please do not worry. I will go now and take my leave." With that, Ji Shuqian took his spear, led his men, and prepared to go to fight the enemy.

Helpless, Ji Fa looked at Jiang Ziya. Jiang Ziya glanced at him, and the two looked at each other for a moment. Jiang Ziya nodded to Ji Fa and then said nothing more. Seeing this, Ji Fa also said nothing more, but just sat alone on the seat of honor, waiting for the outcome of the war.

Jiang Ziya appeared very mature and composed, sitting quietly to Ji Fa's left, seemingly without any worry. Seeing Jiang Ziya and Ji Fa's demeanor, no one dared to make any move or say anything, and for a moment the hall was very quiet.

At this moment, on the battlefield outside the city gate, Ji Shuqian and Zhang Guifang were locked in a fierce battle. Although Ji Shuqian was initially caught off guard by Zhang Guifang's attack, he persevered due to his strong willpower. The battle raged on for several days without a clear outcome.

During the battle between Shang and Zhou, Zhang Guifang, a subordinate of Wen Zhong, volunteered to fight against Ji Shu. The two engaged in various magical duels, and for a time, the battle reached a stalemate.

Li Xiuyuan, who was serving under Ji Fa at the time, was somewhat worried upon seeing the situation. Ji Fa, fearing further complications, pleaded with Li Xiuyuan, "Sir, you are all-powerful; do you have any brilliant plan to deal with the current situation?" Li Xiuyuan bowed and said, "In my opinion, the current situation is not too bad. Although Zhang Guifang knows illusions, as long as we remain calm, we will naturally block all interference from illusions. The best course of action now is to send out another great general to break Zhang Guifang's tactics and achieve a surprise victory."

After Li Xiuyuan finished speaking, he performed some calculations. No one in the hall spoke; everyone waited quietly for the result. After a short while, Li Xiuyuan confidently said, "Your Majesty, I already have a way to deal with Zhang Guifang's illusion." Ji Fa was overjoyed and pressed, "What is the plan? Please enlighten me, sir!" Li Xiuyuan didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Your Majesty can send Nezha to assist; he will surely defeat Zhang Guifang!"

Ji Fa then summoned Nezha and asked, "Are you willing to go to Jiang Ziya's camp to assist him in repelling the enemy and defeating Zhang Guifang, sent by the Shang Dynasty?" Nezha knelt and accepted the order: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go and fight the enemy, to help Your Majesty defeat the tyrannical King Zhou of Shang as soon as possible, and to bring peace to the people of the world!" Ji Fa helped Nezha up and praised him, "You truly are a descendant of a military family; I have not misjudged you." After saying this, he immediately issued an edict appointing Nezha as a general on the front lines, to assist Jiang Ziya in defeating the enemy army. After expressing his gratitude for the favor, Nezha set off for Jiang Ziya.

After several days of travel, Nezha led his army to the place where Jiang Ziya was stationed.

Hearing that Nezha had come to lend a hand, Jiang Ziya was overjoyed and led his generals to greet him outside the tent. From afar, they could see a small contingent of troops marching slowly and orderly. Only when the army approached did they see everyone lining the road to welcome them. Nezha quickly dismounted, cupped his hands, and said, "Grandpa Jiang, you flatter me! How could a mere junior general warrant such a grand welcome?"

Jiang Ziya didn't take it to heart, laughed heartily, and said, "Your presence today is the greatest fortune for me. Please come in quickly." With that, Jiang Ziya gestured for him to enter.

Chapter 1136 Battle against Zhang Guifang

Nezha, without any pretense, immediately entered the tent with Jiang Ziya and the others. After everyone was seated, Nezha bowed to everyone present and then said, "His Majesty has ordered me, as the general in charge of the front lines, to capture the rebel Zhang Guifang. I will certainly do my utmost, but I know my strength is limited and I need the full assistance of all the generals." Upon hearing Nezha's words, Jiang Ziya was the first to express his support, saying, "Nezha was sent by His Majesty and personally recommended to him by Mr. Li Xiuyuan. We all believe in your abilities and will cooperate with you in all actions. We believe that with everyone's sincere cooperation, the rebel Zhang Guifang will surely be brought to justice." After Jiang Ziya finished speaking, the generals echoed, "We will certainly cooperate fully with the general to defeat the rebel!" With that, they raised their wine cups and drank them down, expressing their determination to advance and retreat together.

Nezha was deeply moved by this scene. His military life made him feel especially close to these tough and resolute men, as if he had met long-lost relatives and had a lot to say to them.

Everyone toasted each other and played drinking games, creating an atmosphere of not leaving until they were drunk. It wasn't until late at night that everyone gradually dispersed and went home to rest.

The next day, Nezha woke up early and trained outside. Just as he was about to go back to wash up, someone sent by Jiang Ziya said, "General, Grand Duke has something important to discuss with you. Please go there immediately." So, Nezha quickly washed his face and hurriedly went to Jiang Ziya's tent.

Jiang Ziya was looking at a map when he asked, "General, did you sleep well last night? I heard from your subordinates that you woke up very early. Are you not used to the environment here?"

Nezha replied, "You misunderstand. I slept very well last night; I'm just used to waking up early." Hearing this, Jiang Ziya was relieved. He invited Nezha to sit down, ordered someone to pour him a cup of tea, and said, "Did Mr. Li Xiuyuan say anything to you when he summoned you? Or did he instruct you on anything?"

Nezha truthfully replied, "Mr. Mo only recommended me to the King for the war; he didn't say anything else." Hearing this, Jiang Ziya was puzzled. He truly couldn't understand Li Xiuyuan. This man's strength was far too high; probably no one in the entire country could match him. Yet, he hadn't sent Nezha with a single word. What was his intention? Jiang Ziya simply couldn't figure it out.

Seeing Jiang Ziya frowning and gazing into the distance, Nezha felt ignored. He pretended to be angry and said seriously to Jiang Ziya, "Did you invite me here just to stare at each other and look at the air in this tent?"

Jiang Ziya then realized he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he had completely forgotten about Nezha's presence. He hurriedly explained, "General, please don't take offense; it was my negligence." With that, he ordered his men to prepare wine and food, intending to dine with Nezha.

Nezha seemed to see through Jiang Ziya's concerns and said, "Are you worried that my small team might not be able to withstand Zhang Guifang's illusions?"

Jiang Ziya didn't mince words, lamenting, "Some time ago, we sent Ji Shu to fight Zhang Guifang. But Zhang Guifang was too cunning, and Ji Shu was no match for him. Seeing this, everyone was extremely discouraged. We launched several more attacks, but everyone was exhausted and the final result was very bad."

After hearing Jiang Ziya's words, Nezha was no longer humble. He said boldly, "You can rest assured. Since Mr. Mo sent me to help you, he must be very confident. I will go and meet Zhang Guifang tomorrow."

Seeing Nezha's upright and awe-inspiring demeanor, and remembering that he was personally sent by Li Xiuyuan, Jiang Ziya was no longer afraid and told Nezha about the recent battle situation.

The next day, Nezha donned his armor and led his army to declare war on Zhang Guifang. Zhang Guifang, seeing only a young upstart, was dismissive. He rode up and said contemptuously, "Does Jiang Ziya have no capable generals? Sending such a greenhorn! How laughable! Hahahaha..." He then burst into laughter, and his army joined in, mocking Nezha's weakness. Nezha could not tolerate such contempt and immediately engaged Zhang Guifang in battle.

Zhang Guifang thought to herself, "I didn't expect him to be so powerful at such a young age. He's a formidable opponent." With this thought in mind, Zhang Guifang dared not be careless any longer and fought Nezha for dozens of rounds, but ultimately she was defeated. Seeing that Zhang Guifang had been defeated, the crowd panicked and fled in all directions; the army instantly collapsed!

Since Nezha and Yin Shiniang left, Li Jing began to reflect on himself. The more he thought about it, the more regretful he became. However, he couldn't let go of his pride to go and get them back. He spent his days drinking and living in a daze. He recalled the bits and pieces of the past few years and felt more and more that something was wrong. It was as if the entire Li family had undergone tremendous changes since Liu Pipa entered the mansion.

Recalling that day, Li Jing was summoned to the palace by King Zhou of Shang, but it turned out that Daji was using King Zhou's name to see him.

Li Jing paid his respects to King Zhou of Shang and said, "Your humble servant Li Jing pays his respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Queen." King Zhou of Shang said, "Please rise, my dear minister. I have summoned you to the palace today because my beloved concubine has something to discuss with you."

Li Jing was trembling with fear, not daring to offend the king's favorite concubine. He respectfully asked, "What does Your Majesty wish to discuss with me?" Daji, lying in King Zhou's arms, smiled and said, "General Li is a pillar of the nation. Your Majesty understands your hard work in fighting for the people. Now that Your Majesty has left, you must be very sad. Your Majesty often tells me this, and I have been keeping a close eye on it."

Hearing this, Li Jing seemed to understand somewhat, but he dared not refuse. After all, she was the king's favorite concubine, and offending her would likely bring him great trouble. So, Li Jing remained standing there, listening attentively as Daji continued.

Seeing that Li Jing's attitude was very good, Daji was secretly pleased and continued, "A few days ago, I brought my distant cousin to the palace and carefully taught her. Now, she has learned perfectly. I'm sure you will like her when you see her."

He then ordered a palace maid to bring the woman in. Upon seeing her, Li Jing was immediately struck by her beauty. She had delicate, arched eyebrows, bright, dark eyes, fair skin, and slightly flushed cheeks, like ripe red apples waiting to be picked, exuding a sweet and delicious aroma. Li Jing was captivated by her beauty.

Chapter 1137 Li Jing Leaves the Merchant

Seeing Li Jing's expression, Daji was secretly pleased. Her eyes smiled falsely as she introduced her to Li Jing, "This is my cousin, named Liu Pipa."

Li Jing said, "The young lady truly lives up to her name." Hearing Li Jing's praise, Liu Pipa lowered her head shyly. Daji asked, "Sister, if you were to marry General Li, would you be willing?"

Before Liu Pipa could speak, Li Jing hurriedly refused, saying, "Your Majesty, you must not! I am but a mere warrior. How can I allow your sister to marry me? That would be an injustice to her."

Daji smiled and said, "Since ancient times, love between men and women has always depended on fate. If you two are in love, why can't you be together?" Li Jing still felt it was inappropriate, but Liu Pipa said, "This humble woman is willing to follow the general and serve him."

King Zhou of Shang also spoke up, "My dear minister, please don't refuse. Since the young lady is willing to follow you, if you continue to refuse, wouldn't you be making her lose face? It's settled then! Today, you shall return with her! Liu Pipa, what do you think?"

Liu Pipa blushed shyly and replied softly, "It's all up to Your Majesty." King Zhou laughed heartily, "My dear minister, why don't you take your little wife back home?" Li Jing couldn't refuse, so after thanking the king, he returned to his residence with Liu Pipa.

Since Liu Pipa arrived at the manor, Li Jing has been in high spirits and full of energy, seemingly with only her in his eyes. The two of them spend every day together, living a very pleasant life.

On this sunny day, with beautiful scenery, Li Jing accompanied Liu Pipa to fly a kite in the countryside. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, snapping their kite string and leaving a long gash on Liu Pipa's face. Startled, Liu Pipa screamed, and Li Jing quickly carried her back to his residence. Just as he was about to fetch the imperial physician, Liu Pipa grabbed him, insisting that Li Jing take her to Daji's palace. Li Jing couldn't refuse and had no choice but to comply.

However, after Liu Pipa entered Daji's palace, Daji forbade Li Jing from seeing her until three days later when she was finally sent back. Under Li Jing's repeated questioning, Liu Pipa vaguely explained, "Sister Daji has a kind of ointment in her palace that specifically treats scars, so I've been applying it these past few days. Because the ointment looks so unsightly, that's why she wouldn't let you in." Hearing Liu Pipa's explanation, Li Jing no longer suspected anything, and the two resumed their normal lives.

One day, Li Jing was boating on the lake with Liu Pipa. Suddenly, a servant rushed in, panting, and said, "General, something's happened! You must return to the manor immediately." Seeing the servant's panicked state, Li Jing asked, "What has happened?" The servant hesitated, not daring to speak. Li Jing said, "It's alright, tell me here." So the servant told him the news that Bi Gan had been killed by the King, who had his heart ripped out.

Upon hearing this news, Li Jing was startled, but then he caught a glimpse of Liu Pipa's smug smile. Only then did he realize the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly returned to the mansion with Liu Pipa.

After settling Liu Pipa in, Li Jing went to his study to learn more about what had happened. He was surprised that the king would believe such an absurd reason as cutting out one's heart to cure an illness because of Daji. He thought to himself, "It seems that Daji is indeed a monster who brings disaster to the country. Today, Liu Pipa was also acting unusually. Thinking about it carefully, she seems to have something wrong with her as well."

Li Jing recalled that Daji had once said that Liu Pipa was her distant cousin. Perhaps Liu Pipa and Daji were in cahoots, both here to disrupt the court. Thinking of this, Li Jing felt a chill run down his spine. As the great general protecting the country, he had been bewitched by beauty, spending several days sightseeing and neglecting his duties. If war broke out, wouldn't this jeopardize military operations?

After thinking it through, Li Jing made a bold decision. He went to Liu Pipa's residence, where Liu Pipa was doing her hair and makeup. When she saw Li Jing arrive, she hurriedly went to greet him and said, "General, you've returned so early. Have you finished dealing with some matters?"

Li Jing didn't answer, just stared at Liu Pipa. Liu Pipa felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and was about to turn around to pour tea, but Li Jing pulled her back. She thought Li Jing wanted to do something intimate with her, but unexpectedly, Li Jing grabbed her wrist and said, "You seem to be in a good mood today. Is there some good news?"

Liu Pipa touched the corner of her mouth and said, "Really? I do this every day!" Li Jing didn't expose her, and continued, "You haven't been to the palace for some time. You must miss your sister, right?" Liu Pipa didn't know what Li Jing was up to, and didn't dare to answer casually. She only replied with "Yes," and then said nothing more.

Li Jing disregarded Liu Pipa's wishes, had his servants pack her things, and sent her to the palace.

After sending Liu Pipa away, Li Jing felt remorseful for his recent foolishness! He had spent so much time with that demon without realizing it. Now that he had sent Liu Pipa to the palace, Daji would surely be on guard and wait for an opportunity to kill him. After pondering all night, at the crack of dawn, Li Jing left the Shang Dynasty and went to join King Wu of Zhou.

After the tragic events of Bi Gan's torture and the construction of the Deer Terrace, the people avoided discussing matters of the Shang Dynasty court, fearing they might be subjected to the torture of branding with hot irons. Panic gripped the nation, and the court in Chaoge was rife with corruption. Even King Zhou, under the influence of Daji, neglected court for several days, sparking controversy among officials, yet no one dared risk their life to remonstrate. The people had long since become disgusted with King Zhou's incompetence and tyranny, and various warlords rose to power.

Rumors circulated among the people that the Shang Dynasty was doomed, and they talked about how King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, was broad-minded, far-sighted, decisive, and had gathered a group of capable and righteous people under his command.

As the second son of King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, Ji Fa bore a tremendous responsibility. His father had been arrested, his elder brother had been framed and killed by Daji, and then cruelly made into meat patties and forced to eat by his father. How could Ji Fa not avenge such a humiliation?

He always remembered his father's last words to him. His father, though gravely ill, still held his hand and said, "Ji Fa, I'm afraid I'm not going to make it. As a child of the Ji family, you must be worthy of heaven and earth, and be a true man! Now that your brother is dead, you are the only pillar left in the family. You must live well!"

Chapter 1138 Reencounter with Nezha, Li Jing Repents

After saying this, he patted his hand and said to Jiang Ziya, "This child is naturally unruly, and you will need to support him, teach him, and help him grow. Ji Chang thanks you in advance." Jiang Ziya cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, I will do my best to assist you and live up to your kindness!" After saying this, Ji Chang left.

Over the years, under Jiang Ziya's tutelage, Ji Fa had made great progress. Whenever he felt like retreating, he would remember the tragic deaths of his father and elder brother, and thus regain his spirits and continue forward. He declared himself king, posthumously honoring his father as King Wen of Zhou and himself as King Wu of Zhou.

With Jiang Ziya's assistance, Ji Fa earned an excellent reputation, and more and more people came to join him and were recruited into his ranks.

Looking at King Zhou of Shang, ever since Daji was brought into the palace, he became obsessed with her beauty and neglected state affairs. In order to please Daji, King Zhou built the Deer Terrace, which consumed a lot of manpower and resources, causing widespread resentment among the people.

Daji was wary of Bigan's clever mind. Under Daji's influence, King Zhou of Shang persecuted loyal officials and even believed the absurd reason of having his heart removed to cure his illness. He ordered the heart of the loyal minister Bigan to be cut out. This incident shocked the court and the country. All the officials expressed their regret over Bigan's death and were also wary of King Zhou of Shang. No one in the court dared to express their opinions.

After a series of events, righteous people from the Shang Dynasty flocked to King Wu of Zhou, not seeking any official position, but simply to ensure they had a clear conscience.

Li Jing, a former general of the Shang Dynasty, resolutely sent Liu Pipa back to Daji after seeing through her true colors.

At that time, he felt that the Shang Dynasty could no longer tolerate him, and although the world was vast, he had nowhere to go. After much thought, Li Jing decided to go to Xiqi to seek refuge with King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa.