Chapter 110: Counsel from Wen Zhong-At This Moment, All of Humanity Believes I Am an Immortal Cultivator(The river of sorrow flows endlessly westward.)

After the morning court session concluded, Wen Zhong deliberately slowed his pace, lingering behind Shang Rong.

Both men were seasoned veterans of the political game, clever old foxes who understood each other perfectly without needing to speak.

Shang Rong stopped and looked back at Wen Zhong, asking, "Grand Tutor Wen, you are dragging your feet on purpose—is there something you wish to say to me? Come, the other ministers have all departed. There is no need for secrets or hesitation; pray, speak your mind."

Wen Zhong still harbored a bellyful of resentment over having been the one to recommend himself for the mission to Xiqi to check on the health of the Western Earl, Ji Chang. Looking at Shang Rong’s indignant expression—the man looked as if he would like to strangle him on the spot—Wen Zhong merely offered a faint smile.

"Prime Minister Shang is angry? But why? I ask, have I committed any offense against you?"

"Hmph! You have the audacity to ask if you have offended me?"

At the mere mention of the matter, Shang Rong’s temper flared anew. "Back in the throne room, do you not recall what you said to the King? Or has your memory failed you in your old age?"

"Oh, so that is the matter you refer to? Heh, I say, Shang Rong, I have a clear conscience. I was trying to help you out of a predicament. Instead of gratitude, you choose to blame me?"

"Pah! Spare me your crocodile tears. In the city of Zhaoge, who does not know that Grand Tutor Wen hides a dagger behind his smile and honey on his tongue? If you truly meant well, why would you recommend that I go to Xiqi instead of someone else?"

"Haha... as I just said, I did it for your own good." Wen Zhong’s tone turned exceptionally grave. "Prime Minister, must I call you a man who is wise for a lifetime but foolish for a moment? If I had not recommended you for the Xiqi mission, your position as Prime Minister would likely be forfeit."

"What? My position in jeopardy? What do you mean by that?" Shang Rong was utterly bewildered.

Wen Zhong continued, "If I call you foolish, it is because you truly are. Have you already forgotten the words you spoke to the King in the throne room? You were defending Ji Chang, and the King was already deeply displeased—you simply failed to notice it."

"You were so focused on defending Ji Chang that you didn't realize the King had already decided to make an example of him. You, in your extreme folly, walked straight into the line of fire."

"Consider this: if I had not suggested you go to Xiqi, the King, in the throes of his rage, would have had no way to vent his unnamable fury. He would have had to take his frustration out on you—first stripping you of your title, then confining you to reflect on your 'crimes.' You know as well as I do how volatile the King’s temper is."

Looking back, if this was the extent of Shang Rong’s wit, he was essentially finished as a Prime Minister. People truly grew more muddled as they aged.

***

Wen Zhong’s measured explanation left Shang Rong breaking out in a cold sweat. It was a close call—a terribly close call! He had never imagined he had touched the King’s reverse scale without even realizing it. How disastrous that would have been!

Drenched in sweat, Shang Rong suddenly felt incredibly weak, as if he had aged several decades in an instant. Serving the King was like sleeping beside a tiger; one had to be cautious, as if treading on thin ice.

Shang Rong bowed to Wen Zhong. "Grand Tutor Wen, please forgive my momentary folly. I was unaware of the danger, and I nearly lost my head. I beseech you, show me the way—what should I do during this mission to Xiqi?"

"Eh... are you truly unaware, or are you pretending to be?" Seeing the earnestness in Shang Rong’s expression, it was clear this was no act.

Shang Rong bowed again. "You mock me, Grand Tutor, but I truly do not know."

When a man becomes muddled, his judgment is clouded.

"Sigh, very well. Whether you are truly ignorant or feigning it, I have but one piece of advice for you: from this moment on, no matter how close your relationship with the Western Earl Ji Chang may be, you must maintain your distance. It would be best to sever all ties."

"Ah... sever all ties? This... why?" Shang Rong was shocked.

"There is no 'why.' For a long time, I have observed the King’s attitude toward the Western Earl; it is vastly different from his treatment of the other lords. It is clear the King dislikes Ji Chang, and this has only intensified with each passing day."

"In other words, the King intends to make a move against the Western Earl. As for what exactly he has in mind, I can only vaguely guess, and it is not my place to say. As the saying goes, 'too much talk leads to mistakes; misfortune comes from the mouth.'"

"That is all the advice I can give you for your trip to Xiqi. If you cannot recognize the situation, you must rely on your own luck."

With those final words, Wen Zhong glanced at the still-confused Shang Rong, sighed inwardly, and shook his head. If Shang Rong still could not grasp the situation, his career as Prime Minister was truly at an end. There was no pity to be found for an old fool who could not read the times.

***

"The King wants to make a move against the Western Earl? What kind of move? Why?" Shang Rong felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

Far away in Xiqi, within the Western Earl’s mansion, Ji Chang summoned his eldest son, Bo Yikao, and his second son, Ji Fa, to his bedside.

His eldest son was remarkably handsome, a stark contrast to the second son, Ji Fa, whose features were far less refined. At first glance, a stranger might wonder if they were even born of the same father.

"Father, why have you summoned my brother and me in such haste? Is something the matter?" Bo Yikao asked with concern, noting his father’s sudden illness and the dire appearance of his condition.

"Cough, cough..."

After a long bout of coughing, Ji Chang, supported by his two sons, managed to sit upright. After catching his breath, he said, "Because I missed the celebrations in Zhaoge, King Zhou will surely hold our family in contempt. I summoned you both in such haste to discuss this very matter."

"Father, why? Is missing a celebration so significant? Is it more important than your health?" Ji Fa asked, perplexed. In his eyes, the celebrations organized by the nobility were nothing but a waste of resources; what value did they hold?

Bo Yikao looked at Ji Fa and said, "Second Brother, that may be true, but Father is a regional lord. Missing such an event is a grave matter."

"Indeed, it is serious," Ji Chang agreed. "It is said the King is furious and has already dispatched Prime Minister Shang to Xiqi to investigate whether my illness is genuine. But is that the truth?"

Was the King’s real intent something else entirely?

This was a grave problem. If not handled with the utmost care, it could plunge the entire Ji family into an abyss from which they might never recover—a fate worse than death.