Chapter 56: Cherish the Wise, Shun the Petty
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“Immortal, there is something I do not understand. Earlier, you mentioned that the Shang dynasty’s fate as a nation would last only twenty-eight years? How do you know this?”
With this question, King Zhou’s heart was both troubled and bewildered.
Ha!
King Zhou’s inquiry truly went straight to the heart of the matter.
Chu Xiaoyu’s expression grew contemplative as he replied, “No need to call me Immortal anymore. From now on, address me as Teacher. To be precise, the mandate of heaven for your Shang dynasty is thirty years exactly.”
“In the records of our later generations, you—Emperor Xin, King Zhou—ascended the throne, established Zhaoge within the camp, increased levies and taxes... changed your personnel policies, enforced strict laws and punishments, and, above all, launched repeated campaigns against the Dongyi tribes, leading to ever more severe internal strife.”
“In the end, at the Battle of Muye, the Shang army was defeated by the allied forces led by King Wu of Zhou. You, Emperor Xin, perished, and thus the Shang dynasty fell.”
“While you reigned, you heeded slanderous advice, built many places of execution for pleasure, the most infamous being the wine pool and meat forest, the cruel torture of roasting, and allowing women to rule by dawn—these became infamous tales.”
...
As Chu Xiaoyu recited each “crime,” King Zhou felt his heart grow ever colder, his body even trembling uncontrollably.
Heavens!
He never imagined that future generations’ condemnation of him, Emperor Xin, would be so severe.
Was he truly a tyrant?
No wonder the Shang dynasty’s fate lasted a mere thirty years.
Cold sweat poured from King Zhou as he collapsed, paralyzed on the ground.
After a long while, he finally came to his senses and respectfully asked Chu Xiaoyu, “Teacher, since you know the fate of my Shang dynasty, what should I do now? Please, guide me and save my kingdom.”
King Zhou fell to the ground, weeping loudly.
It was only his second year on the throne; if what Chu Xiaoyu said was true, Shang had only twenty-eight years left before its destruction.
How could this be?
He did not want to be a tyrant, nor the last king of a fallen nation, nor to be reviled by his descendants.
He, King Zhou, could not bear such a fate.
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When King Zhou had finally exhausted his grief, Chu Xiaoyu leisurely poured him a cup of tea. “Here, you’ve wept enough. Have some tea and calm yourself.”
“Th-thank you, Teacher.”
With trembling hands, King Zhou drained the tea in one gulp, but his heart was still in turmoil. “Teacher, if you can predict the fate of the Shang dynasty, then you must also know how to reverse it, correct?”
“Well... reversing fate is no easy feat,” Chu Xiaoyu mused inwardly.
If one truly changed the destiny of the Shang dynasty, what would become of its rival, the Western Zhou?
If the fate of Shang were altered, would Western Zhou simply vanish?
If a grandson in the future erased his grandfather from existence, could the grandfather still exist in history? Wouldn’t the grandson himself also vanish as a result?
This conundrum left Chu Xiaoyu rather troubled.
Could such a hypothesis be made? If his small fluttering butterfly wings caused Shang not to perish at the hands of Zhou, and its mandate was prolonged...
Then, two outcomes would be possible: either Shang and Zhou coexisted, growing independently without interfering with each other, each developing its own strength; or only one outcome—Shang would destroy Zhou, seizing its place and extending its dynastic fate.
To hell with it!
Suddenly, his head throbbed with pain.
Chu Xiaoyu decided not to think about it anymore. Looking at the hopeful King Zhou, he said, “As the saying goes, bitter medicine is good for the heart, honest advice is hard to hear but good for action. Befriend loyal ministers, keep flatterers at a distance. Even if a king is somewhat inept, as long as he has wise ministers to assist him, his dynasty’s fate will not be so dire.”
Shifting the topic, Chu Xiaoyu asked, “Emperor Xin, let me ask you: if you had to choose between beauty or your nation, what would you choose? Tell me now.”
The fall of Shang, after all, was in no small part due to King Zhou’s obsession with women—three thousand beauties in his harem, and the king no longer attended court.
Such a ruler, even if surrounded by mountains of gold and silver, would squander it all; the destruction of the nation would be inevitable.
No sooner had Chu Xiaoyu finished asking than King Zhou replied without hesitation, “I choose my country. I do not wish to be a king of a fallen nation, nor to be cursed by future generations.”
“Heh, those are your words. When the time comes, don’t let your actions belie your words. Are you willing to swear a solemn oath?”
In ancient times, oaths were regarded as sacred and binding; once sworn, even at the cost of one’s life, promises had to be kept.
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King Zhou hesitated, his expression clouded with uncertainty. An oath, after all, could not be taken lightly—once sworn, it must be kept...
“Heh, what’s the matter? Just now your words were so grandiose, as if you were a giant among men; but when it comes to action, you shrink to the stature of a petty man, no better than an ant. You...”
“No, Teacher, it’s not like that. Very well, I swear: Heaven above and earth below, if I, the lonely king, break my promise, may I be struck by heaven’s wrath, thunder split me asunder, and die without peace.”
For the sake of his country and his people, he had to risk everything.
King Zhou truly made a venomous oath.
Chu Xiaoyu’s eyes flashed faintly. “Good. From now on, I will begin instructing you on how to restore the fate of the Shang dynasty.”
“The foundation of a nation lies in talent and in possessing a formidable army—neither can be neglected.”
“Now, let me speak to you about talent.”
“First, let’s talk about your loyal ministers in court. Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong, Prime Minister Shang Rong, Vice Minister Bi Gan, Grand Preceptor Wang Shu Jizi, and your elder brother Weizi Qi.”
“Grand Astrologer Du Yuanxian, Senior Minister Mei Bo—these men are unfailingly loyal to your Shang dynasty, true paragons of faithful service.”
“As a monarch, it is wise to draw close to them, to regularly strengthen the bond between ruler and minister—there is nothing but benefit in this.”
King Zhou listened intently, not daring to miss a single word.
Never did he imagine that those ministers he, Emperor Xin, most disliked at court, were in fact the most loyal to him.
King Zhou was filled with remorse.
Chu Xiaoyu took a sip of tea and continued, “Having spoken of loyal ministers, now let us mention the treacherous ones.”
“In your Shang dynasty, there are two most notorious traitors. The first is Fei Zhong—a cunning, deceitful, and ruthless man who spares none who cross him.”
“The second is You Hun, whose character matches Fei Zhong’s in every vile respect. These two are like-minded villains, working together to the detriment of your most loyal officials, who have all suffered at their hands.”