I am a boss in the world of nine uncles

"Who are you?" The young Yin Jiao instinctively shielded his younger brother behind him and asked in a low voice.

"I am Shen Gongbao. Your Highnesses must have heard of my name, right?" Shen Gongbao asked with a smile.

Upon hearing the familiar name, Yin Jiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Daoist Shen."

If we consider the status of this dynasty, then naturally Shen Gongbao should pay his respects to them.

But Yin Jiao knew that the other party was a god-like figure, whom even his father treated with respect, so why would he put on airs like a prince?
Shen Gongbao shared the same view, nodded slightly, and asked with a smile, "May I ask what the ambitions of the two princes are?"

"Their ambition must have been to preserve the Shang dynasty."

Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from behind Shen Gongbao.

Shen Gongbao was horrified. He turned around abruptly and saw that King Zhou had somehow appeared within five steps behind him!
What's frightening is that you don't feel anything at all before the other person speaks.

"Greetings, Father!" the two young princes said in unison.

Qin Yao nodded slightly and smiled, "Go have fun."

"Here."

The two princes readily complied and then vanished into the royal garden in a flash.

"Shen Gongbao, don't you know that officials from outside the palace are not allowed to enter or leave the inner palace at will?" Qin Yao's smile faded as he looked at the Taoist priest before him, his voice carrying a hint of reproach.

Shen Gongbao's expression changed slightly, and he bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have only recently descended the mountain and entered the world, and I know little about worldly affairs and the rules of the dynasty..."

"Considering this is your first offense, I will let it slide this time, but you must abide by the rules from now on and not overstep them," Qin Yao said indifferently.

"Yes, sir," Shen Gongbao replied.

"Speaking of which, why did you ask them about their ambitions?" Qin Yao changed the subject.

Shen Gongbao pondered for a moment, then said, half-truthfully:
“When I was retrieving the immortal scriptures for Your Majesty, I returned to Kunlun Mountain. I heard that both Senior Brother Guangchengzi and Senior Brother Chijingzi had the idea of ​​taking on disciples. I also saw that Your Majesty’s two princes both had immortal bones, so I thought about whether I could bring these two wonderful things together.”

Qin Yao said, "No!"

Shen Gongbao: "..."

After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, if the eldest and second princes can both learn immortal arts, it will be a blessing rather than a curse for the Shang Dynasty."

"I only have these two children. They've gone to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao. Who will inherit the throne?" Qin Yao asked.

Shen Gongbao said, "There shouldn't be any conflict between these two, right?"

"Isn't that a contradiction? Then why didn't the human race have any Immortal Emperors after the Five Emperors?" Qin Yao countered.

Shen Gongbao: "..."

"I solemnly warn you, don't try to take advantage of these two children again. Don't say I didn't warn you," Qin Yao said coldly as the other child stared in astonishment.

Shen Gongbao: "..."

broken.

How am I supposed to explain this to Guangchengzi and Chijingzi?

"Master Shen, I know that the Imperial Observatory is quite idle. You must be bored out of your mind to have so many inappropriate thoughts. Well then, I'll give you a task." Qin Yao spoke again shortly after.

Shen Gongbao forcibly suppressed the complex emotions in his heart, cupped his hands and said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

"Go to Xiqi and investigate the battle between the Xiqi army and the Western Rong for me," Qin Yao said. "I need absolutely accurate information, Young Master Ning, don't make a mistake."

"Yes, sir." Shen Gongbao bowed and acknowledged the order.

at the same time.

After Ji Chang set off, he traveled seventy li at a fast pace and arrived at the foot of Yanshan Mountain. Suddenly, he encountered a thunderstorm and hurriedly took shelter under the dense forest.

Even though the leaves are dense, they cannot completely block the rain. After the rain stops and the sky clears, people and horses inevitably get wet and are in a very sorry state.

"Wow, wow..."

Suddenly, the cries of children echoed in everyone's ears, startling them and making them fear that something evil was at play.

Only Ji Chang's eyes gleamed, and he led his men to follow the sound, eventually finding a child in front of an ancient tomb.

Carefully picking up the child, and looking at his imposing figure, Ji Chang smiled and said:
“I should have a hundred children, but I only have ninety-nine. This child must have been sent to me by heaven to make up my hundred.”

"Congratulations, Your Excellency." The words had barely left his lips when a voice of congratulations rang out from in front of him.

Ji Chang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a white-robed Taoist priest who could shrink the distance between people and arrive at lightning speed. He immediately dared not be negligent and asked, "May I ask your name, Taoist priest?"

"I am Jiang Ziya, and I have come as a general on the orders of my master," the young Taoist said, bowing.

"General Star...you mean this child?" Ji Chang asked.

Jiang Ziya nodded: "This child is destined to be with my Jade Void Palace. Why don't I take him to find someone to teach him? If he returns to Xiqi in the future, he will surely achieve great things."

Ji Chang was well aware of the prestige of Yuxu Palace, so he said, "Then please, Daoist, give this child a name so that we can recognize each other in the future."

Jiang Ziya laughed and said, "Since Lei Guo has appeared, let's call him Lei Zhenzi..."

After Master Jiang took Lei Zhenzi away, Ji Chang entered the Five Passes, passed through Mianchi, crossed the Yellow River, passed through Mengjin, and arrived at Chaoge, all the way smoothly.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to settle down at the Jinting Inn, a palace guard came up to them as if he had caught their scent and announced the king's summons, inviting the Marquis of Xibo to the palace.

Helpless, Ji Chang had no choice but to endure his exhaustion and, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, enter the royal palace, which resembled a colossal beast from an abyss, until he reached the nine-room hall: "Your subject, Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Inside the Nine-Room Hall.

Qin Yao, Shang Rong, Bigan, Mei Bo, and more than ten other important officials were having a small meeting when they heard the voice of the Marquis of Xibo, and their expressions varied.

This is because, apart from Qin Yao, no one else knew that the Marquis of Xibo had arrived in Chaoge and had been summoned there!

"Lord Xibo, come in."

Qin Yao took in the expressions of his ministers and said calmly.

In the blink of an eye, Ji Chang strode into the hall and bowed again toward the throne, his manners so impeccable that no one could find fault with him.

Qin Yao looked down at the old man, but did not tell him to get up:

"Lord Xibo, have you figured out how to explain the military expansion along this journey?"

Ji Chang said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to think about it; it is simply a practical necessity."

"Now, the Western Rong are growing increasingly powerful. If Xiqi does not upgrade its military strength accordingly, it will surely be captured and its ruler killed."

Qin Yao smiled and said, "Then the question arises: why is the Western Rong becoming increasingly powerful? Could it be that someone is harboring bandits to enhance their own power?"

Ji Chang's expression changed drastically, and he kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise; our Xiqi has never engaged in such conduct. The Xirong are growing stronger because of the favorable weather and abundant harvests of cattle and sheep on the grasslands in recent years!"

Qin Yao smiled, picked up a document from the table, and calmly said:

"While I was waiting for you, I sent people to investigate."

In the past five years, the Western Rong have attacked Xiqi seven times, and most of these attacks were concentrated in the first two years.

In the following three years, it only happened once.

The number of times Xiqi counterattacked Xirong was zero, zero times.

Ji Chang, you have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, yet you don't use them on the grasslands. Where do you intend to put them?

Ji Chang's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Xiqi soldiers were not created to attack anyone, but to protect our homeland. If our Xiqi soldiers were to attack, burn, kill, and plunder like the Xirong soldiers, we would lose our original purpose."

Qin Yao sneered, then turned to the other high-ranking officials in the hall: "Do you believe me?"

The ministers: "..."

"I swear to Heaven that I have no intention of disobeying you." At this moment, Ji Chang raised his hand and swore an oath.

Bi Gan, as Ji Chang's old friend, finally couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, Ji Chang is a man of impeccable character and never lies."

"Imperfect in character?" Qin Yao laughed. "May I ask, Prime Minister, is being lecherous and indulging in lust considered a flaw in character?"

Bi Gan was silent for a moment, then said, "It is."

If it's just lust, that's one thing, but if you're not lustful, are you even a man?
But when lust is linked with indulgence, its nature and meaning completely change. When a monarch indulges in lust, it harms the state; when a feudal lord indulges in lust, it harms the common people.

"I've heard that the Marquis of Xibo has twenty-four concubines and ninety-nine children. Does that count as indulging in debauchery?" Qin Yao pressed.

Bi Gan: "..."

Ji Chang: "..."

"What's wrong? You stop talking when you encounter a difficult question?" Qin Yao asked.

Helpless, Bigan could only lower his head and say, "Your subject has nothing to say."

Ji Chang said, "Your Majesty, I swear to Heaven that none of the twenty-four concubines were taken by force or coercion..."

"Given the Marquis of Xibo's status in Xiqi City, wouldn't it be too ridiculous to resort to force and robbery?"

Qin Yao abruptly interrupted, asking, "I only ask you, do you dare say that all twenty-four concubines are willing? If not, then what?"

Ji Chang: "..."

"Aren't your ninety-nine children fed on the people's hard-earned money and paid with Xiqi taxes?" Qin Yao asked again.

Ji Chang was speechless and unable to defend himself.

Twenty-four concubines and ninety-nine children had always been his glory, but now, he was being rebuked and left speechless.

“Lord Xibo, I can see that you have great desires, not only in matters of men and women, but also in matters of power.”

If left unchecked, and your desires are allowed to grow unchecked, sooner or later you will find yourself unwilling to remain a subject.

Qin Yao said, "So, you shouldn't go back to Xiqi anymore. Settle down in Chaoge instead."

I will not imprison you, harm you, or even restrict your freedom; I only wish to help you restrain your inappropriate desires!

Ji Chang said, "Your Majesty, regarding your claim of excessive desire, this is a fabricated charge, and I truly cannot accept it."

"A fabricated charge?" Qin Yao laughed. "Then do you admit it or not? When the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die?"

Ji Chang: "..."

"I have already shown you leniency by not executing you based on personal suspicion."

If you are still not satisfied, I will send someone to Xiqi to investigate again.

I think we'll be able to find out a lot.

"For example, the 200,000 soldiers of Xiqi only have eyes for the Marquis of Xibo, not for me, their king," Qin Yao said.

Ji Chang's pupils contracted, and he prostrated himself on the ground: "Your subject confesses his guilt!"

"Go down, everyone can leave now, except for Bigan, who will stay a while," Qin Yao said, waving his hand.

Amidst this eerie atmosphere, everyone filed out, leaving only the Emperor and Prime Minister in the vast Nine-Room Hall.

"Prime Minister, I've heard that you and Ji Chang have been friends for many years?" Just as Bigan was feeling uneasy, Qin Yao suddenly asked.

Bi Gan nodded silently: "We met when we were young and once cherished each other."

Qin Yao asked, "I wonder which is more important, this sentiment or the loyalty to the imperial family?"

Bi Gan: "..."

"Is it hard to choose?" Qin Yao asked.

Bi Gan hurriedly replied, "No, I just didn't expect Your Majesty to ask such a question. Between the two, the imperial family is naturally more important!"

"Compared to the imperial lineage of the Yin Shang Dynasty, which is more important?" Qin Yao pressed.

Without hesitation, Bigan replied, "Of course, the imperial lineage is more important."

"I received a dream from my ancestor, Tang of Shang, who said that the one who would destroy Shang was Zhou. Which Zhou do you think this is, Prime Minister?" Qin Yao asked.

Revealing secrets is risky, but if you package them as lies, you can avoid a lot of trouble.

To put it more bluntly, in the grand scheme of things, Shang Tang did not appear in his dream, so this statement is a complete lie, a scheme to attack Ji Chang.

Lies and tricks will not invite divine punishment.

Therefore, Qin Yao used the story of a dream to cover up his prophetic abilities and his act of leaking secrets...

At this moment, Bi Gan's heart trembled: "Is it true?"

Long, long ago, before the city of Xiqi existed, the ancestors of the Ji clan led their tribe to migrate to the plain at the foot of Mount Qi to avoid the invasion of the Rong and Di tribes. At that time, this plain was called "Zhouyuan", and the people who gathered on Zhouyuan called themselves Zhou people.

Even after the city of Xiqi was established, the Zhou people still called themselves Zhou people, not Xi people or Qi people. At most, they used both Xiqi people and Zhou people.

Now, among all the people in the land, only the Zhou people of the lineage of the Marquis of Xibo possess the power to change dynasties, and it can be said that this Zhou dynasty will last forever.

"It's true."

Qin Yao said, "If you don't believe me, you can go to the Nuwa Palace and ask. You don't need to ask anything else, just ask one question: In the will of Heaven, is the Zhou family destined to prosper?"

Bi Gan: "..."

half an hour.

Bi Gan walked out of the Nine-Room Palace in a daze. He had just left the palace when he was intercepted by someone...

"Brother Bi Gan, how have you been?"

Bi Gan looked up at the sound and gazed at Ji Chang, who was standing close by. His expression became complicated: "I am unharmed."

"Brother, you don't seem to be doing well. I wonder what the King said to you?" Ji Chang asked.

Bi Gan waved his hand: "It has nothing to do with Your Majesty. I'm just a little tired."

Ji Chang paused slightly and said, "I'll treat you to some wine, brother. After you've had your wine, get a good night's sleep, and I guarantee you'll be back to your best tomorrow."

Bi Gan said, "No, I'll just go back and rest."

Having said that, he walked past the other person without hesitation and headed straight for the main road ahead.

Ji Chang suddenly froze on the spot, at a loss for what to do.

He had originally intended to ask Bigan to intercede on his behalf and allow him to return to Xiqi, but now it seems the situation is likely dire...

Inside the royal palace.

Shouxian Palace.

Qin Yao's divine sense covered the entire city, and he naturally saw the details of the exchange between Ji Chang and Bigan. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

If King Zhou had not been utterly wicked, then the phrase "aiding and abetting tyranny" would become a purely biased attack.

Without any righteous cause to uphold, how exactly are those people going to push forward the calamity of the gods?
The next day.

early morning.

Qin Yao sat upright in the wooden chair, but was monitoring the entire city with his powerful divine sense.

He saw that Ji Chang had locked himself in his courtyard, stayed indoors, and kept a low profile.

They saw Daji leave the palace without permission, meet with the two demons, and exchange information about their current situations.

Shen Gongbao was seen pacing back and forth outside the palace, as if waiting for the two princes to leave.

And, I saw a young man beat someone to death with a carrying pole. Not far away was a fortune-telling stall, and behind the stall sat a young Taoist priest in white robes...

well.

Those who were meant to come, have finally arrived.

"If there are no other important matters, let's adjourn the court session. The Prime Minister, please stay a while."

After a while, having finished discussing recent government affairs, Qin Yao stood up and said... (End of Chapter)