Conferred God: Started from Swallowing the Heaven-Repairing Stone

Chapter 358: Conspiracy Hostage
But so what?
The Chan and Xian sects are one, and the Twelve Golden Immortals have all done this, so their reputation has been ruined. Even if Yun Zhongzi didn't do it, outsiders would not believe him.

Yun Zhongzi knew this, so he didn't explain and just covered his face and walked away.

"I never thought that the saintly lineage would do such a thing."

Looking at Yun Zhongzi's receding back, there was still disbelief in Xibohou's eyes.

But now that things have come to this, he can't help but believe it. Although Yun Zhongzi didn't say anything, his attitude has already explained everything. What Ao Bing said is true.

That was why Xibo Hou was unable to accept it. That was the Chan Sect, the supreme Taoist school that taught his ancestor Xuanyuan Renhuang. How could it be like this? How could it be like this?

There is no love without reason in the world. There is a reason why King Xibo admired the Chan sect. The biggest reason was that Emperor Huangdi once worshipped Guangchengzi, the golden immortal of the Chan sect, as his teacher.

Who would think there is something wrong with a Taoist tradition that can teach the teachings of Emperor Huangdi?

"Not all disciples of a saint are good people. After all, good and evil are determined by one's heart, not one's origin."

"If the disciples taught by good people were always good people, then there would be no disputes in the world long ago."

Ao Bing said that although he intended to alienate King Xibo and the Chan sect, he did not lie to King Xibo and he spoke the truth.

Therefore, he cannot be blamed for this matter, but only the blame of the Chan sect itself for being unclean.

"Is the Prime Minister here to pick me up? If so, please allow me to find a place for this child to stay first, and then go to Chaoge."

King Xibo did not respond to Ao Bing's words, but instead made a request to him.

He believed that Ao Bing's presence here could only be to look for him. He was worried that he would escape halfway, so he came here specially to personally "escort" him to Chaoge.

"Why bother with so much trouble? Just bring the child to Chaoge. The king wants to confer the title of Duke of Xibo as one of the Three Dukes and promise him a position as a minister."

"As a high-ranking official, can't you even raise a child? Or does Xibohou think Chaoge is a den of wolves and tigers, and doesn't want to let this child go to the capital with you?"

Ao Bing's face suddenly darkened, and he yelled at King Xibo with some displeasure.

Chaoge is the capital of the world, prosperous and thriving. It is a rare holy place and divine city in the world, and all people yearn for it.

But Xibohou was full of resistance to Chaoge, as if it was not a treasure land, but a den of wolves and tigers. Such thoughts are really punishable.

"You are too kind, Prime Minister. The child is young and the state affairs are so busy that I am afraid he will not be able to take care of him if I leave him by my side."

When Xibohou saw this, he was horrified and quickly explained.

He was really afraid. Ao Bing was different from Emperor Xin. Emperor Xin did not dare to kill him because killing him would shock the whole world and might even force the other princes to rebel.

But Ao Bing was different. If Ao Bing killed him, the worst that could happen was that he would resign from his post, and then the matter would be over. It was impossible for the princes of the world to fight Ao Bing to the death for him and let him pay with his life.

Because Ao Bing was much more important than him, especially since he passed down the incense and the way of the gods, all the princes benefited from it. This alone made it difficult for the princes of the world to blame him.

Ao Bing was indebted to all the princes in the world, but Duke Xibo was not. This is the difference, a fatal difference.

"You don't have to worry about this, Lord Xibo. When the child arrives in Chaoge, the king will issue an order to summon all the virtuous people in the world to teach him together."

Seeing that King Xibo had surrendered, Ao Bing's attitude also softened.

"Call all the virtuous people in the world?"

"This……"

"No, absolutely not."

"What virtue and ability does this child have to deserve such treatment from the king?"

King Xibo seemed frightened and quickly refused.

It's not his fault, it's just that what Ao Bing said was too scary. Let all the virtuous people in the world teach one person together, even if it's a prince, I'm afraid he wouldn't have this treatment.

"Hou Xibo has misunderstood. Your Majesty certainly cannot have done this just for your son. In fact, this is related to a system that Your Majesty and I are planning to implement."

"I discussed history with the king before, and saw that the princes of the world, more or less, had caused unrest in their families and countries because of the issue of inheritance, and some even destroyed their country because of it. It was really heartbreaking."

"Therefore, the king and I have learned from experience and decided to set a standard for the princes of the world to learn from in order to put an end to disputes over the succession."

"This set of standards is to establish the eldest son as the heir, to establish the heir based on age rather than virtue, and to establish the son based on nobility rather than age."

"What does Xibo Hou think?"

Knowing what King Xibo was worried about, Ao Bing explained with a smile.

"Enthroning the eldest son as the heir is indeed a solution, but how can we ensure that the eldest son has enough ability to succeed to the throne?"

How could Xibohou not know that the eldest son of the legitimate wife should be appointed as the heir? This was the system that his Zhou State was implementing. It was precisely because of this that he was well aware of the disadvantages of the system of appointing the eldest son of the legitimate wife as the heir.

If the eldest son is virtuous, then there will be no big problem. But if the eldest son is stupid, then there will be big trouble, and the country will fall and fall at any moment.

"This is the purpose of the king's summoning of virtuous people. The king wants to build a school, use these virtuous people as teachers, and then order all the eldest sons of the princes to come and study."

"The incompetence of the eldest son is nothing more than a problem of education. If this is the case, then gather all the best teachers together to teach them together."

"In this way, even a stubborn stone can be enlightened, let alone the sons of princes."

"Moreover, this move has another benefit, which is that it can deepen the relationship between the king and the princes."

"The king is in the center, and the princes are scattered in all directions. It's fine in the short term. But over time, the king and the princes' descendants have no contact for many years, and the relationship will inevitably become estranged."

"And if we let them study in Chaoge with the prince when they were young, with this friendship between classmates, do we still need to worry about them becoming disloyal in the future?"

Ao Bing smiled and mentioned the hostage system that was popular during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in later generations.

First, the system of establishing the eldest son as the heir was established. Afterwards, all the eldest sons of the princes were summoned to Chaoge in the name of studying.

Isn't this just a disguised form of using the eldest son of a vassal state as a hostage? It's just a better name.

Moreover, they were called to Chaoge when they were young, and were taught and raised by Emperor Xin. So who were they closer to? Is there any need to say?

This move is intended to strengthen the rule over the world at the lowest cost.

"The Prime Minister is very wise, I am far from being as wise as him."

Xibohou was silent for a long time before he spoke with admiration. He had to admire it because he could not think of such a brilliant plan even if he tried his best until his death.

This is an overt conspiracy, a naked conspiracy. Even though they knew it was a trap, the princes had no choice but to jump in.

Establishing the eldest son as the heir and summoning virtuous people to teach the princes' descendants, these two things are fine when viewed separately, and both are beneficial to the princes.

But when they were added together, it was different. It directly became a top-level conspiracy, forcing the princes of the world to voluntarily offer their heirs to Chaoge as hostages.

Duke Xibo could even imagine that in order to protect the interests of the eldest son, the Shang Dynasty would definitely formulate a series of systems that would be beneficial to the eldest son.

For example, when the eldest son dies, his parents must mourn for him. Also, if the eldest son is deposed for no reason, the whole country can mobilize troops to attack him.

In short, if the eldest son is used as a hostage, the higher his status, the better.

Otherwise, if they can't threaten the princes, what kind of hostages are they? It is precisely because they cannot be easily abandoned that they can become hostages.

"The Marquis of Xibo is a virtuous man, and everyone in the world knows that. The king summoned you to Chaoge this time and promised you the position of one of the Three Dukes, in order to let you preside over this matter." "The importance of this matter must be clear to the Marquis of Xibo. It is not difficult to see how high the king's hopes are for the Marquis of Xibo."

"At the same time, this also shows that the previous rumors, such as the king summoned you to Chaoge this time to kill you or imprison you, are all nonsense."

"If the king really wanted to kill you, why would he have entrusted you with such an important task?"

Seeing that the Duke of Xibo stopped talking, Ao Bing took the initiative to talk about the purpose of Emperor Xin summoning him to Chaoge this time.

It was indeed to imprison him, or even kill him, but this could not be said to the outside world. To be honest, Ao Bing still felt that the way the Shang Dynasty killed Xibohou's father was too crude.

You have to know that Ji Li was a man of great merit. Even if you wanted to kill him, you should at least find a suitable reason. How could you imprison him for no reason and then make him starve to death?

Doesn't this clearly tell the world that I was the one who killed that person?

Killing people also requires strategy, especially when dealing with a world-renowned celebrity like Xibo Hou, you can't just act casually.

You have to find a way to ruin his reputation first, and then find a reasonable reason to do it. Otherwise, it is easy to be retaliated.

If you want to take something, you must first give it. This is how Ao Bing is dealing with the Duke of Xibo.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Do you really think that what Ao Bing gave to Xibohou is some good thing? If it was a good thing, why would he leave it to him?
Well, that can’t be said. It is indeed a good thing, but this is for the Shang Dynasty, not necessarily for the princes.

They would be surprised if they were asked to hand over their heir as a hostage in Chaoge. Who knows what they might be cursing in their hearts. It must be that they are not strong enough, otherwise they might have rebelled directly.

In any case, once this happened, the princes must have been very unhappy. However, the Shang Dynasty was so powerful that they dared not offend it. Even if they were unhappy, they could only endure it.

Therefore, whoever presides over this matter will be in great misfortune and will inevitably be hated by the princes of the world.

This is the purpose of Ao Bing asking Emperor Xin to use Xibo Hou, so that he can take the blame. All the things that offend the princes are done by him. Over time, he can naturally be pushed to the opposite side of the princes.

Under the feudal system, a person who was hostile to all the princes would never be able to successfully rebel and establish a new dynasty.

Even after taking charge of this matter, even if Emperor Xin intended to let King Xibo return to Xiqi, he might not be able to go back.

The princes will not let him go. The fate that awaits him is most likely to be pushed out by Emperor Xin as a scapegoat to appease the princes' anger.

This not only killed the King of Xibo, but also ruined his reputation, killing two birds with one stone.

"Your Majesty, you are so kind to me. I am very frightened."

Xibohou was shocked and angry, but he didn't show it on his face. With his wisdom, how could he not see Ao Bing's evil intentions?

But even if he saw it, he couldn't refuse. This was a dead end specifically targeting him. If he agreed, he would be hostile to the princes. If he disagreed, Emperor Xin could take him down right away.

The king loved him so much that he even offered him the title of one of the Three Dukes. It would be too rude of him to refuse this. He was not sentenced to death, but he was imprisoned. No one dared to plead for him.

"I can thank you after I see you again, my king. It won't be too late to say it later."

Ao Bing smiled, conjured up a carriage, and invited King Xibo to go with him to Chaoge.

He wanted to "escort" King Xibo personally.

Although Xibohou's situation was critical at this time, there was a way out. If he had an accident, got injured, or was kidnapped, then he would have a reason not to go to Chaoge.

To prevent these accidents from happening, Ao Bing had to escort him personally.

……

…………

Just as Ao Bing was escorting King Xibo to Chaoge, Yuanshi Tianzun, who was far away in Kunlun Mountain, suddenly felt that the time was ripe and it was time to let the man of destiny enter the world to face the calamity.

So he ordered the White Crane Boy to call Jiang Shang, who was practicing hard.

"How many years have you been in Kunlun?"

Sitting on the Eight Treasures Cloud Light Throne, Yuanshi Tianzun asked the white-haired Jiang Shang.

It is strange to say that Jiang Shang, as a disciple, looks even older than his teacher Yuanshi Tianzun.

Yuanshi Tianzun is a middle-aged man with a dignified face, while Jiang Shang is an old man with white hair. Obviously, he has not yet attained enlightenment and has not yet escaped from life and death, which is why he looks so old.

"I went up the mountain at the age of 32, and now I have wasted 7,200 years of my life." Jiang Ziya replied.

"Kunlun is such a precious land, the best in the world. You have been practicing here for 7,200 years, but you still cannot become an immortal. It shows that you were born with a short life and it is difficult for you to become an immortal. You can only enjoy the blessings of the human world."

"Now that King Tang is dead, the Zhou Dynasty should rise. You and I will confer the title of God on each other's behalf, and you can go down the mountain to help the wise ruler and seek wealth and honor in this life. This will make our seven thousand years of master-disciple relationship worthwhile."

Yuanshi Tianzun shook his head and said, with deep emotion in his heart. After practicing hard for 7,000 years in a place like Kunlun Mountain, he still failed to become an immortal. I can only say that he is indeed extraordinary and worthy of being a man of destiny.

"I am a sincere disciple seeking the truth, and I hope that the master will show mercy..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya immediately pleaded.

"This is the will of heaven, how can we disobey it?"

Yuanshi Tianzun remained unmoved.

"Brother Ziya, opportunities are hard to come by, so don't miss them. Besides, fate is set, so it's hard to escape. Although you are going down the mountain, you will have a chance to go up again when you have accomplished your mission."

Seeing Jiang Ziya like this, Nan Ji Xian Weng began to persuade him. He was the eldest brother of the outer sect, and Jiang Ziya was an outer sect disciple, so he was usually disciplined by him.

At this point, Ziya had no choice but to pack up his sword, zither and clothes and leave the mountain. When bidding farewell to his teacher, he could not help but kneel down and cry, "I have followed the master's instructions and left the mountain. What will happen to me in the future?"

Yuanshi Tianzun replied: "You have a destiny, just act according to your heart. When the time is right, the opportunity will appear before you."

He wanted to give Jiang Ziya some advice, but the situation was becoming increasingly chaotic and he could not see anything clearly, so he did not dare to give any advice, fearing that he would make a mistake and lose face in front of his disciples.

"Yes!"

Zi Ya bowed and went down the mountain.

Jiang Shang, also known as Jiang Ziya, was of the Jiang and Lü clans and was a descendant of Emperor Yan.

Before going up the mountain, he was a noble of the State of Lu, but when he came down the mountain, seven thousand years had passed. The world had changed dramatically, and all his former relatives were gone.

He had nowhere to go.

Coincidentally, at this time, news came that the king wanted to gather virtuous people from all over the world to establish an academy to integrate the wisdom of mankind and teach the princes and nobles.

When Jiang Ziya heard the news, he had an idea in his mind and set off for Chaoge.

Before he left, his teacher told him to help Zhou to destroy Shang. However, the Zhou Dynasty valued one's family background the most, so if he wanted to be valued, he had to accumulate enough reputation first.

The newly built academy in Dashang is where he accumulates his reputation. All the virtuous people in the world gather together. When he wins the first prize, who in the world will not know him?
　Today I opened my eyes
　　Not allowing anyone to join
　　The hotel stipulates that if there are ten people at a table, there must be ten people. You cannot add more people. You can only add another table.

　　I just wanted to laugh. At a wedding, can't you just sit as many people as you want?

　　The hotel is really going to make people angry to death
　　The waiter also chased people away
　　The most important thing is that the food is particularly unpalatable.
　　Eighteen thousand per table, not even as good as the pre-prepared meals bought in the supermarket, it's outrageous.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)