At the feudal lords’ assembly in Chaoge City, Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu, Western Marquis Ji Chang, Northern Marquis Chong Houhu, and Southern Marquis E Chongyu each led two hundred feudal lords to pay homage to Emperor Xin.

Emperor Xin was greatly pleased. He bestowed many rewards and consolidated the authority to dispatch troops against external enemies under the Four Marquises. This meant that any feudal lord wishing to deploy forces externally must first report to and obtain approval from the Four Marquises.

Among the Four Marquises, Ji Chang was renowned for his virtue, while E Chongyu commanded great respect. Both were elevated to the positions of Three Ducal Ministers, the highest rank below the emperor.

“Was this strategy conceived by Emperor Xin, or by Wen Zhong?”

In the rear courtyard of the Li Manor at Chen Tang Pass, Li Changshou sat in the shade, sipping specially prepared cold tea while enjoying the fan service of two attendants. He pondered the recent events at the Shang Dynasty’s royal court.

Overall, Emperor Xin’s move was clever but also rather treacherous.

Among the eight hundred feudal lords, Jiang Huanchu possessed the greatest strength and was both the most senior and closest to the Shang state.

After all, he was Emperor Xin’s father-in-law.

Yet the prestigious title of Three Ducal Ministers was given to Ji Chang and E Chongyu instead—reminiscent of the strategy of “killing three warriors with two peaches.”

By dividing the eight hundred feudal lords into four directions and strengthening the Four Marquises’ authority while simultaneously creating division among them to prevent their unity, Emperor Xin had crafted a cunning plan.

If minor lords rebelled, the major lords would suppress them, saving the Shang state considerable military expenses while allowing the lords’ forces to wear each other down.

Moreover, Northern Marquis Chong Houhu was a general personally elevated by Emperor Xin. The risk of rebellion from the northern two hundred lords was minimal, and they could check the eastern and western lords, thus achieving the goal of restraining the feudal lords.

Following this logic, Emperor Xin would surely target Southern Marquis E Chongyu first.

Li Changshou carefully recalled his memories from his previous life—it seemed E Chongyu met a tragic end… and left barely any impression.

Why was this move also treacherous for Emperor Xin?

The reason was simple: he was nurturing tigers that could turn on him.

The Four Marquises would further develop into four major powers, threatening the Shang state’s stability. If any of the Four Marquises rebelled, they would surely be well-prepared, with their two hundred subordinate lords rising in simultaneous revolt.

Emperor Xin’s daring use of this strategy revealed his youthful vigor and considerable confidence.

It was unknown whether Emperor Xin and Wen Zhong realized that the Shang state’s subsequent struggle with the feudal states would center on sowing discord between the major and minor lords, preventing their unity through internal strife.

The path forward would require supporting the smaller lords while suppressing the larger ones, while simultaneously improving the quality of Shang citizens and strengthening the Shang army to achieve further centralization of power.

Maintaining control internally while using external pressure—this was the Shang state’s only path to resolving its current predicament.

Of course, these were merely his speculations.

Perhaps Emperor Xin’s thinking was much simpler—set up four targets and let the world watch as he topples them one by one, achieving deterrence through example.

Eh, surely not…

That emperor who defied the mandate of heaven couldn’t possibly lack such basic political acumen, could he?

Li Changshou smiled, listening to the melodious music drifting from the nearby pavilion, watching the spring breeze caress the falling flowers in the courtyard, somewhat lost in thought.

Why not help Emperor Xin?

The answer lay in reversing the question.

Why should he help Emperor Xin?

Who could truly understand the affairs of mortal emperors? He did not need to involve himself in such matters—better to watch from the sidelines.

Li Changshou yawned and said, “Tell the musician to put more effort into it. Play something more lively—is she playing for the lady of the house? This is for the Third Young Master!

If she’s going to be this perfunctory, we’ll dock her pay later.”

“Yes,” the servant behind him immediately seized upon this order like a chicken feather arrow, strutting proudly toward the pavilion.

Just then, two maids approached carrying two bowls of soup, one large and one small. Li Changshou naturally picked up the small bowl for a taste, then nodded for them to proceed inside.

Speaking of nurturing the fetus…

With Li Jing busy with official duties, he, as the senior servant and steward, naturally had to take full responsibility.

Moreover, these various soups and broths for nurturing and protecting the fetus were quite tasty—it was practically torture for a paper Daoist like himself.

Li Changshou handed the empty bowl to the maid behind him and said calmly, “Tell the kitchen to prepare several more portions and add more ice.”

“Yes,” the maid responded softly, lowering her head and hurrying away.

Li Changshou contentedly propped his feet up on a nearby wooden chair, feeling somewhat like the old Dragon King, bored with his duties.

Just yesterday, an elderly servant of the Li Manor had intercepted General Li Jing on his return home, tearfully reporting the tyrannical behavior of a certain senior steward. The result…

That elderly servant received ten years’ worth of wages upfront today and was dismissed from the Li Manor.

Times had changed. For convenience in caring for Lady Yin and the reincarnated Spirit Zhenzhu, Li Changshou had already revealed his identity to Li Jing, indicating that he should keep it secret.

In private, Li Jing addressed the senior steward as “Foster Father” and “Star-Lord” with the utmost respect.

Why had Li Changshou voluntarily exposed himself?

The key lay beneath this pavilion.

Li Changshou had spent considerable treasure and spirit stones to arrange a “Fetus Nurturing Formation,” alternatively named the “Yin-Yang Reversal Heart-Purifying Evil-Cleansing Formation,” which continuously purified the spiritual fetus of evil qi.

Beyond this, Li Changshou needed to constantly stabilize the spiritual fetus.

Earlier, he had told Li Jing to inform Lady Yin to prepare for a pregnancy lasting over three years, intending to use this time to suppress the evil qi at a deeper level and minimize its influence on the spiritual fetus.

The Sage’s interference had far-reaching consequences.

For Li Changshou, rather than helping Emperor Xin extend the Shang Dynasty’s fate, it was better to observe coldly and spend his energy on nurturing future Heaven’s generals like Yang Jian, Nezha, Lei Zhenzi, Wen Zhong, and Li Jing.

—Wen Zhong’s name had already appeared on the Investiture of the Gods list; Heaven’s arrangements for him were set.

Heaven’s Will.

In contending with Heaven’s Will, one must not be greedy but learn to be flexible and adaptable.

About a year later, news spread from Chaoge City.

[Emperor Xin took the daughter of Duke Jiu as his consort, keeping her in the deep palace with great favor. Emperor Xin elevated Duke Jiu to Three Ducal Ministers, drawing much dissatisfaction from many major feudal lords.]

Here it comes—the script of Emperor Xin executing Duke Jiu. Let’s see when Emperor Xin makes his move.

Li Changshou tried to be more cold-blooded, to not concern himself with the lives at stake, and to observe the subsequent events.

This move represented an opportunity for the Shang state and a gamble for Emperor Xin to establish imperial authority and intimidate the feudal lords.

Although Duke Jiu was also a major feudal lord, he was a tier below the Four Marquises. His elevation to Three Ducal Ministers due to his daughter’s status was difficult for others to accept.

To a certain extent, the Great Shang stood at a crossroads between prosperity and decline.

Emperor Xin’s subsequent choices were crucial.

Would he follow the path Li Changshou remembered, finding some excuse about Duke Jiu’s daughter failing to serve him properly, using this to execute Duke Jiu and seize the opportunity to eliminate the Southern Marquis?

Or would he find a more sophisticated solution, putting the Southern Marquis at a disadvantage without giving him grounds to protest?

Li Changshou watched with anticipation.

At such critical moments, micromanagement became increasingly important. He hoped Emperor Xin and Wen Zhong understood this principle and wouldn’t let Heaven’s Will win too easily.

As for the Li Manor…

Lady Yin’s pregnancy of one and a half years caused quite a stir in Chen Tang Pass.

Some rumors emerged claiming that General Li’s wife’s third child was a demon, as only demons could cause such unusual phenomena.

Li Changshou smiled calmly and began personally managing the public opinion within Chen Tang Pass. He first secretly spread several rumors, crafting a fairy tale about a “celestial being descending to the mortal realm.”

For this purpose, he specifically summoned several divine envoys from the Sea God Sect from the South Sea coast, spreading the art of bamboo clappertale storytelling along the East Seashore.

Combined with the occasional flashes of celestial light and auspicious clouds in the Li Manor’s rear courtyard, the residence became something of a sacred place, with many mortals coming to worship.

Gradually, demon soldiers began harassing mortal villages outside Chen Tang Pass.

Li Jing responded swiftly, leading troops in search operations and battling the demon soldiers in the mountains for several months before driving them away.

However, it was an undeniable fact that the long-dormant demon forces had once again spread to the vicinity of Chen Tang Pass.

Li Jing grew increasingly busy.

But no matter—Li Changshou had anticipated this long ago. His paper avatar maintained constant vigilance within a hundred-zhang radius of the spiritual fetus, guarding against further schemes.

Thus, Lady Yin’s pregnancy lasted for over three years.

During this period, Chaoge City had already weathered one bloody storm. Emperor Xin executed Duke Jiu, claiming his daughter had attempted assassination, proving Duke Jiu harbored treasonous intentions.

Southern Marquis E Chongyu pleaded for Duke Jiu but was sentenced to severe punishment by the enraged Emperor Xin.

The Shang Dynasty already had numerous cruel punishments used to intimidate slaves and consolidate rule. These extreme punishments were diverse, with no two alike.

The two hundred southern feudal lords were thrown into panic. The well-prepared Shang army advanced to the southern borders, and Emperor Xin quickly established a new Southern Marquis.

Northern Marquis Chong Houhu secretly reported that Western Marquis Ji Chang had privately lamented the fate of Duke Jiu and E Chongyu.

The lowborn Grand Tutor Fei Zhong, seizing upon the Shang state’s current momentum, requested Emperor Xin execute Western Marquis Ji Chang.

Emperor Xin hesitated, concerned that executing Ji Chang, who held considerable influence among the feudal lords, might cause too many lords to harbor rebellious thoughts. Instead of agreeing, he imprisoned Ji Chang at Youli and ordered Chong Houhu to secretly attack Zhou state forces, weakening the now leaderless Zhou state.

Because of this incident, many among the eight hundred feudal lords developed rebellious intentions. Emperor Xin appointed Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong as commander-in-chief to lead the Shang army in campaigns east and west, suppressing rebellion. For a time, the Great Shang’s fortunes flourished even more.

These were all obvious major events of the Shang state.

Yet in the intervals between these major events…

Emperor Xin frequently feasted with elderly Shang citizens, shared food and celebration with them during sacrificial ceremonies, encouraged marriage and childbearing among Shang citizens, and dispatched trusted old ministers to oversee agricultural development throughout the Shang territories.

He also personally involved himself in the women’s sacrificial dance troupe’s choreography and ceremonial matters, breaking their monopoly on interpreting divine authority.

Due to busy state affairs, Emperor Xin’s rear palace contained only Queen Jiang and a few consorts. He had two sons with Queen Jiang: Yin Hong and Yin Jiao.

Occasionally during night talks between Li Jing and Lady Yin, they would speak of Emperor Xin with mixed feelings.

If Emperor Xin could suppress the threat of the eight hundred feudal lords, he might become a heroic ruler leading to a second prosperity of the Shang Dynasty; if he couldn’t withstand the subsequent counterattack from the feudal lords, he might meet an unfortunate end.

Lady Yin asked Li Jing, “Does my husband harbor any disloyalty toward the Great King?”

“Having eaten the king’s grain, naturally I guard the border for Great Shang.”

Li Jing smiled and said, “We guard the boundary between humans and demons. The power struggles behind us are not our concern.”

Li Changshou was quite surprised by Li Jing’s level of awareness.

He had thought Li Jing would be blindly loyal.

His previous education had been quite effective.

Recently, Lady Yin had begun feeling she could no longer endure, that the child in her womb must be born, but she remained silent, quietly bearing it each day.

Li Changshou secretly used magic to slightly ease Lady Yin’s burden, having made complete preparations for Nezha’s arrival.

While Li Changshou was busy with these matters, news arrived from Chaoge City that made his spirit stir.

[In half a month, Emperor Xin will pay homage at Holy Mother Nüwa’s temple.]

That day had finally come.

Li Changshou had made some preparations for this as well, but he would not interfere. He would only observe from the sidelines, opening some recording orbs to preserve precious moments.

He wanted to see whether it was truly the current Human Emperor’s ill fate taking effect, or if someone was secretly scheming to accelerate the Investiture of the Gods’ killing劫.

If anyone made a move, regardless of who they were, Li Changshou would catch their weakness.

Scheming against the Human Emperor was a matter that could be big or small, giving him room to maneuver.

Just as Li Changshou was about to turn his attention to the Holy Mother’s temple, a unique aura suddenly appeared in the Clear Water River outside Chen Tang Pass.

In the night sky, one of Li Changshou’s paper avatars flashed to high altitude and fixed its gaze.

He saw a small azure dragon quietly swimming to shore, curiously surveying the surroundings before transforming into a youth wearing white robes and spotless cloud boots, holding a folding fan.

He was naturally handsome with sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, somewhat resembling Ao Yi, though his complexion was rather pale.

Carefully sensing…

Ah, the usual dragon race problem—unstable foundation and damaged essence. One look and you could tell he was young and wayward, fooling around with dragon maidens and attendants.

The young dragon now gazed at distant farmhouses, composing poetry while walking with his hands behind his back.

Passing by a village house, he stopped and softly recited:

“The starlit path is hard to travel. Might this place offer shelter for the night? I shall certainly reward you with wealth.”

The wooden door opened, revealing the graceful figure of a fisherman’s daughter. She curiously examined the handsome young man outside, her face reddening as she hurriedly turned to call her parents.

Li Changshou’s forehead sprouted several question marks, uncertain what this young dragon was up to.

Thinking that there was still half a month until the Holy Mother’s temple matter, he secretly observed for several days.

What followed gave Li Changshou quite a headache.

After exchanging glances with the fisherman’s daughter for half the night, the two had already become intimate and arranged to elope. The next morning they secretly left, though he did leave behind some gold and silver.

Then came some scenes that cannot be described and are unsuitable for children.

What happened next was quite “fairytale-like.”

After several nights of pleasure with the fisherman’s daughter, one starlit night, the handsome youth quietly left the sleeping woman’s side, leaving only a large pearl.

When she awoke, she cried for half a day, clutching the pearl while searching everywhere. Finally, she returned home dispirited, was scolded by her parents, and gained an unsavory reputation.

This…

Li Changshou immediately got a headache.

What was this?

The East Sea Dragon King’s Third Prince’s romantic journey?

Could gold and silver buy a good woman’s feelings and reputation?

Although the customs of the time were somewhat open-minded, with many men and women having experiences before marriage, this… ah this!

He wanted to give this young dragon a beating.

Fortunately, the woman was not with child—a blessing amid misfortune—but her heart was in a fog, constantly seeing the image of that heartless man, losing her appetite and gradually wasting away.

It was truly difficult to condemn this matter.

The two were willing participants, and this dragon prince hadn’t used any magic—just gentle words, relying on his outstanding appearance to easily win the woman’s heart.

Fine, he’d leave this dissolute young azure dragon for now and have Ao Yi discipline him properly later.

In Chaoge City, Emperor Xin’s carriage procession had already set out magnificently. A crucial scheme in the Great Investiture Calamity was about to unfold, so he should pay more attention to these major events…

Whoosh—

Li Changshou’s paper avatar’s ears twitched as the wind whisper spell brought some peculiar water disturbances.

Looking closely, he saw that hundreds of li away on a beach, that small azure dragon emerged from the sea and transformed into human form, still dressed in that mortal-maiden-killing style, chest out and head high, wearing a modest expression as he headed toward a nearby village.

Before long, he purposefully stood before a village house and said gently:

“The starlit path is hard to travel. Might this place offer shelter for the night? I shall certainly reward you with wealth.”

The wooden door opened, revealing another beautiful fisherman’s daughter.

Li Changshou: …

This young dragon!

Just half a day!

Were sea maidens not fragrant enough, or dragon maidens not beautiful enough? Why keep coming to the human realm?

Moreover, compared to last time, his techniques were clearly more practiced now, sweet words flowing easily, quickly making the woman dizzy with infatuation.

One couldn’t blame the woman. If the positions were reversed and those gorgeously dressed, beautiful dragon maidens came to a fisherman’s home seeking shelter and actively expressing loneliness, the fisherman wouldn’t be able to resist either.

Isn’t that how all the fairy tales were written?

An old human tradition.

Li Changshou suddenly wanted to write “A Guide to Dragon Anatomy” to accompany “Don’t Be Angry,” “Love in the Human Realm,” and “On Goodness” as little Nezha’s enlightenment reading material.

Hmph!

He would deal with this after watching the drama at the Holy Mother’s temple.