Chapter Five: Executing the Treacherous Minister!

Jiang Yuan looked at Bi Gan, who was bowing meticulously before him, and felt a headache coming on. He was no longer the former King Zhou, and Bi Gan was his own uncle—there was no way he could ever commit such a cruel act as gouging out Bi Gan’s heart.

“What matter brings you here, Uncle?” Jiang Yuan’s voice was deep and commanding.

Bi Gan was clearly surprised by the aura Jiang Yuan exuded. He had seen this presence in King Zhou before, but only in the days before his downfall. Bi Gan’s feelings for his nephew were complicated. Before he saw the present Jiang Yuan, he had been angry at his lack of ambition, but as a minister, he could not voice such opinions openly.

The throne of the human emperor was a lonely one—so much so that even one’s own uncle could not be treated with complete honesty.

“Sire, I beg you to rid us of the demoness Daji. Su Daji is a fox spirit from the Fire Cave, and now she lurks by your side to undermine the very foundation of our great Shang. Your recent neglect of state affairs is entirely the result of her enchantments,” Bi Gan pleaded, his words heavy with anger and sorrow. “If Your Majesty persists in indulging her, I fear the fortunes of our nation may not last! I beg you, Sire, turn back before it is too late, and restore the strength of our Shang!”

At these words, Jiang Yuan’s gaze grew cold, and a powerful aura erupted from his body—the majesty of the human sovereign, reinforced by Heaven and Earth, pressed down on all the assembled ministers, making them feel a suffocating pressure.

The civil officials, in particular, could not stand straight under this oppressive force; their backs bent involuntarily.

“Sire, please calm your anger! Lord Bi Gan speaks from the heart; all he says is for the sake of our Shang, for the sake of your reign, for the sake of this land!”

“Insolence! I respect you as my uncle, but that does not give you license to speak so recklessly! Must you take away what I love before you are satisfied? Daji remains by my side day and night—how much harm could she possibly do to our great nation?!”

“Do you mean to say I am deceived by flattery, or that age has made me blind to loyalty and treachery?”

As he vented his fury, Jiang Yuan kept repeating to himself: Please, all you mighty ones, don’t blame me for this—it's that damned system forcing my hand! If not for the accursed Tyrant Value, I would never act so unreasonably. Uncle Bi Gan, you are my uncle, please have mercy on your nephew—I have no choice!

And Fei Zhong, I swear I have no designs on your wife—don't even think of betraying our kingdom!

At last, the system’s voice sounded in his mind.

“Ding! Host has twisted logic, refuses to admit fault or repent, reprimands his own uncle in the hall, disregards the bonds of kinship—this fits the behavior of a tyrant. Tyrant Value +15. Current Tyrant Value: 49!”

At this, Jiang Yuan felt somewhat relieved. It hadn’t been long, and his Tyrant Value was about to break fifty—well worth the trouble!

“Even if I were not Your Majesty’s uncle, I would still offer these words—it is my duty as a subject of Shang!” Bi Gan insisted, ready to die for his conviction.

With his Tyrant Value earned, Jiang Yuan’s expression eased a bit. He swept his gaze across the ministers and asked, “Does anyone else have anything to report?”

The ministers were silent for a long time; in the end, none dared to speak. Those who had spoken up just now were among the most trusted by the former King Zhou, and yet every one of them had been rebuked!

The rest were afraid, not for lack of words, but for fear that speaking would achieve nothing but the king’s displeasure. The torture device still stood outside the Star-Picking Tower—a silent but ever-present threat. Everyone sensed that the king was different today.

He was no longer the decadent man lost to pleasure, nor the heroic conqueror of old. Instead, there was a sense of… violent ferocity that made him truly intimidating.

Jiang Yuan idly tapped the imperial throne with his fingers. After waiting a while and seeing no one else would step forward, he let out a breath of relief. He couldn’t afford to offend all his ministers at once.

He rose slowly and spoke with deliberate calm, “Since there are no further petitions, I shall first address the memorials presented by three of my loyal ministers.”

“General Huang’s request—I grant it. If the demon tribe dares rebel, then our human race shall not shrink from the fight. Pass down my command: summon the Northern Duke, Chong Heihu! I want him to prepare fifty thousand soldiers. Three days from now, I shall personally lead the campaign!”

“This time, I will make the northern barbarians and their demon kin fear the very name of Shang!”

“Well, General Huang, are you satisfied?”

Huang Feihu’s face lit up at the king’s words. “Your Majesty is wise and valiant—victory will surely be ours!”

Jiang Yuan merely nodded, then turned to Shang Rong and said calmly, “As for the memorial accusing Fei Zhong and You Hun…”

Here, Jiang Yuan paused deliberately. He glanced at the Tyrant Value hovering above Fei Zhong and You Hun, his eyes gleaming, a smile curling at his lips.

I can hardly be blamed for this—you two traitors insisted on climbing high, and there’s a rich reward in Tyrant Value here for me. I’d be a fool not to take it.

“We are innocent, Your Majesty!” Fei Zhong and You Hun pleaded, their voices trembling on the verge of tears.

From what they’d seen of Jiang Yuan in recent days, he was nothing like the king who had once indulged himself and neglected state affairs atop the Star-Picking Tower. No one knew what had caused this change, but the king’s aura alone was enough to strike terror into all hearts. The wrath of an emperor could bring calamity to all.

Jiang Yuan strode over to Fei Zhong and You Hun. The two men trembled before him. He raised his right foot and placed it on the back of You Hun’s neck.

Crack!

It was the sound of breaking bones. Jiang Yuan, with no effort at all, crushed You Hun’s spine beneath his foot—a mere mortal was nothing to him. Just like that, the most favored minister of the former King Zhou died a violent death in full view of the court.

Even a warrior like Huang Feihu felt a chill in his heart—this new king was far too ruthless.

“Ding! Host shows no mercy, slays a Shang minister in court—this fits the behavior of a tyrant. Tyrant Value +20. Killing You Hun: Tyrant Value +28. Current Tyrant Value: 99!”

Exhilarating! Crushing You Hun earned him fifty Tyrant Value points—an absolute windfall.

Fei Zhong, witnessing this, lost control of his bowels and fainted dead away—after all, he was but a master of intrigue, not courage. With his fellow minister slain before his eyes, what fate could he expect for himself? Overcome with terror, Fei Zhong’s mind broke.

Jiang Yuan, having dispatched You Hun, paid Fei Zhong no heed. He returned to his throne and sat down with an air of ineffable regal composure.

Casting a sidelong glance at the unconscious Fei Zhong, he remarked, “He doesn’t even dare defend himself—how can he claim not to be a traitor? Pass down my command: Fei Zhong, for corrupting the emperor’s heart and seizing control of court affairs, deserves death a thousand times over. He shall be subjected to torture by burning.”

“Minister Shang Rong, are you satisfied?”

Shang Rong composed himself with difficulty and replied, trembling, “Your Majesty is wise!”

He dared say no more. In truth, Jiang Yuan’s actions were excessively brutal—he had revived the punishment of burning flesh, and You Hun had been killed without even a formal charge. The ministers all felt as if the king before them was a stranger. Whether this was for good or ill, none could say.

Yet for now, it was at least a good thing. The two greatest traitors of Shang had met their just ends. The king, though ruthless, could at least distinguish between loyal and treacherous. Perhaps, at last, Shang would see a turning point.