Investiture of the Gods/Chapter 2
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[edit] General Summary
This chapter is titled "The Rebellion of Su Hu". The next morning, King Zhou would prepare one letter for each of the four Grand Dukes stating that one-hundred virgin women that possess at least a moderate level of physical beauty should be presented before the capital as soon as possible. As prime minister Shang Rong reminded the king that such an action would only bring out mass contempt and future rebellion, King Zhou would see his reasoning and withdraw the edict immediately. When the eight-hundred marquises had appeared to offer their allegiance to the Shang Dynasty the following summer, Fei Zhong and You Hun would become extremely influential in court due to the leave of Grand Old Master, and would thus ask for many presents and additional bribes from the former wealthy classmen. However, Su Hu, Marquis of Jizhou, would refute such compliances due to his fiery resolve to stand against such injustices fully. Due to such, Fei Zhong and You Hun would grow rather hateful towards Su Hu throughout the future. As the nation's marquises and dukes had arrived at capital Morning Song to display their obeisances at the end of the year, the four grand dukes would be specifically placed before King Zhou and fully honored for great diligence in their duty. After the four dukes had been well-feasted throughout the day, King Zhou would return to his inner chambers and discuss the current situation with his two favorite ministers: Fei Zhong and You Hun. In a chance to force Su Hu to repent for his defiance, Fei Zhong would declare to the king that the former possesses an exceedingly beautiful daughter that must be attained if the latters's ministers are to continue to trust his descision making.
After Su Hu had thus been summoned to the Dragon Virtue Court, King Zhou would tell the latter that if he were to attain his daughter, Su Hu would be granted great wealth, rank, and recognition within the dynasty of Shang. As Su Hu declined with many words of insult towards the king's lack of virtue, King Zhou would become rageful and order the latter to be arrested. However, Fei Zhong would advise the king that if he were to allow Su Hu to return to Jizhou out of consideration and personal dignity, the people of Shang would look upon the king as a worthy ruler that listens keenly to his people's desires; in such a way, Su Hu's daughter could also be more easily attained. Now settling down to an extent, King Zhou would order Su Hu to be expelled from the court. As Su Hu thus returned to Jizhou, he would consider his choices: If he were to give his daughter to King Zhou, ministers of the court would think of him as slanderous and immoral; if he refused to hand over his daughter, the king would most likely attack his prefecture with an army in order to ensure that his defiance could not spread further. Carefully analyzing this, he would decide it best to gather his own forces to fight Shang while he wrote a poem that represented hatred towards the Shang Dynasty upon the Meridian Gate inside the capital Morning Song. After King Zhou had taken notice of this immensely defiant poem, he would order a force of six armies to be placed under his command during the newly established attack upon Jizhou. As General Lu Xiong elaborated his suggestions to the king, it would be decided that Grand Duke of the North, Chong Houhu, and Ji Chang, Grand Duke of the West, would lead a joint force against Su Hu's city instead. At the capital hall, where the grand dukes and other high ranking officials were present, Ji Chang would order an investigation as to why a loyal subject such as Su Hu would be deserving of punishment, while Chong Houhu unconditionally accepted the king's words and headed out immediately with his army.
