Chapter 1

Luoyi, Chengzhou.

The royal palace.

At the long staircase, a large tripod was placed, known as the Nine Tripods, the symbol of supreme power. Whoever could obtain this tripod would become the ruler of the land, thus attracting countless heroes to bend their knees in submission.

However, if we consider the physical significance, historically, only one hero died while trying to lift this tripod, and that was King Wu of Qin—Ying Dang!

Alas... It can only be said that he died a famous death!

This great king, instead of ruling properly, insisted on coming here to lift the tripod, and as a result, he died from his own recklessness.

At this moment, a young boy of thirteen or fourteen sat on the steps in front of the Nine Tripods, his hair disheveled, his white sleeping robe open, and inside, he wore a red pair of shorts that were different from the traditional attire of the time.

He slowly turned his head to look at the Nine Tripods behind him, his long hair sliding back to reveal his youthful face. He sighed, "If this scene could last for another two thousand years, it would definitely be a popular tourist spot. Unfortunately... Unfortunately, my camera didn't come with me through time. Alas..."

This boy was named Ji Ding, the only son of King Xian of Zhou, Ji Bian. In fact, he had two older brothers, but one died in infancy, and the other in an accident. He was considered a late-born son of King Xian, and his mother passed away shortly after his birth. However, the soul within him came from two thousand years in the future, that of a recent graduate in international relations.

Being transported into the body of the crown prince should have been a mix of joy and sorrow. Although he lost a lot, in an era of brutal job competition, how many graduates could directly become a crown prince? Unfortunately, it was precisely at the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, when the fall of the kingdom was already on the agenda, and he was here to take the blame!

Moreover, things were happening faster than he had imagined.

"Prince, Prince, something terrible has happened!"

A short, plump middle-aged man ran over, panting heavily, "Prince, something terrible has happened. General Wu has brought many people to the palace gates, demanding that the king pay the overdue military salaries..."

This man was named Kun Cai, the chief steward of the prince's residence.

Ji Ding turned his head to look at Kun Cai, his expression calm, and asked, "Has there been any news from Father?"

Kun Cai was slightly taken aback, then said sheepishly, "I have already had someone relay the prince's suggestions, but... but there has been no response. And..."

"And what?"

"And the king has recently ordered the construction of a new terrace in the southern palace."

"Indeed, the debts are piling up. I should have known this looked familiar. Alas... I guess I need to forget about the history books." Ji Ding muttered to himself.

As a graduate of a diplomatic college, he was well-versed in the history of his homeland. After all, if he were to find a job in his field, he would have to tell foreigners the story of his country.

According to historical records, he would become King Shenjing of Zhou, while the story of the debt-ridden king was about King Nan of Zhou, his son, the last ruler of the Zhou Dynasty. However, for some reason, this event had occurred during the reign of King Xian of Zhou.

However, he was not particularly surprised. Since arriving here, he had never considered the history books as a way to predict the future. He even thought that anyone who did so might end up in a very bad situation. After all, the history books were written by people and had been passed down through many hands. As long as it was a human endeavor, there would be subjective factors and embellishments. Perhaps the historians enjoyed piling more blame on the last rulers of fallen dynasties.

However, in major events, there were not many differences. Shang Yang was still torn apart by chariots, and Ying Si, the newly enthroned king of Qin, still harbored ambitions of dominance. Last year, the famous "Mutual Recognition of Kings" between Qi and Wei had taken place.

This "Mutual Recognition of Kings" greatly stimulated King Xian of Zhou because, before this, there was only one king in the world, the Zhou king, recognized by all the feudal lords. Now, the feudal lords were privately proclaiming themselves kings. What did that make the Zhou king?

King Xian of Zhou believed he needed to take action.

Over the past few decades, Qin and Wei had been at war. Initially, Qin was always on the defensive against Wei, but due to the reforms of Shang Yang, Qin's power had greatly increased.

During this period, King Hui of Wei had been wandering around, offending almost all the feudal lords, especially Qi. After losing the Battle of Maliang to Qi, Wei's power was greatly diminished, leading to the "Mutual Recognition of Kings" between Qi and Wei, which was actually Wei's way of making peace with Qi and retreating strategically.

What a terrible hand to play!

However, it was too late to mend the fence, as Qin had a new powerful ruler, Ying Si, who would later become King Hui of Qin.

The balance of power had shifted, and in the wars with Qin, Wei was gradually at a disadvantage. King Hui of Wei planned to ally with other feudal lords to resist Qin, but he lacked the status and had offended many lords. So, he came to Chengzhou to persuade King Xian of Zhou to lead the feudal lords.

King Xian of Zhou was already frustrated, and the source of his frustration was King Hui of Wei. If Wei did not proclaim itself a king, there would be no problem. Logically, the Zhou king should not help Wei, but diplomacy is not about bravery or emotional decisions; it is about self-interest. If Wei were conquered by Qin, Luoyi would be in grave danger. Additionally, if successful, it would enhance the prestige of the Son of Heaven. Therefore, for both his safety and interests, King Xian of Zhou agreed to Wei's request.

Of course, King Hui of Wei made many promises, as Wei was the first hegemon of the Warring States period and had not yet completely declined. His promises were very attractive.

Thus, King Xian of Zhou, with a tentative attitude, sent envoys to persuade the feudal lords to join in the campaign against Qin. Among the six major states, except for Han, all the other feudal lords agreed to send troops.

King Xian of Zhou was filled with hope, so he used the letters of the feudal lords as collateral to borrow money from the wealthy families of Luoyi, finally raising six thousand troops, and then marched towards Qin.

However, when it came time to deploy the troops, among the five states, only Wei, which was already at war with Qin, and Zhao and Chu, who sent some troops, showed any real commitment. Qi and Yan used various excuses to delay their participation.

In fact, Zhao and Chu's participation was limited to their own interests. In their eyes, the Zhou king was just a mediator. They did not want Qin to become too powerful. If they could attack Qin together, the conquered land would be theirs, as they bordered Qin.

However, no one among the feudal lords was a fool. They all calculated the outcomes. Qi and Yan did not border Qin and were the farthest east. They knew that even if they won, the benefits would go to Zhao, Chu, and Wei. They were merely trying to incite conflict, hoping the others would fight each other, so they could reap the benefits.

When Chu saw that Qi and Yan were not sending troops, they knew the plan was doomed and immediately ordered their troops to retreat, ignoring King Xian of Zhou.

The so-called six thousand royal troops were a complete disaster, fleeing back to the capital without even seeing the Qin forces.

Moreover, most of the military funds were borrowed. If they had won, they could have paid back the loans with the spoils of war. But since they lost, King Xian of Zhou was now heavily in debt. The soldiers demanded their pay, and the wealthy families of Luoyi came to collect their debts.

Even more terrifying, King Xian of Zhou's actions had enraged Qin, and Ying Si had declared his intention to attack the capital.

At this critical moment, King Hui of Wei betrayed King Xian of Zhou, blaming him for everything and then went to repair relations with Qin.

Under these internal and external pressures, King Xian of Zhou completely broke down. He retreated to the terrace in the southern palace, spending his days drinking and entertaining his concubines, essentially waiting to die.

This situation was almost unsolvable!

At this moment, Ji Ding felt very wronged. He had done nothing, let alone wield power or even experience physical pleasure, and now his life was in grave danger.

He really did not want to die!

In his previous life, he was a graduate without financial independence, and in this life, he was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, with his life just beginning.

Fate had brought him here, and he found it very frustrating, as it was beyond his comprehension. He could only accept it, but this time, he would not sit idly by.

If it was the will of heaven, there was nothing he could do, but if it was human error, he could still try to change it.

He had tried to see Ji Bian but was unsuccessful. He then had Kun Cai relay his message, but it was like a stone thrown into the sea.

Time was running out. If the army rebelled again, it would be difficult to control.

After a long silence, Ji Ding sighed and said to Kun Cai, "Go and bring General Wu here."

"Your servant obeys!"

After a while, a middle-aged man with a stern face and armor came, followed by a group of soldiers. This was Wu Heng, the general of the capital, and the situation was clearly very dangerous for him to bring soldiers into the palace.

"Your Majesty...!"

Wu Heng stopped at the bottom of the stairs, about to bow, when Ji Ding suddenly called out, "General, please come up and speak."

Wu Heng looked up and saw a disheveled young boy sitting in front of the Nine Tripods. For some reason, the Nine Tripods seemed to add a sense of authority to the prince, making him feel a bit intimidated.

Ji Ding looked at Wu Heng and smiled, "General, if you can bring your troops here, why fear a few steps?"

Indeed, why should I fear a child! Wu Heng, being a military man, was spurred on by Ji Ding's words and climbed the stairs. However, with each step, his heart pounded, and sweat dripped from his forehead. When he was only three steps away from Ji Ding, he stopped, bowed, and said, "Your servant Wu Heng greets the prince."

Ji Ding looked at Wu Heng for a moment, then stood up and bowed, "Ji Ding thanks the general."

Thank me?

Wu Heng was taken aback.

Ji Ding said gratefully, "If it weren't for the general, the soldiers might not have stayed in line."

Perhaps because of the pressure Ji Ding had put on him, Wu Heng was deeply moved. He reflected that he had no intention of rebelling. In reality, the royal family was probably poorer than his own, and they owed a lot of money. If anyone rebelled, the Zhou king might even be happy, thinking someone was taking the fall.

Although rebelling was meaningless, he was in a difficult position. King Xian of Zhou owed the soldiers their pay, and he had promised to pay them before the campaign. Even though they lost, he had not said they would not be paid.

For the soldiers, this was their livelihood. Without pay, how could they live?

It was loyalty that made Wu Heng step forward to lead the demand for pay. If he had given up, the situation would have been uncontrollable.

Ji Ding's "thank you" was not unwarranted!

Wu Heng was moved, "Prince, your servant...!"

"General, there's no need to say more. I understand your difficulties."

Ji Ding interrupted Wu Heng and continued, "I have always advised Father to sell the treasures of the palace to pay the soldiers. If it's not enough, we can write IOUs and pay them back later. Although we lost the battle, it was not your fault."

Wu Heng's eyes welled up with tears.

Understanding is everything!

Ji Ding glanced at Wu Heng and sighed again, "Unfortunately, Father does not listen to me. He would rather use the money to build palaces than pay the soldiers."

Gulping!

Kun Cai's throat made a muffled sound.

What do you mean by that?

This is directly blaming the king. If this gets out, the soldiers will definitely rebel.

Wu Heng also sensed the hidden meaning and looked at Ji Ding with a mix of surprise and fear.

Ji Ding smiled slightly, "Don't be afraid. I don't want to usurp the throne. I just want to talk to Father and get him to accept my suggestions. But I need the general's help."

PS: The update time is still one chapter in the afternoon and one at midnight. Newbie here, seeking recommendations and collections.