In view of his heavy historical responsibility, Tang dared not slack off.
While running the business state, he also recruited talented people.
He did not pride himself on his military prowess, but bravely stood up when the people needed him.
For example, the Shang State’s neighbor, the Ge State.
The new ruler of Ge State was extremely foolish. Under his rule, the people lived in great misery and could not even provide for themselves with food and clothing.
Even the cultivators in Ge couldn't stand .
They came forward one after another to persuade the king of Ge State.
It started with civil remonstration, and later became military remonstration.
However, although the king of Ge State was mentally ill, he was very good at fighting and had many supporters.
The monks' military remonstration failed and they were expelled from the Ge Kingdom.
Without the constraints of opposition forces, the king of Ge State became more and more corrupted by power.
He used slaves to sacrifice to the evil gods. After capturing slaves, he used citizens. When he could no longer capture citizens, he killed one or two ministers.
Before long, the king of Ge State offended everyone in the country.
The subjects were in a state of panic all day long.
The Ge State began to experience a large-scale exodus of its subjects.
Faced with the changes in the State of Ge, our benevolent King Shang expressed that he could not bear to see the people suffering.
So he tearfully helped the people, monks, and even the escaped gods of the Ge Kingdom, and sent envoys to denounce the atrocities of the king of the Ge Kingdom.
The King of Ge was furious: "Shang Tang has gone too far!"
"What do our national affairs have to do with you?!"
He pointed at the Shang envoy and cursed Shang Tang.
The envoy Peng from Tang State was also angry. He drew his sword and was about to fight the king of Ge State, but was stopped by the deputy envoy.
"Let's discuss this later, let's discuss this later!"
The deputy envoy finally persuaded Peng to stay.
Although the ruler of Ge was angry at the envoys' behavior, he did not kill them. Instead, he said arrogantly, "Go back and tell Shang Tang that the friendship between our two countries has ended. Let's prepare for war!"
There is no friendship between the two countries!
When the envoys reported back to Shang that the king of Ge cursed Shang Tang and declared war.
The people of Shang State were outraged.
"You think you can scold our king?"
"Do you think you can provoke our Shang Kingdom?"
"Send troops!"
"We must send troops!"
Following the unanimous suggestion of the entire nation and the unanimous request of the former citizens of Ge, the benevolent King Shang upheld morality, issued a declaration of war to Ge, and sent troops to attack Ge.
In one battle, Ge Guoyang was defeated.
The king of Ge was executed.
The entire Ge Kingdom submitted to the Shang Dynasty, and the people happily threw themselves into the arms of the Shang Dynasty.
Later, Tang's reputation for virtue spread far and wide, and he was praised by countless people.
He even gained the support of a monarch because of this.
This monarch was named Zhong Kui and was the twelfth king of the State of Xue.
Because when he was born, there were viperous thunders, serpent-like lightning, and heavy rain, so he was named "Viper".
He was the second child in the family, so he was called "Zhong Kui".
Zhong Kui is an all-round monarch who is good at governing the country. He is proficient in civil and military affairs, people's livelihood and economy, creation of Dharma, alchemy and cultivation of immortals.
Under his governance , the state of Xue prospered.
But such an accomplished monarch admired King Dayi (Tang) of Shang very much and was willing to go to Shang to be Tang's younger brother.
"Ao Qin?"
The corner of Tang's mouth twitched. He looked at Zhong Kui, the king of Xue State in front of him, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
No wonder there were lightning, thunder and heavy rain when you were born, and no wonder you are proficient in governing the country. It turns out that you are Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the South China Sea!
The king of Xue looked at Tang with a confused expression.
"Who is Ao Qin?"
"I'm Zhong Kui! My surname is Ren, my given name is Lai Zhu, my courtesy name is Zhong Kui, and my nickname is Zhong Lei!"
"It's definitely not Ao Qin!"
"Did Dayi recognize the wrong person?"
Zhong Kui looked at Shang Tang aggrievedly, looking very hurt.
He gave up his position as king and ran to Shang Tang for refuge, but as soon as they met, Shang Tang called someone else's name in front of him!
Who can stand this?
When Tang saw this, he knew that Ao Qin's true spirit might not have awakened.
He then hurried forward to comfort Zhong Kui, took his hand affectionately, and said with a smile, "Zhong Kui, how could I not know it was you?"
"Your ancestor Xi Zhong's virtue is eternal, and as his twelfth-generation grandson, you have not only inherited his virtue, but also brought the State of Xue to an even greater prosperity!"
"Now that you've given up your noble position and come to me, I really don't know how I can ever repay you."
Zhong Kui was very happy when he heard Shang Tang talking about his ancestors and affirming his achievements.
This means that Dayi has been paying attention to me for a long time!
Zhong Kui said excitedly, "The king's recognition is already a great honor for me. How can I ask for anything in return?"
"If you really don't mind me, then please give me a small position and let me serve under your rule and do my best to help you govern the country!"
After hearing this, Tang was deeply moved.
"Zhong Kui's talent is not inferior to mine. If I let you take on a minor official position, it would be disrespectful to you."
Tang stared at Zhong Kui and said sincerely, "How about this? You become my prime minister, how about that?"
"Dare you disobey?"
Zhong Kui kowtowed to Shang Tang three times and thus became the prime minister of the Shang Kingdom.
With the incorporation of Xue State, the national strength of Shang State grew rapidly and soon surpassed the various states in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
This has aroused the fear of neighboring countries.
The states of Wei, Gu, and Kunwu quickly formed an alliance and sent troops to attack Shang.
They planned to overthrow the Shang Dynasty and divide up its destiny.
However, the plan of the Three Kingdoms monarch was perfect, but an accident happened in the first step.
Under the leadership of Tang and Zhongkui, the Shang State easily defeated the coalition forces of Wei, Gu and Kunwu, and dominated the East.
After defeating the coalition forces, the Shang State, under the advice of Zhong Kui, began to gradually annex the territories and people of the three countries.
At the same time, Tang heard that there was a talented person in Youshen State named Yi.
He is good at cooking and is also proficient in governing the country.
"Governing the country is secondary, but is this good at cooking?"
"Could it be him?"
The King of Shang, who was eager to recruit talented people, certainly could not let go of such a great talent.
He has realized that he may have encountered a big fish!
What a huge fish!
"If this is truly a great immortal, then why should I worry about not being able to complete my historical mission of becoming an emperor and rescuing people?"
The overjoyed Shang Tang decided to go to Youshen State in person to invite Yi.
Unfortunately, the king of Youshen State was very stubborn. Even though Shang Tang went to invite him many times, he was rejected by the king.
The king of Youshen State sent an envoy to meet Shang Tang and express his position.
"Yinai is a talented person from our country, how could he go to Shang State?"
"Unless you can marry our princess from the Xin Kingdom!"
The envoy changed the subject and said with a smile, "This way, Youshen and Shang will become as close as one family! He will naturally be able to serve as a minister in Shang."
Can our King Shang agree to such a request?
Then you must agree to it!
When Tang heard this request, he was overjoyed.
Buy one get one free?
Is there such a good thing?
arrange!
Arrange it now!
How could Shang Tang, who was eager to recruit talents, refuse such a reasonable request from Youshen State?
He immediately proposed marriage and married Ye, the princess of Youshen Kingdom.
Yi came to Tang as a cook and a dowry slave.
On the wedding night, Tang did not return to the palace, but pulled Yi aside for a long talk, listening to him talk about the principle of "governing a big country is like cooking a small fish".
Tang was very happy. He stared at Yi with burning eyes and said, "Master, you don't have to be a chef anymore. I have reserved the position of Yin for you in Shangguo!"
"Zhong Kui is the left prime minister, and you are the right prime minister. How do you think that works?"
She stroked her long beard and nodded with a smile: "That's very good."
Tang felt relieved after having saved up an ace.
Then he was about to pull her over to continue talking about conquering the world, but she stopped him.
Under Shang Tang's suspicious gaze, Yi persuaded him, "The king is getting married today. It would be embarrassing if he didn't go back!"
Shang Tang smiled and said nonchalantly, "I am discussing military and national affairs with the Immortal. What could be more important than this?"
"Go back later, Ye will understand!"
After Shang Tang said this, Yi stopped trying to persuade him.
But the way he looked at Tang was always with a faint smile in his eyes.
That night, neither the king nor his minister fell asleep.
They formulated a complete plan to unify the world.
At dawn, Tang finally remembered that he had left his newlywed wife out all night.
He returned to his bedroom with an apology.
As soon as he entered the palace, he saw the princess of Youshen Kingdom who had been waiting for him all night.
"Ye, what are you doing?"
Tang looked at Ye, who had murderous eyes and the royal sword in his hand, and felt a sudden panic in his heart.
"You still remember to come back?!"
Princess Ye glared at Shang Tang, gritting her teeth, but her voice was full of hatred but unusually crisp.
After hearing this, Tang felt that the voice was somewhat familiar.
Before he could confirm it, Wang Jian was already coming towards him!
In an instant, the imperial aura was vast, the void was broken, and the sword energy that was crisscrossing and moving seemed to have the power to open the sky.
Shang Tang subconsciously turned around and ran.
He hadn't taken two steps when he suddenly woke up and turned around and said, "Junior Sister!"
The word "Junior Sister" made the princess of Youshen Kingdom pause.
Afterwards, the shocking resentment shook time and space.
"Who is your junior sister?"
"I will kill you today!"
Princess Ye had a dark face and held the royal sword with murderous intent, chasing Shang Tang to the point where he had no way to go up to heaven or down to earth.
In the end, it was the left prime minister Zhong Kui who arrived and reprimanded Wang Nuye for her behavior.
"Why did the queen rebel?"
Shang Tang took the opportunity to hide behind Zhong Kui. He breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Thanks so much, my dear minister!"
Zhong Kui looked at the beleaguered King Shang with concern in his eyes and said simply, "Don't worry, King. With Zhong Kui here, no one can hurt you!"
At the same time, he held the seal to suppress the void and confronted Wang Nuye.
"You are the queen of the Shang Kingdom, how could you assassinate the king?"
As the prime minister of the Shang State, Zhong Kui possessed a huge national destiny. Now that it was released, it made it impossible for Princess Ye to get close to him.
Wang Nuye's expression changed several times.
Her eyes were like swords, and she glared at Shang Tang fiercely, then turned around and returned to the palace.
"Go with your subjects!"
Boom~~
The palace gates were closed, and Tang and Zhongkui were locked outside.
"How dare you be so rude?"
Zhong Kui was furious and waved his hand to raise the seal to smash the door.
Tang, feeling guilty, tried to dissuade him, "Zhong Kui, leave this matter to me!"
"You go back first."
"king?"
There was a hint of doubt in Zhong Kui's eyes.
But as a loyal supporter of the King of Shang, Zhongkui was still very obedient.
He left decisively.
But before leaving, he left a guard for Tang.
Wherever Tang went, the Imperial Guards followed.
"This Ao Qin!" Tang sighed, holding his forehead.
But his junior sister was still angry, so he couldn't go back now.
"well!"
After much deliberation, Tang decided to go to the court.
He informed his ministers of his appointment.
So, Yi became the Yin of the Shang State and the right prime minister, and was known as: Yi Yin.
With the assistance of his left prime minister Zhong Kui and right prime minister Yi Yin, Shang Tang cultivated both internally and externally and united the princes and states that were friendly to Shang.
Inspired by the King of Shang, more than 500 countries in the world followed their inner choices and "willingly" threw themselves into the arms of the Shang Dynasty.
The Shang Dynasty quickly unified the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
Under such powerful circumstances, the Shang Kingdom continued its campaigns to the east and west, punishing criminals and avenging the people, and started a war of gods with the Fang Kingdom in the middle reaches of the Yellow River!
We fought more than 530 battles, big and small, and won them all!
Captured and killed countless people, invincible in the world!
The Shang State established its dominant position in one fell swoop.
Tang's reputation spread throughout the world.
At the suggestion of Yi Yin, the right prime minister, Tang held a ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven in Haodi, the capital, and notified the various states in the world to attend the meeting.
All the major countries sent envoys to surrender.
Under the repeated entreaties of the rulers of three thousand vassal states and with the enthusiastic support of all the spirits under heaven, Tang offered sacrifices to heaven on the spot.
"I am the emperor!"
The first dynasty of the Journey to the West universe was officially established.
At the moment Tang proclaimed himself emperor, purple air rolled from east to west between heaven and earth, sweeping across the four continents and forming a huge tide that covered the sky.
Countless celestial flowers fell from the sky, and endless golden lotuses grew on the vast earth.
The bright sun and the bright moon retreat at this moment; the countless stars that illuminate the three thousand worlds become dim at this moment.
The great fortune of the Shang Dynasty turned into a black bird, covering the entire world!
Journey to the West to Heaven.
The Six Great Emperors, the Five Elders of the Five Directions, and the gods of Luotian looked towards the human world and praised it in unison.
"Fellow Daoist, why did you quietly descend to the mortal realm without informing us?"
When Shang Tang became emperor, all the gods were paying attention. Who didn't know who Yi Yin was?
The Six Imperial Emperors all looked towards Huang Lao Zhen Yuanzi in the center, with a hint of smile in their eyes.
Zhen Yuanzi's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Please don't misunderstand me."
"I'm sitting here peacefully. What does Yi Yin's support for the Shang Dynasty have to do with me, Zhen Yuanzi?"
All the gods laughed.
The Great Emperor Changsheng said: "A black bird descended from the sky and gave birth to the Shang Dynasty."
"Since Tang succeeded Wu as Emperor, the Shang Dynasty has enjoyed a reign of six hundred years and has had thirty-one emperors."
"The Black Bird is the great national sacrifice, and it is offered to every generation. This way, we can successfully retrieve that person!"
The gods nodded.
"Can!"
Then, the Western Buddha asked, "How should the remaining thirty generations of emperors be distributed?"
The Taishang Laojun, who had been silent the whole time, spoke slowly: "Cultivation, luck, and blessings, all three are indispensable!"
When Tai Shang opened his mouth, he choked back what the Buddha was about to say.
The Southern True Elder Tongtian Patriarch blinked and said tentatively, "Isn't this condition too harsh?"
The last person who brought up this condition was Daozu Hongjun.
But that is to choose the Emperor of Heaven!
The Supreme Lord glanced at him and said calmly, "It is better to have nothing than to have something of poor quality!"
Cough cough cough!!!
Tongtian Sect Master was also choked by his elder brother and was speechless.
My little thoughts were also extinguished.
If we use this method to select, how many of the tens of thousands of immortals in his sect can be chosen?
【It seems I need to change my thinking.】
The leader thought so.
Sitting in the position of Dongfang Shi Lao, Yuanshi Tianzun had a smile on his face, his chin slightly raised, and a hint of pride in his expression.
Apart from those few people in Jiejiao, how many people are capable of taking on important tasks?
It’s nothing like the elite education of my Chan religion!
Tianzun glanced at the leader, then said confidently: "Except for the few people from Ran Deng, the remaining seven people in my sect each occupy a seat."
"It's suitable, isn't it?"
“Hehe~~”
Everyone rolled their eyes.