Chaoge, a picture of chaos.

The news of the fall of Lingtong Pass, like a clap of thunder, exploded in the sky above Chaoge, shaking the hearts of the civil and military officials into panic.

In the court above, discussions buzzed for a moment; some officials turned pale, while others whispered amongst themselves, unsure of what to do next. After all, the sound of the Xi Qi army's war drums seemed to ring in their ears, with only Mianchi County standing between them and Chaoge.

Di Xin sat on the Dragon Throne, his complexion an iron blue, and he was extremely angry.

His hands gripped the throne's armrest tightly, veins bulging, wishing he could immediately tear the traitor Huang Feihu to a thousand pieces.

"Huang Feihu, this traitorous official and rebel! How dare he betray Great Shang!"

Di Xin's voice echoed in the court, filled with fury and murderous intent.

"I will kill him! I will tear his body into ten thousand pieces!"

Hearing this, the king's uncle Bi Gan, standing below, spoke directly in admonition, "Your Majesty, although Huang Feihu has committed acts of disloyalty, Your Majesty should also reflect upon yourself. Your Majesty's blind faith in Daji, indulging in licentiousness, insulting the wives of your subjects, has caused the loyal and good to become disheartened, and the state to be in turmoil—this is the root of the disaster."

After hearing this, Di Xin's anger flared even more, his expression growing even more ferocious: "Bi Gan! What do you mean by this?"

At this point, Bi Gan could no longer restrain himself, he stood out firmly, his voice resonant and powerful: "Your Majesty, Huang Feihu turned against you precisely because of Your Majesty's licentious and unprincipled ways, which have chilled the hearts of loyal officials and righteous people, and dispersed the will of the people! Your Majesty, you should issue a self-incrimination edict to calm the hearts of the world."

Prime Minister Shang Rong also said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please issue a self-incrimination edict to calm the hearts of the world."

The assembly of civil and military officials glanced at each other and knelt down, "Your Majesty, please issue a self-incrimination edict to calm the hearts of the world."

Di Xin's rage intensified, he stood up, his eyes round with anger, and demanded harshly, "Are you all trying to rebel?"

He glared fiercely at Bi Gan, "Uncle, you instigate the officials, do you want my throne?!"

"Your Majesty misunderstands!"

Bi Gan remained unflustered, he drew a dagger from his sleeve and without hesitation, he opened his robe and split open his chest in front of Di Xin, his clothes instantly stained with his own blood, yet his expression was oddly resolute, as if he felt no pain.

With trembling hands, he pointed at his open chest, revealing his beating Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart, his voice strong and clear, "Your Majesty, look, this is Bi Gan's heart, take a good look!!!"

"Does my heart have even the slightest bit of filth?!"

Bi Gan's voice, though low, clearly spread throughout the entire court.

From his chest emerged a beating heart, luminous as a Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart, crystal clear, without a trace of darkness or filth.

The entire court was astounded, all shaken by Bi Gan's heroism and loyalty.

Di Xin's eyes widened, his heart a mix of shock and rage.

He had never expected someone to show such naked loyalty and challenge in front of him.

Bi Gan's body gradually slumped down, still exuding a sense of defiance in his eyes, as if proving to Di Xin that a loyal heart can be witnessed by Heaven and Earth.

The court fell into silence, no one dared to speak again.

Bi Gan's action was like a heavy hammer, striking at Di Xin's heart.

Di Xin's face became extremely ugly, his hands trembling, he pointed at Bi Gan's body, his voice hoarse: "Drag this disobedient man out..."

But before he could finish speaking, an official, unable to hold back tears, knelt to the ground, "Your Majesty, Prince Bi Gan was thoroughly loyal, please reconsider Your Majesty!"

Di Xin's heart churned with rage and fear.

He knew that the death of Bi Gan would make his throne unsteady.

Outside of Chaoge, the footsteps of the Xi Qi army drew ever nearer.

...

At the same time, having just crossed the great river, the Linhuan Pass army also received the news.

Standing in the military tent, Wen Zhong's gaze was piercing, his hand gripping a sand table densely marked with various checkpoints and roads. His brow was furrowed, calculating the timing and distance in his mind.

"Pass down the order, the entire army must hasten their march, we must seize Chaoge before the Xi Qi army!" Wen Zhong's voice was firm and powerful, he knew that once the Xi Qi army occupied Chaoge, they would possess the entire Great Shang Dynasty's fortunes, and perhaps in one fell swoop, secure victory and replace Great Shang.

The officers and soldiers received orders one after another, each urging their troops to quicken their pace.

The entire camp was bustling, soldiers packed their gear, horses were rushed onto chariots, and everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Wen Zhong was clear in his heart, his soldiers greatly outnumbered by the Xi Qi army.

Therefore, he must seize Chaoge before the arrival of the Xi Qi army, then regroup his forces, relying on the city to contend for victory.

Only by doing so would there be a possibility to defeat the Xi Qi army.

However, just as he was preparing to break camp and set out, a streak of green light suddenly flashed in the tent, and then condensed into a Bronze Treasure Mirror. In the mirror appeared a tall and valiant figure, it was his senior brother, Yu Yuan.

"Younger brother, why such a hurry?" Yu Yuan's voice came from the mirror, calm and deep.

Wen Zhong was taken aback; he had not expected his senior brother to contact him at this time.

He respected Yu Yuan and knew of his senior brother's extraordinary wisdom, thus he listened patiently.

"Although the Xi Qi army's momentum is like a broken bamboo, they have been continuously besieging cities and must be exhausted. Why not let them be the vanguard, to deplete their strength. Wouldn't it be more secure for us to take advantage of their vulnerability?" Yu Yuan's words revealed a well-thought-out strategy.

Wen Zhong fell silent for a moment, knowing his senior brother's words made sense.

Although the Xi Qi army was strong, a series of battles would inevitably drain their resources. If they were allowed to attack Chaoge first, they would surely engage in fierce battles with Chaoge's defenders, and both sides would suffer severe losses. By then, his attack would be much easier.

"Senior brother is right." Wen Zhong finally nodded in agreement, deciding to adopt Yu Yuan's suggestion.

He convened his generals again, relaying the new orders.

The entire army would no longer rush their march, but instead, proceed with the original plan steadily, while strengthening reconnaissance, ready to respond to any emergencies.

The atmosphere in the military tent became immediately more composed, as the generals, having heard that it was Yu Yuan's idea, also agreed with this strategy.

The army proceeded towards Chaoge in an orderly manner.

Ahead of them lay an open road.

There were no fortifications that could obstruct their path.

Along the way, the Shang forces they encountered were like scattered sand, nearly collapsing at a touch, unable to form any effective resistance.

This army quickly penetrated deep into the heart of Great Shang, speeding towards Chaoge.

This also meant that the distance between them and the Xi Qi army was growing ever shorter.

At this moment, both parties knew that Great Shang had become like a grasshopper in autumn, incapable of jumping for much longer.

Now, they only regarded each other as the ultimate opponent.

Xi Qi's Fire Phoenix and Linhuan's Water Dragon, in the end, which one could replace the Great Shang's Mystical Bird?