Gods 006: Creative Cruelty

The tension between court ministers and the king’s new lover comes to a boil.

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Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 6 of Investiture of the Gods. 

Last time, an immortal Daoist priest named Master of the Clouds tried to rid the palace of the fox demon that had taken the form of the king’s new concubine Daji, and it was working right up until the moment the demon tricked the king into burning the magic sword the priest had left. As soon as the sword was destroyed, Daji regained her strength and she and the king got back to partying daily in their palace.

Meanwhile, before Master of the Clouds even left the capital, he noticed that the demonic emanations from the palace had returned. He sighed and said, “I had hoped to present the sword to tame the demon in order to save the Shang Dynasty, but it’s clear that its fate is sealed. Now that my sword has been burned, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, which I will not get into so as not to give away the end in chapter 6 like the book does.” Anyway, Master of the Clouds now decided to leave behind a poem as a warning. He wrote it on the wall of the observatory in a busy marketplace. It said:

A lascivious specter holds sway in the palace,

While sacred virtue flourishes in the West Land.

Before many years will pass,

The capital will be stained with the blood of war.

Master of the Clouds then left and returned to his mountain. After he left, the civilians in the capital quickly took note of the poem and gathered around to read it, though none could decipher its meaning. I mean, good god what could it possibly mean? It’s not like it’s relevant to any current events at all. While all these unwashed masses were scratching their heads, a court minister, Grand Tutor Du (4), rode by. He saw the poem and recognized it must have deep meaning that could not be deciphered immediately. So he wrote it down and then ordered his men to wash it off the wall.

Once back at his residence, Grand Tutor Du (4) studied the poem carefully, and yet, despite his best efforts, he could not decipher its meaning either. Seriously guys? C’mon! 

After a long while, Grand Tutor Du thought to himself, “This must be written by the priest who presented his majesty with the sword yesterday. He claimed that there were demonic emanations from the palace. It looks like there’s some truth to this. I’ve been observing the night sky recently, and I also noticed very strong demonic emanations swirling around the palace. This must be a bad omen. Right now his majesty is neglecting matters of state. Trouble is brewing. I have received much kindness from the late king. How can I sit by and watch? Right now everyone at court is troubled. Why don’t I submit a petition and forcefully advise his majesty so that I can fulfill my duty? I would be doing it not for myself, but for the people.”

So Grand Tutor Du spent that night composing his petition. The next day, he brought it to the documents office to submit it. Turns out, it was the prime minister Shang (1) Rong’s (2) turn to be on document intake duty. Grand Tutor Du was very happy about this and told Shang Rong what he had in mind.

Shang Rong said, “Since you intend to submit a petition, how can I sit by and watch. It’s just that his majesty has not attended court in days, so it’s hard to get an audience with him. How about I take you to the inner palace to see him today?”

So the two of them went through the outer palace, and past the Central Palace Tower. There, they were met by the attendant in charge of greeting visitors. The attendant said, “Prime minister, the Palace of Fairy Longevity is off limits. It’s where his majesty sleeps. Outside officials are not allowed to enter!”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Shang Rong said. “Go tell his majesty that I would like to have an audience.”

So the attendant went in to see King Zhou and told him that Shang Rong was waiting outside. 

“Even though Shang Rong is an outside official, he is a longtime minister who has served three kings,” King Zhou said. “He may enter.”

So Shang Rong was summoned in. He entered the palace, kneeled, and paid his respects. The king said, “Prime minister, what urgent business brings you here?”

Shang Rong replied, “Grand Tutor Du (4), who is in charge of the observatory, was watching the night sky last night and saw the palace enveloped by demonic emanations, signaling that calamity is imminent. I am an old official who has served three generations of kings, AND I am a member of your house. I cannot bear to sit by and watch. Your majesty, why have you not attended court for days and neglected the affairs of state? Why do you sit in the inner palace instead and make all the officials worry day and night? Today, I am risking death and offending your divine prowess, but I must speak plainly and pray that you will listen.”

Shang Rong then handed the petition that Grand Tutor Du had submitted. It was yet another long-winded lecture about how calamity was near, the palace is being surrounded by demonic emanations, you’re falling down on the job, why did you burn the magic sword from the priest, blah blah blah.

After he finished reading, King Zhou thought to himself, “He may speak the truth, but he mentions that affair with the priest, which nearly cost my love her life. Thank heaven she was ok after I burned the sword. But now he’s raising this stuff about demonic emanations again.”

He turned and said to Daji, “Grand Tutor Du has submitted a petition in which he again mentions demons encroaching on the palace. Why do you think that is?”

Daji kneeled and said, “Before, it was that crafty priest spreading slander, deceiving your majesty, and making the people restless. His devious words were destabilizing the country. And now, Grand Tutor Du is repeating that lie. He’s obviously trying to instigate trouble. The commoners are stupid and will panic at this talk of demons. If they are restless, how can your majesty find peace? Chaos would naturally follow. And it all stems from this nonsense. That’s why you should execute anyone who speaks of demons, without exception!”

“You’re quite right!” King Zhou agreed. “Men, execute Grand Tutor Du and put his head on public display as a warning against slander!”

Shang Rong was appalled and quickly begged, “Your majesty, you must not! Grand Tutor Du is a veteran official who has served three kings. He has always been loyal and true to the state. He is risking everything to repay the kindness of the court. He meant well and only spoke thusly because he saw no alternatives. Since you appointed him as the court astrologer, how can he not report ill omens? And now, because he has offered honest advice, your majesty wants to execute him. He would no doubt die without regret as a way to repay your majesty. But I fear it would rouse discontent among all the other court officials. I hope you will consider his loyalty and show leniency.”

“Prime minister, you don’t understand,” King Zhou said. “If I don’t execute him, then there would be no end to these lies, and it would make the civilians panic. I must weed out such threats.”

Shang Rong was just about to beg again, but King Zhou had heard enough. He told his attendant to see the prime minister out, and so Shang Rong had no choice but to leave and return to the documents office, where Grand Tutor Du was waiting for news. Well, it was bad news, as an imperial edict soon arrived, ordering his execution. The guards immediately stripped away his official robes, bound him, and took him out toward the palace gate.

As they were approaching the Nine Dragons Bridge, they came across a minister dressed in red. This was Mei (2) Bo (2), the guy who first raised the idea of telling the king that he was straying from the path. Mei Bo saw Grand Tutor Du being taken outside, and he asked what happened. When Grand Tutor Du filled him in, Mei Bo told the guards to hold up a minute while he rushed in and took this matter up with Shang Rong. Shang Rong told him, hey look, I did all I could, but the king won’t listen, so what else can I do?

Mei Bo became irate. “You are the prime minister and it is  your duty to administer the country in peace and harmony! The wicked must be executed, the shrewd must be eliminated, the talented must be recommended, and the skilled must be praised. When the lord is acting properly, the prime minister remains silent. But when the lord is improper, the prime minister must admonish him honestly. Right now his majesty is executing an innocent minister. How can you remain silent? You must be thinking about your own rank, worrying about your own life, and fearing the king’s punishment. These are not the actions of a prime minister!”

Mei Bo then shouted to the guards, “Wait here until the prime minister and I have spoken to the king!” He then dragged Shang Rong with him into the private portions of the palace. They arrived outside the Palace of Fairy Longevity, and again requested an audience.

When King Zhou heard this, he said, “Shang Rong is a longtime official. He may enter. But that Mei Bo is an outside official and stormed in here. He is flouting the law of the land.”

Nonetheless, he summoned them, so Shang Rong came in, followed by Mei Bo, and they kneeled.

“What do you want?” the king asked.

Mei Bo said, “My lord, your servant would like to know, what has Grand Tutor Du done to warrant death?”

“He conspired with a wicked priest to spread slander and lies to make the people restless and disgrace the court,” King Zhou said. “As a minister, instead of repaying the court’s kindness, he has been spreading lies and disrespecting his king. Death is an appropriate punishment.”

Hearing this, Mei Bo could not help but say sternly, “Your servant has heard that when the ancient sage king Yao (2) ruled the land, he did so in accordance with the wishes of heaven and the will of men. He listened to his officials and officers. He held court every day to discuss matters of state. He avoided temptations of the flesh and shared in the people’s joy and peace. Your majesty has not attended court in half a year. You indulge in pleasure in your palace and party every day and night. You neglect the affairs of the court and refuse to listen to the admonishments of your officials. I have heard the saying that ‘The lord is the heart, while officials are the limbs.’ When the heart is right, then so are the limbs. But when the heart is not right, then the limbs will stray. As another old saying goes, ‘If the officials are proper but the lord is not, then the state’s woes will persist.’ Grand Tutor Du is a loyal official. If you execute him, you would be executing an official who has served the late king because you listened to your woman and damaged the country’s foundation. I hope you will spare him and let the court revere your great virtue.”

But King Zhou had heard just about enough of these long-winded lectures. He declared, “Mei Bo, you are a conspirator, too. You broke the law by coming into my private palace. You have no regard for my privacy. I should sentence you to the same fate. But you rendered service to me in the past, so I will show leniency. I shall merely strip you of your rank and never use you again!”

But things were escalating now. Mei Bo shouted back, “You muddle-headed tyrant! You’re listening to Daji and destroying the honor between lord and vassals. You’re not just executing Grand Tutor Du today; you’re executing all the people of the capital! What is my rank worth? It’s dirt! I cannot bear to watch the Shang Dynasty that has endured for centuries crumble in your hands. With Grand Tutor Wen (2) on campaign, the court has lost its way and all is in chaos. You listen to the wicked and are misled by your attendants. You stay in your private palace with Daji and act improperly day and night. The land is about to be engulfed in chaos. I am too ashamed to face the late king in the underworld!”

King Zhou was steaming now. He told his guards, “Take Mei Bo outside and break his head with a mallet!”

But just then, Daji intervened. 

“My lord,” she said, “officials who stand in front of you with eyebrows raised and eyes bulging and insult you deserve more than a simple death. Lock him up for now. I will devise a proper punishment that will stand as a warning to other wicked officials.”

And when she told him what punishment she had in mind, King Zhou was quite impressed. He ordered Mei Bo be thrown into prison for now, and for Grand Tutor Du’s execution to be carried out immediately.

Meanwhile, prime minister Shang Rong watched all this unfold, and he sighed and said, “All is lost. I had wanted to repay the kindness of the Shang. But who knew that our present king would act so improperly. He is about to destroy his clan’s grand enterprise. How can I bear to watch?”

He kneeled to the king and said, “The great affairs of the state have been set, and the land is prospering. Your old servant is getting weak and cannot live up to his immense responsibilities. I worry that I would fail in my job and offend your highness. Please, on account of my long, though undistinguished service, allow me to resign and return to the land, so that I may live out my final years in peace.”

King Zhou replied, “Even though you are in the twilight years of your life, you are still healthy. Nonetheless, since you have requested it sincerely, I  approve your resignation. You have labored long and diligently in service of the court. I hate to see you leave.” 

The king then told his attendant, “Send out my decree: Have two civilian officials escort the prime minister back to his native home, and have the local officials take good care of him.”

And so, Shang Rong took his leave. Before long, word had gotten around, and many court officials, including the likes of Commander Huang the Flying Tiger, Bi (3) Gan (4) the second minister, and a host of others, were waiting for Shang Rong at the pavilion outside the city. Shan Rong dismounted. The high officials greeted him and said, “Prime minister, you are retiring in honor, but how can you, a veteran official, abandon the state and just be on your merry way?”

Shang Rong wept and said, “Gentlemen, even if I were to be ground into dust, I cannot repay the kindness of the state, much less a simple death. But his majesty is listening to Daji and committing atrocities and killing loyal officials. I tried to advise him, but I could not change his mind. Soon, trouble will erupt. Since I am no longer able to serve his majesty competently, I have decided to retire and give someone more qualified a chance, so that they may prevent calamity. I am not doing this for my own sake. Thank you all for meeting me. I will raise a cup to you, and we will meet again.

Then, he drank a cup and wrote a poem, which said:

For seeing me off this far,

I raise my cup, tears falling.

Away from the king, as if in another world,

I will pray for peace from my native place.

I would sooner shed blood, like martyrs of old,

Than aid a tyrant, the history’s worst.

Sorrows  linger among us this day,

When shall we meet again, and recall this parting?

And then, they bid each other a teary goodbye and went their separate ways—Shang Rong back to his native home, and the other officials back into the capital.

A few days later, King Zhou got word that the “special punishment” that Daji was working on was ready. When he saw it, he was delighted. Pointing at Daji, he said with a laugh, “My love, your divine inspiration is truly a treasure. Tomorrow at court, we will put all the officials on notice.”

The next day, King Zhou, for the first time in forever, actually held court. As the officials gathered, they noticed that on the east side of the hall stood 20 giant bronze pillars, and they were quite mystified. Each pillar stood 20 feet tall and were 8 feet in diameter. Each had three doors built into the upper, middle, and lower sections. And each pillar was fitted with two wheels that seemed designed to make them easier to move around.

King Zhou now ordered the official Mei Bo be brought out from prison. While the guards went to fetch the prisoner, the king ordered his men to prepare the pillars. The guards opened the three doors on a pillar. It was hollow inside. They shoveled a huge load of charcoal into the pillar and lit a fire inside. As they fanned the flames, the pillar started to glow red. All the while, the court officials looked on in confusion.

Soon, Mei Bo was brought in. He was unwashed, disheveled, and clad in a dirty gown. He kneeled and offered his respects to the king, but King Zhou said, “Scoundrel, look at what I have in store for you.”

Mei Bo looked at the pillar, but he, too, was confused. “I don’t know what that is,” he said to the king.

King Zhou laughed and said, “All you know how to do is run your mouth and insult your lord in his private quarters. For you, I have devised this new form of punishment called the burning pillar. I’m going to turn you into ashes right here in court today. You will be an example to anyone reckless enough to insult me.”

Mei Bo cursed aloud, “You tyrant! Death is as insignificant as a feather to me, so what do I have to be afraid of?! I am a high minister, a veteran official who has served three generations of kings. What offense have I committed to warrant such cruel punishment? Alas, pity that the Shang Dynasty will be lost in your hands! How will you face your ancestors?!”

King Zhou was like, good god do you ever stop? He ordered that Mei Bo be stripped naked and chained right up against the scolding hot pillar with his arms and legs wrapped around it. Seconds later, Mei Bo let out a loud dying cry as he expired. As his flesh cooked against the red hot pillar, the smell was intolerable. Before long, he had been reduced to ashes.

So King Zhou had employed this new, appalling form of execution as a way to put all his court officials on notice in case they were entertaining thoughts of further chiding him about his ways. Well, they certainly noticed, and every one of them started thinking that maybe it was time to update their LinkedIn profiles and prepare an exit strategy. After court adjourned, several civilian officials said to the commander Flying Tiger, “The state is unstable. Uprising broke out in the North Seas District and Grand Tutor Wen set off on a distant campaign. Who knew that his majesty would trust Daji and devise such a cruel torture to harm loyal officials. If this gets out and the lords of the land hear about it, what would we do?”

Flying Tiger stroked his long beard and said in anger, “Sirs, in my opinion, that pillar isn’t for burning officials. It’s for burning the king’s own enterprise, the Shang Dynasty itself. As the old saying goes, ‘If the lord looks upon his officials as limbs, then they will look upon him as their heart. But if he looks upon them as dust, then they will look upon him as a criminal.’ Our lord refuses to act justly and has used such cruel torture on  his ministers. Within a few years, calamity will surely erupt. How can we sit by and watch it happen?”

But nobody knew what they could do, and so they just broke up and went home in lament.

While his officials were all doom and gloom, King Zhou was feeling on top of the world. When he returned to his private palace, he took Daji by the hand and said, “My love, thanks to your scheme, I burned Mei Bo in court today, and all the officials were so scared that their mouths and lips were sealed while they left. This burning pillar is truly a treasure for governing the state.” Oh by the way I kind of took credit for inventing it. I’m sure you understand. I am a terrible man; it’s what I do.

Anyway, feeling mighty happy about how the day went, King Zhou and Daji now partied deep into the night, with music still blaring around 9 p.m. The sound of the instruments wafted across the imperial compound and reached the central palace, the residence of the queen. So, King Zhou might have been spending all his time with Daji, but his official wife was this Queen Jiang (1), and as queen, she technically ruled over the private domains of the palace, which meant she reigned over all the women in his harem.

That night, Queen Jiang had not yet gone to bed, and she could hear the music blaring through the night. She asked her attendants where that was coming, and they told her that the king was getting down with his new concubine again at the Palace of Fairy Longevity.

The queen sighed. “I heard that his majesty listened to Daji and built a burning pillar to execute Mei Bo. It’s too cruel to speak of. That whore must be misleading his majesty into indecent acts.”

Feeling like it was time to assert her authority, the queen told her attendants to prepare her carriage, as she was going to pay a visit to the king and his new crush. So, escorted by two rows of attendants carrying red lanterns, the queen set off for the Palace of Fairy Longevity. When she was announced, King Zhou was hammered, so he told Daji to go and welcome the queen.

Daji went out, greeted the queen and paid her respects. She then led Queen Jiang into the palace, where the queen paid her respects to the king, who then offered her a seat. Queen Jiang promptly made herself at home and sat down. And according to custom, Daji, being a mere concubine, could only stand in the presence of the queen, so she stood to one side. 

King Zhou poured his queen a cup of wine and said, “I am delighted that you came here.” He then told Daji, “Why don’t you and your maids perform a little song and dance for the queen’s entertainment?”

So Daji had her maids play instruments while she sang and danced. She danced beautifully and sang sweetly. As she danced, her long sleeves waved up and down like graceful butterflies, and her feet did not seem to touch the ground. Everyone applauded her performance. Everyone except the queen, who couldn’t even be bothered to glance at Daji. Instead, she just stared down her nose.

Noticing this, King Zhou smiled and said to the queen, “My wife, how quickly have the years passed, like flowing water? We have so little time to enjoy the pleasures of life. Daji sings and dances like the fairies in the heavens. Talents like hers are truly rare in our world. Why can’t you enjoy yourself?”

Queen Jiang rose from her seat, kneeled, and said, “Her dancing may be rare, but that doesn’t make it precious.”

“If that’s not precious, then what is?” the king asked.

“I have heard that a good ruler is pleased by virtue and contemptuous of material things,” the queen said. And you can just imagine the king’s eyes start to roll. But the queen went on and gave him a long lecture about how to be a proper king, including, among other things, not indulging in song and dance, and then she took her leave.

After she left, King Zhou, still buzzing, was irate. “That whore doesn’t know how to appreciate my favors!” he fumed to Daji. “I asked you to sing and dance for her to humor her, and yet she just gave me a long lecture. If she wasn’t my queen, I would have her head smashed in with a mallet to appease my anger. Such a buzzkill!”

By now, it was well past midnight, and King Zhou was starting to sober up. He asked Daji to do another dance for his amusement, but she kneeled and said, “My lord, from this day forth, I do not dare to dance or sing.”

When the king asked why, she replied, “Her highness the queen obviously holds me in deep contempt. She is right that singing and dancing could lead to the loss of your land. I have enjoyed your favor and dare not leave your side. If her highness lets it be known that I have led you down the wrong path, then all the outside officials will hold me responsible, and I could not atone for such a crime even if I were to pluck out all my hair.”

As she spoke, her tears fell like rain. Meanwhile, the king’s anger raged. “My love, just serve me!” he said. “Tomorrow I’m going to renounce that whore and make you my queen. I’ve got you; don’t you worry.”

Aaaand that was exactly what Daji was hoping to hear, so she thanked the king and they resumed partying all night.

To see if King Zhou will make good on his threat to ditch his queen, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
• “Watercolor Lillies” by Aaron Kenny (from YouTube audio library)
• “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)
• “Slow Times Over Here” by Midnight North (from YouTube audio library)