Accompanied by her maids holding lanterns ,Queen Jiang got into her coach and headed for the Fairy Longevity Palace. When the guards announced her arrival, King Zhou glanced at

  Daji with half closed eyes. “Lady Su! Would you please meet Her Majesty for me?"he asked.

  Daji walked out, bowed courteously, and escorted the queen into the court. After exchanging greetings, the queen sat down on the right side of the king, while Daji, as a mere concubine, had to remain standing. King Zhou offered a cup of wine to the queen.“I'm very glad to see you here tonight, my dear wife!” he said, then ordered Gun Juan, a palace maid, to play upon a hard-wood clapper and Daji to sing and dance to entertain the queen.

  Daji danced beautifully and sang with a sweet voice. When she danced her long sleeves waved up and down like graceful butterflies. It seemed as if her feet did not touch the ground. Her performance was applauded by everyone except Queen Jiang, who never even glanced at her. She sat there staring down her nose and breathing into her breast. When King Zhou noticed her expression, he smiled. “Don't you know that the years pass away in a wink, like flowing water, and that we have very little time to enjoy the pleasures of life? Daji sings and dances, and she sings as marvelously as the fairies in Heaven. Talents like hers are certainly rare in this vulgar world. Why can't you enjoy yourself?" he asked her.

  At this Queen Jiang stood up, left her seat, and knelt down before the king. “There's nothing wonderful or precious about Daji's singing and dancing,"she replied.

  “What, then, is wonderful and precious, if not this?”

  “As I've learned, a good ruler is pleased by virtue and contemptuous of material things. He distances himself from minions and lewd concubines. A king's self-awareness is the most precious treasure of the country. The treasures of Heaven are the sun, moon and stars; those of the earth are grains and fruits; those of a country, loyal ministers and fine generals, while those of a family, filial sons and grandsons. However, Your Majesty prefers lewdness and wine, slaughters the loyal, forsakes the elders, connives with the wicked, and trusts only your favorite concubine. There's actually nothing to be prized here, for they only spell the end of the dynasty. I pray that you will repent your errors, hold fast to law and discipline, and be diligent about state affairs,so that Heaven will bless us, the people will be happy and the state will enjoy peace.I'm a mere woman, and I apologize if I've said something wrong, " she stated bravely and then excused herself.

  Annoyed with her words,King Zhou turned to Daji. “What's the matter with that woman! She really doesn't know how to appreciate favors. To please her, I asked you to dance and sing, but all she did was say things to annoy me. If she weren't the queen, I would have had her beaten to death with the gold-clawed cudgel.” At the third watch,King Zhou was totally drunk. “My beauty! I'm still upset by what happened earlier this evening. Would you please dance for me again to drive my depression away?" he asked.

  Daji knelt down before him. “I dare not dance again, Your Majesty.”

  “What's that? What do you mean?”

  “Her Majesty reproached me very severely, saying that dancing and singing are the downfall of both the family and the state. I'm sure she's right, and I'm now quite worried. To return your favor, I must serve you to the best of my ability. But what can I do if Her Majesty holds that I've seduced you so that you enjoy only sexual pleasure and become a tyrant? For this I would be condemned by all the nobles and ministers, who would have all my hair pulled out before they put me to death. But even this would be insufficient punishment for the crimes I've committed," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks like rain.

  “You only have to concern yourself with me," the king said, and added angrily,“I will depose her let you take her place. Don't worry, my beauty, I know how to deal with this matter."

  Daji thanked King Zhou and they continued to indulge in drinking, dancing, sweet music, and love-making day and night.

  On the first day of the month, as was the custom, Queen Jiang received congratulations from the royal concubines. She was talking with Concubine Huang and Concubine Yang when Daji's arrival was announced. When she was admitted, she knelt down to greet Queen Jiang, and the latter returned the salutation, asking her to get up and stand beside her.

  “This must be Lady Su that we've heard so much about," the two other concubines said.

  “Yes, this is indeed,”Queen Jiang replied then turned to Daji.“His Majesty spends all his time with you, disregarding state affairs. Why don't you talk to him about it? You've seduced and incited him to all manner of evil," she rebuked. “You're the instigator and must repent at once. If you continue to wreak havoc upon this dynasty, I will deal with you according to the law! You may leave now.”

  Daji suppressed her temper, thanked the queen, and returned to her own court feeling humiliated.

  “You've been sighing and moaning ever since you returned from the queen's palace. What's wrong?"Gun Juan asked.

  “I'm the favorite of His Majesty, but I was rudely insulted by the queen in front of Concubine Huang and Concubine Yang. For this I must seek my revenge,"Daji said bitterly, gnashing her teeth.

  “Oh! You needn't worry about that. His Majesty's already promised that you would become the queen."

  "Even though he's promised me, it's impossible with Queen Jiang still alive. Only with her gone can I have the chance to take her place. Otherwise,the ministers will make it difficult for me to live in peace. Have you any good ideas? You will be richly rewarded if I succeed."

  "I'm a mere maidservant. How could I have any ideas like that? Let's consult a minister outside the palace and see what we can do."

  Daji pondered for a long while.“How can we get in touch with a minister outside the palace? There are so many eyes and ears here, and there's no one we can trust.”

  “When His Majesty goes to the royal garden tomorrow, you may ask Fei Zhong privately to come and think up a way for you. All you have to do is promise him that he will be promoted if the plan succeeds. He is well known for his skill in such matters. We can trust him to help us."

  “Though your plan's a good one, what shall we do if he refuses to cooperate?”

  “Fei Zhong is one of His Majesty's favorites at court. Moreover, he was the one who recommended you to His Majesty. I assure you that he would be glad to be of service to

  you," Gun Juan spoke with such confidence that Daji was overjoyed.

  The next day, when King Zhou went to the royal garden with Daji to enjoy the scenery,Gun Juan secretly summoned Fei Zhong to the Fairy Longevity Palace. She told Fei Zhong, “Your Honor! Here's a private letter to you from Lady Su. Please read it over carefully at home, and keep its contents a secret. Lady Su will be sure to remember any help you can render her. But please hurry!"

  Fei Zhong returned home at once, entered his study and read the letter. Daji requested him to contribute a plot against Queen Jiang. “The way I see it,Queen Jiang's the official wife of King Zhou. Her father, East Grand Duke Jiang Huanchu, commands hundreds of thousands of soldiers and generals, and Jiang Wenhuan, her brother, can defeat 10,000 men

  by himself. How dare I stir up trouble with the queen,”Fei Zhong thought to himself. “But if I refuseDaji's orders or even delay in the slightest, she can easily speak ill of me before His Majesty, either in bed when they're enjoying themselves or at the table when His Majesty's half drunk, and I will surely lose my life."

  Fei Zhong could not set his mind at rest. He felt as if there were thorns pricking his back. He thought about Daji's proposal all day long but was unable to decide how to deal with the problem. He paced to and fro, numb as a drunken man. Just as he was racking his brains, he caught sight of a stranger walking in front of him. The man was broadshouldered, about fifteen feet tall, and looked tough and brave.

  “Who are you?"Fei Zhong asked.

  The stranger knelt down. “My name's Jiang Huan," he replied.

  “How long have you served in my place?”

  “It’s already been five years since I left East Lu and came here. I'm very grateful to you for the way you've treated me. I don't know how to repay you. Seeing you look so worried, I meant to stay out of your way; I hope you will pardon me for interrupting you."

  When he heard that Jiang Huan was from East Luand shared the queen's surname, a plot suddenly leaped into Fei Zhong's mind. “You may get up, Jiang Huan. I would like you to do something for me. If you accomplish this mission,I will reward you generously with wealth and honor."

  “I will do everything within my power to carry out your orders. I would even dare to rush into fire or leap into boiling water on your behalf.”

  “I had no idea how to solve the problem at hand, but seeing you has given me the perfect solution. If you succeed, you will be promoted and wear a golden belt around your

  waist,” Fei Zhong promised.

  “That is the most I could hope for. I will do just as you order,” Jiang Huan replied with great sincerity.

  Fei Zhong leaned over and whispered the entire plot into Jiang Huan's ear. “If our plot succeeds, both of us will be rewarded with boundless wealth and power. But you must keep this absolutely secret, or else will only meet disasters," he warned.

  Jiang Huan nodded in silent agreement and left the place. Fei Zhong hastily sent a note to Gun Juan telling Daji what he was planning to do. Several days later King Zhou was relaxing at the Fairy Longevity Palace when Daji said,“Your love for me has caused you to be absent from the Grand Hall for nearly ten months now. I pray that you hold court tomorrow morning so as not to lose the respect of your ministers."

  “You're right. Your words are as virtuous as those of the great empresses of old. I will appear tomorrow in the Grand Hall and deal with state affairs, for this is your wish, my lady.”

  The next morning, he left the Fairy Longevity Palace in his coach, with generals and soldiers, carrying red lanterns and fragrant incense, guarding him closely. The magnificent train had passed through the Dragon Virtue Hall and come to the Central Palace Tower when a man, fourteen feet tall, and wearing a red scarf, leaped out from behind a corner. He held a sword in hand, and was fierce as tiger.

  “You wicked and lascivious tyrant! You've drowned your reason in wine and sex. I've come by order of my mistress to put you to death so that the Shang Dynasty won't come to an end. The power to rule over the kingdom shall pass into the hands of my mistress'father,"he cried, swinging his mighty sword at King Zhou, but the king was immediately surrounded by a cordon of generals and guards. The assassin was forced back, seized and tightly bound up. When he was thrown on the ground, he knelt before the king.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  King Zhou was both shocked and enraged, yet he continued on his way, entered the Grand Hall, and ascended the throne. After the greeting ceremonies were over, the king ordered Huang Feihu and Bi Gan to approach the throne. “Ministers! Something quite extraordinary happened this morning. A man attacked me near the Central Palace Tower with a sword. I've no idea who is behind this plot.”

  Huang Feihu was stunned. “Who was the general on duty last night?” he demanded sharply.

  Lu Xiong stepped out and knelt down before the king. “I was on duty, but neither my guards nor myself found anyone suspicious in the palace. The assassin may have entered the palace at the fifth watch among the ministers who came here to see Your Majesty on state affairs,”he explained.

  Huang Feihu ordered that the assassin be brought to the court and when he was pushed in,King Zhou asked,“Who will interrogate him."

  Fei Zhong stepped forward and knelt down before King Zhou. “Though your servant is lacking in talent, I will handle the case and report it to you as quickly as possible," he said. Though he was not a judicial official, he sought this task so as to complete the trap to ensnare Queen Jiang and prevent other officials from uncovering the truth. He held the trial outside the palace gate, and without having to apply any torture, the assassin willingly pleaded guilty. Having obtained a full confession, Fei Zhong returned and reported the case. All the court officials listened carefully,not knowing that it was a preconceived plot.

  "I dare not submit my report about the trial,Your Majesty, unless you exempt me from guilt for making such a report,” Fei Zhong pleaded.

  “You certainly won't be judged guilty for reporting the results of the case.”

  “The assassin is Jiang Huan, a general under Jiang Huanchu, the East Grand Duke. He was ordered by Queen Jiang to put you to death as part of a conspiracy to usurp the throne and replace you with her father. Thanks to the blessings of your ancestors, the kindness of Heaven and earth, and to the good fortune of Your Majesty, their plot has been exposed and the assassin arrested. I pray that Your Majesty discuss this case with your ministers and come up with a verdict,”Fei Zhong said.

  King Zhou banged his fist down on his desk.“Madame Jiang is my wife and Queen. How can she be so reckless, despite the relationship between us, as to commit treason!" he cried out in anger. “Conspiracies are difficult to uncover, and rebellious cliques aren't easy to guard against. I will appoint Concubine Huang of the West Palace as Chief Justice of the

  trial for this case.”

  When he had returned, violent as thunder, to the Fairy Longevity Palace, a heated discussion raged among the ministers in the Grand Hall, but no one could determine whether the alleged facts of the case were true or not.

  “Queen Jiang is virtuous and kind and runs palace affairs strictly according to the regulations. This case is rather complicated, and it's likely that there are hidden conspirators involved, " Supreme Minister Yang Ren said to Huang Feihu. We must remain here and wait for Concubine Huang's report before we determine the truth."

  Meanwhile, Queen Jiang was kneeling on the ground as the court herald read the king's decree:

  When the herald finished reading,Queen Jiang burst into tears. “Who has so shamelessly condemned this innocent woman? "she cried out. “I've served the king with diligence and frugality for years, daring not commit the slightest error, just as my mother taught me. How can he place me under arrest and send me to trial without even checking the facts? My life now hangs in a balance."

  When she arrived at the West Palace,Queen Jiang knelt before Lady Huang.“Heaven and earth know that I am loyal and chaste. I implore you to have pity on me. There are devils that have designs upon me. I earnestly hope that you will base your verdict on my daily behavior and clear me of this unjust charge," she begged.

  “The royal decree states that you dispatched Jiang Huan to kill the king in order to place your father on the throne. Should these facts be substantiated, you would be guilty of violating the ethics governing the relationship between husband and wife, and your father, mother, and their close relatives would all be put to death,”Lady Huang warned.

  “Please hear me out, Lady! My father is in charge of 200 marquises in East Lu. He holds one of the highest posts in the government, and as father-in-law of His Majesty,is also a royal relative. Since his daughter is the queen and he himself the highest ranking duke, he has no motive to usurp the throne. Moreover, my son Yin Jiao is theCrown Prince. When His Majesty passes away, I shall become the queen dowager, with the privilege of being worshiped at the royal temple. Yet I would lose that privilege if my father took the throne. Though I am a woman, I would not act so foolishly as to risk losing all of this. Furthermore, there are so many nobles in this country that if we did perpetrate such a crime, they

  would immediately attack us with their armies ,and the state would soon collapse. I beg you to report these facts to His Majesty."

  But before she could finish, a herald was sent from the king, urging Lady Huang to complete the trial, and Lady Huang rushed to the Fairy Longevity Palace.

  “Has she confessed yet?”the king asked.

  Concubine Huang repeated the queen's statement with great accuracy. “I urge Your Majesty to treat the queen with sympathy; she is obviously the victim of injustice. Don't allow your wife to be wronged by a conspiracy framed by unseen hands. Have mercy on her, for she's the mother of the Crown Prince," she implored.

  King Zhou listened carefully to the queen's statement and Huang's opinions. “The report from Concubine Huang is quite clear. If the queen is being framed, there must be a complex reason behind it,”he pondered, and while he was thus torn by doubt, he noticed Daji smiling coldly beside him. “What are you smiling about without saying anything, my beauty?"

  “I think that Concubine Huang must have been deceived. The guilty always brag and praise themselves as virtuous while pushing the blame onto others. Treason against Your Majesty is a very grave crime. We cannot expect her to confess easily. Jiang Huan was in the employ of her father; this is one fact she cannot deny. With so many concubines and maids in this palace, why is Queen Jiang the only woman mentioned in his confession? The reason is clear. She won't never tell the truth until she is severely tortured. Doesn't that make sense ,Your Majesty?”Daji suggested.

  “Yes, you're absolutely right, my beauty ,"King Zhou agreed.

  Concubine Huang lost her patience.“Please don't talk like that, Su Daji. The queen is the wife of the king and the first lady of the country. Ever since ancient times, a queen may be deposed but never beheaded, even if she has committed a great error. That is the law,"she refuted.

  “The law is applicable to every person in the country. Even the king, who rules and educates the people on the model from Heaven, isn't permitted to deal with the law in a selfish or unjust way. Everyone, rich or poor, common or noble, is equal before the law. Your Majesty, you may decide. If Queen Jiang refuses to confess, one of her eyes must be removed. As the eyes are the external manifestation of the soul, she will certainly tell the truth, for she would be unwilling to lose an eye. Let the ministers understand that this is the way the law must be enforced ,"Daji argued.

  “You're quite right, Daji,”King Zhou supported her.

  Concubine Huang started with fright but had no choice but to return to the West Palace. Entering her chamber, she wept in despair. “Your Majesty! Daji must be your deadly enemy

  from a previous incarnation. She's proposed to the king that one of your eyes be taken out if you fail to make the confession she wants. To save yourself from suffering, you'd better make a false statement. No king in history has ever put his queen to death; the worst that could happen is to be deposed and confined ,”Lady Huang begged tearfully.

  Queen Jiang was also in tears. “Sister! Though you speak out of concern for me, I've been educated in the ethics ever since childhood; how can I confess to such a humiliating crime as treason? That would be the greatest insult to my father and my ancestors. Dispatching an assassin to kill one's husband is a crime so serious that to admit guilt would make my father a treacherous minister and me an unprincipled woman, cursed by later generations. How can I make a false confession? My eyes are expendable. I won't confess even if I'm thrown into a caldron full of boiling oil, or minced to bits and pieces, or beaten to a pulp. I would rather have my flesh and bones smashed than compromise my chastity, purity, and loyalty."

  She was still speaking when an order arrived from King Zhou to remove her eyes if she still held out.

  “Hurry! Hurry! Confess,Your Majesty!" Concubine Huang urged.

  “How can I! I would rather die...!” the queen cried pitifully.

  The royal guards, impatient by nature, grabbed her and gouged out one eye with a dagger. Blood streamed down her face, staining her clothing. She fell on the floor unconscious. Weeping at the sight, Concubine Huang ordered her attendants to help the queen up and offer first aid, but it took a long time before she came to. The royal guards placed the queen's eye on a tray and returned to the Fairy Longevity Palace with Con-

  cubine Huang.

  “Has that worthless woman confessed to her crime?”King Zhou asked Concubine Huang.

  “No, as she never committed it. She would rather die than admit to disloyalty. We thus removed one of her eyes as Your Majesty ordered,"Concubine Huang said, presenting the tray to him.

  Looking at the bleeding eye, King Zhou lowered his head and remained silent. There was deep regret in his heart, but it was already too late. He turned to Daji. “I took your advice and had her eye gouged out. What shall we do if this cruel act of mine becomes known and she still refuses to plead guilty?"

  “We must now force her to confess to treason, or else all the ministers will criticize us. Her father may even raise an army and launch an attack on us for making his daughter suffer cruelly without reason,”Daji replied.

  King Zhou remained silent, for he knew not how to deal with the matter. Finally, he asked Daji,“What's the proper course of action for us now?”

  “Since we've already taken the first step, we're compelled to follow through with the second. We will be able to live in peace if she admits to her guilt, but we will have a great deal of trouble if she doesn't. We must use violence now. Concubine Huang must prepare a brass dipper and fill it with burning charcoal. If Queen Jiang still refuses to admit to her crime, her hands should be burned in it. The fingers are connected directly to the heart, and the pain will be so unbearable that she will readily admit her guilt."

  “According to Concubine Huang's report,Queen Jiang has committed no such crime. If we force her to suffer another cruel torture,the ministers are bound to protest. We've already erred in having her eye taken out; how can we do something like that again?”King Zhou rebuked her.

  “You're wrong, Your Majesty! The situation before us is similar to riding on the back of a fierce tiger. We will be devoured instantly if we get off. We mustn't give the nobles and ministers any good reason to oppose us!”

  King Zhou said nothing to refute her. “If she still refuses to confess, burn her fingers and hands without mercy!" he ordered.

  Concubine Huang was terrified when she heard this and immediately returned to her apartments, where she found Queen Jiang lying in a pool of blood. She burst into tears.

  “My virtuous queen! What sin did you commit against Heaven and earth in your previous incarnations that should lead to your suffering like this today!”she cried, helping the queen up. “Worthy Lady! It would be better for you to admit that you're guilty! That empty-headed tyrant believes everything that base woman says. If you still refuse to do as they wish, they will burn your hands with a brass dipper. I couldn't bear to see such brutal torture!”

  With blood streaming down her face,Queen Jiang cried, "I've no fear of death. But if you will be witness to my innocence I will be able to die in peace!”

  The royal attendants had already fired the charcoal in the brass dipper to a fiery red. As Queen Jiang staunchly refused to yield to the unjust accusation, her hands were pushed into the dipper, and in a moment, skin,flesh, bones, and blood were burned and turned to ashes, giving off a horrible odor which filled the room. The poor queen fainted and collapsed to

  the ground.

  Watching this tragic scene , Concubine Huang felt as if her heart was being pierced by knives. She wept bitterly. But after she regained her strength, she got into her coach and went to see King Zhou.

  “Though she's been cruelly and mercilessly tortured, the queen still denies that she's committed the crime she's accused of. Don't you think that someone might have conspired to hurt her? This could become a great calamity in the near future if it were proven true,"she told the king.

  King Zhou was greatly alarmed. “I followed the advice of Lady Su in this matter. What should I do now?" he said worriedly.

  “Don't worry, Your Majesty! As we already have Jiang Huan in our custody ,Your Majesty may order that he be brought in and tried together with the queen. She will be

  unable to make any further denial, and we will obtain a full confession,”Daji said, kneeling down.

  “That's a very good idea,”King Zhou said, feeling much relieved.

  Concubine Huang returned to the West Palace and Chao Tian and Chao Lei soon followed in with Jiang Huan. If you want to learn how the queen fared, please read the next chapter.