Chapter 89: King Zhou Breaks Bones and Dissects Pregnant Women

诗曰： 纣王酷虐古今无，淫酗贪婪听美姝。孕妇无辜遭恶劫，行人有难罹凶途。 遗讥简册称残贼，留与人间骂独夫。天道悠悠难究竟，且将浊酒对花奴。

The poem says: King Zhou was cruel and tyrannical without equal in ancient or modern times, indulging in debauchery and greed while listening to the flattery of beautiful women. Innocent pregnant women suffer cruel calamities, and travelers encountering difficulties fall victim to perilous roads. Left behind for bamboo slips to mock, he is called a cruel bandit; his name remains in the world as a curse against that tyrant. The ways of Heaven are vast and hard to fathom; for now, I'll raise my cloudy wine to face the flower-servant.

话说姚庶良随后赶来，常昊乃是蛇精，纵马，脚下起一阵旋风，卷起一团黑雾，连人带马罩住，方现出他原形，乃是一根大蟒蛇；把口一张，吐出一阵毒气。姚庶良禁不起，随昏于马下。常昊便下马取了首级，大呼曰：“今拏姜尚如姚庶良为例！”众诸侯之内，不知他是妖精，有兖州伯彭祖寿纵马摇枪，大呼曰：“匹夫敢伤吾大臣！”时有吴龙在袁洪右边，见常昊立功，忍不住使两口双刀，催开马，飞奔前来，曰：“不要冲吾阵脚！”也不答话，两骑相交，刀枪并举，杀在阵前。六百镇诸侯俱在左右，看看二将交兵。战未数合，吴龙掩一刀败走；彭祖寿随后赶来。吴龙乃是蜈蚣精，见彭祖寿将近，随现出原形；只见一阵风起，黑云卷来，妖气迷人，彭祖寿已不知人事，被吴龙一刀挥为两断。众诸侯不知何故，只见将官追下去就是一块黑云罩住，将官随即绝命。子牙傍边有杨戬对哪吒曰：“此二将俱不是正经人，似有些妖气。我与道兄一往，何如？”只见吴龙跃马舞刀，飞奔军前，大呼曰：“谁来先啖吾双刀？”哪吒登开风火轮，使火尖枪，现三首八臂迎来。吴龙曰：“来者是谁？”哪吒曰：“吾乃哪吒是也。你这业畜，怎敢将妖术伤吾诸侯！”把枪一摆，直刺吴龙。吴龙手中刀急架交还，未及三四合，被哪吒祭起九龙神火罩，响一声，将吴龙罩在里面。吴龙已化道青光去了。哪吒用手一拍，及至罩中现出九条火龙时，吴龙去之久矣。常昊见哪吒用火龙罩罩住吴龙，心中大怒，纵马持枪，大呼曰：“哪吒不要走！吾来也！”只见杨戬使三尖刀，纵银合马，同哪吒双战常昊。常昊见势不好，便败下阵去。杨戬也不赶他，取弹弓在手，随手发出金丸，照常昊打来。只见那金丸不知落于何处。哪吒后祭起神火罩，将常昊罩住；也似吴龙化一道赤光而去。袁洪见二将如此精奇，心下甚是欢喜，传令：“三军擂鼓！”袁洪纵马冲杀过来，大呼曰：“姜子牙！我与你见个雌雄！”傍有杨任见袁洪冲来，急催开了云霞兽，使开云飞枪，敌住袁洪；战有五七回合，杨任取出五火扇，照袁洪一扇，袁洪已预先走了，止烧死他一匹马。子牙鸣金，将队同营，升帐坐下，叹曰：“可惜伤了二路诸侯！”心下不乐。杨戬上帐曰：“今日弟子看他三人俱是妖怪之相，不似人形。方才哪吒祭神火罩，杨任用神火扇，弟子用金丸，俱不曾伤他，竟化青光而去。”只见众诸侯也都议论常昊、吴龙之术，纷纷不一。

It is said that Yao Shuliang arrived shortly afterward. Chang Hao was actually a snake spirit; he rode his horse, and beneath his feet arose a whirlwind that lifted up a mass of black mist, enveloping both man and horse. Only then did his true form appear—it was a large python. He opened his mouth wide and exhaled a wave of poison gas. Yao Shuliang could not withstand it, and immediately fainted from his horse. Chang Hao then dismounted and took the head, shouting loudly, "Today I have captured Jiang Shang's subordinate Yao Shuliang as an example!" Among the feudal lords, none knew he was a demon. Gong Zushou of Yanzhou Bo rode forward, waving his spear and shouting loudly, "You commoner dares to harm my minister!" At that time, Wu Long was on the right side of Yuan Hong. Seeing Chang Hao achieving a feat, he could not resist and brandished two twin swords, urging his horse forward to charge ahead, shouting, "Do not break through my formation!" Without answering, the two riders clashed. Swords and spears were raised together as they fought fiercely on the battlefield. The six hundred feudal lords stood on both sides, watching as the two generals engaged in battle. After only a few exchanges of blows, Wu Long feigned a sword strike and retreated in defeat; Gong Zushou hurriedly arrived afterward. ળ Wu Long was actually a centipede spirit. Seeing Gong Zushou approaching, he immediately revealed his true form; A gust of wind suddenly arose, dark clouds rolled in, and the demonic aura was overwhelming. Gong Zushou lost consciousness and was unaware of what happened, as Wu Long slashed him with a single stroke, cutting him into two halves. The feudal lords did not know what had happened; they only saw the officer chasing downward, when suddenly a mass of black clouds enveloped him, and he died instantly. Beside Ziya, Yang Jian said to Nezha, "These two generals are not legitimate people; they seem to have some demonic aura. I shall go with my Dao elder brother. What do you think?" Just then, Wu Long leaped on his horse and brandished his sword, galloping to the front of the army and shouting loudly, "Who dares come first to taste my twin blades?" Nezha mounted his Fenghuo Lun (wind and fire wheels), wielded the Huojian Qiang (fire-point spear), and appeared with three heads and eight arms to confront him. Wu Long asked, "Who dares come forth?" Nezha said, "I am Nezha. You wretched beast, how dare you use demonic arts to harm my feudal lords!" He brandished his spear and charged straight at Wu Long. Wu Long quickly raised his sword to block and counter, but before they had exchanged more than three or four blows, Nezha summoned the Jiulong Shenhuo Zhao (Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Canopy), which let out a loud noise and enclosed Wu Long within it. Wu Long had already transformed into a streak of green light and vanished. Nezha clapped his hands once, but by the time nine fire dragons appeared within the canopy, Wu Long had long since vanished. Chang Hao saw Nezha use the fire dragon canopy to trap Wu Long, and in great anger, he rode forward with his spear, shouting loudly, "Nezha, do not run away!" Here I come!" Just then, Yang Jian wielded a three-pointed knife and rode his Yinhe Ma (Silver Harmony Horse), joining Nezha in a dual attack against Chang Hao. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Chang Hao retreated from the battlefield. Yang Jian did not pursue him but took a sling in hand and casually shot out a golden pellet, aiming it at Chang Hao. The golden pellet was seen to fall somewhere unknown. Nezha then summoned the divine fire canopy again, enclosing Chang Hao within it; just like Wu Long, he transformed into a streak of crimson light and vanished. Yuan Hong saw the two generals display such extraordinary abilities, and was very pleased in his heart. He gave orders: "Sound the drums for all three armies!" Yuan Hong rode forward fiercely, shouting loudly, "Jiang Ziya! I shall see with you who is the stronger!" Beside him, Yang Ren saw Yuan Hong charging forward and quickly urged his Yunxia Shou (Cloud 霞 Beast) into action, wielding the Yunfei Qiang (Cloud-Flying Spear) to confront Yuan Hong; After fighting for five or seven exchanges, Yang Ren took out the Wuhuo Shan (Five-Fire Fan) and waved it at Yuan Hong. However, Yuan Hong had already anticipated this and fled beforehand; only his horse was burned to death. Ziya sounded the gong, gathered his troops into camp, entered his tent and sat down, sighing, "It is a pity that two feudal lords were injured!" He was unhappy in his heart. Yang Jian entered the tent and said, "Today I observed those three men; they all appear to be demons, not in human form. Just now, when Nezha summoned the divine fire canopy, Yang Ren used the divine fire fan, and I shot a golden pellet—none of us were able to harm them. They simply transformed into streaks of green light and vanished." At this moment, the feudal lords also discussed the arts of Chang Hao and Wu Long, with many different opinions.

且说袁洪回营，升帐坐下，见常昊、吴龙齐来参谒，袁洪曰：“哪吒罩儿，杨任的扇子，俱好利害！”吴龙笑曰：“他那罩与扇子只好降别人，那里奈何得我们。只是今日指望拿了姜尚，谁知只坏了他两个诸侯，也不算成功。”袁洪一面修本往朝歌报捷，宽免天子忧心。且说鲁仁杰对殷成秀、雷鹏、雷愰曰：“贤弟，今日你等见袁洪、吴龙、常昊与子牙会兵的光景么？”众人曰：“不知所以。”鲁仁杰曰：“此正所谓‘国家将兴，必有祯祥；国家将亡，必有妖孽’。今日他三将俱是些妖孽，不以人形。今天下诸侯会兵此处，正是大敌；岂有这些妖邪能拒敌成功耶。”殷成秀曰：“长兄且莫忙说破，看他后来如何。”鲁仁杰曰：“总来吾受成汤三世之恩，岂敢有负国恩之理；惟一死以报国耳！”话说差官往朝歌，来至文书房内，飞廉接本观看，见是袁洪报捷，连诛大镇叛逆诸侯彭祖寿、姚庶良，心中大喜，忙持著本上鹿台来见纣王。当驾官上台启曰：“有中大夫飞廉候旨。”纣王曰：“宣来。”左右将飞廉宣至殿前，参拜毕，俯伏奏曰：“今有元帅袁洪领敕镇守孟津，以逆天下诸侯；初阵斩衮州侯彭祖寿，右伯侯姚庶良，军威已振，大挫周兵锋锐。自兴师以来，未有今日之捷。此乃陛下洪福齐天，得此大帅，可计日奏功，以安社稷者也。特具本赍奏。”纣王闻奏大悦：“元帅袁洪连斩二逆，足破敌人之胆，其功莫大焉。传朕旨意，特敕奖谕，赐以锦袍、金珠，以励其功；仍以蜀锦百疋，宝钞万贯，羊、酒等件以犒将士勤劳。务要用心料理，剿灭叛逆，另行分列茅土，朕不食言。钦哉！故谕。”飞廉顿首谢恩，领旨打点解犒赏往孟津去。不表。

Meanwhile, Yuan Hong returned to his camp and sat in his tent. When Chang Hao and Wu Long came to pay their respects together, Yuan Hong said, "Nezha's canopy and Yang Ren's fan are both extremely formidable!" Wu Long laughed and said, "His canopy and his fan can only subdue others; how could they possibly affect us. We had hoped today to capture Jiang Shang, but instead we only killed two of his feudal lords; it cannot be considered a success." Yuan Hong sent one report to Chaogu, reporting the victory and easing the worries of the Son of Heaven. Meanwhile, Lu Renjie said to Yin Chengxiu, Lei Peng, and Lei Huang, "Dear younger brothers, have you seen today the sight of Yuan Hong, Wu Long, Chang Hao, and Ziya clashing in battle?" The others said, "We do not know what it means." Lu Renjie said, "This is exactly what they say: 'When a nation is about to prosper, there will surely be auspicious omens; when a nation is about to perish, there must be demons and evils.'" Today those three generals are all demonic creatures, not in human form at all. Now that the feudal lords have gathered their armies here, this is a great enemy; how could such demons possibly succeed in repelling an army?" Yin Chengxiu said, "Elder brother, do not rush to reveal everything yet. Let us see how things turn out later." Lu Renjie said, "In the end, I have received three generations of kindness from King Chengtang. How could I possibly betray such national grace; I shall only die to repay my country!" It is said that the messenger went to Chaogu and arrived at the Office of Documents. Feilian received the report, read it, and saw that Yuan Hong had reported a victory, having killed two rebellious feudal lords—Gong Zushou and Yao Shuliang. He was greatly pleased and hurriedly took the document to Lutai to present it before King Zhou. The attendant on duty ascended the platform and announced, "Minister Feilian is waiting for an audience." King Zhou said, "Summon him forward." The attendants summoned Feilian to the front of the hall. After he paid his respects, he knelt and reported, "Now General Yuan Hong has been entrusted with an imperial decree to garrison Mengjin, where he is resisting all the feudal lords of the world; in his first battle he beheaded Gongzhou Hou Gong Zushou and Youbo Hou Yao Shuliang, boosting the army's morale and greatly weakening the sharpness of the Zhou forces. Since the campaign began, there has been no victory like this one today. This is due entirely to Your Majesty's boundless fortune, for having such a great general. We can now plan day by day to achieve success and ensure the peace of the state. I have specially prepared this report to present it." King Zhou, upon hearing the report, was greatly pleased: "General Yuan Hong has beheaded two rebels in succession; this is enough to break the enemy's courage. His merit is most significant. Issue my imperial decree, specially granting commendation and bestowing brocade robes and gold jewels to reward his achievements; also grant 100 bolts of Shu brocade, 10,000 rolls of treasure notes, and sheep, wine, and other items to reward the hard work of his soldiers. You must manage affairs diligently, eliminate rebels, and separately allocate fiefs; I shall not break my word. Imperially decreed! Thus the decree was issued." Feilian kowtowed in gratitude, accepted the imperial decree, and made preparations to deliver the rewards to Mengjin. No further details are given.

且言妲己闻飞廉奏袁洪得胜奏捷，来见纣王曰：“妾苏氏恭喜陛下又得社稷之臣也！袁洪实有大将之才，永堪重任。似此奏捷，叛逆指日可平，臣妾不胜庆幸，实皇上无疆之福以启之耳。今特具觞为陛下称贺。”纣王曰：“御妻之言正合朕意。”命当驾官于鹿台上治九龙席，三妖同纣王共饮。此时正值仲冬天气，严威凛冽，寒气侵人。正饮之间，不觉彤云四起，乱舞梨花。当驾官启奏曰：“上天落雪了。”纣王大喜曰：“此时正好赏雪。”命左右暖注金樽，重斟杯斝，酣饮交欢。怎见好雪，有赞为证： 彤云密布，冷雾缤纷。彤云密布，朔风凛凛号空中；冷雾缤纷，大雪漫漫铺地下。真个是：六花片片飞琼，千树株株倚玉。须臾积粉，顷刻成盐。白鹦浑失素，皓鹤竟无形。平添四海三江水，压倒东西几树松。却便似：战败玉龙三百万；果然是：退鳞残甲满空飞。但只见：几家村舍如银砌，万里江山似玉图。好雪！真个是：柳絮满挢，梨花盖舍。柳絮满挢，挢边渔叟挂蓑衣；梨花盖舍，舍下野翁煨榾柮。客子难沽酒，苍头苦觅梅。洒洒潇潇裁蝶翅，飘飘荡荡剪鹅衣。团团滚滚随风势，飕飕冷气透幽帏。丰年祥瑞从天降，堪贺人间好事宜。

Meanwhile, Daji heard of Feilian's report that Yuan Hong had achieved a victory and came to see King Zhou, saying, "Your concubine Su congratulates Your Majesty on having gained another loyal minister for the state! Yuan Hong truly possesses the talent of a great general and is always capable of bearing heavy responsibilities. With such reports of victory, the rebels can be pacified in no time; this is truly a cause for celebration. It is all due to Your Majesty's boundless blessings." Today I have specially prepared wine to toast and congratulate Your Majesty." King Zhou said, "My consort's words perfectly align with my thoughts." He ordered the attendant in charge to prepare a Jiulong banquet on Lutai, and the three demons joined King Zhou for a drinking session. At this time it was midwinter; the cold air was severe and biting, with piercing chill invading people's bodies. While they were drinking, red clouds suddenly rose all around, and pear blossoms danced wildly in the air. The attendant on duty reported, "Snow is falling from heaven." King Zhou was greatly pleased and said, "This is the perfect time to enjoy the snow." He ordered his attendants to warm golden goblets with wine, refill cups and jugs, and they drank heartily in merriment. How beautiful was the snow? A verse testifies to it: Crimson clouds densely covered the sky, and cold mist danced in profusion. Crimson clouds thickly filled the sky; piercing northern winds howled through the air; Cold mist danced in abundance, and heavy snow blanketed the ground. Indeed it was: six-petaled snowflakes flew like jade petals; a thousand trees stood as if leaning on white jade. In moments, the snow accumulated like powder; in an instant, it covered everything like salt. White parrots lost their color entirely, and white cranes became invisible to the eye. The snow added as if from four seas and three rivers, pressing down cypress trees on both east and west banks. It was just like: the defeat of 300 million jade dragons; Indeed, it was as if scales and broken armor rained down from the sky. One could only see: a few village houses as if built of silver, and ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains resembling a jade painting. What beautiful snow! Indeed it was: willow fluff filled the air, and pear blossoms blanketed the houses. Willow fluff filled the river; by its banks, a fisherman hung his straw raincoat. Pear blossoms covered the houses; beneath them, an old man in the wild warmed himself with firewood stubs. A traveler struggled to buy wine, while a servant boy painfully searched for plum blossoms. Flakes fell in gentle swirls like butterfly wings being cut, and drifted about as if goose feathers were being trimmed. Snowflakes rolled round and round with the wind's force, their cold breath piercing through secluded curtains. Omens of a bountiful year descended from heaven; it was indeed a time to celebrate good events in the world below.

话说纣王与妲已共饮，又见大雪纷纷，忙传旨，命：“卷起毡帘，待朕同御妻、美人看雪。”侍驾官卷起帘幔，打扫积雪。纣王同妲己、胡喜妹、王贵人在台上，看朝歌城内外似银装世界，粉砌乾坤。王曰：“御妻，你自幼习学歌声曲韵，何不把按雪景的曲儿唱一套，俟朕漫饮三杯。”妲己领旨，款启朱唇，轻舒莺舌，在鹿台上唱一个曲儿。真是：婉转莺声飞柳外，笙簧嘹亮自天来。曲曰： 才飞燕塞边，又洒向城门外。轻盈过玉桥去，虚飘临阆苑来。攘攘挨挨，颠倒把乾坤玉载。冻的长江上鱼沉雁杳，空林中虎啸猿哀。凭天降，冷祸胎，六花飘堕难禁耐，砌漫了白玉阶。宫帏里冷侵衣袂，那一时暖烘烘红日当头晒，扫彤云四开，现青天一派，瑞气祥光拥出来。

Now, King Zhou was drinking with Daji when he saw the heavy snowfall. He quickly issued an order: "Roll up the felt curtains and let me watch the snow together with my empress consort and favorite concubines." The attendants rolled up the curtain and swept away the accumulated snow. King Zhou, together with Daji, Hu Ximei, and Wang Gui, stood on the terrace watching as the city of Chao Ge inside and out appeared like a world wrapped in silver or a universe built from powder. The king said, "Empress consort, since you have learned songs and melodies from a young age, why not sing a set of tunes that match this snowy scene while I leisurely drink three cups?" Daji accepted the order, gently opened her red lips and lightly stretched her melodious tongue to sing a tune on the Lütai terrace. Indeed: the soft warble of a songbird echoed beyond the willows, and the clear sound of shenghuang flutes seemed to come from heaven itself. The tune said: Just now it flew like swallows beyond the frontier, then fell again outside the city gate. Light and graceful, it passed over the jade bridge; drifting emptily, it arrived at Làngyuàn. Crowded and jumbled, they overturned heaven and earth as if made of jade. The freezing Yangtze River silenced fish and geese; in the empty woods, tigers roared and monkeys wailed. From heaven it fell, a cold calamity; the six-petaled snow could not be resisted, piling up on white jade steps. Within the palace, cold seeped into sleeves and robes. At that moment, a warm red sun shone overhead, dispelling crimson clouds in all directions and revealing a clear blue sky, with auspicious light and radiant energy emerging.

妲己唱罢，馀韵悠扬，袅袅不绝。纣王大喜，连饮三大杯。一时雪俱止了，彤云渐散，日色复开。纣王同妲己凭栏，看朝歌积雪。忽见西门外，有一小河，──此河不是活水河，因纣王造鹿台，挑取泥土，致成小河，适才雪水注积，因此行人不便，必跣足过河，──只见有一老人跣足渡水，不甚惧冷，而行步且快。又有一少年人，亦跣足渡水，惧冷行缓，有惊怯之状。纣王在高处观之，尽得其态，问于妲己曰：“怪哉！怪哉！有这等异事？你看那老者渡水，反不怕冷，行步且快；这年少的反又怕冷，行走甚叹，这不是反其事了？”妲己曰：“陛下不知，老者不甚怕冷，乃是少年父母，精血正旺之时交姤成孕，所秉甚厚，故精血充满，骨髓皆盈，虽至末年，遇寒气犹不甚畏怯也。至若少年怕冷，乃是末年父母，气血已衰，偶尔姤精成孕，所秉甚薄，精血既亏，髓皆不满，虽是少年，形同老迈，故过寒冷而先畏怯也。”纣王笑曰：“此惑朕之言也！人秉父精母血而生，自然少壮，老衰，岂有反其事之理？”妲己又曰：“陛下何不差官去拏来，便知端的。”纣王传旨：“命当驾官至西门，将渡水老者、少者俱拿来。”当驾官领旨，忙出朝赶至西门，不分老少，即时一并拿到。老少民人曰：“你拿我们怎么？”侍臣曰：“天子要你去见。”老少民人曰：“吾等奉公守法，不欠钱粮，为何来拿我们？”侍臣曰：“只怕当今天子有好处到你们，也不可知。”正是： 平白行来因过水，谁知敲骨丧其生！

After Daji finished singing, the lingering melody was graceful and long-lasting, fading away slowly without end. King Zhou was greatly pleased and drank three large cups in succession. At once, the snow stopped; crimson clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight returned. King Zhou and Daji leaned on the railing together to watch the accumulated snow in Chao Ge. Suddenly, they saw a small river outside the western gate. This was not a flowing waterway; it had been formed when King Zhou built Lütai and excavated soil, which left this small channel. Recently, snowmelt had pooled there, making passage inconvenient for travelers who had to wade through barefoot. Now, they saw an old man crossing the river barefoot, showing no fear of the cold and moving quickly with each step. Another young man also crossed the river barefoot but moved slowly, showing signs of fear and discomfort from the cold. King Zhou observed them from a high place, clearly seeing their postures. He asked Daji, "Strange! Strange! How can such an unusual thing happen?" Look at that old man crossing the water—he is not afraid of the cold, and walks quickly; this young man instead fears the cold and moves with great difficulty. Is this not an inversion of what should be?" Daji said, "Your Majesty does not know. The old man is not very afraid of the cold because his parents, when they conceived him in their youth, were at the peak of their vitality and essence. He inherited a strong constitution; thus, his vital energy and marrow are abundant. Even in his later years, he still feels little fear or hesitation toward the cold." "As for the young man fearing the cold, it is because his parents were in their later years when they conceived him. Their vital energy and blood had already declined; by chance, they produced a child with weak essence. Thus, he inherited a frail constitution—his vital energy was insufficient, and his marrow incomplete. Although he appears young, his body resembles that of an old man, so he feels fear at the cold before others do." King Zhou laughed and said, "This is a misleading statement to me! People inherit their father's essence and mother's blood; naturally, they are strong in youth and decline with age. How could there be such a thing as the opposite?" Daji added, "Your Majesty, why not send officials to bring them here? Then you will know for certain." King Zhou issued an order: "Command the attendants to go to the western gate and bring both the old man and the young man who crossed the river here." The attendants accepted the order, hurriedly left court and rushed to the western gate, where they immediately captured both the old man and young man without distinction of age. The old and young civilians asked, "What are you taking us for?" An attendant official said, "The Son of Heaven wants to see you." The old and young civilians said, "We have always obeyed the law and paid our taxes; why are you arresting us?" The attendant official replied, "Perhaps today's Son of Heaven has something good in store for you. Who can say?" Indeed: They walked along without cause, merely crossing a stream; who could have known it would lead to their bones being broken and lives lost!

纣王在鹿台上专等渡水人民。却说侍驾官将二民拏至台下回旨：“启陛下：将老少二民拏至台下。”纣王命：“将斧砍开二民胫骨，取来看验。”左右把老者、少者腿俱砍断，拿上台看，果然老者髓满，少者髓浅。纣王大喜，命左右：“把尸拖出！”可怜无辜百姓，受此惨刑！后人有诗叹之，诗曰： 败叶飘飘落故宫，至今犹自起悲风。独夫只听谗言妇，目下朝歌社稷空。

King Zhou waited on the Lütai terrace for the people who had crossed the river. Meanwhile, the attendants brought the two civilians to beneath the terrace and reported: "Your Majesty: we have brought the old man and young man here to the foot of the terrace." King Zhou ordered, "Have an axe chop open both civilians' shinbones and bring them for inspection." The attendants on either side chopped off the legs of both the old man and young man, brought them up to the terrace for inspection. Indeed, the old man's marrow was full while the young man's was shallow. King Zhou was greatly delighted and ordered his attendants: "Drag out the corpses!" Pitifully, innocent commoners suffered such a cruel punishment! Later generations composed a poem lamenting this, the poem says: Decaying leaves drift and fall in the old palace; even now, they still stir up sorrowful winds. A tyrant listens only to his scheming wife's words—now the state of Chao Ge lies empty and desolate.

话说纣王见妲己加此神异，抚其背而言曰：“御妻真是神人，何灵异若此！”妲己曰：“妾虽系女流，少得阴符之术，其勘验阴阳，无不奇中。适才断胫验髓，此犹其易者也。至如妇人怀孕，一见便知他腹内有几月，是男、是女，面在腹内，或朝东、南、西、北，无不周知。”纣王曰：“方才老少人民断胫断髓，如此神异，朕得闻命矣；至如孕妇，再无有不妙之理。”命当驾官传旨：“民间搜取孕妇见朕。”奉御官往朝歌城来。正是： 天降大殃临孕妇，成汤社稷尽归周。

Now, when King Zhou saw Daji's supernatural insight, he patted her back and said, "Empress consort, you are truly a divine person—how extraordinary and wise you are!" Daji said, "Although I am but a woman, I have learned the art of Yin Fu in my youth. When it comes to examining yin and yang, there is nothing that eludes me." What I just did—cutting shins to examine marrow—is but the simplest of my abilities. As for whether a woman is pregnant, I can immediately tell how many months she has been carrying the child and whether it will be a boy or girl. Even the direction in which the baby's face points within her womb—east, south, west, or north—I know without fail." King Zhou said, "Just now, the old and young civilians had their shins cut open to examine marrow. Such supernatural ability is truly amazing; I am honored to have witnessed it. As for pregnant women, there can be no doubt about the marvel of your skill." He ordered his attendants to issue an imperial decree: "Search among the people for pregnant women and bring them before me." The officials obeying the order went toward Chao Ge city. Indeed: Heaven has sent great calamity upon pregnant women; the state of Cheng Tang will soon fall entirely to Zhou.

话说奉御官在朝歌满城寻访，有三名孕妇，一齐拿往午门来。只见他夫妻难舍，抢地呼天，哀声痛惨，大呼曰：“我等百姓又不犯天子之法，不拖欠钱粮，为何拿我等有孕之妇？”子不舍母，母不舍子，悲悲泣泣，前遮后拥，扯进午门来。只见箕子在文书房共微子、微子启、微子衍、上大夫孙荣正议“袁洪为将，退天下诸侯之兵，不知何如”，只听得九龙桥闹闹嚷嚷，呼天叫地，哀声不绝。众人大惊，齐出文书房来，问其情由。见奉御官拉著两三个妇女而来。箕子问曰：“这是何故？”民妇泣曰：“吾等俱是女流，又不犯天子之法，为何拿我女人做甚么？老爷是天子之臣，当得为国为民，救我等蚁命！”言罢哭声不绝。箕子忙问奉御官。奉御官答曰：“皇上夜来听娘娘言语，将老少二民敲骨验髓，分别浅深，知其老少生育，皇上大喜。娘娘又奏，尚有剖腹验胎，知道阴阳。皇上听信斯言，特命臣等取此孕妇看验。”箕子听罢，大骂：“昏君！方今兵临城下，将至濠边，社稷不久丘墟，还听妖妇之言，造此无端罪业！左右且住！待吾面君谏止。”箕子怒气不息，后随著微子等俱往鹿台来见驾。且说纣王在鹿台专等孕妇来看验，只见当驾官启曰：“有箕子等候旨。”王曰：“宣。”箕子至台上，俯伏大哭曰：“不意成汤相传数十世之天下，一旦丧于今日，而尚不知警戒修省，造此无辜恶业，你将何面目见先王之灵也！”纣王怒曰：“周武叛逆，今已有元帅袁洪足可御敌，斩将覆军，不日奏凯。朕偶因观雪，见朝涉者，有老少之分，行步之异，幸皇后分别甚明，朕得以决其疑，于理何害。今朕欲剖孕妇以验阴阳。有甚大事，你敢当面侮君，而妄言先王也！”箕子泣谏曰：“臣闻人秉天下之灵气以生，分别五官，为天地宣猷赞化，作民父母；未闻荼毒生灵，称为民父母者也。且人死不能复生，谁不爱此血躯，而轻弃以死耶。今陛下不敬上天，不修德政，天怒民怨，人日思乱；陛下尚不自省，犹杀此无辜妇女，臣恐八百诸侯屯兵孟津，旦夕不保。一旦兵临城下，又谁为陛下守此都城哉。只可惜商家宗裔为他人所掳，宗庙被他人所毁，宫殿为他人所居，百姓为他人之民，府库为他人之有，陛下还不自悔，犹听妇女之言，敲民骨，剔孕妇，臣恐周武人马一到，不用攻城，朝歌之民自然献之矣！军民与陛下作仇，只恨周武不能早至，军民欲箪食壶浆以迎之耳。虽陛下被掳，理之当然；只可怜二十八代神主，尽被天下诸侯所毁，陛下此心忍之乎？”纣王大怒曰；“老匹夫！焉敢觌面侮君，以亡国视朕，不敬孰大于此！”命武士：“拿去打死！”箕子大叫曰：“臣死不足惜，只可惜你昏君败国，遗讥万世，纵孝子慈孙不能改也！”只见左右武士扶箕子方欲下台，只见台下有人大呼：“不可！”微子、微子启、微子衍三人上台，见纣王俯伏，呜咽不能成语，泣而奏曰：“箕子忠良，有功社稷。今日之谏，虽则过激，皆是为国之言。陛下幸察之！陛下昔日剖比干之心，今又诛忠谏之口，社稷危在旦夕，而陛下不知悟，臣恐万姓怨愤，祸不旋踵也。幸陛下怜赦箕子，褒忠谏之名，庶几人心可挽，天意可回耳。”纣王见微子等齐来谏诤，不得已，乃曰：“听皇伯、皇兄之谏，将箕子废为庶民！”妲己在后殿出而奏曰：“陛下不可！箕子当面辱君，已无人臣礼；今若放之在外，必生怨望。倘与周武构谋，致生祸乱，那时表里受敌，为患不小。”纣王曰：“将何处治？”妲己曰：“依臣妾愚见，且将箕子剃发囚禁，为奴宫禁，以示国法，使民人不敢妄为，臣下亦不敢渎奏矣。”纣王闻奏大喜，将箕子竟囚之为奴。微子见如此光景，料成汤终无挽救之日，随即下台，与微子启、微子衍大哭曰：“我成汤继统六百年来，今日一旦被嗣君所失，是天亡我商也，奈之何哉！”微子与微子启兄弟二人商议曰：“我与你兄弟可将太庙中二十八代神主负往他州外郡，隐姓埋名，以存商代禋祀，不令同日绝灭可也。”微子启含泪应曰：“敢不如命！”于是三人打点收拾，投他州自隐。──后孔圣称他三人曰：“微子去之；箕子为之奴；比干谏而死。”谓“殷有三仁”是也。”后人有诗赞之： 莺啭商郊百草新，成汤宫殿已成尘。为奴岂是存商祀，去国应知接后禋。剖腹丹心成往事，割胎民妇又遭迍。朝歌不日归周主，可惜成汤化鬼磷！

Now, the officials searching throughout Chao Ge city found three pregnant women and brought them all to Wumen. They saw the women's husbands and families reluctant to part, crying out in despair as they fell to the ground, their sorrowful wails filled with anguish. They cried loudly, "We commoners have not broken any of the Son of Heaven's laws or failed to pay our taxes—why are you seizing us because we are pregnant?" Children clung to their mothers, and mothers to their children; in sorrowful tears, they were pushed forward from behind and pulled into Wumen. Meanwhile, Ji Zi was in the office of documents discussing with Wei Zi, Wei Ziqi, Wei Ziyang, and Grand Minister Sun Rong about "Yuan Hong as a general retreating the armies of all the feudal lords—how would that be?" when they suddenly heard loud noises from Jiu Long Bridge, people crying out to heaven, wailing in despair with unceasing sorrow. The group was greatly alarmed and rushed together from the office of documents to inquire about what had happened. They saw officials dragging two or three women toward them. Ji Zi asked, "What is the reason for this?" The weeping woman said, "We are but women and have not broken the Son of Heaven's laws. Why are you seizing us? What do you want with our women?" You gentlemen are ministers to the Son of Heaven; you should act for the country and its people, and save our lives as ants!" After speaking, their weeping did not cease. Ji Zi quickly asked the official in charge. The official replied, "Last night the emperor heard the empress's words and had two civilians of different ages have their bones broken to examine their marrow. By comparing its depth, he could determine whether they were old or young and whether they could bear children. The emperor was greatly pleased. The empress also reported that by cutting open a pregnant woman's abdomen, one can examine the fetus and know its yin or yang nature. The emperor believed this report and specially ordered us to bring these pregnant women for examination." After hearing this, Ji Zi angrily cursed, "Blind fool of a king! Now the enemy's army is at our gates, their soldiers approaching the moat. The state will soon become a heap of ruins, yet you still listen to this wicked woman and commit such senseless crimes!" Stop right there! Let me go before the king and advise him to stop this." Ji Zi's anger did not subside, and later he followed Wei Zi and others toward Lütai to see the king. Meanwhile, King Zhou was waiting on Lütai for the pregnant women to arrive when suddenly an attendant official reported: "Ji Zi is here and awaits your order." The king said, "Summon him." Ji Zi arrived at the terrace, knelt down and wept bitterly: "I did not expect that the realm of Cheng Tang, passed through dozens of generations, would be lost in a single day today. Yet you still do not know to take warning or reform yourself, committing such senseless evil deeds. How will you have the face to meet the spirits of your ancestors?" King Zhou angrily said, "Zhou Wu is a rebel. Now we have General Yuan Hong who can surely repel the enemy; he will behead their generals and crush their armies. Victory will soon be reported." I happened to watch the snow and saw people crossing the stream, noting differences between old and young in their steps. Fortunately, my empress could clearly distinguish them, allowing me to resolve my doubts. What harm is there in this?" Now I wish to cut open pregnant women's bellies to examine yin and yang. What great crime is this? How dare you insult your king in person and recklessly speak ill of the former kings!" Ji Zi wept and advised, "I have heard that people are born with the vital energy of heaven and earth. They possess five organs to serve as intermediaries between heaven and humanity, assisting in transformation and becoming parents to the people; never have I heard of those who poison and harm living beings being called 'parents of the people.'" Moreover, once a person is dead, they cannot be brought back to life. Who does not cherish this blood body and avoid giving it up for death so lightly? Now, Your Majesty disrespects Heaven above, neglects virtue and governance. Heaven is angry, the people resentful, and every day more people long for rebellion; yet you still do not reflect upon yourself and continue to kill these innocent women. I fear that the eight hundred feudal lords with their armies gathered at Mengjin will bring about your downfall in a matter of days." Once enemy troops arrive beneath our walls, who will be left to defend this capital for Your Majesty?" It is only a pity that the descendants of the Shang clan have been captured by others, our ancestral temples destroyed by others, our palaces occupied by others, and our people made subjects of others. The treasuries are now in other hands. Yet Your Majesty still does not repent, but continues to listen to women's words, breaking open the bones of your people and dissecting pregnant women. I fear that once King Wu's forces arrive, they will need no siege—the people of Chao Ge will naturally surrender it!" The soldiers and civilians have become enemies with Your Majesty. They only regret that King Wu cannot arrive sooner, for the people wish to prepare baskets of food and pots of soup to welcome him." Even if Your Majesty is captured, it will be entirely justified; only the ancestral tablets of twenty-eight generations have been destroyed by all the feudal lords under heaven. Can Your Majesty bear this in your heart?" King Zhou became very angry and said; "Old fool!" How dare you insult your sovereign in person, regarding me as a ruler of a doomed state? What greater disrespect could there be!" He ordered the guards: "Take him away and kill him!" Ji Zi cried out, "My death is of no consequence. What I regret is that you, a foolish and tyrannical ruler, have ruined your state and will be ridiculed for all time to come—no filial sons or kind descendants can change this!" Just as the guards on either side were about to lead Ji Zi down from the platform, a voice suddenly rang out below: "No!" Wei Zi, Wei Zi Qi, and Wei Zi Yan ascended the platform. Seeing King Zhou, they knelt down weeping so hard that they could not speak coherently, sobbing as they presented their plea: "Ji Zi is loyal and virtuous, having rendered great service to the state. His advice today may have been overly impassioned, but it was all for the good of the country. Your Majesty, we beg you to take this into consideration!" In the past, Your Majesty removed the heart of Bi Gan; now you are about to silence a loyal and honest mouth. The state is in imminent danger, yet Your Majesty remains unaware. We fear that the resentment of all your people will bring disaster before one can turn their heel." We beg Your Majesty to show mercy and pardon Ji Zi, bestowing honor upon the name of loyal remonstrance. Perhaps then the people's hearts may yet be turned around, and Heaven's will might still be reversed." King Zhou, seeing that Wei Zi and others had all come to remonstrate together, had no choice but to say: "I shall heed the advice of my imperial uncle and elder brother. Ji Zi will be stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner!" Daji emerged from the rear palace and presented her plea, saying: "Your Majesty must not do this! Ji Zi has insulted you to your face and shown no respect as a subject; if he is now released into the outside world, resentment will surely arise. Should he conspire with King Wu and cause trouble, we shall then face enemies from within and without, which would bring great disaster." King Zhou asked, "Then where should he be sent?" Daji said, "In my humble opinion, Your Majesty should have Ji Zi shaven of his hair and imprisoned as a slave within the palace. This will demonstrate state law, so that common people dare not act recklessly and officials below also dare not make frivolous remonstrations." King Zhou was greatly pleased upon hearing this, and had Ji Zi imprisoned as a slave. Wei Zi, seeing this scene, realized that the house of Cheng Tang would never be saved. He descended from the platform and wept bitterly with Wei Zi Qi and Wei Zi Yan, saying: "For six hundred years our dynasty has ruled in succession, yet today it is lost in a single day by the hands of its successor. This is Heaven's will to destroy us Shang—what can we do about it!" Wei Zi and his brother Wei Zi Qi discussed, saying: "You and I, as brothers, should carry the ancestral tablets of our twenty-eight generations from the Grand Temple to other states or distant commanderies. We shall hide our names and identities in order to preserve the Shang dynasty's sacrificial rites, so that they may not be extinguished on this day." Wei Zi Qi replied with tears streaming down his face: "How could I dare to disobey your command!" Thus, the three of them made preparations and set out for other states to hide themselves. ——Later, Confucius referred to these three men as: "Wei Zi left the court; Ji Zi became a slave; and Bi Gan was killed for his remonstration." This is what he meant by the "Three Benevolent Men of Yin." Later generations composed a poem in praise: The oriole sings over the Shang countryside, where new grasses sprout; the palaces of Cheng Tang have turned to dust. Becoming a slave was not how they preserved Shang sacrifices, but leaving their homeland must have been known as continuing the ancestral rites later on. The crimson heart torn from a belly is now past; pregnant women butchered and common folk suffering misfortune anew. Chao Ge will soon fall to King Zhou of the Zhou, alas! How pitiable that Cheng Tang has turned into ghostly phosphorescence!

话说微子三人收拾行囊，投他州去了。纣王将三妇人拿上鹿台，妲己指一妇人：“腹中是男，面朝左胁。”一妇人：“也是男，面朝右胁。”命左右用刀剖开，毫厘不爽。又指一妇人：“腹中是女，面朝后背。”用刀剖开，果然不差。纣王大悦：“御妻妙术如神，虽龟筮莫敌！”自此肆无忌惮，横行不道，惨恶异常，万民切齿。当日有诗为证： 大雪纷纷宴鹿台，独夫何苦降飞灾！三贤远遁全宗庙，孕妇身亡实可哀。

Now let us speak of Wei Zi and the three others who packed their belongings and departed for other states. King Zhou had the three women taken to Lütai, where Daji pointed at one of them and said: "The child in her womb is male; it faces left." Another woman: "It's also a boy, facing right." He ordered the guards to cut them open with a knife, and not an inch was wrong. Then he pointed at another woman: "The child in her belly is female, facing backward." They cut her open with a knife and indeed it was no different. King Zhou was greatly delighted: "My imperial wife's divine skill is like that of the gods; even tortoise shells and yarrow stalks cannot rival her!" From then on, he acted without restraint or fear, committing all manner of atrocities and cruelty. The people were filled with hatred and anger toward him. There is a poem from that day to attest: Snow falls heavily as banquets are held on Lütai; what cruel necessity led this tyrant to bring down such calamity! Three sages fled afar, preserving ancestral temples; the deaths of pregnant women are truly pitiable.

话说当日刳剔孕妇，天昏地暗，日月无光。次日，有探事军报上台来：“有微子等三位殿下，封了府门，不知往何处去了。”纣王曰：“微子年迈，就在此，也是没用之人；微子启弟兄两人，就留在朝歌，也做不得朕之事业；他去了，又省朕许多烦絮。即今元帅袁洪屡见大功，料周兵不能做得甚事。”遂日日荒淫宴乐，全不以国事为重。在朝文武不过具数而已，并无可否。

Now let us speak about that day when pregnant women were butchered—Heaven darkened, the earth grew dim, and sun and moon lost their light. The next day, a scout soldier reported to the platform: "There are three princes—Wei Zi and others—who have sealed their mansions and left; no one knows where they went." King Zhou said, "Wei Zi is old. Even if he were to stay here, he would be of no use; and his brothers Wei Zi Qi—should they remain in Chao Ge, they could not help me achieve my great cause; Now that they have left, it saves me from much trouble and annoyance. With General Yuan Hong now achieving repeated great victories, I believe the Zhou forces cannot accomplish anything significant." He thus day by day indulged in debauchery and feasting, paying no attention at all to state affairs. The civil and military officials in court were merely present for formality's sake; they had no real power or influence.

那日招贤榜篷下，来了二人，生得相貌甚是凶恶：一个面如蓝靛，眼似金灯，巨口獠牙，身躯伟岸；一个面似瓜皮，口如血盆，牙如短剑，发似朱砂，顶生双角，甚是怪异，往中大夫府谒见。飞廉一见，甚是畏惧。行礼毕，飞廉问曰：“二位杰士是那里人氏？高姓？何名？”二人欠身曰：“某二人乃大夫之子民，成汤之百姓。闻姜尚欺妄，侵天子关隘，吾兄弟二人愿投麾下，以报国恩，决不敢望爵禄之荣，愿破周兵，以洗王耻。子民姓高，名明；弟乃高觉。”通罢姓名，飞廉领二人往朝内拜见纣王，进午门迳往鹿台见驾。纣王问曰：“大夫有何奏章？”飞廉奏曰：“今有二贤高明、高觉，愿求报效，不图爵禄，敢破周兵。”纣王闻奏大悦，宣上台来。二人倒身下拜，俯伏称“臣”。王赐平身，二人立起。纣王一见相貌奇异，甚是骇然：“朕观二士真乃英雄也！”随在鹿台上俱封为神武上将军。二人谢恩。王曰：“大夫与朕陪宴。”二人下台冠带了，至显庆殿待宴，至晚谢恩出朝。次日旨意下，命高明、高觉同钦差解汤羊、御酒往孟津来。不知凶吉如何，且听下回分解。

On that day, beneath the banner for recruiting talent, two men arrived. Their appearances were extremely fierce: one had a face as blue as indigo, eyes like golden lanterns, a huge mouth with fangs, and a tall, imposing figure; the other had a face like melon rind, a mouth as wide as a blood basin, teeth like short swords, hair red as cinnabar, and two horns growing from his head—truly an odd sight. They went to the residence of Zhong Dafu to pay their respects. Feilian was greatly frightened upon seeing them. After the ceremony of courtesy, Feilian asked: "Honorable sirs, where are you from? What is your surname?" And what is your name?" The two men bowed slightly and said, "We are the subjects of a great official, common people under Cheng Tang. We have heard that Jiang Shang is deceitful and has violated the royal passes. My two brothers wish to join your ranks, to repay our national debt of gratitude. We dare not hope for titles or honors; we only wish to defeat the Zhou forces and wash away the king's disgrace." My name is Gao Ming, and my brother's name is Gao Hui. My younger brother's name is Gao Jue." After exchanging names, Feilian led the two men to pay homage to King Zhou in court. They passed through Wumen and went directly to Lütai for an audience with the king. King Zhou asked, "What is it that you have to report, Minister?" Feilian presented his plea: "Now there are two virtuous men, Gao Ming and Gao Jue, who wish to serve the state. They seek no titles or rewards, but dare to defeat the Zhou army." King Zhou was greatly pleased upon hearing the report and summoned them up to the platform. The two men knelt down, prostrated themselves, and addressed the king as "Minister." The king granted them permission to rise. The two stood up. King Zhou, upon seeing their strange and fierce appearances, was greatly startled: "I see that these two men are truly heroes!" He immediately conferred on both of them the title of Shenwu Shangjiangjun (Supreme General of Divine Valor) at Lütai. The two men expressed their gratitude. The king said, "Minister, you shall dine with me." After descending from the platform and donning their official caps and sashes, the two men went to Xianqing Hall for the banquet. Late into the night, they expressed their thanks and left court. The next day, an imperial decree was issued ordering Gao Ming and Gao Jiao to accompany a special envoy carrying sacrificial lambs and imperial wine to Mengjin. Whether this will bring fortune or misfortune remains to be seen. We shall continue in the next chapter.