Is “Flattering, greedy, and corrupt” true?
attested in history
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, 'Annals of Yin,' King Zhou employed Fei Zhong, noting that 'Fei Zhong loved profit, and the people of Yin did not favor him.' Official history confirms that his greed and flattery lost him the people's support.
Fei Zhong
A corrupt minister favored by King Zhou of Shang in official history, but portrayed in the novel as a greedy, flattering villain who was posthumously deified as an evil star.