When Ji Chang heard such devastating news, it felt like five thunderbolts had struck him from a clear sky.
His vision went black. After coughing up a mouthful of blood, he completely passed out.
His life force rapidly diminished, deathly decay clinging to him as he neared the end.
He was clearly not going to make it.
With Ji Chang collapsing, all of Western Zhou descended into chaos.
"The Great King has been angered into unconsciousness again!"
"The Great King has passed away!"
"Quick! Summon the Shamanic Doctor!"
"The Shamanic Doctor is useless! Summon those immortals!"
By the time Ji Chang regained consciousness, two and a half days had passed.
Ji Chang was incomparably frail. Lying in bed, barely breathing, he looked exactly like an old man tortured by illness at the end of his life. "Deliver... deliver my order."
"Pass... pass the throne to the... eldest son."
After saying that, Ji Chang breathed his last.
Ji Chang... was dead.
The attendants serving at his side were all dumbfounded.
Everything had happened too suddenly. They had not been prepared at all.
One attendant trembled as he said, "The king said... pass the throne to whom again?"
Another attendant said blankly, "It seemed like... he said to pass the throne to the eldest son."
A third attendant disagreed. "Nonsense. He clearly said to pass the throne to the second son!"
Ji Chang had been so weak on the verge of death that he lacked even the strength to speak, so these attendants had not heard his final words clearly at all.
Before long, news of Ji Chang's death spread throughout the Western Zhou Alliance.
The Western Zhou Courtiers mourned.
Ji Chang's sons wept bitterly.
The many lords of The West kept dark faces and said nothing.
They had finally understood.
Western