South of the Chen Kingdom and west of the Yong Kingdom lay a country called Jiao.
Shi and Jiao had once shared the realm. The ancestors of the two clans had founded a nation hand in hand. Of course, everyone knew what happened afterward.
The Shi clan sat firmly upon the dragon throne, while the descendants of the Jiao clan fled to the Yong Kingdom.
It was indeed a fine tale that Emperor Ming of Yong, Han Zhou, had accepted their surrender alone back then. Yet it was also true that while the Jiao clan held an isolated city with no reinforcements, before its people had even died, the Jiao court had already erected steles and written biographies, intending to kill them with reputation.
Thereafter, the Jiao clan served Yong with unwavering loyalty.
By the generation of Marquis Weining, Jiao Wu, he even led troops to attack Jiao, swearing to wipe out the Shi imperial house.
At that time, Yong's new monarch, Han Xu, saved the nation and forced back the Zhuang Emperor. He established the Mohist School as the state doctrine and gained the Mo Sect's vigorous support. The one duke and eight marquises within the kingdom all submitted. He reformed the court, and the nation was reborn from the flames.
The Yong Monarch wished to demonstrate the achievements of his new policies, while Marquis Weining wished to prove his loyalty. Ruler and minister were thus of one heart. With powerful Yong attacking weak Jiao, it was no different from crushing an egg with a stone. Heaven's timing, favorable terrain, and popular support were all on their side; this war should have fallen into place as naturally as water flowing downhill.
Yet in the end, there was thunder but little rain, and the matter simply petered out.
It was