Such an Ao Bing

At the assembly of vassal lords in Chaoge City, Marquis of the East Jiang Huanchu, Marquis of the West Ji Chang, Marquis of the North Chong Houhu, and Marquis of the South E Chongyu each led two hundred vassal lords to pay court to King Zhou.

King Zhou was greatly pleased. He bestowed numerous rewards and transferred the authority to wage war against external enemies from the various vassal lords to the Four Marquis—henceforth, any vassal lord wishing to send troops abroad had to first report to the Four Marquis and obtain their approval.

Among the Four Marquis, Ji Chang was famed for his virtue, while E Chongyu was highly respected and was ranked among the Three Excellencies of the current court, his position reaching the very peak beneath the sovereign.

Was this scheme King Zhou's idea, or Wen Zhong's?

In the rear courtyard of Li Mansion in Chentang Pass, Li Changshou sat in the shade, sipping specially made iced tea and enjoying the fanning services of two servants as he pondered what had just happened in the Shang Kingdom's Imperial Court.

Overall, King Zhou's move had been brilliant, but also quite sinister.

Among the Eight Hundred Vassal Lords, Jiang Huanchu was unquestionably the strongest. He was also the eldest in seniority and had the closest ties to the Shang Kingdom.

—After all, he was King Zhou's father-in-law.

Yet the titles of Three Excellencies had gone to Ji Chang and E Chongyu. It had a bit of that Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors flavor.

He divided the Eight Hundred Vassal Lords into four regional factions, strengthened the Four Marquis' authority, then split the Four Marquis apart so they could not unite.

If a minor vassal lord rebelled, the major vassal lords would naturally suppress them. The Shang Kingdom could