Over the years, the island's people had paid attention to the imperial court. Whenever the court went to war with another nation, storytellers and teachers would spread the news far and wide, celebrating their nation's strength. It was not merely reassurance, but a source of spiritual comfort.
There was a reason Great Chu could keep its neighboring countries in check, and that reason lay with its common people. The nation had conviction, and its people were united in their loyalty to it. Which of the surrounding countries could achieve the same?
In earlier years, the people of smaller nations had all wanted their countries to become dependencies of Great Chu. Everyone was willing to bow and submit if it meant a better life.
Yet although the common people of those small nations harbored such hopes, their well-paid, high-ranking officials thought differently. They knew that becoming a dependency of a great nation would seriously destabilize their positions, so they had never offered their allegiance.
The cleverer countries even used their annual tribute to curry favor with the great nation, encouraging it to turn a blind eye.
By contrast, those arrogant little countries that recklessly courted death were another matter. They often tried to provoke Great Chu to preserve their laughable scraps of dignity. Naturally, the result was that Great Chu sent troops to crush their nations and trample their pride underfoot.
As the saying went, "Leave me in peace, and I will leave you in peace. Attack me, and I will destroy you."
Viewed across the long course of history, Great Chu's record could still be considered fair. At the very least, it had not started wars against other countries for its own benefit. The nations it destroyed had generally crossed its bottom line.
Thus, storytellers always opened with a line