Ji Chang returned to his residence, tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night.
This trip to Chaoge might not go as smoothly as he had imagined.
He had laid several plans against King Zhou, yet the king seemed to have sensed something and struck back.
The day's football match had given him a very bad feeling.
A playing field was indeed a battlefield. King Zhou had spoken like a river in full flood, discussing every detail of the match as though counting his own treasures. In truth, he had been demonstrating his ability to command troops to the Feudal Lords, putting them on edge. His message was that if any of them harbored rebellious intentions, he need only lead an army in person to crush them with a turn of his hand.
Ji Chang had no doubt about that.
Moreover, football's uses went far beyond training troops. It could also win the people's hearts.
In his youth, Ji Chang had led troops against the Western Rong. Though he had failed to defeat them, he still knew something of military affairs.
He knew full well that soldiers could not be left idle. Once they had spare time and nothing to do, they could easily harass the common people and become a scourge upon the land. Yet he, Ji Chang, was trying to win the people's hearts so he could oppose Great Shang.
But keeping soldiers occupied did not mean drilling them all day. Excessive training would only backfire. His solution had been to gather them for communal drinking, but wine had been scarce back then. Only drinking gatherings combined with strict discipline could keep the soldiers from troubling the people.
King Zhou, however, was different.
Horse racing, football, and even watching opera all gave soldiers outlets for their energy. Even