Ever since King Zhou began reading the memorial, the ministers had grown anxious.
They all suspected that the barbarians might revolt.
Concepts such as emperors taking turns on the throne, kings and generals having no special bloodline, or starting out with nothing but a begging bowl had yet to emerge. However dissatisfied the people of Great Shang were, they would only curse a few times. No one dared cause a real uprising.
But the barbarians had no such notions, which was why herdsmen had fled south.
When they saw King Zhou's expression grow increasingly grim, they became even more uneasy.
The memorial circulated among the ministers.
They exchanged glances.
Wasn't this good news? Not only had the barbarians not rebelled, they had sincerely submitted!
After some thought, Xin Jia stepped forward. "I have heard that the former king Cheng Tang ruled all under heaven from a domain of seventy miles. As the ancients said, 'Tang's first campaign began with Ge.' The former king rose from Ge and united all under heaven, earning the trust of the world. When he campaigned east, the Western Yi complained; when he marched south, the Northern Di complained. Under Xia Jie's tyranny, everyone wanted the former king to save them, hoping he would conquer them first."
"As the ancients said, 'We await our lord; with his coming, we shall revive.' The people longed for a sage king as those in a great drought longed for clouds and a rainbow. Traders did not cease trading, and farmers did not abandon their fields. The former king descended like timely rain from heaven, saving the people from fire and water, and they were wild with joy."
A Mobile Encyclopedia was a Mobile Encyclopedia indeed. He knew everything and could pluck ancient quotations out of thin air.
The others