E Shun stood nine feet tall, with a hideous face, and wielded a Fangtian Halberd. His valor could hold off ten thousand men.
It was precisely this valor and his ugly face that had allowed him to swiftly take control of the army.
Big fists and an ugly face made for powerful intimidation.
"Your Majesty, the Shang Army is attacking again!"
E Shun was drinking in his residence. His royal title was not the title of King of Chu inherited from E Chongyu.
Inheriting the title of King of Chu would have cost him some measure of legitimacy. After all, King Zhou had bestowed that title.
But declining it and continuing to call himself the Marquis of the South would have been even worse. A marquis ranked below a king, and the Feudal Lords who had proclaimed themselves kings would inevitably look down on him.
Thus, E Shun had discarded the title of King of Chu and proclaimed himself King of E. He had neither received investiture from the King of Shang, sovereign of all under heaven, nor had time to follow the proper procedures for assuming kingship.
Still, that was no great problem. As long as he repelled the Shang Army and consolidated his territory, he could carve out his own domain with land and soldiers at his command.
"They're here again..."
It had been seven days. Though this was called a "siege," the Shang Army had actually done nothing but deliver arrows for seven days.
Not a single man stepped even half a pace into range. They shot four volleys in the morning, three at noon, and two in the afternoon. Once night fell, it was too dark, so they returned to camp to sleep.
Like meals, they came at fixed times and places, but wind and rain