The King of Yu Yue and three hundred trusted followers waited ten li outside Three Mountains Pass.
When they fled, they had hurriedly brought only a little food, leaving behind their tents and other supplies. After several days of eating in the wind and sleeping beneath the dew, they had exhausted their provisions, and many of them were now going hungry.
The King of Yu Yue was not particularly anxious. Though his men were few, they were crucial guides. With these three hundred men, the difficulty of the Shang Army's southward advance would drop by at least thirty percent.
Still, he felt rather glum. Sitting on the ground, he sighed. "Ah, I never imagined we would end up seeking refuge with the Shang people after all. What a vicious scheme, exploiting the harmony on the surface and discord beneath among our Baiyue Tribes. I wonder who devised it. It must have been King Zhou."
The other Yu Yue tribesmen were equally indignant. The Shang people were no good, and neither were Nanyue or Yangyue.
They had done nothing and had never entertained the thought of joining the Shang, yet they were being forced to do exactly that.
The King of Yu Yue also bore some blame. He had succeeded to the throne during a crisis, had once submitted to Great Shang, and had also been coerced by his own tribesmen. His control over Yu Yue was far from secure. Had he been able to twist all of Yu Yue into a single rope, he would not have been so helpless.
Just then, someone said, "Your Majesty, the Shang envoy has arrived!"
The King of Yu Yue hurriedly rose. "Invite him over at once. No, I'll go welcome him myself!"
A moment later, he met Zhang Youren.
"Zhang Youren greets the