Crimes?
Countless eyes converged on Zi Shou, waiting for his answer.
Quite a few people whispered among themselves.
"Ji Fa came prepared. Now that he's bringing charges, I wonder how King Zhou will respond."
The King of Wu smiled as he spoke.
The many kings Zi Shou had appointed, along with some of the more powerful Feudal Lords, naturally had nothing to worry about.
They had leverage. Once Shang and Zhou tore away all pretense and went to war, the support of these Feudal Lords would be crucial to either side. They were all people worth courting, so they could simply sit back and watch events unfold. Even on an occasion like this, they still chatted and laughed at ease.
"King Zhou isn't one to swallow an insult. This means all-out war between the two sides."
"Then let them fight. They'll have to settle things once and for all. Better than all this endless squabbling, attacking each other over flyspecks of profit and wearing down their own forces for nothing."
"True. King Zhou is powerful, but Ji Fa came prepared and has already won over plenty of people. The nobles within Great Shang support King Zhou, but after today's affront to the ancestors, that may well change."
"Indeed."
The kings and Feudal Lords all nodded. Worry deepened between the brows of Jiang Huanchu, Chong Houhu, and the others. The situation did not look promising. Even if they escaped unscathed, Great Shang would inevitably come off worse.
"I have already given the King of Shang a choice. Whether he admits his guilt is up to him. With witnesses and material evidence both present, what excuses can he offer? He would do better to put his hands behind his back at once and confess his faults."
The Purple Qi behind Ji Fa