After his initial astonishment, all that remained in Ji Chang's heart was dread.
From his perspective, King Zhou was a thief planning to steal from someone's home, yet asking him, the homeowner, how to get inside. It defied all reason and was downright baffling.
But from King Zhou's perspective, things were different.
The realm belonged to Great Shang. The Feudal Lords were merely retainers lodging in Great Shang's mansion, with homes bestowed upon them by the King of Shang.
That turned everything on its head. The Feudal Lords were not merely thieves, but shameless scoundrels openly occupying someone else's property.
Wasn't King Zhou doing this precisely to seize the moral high ground?
The Shang Army's Western Expedition was not an invasion or an act of bullying. It was simply taking back what belonged to me!
Just as Ji Fa had to make the Proclaiming Zhou's Ten Crimes before marching against him, any military expedition needed the mantle of righteousness—a legitimate cause. And this was Great Shang's justification for the Western Expedition!
The more Ji Chang thought about it, the less confident he became. I've dutifully farmed for so many years, inventing farming tools and improving cultivation methods. Wasn't all of it for the good of your Great Shang? Must you be so wary, King Zhou? Can't you lower your guard even a little? Do you have any friends?
Meanwhile, Zi Shou watched Ji Chang with an exceedingly serious expression.
He was waiting for Ji Chang's plan for the Western Expedition. Tell us how to fight, and that's how we'll fight. Tell us how to deploy our troops, and that's how we'll deploy them.
"I lost my composure."
Ji Chang cupped his hands in apology and steadied himself. Having already considered the matter, he said, "My son Ji Fa has committed