Xiang Clan: Chu State Still Had to Rely on Me; the Chu People Would Henceforth Worship the Sage

King

News of Han State's brazen invasion of the Royal House reached Luo State. The Luo People showed little reaction; only the Confucian scholars were outraged, even raising once more the words Confucius had spoken centuries earlier: "If this can be tolerated, what cannot?"

But the Confucian scholars' reason for their displeasure was peculiar. Ji Ni, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, was notorious throughout the world for his extortionate levies on Song State's lands. Although the people of Song supplied most of the jokes, their identity as members of All Xia was beyond question.

In the Confucian scholars' eyes, Ji Ni was already a tyrant, and the regional lords were entitled to rise up and campaign against him.

Yet the Confucian scholars believed Han State's grounds for declaring war were too perfunctory to justify comforting the people and punishing the guilty, executing the violent and eliminating the cruel.

Luo Ce and Luo Li looked at the news in their hands, then at each other in silence.

Previously, they would have set out to destroy Han State without another word.

But now, Luo Li sighed deeply. "Father, Ji Ni, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, has imposed extortionate levies in Song territory, provoking Heaven's wrath and the people's resentment. After something so disgraceful, Luo State cannot send troops for the Royal House, whatever the reason.

"The Luo People cannot bleed for the Royal House again.

"Since Han State found a justification for sending troops, issuing a statement condemning the Marquis of Han for disrespecting the Son of Heaven will suffice. The only concern is that these two blows Han State has dealt the Royal House will make Various States of the Central Plains cast aside their scruples entirely.

"You know what it is like: a river embankment reputed to be