Since becoming the capital in the final years of King Kang's reign, Luoyi had developed for decades into the undisputed most prosperous city in the entire Zhou State.
The city had more than five hundred thousand citizens. Including the surrounding Royal Domain, with its nobles who held fiefs and its rural commoners, the total population exceeded 1.8 million!
Including Haojing, the population under the Son of Heaven's control amounted to a third of the entire Zhou State.
This was the fundamental reason the feudal lords submitted to the Son of Heaven. Ji Wan's crushing defeat had not merely dealt a severe blow to royal authority. With the elite armies impossible to rebuild in the short term, the crown would inevitably have to compromise with the powerful lords.
Although the Luo State was one of those powerful vassals, it had an ancient ancestor above it, and its fundamental interests differed from those of the other lords.
The Luo State wanted this stable feudal system to endure long enough, rather than instinctively devouring every neighboring state to grow stronger, as the other feudal states did.
From a materialist perspective, this meant swimming against the tide of history.
In his capacity as Grand Preceptor, Luo Su received the lords who arrived one after another to defend the king. The first heavyweight lord appeared in Luoyi: the Marquis of Jin, one of the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords and a powerful vassal of the Central Plains.
He had brought a full twenty thousand fighting men!
His was a branch of the royal clan whose state had been founded in the Sage King's time, and the previous Marquis of Jin had served as one of the late king's Three Dukes.
Whenever the Son of Heaven summoned the feudal lords, the Jin State responded eagerly. The sharpness of its armies was known throughout the realm.
Yet Luo Su frowned slightly. Since the previous ruler's reign, the Jin State's relationship with the Luo State had gradually grown distant.
The main reason was that the increasingly powerful Jin State wanted to raise its standing within the Ji clan, while the position of Grand Clan Head had been held by the ruler of the Luo State ever since the Sage King.
The ruler of the Jin State had once told the ruler of the Luo State, "Our ancestor King Wu received Heaven's mandate and established the Zhou State. The Sage King enfeoffed All Ji throughout the Zhou State and bestowed noble ranks upon us. Since you became Grand Clan Head, the clan has united closely around the Son of Heaven. How prosperous the Zhou State has become!"
"Now the Son of Heaven has granted you the exalted position of one of the Three Dukes and charged you with assisting him in governing. The Royal Domain is so vast that you must be very busy. I hope to succeed you as Grand Clan Head and do something beneficial for the Ji clan."
The Marquis of Jin was willing to pay a price, but the previous Marquis of Luo ultimately refused him. The position of Grand Clan Head was the Luo State ruler's bottom line. He would sooner forgo a seat among the Three Dukes than lose that position.
The Grand Clan Head's influence over the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords was beyond question.
At the most basic level, the Grand Clan Head could demand that the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords present more wealth and people to the Son of Heaven, effectively diminishing their strength.
There were many more perfectly lawful means at his disposal. Taken to extremes, they could even prevent the rulers of small, weak states from succeeding to their thrones.
Successive Marquises of Luo had used this position to balance the strength of the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords, preventing them from growing powerful enough to threaten the Son of Heaven's standing as head of the principal lineage.
To make his position clear, the previous Marquis of Luo had even told the Marquis of Jin that he could petition the Son of Heaven to relinquish his position as Grand Guardian and recommend the Marquis of Jin for it.
Thus, the two states gradually ceased their dealings. Since Luo Su became Grand Clan Head, the Marquis of Jin had made frequent moves within the Ji clan.
In particular, when the Marquis of Jin tried to expand his influence in the Central Plains, Luo Su used his authority as Grand Clan Head to repeatedly suppress the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords who submitted to him. This had left deep resentment between the two sides.
Despite the many thoughts swirling through his mind, Luo Su personally received the Marquis of Jin and a group of Ji-Surname Feudal Lords.
Most of these Ji-Surname Feudal Lords were sons of former kings or descendants of powerful rulers. Among them, for instance, were rulers of states founded by the Sage King's other sons.
"Grand Preceptor."
The Marquis of Jin had barely spoken when Luo Su smiled and said, "There is no need for such formality, Marquis of Jin. Everyone here is a Ji-surnamed lord, a vassal of the principal house. Among fellow clansmen, simply address me as Clan Head."
The smile on the Marquis of Jin's face froze at once. Luo Su had truly chosen the one sore subject best left untouched, deliberately rubbing salt into his wound.
The other Ji-Surname Feudal Lords had no such reservations and respectfully greeted Luo Su. A distant magistrate mattered less than the man directly in charge. Luo Su could hold them in his grasp in every respect; they had no choice but to be respectful.
The Marquis of Jin's expression changed briefly before he recovered. Smiling at Luo Su, he said, "The Grand Clan Head is entirely correct. Jin and Luo are both powerful branches of the royal clan. Now that disaster has befallen the Son of Heaven and the crown prince is young, we must work together to uphold the Zhou State. Might the Marquis of Luo have any suggestions?"
Luo Su gave the Marquis of Jin a long look. After a moment's consideration, he said, "I understand your meaning, Marquis of Jin. The Duke of Song and the Marquis of Qi have already brought their armies to defend the king and encamped at Yingkang. But Xiong Dun swept a vast number of people along with him on this march north. Southwest of the Luo River, states enfeoffed seventy years ago were destroyed in a single stroke. He may become even harder to restrain hereafter.
"Fierce though Xiong Dun may be, he is merely the ruler of a single state. What worries me is that his widespread destruction will affect our Zhou State's mandate from Heaven.
"King Wu established the Zhou State, and the Sage King carried out the great enfeoffment. All our Ji-surnamed states owe their wealth and nobility to those two kings. The task the Sage King set us was to guard the Royal Domain.
"The Son of Heaven's Six Armies have suffered grievous losses this time. The Royal Domain cannot endure further destruction. Otherwise, how can the Son of Heaven's majesty be upheld?
"Our exalted standing as Ji-Surname Feudal Lords exists because the lords of other surnames submit to the Son of Heaven. If those lords begin harboring presumptuous ambitions like Xiong Dun's, where will that leave us?"
"Our only course now is to gather the strength of the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords, establish fiefs anew south of the Luo River, and preserve the stability of the realm. This is a great affair of the Zhou State, and we of All Ji absolutely cannot stand aside. The Marquis of Yan and other powerful lords have yet to arrive. Once they do, we will discuss a plan and determine how much each state should contribute."
This again!
That was everyone's first thought. Over the years, Luo Su had frequently organized such undertakings, calling them affairs of All Ji and requiring every house to contribute. In reality, he took manpower and resources from the powerful states and distributed them to the smaller Ji-surnamed states to maintain a balance within the clan.
This time, Luo Su intended to use the resources of the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords to clean up the Son of Heaven's mess. Naturally, none of them wanted to agree, but no one dared say so. That alone showed the weight of Luo Su's accumulated authority.
The Marquis of Jin had swallowed many such bitter losses over the years. Cowed by the Son of Heaven's strength, and with the Luo State taking the lead every time, he had been unable to refuse. This time, however, the Son of Heaven's power had greatly diminished, and other thoughts stirred in his mind.
At the beginning of the enfeoffment, relations between the states had been fairly close. Now, however, most states were ruled by their third or fourth generation of lords, and some by their fifth. The blood ties among the Ji-Surname Feudal Lords had grown distant. This was one of Luo Su's greatest concerns: his efforts within the clan alone could not reverse their gradual drifting apart.
The Marquis of Jin had not rushed so eagerly to defend the king merely to clean up his mess. After a little thought, he said solemnly, "Grand Clan Head, when the Sage King established the lineage system in Haojing, he explicitly declared the Son of Heaven to be the head of the principal lineage of All Ji, while each of us headed the principal lineage within our own state. He also carried out the great enfeoffment, granting each of us land to guard the Royal Domain.
"Over these decades, how many meritorious deeds have we accomplished? Successive kings rewarded us all. But since the Son of Heaven Wan ascended the throne, he has ceased treating the Ji clan with affection. He even arbitrarily demoted and rebuked a great minister such as the Grand Clan Head, ultimately bringing about this catastrophe.
"The Zhou State belongs to All Ji, not to the Son of Heaven alone. Having shaken the foundations of the Zhou State, the Son of Heaven owes All Ji an accounting. Only then can we discuss rebuilding."
The Marquis of Jin's words concealed malicious intent. Haven't you always defended the Son of Heaven, Marquis of Luo?
Now that he has caused such a tremendous disaster, let's see how you defend him. And I'm using your own ancestor's words to corner you. Let's see what you have to say.
Luo Su swept his gaze across the gathering. Anger rose within him, and his voice rose with it. "Every other word from your mouth is the Sage King or the lineage system, Marquis of Jin. Yet I think you do not understand that system at all. The Zhou State does indeed belong to All Ji. You are not wrong about that. But I hope you all remember that the Son of Heaven stands at the head of All Ji.
"My Luo State belongs to the Ji-surnamed Luo Clan. Your state, Marquis of Jin, belongs to the Ji-surnamed Jin Clan. Each lord present has his own clan name, derived either from his enfeoffed territory or from an ancestor's office.
"The lineage system states that surnames distinguish marriage ties, while clan names distinguish noble from base. Thus, those with clan names are noble, and those without them are lowly.
"But have you forgotten that the Son of Heaven also has a surname and no clan name?
"All noble clans under Heaven descend from the Son of Heaven. That is the true meaning of his position as head of the principal lineage. All Ji, All Ji—only because the Son of Heaven exists does All Ji exist. Without him, without our names entered in the Palace Registers, who will remember where you and I came from a thousand years hence?
"Open your eyes and look! Among the slaves barely clinging to life in the nobles' states throughout Zhou, are there not descendants of the Three Kings and Five Emperors? Who can distinguish them?
"Though the Son of Heaven Wan was unruly and lacked the bearing of a sage king, has he unjustly stripped any Ji-surnamed clan of its state during his reign?
"Now disaster has befallen the Son of Heaven, and the foundations of the realm are shaken. If All Ji still refuses to unite, do you intend to hand the Zhou State over to lords of other surnames?"
Naturally, the Marquis of Jin could not accept these accusations. If word spread, how could the Jin State hold its head up afterward? He immediately said, "Grand Clan Head, you are a descendant of the Sage King, have overseen the clan for many years, and have long served the Son of Heaven. Your words are naturally golden rules and jade laws. But is it right to level such malicious accusations against a lord who has repeatedly rendered distinguished service?
"My words just now were merely ill-chosen in a moment of indignation.
"Since the Sage King's time, whenever we Ji-Surname Feudal Lords fought poorly or failed to serve the Son of Heaven wholeheartedly, he would readily issue edicts rebuking us, even stripping our titles and abolishing our states."
"We once swore to treat the Son of Heaven, the head of our principal lineage, with obedience and respect for generation after generation. Even so, does that mean he can commit wrongs as he pleases?
"Xiong Dun was in the Chu lands, far from the Royal City of Luoyi. Thus, after the Son of Heaven committed his grave mistake, the armies defending the king could arrive in time to rescue him. What if rescue had come too late?"
Though the Marquis of Jin's words were fierce, discerning listeners could tell he had already backed down. He was now using offense as defense, giving himself a way to step down.
After all, he ruled a powerful branch of the royal clan. Since he had conceded, Luo Su did not press him too hard. Besides, there was some truth in his words: the Son of Heaven naturally had to be punished for wrongdoing.
Luo Su had long since decided how to deal with Ji Wan afterward. There was no harm in revealing it now to soothe the Marquis of Jin and others like him. He told the gathering, "The Son of Heaven brought calamity upon the state. He should receive the Inauspicious Posthumous Title of Li."
What?
Everyone, including the Marquis of Jin, stared at Luo Su in disbelief.
An Inauspicious Posthumous Title!
The last king to receive an Inauspicious Posthumous Title had been King Zhou of Shang, the ruler who lost Yin Shang. Now Luo Su had actually decided to give Ji Wan an Inauspicious Posthumous Title.
But on careful reflection, Ji Wan's life truly offered little worth praising. He had achieved nothing at all, committing only absurdities.
In the end, he had personally led a campaign into a crushing defeat, shaken the foundations of the realm, and died violently amid the rout. It was utterly laughable.
If even such a king could not receive an Inauspicious Posthumous Title, the fairness of the Zhou State's posthumous titles would have to be questioned.
They had simply never expected Luo Su, who always upheld the Son of Heaven's authority and was even privately mocked by All Ji as his loyal hound and horse, to give him an Inauspicious Posthumous Title. They could even hear a faint note of satisfaction in his voice.
This Grand Preceptor, Grand Clan Head, and Marquis of Luo, this great minister of the Zhou State who had served the Son of Heaven for years, seemed deeply dissatisfied with the Son of Heaven Wan!
The Marquis of Jin no longer felt any discontent. A posthumous title was the final judgment upon a person once the coffin was closed. Giving the Son of Heaven an Inauspicious Posthumous Title amounted to a complete repudiation of his life. Such punishment could make some small amends for the turmoil he had inflicted upon the Zhou State.
Moreover, from Luo Su's tone, he faintly sensed that Luo Su would probably not let Ji Wan off so easily.
Through this meeting, Luo Su had delivered a warning to Ji-Surname Feudal Lords such as the Marquis of Jin who showed signs of restlessness. Those who arrived later would therefore be unable to stir up any waves.
He also repeatedly received the lords of other surnames.
Apart from the Duke of Song, there were several other highly honored states among the Two Kings and Three Revered. Though their strength was unremarkable, their political standing was high, and they could represent the views of certain groups of lords.
Luo Su reassured them, employing both favor and authority. He had them swear an oath in the Grand Ancestral Temple and proclaimed the sacred standing of the Son of Heaven of Zhou as sovereign of all under Heaven.
Through Luo Su's tireless efforts, the hundreds of contingents that had come from every direction to defend the king finally found their respective places within the royal relief army, at least for the moment.
Only then did Luo Su relax a little. The lords had brought far too many soldiers. At its peak, the number of fighting men alone around Luoyi had approached two hundred thousand.
Night after night, Luo Su tossed and turned, fearful that these armies, which shared no chain of command, might suddenly erupt into rebellion.
Fortunately, as he summoned the lords one by one, their armies moved under his arrangements to encamp at various locations south of Luoyi. The price was the rapid depletion of money and grain in the Royal Domain Treasury, but there was no alternative.
Meanwhile, Luo Su also summoned the vassals directly subordinate to the Royal Domain. Many of their masters had accompanied Ji Wan on his southern campaign, and with their fate unknown, these households were gripped by terror.
In particular, many of their fiefs were not hereditary. Rather, the Son of Heaven had granted them land to cultivate, rewarding their loyalty with its produce-effectively paying them a salary.
Luo Su reassured them that, whatever happened, responsibility for the defeat would not be shifted onto them, and none of their fiefs would be reclaimed. If their masters had died in battle, their eldest legitimate sons could inherit those fiefs by continuing to serve the Son of Heaven.
These lowest-ranking nobles of the Zhou State were greatly reassured and responded eagerly to Luo Su's call for service. The sons of these Prime Scholar families had trained since childhood.
Soon, Luo Su gained a contingent of fairly elite warriors. He then brought armor out of the treasury to equip them, and the royal army in Luoyi finally had the strength to resist an uprising.
Luo Su relaxed slightly and began arranging for Crown Prince Xi's maternal relatives to train the army. Since Ji Wan had already married a legitimate daughter of the Jiang-surnamed Lü Clan as his queen, the Sage King's Rites and Institutions required Crown Prince Xi to marry a legitimate daughter of the Gui-surnamed Chen Clan as the future queen. The Qi State had nonetheless sent a noblewoman to marry into the royal household.
The Qi State was already very powerful, and now Qi Jiang had become Empress Dowager. Naturally, Luo Su had to counterbalance its influence within the Royal Domain.
Once the Royal Domain had completely stabilized, Luo Su went to the front where the two sides faced each other, bearing an edict granting him overall command of the southern campaign.
He who slaughters the innocent is called Li; he who is brutal and without affection is called Li; he who is violent, arrogant, and without propriety is called Li; he who supports evil and defies righteousness is called Li. -Rites and Institutions: Explanation of Posthumous Titles
Thanks to Stars Shatter into Sunlight for the tip.
Good news: this chapter once again exceeded four thousand characters.
Bad news: during the new-book period, I can only post four thousand characters. I'm sure you can all understand, right?
Before you continue