A new era

The sudden arrival of Wu-Yue dealt Xu State a fatal blow. Its main army's plans to flee fell through, leaving it no choice but to fight a bloody battle against the allied forces.

In the end, there was no miracle. The two sides were no longer in the same league. The lords' armies suffered tremendous casualties, leaving every lord's heart bleeding, but fewer than one in ten of the soldiers the King of Xu had brought managed to escape.

Although they ultimately failed to destroy Xu State as they had slain the King of the Huai Yi, the badly weakened state would likely face grim days against Chen State, Song State, and Wu State.

As the war between Song and Xu drew to a close, it seemed to sound a signal, and good news arrived one piece after another.

The allied armies of Jin State and Wei State routed the Di People in Li Land, forcing their entire people to migrate north.

Qi State defeated the Lai Yi State, driving it farther east and greatly expanding its own territory.

This war had not lasted long, but its intensity was so great that none of the All Xia states could forget it.

The Yi and Di were still so powerful!

The All Xia states had almost been overturned. Even though they ultimately won the war, many lords still trembled at the memory.

Just as the lords were picking up the pieces,

In Luoyi, Luo Cheng sent letters to the lords throughout the realm in the Son of Heaven's name, announcing an assembly in Luoyi to arrange the postwar order and prevent these Yi and Di from staging a comeback.

The lords throughout the realm responded in a wave. Almost as soon as the decree arrived, the vast majority set off for Luoyi.

Ji Zhao, meanwhile, was busily harvesting countless Fortune Points.

[Your descendant Luo Cheng surpassed his limits and successfully organized All Xia's great counteroffensive. Your family's standing in history has risen once again, and your family's prestige has increased once again.

You have received Fortune Points.]

Although Luo Cheng had not personally commanded the great battles and therefore earned him no items, just how many Fortune Points had he received?

In a single windfall, Ji Zhao recovered every Fortune Point he had spent over the years bestowing Ancestors' Blessing on his family's younger members.

Chu State's delegation was the grandest of all, and its rank was exceptionally high.

The Crown Prince of Chu State came on behalf of the King of Chu to congratulate the new Son of Heaven, demonstrating the friendship of the Zhou-Chu alliance.

Chu State's eldest princess, Yi Xuan, who was already betrothed to the Son of Heaven Ji Fu, also accompanied the delegation to marry him.

As a great state along the Han River, Chu State naturally sent an enormous bridal escort.

The thousand armored soldiers escorting the delegation were Chu State's finest. If supplied with chariots and five thousand auxiliary troops, this force alone would have been more than those small states measuring barely fifty li across could withstand.

One reason Chu State had dispatched these elite troops was to flaunt its military strength before the lords of the Central Plains.

Under the King of Chu's arrangements, two hundred men would be selected from this powerful force as part of Yi Xuan's dowry and remain with her in the Royal Domain.

These were not merely two hundred men, but two hundred nobles, all of whom would be stationed in Luoyi with Yi Xuan.

If Ji Fu had the ability, he could make full use of this force. Such were the advantages a powerful wife's family could bring.

Although Luo Yan was from Luo State, he was now a minister of Chu, so he returned to Luoyi with Chu State's delegation, bringing his fiancée Yi Guang.

His fiancée had to meet his father sooner or later. Luo State and Chu State also shared an alliance, and after entering Chu's service, he had received a fief from the King of Chu. He did not know whether this counted as establishing a separate branch of the family.

Chu State's Crown Prince Xiong Dan, Luo Yan, Princess Yi Xuan, and Princess Yi Guang traveled side by side.

Looking at the city before him, its walls far taller than Yingdu's, Xiong Dan asked in awe, "Minister Luo, Luoyi is so imposing. How did the Sage King build it all those years ago?"

"Crown Prince, Luoyi lies between the Yi-Luo rivers. This is the blessed land Heaven bestowed upon the Zhou People. With Heaven's favor, even grander cities than this could be built."

Luo Yan's words brimmed with pride. The Luo Clan's history and ancestors were worthy of every descendant's pride.

Had he not been a son of the ruling house of Luo State, how could the King of Chu have given him his most beloved princess, even if the king admired him?

Both Yi Xuan and Yi Guang were curious. This was their first time leaving Chu State, and Princess Yi Xuan in particular knew this was where she would spend the rest of her life.

So far, she was very satisfied.

Ji Fu received the Crown Prince of Chu State and his companions in the palace.

This was Yi Xuan's first meeting with her future husband. Whatever might be said of Ji Fu's talents and abilities, no one could find fault with his looks.

Yi Xuan was therefore very pleased, and a faint blush even rose on her lovely face.

"I have heard the Duke of Luo tell how Chu State's ancestors rode crude carts and wore ragged clothes to open up the mountain forests. What magnificent achievements those were!

All the lords should learn from Chu State.

With Chu State restored to the ranks of All Xia, I will have something to say when I pass away and stand before the Sage King."

Although Ji Fu excelled in neither civil nor military affairs, there was something about him that made people instinctively warm to him.

His words felt thoroughly sincere. Xiong Dan already felt great affection for his future brother-in-law.

"King, Chu State will forever stand at your side as your loyal subject."

On such an occasion, Xiong Dan declared his position before the realm. His words represented Chu State's political commitment.

Once he left, word would swiftly spread throughout the states. With Chu State as a powerful ally, the royal house now had the strength to maneuver among the great states of the Central Plains.

As the lords of the various states arrived in Luoyi, the city entered a period of unprecedented prosperity.

The lords brought their guards, most of whom were nobles with ample money to spend.

Beyond presenting tribute to the Son of Heaven, the assembly was also an occasion to display goods, and the lords usually brought large quantities of local specialties.

So many lords gathered together-such a grand occasion had not been seen for many years, ever since King Huang's reign.

The arrival of the Crown Prince of Chu State, the Count of Wu, and the Count of Yue in particular made every lord feel that the heavens truly had changed.

These three states had not paid court to the Son of Heaven for a hundred years, yet now they had appeared in the Royal Domain.

The lords knew little of Wu-Yue's strength, but Chu State was a great state north of the Han River, scarcely inferior even to Jin State.

Now it was also forming a marriage alliance with the royal house. A few days earlier, Chu's Crown Prince Dan and the Son of Heaven had sworn an oath that Chu would spare no effort in supporting the royal house. With the additional assistance of Jin State, Luo State, Qi State, and Zheng State, even a return to Haojing City was not impossible.

Xiong Dan discovered the greatest drawback of Chu State's century-long absence from Zhou's court: he knew almost none of these Central Plains lords.

Through intermarriage, the lords had formed an intricate web of relationships, but Chu State stood outside that system.

Even with a marriage alliance with the royal house, Chu State would still face their exclusion.

These Central Plains lords were all related in one way or another. To them, Chu State truly was an outsider.

The King of Chu was an outstanding ruler. He had keenly recognized this, which was why he had kept Luo Yan in Chu State and married his most beloved daughter to him.

Now that decision showed its value. Luo Yan's mother, Luo Jiang, was a daughter of Qi State's principal line, and Qi State and Luo State were leading representatives of the Jiang and Ji clans.

Even they themselves probably could not say how vast these two states' networks of marriage ties were. In any case, they had connections with almost every lord present.

As Luo Yan invited the lords over one by one, finding kinship with almost every one of them, Xiong Dan was nearly numb.

He deeply felt the Luo Clan's pivotal position in the Central Plains. For Chu State to enter the Central Plains, a marriage alliance with the royal house was not the crucial thing. A marriage alliance with the Luo Clan mattered most.

Best of all, Luo Yan was the first son of Luo State's ruling house to serve as a minister in another state. To Chu State, that was a gilded seal of prestige.

No one understood better than the Sage King's descendants who belonged to the barbarians and who belonged to All Xia.

Through Luo Yan's introductions, the Crown Prince of Chu State finally began to enter the circle of Central Plains lords, at least on the surface. Inwardly, however, they still regarded him with wariness.

That was only natural. How could more than a century of estrangement vanish in so little time?

At least he fared much better than Yue State. Wu State was a Ji-clan state, founded by descendants of the royal house. Although it had not paid court to Zhou for years, ties of common ancestry could still be traced.

Yue State, an exiled state of the Si Clan, was in a miserable position. Its greatest fellow clansman was Qi State of the Si Clan, but although Qi was a duchy, it was weak itself. The entire group of Si-clan states had little presence within the system of the All Xia states.

They fell far short not only of the Jiang clan, but even of the Zi clan, the Gui clan, and the Ying Lineage, which had once been far beneath them.

As bells rang throughout the city, the lords began making their way into the palace according to their noble ranks and positions within the royal court.

This was a great change from more than two hundred years earlier, when hierarchy had been determined almost entirely by bloodline. Bloodline was not unimportant, but noble rank mattered more-this had become the consensus of the age.

Inside Luoyi's Royal Palace, Luo Cheng was adjusting Ji Fu's imperial crown. The scene somewhat resembled Ji Zhao straightening Ji Yun's robes more than two hundred years earlier.

"Son of Heaven, do you know that there are three kinds of kings?"

"Three kinds of kings?" Ji Fu shook his head in puzzlement. "I do not. Please enlighten me, Duke of Luo."

"These were the Sage King's words.

The highest king walks an open and upright path. He unites his ministers' hearts through ideals and orders his state through virtue. Thus, even after his death, his ministers will loyally support his descendants.

The middle king walks the path of domination, subduing others through might. Such a ruler believes he need not trust his ministers. So long as he overwhelms them with force, everything will follow his will. This is not necessarily wrong, but rulers of this kind usually kill ministers who have rendered great service, because they themselves understand that there is no trust between ruler and minister.

The lowest king places his faith in conspiracies and schemes, worshiping political manipulation as truth. He plays at balancing factions without regard for his state's development. A state ruled by such a monarch cannot grow strong. Like a pool of stagnant water, it slowly rots and stinks, until the great edifice collapses and all is utterly lost.

As for rulers worse than the lowest king, they no longer deserve to be called rulers."

This was the first time Ji Fu had heard such a theory. His little eyes filled with astonishment, and he could not help asking, "Duke of Luo, I wish to become the highest king. What should I do?"

Luo Cheng smoothed out a crease and smiled. "Your Majesty, I will teach you gradually, beginning with The Way of the King, written by the Sage King.

The lords have arrived. Your Majesty, an assembly of the lords is the open and upright way of kings. This is the first step toward the Zhou State's revival. Watch carefully today."

A true king should, of course, make the kingly way his foundation and domination his supplement, with his ministers providing the way of stratagems.

But Ji Fu lacked the talent to learn domination and stratagems. Kindhearted by nature, he was suited only to the kingly way. After all, people in this age were still relatively simple and sincere, and loyal ministers and righteous men were abundant.

"King arrives!" Luo Cheng and Ji Fu entered together.

All the lords returned to their places, straightened their backs, knelt, lowered their heads, and held their hands still. In moments, the previously clamorous hall fell silent.

Groups of palace maids passed through, replacing every lord's Wine Goblets, while the musicians began performing the Son of Heaven's ceremonial music. Its majestic sound resounded through the hall.

Restricted by the Rites of Zhou, the lords could not use many instruments. Throughout the Zhou State, many pieces of music could be performed in full only at the Son of Heaven's court.

"My lords.

Since the Sage King's Eastern Campaign, the Zhou State has never experienced warfare on such a scale. From west of Haojing to the shores of the eastern sea, from north of the Yan Mountains to south of the great river, war raged everywhere across the Zhou State's vast lands.

Jin State and Wei State defeated the Di People. Yan State defeated the Mountain Hu. Qi State crushed the Lai Yi State. Song and Chen, Wu-Yue, Shen, Sui, Tang, and Jiao struck down Xu State. Luo State and Chu State defeated the powerful Huai Yi in Ying State and Xu State.

What a glorious victory! The lands of All Xia still enjoy Heaven's protection. For fifty years, our descendants need not fear invasions by these frontier barbarians."

Luo Cheng raised his Wine Goblets high in excitement and cried, "Hail!"

All the lords raised their Wine Goblets high and answered as one, "Hail!"

After three cries, Luo Cheng continued, "So long as we gather beneath the Son of Heaven's throne, faithfully observe the Rites of Zhou, develop our states, and hold regular assemblies, can those barbarians possibly shake the Zhou State?"

"No!"

The lords had naturally witnessed the power of unity, and all responded.

Luo Cheng called out again, "My lords, more than two hundred years ago, the first generation of lords swore an oath before King Kang and the Sage King, bringing forth the prosperity of King Kang's reign.

More than a hundred years ago, the lords likewise swore an oath before King Zhao and Duke Wen of Luo, bringing forth the prosperity of King Zhao's reign.

Today, before the King, let us once again seal our alliance with blood, never betray it, jointly uphold the Zhou State, and together support the Son of Heaven to create an age of prosperity!"

"Hail! Hail! Hail!"

All the lords once again raised their Wine Goblets high. Everyone stood and shouted, their echoes swirling through the hall.

Overwhelmed by the scene, Ji Fu was pulled to his feet by Luo Cheng. His arm rose high, and all the musicians raised the music's volume once more, until it sounded like the thunder of war drums.

How long had it been since the Son of Heaven possessed such authority?

No one knew. But now everyone knew that, with Luo State committing everything it had, the royal house was destined to flourish.

A young Son of Heaven, a regent of the Luo Clan-the Zhou State's mandate of Heaven seemed forever to flow between the two.

This was a new era, the era of Luo Cheng and Ji Fu.

The assembly of lords during King Yi's reign was the last such assembly initiated by the Son of Heaven of Zhou. All the lords prostrated themselves beneath the throne. Having endured the Haojing Shen-Rong Rebellion, the Zhou royal house seemed to have returned to its position as sovereign of the realm.

Over the following twenty years, the Zhou royal house vigorously upheld the Rites of Zhou and the lineage system. In particular, it forcefully suppressed the attempts of Jin State's junior Quwo branch to supplant the senior branch, bringing the prestige of King Yi and Duke Xuan of Luo, ruler and minister, to its peak among the lords.-The Rise and Fall of the Zhou Dynasty

I love this kind of sudden destruction after the utmost glory. Like fireworks, it is beautiful and dazzling, impossible not to become enthralled by.

Please leave more comments. I can see them in my dashboard. I put a great deal of care into the closing remarks for this chapter and the next two, and I really hope you will comment a little more.