Luo State, Zhao City.
This was indisputably the largest city in Luo State, home to over eighty percent of its ducal clan.
This was especially true after Luo State's eleventh ruler, Luoyang, had begun restoring the ducal clan's population, granting vast tracts of land from the ruling house's holdings and increasing the privileges previously afforded to the clan's children.
After so many years of recuperation, the number of young descendants in Luo State's ducal clan had gradually recovered. Luo State finally possessed the capital to manipulate the world once more.
The reigning Marquis of Luo was named Luo Xiu, the state's thirteenth ruler.
[Ability attributes: Political Maneuvering: 90 (88+2) (+2 from an Attribute Card); statecraft: 84; personnel management: 82; command: 80; martial prowess: 84; military strategy: 83. Clan Head's Prestige: ① Royal House: cold; ② royal clan: neutral; ③ feudal lords: neutral; ④ army: friendly; ⑤ state people: respectful. Clan Prestige: ① Royal House: friendly; ② royal clan: respectful; ③ feudal lords: respectful; ④ army: respectful; ⑤ state people: respectful.]
The Luo Clan now consisted of three branches: the main house in Luo State, the Chu State branch, and the Ying State of Ying branch.
However, the newest generation of the Luo Clan's descendants in the other two states no longer bore red marks between their brows. This proved they had lost the Sage King's protection.
The ruling house residing in Luo State currently had fifteen adult men and seventeen minors. First came the current Marquis of Luo, Xiu, who had three adult legitimate children: Crown Prince Xi, Prince Ge, and Prince Yun.
He had one full younger brother, whose four legitimate sons were adults. Then there were Luo Xiu's two male cousins and his own four nephews through his cousins. These fifteen men were all listed in Ji Zhao's system, and were also the fifteen people upon whom he could bestow Ancestors’ Blessing.
As Ji Zhao's influence over the family head grew, Luo State's succession law now combined eldest legitimate son succession with succession determined by the ancestor.
Although Luo Xiu's attributes did not qualify him as a genius, he was the Luo Clan's second child of the Mandate of Heaven in over three hundred years. Ji Zhao had fallen asleep during Luoyang's reign and remained so until the system awakened him upon Luo Xiu's birth.
Over the years, he had watched not only Luo Xiu but all the Luo Clan's descendants. He could only say he was rather disappointed. They were not bad, but in an age of great contention like the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, mediocrity meant falling behind.
None of these fifteen had poor talents. Almost all had one or two attributes above eighty, and one even had martial prowess of ninety. Yet martial prowess was not particularly useful to a family's continued legacy.
History was a chronicle of the ruthless crushing the brainless.
Still, these descendants had been born into the Luo State Ruling House. Under the Luo Clan's education, their perspective, abilities, and talents could generally be brought fully into play. So long as they followed established rules, they would make no major mistakes.
Ji Zhao had added two points to Luo Xiu's attribute. After all, the gap in talent between eighty-eight and ninety was decisive.
An attribute of eighty-eight lacked that flash of inspired insight. At critical moments, it could not pierce the fog of the times, much less lead an era's development. A child of the Mandate of Heaven had finally appeared; he should not be constrained by his attributes.
In fact, Ji Zhao had been very curious when Luo Xiu was born. The Luo Clan's previous child of the Mandate of Heaven had been Luo Su, his favorite Descendants to this day, without exception.
At his full potential, Luo Su had been a brilliant moon hanging in the sky of his era, capable of pinning down and beating everyone in the world except Xiong Dun with one hand.
What qualified Luo Xiu, with his rather mediocre attributes, to receive Heaven's favor?
Ji Zhao had kept observing him, then discovered that Luo Xiu was an eccentric talent. As a ruler, he was indeed ordinary, but when it came to "neglecting his proper duties," his talent was maxed out.
He was a scholarly ruler, and under his reign, Luo State's academic environment had undergone a tremendous improvement.
If there had been numerical indicators, Luo State's current status would probably have read: scholar attraction +100%, compilation speed of classical texts +100%, literary aura +100%.
The academy he founded was especially notable. On the surface, he invited highly talented people to teach the people of Luo State to read, but at the same time, he encouraged the students to actively discuss affairs of state.
Previously, academies of this kind had all been Official Learning institutions of the Son of Heaven. What distinguished the Luo Clan Academy was that it was the first academy ordinary state people could attend.
Those talented prime scholars and state people who had been suppressed by the hierarchy for the past two hundred years could finally display their abilities.
No matter how Ji Zhao looked at it, it resembled a combination of the Jixia Academy and the Grand Academy. To create something like this in such an era-he truly deserved to be called a child of the Mandate of Heaven.
Especially when, ten years after the academy's establishment, the system displayed a message.
[The Sage Academy has been established for ten years. This is the first formal academy in history. Its fame will flow forever through the long river of history. You have obtained a mystic-tier item-the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart.] [Mystic Tier · Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart (deep love shortens life; supreme wisdom invites harm): activate this card and designate one person. Their potential talent in military strategy and Political Maneuvering will rise to 99, but their lifespan will not exceed thirty years.]
When the system actually rewarded him with a mystic-tier item, he understood what it meant to be Father Heaven's most beloved child.
A mystic-tier item!
Even setting aside the difference in fortune points.
How many achievements had Luo Cheng amassed in his lifetime? Suppressing the barbarian rebellions on all four frontiers alone was enough to leave his name in history, and he had also served as regent. All that had earned Ji Zhao only two mystic-tier items.
There was a considerable difference between items drawn in lotteries and those granted directly by the system. These achievement rewards could not be drawn from the prize pool.
Luo State's strength was expanding, but its relations with the Royal House were very cold. To draw a clear line between himself and Prince An, Luo Ren had proclaimed to the world that Luo State would "pay no homage to Zhou State for a hundred years," and Luoyang had carried that policy through completely.
With no top-tier talents in the ruling house over these years, and without the added status of serving as the Son of Heaven's ministers, Luo State should have entered a period of decline.
Yet three successive Marquises of Luo had chosen to relinquish political administration, selecting capable people from the ducal and High Minister Clans to serve as ministers and grand officers and govern the state. The ruling house controlled the most elite troops, including Luo State Dare-to-Fight Warriors.
Moreover, Luo State's political situation had always been stable. Its strength had therefore continued to rise steadily over the years. Some territories relinquished in Luoyang's era had gradually been recovered, its population kept growing, and its army kept becoming stronger.
Since taking the throne, Luo Xiu had frequently given Wei State, the Marquis of Han, and Xing State a sharp reminder of their place. He had also resumed the mission of suppressing the barbarians and developing All Xia, which had been somewhat relaxed in previous decades due to limited strength.
Had it not been for this goal of the kingly way, Luo State would long since have stopped indulging Wei State's ruling house, which practically begged for a beating and had even secretly occupied land while Luo State was weak.
Yet over the years, this ultimate goal seemed to have grown increasingly difficult.
As the Royal House declined and the feudal states fought separately, the barbarians had surged back like a tide, leaving many feudal lords in untold misery.
Among All Xia, only powerful states such as Luo State, Jin State, and Chu State could remain unaffected by barbarian incursions and even increase their strength.
By now, Luo Xiu believed they could no longer allow the situation to fester. They had to begin resolving the problem immediately.
Past Marquises of Luo had chosen the kingly approach of supporting the Royal House and then uniting the feudal lords, but Luo Xiu believed this path was no longer suitable.
Although Luo State still did its utmost to honor the Rites of Zhou, since Luo Ren's time, perceptive members of the ruling house had clearly sensed that the world was changing. The Way of the King was gradually becoming unsuited to this era.
The whole world was moving toward the collapse of rites and the corruption of music. The root of it all lay in the Royal House's loss of authority and strength.
Throughout the All Xia states, there was no longer anyone capable of uniting all the feudal lords.
Previously, the Royal House and the Luo Clan had jointly fulfilled this role, but Luo State truly had no desire to touch the Royal House's rotten mess now.
Someone else would have to shoulder that responsibility.
"What?"
Crown Prince Xi of Luo was stunned by her father's words.
She asked incredulously, "Father, kill Marquis of Qi Wujiu? He is the ruler of a state. Shouldn't we reconsider this?"
Luo Xiu snorted coldly. "What Marquis of Qi? He is nothing but a traitorous minister who murdered his ruler and seized the throne."
That was true enough. The current Marquis of Qi had originally been the previous marquis's nephew. He had murdered his predecessor and taken his position.
Such acts of regicide and usurpation within ruling houses were quite common among the feudal states now.
Luo Xi asked in confusion, "But Lü Wu Jiu has been Marquis of Qi for several years already. What would assassinating him now accomplish?"
King Xi had murdered his elder brother to take the throne, yet the feudal lords now acknowledged the throne in Luoyi. Although Lü Wu Jiu had murdered his ruler, so many years had passed that almost no one cared anymore.
Luo Xiu said thoughtfully, "The All Xia states today suffer deeply from barbarian incursions. Across the land, the rank stench of flesh fills the air.
"The hearts of the people are unsettled. They have long hoped someone would step forward, unite the feudal lords of the four quarters, and uphold the great cause of the kingly way.
"Only Qi State, Jin State, and Chu State have the strength to do this. Chu State is out of consideration, leaving Qi and Jin.
"Jin State is somewhat troubled now and cannot bear this great responsibility. Besides, we currently lack sufficient leverage to keep it in check, so I intend to have Qi State undertake this task.
"I have already given Lü Wu Jiu several years, but throughout those years, Qi State has been mired in misrule and disorder, suffering repeated defeats in its wars against the Lai Yi.
"This proves he is incompetent. Does such a man deserve to rule Qi State?
"Although Lü Wu Jiu has not damaged relations with Luo State over these years, he has damaged Qi State's relations with Yan State. What utter folly!
"Discontent with Lü Wu Jiu within Qi State has gradually surfaced, and my tolerance for him has reached its limit. I believe the situation in Qi State has become as irreconcilable as fire and water. If we give the boat a push with the current, his death will be certain."
Luo Xi understood this answer, but immediately asked, "Father, why don't we do it ourselves? Surely Luo State's prestige is sufficient to shoulder this responsibility."
Luo Xiu said nothing, merely gazing quietly at his child. Luo Xi soon understood the reasoning. "The Royal House? Our reputation?"
Luo Xiu was quite pleased that Luo Xi had grasped it so quickly.
"Exactly. The Royal House. No single feudal lord's prestige alone is enough to unite the others.
"Even reviving the old title of Bearer of the King’s Mandate would not suffice. To unite every feudal lord under Heaven, we must have the banner of the Son of Heaven of Zhou.
"Moreover, once this succeeds, coercing the Son of Heaven will be inevitable. That would harm the Luo Clan's reputation."
Luo Xi understood. Ever since King Xi had murdered Crown Prince Jin, relations between Luo State and the Royal House had fallen to freezing point.
Luo Xiu's great-grandfather, Luo Ren, had sworn that Luo State would pay no homage to Zhou State for a hundred years. Everyone knew it, and the Bronze Pillar erected during Luoyang's reign still stood in the city.
Naturally, Luo State would not pay court to the Son of Heaven of Zhou. Furthermore, even when members of the Luo Clan had served as regents in the past, they had always done so legitimately and lawfully. This was clearly a bid for hegemony, something Luo State could not touch.
"You intend to kill Marquis of Qi Wujiu, then send Xiao Bai home to succeed him?" Luo Xi thought of her younger cousin, the prince of Qi State living in exile in Luo State.
"Exactly. Qi State's crown prince has already passed away. Once Lü Wu Jiu is killed, Xiao Bai can return home and take the throne."
Faced with such a chaotic world, Luo State naturally would not rigidly observe the Rites of Zhou except on matters of principle.
That would not be observance of rites, but stupidity.
Within the ruling house, they still enforced the lineage system strictly, but when intervening in other states' affairs, they were thoroughly pragmatic.
Thus, the course before the Marquis of Luo was to send Prince Xiaobai of Qi State home to inherit the throne. He carried Luo Clan blood and was close to Luo State.
Once Lü Xiao Bai returned home and took the throne, Qi State's solid foundations-its population and land-would allow its strength to recover swiftly, provided its ruler was sensible and had a few reliable ministers.
As Luo State's traditional ally, and with the Marquis of Luo's nephew on its throne, a powerful Qi State would give Luo State more room to maneuver.
With the Luo Clan also assisting in secret, Qi State could grow stronger still. Uniting the feudal lords and becoming hegemon of the Central Plains would pose no problem.
For over three hundred years, the Luo Clan had helped the Royal House in precisely this manner and had ample experience. When the time came, Qi State would take the lead in paying homage to the Son of Heaven, convening alliances among the feudal lords, and uniting All Xia.
Luo State could both express its disdain for the Royal House and draw upon its strength, joining hands with Qi State to dispel the baleful atmosphere hanging over the All Xia states.
Even Ji Zhao clicked his tongue in admiration at this perfect plan. It hardly seemed like something a man with Luo Xiu's attributes could devise.
Ordinarily, he indeed could not have conceived it. But the Luo State Ruling House had too many books recording experience in governance. Standing on the shoulders of giants, it was perfectly normal to display abilities beyond one's attributes.
The most suitable candidate had originally been Qi State's former crown prince, the son of a legitimate Luo Clan daughter. Prince Xiaobai's mother, however, had been a concubine who accompanied that legitimate daughter in marriage, and was Luo Xiu's younger half-sister born of a concubine.
To Luo Xiu, though, there was little difference. They were both his sisters, after all.
"Father, I will send people to handle it at once."
Having understood the circumstances and her father's plan, Luo Xi immediately prepared to arrange the task. Luo State had a group of people who specialized in such matters.
Moreover, the ruling house possessed a trump card!
The sprawling Luo Clan Academy, founded by Luo Xiu, stood in Zhao City, Luo State's capital.
Within Luo State, the state people called the Luo Clan Academy an advanced counterpart to the Luo State Public Academy. Here, too, the ruling house invited talented people to teach.
Most of its students came from Luo State's ducal, ministerial, and scholar clans, or from the state people. A small number were noble children from other feudal states.
These students attended lectures as usual and could freely express their views on the writings of earlier sages in their spare time.
The Luo State Ruling House particularly encouraged interpretations of the Sage King's classics. After all, who knew whether wise minds whose talents had yet to shine were hidden among them?
If an interpretation was good, the Luo State Ruling House never begrudged rewards.
To the Luo State Ruling House, gaining the wisdom of wise men for nothing more than some money was an enormous bargain.
Since they were all children of the nobility and most would become officials someday, their discussions most often concerned plans for the Zhou State, or at the very least, ways to make a single state prosperous and strong.
If a good suggestion was adopted, even an ordinary member of the state people could ascend to the heavens in a single step and become a grand officer.
After classes ended that day, students emerged from the academy in twos and threes. Two walked together.
The slightly older man among them had an extraordinary bearing. If Ji Zhao could have seen his attributes, he would probably have felt that his own family was full of fools.
[Political Maneuvering: 92 (96); statecraft: 93 (97); personnel management: 92 (95); command: 72; martial prowess: 84; military strategy: 83.]
This was a phenomenal minister who surpassed even Luo Su by a slight margin!
His name was Guan Zhong, of the Ji surname and Guan clan, given name Yiwu, courtesy name Zhong. He belonged to Luo State's ducal clan, and was still within the five degrees of mourning kinship.
Lü Xiao Bai had no idea his uncle and cousin had already begun making arrangements for him. Every day, he happily attended classes and played.
He was about to invite Guan Zhong to practice archery, only to discover that Guan Zhong was completely lost in thought, muttering something under his breath.
"Zhong, what are you thinking about? Why are you so distracted?"
Startled out of his contemplation, Guan Zhong said excitedly, his words tumbling over one another, "Xiao Bai, Lord Qingling's lecture today woke me as if from a dream.
"In King Yi's reign, the All Xia states joined hands to campaign against Yi and Di. Every state honored the Royal House. For twenty years, the world enjoyed good governance, and Yi and Di dared not invade.
"When King Xi took the throne, the feudal lords ceased paying homage and fought separately. Now Yi and Di incursions never cease, and All Xia languishes. I could never work out how to solve this problem.
"But today, when Lord Qingling lectured on 'The Way of the King,' I finally understood.
"The Way of the King cannot rest content in a corner; Xia and the barbarians cannot stand together!
"Yi and Di flourish now precisely because the Royal House is declining and the kingly way is weak. Since the kingly way is weak, we must use other means to reinforce it.
"Ancestor Sage King truly lived up to his name. This is the wisdom of a sage.
"The answer to a problem that troubled me for so long was hidden in these few words."
Had Luo Xiu been there, he would certainly have regarded him as a heavenly genius. Luo Xiu had arrived at this insight through the crystallized wisdom left by generations of the Luo Clan’s ancestors; this man had thought of it entirely on his own.
Lü Xiao Bai grew even more confused, but he knew Guan Zhong was a man of great talent. Across the entire Zhou State, few could compare with him.
So he asked curiously, "Zhong, what have you thought of?"
Light shone in Guan Zhong's eyes as he declared with ringing conviction, "Venerate the King!"
"Venerate the King?"
The phrase had already become unfamiliar in this era.
The Royal House in Luoyi had suffered the blow of Luo State refusing homage to Zhou State from the moment it came into being. King Xi had drawn close to Zheng State, but by King Dao's reign, the two had gradually drifted apart again.
Now, none of the feudal lords paid attention to the Royal House. Although they still maintained outward respect, even their tribute was perfunctory. Yet Guan Zhong had actually spoken of venerating the king.
Lü Xiao Bai asked in surprise, "Zhong, after King Yi, the Royal House fell into infighting and chaos. Now even my uncle won't serve as the Son of Heaven's Minister. Who else would venerate the king?"
The uncle Lü Xiao Bai mentioned was Luo Xiu. With Luo State adopting such an attitude toward the Royal House, the other feudal lords naturally followed suit.
"The Royal House is declining, but the king is still the common sovereign of the world and represents the righteous cause of the kingly way.
"Our ruler refuses homage to Zhou State for reasons that cannot be stated openly. But the other feudal lords still acknowledge the Royal House, especially those whose own accession was irregular.
"In the world's current situation, the Royal House can play an enormous role as a banner. I will go back and organize my thoughts, then write an essay titled 'Venerate the King.' I'll have to trouble you to submit it to our ruler for me, Xiao Bai."
As Luo Xiu's nephew, Lü Xiao Bai could see him directly, so Guan Zhong asked him for the favor.
Lü Xiao Bai was still living leisurely in Luo State, unaware that a slaughter centered on him was already unfolding in secret within Qi State.
Ever since Luo Yan, a ninth-generation legitimate son of the Luo Clan, had entered Chu State's service, a steady stream of descendants from the ruling house's outermost generations and the ducal clan had entered the service of other feudal states.
The greatest numbers had gone to Jin State and Qi State, Luo State's two traditional allies. Members of those states' ducal clans also lived in Luo State.
Chu State came next. The branch descended from Luo Yan, who had migrated there, now wielded overwhelming power in Chu State. Many unaccomplished descendants of Luo State's ruling house and ducal clan had gone there to seek support from their clansmen.
Within Qi State, the most powerful High Minister Clans were now the Gao Clan, the Yun Clan, and the An Clan. Of these, the An Clan, a branch of the Luo Clan, had been established there for the shortest time.
The An Clan's rise had been propelled by Luo State. After Luo State's strategic focus turned inward and it lost the Son of Heaven as a mediator, maintaining relations with its traditional allies became a paramount concern.
Relying solely on marriages between the main lineages was unstable, so Luo State chose to send members of its ducal clan, and even its ruling house, into other states' service in exchange for political goodwill.
Its efforts in Qi State had originally been the most successful.
The An Clan's ancestor had belonged to one of the Luo Clan Lineage and had accompanied a noble daughter when she married into Qi State. Since his next generation would be demoted to the ducal clan anyway, he had felt no particular reservations about moving to Qi State.
The Marquis of Qi had enfeoffed this group in An Land. Later, they won military merit in Qi State's wars abroad.
Through warfare, the An Clan began gaining power in Qi State, while taking advantage of the deaths of many ministerial clansmen during the turmoil to expand its influence.
With the help of the Lady of Qi State, everything the An Clan did went smoothly.
Luo State provided abundant resources throughout this process, allowing the An Clan to buy over other High Minister Clans and the State People with small favors.
Through marriage alliances with Qi State's ruling house and Ducal Clan, the An Clan infiltrated the entire Ducal Clan hierarchy, steadily increasing its power.
By the time it enthroned a new ruler—the previous Marquis of Qi—the An Clan's influence in Qi State already rivaled that of the High Minister Clans entrenched there for generations.
But Lü Wu Jiu killed the previous Marquis of Qi and the Crown Prince, and the princes fled into exile in other states. As supporters of the Crown Prince, the An Clan could only lie low for the time being.
This left them deeply dissatisfied, especially since Lü Wu Jiu clearly distrusted the An Clan and suppressed its growth. It planted the thought of killing Lü Wu Jiu and enthroning another ruler in their minds.
Such thinking was common among the states of the time, so common that it no longer surprised anyone.
Both princes were in exile. Prince Xiaobai, who had fled to Luo State and carried the Luo Clan's blood, was their first choice.
After coordinating with the Luo Clan, the An Clan immediately began tracking Lü Wu Jiu's movements, preparing to strike.
That day, Lü Wu Jiu was taking his trusted followers hunting at the hunting grounds in Linzi. Leading their hunting dogs, the party was thoroughly enjoying itself.
Just then, an arrow suddenly shot out of the woods, flying straight toward Lü Wu Jiu. Unexpectedly, he was so alert that he actually dodged the fatal shot.
"An assassin!" Lü Wu Jiu shouted, his face filled with terror. He had killed the previous Marquis of Qi in just this fashion, and naturally understood that someone was now making a move against him.
"Protect the Lord of the State!"
The guards recovered their senses and immediately swarmed around him. The ministers and grandees rushed forward with swords and sabers in hand, ready to shield Lü Wu Jiu behind them.
Seeing that the assassin had failed, Grandee An Ning, head of the An Clan, wasted no time. He led his armored retainers forward to settle matters by force.
"So it really is you remnants of the Luo Clan!
"You wretched traitors! Had I killed you back then, none of this would have happened today."
Lü Wu Jiu cursed bitterly, utterly oblivious to the fact that he was the usurper. Grandee An Ning immediately roared, "Wu Jiu!
"You murdered your ruler and usurped his throne! The State People long to devour your flesh and drink your blood. For years, you have defied all that is right and shown no compassion for them. Did you think Qi State had no loyal and upright men left?
"Today, you will die here, and your blood will be offered to the late ruler!"
With that, the two groups began fighting. No one noticed the man hidden at the top of a tall tree.
His name was Luo Lianshe, a scion of Luo State's ruling house. His martial prowess had reached 90, making him the only member of the ruling house to attain that level.
Luo Xiu had personally changed his name after he grew up, because his archery was simply too exquisite.
Give him a powerful bow, and any target within a hundred and fifty paces was certain to die!
The stakes this time were too high. Luo Xi feared that the men arranged by the An Clan might fail, so she had specially brought Lianshe to Qi State.
Watching the melee unfold below, Luo Lianshe remained expressionless. He raised his bow, drew the string, and narrowed his eyes slightly. The arrow whistled through the air. Without armor, Lü Wu Jiu was nothing more than cattle or sheep awaiting slaughter.
Thuk!
It was the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh. Lü Wu Jiu stared in disbelief at the arrow protruding from his chest.
Everyone was stunned. Delight instantly spread across Grandee An Ning's face, and he shouted, "Wu Jiu has been executed! Will you still fight like cornered beasts?"
These men were not Lü Wu Jiu's kin. Ordinarily, once their lord died, most would not keep fighting to the bitter end, apart from a few loyal followers.
Thus, after exchanging a few glances, most of them stopped attacking. Only a handful of his closest followers continued.
Luo Lianshe slipped away amid the chaos. A carriage appeared outside the hunting grounds. He darted inside and said in a low voice, "Heir, Lü Wu Jiu is dead."
Luo Xi sighed. "Lianshe, with such valor, you truly are the Luo Clan's thousand-mile colt. Our state's great undertaking has succeeded!"
The Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period united the feudal lords and propped up the falling heavens, their prestige resounding far and wide. Yet I held them in utter disdain.
Favored by the Luo Clan, they flourished; abandoned by the Luo Clan, they fell. Were these hegemons? They were merely the Luo Clan's watchdogs! -Miscellanies on the Spring and Autumn Period
Were it not for Guan Zhong, we would have worn our hair disheveled and our robes folded to the left!
After the Duke of Zhou, he contributed more to All Xia during the Spring and Autumn Period than anyone else, without exception!
Also, I adjusted Guan Zhong's age a little out of personal preference. I'll explain in later chapters, so I won't spoil it here.
Before you continue