Yan State.
Ji Zhao's chariot rumbled forward, countless captives prostrate on the ground before him. Yan State was populated entirely by former subjects of Yin Shang. Its previous ruler had died on the banks of the Luo River while following Wu Geng in rebellion. More than a year had passed since that great battle, and the army had fought its way east.
During that time, the army had first attacked the small Eastern Yi tribes settled in the various large cities, cutting off their contact with the outside world. After smoothly wiping out dozens of tribes along the way, it had turned north to attack those states.
Yan State was the largest of them. Its defenders had held the city and inflicted considerable casualties on the army. Now that he had entered the city, Ji Zhao swept a cold gaze over it and raised his sword. "The people of Yan State refused to honor the mandate of heaven. If they go unpunished, Heaven will surely be enraged. Kill every male taller than a chariot wheel. Castrate those shorter than a wheel and bestow them upon the feudal lords as palace servants. Enslave all the remaining women and distribute them among the feudal lords, ministers, officers, and commoners according to their merits. Such punishment should satisfy Heaven."
The soldiers dragged the captives away one by one. Another bloody slaughter followed, something that had become routine over the past year.
The feudal lords exchanged uneasy glances. Of all the conquered states, Yan State had suffered the worst fate. The march east had been little more than a trail of slaughter. Countless Eastern Yi people and old Yin Shang clans had been enslaved. At this rate, in another year, the old Yin Shang clans as traditionally understood would be nothing more than a historical term.
Ji Zhao's methods were simply too ruthless. He looked refined and cultured, but in truth, he was a butcher. These days, even Taigong Wang rarely offered objections. The other feudal lords were even more terrified, doing whatever Ji Zhao ordered without daring to utter a single word of refusal.
In truth, many felt they should have begun offering concessions long ago. As the saying went, "Invite them to dinner, cut off their heads, then take the survivors in as dogs." They had done more than enough beheading. Those who remained were already scared out of their wits, providing money or men whenever asked. Continuing the slaughter would benefit no one.
The wealth plundered by the army could no longer cover the cost of its provisions, which was another reason for the mass killings. They could barely guarantee food for the soldiers. How could they possibly spare any for slaves?
But they dared not speak up. Taigong Wang, meanwhile, knew what Ji Zhao intended and therefore said nothing either.
Ji Zhao naturally understood the current situation very well, but he had his own objectives. The old Yin Shang clans were still somewhat too powerful. Given a decade or more to recover, they would upset the balance of power in the Land of Yi-Luo.
Moreover, the Eastern Campaign was an event of supreme importance to the Zhou State, almost comparable to Emperor Gaozu of Han Liu Bang's suppression of the Kings of Different Surnames. Only by completing the Eastern Campaign could the Son of Heaven of Zhou truly become the sovereign of all under Heaven. Besides, as the campaign progressed, the Fortune Points he gained at every moment made it impossible for him to abandon it.
He had spent ten thousand Fortune Points on this Eastern Campaign, drawing two Yellow Tier items and several Blank Items. Naturally, he needed to earn those points back, so he had slaughtered the people of the former Yin Shang states without restraint.
After taking Yan State and carrying out one final massacre of the old Yin Shang clans, the Eastern Campaign's progress bar had reached its end. The system judged that the campaign's objectives had been fully accomplished. With his Fortune Points no longer increasing, he naturally had no reason to commit further slaughter.
[Clan leader: Ji Zhao, Luo Zhao (first-generation founding ancestor) Noble rank: marquis (ruler of a state) States: Zhou Dynasty, Luo State. Faction: Royal House. Politics: 90; strategy: 90; military tactics: 92. Faction reputation: hostile, cold, neutral, friendly, respectful, admiring. ① Royal clan: friendly; ② Nobility: respectful; ③ Army: respectful; ④ Citizens: friendly; ⑤ Rebels: hostile. Fortune Points: 23426 Items: ① Heaven Tier · Celestial Card (Could anyone be like this unless he were a Heavenly Avatar?): using this card instantly makes the user an embodiment of wisdom for the ages, raising all three attributes to 100. As a chancellor, he can stabilize the state, soothe the people, and supply provisions, ensuring the army's supply lines never fail; as a chief strategist, he can devise plans within his tent and decide victories a thousand miles away; as a commander, he can unite a million troops, win every battle, and take every target. ② Heaven Tier · Celestial Observatory Platform: a divine artifact that safeguards the state. The user can construct it according to its blueprints. Once it is completed, standing within it allows the user to regulate the weather throughout a state, blessing the dynasty with favorable winds and timely rain. ③ Earth Tier · Heart-Knot: using this item links the user to one person, whose trust remains fixed at its maximum value. ④ Yellow Tier · June Snow: causes a snowfall at a designated time and place. ⑤ Blank Item ×3: can be exchanged for specified real-world objects from the current time and space.]
With that in mind, Ji Zhao looked around at the feudal lords clustered about him. "The army has fought for days on end. We will rest in Yan State for now. Send envoys to every state. Heaven cherishes life, and this is their final chance. Within fifteen days, they must come before me in Yan State, bare-backed and bearing thorn branches in penance. If they fail to come, they will share Yan State's fate."
Everyone's eyes instantly lit up. The war was over. Next came the division of the spoils.
As the envoys rode out of Yan State, the gloom hanging over the former lands of Yinxu seemed to lift a little.
The rulers who received the message dared not hesitate for even a moment. One after another, they set out in their chariots with their guards to pay homage to Ji Zhao in Yan State.
Once the feudal lords and rulers of the various states had assembled in Yan State, Ji Zhao received them in its palace. He sat at the head of the hall, with the dukes, marquises, and earls who had accompanied the army seated in two rows to either side.
The rulers from the former lands of Yin Shang shuffled forward on their knees and bowed their heads, trembling as they spoke. "We, humble servants of small states, pay our respects to the Grand Steward of the great Zhou State. May you shine upon all under Heaven as eternally as the sun."
"Raise your heads."
Only then did they dare look up. At the head of the hall sat a refined middle-aged man, gazing at them without expression. Another wave of terror swept through them, and they could not stop their bodies from trembling.
Ji Zhao's icy voice rang out. "I led this army east because Wu Geng joined the three traitors of Guan, Yong, and Bei in rebellion. All four have now been beheaded, and their heads sent to Haojing. Wu Geng was your former king. I imagine you must be deeply dissatisfied with the Zhou State?"
The ruler of Pu State knocked his head against the floor, his voice thick with tears. "The Zhou State is the dynasty that inherited the mandate of heaven. Before Heaven, the Son of Heaven bestowed golden charters upon both Wu Geng and me. Wu Geng was a rebellious subject of the Son of Heaven, while I am his loyal servant, devoted solely to serving as his bulwark. How could I resent the Zhou State because of a traitor like Wu Geng? Grand Steward, your wisdom is deeper than the sea and loftier than Mount Tai. Surely you can see what lies in my heart."
Under these circumstances, declaring loyalty was the only way to find even the faintest chance of survival. After declaring that loyalty, they had to demonstrate their worth.
"Since the Lord of Pu is a loyal subject, I presume you will devote yourself to the king's affairs?"
Although Ji Zhao's tone had not softened, the Lord of Pu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Terms are good. If he's discussing terms, my life can be saved. He hurriedly replied, "Everything I possess was bestowed by the Son of Heaven. Naturally, I can dedicate it all to him. That is what a loyal subject should do."
"Well said. A loyal subject indeed. Had the four traitors of Guan, Yong, Bei, and Song possessed such understanding, they would not have died on the battlefield."
Seeing Ji Zhao's tone change, and that scoundrel the Lord of Pu apparently secure his life, the other feudal lords grew anxious. Even at a time like this, you're trying to get ahead of us? Have you no shame? They hurried to speak, clamoring over one another to beg for mercy.
"Grand Steward, I too am willing to dedicate everything to the Son of Heaven."
"..."
"Grand Steward, I am also a loyal subject of the Son of Heaven!"
"Grand Steward, I am willing to lead my tribe in submission to the Son of Heaven and heed his sacred words."
It was a ludicrous scene. Some of these men ruled states, others led tribes, yet now they could only crawl on their knees and beg for mercy.
At that moment, even the dukes, marquises, and earls felt the horror of war. A single defeat was all it would take to reduce their noble bloodlines to dust!
Watching the rulers frantically proclaim their loyalty, Ji Zhao smiled. "I imagine you all know that the former king entrusted me with an important task: building a capital in the Land of Yi-Luo. This concerns the continuation of our Zhou State's mandate of heaven. If you are willing to build this capital, I will believe you truly are loyal subjects of our great Zhou State."
A sharp hiss of indrawn breath rose.
The cost of building a royal capital was simply incalculable.
"I am willing!" The Lord of Pu truly knew how to curry favor. Without hesitation, he said, "I will mobilize all the labor in my state to give the construction of the capital my full support."
None of them had expected that scoundrel the Lord of Pu to be so decisive, or to sell them out yet again. They seethed with hatred, but had no choice except to bow their heads and declare their own loyalty.
A party accompanied Ji Zhao to survey the land along the Yi and Luo Rivers.
The Luoyi he intended to build here was the Luoyang of later ages. He wanted to leave a sufficiently deep mark on history, and completing this undertaking might even earn him a Mystic Tier item.
With every dynasty that established its capital here, this city would continue to provide him with a considerable number of Fortune Points. It was an investment with enormous returns.
"As expected of the land chosen by the former king as the seat of the mandate of heaven. Such fertile land and abundant water could support more than a million people. With Luoyi as the Royal Domain, we would no longer need to worry about rebellions in the east. Troops dispatched from here could suppress them in a matter of hours."
Taigong Wang considered it. "If we intend to build Luoyi on a greater scale than Haojing City, I fear it will take several years."
Ji Zhao did not mind. Full of confidence, he said, "As quickly as possible will suffice. The King still has many years before his coming-of-age ceremony and before he can lead campaigns in person. That gives us ample time to build Luoyi. Once the King takes personal control of government, we will institute a two-capital system. Everything from Haojing City to Luoyi will lie within the Son of Heaven's sphere of control."
"Who will oversee this undertaking?"
Ji Zhao and Taigong Wang were two of the Son of Heaven's Three Excellencies. Neither had returned to Haojing in two years. Naturally, they could not remain in the east any longer; they needed to return to Haojing City as soon as possible to oversee affairs.
The subsequent administration of the enfeoffed states, campaigns against the tribal peoples, and distribution of rewards were all major matters. This Eastern Campaign had brought the enfeoffment system fully into operation. The year when the feudal lords were due to pay homage was fast approaching, and as regent, he had to hurry back.
"Let my eldest legitimate son oversee the construction of Luoyi. He will take up residence in Luo State in my stead. It occupies a strategic position not far from Luoyi, making him ideally placed to keep watch over those old Yin Shang clans. I will come every winter to inspect the progress. That arrangement should suffice."
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