Ji Wan and Xiong Dun

After two generations of former kings had worked tirelessly to strengthen the state, the Son of Heaven's authority had grown ever more imposing. This was especially true in the Central Plains, where many Ji-Surname Feudal Lords held sway. The Duke of Song held a royal mandate granted by the Son of Heaven, so when he called an alliance assembly, the various states naturally had to attend.

While Luo Su and his two companions summoned the lords to an assembly in preparation to aid the king, the Son of Heaven of Zhou in Luoyi also began preparing for his southern campaign. He had grown up hearing stories of King Wu and the Sage King's Eastern Campaign and yearned to emulate those two former kings. His full treasury and powerful army gave him confidence.

Within the Royal Palace in Luoyi, ever since he had scolded and dismissed the senior ministers who opposed the southern campaign, Ji Wan had been eagerly pointing here and there over a battle map.

"Marquis of Ji, Marquis of You, tell me: once I capture that Chu Barbarian, how should I punish him to demonstrate the Son of Heaven's majesty?"

The Marquis of Ji stroked his beard, bobbing his head as he smiled. "Why not imprison him in a cart with his head exposed above it and send him through the various states? Their lords would surely be frightened and show the Son of Heaven greater respect."

The Marquis of You likewise offered his advice. "That Chu Barbarian has usurped the title of king. This is an outrageous act of treason. During the Sage King's Eastern Campaign, he inflicted castration widely in the Yan State. Once we breach the Chu Barbarians' capital, why not follow that precedent, castrate all the men, and enslave the women?"

Ji Wan's face lit up, only for the Marquis of Han to snap angrily, "Your Majesty must not listen to the flattering words of You and Ji! Though Xiong Dun's usurpation of the royal title is an unforgivable crime, executing him and his kin would be enough.

"Though the inhabitants of Danyang City are not Zhou People, they are still Xia People who understand the Rites of Zhou. Xia Lords and Yi People-transforming the Yi into Xia-is the national policy of our Zhou State. It must not be undermined in the slightest.

"Besides, those tens of thousands of Xia People could later be allotted to royal kinsmen and nobles as part of their fiefs.

"Simply killing them all would damage Your Majesty's benevolent reputation. It might even destroy in a single stroke the policy of Xia Lords and Yi People upheld by every former king since King Wu."

At the Royal Court, the Marquis of Han had sided with Luo Su in opposing Ji Wan's southern campaign. But with the Son of Heaven determined to proceed, he could only accompany the King.

Though he could not command troops, he was capable of serving as a strategist and offering advice on the battlefield. He only hoped to spot and remedy any oversights so they would not suffer too disastrous a defeat.

He had never imagined that their very first discussion of strategy would involve You and Ji offering such pernicious counsel, much less that the Son of Heaven would actually be tempted by it. His anger nearly made his beard bristle.

Ji Wan felt the Marquis of Han had a point and began to waver. Hesitantly, he addressed You and Ji. "Marquis of You, Marquis of Ji, I believe the Marquis of Han speaks reasonably. In years past, the meritorious men who accompanied our ancestors King Wu and the Sage King on their Eastern Campaign received commands to establish fiefs on newly conquered land. Once I have subdued the Chu Barbarians, I must richly reward those who distinguish themselves. Though the Chu State is a barbarian land, becoming the ruler of a state is still a favor. Besides, once they receive fiefs, there will be no need to award them much wealth."

Had Luo Su been present, he would probably have cursed inwardly again, perhaps even giving Ji Wan the nickname "the miserly Son of Heaven." He treated meritorious servants poorly and begrudged them wealth. The senior ministers at the Royal Court were either his royal kinsmen or relatives by marriage. They had left their own states, giving up sumptuous clothes, graceful beauties, and supreme status at home to assist him at the Royal Court, yet he could not bear to spare even a little wealth for them.

He lacked the ability to cow his ministers and did not understand how to bestow favors upon them. How was this the conduct of a sage king?

The Marquis of Han understood Ji Wan's temperament fairly well and showed no expression. He was a lord of the Gui surname enfeoffed during the former king's reign and shared the Marquis of Chen's ancestry. Because he owed the former king a debt of gratitude and had been one of Ji Wan's teachers when he was crown prince, he had sent his eldest legitimate son to establish their state in Han while remaining at the Royal Court himself to assist Ji Wan.

Seeing their proposal rejected, You and Ji could not help feeling anger toward the Marquis of Han. Luo Su had often berated them, relying on his status as a descendant of the Sage King. But the Luo Clan was powerful even among the many states ruled by Ji-Surname Feudal Lords, with still more powerful marriage alliances and old connections, as well as great prestige. Naturally, neither man had dared talk back.

Yet now the Marquis of Han, a lord of another surname whose state had been established barely twenty years ago, dared humiliate royal clansmen of the Ji surname. His legitimate daughter was merely one of the nine imperial consorts, his state was small and weak, and his lineage lowly. Had it been an honored royal relative of another surname like the Marquis of Qi, they would have endured it. But even the Marquis of Han dared provoke them? The two exchanged a glance and instantly reached an unspoken understanding.

The Marquis of Han had no idea that a few words had made the Marquises of You and Ji want him dead. Seeing the Son of Heaven accept his advice, he felt somewhat reassured and offered his own proposal. Stepping forward, he pointed at the battle map. "Your Majesty, the Chu State lies in the lands of the Southern Barbarians, far south even of the Marquis of Hui's former territory. When the former king enfeoffed Xiong Dun's ancestor there, he merely drew an arbitrary boundary, knowing nothing of its Mountains and Rivers, terrain, rivers, or lakes.

"However, other lords have made some progress in opening up the south in recent years. According to their reports, the lands of the Southern Barbarians are very different from China. They contain many rivers, abundant rain, and crisscrossing hills. With so few inhabitants, forests cover much of the land. I fear our army will not readily adapt to fighting in such a place."

At the Marquis of Han's words, a hint of a smile actually appeared on the faces of You and Ji. The Marquis of Ji immediately interrupted him, saying disapprovingly, "Marquis of Han, His Majesty has received Heaven's mandate and possesses extraordinary wisdom. Could he possibly be unaware of such commonplace matters? I think you simply refuse to change your ways and wish to obstruct His Majesty's southern campaign. I ask Your Majesty to punish the Marquis of Han!"

The Marquis of Han froze. Seeing the Son of Heaven's face darken as well, his heart chilled. He protested angrily, "Your Majesty, I am merely offering advice and strategy. I have absolutely no intention of preventing your southern campaign. Please judge this clearly!"

Only after hearing his explanation did Ji Wan's expression ease slightly. But he had already lost interest in further discussion and waved them all away.

"Your servants take their leave!"

The three withdrew from the hall and glared at one another. The Marquis of Han snorted. "You do nothing but flatter the Son of Heaven. Where does that leave the Ancestral Temple? You are both Ji-Surname Feudal Lords and heads of your own clans. Why would you do something that grieves your own people and delights your enemies?"

With a cold smile, the Marquis of You replied disdainfully, "I have no idea what you are talking about. When I return victorious after helping the Son of Heaven pacify the Southern Barbarians, I will make the Marquis of Luo see that the Sage King is not the only member of the Ji clan capable of bringing peace to the realm. Let us see how he can keep flaunting his status and looking down on me then!"

The Marquis of Ji wore the same expression and declared smugly, "Xiong Dun's reputation is undeserved. He is merely a viscount from some savage wilderness. Once the Son of Heaven's great army arrives, he will crumble like clay chickens and straw dogs, unable to withstand a single blow. Then we can sweep away those remnants who refuse royal civilization. No one has achieved such great merit since the Sage King."

The Marquis of Han had never imagined that this was what the two men thought. They were not deliberately misleading the Son of Heaven; they genuinely believed victory would come as soon as the army arrived. They wanted to establish their own achievements rather than leave all the glory to the Sage King.

For a moment, the Marquis of Han did not know what to say. He could scarcely believe that two lords in such exalted positions could be so foolish and arrogant. Xiong Dun had annexed more than a dozen states and, in a single battle, beaten the powerful southern Hui State so badly that it no longer dared advance south. Yet they dismissed those achievements so lightly.

The Marquis of Han shook his head and said no more. He turned and left the Royal Palace, preparing to pass this information to Luo Su.

By now, news that the Son of Heaven had resolved to campaign south and that Grand Preceptor Luo Su had resigned and returned to his state finally began spreading to the states throughout the realm.

Reactions varied. The frontier lords generally had not expected the Son of Heaven to adopt such an aggressive approach as leading the campaign in person. They knew very well that war was full of unforeseen events, especially when taking a great army into unfamiliar territory.

Most lords, however, were delighted, and they had good reason to be.

In the past, situations like this were usually handled by appointing one of the four regional guardian lords as commander and sending him from the Royal Domain with one army of the royal guard. At the same time, the Son of Heaven issued orders requiring the various states to provide troops with their own armor, warhorses, and provisions to accompany the campaign. Afterward, each state would be rewarded or punished according to its performance in the war.

This system ensured that the royal guard gained combat experience while preventing all Six Armies from being wiped out at once, which would leave the Son of Heaven without the military strength to restrain the lords. It also regularly depleted the lords' manpower and resources, while a portion of the spoils entered the Royal Domain Treasury, keeping the Royal Domain's finances healthy.

Thus, the lords had always considered accompanying these campaigns an onerous duty. The benefits were extremely limited, and usually only a handful of them could recoup their costs.

This time, the Son of Heaven intended to lead the Six Armies himself and mobilize all the Royal Domain's manpower and resources, without requiring them to provide troops or money. Who would not be pleased?

None of them had ever considered that Ji Wan might lose. What a joke!

That was the royal guard, maintained with countless funds and provisions supplied by the lords. Anyone who saw it at an alliance assembly could tell it was a formidable force.

After learning everything, Ji Zhao was somewhat speechless. The policies he had painstakingly devised were meant for normal people. So long as they followed the rules, there would be no problem. But confronted with a disaster like Ji Wan, even the most ingenious system could not save him.

Of all the ministers in the Royal Domain, perhaps only Luo Su could have restrained him somewhat. Yet after his earnest remonstrations failed, Luo Su had simply given up on him. In Luo Su's eyes, the Zhou State's ancestral temples and sovereignty mattered more than the Son of Heaven.

If Ji Wan could not rule the realm, then he would replace him with a qualified Son of Heaven. Ji Wan had two legitimate sons. With careful training, perhaps one could become another sage ruler like King Kang.

Yingdu, Chu State.

News that Ji Wan would personally campaign against the Chu State also reached Xiong Dun. He was practicing martial skills on the training ground when a minister hurried in to tell him. Xiong Dun paused, then burst out laughing. "I have not even gone looking for trouble with Ji Wan, yet he dares come to Chu to challenge me."

The senior ministers of Chu were actually quite worried. After all, the Son of Heaven's Six Armies had vast numbers of troops, plentiful provisions, and a high proportion of armored soldiers.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Six Armies were currently the most elite military force in the entire Zhou State, as well as the largest.

But Xiong Dun was not worried. He laughed so loudly that the flesh all over his body shook. His appearance had nothing in common with handsome refinement. He stood over six feet three inches tall, and his build could only be described as immense. A thick layer of fat covered his body, but he was certainly no sluggish fat man.

Quite the opposite: every swing of his Long Halberd brimmed with power. Beneath that thick fat lay cords of muscle like coiled dragons.

He possessed tremendous strength and moved swiftly as he wheeled and leaped. That thick fat not only let him withstand heavy blows, but also allowed him to fight continuously in heavy armor without collapsing from exhaustion. He had once fought from morning until evening, relying entirely on his powerful physique.

If Ji Zhao could inspect his attributes, he would discover a born god of war whose command and martial prowess both reached 99 points. In actual history, the man who had attained such numbers was called the Overlord of Western Chu, a master of defeating larger forces with smaller ones and shattering enemy morale.

Reading further through the intelligence from the north, he could not resist another hearty laugh. "Ji Wan is so foolish that he actually let Marquis Luo Su resign and leave. I truly do not know why the mandate of Heaven fell upon him. This time, I shall test the mettle of this son of Heaven."

Though they still felt some concern, their ruler was so confident, and they had unconditional faith in his ability to wage war. The ministers who had followed Xiong Dun for many years all made themselves smile.

Xiong Dun was reasonably familiar with Marquis Luo Su. Before he had usurped the title of king, Luo Su had tried to bring the Chu State into the circle of higher-ranking lords. At the time, he had intended to request a marquisate for Xiong Dun in recognition of his achievements in subduing the Southern Barbarians, then find a noblewoman of the Ji surname for him to marry.

Later, Xiong Dun usurped the royal title, naturally crossing Luo Su's bottom line. Though Luo Su knew little of military affairs, the Zhou State had no shortage of men who excelled in them. Using his high position among the Three Excellencies, he coordinated the various states, established a defensive line, and supplied funds and provisions to wage a prolonged war of attrition against Xiong Dun.

This strategy had genuinely made life difficult for Xiong Dun. Once the defensive line formed, he stopped attempting to advance north toward Luoyi and instead began campaigning west and south.

He had never expected Ji Wan not only to willingly abandon the advantage of his stronger state, but also to come fight in terrain familiar to Xiong Dun, even driving away a senior minister in the process.

Even Xiong Dun could not help remarking, "He has a worthy minister like Marquis Luo Su but cannot make use of him. He has the correct approach but refuses to follow it. Ji Wan truly is a ruler like Jie and Zhou. Why would Heaven favor such a king? Surely his journey south is Heaven's way of sending him to die amid the vast mountain forests."

Xiong Lin, the Chu State's chief minister, smiled. "Heaven's timing, favorable terrain, and unity among the people are all on our side. Two kings will meet in the hunt, and only one will remain. Perhaps Heaven has ordained that Your Majesty shall rule the realm?"

Xiong Lin's words struck a chord with Xiong Dun. Both Ji Wan and his royal father had once viciously insulted the Chu State. Xiong Dun believed he had rendered meritorious service and hated the father and son bitterly. Hearing his ministers' flattery, he said, "At the site for sacrifices to Heaven in Luoyi stand the Nine Tripods cast by the ancient King Yu the Great. Legend says they bear Zhou's mandate of Heaven. If we defeat Ji Wan, perhaps you and I, ruler and ministers, can go to Luoyi and test those Nine Tripods. I would like to know which are heavier: the Son of Heaven of Zhou's tripods or those of our Chu State."

At these words, a gleam flashed in Xiong Lin's eyes. Delighted, he said, "Your Majesty, once Ji Wan arrives with his army, I shall send an envoy to repeat these words to him before the battle lines and provoke him. He will certainly be unable to endure it. If he hastily leads his troops to attack, he will surely expose countless weaknesses."

Xiong Dun paused, then patted Xiong Lin with a hand as large as a meditation cushion and laughed. "What an inspired idea, Chief Minister! If it succeeds, I will certainly not stint on your reward."

In Chu, ruler and ministers were united, pooling their wisdom and strength as they began preparing trap after trap for Ji Wan, waiting for him to leap in. Meanwhile, the war machine of the Royal Domain's government offices also began turning.

Ji Zhao prepared to spend all the fortune points he had accumulated over several decades on draws to replenish his stockpile.