Chapter Summaries

After the Zhou army’s defeat by Song and Chen, Luo Zhi found Ji Bai and executed Zheng State’s powerful High Minister Clans. He forced Ji Bai to kill Zheng Chan and urged him to abolish Zheng State and annex its lands into the Royal Domain.

• Luo Zhi detoured through Wei State toward Zheng State after learning the Zhou army had been defeated and Ji Bai had gone missing.
• Luo Zhi found Ji Bai alive among fleeing nobles and seized the Marquis of Zheng, who blamed Zheng State’s High Minister Clans for the campaign.
• Luo Zhi killed the High Minister Clans and handed his sword to Ji Bai, insisting that Zheng Chan had endangered the Zhou throne.
• Ji Bai killed Zheng Chan at Luo Zhi’s urging, and Luo Zhi called for Zheng State to be abolished and its lands incorporated into the Royal Domain.

The Count of Qin accepted Chu State’s invitation to march east, relying on changes to the Yellow River and a plan to bribe Hangu Pass’s defenders rather than storm the pass. As Chu State and Wu State fought a devastating war, the Marquis of Wu received Luo Zhi’s warning that Chu intended to destroy Wu, and the wider conflict approached its decisive phase.

• The Count of Qin agreed to join Chu State in Luoyi, then told his ministers that the altered river course and the defenders’ greed would make crossing Hangu Pass possible.
• The Count of Qin ordered Qin State to conscript warriors across Guanzhong and march east to pay court to the Son of Heaven of Zhou.
• Chu State and Wu State fought across three fronts, with nearly two hundred and fifty thousand troops locked in bloody battles along the Ying River.
• The Marquis of Wu received three thousand suits of armor, arrows, and a letter from Luo Zhi warning that Chu State had come to annihilate Wu State.

Qin State won Wei Qing’s cooperation after Prince Gao persuaded him to let Qin’s army through Hangu Pass, while Chu State escalated its war against Zhou and Luo. Luo Zhi prepared to face Chu’s much larger army and waited for Jin’s reinforcements as the fighting intensified.

• Qin’s repeated assaults and the Wei Clan’s mounting losses made Wei Qing reconsider Prince Gao’s offer to secure the Wei Clan’s independence.
• Prince Gao promised Wei Qing Qin’s support in attacking Jin and winning investiture, and Wei Qing agreed to open Hangu Pass to the Qin army.
• In Song, Qi’s troops repeatedly failed to take the walls, while Luo Zhi’s forces pursued the fleeing Song and Chen armies toward Chu.
• Chu’s envoy demanded that Ji Bai execute the Marquis of Zheng and publicly repent, but Luo Zhi countered by demanding that Chu execute the Duke of Song and the Marquis of Chen.
• The Chu king ordered an attack, and Chu’s army joined Song and Chen in facing Luo Zhi’s smaller coalition as both sides waited for Jin’s forces.

The Qin State and Wei Clan allied against Jin State, prompting Han Cheng and Zhao Yong to unite against Wei Qing and maneuver for Luo State’s support. Their armies faced off near the Royal Domain as all three clans stirred up unrest in Yi City, leaving the Duke of Jin and Jin State’s Ducal House in grave danger.

• The Count of Qin mocked Wei Qing with promises of a marquisate, and Wei Qing eagerly accepted the alliance with Qin State.
• Han Cheng learned that the Wei Clan had joined Qin State and decided to ally with Zhao Yong rather than warn the Duke of Jin.
• Han Cheng and Zhao Yong agreed to pursue statehood with Luo State’s backing and withdrew their troops toward the Royal Domain.
• The Count of Qin urged Wei Qing to send men to Yi City and provoke a crisis that could result in the Duke of Jin’s death.
• The armies of Qin and Wei confronted the Han and Zhao forces northwest of the Royal Domain while all three clans fomented turmoil in Yi City.
• Han Cheng and Zhao Yong sent envoys to the Marquis of Luo, warning that Jin State could no longer support the allied army in Zheng State.

As Qi’s renewed assault devastated Song and Chu maneuvered against the Central Plains Allied Army, Jin’s internal crisis erupted when the Wei Clan opened Hangu Pass to Qin. Luo Zhi faced demands to rescue the collapsing Zhou order, but he had already made his decision as the Luo Clan’s reputation became a burden of impossible expectations.

• Qi’s commanders conscripted the state’s able-bodied men and drove the conquest of Song forward, while the Duke of Qi complained that Jin’s army had not arrived.
• Xiang Cheng advised the King of Chu to fall back and secure his rear, and the two considered how Qin’s possible march east might force the Central Plains Allied Army to retreat.
• News arrived that Jin’s High Minister Clans had rebelled; the King of Chu and Xiang Cheng welcomed the resulting advantage but resolved to turn against Qin after dealing with Luo State.
• The Duke of Jin fainted amid the Wei Clan’s defection and died within days, leaving the newly enthroned Duke unable to control the clans competing for power.
• Luo Zhi received appeals from Wei Qing and the Han-Zhao Clans, then tore up their letters as allies urged him to save Jin and Zhou.
• Luo Zhi faced visions of the expectations binding the Luo Clan and closed his eyes, while the chapter stated that he had already made his decision.

Luo Zhi led the Zhou-aligned states through a five-year war against the Qin-Chu Alliance, which exhausted both sides and claimed his son Luo Ci. After Han State’s defenses collapsed and the allied armies were routed, the Qin-Chu Alliance won a decisive victory that devastated the Zhou Dynasty and its states.

• Luo Zhi coordinated the coalition’s armies and promised Han Cheng and Zhao Yong enfeoffment as marquises if they defeated Qin and Wei.
• The war around Luoyi became a prolonged stalemate, and Luo Zhi struggled with mounting casualties and the suffering of his subjects.
• Luo You reported that Luo Ci had been killed by Qin soldiers, and Luo Zhi entrusted him with the bereavement relief list.
• Ji Zhao placed Luo Ci’s statue in the Hall of Heroes as Luo State’s soldiers grew more determined to fight.
• After four years, Han State’s front collapsed, and Qin, Chu, Wei, and their allies routed the armies of Wu, Qi, and Luo.
• As Luo Zhi prayed for the Zhou Mandate, snow fell on Luoyi’s bloodstained ground; the five-year war ended in a decisive Qin-Chu victory and millions of deaths.

Qin, Chu, and Wei negotiated a peace accord that redrew territories and imposed restrictions on Luo State to separate it from the Zhou State’s mandate of heaven. After Luo Zhi signed the accord, he collapsed from his injuries, while Ji Bai also fell ill and died.

• The Count of Qin and the King of Chu interpreted the snowfall as proof that the Zhou State’s mandate of heaven was weakening but had not ended.
• Ji Bai granted Wei Qing the title of Marquis of Wei, and Wei Qing demanded cities from Han and Zhao as Qin backed his demands.
• The King of Chu demanded that the Nine Tripods be removed from Luoyi, but Luo Zhi refused and collapsed bleeding, ending the peace talks.
• Luo Zhi recognized the growing divisions among Qin, Chu, and Wei, and the states reached an accord that redistributed territory and restricted Luo State’s military and political influence.
• Luo Zhi signed the accord and collapsed; Ji Bai also fell ill, and both men died.

After Luo Zhi's death, Luo Chang became Marquis of Luo, and Luo State emerged from the war weakened but secure. The peace treaty quickly unraveled as the other states fought over territory, leaving the realm confused and ushering in the brutal Warring States era.

• Luo Chang succeeded Luo Zhi and persuaded members of Luo State's Ducal Clan to serve in other states, while Luo State prepared to enjoy a century of peace.
• Wei State and Qin State joined forces to attack Chu State, but their armies collided with Chu's troops and withdrew after an indecisive battle.
• Marquis Qing of Wei won the Count of Qin's trust, then betrayed Qin during its attempt to take Zhao's lands and kept Hangu Pass out of Qin's hands.
• Qin and Wei divided the Huai-Si region, while Chu State took Wu State's lands and its nobles began fighting over the spoils.
• The new Son of Heaven of Zhou celebrated the Royal House's expanded territory as people across the realm doubted that the peace treaty would hold.

Luo Chang recognized that Luo State’s Academy and the states’ political systems faced new challenges after the great war. While Chu State hesitated over curbing its powerful nobles, Marquis Qing of Wei recruited talent and launched reforms that would rapidly strengthen Wei State.

• Luo Chang watched the sun rise over Luo State’s Academy as Confucian and Legalist scholars argued over whether rulers should be judged by moral conduct or their ability to strengthen the state.
• Xiang Cheng warned the King of Chu that Chu State’s noble-controlled offices prevented it from attracting talented outsiders, but they decided to postpone reform.
• Marquis Qing of Wei sought Zhou’s recognition, strengthened ties with Han and Zhao, and prepared to oppose Qin and Chu.
• Marquis Qing of Wei left high offices vacant for talented recruits and ordered noble clans to report marriageable women so he could arrange marriages for worthy men.
• Wei State began large-scale institutional reforms after the war, becoming the first great state of the Warring States period to transform its institutions and rapidly increase its strength.

Luo Chang explained how the Luo Clan would claim moral authority over the Confucian School by establishing the Sage King and Duke Ming at the heart of its orthodoxy. He asked Luo You to consult Confucian leaders and help compile the school’s past worthies.

• Luo You warned Luo Chang that talented Academy scholars planned to enter Wei State and strengthen its reforms.
• Luo Chang said the Luo Clan would preserve the Way of the King and present Luo State’s history as the ideal it promised.
• Luo You realized Luo Chang intended to make Luo State’s well-governed age the model of Great Unity Under Heaven.
• Luo Chang proposed placing the Sage King first, Duke Ming second, and Confucius third in the Confucian orthodoxy.
• Luo Chang gave Luo You a list of Confucius’s disciples to include as past worthies and asked him to consult Confucian leaders.

Luo Chang urged Luo Li to study Guan Zhong’s writings so Luo State could shape Legalist thought alongside the Confucian School. Meanwhile, Qi’s defeat drove its ruler toward a dangerous confrontation with the nobles, while Luo You began drawing the Confucian leader toward Luo State’s hidden classics.

• Luo Chang took Luo Li to the Repository of Classics and tasked him with studying Master Guan to establish influence within the Legalist School.
• The State Chancellor of Qi convinced the Duke of Qi to summon the state’s nobles to Linzi and discuss the blame for their defeat.
• Nearly a hundred Qi nobles traveled to Linzi, unaware of the danger behind the summons.
• A Confucian scholar told Duke Duanmu about the Luo Discourses and proposed incorporating Luo State’s annotations into Confucian learning.
• Luo You offered the Confucian School access to Luo State’s secret classics as Luo State expanded its influence over competing teachings.

After Qi’s political massacres, Luo Chang sent Ducal Clan youths to help Qi, while Marquis Qing of Wei pushed through sweeping reforms at great cost. Twenty years later, Wei had become a powerful state, and Luo Chang studied its reforms as valuable experience for the Luo Clan.

• Qi’s great nobles massacred Xue Yuan and other lesser nobles, while the Marquis of Yan abandoned plans to attack Qi after his Chancellor warned that Yan depended on Qi for protection from the northern Hu People.
• A prince of Qi appealed to Luo Chang for help, and Luo Chang sent young members of the Ducal Clan to serve in Qi and study Guan Zhong’s teachings.
• Marquis Qing of Wei crushed opposition to reform and ordered his own son executed for opposing him, ending resistance and drawing Legalist scholars and new settlers to Wei.
• The Count of Qin rejected calls to imitate Wei’s reforms and condemned Marquis Qing of Wei, while Qi pursued moderate reforms and other states mostly hesitated.
• Twenty years later, Luo Chang’s Crown Prince reported Wei’s military victories and strength, and Luo Chang reviewed Wei’s reform records as valuable experience for the Luo Clan.

Luo Huaichen urged Mo Di and the Mohist School to enter the Luo State, arguing that its Academy and Repository of Classics could help Mohist learning flourish. Mo Di considered the proposal, but the chapter ended before he decided whether to go.

• Luo Huaichen returned to the Mohist compound in Shangqiu, where Mo Di and the other Mohists welcomed him.
• Mo Di said the Mohists should enter the service of the states and spread their principles amid renewed warfare.
• Luo Huaichen proposed that the Mohists go to the Luo State and challenge Confucian scholars at its Academy.
• Luo Huaichen explained that the Luo State's Repository of Classics could deepen Mohist thought and invited Mo Di to meet the ruler.
• Mo Di reflected on the Luo State's reputation and the reasons he had previously stayed away.

The Mohists challenged Confucian scholars at the Academy, where Yang Sheng exposed weaknesses in their teachings, while Mo Di discussed universal love and non-aggression with Luo Chang. Mo Di refused to abandon his principles and stayed behind to search the Repository of Classics.

• Nearly three hundred Mohists arrived in Luo State, and Yang Sheng began a debate that left the Confucians speechless for three days.
• Yang Sheng argued that extravagant rituals and funerals contradicted the Sage King's teachings and wasted resources.
• Mo Di met Luo Chang in the Repository of Classics and explained the Mohist principles of universal love and non-aggression.
• Luo Chang questioned whether Mohist methods could stop wars driven by conflicts over vital resources, but Mo Di defended continuing to pursue the ideal.
• Mo Di said he hoped to find what he sought in the Repository of Classics, and Luo Huaichen entered and knelt beside him.

Mo Di brought the Mohist School to Luo State, where its ideas flourished under the Luo Clan’s support. A Daoist argument that “The Luo Clan does not claim the throne” challenged the Mohists’ belief that the Sage King’s benevolence could guide all rulers and left the Academy debating the Sage King’s limits.

• Luo Huaichen told Mo Di that Luo State would preserve Mohist thought, learning, and craftsmanship even if the school itself eventually disappeared.
• Confucian and Mohist scholars debated three times a day, exposing contradictions in Mohist teachings, while Luo State focused on debate and technological advances rather than Mohist political ideals.
• Daoist scholars argued that Mohist theory could not rely on the Sage King as a universally benevolent Heaven because the Luo Clan did not claim the throne.
• Yang Sheng defended the Sage King’s benevolence, but the Daoists replied that the Sage King’s protection did not extend equally beyond Luo State.
• A Mohist questioned who would restrain rulers if the Sage King did not intervene, and Confucian scholars answered that people should use rites and remove tyrannical rulers.

After defeating Qin State, Marquis Qing of Wei planned an alliance against Chu State and sent Wei Cheng to persuade Qin, Han, Zhao, Qi, and Wu to join. Qin agreed to send troops to the Shu State Plain, and Han and Zhao allied with Wei, while the campaign against Chu was still taking shape.

• Marquis Qing of Wei celebrated his victory over Qin State, rewarded his ministers, and approved the State Chancellor’s plan to form a six-state alliance against Chu State.
• Wei Cheng agreed to serve as envoy and traveled to Qin State, where he argued that Chu’s threat to the Shu State Plain outweighed Qin’s recent war with Wei.
• The Count of Qin agreed to join the campaign against Chu State and ordered the Xianyang Legion to the Shu State Plain, while keeping it inside Qin territory.
• Marquis Qing of Wei contacted Han State and Zhao State, and after agreeing to their demands, secured their alliance against Chu State.

Wei Cheng persuaded Qi State to join a six-state alliance against Chu by warning that Chu would threaten Qi once Qin and Wei could no longer contain it. The alliance began preparing for war while Chu remained unaware, and Luo Chang ordered the states’ diplomatic maneuvers recorded for posterity.

• The King of Chu weighed Xiang Cheng’s advice to destroy Wu against his nobles’ demand to exploit Qin State’s weakness, and Chu shifted its strategy toward attacking Qin.
• After securing Qin’s acceptance of an alliance, Wei Cheng traveled to Qi and urged the Duke of Qi to join six states against Chu.
• The Duke of Qi consulted his ministers, who supported the alliance and demanded that Qin and Wei cede cities in Huai-Si to Qi.
• Qin and Wei agreed to cede several cities, Wu’s Marquis called up the young men of his state, and the allied states began preparing for war.
• Luo Chang learned of the alliance and ordered historians across the states to record the diplomatic events for a future Collection of Strategies.
• In a later account, Wei Cheng warned the Duke of Qi that Chu would threaten Qi if Qin and Wei fell, and the Duke raised troops to attack Chu.

The Zhou Son of Heaven sent Luo Chang treasures and nearby cities, while Prince Qing presented a new iron plow developed with the Mohists. Luo Chang witnessed its efficiency and considered having its invention recorded for later generations.

• The Zhou Son of Heaven sent Luo Chang gifts, a letter of gratitude, and land near Luo State.
• Luo Chang reflected on the legacy and burdens inherited from his ancestors.
• Prince Qing told Luo Chang that he and the Mohists had developed an efficient ox-drawn plow and were improving the calendar.
• Luo Chang and Luo Qing visited the Luo Clan estate, where Mohists demonstrated the plow turning hard soil with little effort.
• Luo Chang tested the iron plow and recognized its potential to greatly increase farming productivity.

Chu State learned that six states had formed an alliance against it, so King of Chu sent Xia Chenyan to weaken the coalition through diplomacy. Xia Chenyan persuaded Marquis of Yan to turn against Qi and then set out for Han State.

• Wei Cheng persuaded Marquis Qing of Wei to exchange hostage princes with Qin State and Qi State, making the alliance appear more stable.
• King of Chu consulted his ministers, and Xiang Yin advised withdrawing exposed troops and breaking the alliance; Lord of Yangwu recommended his retainer Xia Chenyan as an envoy.
• Xia Chenyan learned that Yan’s chancellor had previously dissuaded Marquis of Yan from attacking Qi, then traveled to Yan with gifts from King of Chu.
• Xia Chenyan used the tale of seeking fish in a tree to convince Marquis of Yan that his chancellor had misled him about Yan’s farmland and prospects.
• Marquis of Yan suspected his chancellor of taking Qi’s bribes, declared that Yan would attack Qi when its army marched south, and agreed to help break the alliance against Chu.
• Xia Chenyan praised Marquis of Yan and hurried on to Han State; the chapter’s concluding account said Marquis of Yan killed his chancellor and again planned to attack Qi.

Luo Chang proposed founding Luo Mo, a Mohist-inspired organization to protect the Luo Clan through the fall of Luo State and future political turmoil. The clan agreed on its broad structure, including a public school for research and a covert network for protection, but had not settled its remaining details.

• Luo Chang told the ruling house that the Luo Clan needed a way to endure after Zhou State's decline and identified the Mohist School as the key to building a durable organization.
• Luo Qing explained that Luo Mo could protect the clan if war and political upheaval left it without a fief or the shelter of Luo State.
• Luo Chang proposed modeling Luo Mo on the Mohist organization, recruiting within the Ducal Clan and expanding in times of turmoil to maintain order and secure the family.
• Luo Chang and Luo Huaichen agreed to set aside Universal Love for now and combine Mohist organization with Confucian Broad Benevolence.
• Luo Qing suggested training clansmen as Youxia and assassins under the banner of protecting land, while establishing a visible Luo Clan Mohist School for research into Ingenious Devices and Shushu calculations.