Gods 027: Family Feud

A character faces a tough choice: Tick off his ancestors, or tick off everyone else.

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Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 27 of Investiture of the Gods. 

Last time, at the behest of Jiang Ziya, Ji Chang the Grand Duke of the West decided to launch a campaign against the Grand Duke of the North, Chong (2) Houhu (2,3), on the premise that the latter was corrupting King Zhou and that by taking him out, it would … umm … convince the king to see the light and change his ways. Yeah, sure, that’s it. So Ji Chang’s army marched to the outskirts of Chongcheng (2,2), Chong Houhu’s home city. Only, Chong Houhu wasn’t home. He was in the capital, and his son, Chong Yingbiao (4,1), was in charge. So Chong Yingbiao prepared to fight.

The next day, Jiang Ziya sent the general Nan (2) Gongkuo (1,4) out to challenge for battle. As soon as the challenge was given, the city gates swung open with the blast of an explosive, and a squadron of troops raced out, led by one of Chong Yingbiao’s top generals.

Nan Gongkuo knew the oncoming general and shouted to him, “You stay back. Tell Chong Houhu to come answer for his crimes. Once I have killed that traitor, the gods will be appeased and all will be fine.”

His foe did not appreciate the slight, and so they started trading blows. Before they reached 30 exchanges, Nan Gongkuo was getting the upper hand. His foe tried to flee, but couldn’t find an opening to turn tail and run. Before long, Nan Gongkuo’s saber found its mark, and the enemy general fell to the ground. Ji Chang’s soldiers swarmed in and cut off his head.

Inside the city, Chong Yingbiao heard the news of the fight and smacked his desk in anger, yelling, “Ji Chang you rebel! You have betrayed the court and killed its officers. Your crime is immense! I swear I won’t stop until I’ve killed that traitor and avenged my man.”

The next morning, Chong Yingbiao’s army blasted off three explosives in a row and charged out of the city. They marched to the camp of the Zhou (1) Kingdom’s army and demanded to speak to Ji Chang and Jiang Ziya. So the two of them led their forces out, flanked by rows of officers. Jiang Ziya rode out to the front and asked to speak with the commander of the city.

Chong Yingbiao galloped forth, dressed in golden armor with a red cloak. He said to Jiang Ziya, “Who do you think you are, that you would dare to encroach on my territory?!”

“I am Jiang Ziya, the prime minister of the Grand Duke of the West. You and your father have committed numerous wicked deeds. You prey on civilians’ property like hungry tigers, and hurt people like ravenous wolves. You show no loyalty in misleading the king, and you demonstrate an intent to destroy by harming the good. All across the realm, even little children wish they can eat your flesh! Today, my lord has raised an army in the name of benevolence and honor to rid this region of your evil, to eliminate the wicked to appease the gods, and to live up to his majesty’s trust in bestowing authority upon him.”

Chong Yingbiao shot back, “You were just an old geezer living by a stream. How dare you boast?!”

He then turned and asked which of his officers will go capture Jiang Ziya. But just then, Ji Chang rode out to the front and shouted, “Chong Yingbiao, don’t you act up! Here I come!”

The sight of Ji Chang filled Chong Yingbiao with anger. He pointed at Ji Chang and cursed, “Instead of reflecting on your crimes against the court and changing your ways, you dare to invade my territory!”

But Ji Chang threw it back in his face. “You and your father have committed so many crimes that I don’t even need to list them all. Surrender now. I will take you back to my capital, inform heaven of your misdeeds, and then put you both to death. I will not harm your civilians.”

Uh yeah, that’s not happening. Chong Yingbiao again asked which officer would go shut Ji Chang up, and one of his generals rode out. He was immediately met by the Zhou general Xin (1) Jia (3). Pretty soon, Chong Yingbiao sent two lieutenants to join the fight, and that opened the floodgates. Jiang Ziya sent six more generals to charge into the enemy’s lines, and they wreaked havoc. The two lieutenants that Chong Yingbiao sent out were both cut down, and his army was routed and fled back into the city.

Licking his wounds, Chong Yingbiao huddled with his officers to discuss what to do next. Seeing how fearsome their enemy was, nobody had any ideas. 

On the other side, Jiang Ziya was riding high on the day’s victory and wanted to lay siege to the city. But Ji Chang said, “The civilians have nothing to do with the Chongs’ wicked deeds. If you lay siege to the city, I worry that when it falls, all will be destroyed, including the innocent. I launched this campaign to save the people. How can I commit such a cruel deed? This won’t do at all!”

Seeing how much his lord valued benevolence and honor, Jiang Ziya did not dare to disobey. But now he had another problem. “Our lord has the virtue of the ancient sages,” he thought to himself, “but how can we take the city quickly?”

A couple days passed without further fighting, and then, good news arrived for Chong Yingbiao. His uncle Chong (2) Heihu (1,3), or Black Tiger, was approaching the city with 3,000 men. Remember that we met this Black Tiger early in the novel, and he was quite a fearsome warrior who also wielded some Daoist powers, including a magic eagle that he used in battle to take down opposing warriors. So this was much-needed reinforcement. Chong Yingbiao quickly led his officers out of the city to welcome Black Tiger.

“Uncle,” Chong Yingbiao said as he bowed from the saddle, “pardon me for not bowing deeply as I am clad in armor.”

“Good nephew,” Black Tiger said, “I heard that Ji Chang was attacking you, so I have come to help.”

Chong Yingbiao thanked him profusely and they entered the city together. After they sat down, Black Tiger asked why Ji Chang was attacking. 

“I don’t know why he’s attacking us,” Chong Yingbiao said. “We fought them a couple days ago, and suffered a defeat and lost some officers. It’s our family’s great fortune that you have come to help us.”

So they feasted that night. The next day, Black Tiger led his army out of the city to seek battle. Jiang Ziya promptly sent General Nan Gongkuo out to answer the challenge. Black Tiger, with a face as dark as the bottom of a wok, a long red beard, two golden eyebrows, and a pair of vicious glowing eyes, rode out to the front and shouted, “You have recklessly invaded someone else’s domain without cause! This is not a campaign befitting a lord!”

Nan Gongkuo retorted, “Black Tiger, your brother’s wicked deeds are numerous. He has harmed the loyal and good and brutalized the innocent. As the old saying goes, ‘It’s everyone’s responsibility to rid the world of traitors.’ ”

And with that, he raised his saber and made for Black Tiger. Black Tiger wielded his ax and they started hacking at each other. After 20 bouts, Nan Gongkuo proved no match for Black Tiger and fell back. Black Tiger didn’t bother chasing him, and instead just returned to the city in victory.

Inside the city, Black Tiger was greeted by Chong Yingbiao, who watched the action from the command tower. Chong Yingbiao asked him, “Uncle, why didn’t you release your magic eagle to capture Nan Gongkuo?”

“Nephew, you’re young and don’t understand,” Black Tiger explained. “Have you not heard that Jiang Ziya was a Daoist disciple on Kunlun Mountain? If I use my magic, he will recognize it and find a way to break it. Why waste it on the first fight?”

The two then sat down and started discussing how to repel the attack. Black Tiger said, “You should send a memorial to the capital to inform the king. I will write to your father and ask him to return, so that we may strategize and capture Ji Chang.”

Chong Yingbiao did as he suggested, and within a few days, the messenger arrived in the Shang capital. He first went to see Chong Houhu and presented him with the letter from Black Tiger. It conveyed the situation and implore Chong Houhu to return at once. Chong Houhu was enraged. He smacked his desk and cursed aloud, “Ji Chang you old scoundrel! You fled in defiance of your lord. You should be executed for that! His majesty has wanted to attack you on several occasions, but I have tried to hold him back behind the scenes. And now, instead of being grateful, you are bullying me. If I don’t kill you, I will NOT return!”

So he quickly donned his court regalia and went to see King Zhou. He told the king, “The treacherous Ji Chang refuses to stay within his own territory and has led an army to attack me. His actions are truly wicked. I hope your majesty will grant me justice.”

“Ji Chang committed a severe crime in fleeing from the capital,” King Zhou said. “And now he dares to attack a top minister? He deserves to die! You may return to your domain first. I will mobilize forces to help you eliminate the traitors.”

So Chong Houhu quickly rounded up an army of 3,000 and left the capital. A few days later, he arrived back at Chongcheng. While his army set up camp a mile outside the city, he was greeted by his son and brother. Chong Houhu greeted them happily, and they all rode back to the city together.

As soon as they entered the city gates, Black Tiger suddenly pulled out his sword and let out a shout. Before anyone could react, his bodyguards had swarmed in, seized Chong Houhu and his son and tied them up.

“Good brother, what are you doing?!” Chong Houhu shouted in confusion.

Yeah, what’s going on here? Well, let’s rewind the clock back to that night when Jiang Ziya was pondering how he’s supposed to take the city when his lord was refusing to lay siege to the place. Well, an idea came to him. He dispatched the general Nan Gongkuo to the city of Caozhou (2,1), which was commanded by Black Tiger. Nan Gongkuo received a warm welcome from Black Tiger, who asked about the reason for his visit.

“My lord Ji Chang and my prime minister Jiang Ziya send their respects,” Nan Gongkuo said. “They also asked me to deliver a letter.”

As he spoke, he presented the letter to Black Tiger, and it said:

“Jiang Ziya, prime minister of the kingdom of Zhou (1), pays his humble respects to your lordship. I have heard it said that as a vassal, one is obligated to lead his lord down the proper path. One must advise his lord honestly, take care of the civilians, and ensure their prosperity so that the land will be at peace. He should not pander to the wickedness of the king, cause suffering to the people, or enrich himself in the name of the king.

“And yet, your brother has done exactly that. He has accumulated a mountain of wicked deeds and is as vicious as a tiger. Both men and gods detest him, everyone wishes they could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin, and all the nobles have turned their backs on  him. Now, my lord has launched a campaign against him with authority bestowed by the king to root out injustice. Yet, I know your lordship is a good man. How can you allow someone from your clan to act so dishonorably? I cannot bear to sit by and watch, so I am sending this letter. If you can capture the traitor and deliver him to our camp, you will wash yourself clean of his crimes and show that you are nothing like him. Otherwise, you will be condemned by all under heaven. When the sacred fires of Kunlun rage, I fear it will not distinguish between jade and stone. I would feel sorry for you then. If you don’t think my advice too foolish, please send me a reply. It would be my great fortune and the people’s great fortune. I eagerly await your response.”

Black Tiger read the letter four or five times, nodded in silence, and thought to himself, “Jiang Ziya’s words are reasonable. I would rather give offense to my ancestors than give offense to all under heaven and be condemned for all posterity. Even a most filial descendant cannot cover for my brother’s actions. I would rather beg my parents for forgiveness when I reach the underworld if it means allowing my clan to survive.”

All the while, Nan Gongkuo was watching him nod and mumble silently to himself, but did not dare to ask why. After a few moments, Black Tiger told him, “General, I take your prime minister’s advice to heart. There is no need for a written response. Please go on back first and relay my respects to your lord and prime minister. Let them know that I will personally deliver my brother to their camp to answer for his crimes.”

Flash forward to the present, and Black Tiger has made good on his promise. While his brother and nephew stood bound, Black Tiger said to Chong Houhu, “Brother, you are a highly ranked vassal. Instead of cultivating your benevolence and virtue, you have caused chaos at court, harmed the civilians, resorted to cruel punishments, and oversaw the construction of the Deer Terrace, which has drawn the wrath of the entire realm. All the nobles of the land want to declare war on our family. Ji Chang sent me a letter and asked me to set myself apart from your foolish ways. I would rather offend our ancestors than offend the entire realm and extinguish our line. That is why I am delivering you to the Zhou camp. There’s nothing else to be said.”

Chong Houhu had no answer to this and merely let out a long sigh. Black Tiger now escorted him and his son to the Zhou camp. When they arrived, Chong Houhu saw his wife and daughter both standing there as well, and he could not help but weep aloud, crying, “Who knew that my own brother would do me in and doom our entire family?!”

Black Tiger now dismounted and requested an audience with Jiang Ziya. He was soon summoned into the main tent, where Jiang Ziya greeted him and said, “Your lordship has demonstrated great virtue in eliminating evil. You are truly a rare man!”

Black Tiger bowed to thank him and said, “Thank you, prime minister, for your kindness. I have obeyed your command and brought my dishonorable brother to your camp for you to deal with.”

Jiang Ziya now asked Ji Chang to join them, which he soon did. Black Tiger paid his respects and received a warm welcome from Ji Chang, who asked what he was doing there, because apparently Ji Chang had no idea at all what had transpired.

“My brother has acted against heaven and committed numerous wicked deeds against the good and innocent. I have brought him here for you to punish as you see fit.”

This, however, did not please Ji Chang at all. He thought to himself, “You are his brother. It’s also dishonorable to betray your own family.”

Jiang Ziya, however, chimed in and said, “Chong Houhu is cruel, and Black Tiger has answered the call to attack evil, even if it’s his own family. He is a true gentleman! As the old saying goes, ‘Fortune favors the good.’ All under heaven despise Chong Houhu and wish they can eat his flesh. Even children grind their teeth at the mention of his name. Now, we all know Black Tiger’s virtue. The good in his family is now distinguished from the wicked.”

Next, Jiang Ziya ordered that Chong Houhu and his son be brought in, so the guards pushed them into the tent and forced them onto their knees. Ji Chang sat in the center, flanked by Jiang Ziya and Black Tiger.

Jiang Ziya said to Chong Houhu, “You have done much evil. Today, heaven is smiting you. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Now, Ji Chang was leaning toward sparing Chong Houhu’s life. But Jiang Ziya knew his lord’s tendencies, so he quickly ordered the guards, “Take them outside and behead them at once!”

The guards did as he commanded, and momentarily, they returned with the two heads on a platter. Ji Chang, being the benevolent lord that he was, had never seen a severed head before. The sight of the two heads scared him out of his wits. He covered his face with his sleeve and said, “This is too much for me!”

But Jiang Ziya just shrugged and commanded that the heads be hung up by the camp gate for public display. Next, Black Tiger asked Jiang Ziya to decide the fate of Chong Houhu’s wife and daughter.

“Your brother’s wife had nothing to do with his crimes,” Jiang Ziya said. “And daughters are born to be part of other families, so there’s no fault with his daughter either. Please set them up in a home, and provide for their needs. You may put one of your officers in charge of Caozhou and make Chongcheng your new seat of power. Then you will safe and secure in your own kingdom.”

Black Tiger followed his instructions and then invited Ji Chang to enter Chongcheng and inspect its storehouses and roll of residents. But Ji Chang said, “Since your brother is dead, you are in command. There’s no need for me to inspect anything. I will take my leave of you now.” And so, despite repeated entreaties from Black Tiger to remain a while, Ji Chang and Jiang Ziya took their army and started back home.

Having taken over his brother’s territory, Black Tiger now commanded much of the North and no longer followed the commands of the Shang Dynasty. When word of this reached the Shang capital, the minister Wei (1) Zi (3) received the report. He rejoiced at the death of Chong Houhu, but frowned at the thought of Black Tiger now ruling the North as an independent power and the fact that Ji Chang had waged war on another grand duke, which surely was a prelude to his challenging the rule of the Shang.

When Wei Zi reported this news to King Zhou, the king was furious. 

“Chong Houhu rendered great service, and now he has been murdered by traitors! This is despicable!” he fumed. He then ordered that an army be mobilized to first attack Ji Chang and then Black Tiger, so as to avenge Chong Houhu.

However, one of his ministers, Li (3) Ren (2), said, “Chong Houhu may have rendered great service to your highness, but he really did do great harm to the civilians and offended the nobles. Everyone despised him. Right now, everyone in the land is rejoicing his death at Ji Chang’s hand. Many officials were dissatisfied with the special favor you showed him, and they would oppose your taking action to avenge him. I hope you will take this matter slowly. If you rush it, your officials will think that you value him above all the nobles. Chong Houhu’s death is but a minor concern. The uprisings in the East and South are the true concerns. I hope your majesty will think it through.”

And surprisingly, King Zhou did actually think this through for a good while, and he decided to sit on the matter for now.

Meanwhile, as the Zhou Kingdom’s army was making its way home, Ji Chang was not feeling well. Ever since he caught sight of Chong Houhu’s decapitated head, he had been uneasy and unhappy. All along the way home, he ate little and slept less. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see Chong Houhu standing in front of him. 

When they reached home, Ji Chang was welcomed into the palace by his officials and tended to by the royal physician. However, medicine did him no good, and his condition worsened by the day. Soon, he was teetering on the brink of death. So, he summoned Jiang Ziya to his bedside. 

Jiang Ziya kneeled and asked how he was doing, and Ji Chang said, “I have summoned you for only one reason. I have reigned over the northwest as the leader of 200 nobles, and I have received great kindness from the king. Even though there are rebellions, I am still my lord’s vassal, and I should not turn my back on him. Even though my campaign was successful and I slayed Chong Houhu, my outward joy disguises my true apprehensions. Even though everyone has a responsibility to kill traitors and corrupt officials, the king is still the king, and I should not have executed Chong Houhu without his majesty’s approval. Besides, I am of the same rank as Chong Houhu. It’s a great offense for me to act unilaterally and attack him. Ever since I executed Cong Houhu, I have heard him crying every night, and when I close my eyes, I see him standing by my bed. I don’t think I am long for this world. So I have asked you here to talk about one thing, and you must not forget it. After I die, even if the king is committing many wicked deeds, you must not allow others to talk you into waging war on him. If you disobey my wishes, then we should not meet in the underworld.”

After those words, tears rolled down Ji Chang’s face. Jiang Ziya kneeled and said, “Thanks to your kind adoration, I have been elevated to the rank of prime minister. How can I dare to not obey your command? If I disobey your wishes, I would be disloyal.”

Just as they were talking, Ji Chang’s second eldest son, Ji Fa (1), arrived to check on him. 

“This is just as I had hoped,” Ji Chang said when he heard that his son was there. Once Ji Fa came in and paid his respects, Ji Chang said, “My son, you are young. After I die, I worry that you would be misled by others into waging an unjust war. Even if the king is acting without virtue, you must not forget your place and end up saddling yourself with the reputation of a vassal who kills his lord. Come over here and acknowledge Jiang Ziya as your minister father.”

So once again, we’re cribbing from other works of classic Chinese literature here with the trope of a dying ruler entrusting his son to his prime minister. When he heard that, Jiang Ziya kowtowed in front of the bed and wept, saying, “I have received immense kindness from your lordship. Even if my innards were scattered across the ground and my bones were shattered, it would not be enough to repay what the state has bestowed upon me. Please don’t worry about me. Take care of your health, and you shall recover soon.”

Ji Chang now told his son, “Even though the Shang court has lost its way, you are still its vassal and must observe your duty and never exceed the bounds of your station, lest you be criticized by future generations. Be harmonious with your brothers. Be caring toward your people. If you can do that, I will die without regrets. Also, you mustn’t become lax about doing good, or hesitate to act righteously. Abstain from all that is wrong. This is the proper way to cultivate yourself. It’s the only way to rule.”

Ji Fa kowtowed and received his father’s instructions. Ji Chang then lamented, “I have received incomparable kindness from King Zhou. Alas, I can no longer glimpse his divine visage and offer honest advice. Nor can I make divinations and educate the people of the town of Youli (2,3) anymore!”

And with that, he expired, dying at the age of 97, during the winter of the 20th year of King Zhou’s reign.

While Ji Chang lay in state, all the officials gathered and discussed the issue of succession. Jiang Ziya, on behalf of all of them, proposed that Ji Fa be elevated to his father’s position as Grand Duke of the West and declare himself King Wu (3), or the Martial King. And of course everyone agreed. It should be noted that the addition of the king title was a rather provocative act against the Shang court, since it could be seen as a challenge to King Zhou’s authority.

Once Ji Fa buried his father, he elevated Jiang Ziya to the status of minister father, and all the other officials received a promotion of one level in rank as well. Then, lord and ministers all worked as one to continue governing the kingdom of Zhou (1) as Ji Chang had instructed. Before long, all the surrounding frontier tribes and the 200 marquises under Ji Fa’s command came and pledged their allegiance.

Word of this change in the west soon made its way into the Shang capital. It was received by the high minister Yao (2) Zhong (1), who discussed it with Wei (1) Zi (3), another top official and one of King Zhou’s uncles. 

“Ji Fa has declared himself the Martial King,” Yao Zhong said. “He obviously harbors grand ambitions and treasonous intentions. We must report this matter to his majesty.”

Wei Zi, however, said, “All the nobles of the land have seen how debauched the king is acting, and how he adores the wicked and shuns the loyal, so they are all harboring thoughts of rebellion. Now that Ji Fa has declared himself a king, there will surely be more unrest soon. Alas, even if we bring this matter to the king, that degenerate will not see it as a concern. It will be no use.”

“That may be, but we still must do our duty,” Yao Zhong objected. And so he wrote a memorial to the king and went to the Star-Picking Tower to report this urgent news. To see how King Zhou will respond, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
• “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)
• “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)
• “Slow Times Over Here” by Midnight North (from YouTube audio library)