Chapter 401

The State of Li? During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, surnames were generally related to vassal states or place names. Logically speaking, since there were countless vassal states, they were hard to remember. However, combining the Shang royal surname of Zi with the Li clan actually reminded Shen Wan of a certain vassal state. During the Shang Dynasty, there was an ordinary vassal state called the State of Li, located roughly in the Shangdang region. It was a strategic stronghold between the Shang Dynasty and its northwestern territories. Yet, due to the outward might of the Shang Dynasty, it had little presence, much like most other obscure vassal states. However, an incident that occurred in the late Shang Dynasty truly made the State of Li famous. The Conquest of Li by the Earl of the West: Ji Chang, the Duke of Zhou who was then the Earl of the West, launched a war to weaken the Shang Dynasty and conquered the State of Li. This also officially marked the beginning of their rebellion, serving as the first step toward the later situation where "the empire was divided into three parts, and Zhou held two."