Ji Fa

Ji Fa was Ji Chang’s second son. Since his elder brother Bo Yikao had died at Chaoge, he succeeded to the title of Earl of the West after Ji Chang’s death, honoured Jiang Shang as Shangfu, and left all great civil and military matters in his hands.

At the start of his rule Ji Fa followed his father’s instructions in treating officials and people generously, put the administration of the fief in order, and drilled troops and repaired defences as Jiang Shang directed, so that the strength of Western Qi gradually filled out.

Hearing that Ji Chang had just died and Ji Fa succeeded, many of the lords held back. Jiang Shang, judging that the time had not come, held off from war and sent envoys instead to make friends of the neighbouring states.

As the disorder within Shang deepened — Bi Gan dead with his heart cut out, Jizi feigning madness in captivity, Weizi gone abroad with the vessels of the ancestral temple, Fei Zhong, You Hun and Elai holding the government, loyal men condemned or fled and every rule falling apart — report after report of a people no longer with their king reached Western Qi, and Ji Fa and Jiang Shang resolved to gather the lords and raise an army against King Zhou.

Ji Fa led the army east in person and swore the oath, and eight hundred lords answered and met at the ford of Mengjin. Banners hid the sun over the crossing and the warships lay hull to hull; the lords asked to cross and strike at once, and Jiang Shang, judging that the mandate of Shang was not yet spent, advised against it, so the army turned back to Western Qi.

Some years later, with King Zhou more brutal than ever, Wen Zhong dead at Jueleng Ridge and the supports of the court gone one by one, Ji Fa raised his army again and marched east, fighting the Shang commanders through Jiepai, Sishui, Chuanyun, Tong and Lintong passes.

At Jinji Ridge the army was held by Kong Xuan and his Five-Coloured Divine Light, which swallowed Zhou officers and treasures one after another; Jiang Shang and his officers attacked repeatedly without success, and only when Zhunti Daoren came and subdued Kong Xuan could the army move east again.

Along the way they fought Yuan Hong, Yin Pobai, Lei Kai and other Shang commanders, with Chan and Jie disciples helping either side and duelling before the lines many times; the Zhou army was hurt more than once and still closed on Chaoge step by step. Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, who had gone over to Western Qi, were talked round by the Jie disciples into returning to the Shang camp, each turning his own treasures against the Zhou army, and both died before the lines.

When the army reached Mengjin the eight hundred lords arrived as agreed and the alliance was settled. As they crossed, a white fish leapt into the boat Ji Fa was riding; he bent and picked it up and used it in the sacrifice to the Yellow River, and the whole army took it for a good omen. They crossed and pressed on to Chaoge.

The army came to Muye, where the plain ran on without end, the north wind lifted the dust, and the morning mist had not cleared; the two hosts drew up across the field, drums and horns sounding to one another. As they engaged, the Shang front rank turned its weapons about and attacked its own centre, the Shang army broke everywhere, and King Zhou withdrew to Chaoge with his remaining troops and shut the gates.

Ji Fa drove the assault into Chaoge, and King Zhou climbed the Deer Terrace in robes of pearl and jade and burned himself to death. Entering the city, Ji Fa had the treasuries and archives counted and the people calmed; he had Jizi found in his prison and released, Bi Gan’s grave repaired and Shang Rong’s old house honoured, and had the money of the Deer Terrace and the grain of Juqiao given out to feed the hungry in the city. Shang was at an end.

Ji Fa then, with Jiang Shang’s help, held a great assembly of the lords and enfeoffed his officers and kinsmen: Jiang Shang received Qi and founded his state at Yingqiu, the Duke of Zhou received Lu, the Duke of Shao received Yan, and the kinsmen and officers of the campaign received their own states in turn. Ji Fa honoured Ji Chang posthumously as King Wen of Zhou, founded the Zhou dynasty with its capital at Haojing, and ordered Jiang Shang to enfeoff the loyal dead from the roll at the investiture terrace.

With the realm newly settled, Ji Fa fixed the rites and issued his orders to the lords of the four quarters, and the house of Zhou stood in place of Shang.