What happened
In 1056 B.C., King Wen of Zhou died of illness nine years after he became king. The successor to the throne was Prince Ji Fa, that is, King Wu of Zhou. After King Wu came to power, he took Jiang Taigong as his "division" and was responsible for military affairs; his younger brother Zhou GongDan was in charge of government affairs; and he took Zhao Gong and Bi Gong as his assistants and gave advice in order to continue the cause of King Wen of Zhou. King Wu also moved the capital city from Feng in the time of King Wen to Hao (today's Xi'an in Shaanxi Province) to prepare for the attack of Shang Dynasty. In 1048 BC, King Wu held a large-scale military parade in Mengjin (now Mengjin, Henan Province) to test his strength and test the loyalty of the vassal states who followed the Zhou people. It is said that as many as 800 princes participated in the parade. They all thought that "Zhou could be defeated", but King Wu said that "not yet.". This attitude of King Wu shows that the main purpose of watching soldiers is not to attack King Zhou immediately, but to verify his own strength. King Wu of Zhou issued the famous "oath of Mengjin" in history. Because the conditions for destroying business were not yet ripe, he returned from his teacher.
Development history
Zhou Yuan was a small vassal state in the western border of Shang Dynasty. King Wen of Zhou, who had been in power for 50 years, carried out many correct policies and gradually strengthened his national strength. When he died, he had two thirds of the world, which laid the foundation for the destruction of business. After Ji Fa succeeded to the throne, he continued to use Jiang Taigong (i.e. Jiang Shang) as his military adviser, and his younger brother Ji Dan as his prime minister. Zhao Gong, Bi Gong, Kang Shu, Dan Ji and other good officials were all in their positions, and their politics were flourishing. In order to unite more vassal states, isolate the Shang Dynasty and strengthen its own strength.
At this time, under the rule of King Zhou, the Shang Dynasty was very corrupt politically, but still had strong military strength. King Wu judged the situation, actively prepared conditions for the destruction of business, and waited for the opportunity. Nine years after he ascended the throne, in order to attack Chaoge (now Qixian County in Henan Province), he moved the capital from Fengshui (now the West Bank of Fengshui in the southwest of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) to Haohe (now the East Bank of Fengshui in the southwest of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), and held the famous "Mengjin military observation" in history.
The military observation was actually a military exercise and review in preparation for the destruction of business. He led the army westward to the mausoleum of King Wen in Biyuan (now in Chang'an County of Shaanxi Province), and then eastward to Chaoge. In the Chinese army, a big wooden board with the name of his father xibochang was erected. He only called himself Prince FA, which meant that King Wen was still in command. When the army arrived at Yujin (now the northeast of Mengjin County in Henan Province) on the South Bank of the Yellow River, 800 princes came to attend. The situation that the people of Zhou Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty were isolated and helpless was formed. The princes urged King Wu to march to Chaoge immediately. King Wu and Jiang Shang thought that the time was not yet ripe. After the army crossed the Yellow River, they ordered the whole army to return, and warned everyone not to act too hastily with "you don't know the destiny of heaven.".
In another two years, King Wu discovered that King Zhou of Shang Dynasty was more fatuous and tyrannical. Good minister Bigan, Jizi advice, one was killed, one was imprisoned. Taishiqi and shaoshiqiang, seeing that King Zhou was hopeless, fled with sacrificial utensils in the ancestral temple of the Shang Dynasty. The common people all looked sideways and kept silent. After studying with Jiang Shang, the king of Wu thought that the conditions for the destruction of the Shang Dynasty were completely mature. According to the will of King Wen, he decisively decided to send troops to attack the Shang Dynasty and informed the vassal states to march towards Chaoge. Before departure, Tai Shi divined a divination, and the omen was like great evil. Seeing this bad omen, all officials were shocked. King Wu was determined not to be superstitious in ghosts and gods. He resolutely led 300 soldiers, 3000 guards and 45000 soldiers to Chaoge. The army arrived at Muye, 70 miles outside Chaoge (now the south of Jixian County in Henan Province), and the princes led 4000 chariots to join them. When King Zhou heard that Zhou's soldiers had arrived, he mobilized soldiers from Duzhong and armed prisoners, slaves and prisoners of war. A total of 170000 (700000) soldiers were sent to meet him. The two sides began the famous battle in history. Before the war, King Wu swore to the whole army, counting the sins of Zhou in Shang Dynasty, explaining the justice of cutting Zhou and mobilizing the soldiers to kill the enemy bravely. After the decisive battle began, the morale of Zhou's army was high and they fought bravely. The army of Shang Zhou was on the verge of collapse under the fierce attack of Zhou army. Those slaves and prisoners who were forced to take part in the war did not want to work for King Zhou. Instead, they regarded King Wu as their Savior and turned their spearhead to guide Zhou's army into Chaoge.
King Zhou saw that the situation had gone, and he boarded the deer platform and burned himself to death. The Shang Dynasty perished.
