The Sinking Sacrifice of Shang

Yu founded Xia, Qi founded Shang. The Xia and Shang clans rose and controlled floods together during the same era, assisting Shun. The Shang clan began to flourish, migrating among various regions and establishing their capital at Bo, serving as the regional lord of Xia for generations. After centuries of development, the tribe grew strong, subjugated the Yi peoples, expanded territories, and stood mightily in the east through force and sacrifice. By the time of Tianyi Cheng Tang, the Xia Way declined; Jie abused his people, inflicted punishments without restraint, and the feudal lords became estranged. Tang employed Yi Yin's strategies, reorganized his army, formed alliances with states, first conquered Ge, then Wei and Gu, defeated Kunwu, and pacified the four directions. At the Battle of Mingtiao, the Xia army collapsed, Xia Jie fled, and the Xia sacrifices ceased. Shang replaced Xia, established the state name Yin, founded royal power, and entered the slave system, prioritizing sacrifice, strengthening through warfare, and utilizing slaves. Later, the throne passed to Wai Bing, Zhong Ren, and Tai Jia. After Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, Wu Ding brought about a revival, but the nation's fortunes rose and fell several times. In the final years, Emperor Xin relied on force, was arrogant and violent, engaged in excessive military campaigns, abused his subjects and slaves, and incurred the wrath of the people and gods. King Wu of Zhou launched an eastern campaign, and at the Battle of Muye, the Yin army turned their weapons against their own; Zhou committed suicide by fire at the Deer Terrace. The Shang territory collapsed, and the Yin sacrifices sank into oblivion. From the early rise of the Shang clan in the Xia era to the fall of the Yin sacrifices, this work chronicles centuries of rise and fall, conquests, migrations, shamanic rituals, slavery, feudal states, and changes in royal power. It continues the pioneering work of the Xia dynasty spy novel genre, 'The Spy Shadow Rises: The Tale of Nü Ai'.