In the final years of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou of Shang was notoriously debauched and cruel, while Ji Chang, the leader of the western vassal state, was known for his wisdom and virtue.
Ji Chang saw the people of Yin-Shang suffering in misery, so he actively trained his troops and prepared for war, planning to march east and overthrow the Shang dynasty. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could fulfill his wish.
After King Ji Chang's death, his son Ji Fa ascended the throne, known as King Wu of Zhou. With the support of his strategist Jiang Ziya and his brothers Ji Dan (the Duke of Zhou) and Ji Shi (the Duke of Shao), King Wu allied with various lords to launch a campaign against King Zhou of Shang. By then, King Zhou had lost the people's support, and his troops defected, leading to a crushing defeat at Muye. The Shang capital, Zhaoge, fell, and King Zhou set himself ablaze, ending the Shang dynasty.
After King Zhou of Shang died, King Wu of Zhou established the Zhou dynasty. Yet he remained uneasy, sensing the realm had not truly settled—the Shang officials and people had not genuinely submitted. So he summoned Jiang Ziya, the Duke of Zhao, and the Duke of Zhou, asking them, "Though we have captured the Shang capital of Zhaoge, how should we handle the former dynasty's officials and people?"
Jiang Ziya replied, "Your Majesty, I have heard this saying: if you love someone, you even love the crows on their roof; if you dislike someone, you even despise their walls and fences. The meaning is clear—anyone hostile to our new dynasty should be killed, leaving not a single one behind. What does Your Majesty think?"
King Wu disagreed. The Duke of Shao stepped forward and said, "I believe the guilty should all be executed, while the innocent must be spared. If we let those hostile to the new dynasty go free, they will threaten our rule. We must eliminate every remnant opposing our new dynasty, preventing them from staging a comeback. What does Your Majesty think?"
King Wu felt that executing so many people was also unacceptable. The Duke of Zhou stepped forward and said, "I believe we should let everyone return to their own homes and till their own fields. Your Majesty should not show favoritism toward old friends and officials, but instead use benevolent governance to influence all under heaven."
King Wu found this plan excellent and followed the Duke of Zhou's advice. As a result, the realm quickly settled into peace, the people's hearts turned toward the Zhou court, and the Western Zhou dynasty grew stronger with each passing day.
Later, the idiom "Love Me, Love My Dog" came to be used as a metaphor for loving someone so much that you also love the people or things associated with them.
Source: *Shangshu Dazhuan*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "爱屋及乌" came to describe how loving someone so much that you also love the people or things associated with them.