During the final years of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou ruled with brutal tyranny, ruthlessly plundering the people's wealth to build the magnificent Shaqiu Garden north of the capital, a sprawling complex of lavish palaces and exotic beasts where he spent his days indulging in pleasure with his concubines.
King Zhou of Shang indulged in such debauchery that his ministers grew deeply frustrated, repeatedly pleading with him to change his ways. Yet Zhou not only ignored their earnest advice but also executed loyal officials with brutal tortures like the burning pillar.
At that time, the Shang Dynasty had three highly respected feudal lords: the Marquis of Jiu, the Marquis of E, and Xibo Hou Jichang. Once, the Marquis of Jiu and the Marquis of E argued with King Zhou over a trivial matter, and King Zhou ordered both executed. When Jichang heard this, he sighed, and was also thrown into prison.
Ji Chang, the leader of the Zhou tribe, was captured. His subordinates scouted for a beautiful woman and several dozen fine horses to present to King Zhou of Shang, pleading for Ji Chang's release. Their gifts successfully secured his freedom.
Returning to the Zhou domain, Ji Chang knew King Zhou of Shang was beyond redemption, so he scoured the land for talent, revitalized his state, and united the feudal lords, preparing to overthrow the tyrant's rule.
After nine years of governance, Zhou's strength grew greatly, and many vassals pledged allegiance. Unexpectedly, Ji Chang fell gravely ill. On his deathbed, he admonished his son Ji Fa, saying:
“My lifelong aspiration is to establish the royal enterprise of Zhou. If you can ensure your commands are followed and prohibitions heeded by your subjects, that marks the beginning of this enterprise. I hope you and your ministers will work together like oarsmen in the same boat to fulfill my wish!”
After King Ji Chang's death, his son Ji Fa inherited his father's mission and, aided by strategist Jiang Ziya and others, intensified preparations to overthrow the Shang dynasty. In 1053 BCE, Ji Fa reviewed his troops at Mengjin, where 800 feudal lords spontaneously gathered, urging an attack on King Zhou. But Ji Fa judged the time was not yet right and declined.
Two years later, King Zhou grew even more tyrannical, going so far as to murder his own uncle and imprison his elder brother, leaving him utterly isolated. So Ji Fa raised an army to overthrow the Shang dynasty. At the oath-taking ceremony, he commanded his soldiers, 'Fight to the death, do not harm innocent civilians, and do not loot gold or treasures. Anyone who disobeys will be executed.'
During the decisive battle, the Shang army's soldiers turned their weapons against their own ranks, causing a complete collapse. King Zhou, seeing that the situation was lost, set himself on fire and died.
Upon entering Zhaoge, Ji Fa immediately ordered the distribution of the palace's grain and treasures to the impoverished people. The populace praised the Zhou army as a righteous force that followed every command and forbade every violation, harming not a single blade of grass. Ji Fa thus established the Western Zhou dynasty, fulfilling his father Ji Chang's dying wish.
Later, people used the idiom "Orders Followed, Prohibitions Heeded" to describe strict laws and swift enforcement.
Source: *Lost Book of Zhou*, Chapter "Wen's Legacy"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "令行禁止" came to describe strict laws and swift enforcement.