Some scholars hold a view that Emperor Shi of Chou
Dynasty (周釐王) only coveted the treasure when he sent an envoy to
crnfer the Dukedom of Jin on earl Wu (晉武公). This arguement doesn't
hold water at all. In fact, allying with the mighty nobility of Jin and Jeng
was the diplomacy adopted by several imperial generations since Emperor Ping's
(平王) reign. As Wu
had an axe to grind, so had the emperor his own private interests to serve. On
purpose the royal house ignored Wu's acts violating the feudal clan system. Emperor
Shi's avarice was only a red herring across the trail.
Since its capital was moved eastward, Chou Dynasty
suffered a great decline. The royal house did their utmost to save their
sovereingty and finally had recourse to diplomacy. They condescended to draw
certain aristocrats to the throne's side. A good examples was the emperor's
alliance with Jin and Jeng. But this was only the royal house's wishful
thinking. On the one hand, owing to a rebellion from inside, Jin's strength
also waned, unable to support the crown. On the other hand, Emperor Ping and
Huan did not show enough charisma to inspire the noblemen's allegiance and
devotion. Though the imperial strategy failed to work well, these attempts had
struk the keynote of such diplomacy.
In emperor Huei's (惠王) reign, the royal house not
only relied more on Jin and Jeng's support, but also ushered in Chou's power to
rival the bloc of "Eastern Aristocrats." The strategy didn't work out
anything effectual. On the contrary, it overrode Duke Chi Huan's (齊桓公) ideal to
"defeat the babaric in defence of the royal." The central cultivated
fiefs had taken the risk of Chu's (楚) vandlism.
Greatly indebted to Duke Chin Huan, Emperor Shiang (周襄王) repaid his
benefactor with pure treachery. The betrayal shows not so much Shiang's
defective self, as it shows us how the noblemen was manipulated by Chou's royal
house. Jeng had joined the bloc led by Duke Chi Huan. Had Duke Jin Shien (晉獻公) also left the
royal camp, the emperor's power would have been falsified and the royal family
no better than a chop on the chopping board.