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The earliest recorded period of peace and prosperity in Chinese history

The "Cheng Kang Reign" refers to the peaceful times during the reign of Ji Song and Ji Zhao in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. Historians said that "during the Cheng Kang Reign, the country was peaceful and no punishment was used for more than 40 years."

King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty and made great contributions. After his death, the crown prince Song succeeded him and became King Cheng of Zhou. King Cheng was young, so he assisted King Wu's brother, Duke of Zhou, who conquered the Shang Dynasty, as regent and took charge of state affairs. Duke of Zhou was a great politician. He based on the original system of the Zhou Dynasty and took into account the rituals of the Yin Dynasty, making some changes and additions, and established a system to consolidate the feudal rule. This is the "Duke of Zhou Rituals and Music" or "Zhou Code" that Confucianists in later generations highly praised and respected.

King Wu's two younger brothers, Guan Shu and Cai Shu, suspected that Duke Zhou would usurp the throne, slandered Duke Zhou, and contacted the remnants of Yin led by Wu Geng, causing rumors to spread everywhere. Wu Geng himself also thought that there was an opportunity, so he actively plotted to restore the country. So they colluded with each other and gathered the tribes of Xu, Yan, Bo Gu, Xiong, Ying and other states to rebel against Zhou. Duke Zhou was in a very difficult position, trapped both internally and externally.

He first explained to the Duke of Shao and sought help, then resolutely led the army to the east. After three years of hard fighting, the Duke of Zhou killed Wu Geng, deposed Guan and Cai, conquered 17 states including Yan and Xu, and captured the nobles and the survivors of Shang as prisoners. Because they stubbornly resisted the rule of Zhou, they were called stubborn people or Yin stubborn by the King of Zhou.