Compiled from Infamous Chinese Emperors
King
You was notorious as the last monarch of the Western Zhou Dynasty who brought
about the downfall of the kingdom which was followed by the many states of the
Spring and Autumn Period. He was greedy and indulged in sensual pleasures to
the neglect of state affairs. He had a concubine by the name of Baosi who,
though very beautiful, had a serious look and rarely smiled. In order to make
her smile, he even endangered the security of his kingdom. King You went so far
as to tease the leaders of the vassal states with beacons.
He
brought the concubine to the beacon tower on one of the fortresses and ordered
the beacons to be lit one after another. Heads of the vassal states took this
as a call for help and led their troops to the capital. It turned out to be a
false alarm but Baosi could not help laughing at this amusing spectacle. King
You was delighted to see her smile at last.
One
day, however, he was attacked by the son of a woman who was killed for the sake
of pleasing Baosi. King You sent a signal for help, but the leaders of the
vassal states (having been fooled before) ignored him. As a result, Baosi was
captured and he was slain, bringing his kingdom to an end.
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