Xia Dynasty - Part II - Revenge of the Xia!

-Prince Shao Kang was born c. mid-2000s BC.
   -Grew up in relative anonymity and safety while in exile, but was educated by his grandfather (on his mother's side) and mother about who he really was and how the Xia dynasty was his birthright.
      -Was instructed in history, literature, tactics, administration, and warfare.
-However, eventually General Han Zhou found out about Shao Kang's survival, and so he sent his 2 sons, Han Jiao and Han Yi, to lead an army to kill Shao Kang (these 2 had also led the army that was responsible for the death and defeat of King Xiang).
   -Of course, Shao Kang was still a teenager and not very powerful (no army or followers), so when he received news of an army coming to kill him he fled north.
      -In the north of the kingdom he found safety with a tribal warlord who disliked Han Zhuo; this warlord also realized that if he could help enthrone Shao Kang, this would greatly benefit him in the future.
         -Thus, the warlord married his daughter to Shao Kang and gave him a "li" (roughly 25 square miles of land) to manage as his own.  This "land grant" system was possible because the region was so vast and, at this time, underpopulated, so it was common for royal family or sons of warlords to manage and populate as their own "mini-kingdoms" opr domains which were under the umbrella of the main parent kingdom or tribe.
-Meanwhile, a government minister who also despised the tyrannical rule of Han Zhuo had secretly been saving money and weapons in preparation for overthrowing the military dictator, so when he heard about Shao Kang's survival and land grant in the north he raised an army and fled to join his banner.
   -Also, many hated living under Han Zhuo due to his insane taxation policy which forced the masses to live in poverty, so many also fled to join Shao Kang's forces and live in his domain instead.
   -Fearing for his life now, Han Zhuo decided to attack Shao Kang before he could get any stronger, and so he sent his 2 sons again to lead the armies.
-However, to Han Jiao and Han Yi's surprise, Shao Kang's army was actually more powerful than expected, and they ended up losing when they finally clashed!
   -Both brothers were captured and then executed after the battle.
-Shao Kang then led his army to march on the capital, where the people actually threw open the gates for his army!
   -Realizing that all was lost, Han Zhuo committed suicide and Shao Kang was enthroned as the next king of the Xia dynasty.
      -Upon Shao Kang's enthronement (c. 2007 BC), he held a huge ceremony with lots of tribute from surrounding lands, and he venerated his ancestors well.
         -This ancestor worship became quite popular among the common folk, and became a sort of official religion among the people of this region at the time.
            -Also, being able to worship ancestors in elaborate ceremonies was seen a symbol of status and prestige, and people who were too weak, lazy, or uncivilized to do this were not worthy of respect in the eyes of the Xia dynasty.
-The rest of Shao Kang's reign seemed to be relatively peaceful.
   -He also set up an administration system so that his men would be rewarded for their loyalty by being given a tract of land to govern, and this land would then be passed down to a son upon death, and so on.
   -He also worked hard to repair the dams and dykes so that they wouldn't fall into disrepair.
-c. 1985 BC- Shao Kang dies; replaced by his son, King Zhu.