The King's Plan

The marquis of Cai, the ruler of the Cai Nation, was a lecherous drunkard. He took the princess of the Chen Nation as his wife. She was prone to jealousy, and her ways of handling matters was terrifyingly cruel.

King Wen of Chu then sent someone to spy on Madam Cai. She had a sister who was married to the marquis of Xi, the king of the Xi Nation. Madam Xi's beauty could bring a nation to a halt. The news flew throughout the whole of ancient China.

But King Wen of Chu didn't care about that. The spy he sent whispered about the happiness of Madam Xi into the ears of Madam Cai who was living an unhappy life; of how she was the pride and joy of Xi Hou.

That rekindled Madam Cai's fire of resentment. Thus, she sent an invitation to Madam Xi as an elder sister when she was going to visit her parents.

Madam Xi already needed to pass through the Cai Nation in her itinerary. Naturally she couldn't decline Madam Cai's earnest invitation.