<0xAF> ) ▁and ▁Mar qu ess ▁G ong ▁of ▁Han ▁( <0xE9> <0x9F> <0x93> 共 <0xE4> <0xBE> <0xAF> ), ▁naming ▁it ▁the ▁" state ▁of ▁East ▁Z hou " ▁( 東 周 國 ). ▁ ▁This ▁effectively ▁spl inter ed ▁two ▁separate ▁v ass al ▁states ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Z hou ▁royal ▁court , ▁further ▁decre asing ▁the ▁crown ▁land . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 4 4 ▁BC , ▁Mar qu ess ▁H ui ▁of ▁Wei ▁gathered ▁other ▁v ass al ▁l ords ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁King ▁X ian ▁of ▁Z hou , ▁but ▁instead ▁used ▁the ▁occasion ▁to ▁declare ▁himself ▁king . ▁ ▁This ▁initially ▁back f ired ▁and ▁caused ▁other ▁states ▁to ▁turn ▁host ile ▁towards ▁Wei , ▁but ▁in ▁ 3 3 4 ▁BC ▁Duke ▁Wei ▁of ▁Q i ▁open ly ▁supported ▁King ▁H ui ▁of ▁Wei ' s ▁crow ning , ▁and ▁declared ▁himself ▁king ▁as ▁well , ▁prompt ing ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Ch u ▁to ▁attack ▁Q i ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁forcing ▁Q i ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁king ship . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁ 3 2 5 ▁BC ▁Duke ▁H ui wen ▁of ▁Q in ▁also ▁declared ▁king ship ▁and ▁supported ▁Q i ' s ▁crow ning , ▁and ▁King ▁H ui ▁of ▁Wei ▁open ly ▁encourag ed ▁Mar qu ess ▁Wei ▁of ▁Han ▁to ▁claim ▁king ship , ▁who ▁accepted ▁the ▁proposal ▁and ▁crown ed ▁himself ▁in ▁ 3 2 3 ▁BC ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁r uler ▁of ▁Yan ▁and ▁Zh ong