▁national ▁service . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Yan ▁at ▁a ▁young ▁age ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁host age , ▁a ▁common ▁diplom atic ▁practice ▁among ▁v ass al ▁states ▁throughout ▁Z hou ▁D ynast y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 0 7 ▁BC , ▁Y ing ▁Ji ' s ▁older ▁half - bro ther , ▁King ▁Wu , ▁unexpected ly ▁died ▁after ▁breaking ▁his ▁sh in ▁b ones ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁show ▁off ▁his ▁physical ▁pro w ess ▁by ▁lif ting ▁a ▁heavy ▁bronze ▁ca uld ron ▁in ▁the ▁Z hou ▁palace ▁at ▁Wang ch eng . ▁ ▁King ▁Wu ▁died ▁young ▁and ▁child less , ▁hence ▁placing ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Q in ▁into ▁a ▁succession ▁crisis , ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁princes ▁now ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁claim ▁the ▁throne . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Prince ▁Ji ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁host age ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Yan , ▁and ▁was ▁generally ▁considered ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁candidate . ▁ ▁However , ▁King ▁W uling ▁of ▁Z ha o ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁and ▁interven e ▁in ▁the ▁domestic ▁politics ▁of ▁his ▁western ▁neighbour . ▁ ▁King ▁W uling ▁ordered ▁his ▁ch an cell or ▁of ▁the ▁D ai ▁Command ery , ▁Z ha o ▁Gu ▁( <0xE8> <0xB6> <0x99> <0xE5> <0x9B> <0xBA> ), ▁to ▁sm ug gle ▁Prince ▁Ji ▁out ▁of ▁Yan ▁into ▁Z ha o ▁territory , ▁before ▁end ors ing ▁him ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Q in ▁and ▁contest ▁for ▁the