atic ▁relationship . ▁ ▁However , ▁You ▁Yu ▁secret ly ▁defect ed ▁and ▁gave ▁coun sel ▁to ▁Duke ▁Mu ▁of ▁Q in ▁regarding ▁ways ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁X ir ong . ▁ ▁Using ▁You ▁Yu ' s ▁advice , ▁Duke ▁Mu ▁sent ▁women ▁and ▁mus icians ▁to ▁the ▁king ▁M ian z hu , ▁dist ract ing ▁him ▁from ▁domestic ▁affairs . ▁ ▁In ▁ 6 2 3 ▁BC , ▁Duke ▁Wu ▁led ▁a ▁well - prep ared ▁Q in ▁army , ▁inv aded ▁and ▁conquer ed ▁M ian z hu ▁along ▁with ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁smaller ▁R ong ▁and ▁Di ▁states . ▁ ▁Y iqu ▁was ▁among ▁those ▁defeated ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁claim ▁fe alty ▁to ▁Q in ' s ▁military ▁pro w ess . ▁ ▁For ▁his ▁domin ance ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁region , ▁Duke ▁Mu ▁received ▁a ▁golden ▁drum ▁from ▁King ▁X i ang ▁of ▁Z hou ▁as ▁comm end ation , ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Five ▁H eg em ons . ▁ ▁However , ▁after ▁Duke ▁Mu ▁died , ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Q in ▁r ul ers ▁were ▁not ▁as ▁compet ent ▁as ▁their ▁for eb ear . ▁ ▁Being ▁the ▁most ▁sin ic ized ▁of ▁all ▁X ir ong ▁tribes , ▁Y iqu ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁centuries ▁slowly ▁building ▁up ▁its ▁strength . ▁ ▁In ▁ 4 3 0 ▁BC , ▁Y iqu ▁inv aded ▁Q in ▁territory , ▁forcing ▁Duke ▁Z ao ▁of ▁Q in ▁to ▁abandon ▁lands ▁north ▁of ▁lower ▁Wei