sh an . ▁ ▁Out ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁major ▁states , ▁only ▁Mar qu ess ▁W uling ▁of ▁Z ha o ▁refused ▁to ▁declare ▁king ship ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁as ▁he ▁considered ▁his ▁state ▁not ▁being ▁strong ▁enough ▁to ▁handle ▁the ▁diplom atic ▁fall out , ▁and ▁titled ▁himself ▁" L ord " ▁( 君 ) ▁instead . ▁ ▁By ▁this ▁point , ▁nearly ▁all ▁major ▁states ▁had ▁claimed ▁royal ▁status ▁equivalent ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Z hou , ▁and ▁it ▁effectively ▁sp elled ▁the ▁complete ▁death ▁of ▁Z hou ▁authority . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 1 5 ▁BC , ▁the ▁two ▁spl inter ▁states ▁of ▁East ▁Z hou ▁and ▁West ▁Z hou ▁declared ▁aut onomy ▁and ▁divided ▁up ▁the ▁remaining ▁crown ▁lands ▁between ▁themselves , ▁reducing ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Z hou , ▁whose ▁seat , ▁Ch eng z hou , ▁was ▁within ▁East ▁Z hou , ▁to ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁a ▁pu ppet ▁at ▁the ▁mer cy ▁of ▁the ▁du ke ' s ▁char ity . ▁ ▁When ▁King ▁Nan ▁of ▁Z hou ▁asc ended ▁in ▁ 3 1 4 ▁BC , ▁he ▁was ▁exp elled ▁by ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁East ▁Z hou , ▁who ▁no ▁longer ▁wanted ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁a ▁less ▁than ▁useful ▁monarch . ▁ ▁King ▁Nan ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁beg ▁for ▁protection ▁from ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁West ▁Z hou , ▁and ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁Ch eng z hou ▁to ▁Wang ch eng . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 0 7 ▁BC , ▁King ▁Nan ▁of ▁Z