, which features a speech by King Kang in its inscription. King Kang followed his father's policy and expanded the Zhou territory in the north and west. It appears that his queen,
Wang Jiang, played a larger role in the management of the royal coffers, assisting in military campaigns, and rewarding officials by his request.
Sima Qian records that
King Cheng of Zhou was nearing the end of his life, he feared that King Kang would be unfit to rule Zhou. He therefore ordered the
Duke of Shao and the
Duke of Bi to teach him the basic principles and assist in his enthronement. This was recorded in ''The Dying Emperor's Will
() in the Book of Documents'', which remains extant. Within the text, King Cheng orders the two to ensure that the coming King Kang does not rashly run into what is not right, and predicted great difficulty ahead for Zhou. King Cheng died the next day. After a period of mourning, the new King Kang was given a jade tablet, reading: 皇后憑玉几，道揚末命：命汝嗣訓，臨君周邦，率循大卞，燮和天下，用答揚文武之光訓。 This Sovereign, leaning upon that jade armrest, utters his final order: ‘I command you to carry on the instruction, to preside over Zhou, to follow the great statutes, to harmonise and pacify all under heaven, and so to answer and exalt the glorious teachings of
King Wen and
King Wu. King Kang, upon receiving this, bowed twice, but was uncertain as to whether he would be able to rule with the same proficiency as his predecessor. from King Kang's reign. During his crowning ceremony, King Kang made the
Announcement of Kang, also extant in the
Book of Documents. In it, he emphasises the need to look back on the policies of the better rulers of the
Shang dynasty, as well as the ancient sage-kings of the
Youyu-shi. He placed particular emphasis on punishment, demanding important cases be deliberated for around 6 days, and Shang punishments in particular be looked at. Finally, he noted not to follow the
Mandate of Heaven blindly, and recalled that it is a fickle one that can be lost. Sima Qian states that the text was regarding dividing the population into residential districts in
Chengzhou (). • During the first year of King Kang's reign, the feudal lords paid homage to him in
Fengjing. • During the third year, musical compositions were standardized, an auspicious
di () sacrifice was made towards the former lords, agricultural officers received charges to remind them of their duties, and an announcement was made at a temple. • During the ninth year, the State of Tang () moved to
Jin (), built a beautiful palace, and King Kang sent a minister to remonstrate the ruler. • During the twelfth year, King Kang bestowed an order upon the Duke of Bi. • During the sixteenth year, King Kang bestowed a mandate upon the Duke of Qi, then toured the southern regions before arriving at Lushan along the Jiang River. • King Kang would then die in his twenty-sixth year. In his 23rd year, the
Da Yu ding was commissioned, which features a speech by King Kang that took place in
Zongzhou. Within, it details him recounting the successes of his predecessors to someone named Yu (), the grandson of
Nangong Kuo (). He praised the conquest of the four directions by King Wen, and the prohibition of drunkeness by King Wu. He then thanks Yu for bringing him out of the "hazy dawn of his youth," enjoying that he was not coerced, merely guided. Then, King Kang promotes Yu to assist a minister named () in maintaining harmonious
virtue, act as an overseer of the military (), remonstrate him when he errs, and receive charges from those in the four directions. King Kang then gave Yu sacrificial goods and the banner of Yu's father to lead in hunting, along with four state officials with 659 charioteers and common peasants, seemingly to assist. He also gave Yu 13 officers of high ranking and 1,050 servants to disperse to their proper lands. King Kang desired Yu to emulate the success of his grandfather. Yu had the ding cast themselves. The
Zuo Zhuan mentions King Kang in passing: 康王息民，並建母弟，以蕃屏周，亦曰，吾無專享文武之功，且為後人之迷敗傾覆而溺入于難，則振救之。 King Kang gave rest to the people and established his maternal uncles as fiefs to serve as a protective barrier for Zhou. It was also said, "I shall not exclusively enjoy the achievements of Wenwang and Wugong, but will instead rescue future generations from confusion, collapse, and drowning in calamity." ==Legacy==