The Great Families first waged The War like any other war they had waged in their long histories. Wars of conquest and defeat were temporary, while business was forever. It was business through another avenue, with military victories and losses factored into the final deals that would make the better classes of people on each side money no matter what. The realization that the Shang had no intention of making a deal with the better class of Americans was a shock. They would grind the Great Families down with the same heal they used on everyone else. They did not accept that the Great Families were better than others. That was something the Great Families could not abide. Win or lose, profit or loss, they demanded respect. It offended them when the Shang refused to give it. That is the true reason the Great Families put all their support behind The War. The Shang offended them.