How did shang kings maintain their power?

The only answer I found was: The ancient Chinese kings maintained control of their dynasties throguh military means.

You probably go to connections accademy. I do too.

This question is in the Journey Across Time text book on page 231. The answer is on pages 225 - 231.

Besides the two answers above me, I managed to find a reasonable answer:

"Rulers became powerful because they controlled land and had strong armies."

This is all I could find, hope this benefits others who wonder what the answer is!