Ancient kings often dispatched armies to attack enemies.
Tips
usage
伐 is a formal/literary word most often seen in compounds: 伐木 (logging), 讨伐 (to punish/attack), 北伐 (Northern Expedition). In everyday speech, 砍 is preferred for 'to chop/cut down'.
memory
The character shows 人 (person) with 戈 (weapon/spear) — a person wielding a weapon, either to cut down trees or to strike an enemy.
