Hereditary House of Yue King Goujian, Eleventh
King Goujian of Yue, his ancestor was a descendant of the Great Yu, the illegitimate son of Emperor Shaokang of the Xia dynasty. He was enfeoffed at Kuaiji, charged with tending and guarding the sacrifices to the Great Yu. They tattooed their bodies, cut their hair short, opened up wasteland, and established cities and towns. After more than twenty generations, the line passed to Yunchang. During Yunchang's reign, he fought with King Helü of Wu, and they nursed grudges and attacked each other. When Yunchang died, his son Goujian succeeded him; this was the King of Yue.
In the first year of Goujian, King Helü of Wu, hearing that Yunchang had died, raised an army to attack Yue. King Goujian of Yue sent out a dare-to-die corps to challenge the Wu forces. They formed three ranks, marched to the front of the Wu army, and cried out loudly as they committed suicide. While the Wu soldiers watched, the Yue forces took the opportunity to strike the Wu army. The Wu army was defeated at Zuili, and King Helü of Wu was wounded by an arrow. On his deathbed, Helü told his son Fuchai: "Never forget Yue."
In the third year of Goujian, Goujian heard that King Fuchai of Wu was training his troops day and night, intending to take revenge on Yue. Yue wanted to attack Wu before Wu could strike. Fan Li admonished him, saying: "It cannot be done. I have heard that weapons are instruments of ill omen, war is an act contrary to virtue, and strife is the lowest course of action. To plot secretly against virtue, to delight in using instruments of ill omen, and to personally attempt the lowest course—Heaven forbids this, and those who do so will come to no good." The King of Yue said: "I have already decided." Thereupon he raised an army. When the King of Wu heard this, he mobilized all his elite troops to attack Yue and defeated the Yue army at Fujiao. The King of Yue then led five thousand remnant troops and retreated to Kuaiji Mountain. The King of Wu pursued and surrounded them.
The King of Yue said to Fan Li: "Because I did not listen to your words, I have come to this. What is to be done now?" Fan Li replied: "He who maintains fullness should emulate Heaven; he who aids the endangered should take his example from men; he who moderates affairs should emulate Earth. Send him humble words and generous gifts. If he does not agree, then go and serve him in person." Goujian said: "Good." Thereupon he sent Grandee Wen Zhong to Wu to sue for peace. Wen Zhong advanced on his knees, knocked his head on the ground, and said: "Your Majesty's exiled minister Goujian sends his attendant Wen Zhong to dare to inform your subordinates: Goujian begs to become your servant, and his wife your concubine." The King of Wu was about to agree. Wu Zixu said to the King of Wu: "Heaven has given Yue to Wu, do not agree." Wen Zhong returned and reported to Goujian. Goujian wanted to kill his wife and children, burn his treasures, and fight to the death. Wen Zhong stopped Goujian, saying: "The Grand Steward Bo Pi of Wu is greedy; he can be tempted with profit. Let me go secretly to persuade him." So Goujian had Wen Zhong take beautiful women and precious treasures and secretly offer them to the Grand Steward Bo Pi of Wu. Bo Pi accepted them, and then brought Grandee Wen Zhong before the King of Wu. Wen Zhong knocked his head and said: "I hope the Great King will pardon Goujian's crime and accept all the treasures of Yue as tribute. If unfortunately he is not pardoned, Goujian will kill all his wife and children, burn his treasures, and lead his five thousand men in a desperate fight, and you will certainly pay a corresponding price." Bo Pi then urged the King of Wu, saying: "Yue has already submitted as a vassal. If you pardon him, it will benefit the state." The King of Wu was about to agree. Wu Zixu remonstrated, saying: "If you do not destroy Yue now, you will regret it later. Goujian is a worthy ruler, and Wen Zhong and Fan Li are capable ministers. If you let them return to their state, they will cause trouble." The King of Wu did not listen and ultimately pardoned Yue, withdrawing his army and returning home.
When Goujian was trapped at Kuaiji, he sighed and said: "Am I to die here?" Wen Zhong said: "Tang of Shang was imprisoned at Xia tai; King Wen of Zhou was confined at Youli; Chong'er of Jin fled to the Di; Xiaobai of Qi fled to Ju. In the end they all became kings or hegemons. From this perspective, how can we know this is not a blessing?"
After the King of Wu pardoned Yue, King Goujian of Yue returned to Yue. He then labored his body and worried his thoughts, hanging a gall bladder by his seat. When sitting or lying down, he looked up at the gall bladder; when eating, he also tasted it. He said: "Have you forgotten the shame of Kuaiji?" He personally plowed the fields, and his wife personally wove cloth. In eating, he added no meat; in clothing, he wore no colors. He set aside his dignity and treated worthy men with respect, treated guests generously, relieved the poor, condoled with the bereaved, and shared labor with the people. He wanted Fan Li to handle the state's affairs. Fan Li replied: "In military matters, Wen Zhong is not my equal. In pacifying the state and drawing close to the people, I am not equal to Wen Zhong." So he entrusted state affairs to Grandee Wen Zhong, and sent Fan Li and Grandee Zheji to Wu to sue for peace, and they remained in Wu as hostages. After two years, Wu released Fan Li.
Seven years after Goujian returned from Kuaiji, he had pacified his soldiers and people and wanted to use them to take revenge on Wu. Grandee Feng Tong admonished him, saying: "The state has only recently emerged from exile and is now becoming prosperous again. If we refurbish our army and equipment, Wu will certainly become afraid. If they are afraid, disaster will surely come. Moreover, when a bird of prey attacks its target, it always conceals its form. Now Wu is attacking Qi and Jin, and has incurred deep enmity with Chu and Yue. Its reputation towers over the world, but in reality it harms the Zhou royal house. It has little virtue but much merit; it will certainly become arrogant and self-satisfied. For Yue's sake, the best plan is to form ties with Qi, draw close to Chu, attach ourselves to Jin, and treat Wu generously. Wu's ambitions are great, and it will surely wage war lightly. In this way, we can unite the strength of these states, let the three states attack Wu, and we strike when Wu is exhausted—then we can defeat it." Goujian said: "Good."
Two years passed, and the King of Wu was about to attack Qi. Wu Zixu remonstrated, saying: "It cannot be done. I have heard that Goujian eats no meat in his meals and shares hardships with the people. If this man does not die, he will certainly become a disaster for the state. For Wu, Yue is a disease of the heart and vitals; Qi is only a scab or an itch. I hope the Great King will set aside Qi and deal with Yue first." The King of Wu did not listen, so he attacked Qi, defeated the Qi army at Ailing, and captured the Qi nobles Gao and Guo, returning home. He reproached Wu Zixu. Wu Zixu said: "The Great King should not rejoice!" The King of Wu grew angry, and Wu Zixu wanted to kill himself. When the King of Wu heard of this, he stopped him. The Yue grandee Wen Zhong said: "I observe that the King of Wu's administration has become arrogant. Let us test him by asking to borrow grain, to see how he responds." So they requested a grain loan. The King of Wu wanted to grant it, but Wu Zixu advised against it. The King of Wu ultimately granted it, and Yue secretly rejoiced. Wu Zixu said: "The Great King does not listen to advice; in three years, Wu will probably become ruins!" Grand Steward Bo Pi heard this and repeatedly argued with Wu Zixu over the matter of Yue, taking the opportunity to slander Wu Zixu, saying: "Wu Yun appears loyal but is cruel at heart. He did not spare even his own father and elder brother—how could he spare the Great King? Previously, when the Great King wanted to attack Qi, Wu Yun forcefully remonstrated. Later, when you achieved military merit, he therefore resented the Great King. If the Great King does not guard against Wu Yun, he will surely cause rebellion." He also conspired with Feng Tong and slandered Wu Zixu to the King of Wu. At first the King of Wu did not listen, but then he sent Wu Zixu as envoy to Qi, and heard that he had entrusted his son to the Bao family. The King of Wu then became greatly enraged and said: "Wu Yun has indeed deceived me!" When Wu Zixu returned from his mission, the King of Wu sent a man to present him with the sword Zhulou and ordered him to commit suicide. Wu Zixu laughed aloud and said: "I made your father a hegemon, and I established you as ruler. You once wanted to divide Wu in half and give it to me, but I did not accept it. Now you instead listen to slander and kill me. Alas, alas, a man indeed cannot stand alone!" He told the messenger: "You must gouge out my eyes and place them above the eastern gate of Wu, so that I may watch the Yue army enter the city!" Then Wu put Bo Pi in charge of government.
After three years, Goujian summoned Fan Li and said: "The King of Wu has already killed Wu Zixu, and flatterers are many. Can we act now?" Fan Li replied: "Not yet."
In the spring of the following year, the King of Wu went north to meet with the feudal lords at Huangchi. All the elite troops of Wu accompanied the king; only the old, the weak, and the crown prince remained behind. Goujian again asked Fan Li, and Fan Li said: "We can." Thereupon he dispatched two thousand trained exiles, forty thousand well-drilled soldiers, six thousand bodyguards, and one thousand officers of various ranks to attack Wu. The Wu army was defeated, and they killed the crown prince of Wu. Wu sent an urgent report to the king; the King of Wu was then at Huangchi meeting with the feudal lords, and fearing that the world would hear of it, he kept the news secret. After the King of Wu concluded the alliance at Huangchi, he sent a man with lavish gifts to sue for peace with Yue. Yue, considering that it could not yet destroy Wu, made peace with Wu.
Four years later, Yue again attacked Wu. The soldiers and people of Wu were exhausted, and their elite troops had all died in the campaigns against Qi and Jin. Yue heavily defeated the Wu army, then stayed and besieged Wu for three years. The Wu army was defeated, and Yue then surrounded the Wu king on Gusu Mountain. The Wu king sent Gongsun Xiong, who bared his upper body and advanced on his knees, to sue for peace with the Yue king, saying: “Your humble servant Fuchai ventures to speak from the heart. In the past, I offended you at Kuaiji. Fuchai did not dare to disobey your orders and was permitted to make peace with your majesty and return to my state. Now your majesty raises his noble foot to punish your humble servant. Your humble servant will obey any command. May I hope that, as at Kuaiji, my crime will be pardoned?” Goujian could not bear it and wanted to agree. Fan Li said: “The matter at Kuaiji was when Heaven gave Yue to Wu, and Wu did not accept it. Now Heaven gives Wu to Yue—how can Yue defy Heaven’s will? Moreover, your majesty has risen early and retired late—was it not for the sake of Wu? You have plotted for twenty-two years; to abandon it now—can that be done? Besides, if Heaven bestows something and one does not accept it, one will instead suffer calamity. ‘When cutting a handle for an axe, the pattern is right before your eyes’—have you forgotten the disaster at Kuaiji?” Goujian said: “I wish to follow your words, but I cannot bear to treat his envoy thus.” Fan Li then beat the drum and advanced, saying: “The king has entrusted the government to me. Envoy, leave, or you will incur punishment.” The Wu envoy left weeping. Goujian pitied him and sent someone to tell the Wu king: “I will settle you at Yongdong, ruling over a hundred households.” The Wu king declined, saying: “I am old. I cannot serve your majesty!” He then committed suicide. As he died, he covered his face, saying: “I have no face to see Wu Zixu!” The Yue king then buried the Wu king and killed Grand Tutor Pi.
After Goujian had pacified Wu, he led his troops north across the Huai River, held a meeting with the lords of Qi and Jin at Xuzhou, and presented tribute to the Zhou royal house. King Yuan of Zhou sent someone to bestow sacrificial meat upon Goujian and enfeoffed him as Hegemon. Goujian departed, crossed the Huai southward, ceded the upper Huai lands to Chu, returned to Song the lands Wu had seized from it, and gave Lu one hundred li east of the Si River. At that time, Yue’s troops were invincible east of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. All the lords came to congratulate him, and he was called the Hegemon King.
Fan Li then left Yue. From Qi, he sent a letter to Grandee Wen Zhong, saying: “When the flying birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog is boiled and eaten. The king of Yue has a long neck and a bird’s beak. He can be shared with in hardship, but not in pleasure. Why have you not yet left?” When Wen Zhong saw the letter, he claimed illness and did not attend court. Someone slandered him, saying he was about to rebel. The Yue king then granted Wen Zhong a sword, saying: “You taught me seven strategies for attacking Wu. I used only three and defeated Wu. Four remain with you. Go and try them out for me with the former kings.” Wen Zhong then committed suicide.
Goujian died, and his son, King Shiyu, succeeded him. King Shiyu died, and his son, King Bushou, succeeded him. King Bushou died, and his son, King Weng, succeeded him. King Weng died, and his son, King Yi, succeeded him. King Yi died, and his son, King Zhihou, succeeded him. King Zhihou died, and his son, King Wuqiang, succeeded him.
In the time of King Wuqiang, Yue sent troops north to attack Qi and west to attack Chu, contending for supremacy with the central states. In the time of King Wei of Chu, Yue attacked Qi to the north. King Wei of Qi sent someone to persuade the Yue king, saying: “If Yue does not attack Chu, then in great matters it cannot become king, and in small matters it cannot become hegemon. The reason Yue does not attack Chu, as I see it, is that it has not obtained the support of Jin. Han and Wei would never attack Chu. If Han attacks Chu, its army will be destroyed and its generals killed, and then Ye and Yangzhai will be endangered. If Wei attacks Chu, its army will be destroyed and its generals killed, and then Chen and Shangcai will be unsafe. Thus, if Han and Wei follow Yue, they will not achieve even the merit of making their horses sweat, let alone the destruction of their armies and the death of their generals. Why does Yue place such importance on obtaining the support of Jin?” The Yue king said: “What I seek from Jin does not require them to join battle, much less to attack cities and besiege towns. I hope that Wei will mass its troops below Daliang, and that Qi will make probing sorties at Nanyang and Ju, concentrating its forces at Chang and Tan. Then the Chu troops outside Fangcheng will not dare to move south, the Chu troops between the Huai and Si Rivers will not dare to move east, and the regions of Shang, Yu, Xi, Li, Zonghu, and the area left of the Xia Road will not be sufficient to defend against Qin. Jiangnan and Sishang will not be sufficient to resist Yue. Then Qi, Qin, Han, and Wei can fulfill their intentions in Chu. Thus Han and Wei, without fighting, can divide Chu’s territory and harvest without plowing. If they do not do this but instead fight to the death among the rivers and mountains, to be used by Qi and Qin, what they hope for is merely such a mistaken policy—how can they rely on this to become king?” The Qi envoy said: “Fortunately, Yue has not yet perished! I do not value their use of wisdom, for it is like the eye: it can see a hair but cannot see its own lashes. Now the king knows the mistake of Jin but does not know Yue’s own error—this is the vision of the eye. What the king awaits from Jin is not the merit of sweating horses, nor is it forming alliances with them, but waiting for them to disperse Chu’s forces. Now Chu’s forces are already dispersed—what is there still to wait for from Jin?” The Yue king said: “What should be done?” The envoy replied: “Three grandees of Chu lead nine armies. To the north they surround Quwu and Yuzhong, reaching as far as Wujia Pass, a distance of 3,700 li. The army of Jing Cui is massed to the north at Lu, Qi, and Nanyang. Is there any greater dispersal of forces than this? Moreover, what the king seeks is to make Jin and Chu fight each other. If Jin and Chu do not fight, Yue does not send out its troops—this is knowing two and five but not knowing ten. Not attacking Chu at this time—that is why I know that Yue cannot become king in great matters or hegemon in small matters. Fuchou, Pang, and Changsha are Chu’s granaries; Jingzelin is Chu’s timber-producing region. If Yue sends troops to break through Wujia Pass, these four cities will no longer pay tribute to Ying. I have heard that if one plots to become king but cannot, one can still fall back and become hegemon. Yet if one cannot even become hegemon, it is because the kingly way has been lost. Therefore, I hope the king will turn and attack Chu.”
Thereupon Yue abandoned its attack on Qi and turned to attack Chu. King Wei of Chu sent troops to attack Yue, heavily defeated the Yue army, killed King Wuqiang, and seized all the former Wu territories as far as the Zhe River. To the north, he defeated the Qi army at Xuzhou. From then on, Yue disintegrated. The various royal descendants contended to establish themselves, some calling themselves kings, some calling themselves lords. They lived along the southern coast of the Yangtze River, submitting and paying tribute to Chu.
Seven generations later, down to Yao, the Lord of Min, he assisted the lords in pacifying the Qin dynasty. Emperor Gaozu of Han again enfeoffed Yao as the King of Yue, to continue the line of Yue. Dongyue and the Lord of Min were his descendants.
Fan Li served King Goujian of Yue, laboring body and mind, exhausting his utmost strength. He plotted deeply with Goujian for over twenty years, finally destroyed Wu, avenged the disgrace at Kuaiji, led troops north across the Huai River, pressed upon Qi and Jin, issued commands to the central plain, and thereby honored the Zhou royal house. Goujian thus became hegemon, and Fan Li was called Supreme General. After returning to Yue, Fan Li considered that beneath a great reputation it was difficult to dwell long, and moreover, Goujian was a man with whom one could share hardship but with whom it was difficult to share pleasure. So he wrote a letter of resignation to Goujian, saying: “I have heard that when the ruler is anxious, the minister labors; when the ruler is disgraced, the minister dies. In the past, when the ruler was disgraced at Kuaiji, I did not die because I wanted to avenge the shame. Now the shame has been wiped away. I request to receive the punishment that should have been meted out at Kuaiji.” Goujian said: “I will divide the state with you and share it. Otherwise, I will punish you.” Fan Li said: “The ruler issues commands; the minister carries out his will.” He then packed his light valuables and pearls and jade, and alone with his private followers took a boat across the sea and departed, never to return. Goujian then marked off Kuaiji Mountain as Fan Li’s fief.
Fan Li crossed the sea and arrived in the state of Qi. He changed his name, calling himself Chi Yi Zi Pi, and cultivated the land by the seashore, laboring with body and mind, exhausting his strength, while father and sons managed the family enterprise together. Before long, they accumulated property amounting to several hundred thousand. The people of Qi heard of his worthiness and invited him to be their prime minister. Fan Li sighed with emotion and said, "To amass a thousand pieces of gold by managing a household at home, and to rise to the rank of a high minister in office, this is the utmost a commoner can achieve. To enjoy a noble reputation for long is unlucky." Thereupon he returned the seal of office, distributed his wealth among close friends and fellow villagers, then took his precious valuables, secretly departed, and settled in the land of Tao, considering it the center of the world, where paths for trading goods were open, and by this means he could become rich through livelihood. He then called himself Lord Tao Zhu. He again constrained himself and his sons to farming and animal husbandry, hoarding goods, waiting for the right time to sell items, pursuing a profit of one-tenth. Before long, he had accumulated wealth reaching tens of thousands. All under heaven praised Lord Tao Zhu.
Lord Zhu lived in Tao and had a youngest son. When the youngest son grew to adulthood, Lord Zhu’s second son killed someone and was imprisoned in Chu. Lord Zhu said, "Killing a man requires paying with life—that is proper. Yet I have heard that the son of a family of a thousand gold pieces should not die in the marketplace." He told his youngest son to go and visit him. So he loaded a thousand yi of gold into a brown cloth bag and carried it on an oxcart. Just as he was about to send the youngest son, Lord Zhu’s eldest son firmly insisted on going, but Lord Zhu did not agree. The eldest son said, "In a family, the eldest son is called the family steward. Now my younger brother is guilty, and father does not send me but sends the youngest brother—this shows I am unfit." He wanted to commit suicide. His mother spoke for him: "Now sending the youngest son may not necessarily save the second son, but it will first cause the death of the eldest son for nothing—what can be done?" Lord Zhu, unable to do otherwise, sent the eldest son, giving him a letter to his old friend Zhuang Sheng, saying, "When you arrive, present the thousand gold pieces to Zhuang Sheng, and let him handle it. Do not argue with him about anything." The eldest son also privately took several hundred gold pieces with him when he set out.
When he reached Chu, Zhuang Sheng’s home was outside the city walls; one had to push aside weeds to reach the gate, and the dwelling was extremely poor. Yet the eldest son presented the letter and the thousand gold pieces, following his father’s instructions. Zhuang Sheng said, "You may leave quickly, and do not stay! Even if your younger brother is released, do not ask about it." The eldest son left, did not visit Zhuang Sheng again, but secretly stayed behind, using his privately brought money to bribe influential nobles in Chu.
Though Zhuang Sheng lived in a remote alley, he was famous throughout the state for his incorruptibility and uprightness, and from the King of Chu down, everyone revered him as a teacher. When Lord Zhu’s gold arrived, he did not intend to accept it, but planned to return it after the matter was accomplished to show his trustworthiness. So when the gold was delivered, he said to his wife, "This is Lord Zhu’s gold. If I meet with an unforeseen event and cannot warn you in time, you must return it later—do not use it." But Lord Zhu’s eldest son did not understand his intent, thinking that he was of no use in the matter.
Zhuang Sheng found an opportunity to enter the palace and see the King of Chu, saying, "A certain star has appeared at a certain position, and this will harm Chu." The King of Chu, who always trusted Zhuang Sheng, said, "What should be done now?" Zhuang Sheng said, "Only virtue can dispel the calamity." The King of Chu said, "Sir, say no more—I will act accordingly." The King of Chu then sent an envoy to seal the treasury of the three coinages. The Chu nobles were startled and told Lord Zhu’s eldest son, "The king is about to grant a general amnesty." He asked, "How do you know?" They replied, "Whenever the king is about to grant an amnesty, he often first seals the treasury of the three coinages. Last night the king sent an envoy to seal it." Lord Zhu’s eldest son thought that since there would be an amnesty, his younger brother would naturally be released, and that giving a thousand gold pieces to Zhuang Sheng was useless, so he went again to see Zhuang Sheng. Zhuang Sheng said in surprise, "Are you still here?" The eldest son said, "I never left. I came originally for my younger brother’s matter, but now my younger brother is about to receive pardon on his own, so I have come to take my leave." Zhuang Sheng, understanding that he intended to reclaim the gold, said, "Go into the house yourself and take the gold." The eldest son then went in, took out the gold, and left, rejoicing alone in his happiness.
Zhuang Sheng, shamed at being trifled with by a younger man, went into the palace to see the King of Chu and said, "I spoke earlier about the matter of that star, and Your Majesty said you wished to repay it with virtuous conduct. Now, when I go out, on the road everyone says that the rich man Zhu from Tao has a son who killed someone and is imprisoned in Chu, and that his family has used much money to bribe those around Your Majesty. Thus Your Majesty is not granting the amnesty out of concern for Chu, but because of the son of Lord Zhu." The King of Chu, greatly angered, said, "Though I lack virtue, how could I grant favor because of the son of Lord Zhu!" He ordered that Lord Zhu’s son be sentenced to death, and the next day issued the amnesty. Lord Zhu’s eldest son ultimately returned with his younger brother’s corpse.
When he arrived home, his mother and the villagers all grieved, but only Lord Zhu laughed, saying, "I knew from the start that he would surely bring about his brother’s death! It is not that he did not love his brother, but that he had something he could not bear. He grew up with me, experienced hardship, and knew how difficult it is to make a living, so he could not bear to part with money. As for the youngest son, he was born when I was already wealthy, riding fine carriages and driving good horses to chase swift hares—how could he know where money comes from? Thus he easily parts with money and is not stingy. I originally wanted to send the youngest son because he could part with money. But the eldest son could not do this, so he ultimately caused his brother’s death. This is the principle of things—there is nothing to grieve over. I have been waiting day and night for the arrival of his funeral." So Fan Li moved three times and became famous throughout the world—not simply leaving without reason, but wherever he went, he achieved fame. In the end, he died of old age in Tao, and so the world passed down the name Lord Tao Zhu.
The Grand Historian says: Great indeed was the merit of Yu! He channeled the nine great rivers, pacified the nine provinces, and down to this day, the Central Lands are peaceful and stable. When it came to his descendant Gou Jian, he labored body and mind, exhausted his thoughts, and ultimately destroyed the powerful state of Wu, displaying military might to the north in the Central Plains, thereby honoring the Zhou royal house, and was hailed as a hegemon. Could Gou Jian not be considered worthy! He seemed to have the legacy of Yu. Fan Li, through three moves, achieved glorious renown, and his fame has been handed down to later generations. When a minister and lord are like this, how could they fail to be illustrious!
The ancestors of the Yue state began with Shao Kang, continuing down to Yun Chang. His son began to dominate, contending for strength with Wu. In the battle at Zui Li, Helu was wounded. The disgrace at Kuaiji—Gou Jian intended to bear it. Wen Zhong lured with profit, Fan Li exhausted his efforts. He humbled himself, placed the gall bladder, and often tasted it. In the end, he avenged the shame and thus destroyed the great state of Wu. Later, not measuring his strength, he perished under Wu Qiang.