In 494 BC, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, heard that Fu Cha, the king of Wu, had been working hard day and night to attack the State of Yue, so he wanted to attack the State of Wu first. At this time, his minister, Fan Li, dissuaded him and said, "War is a very cruel thing, and fighting for no reason is even more contrary to good faith. This is a taboo in heaven, which is not good for players and is very unfavorable. We should be cautious and never act rashly. "
At this time, Gou Jian was covered in blood, and he knew the way of forbearance, not to mention the wonderful use of "doing nothing". He just said firmly, "I've made up my mind, so don't say any more."
Therefore, Gou Jian mobilized 30,000 elite soldiers from all over the country to attack Wu in the north and fight in the rich education. As a result, Gou Jian was defeated, leaving only 5 thousand down soldiers. Retreat to Kuaiji Mountain and be surrounded by Wu Jun.
Only then did Gou Jian understand Fan Li's cleverness and said sadly to Fan Li, "I don't listen to my husband, so I have this problem." How to clean up the crisis now? "
Fan Li protested calmly: "If you hold your arms full, but don't overflow, you will be like heaven. God will bless your earth and people will save it, so that you can get the gift of the earth." Help the needy, be humble, be like others, and people will be moved. For today's plan, there are only modest words and generous gifts to bribe Wu Guojun and his ministers; If you don't allow, you can bow down and serve the King of Wu and Xu Tu. This is the last resort in times of crisis. "
In other words, you should take the initiative to show weakness to Wu and hide your determination and fighting spirit.
Gou Jian had no choice but to send a doctor to Wu Jun camp for peace.
Wen Zi's first visit to the 5th Battalion was strongly obstructed by Wu Zixu, the minister of Fu Cha, the king of Wu. He said, "It's now or never. Don't promise. " Wen Zi had no choice but to come back.
Gou Jian was distressed when he heard the newspaper, but forgot to hide his true thoughts. He wants to kill his wife and destroy the room, and then fight to the death with the prince of Wu. Calm Fan Li and Wen Zi dissuaded him and put forward an idea: "The rulers of Wu are too greedy for money. That's it. " Therefore, Yue first bribed Bohuo with beautiful women and jewels. Give it to Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and then send Wen Zi to make peace.
Wen Zi knew how to keep the prince from seeing Gou Jian's ambition. Meeting with Queen Wu, she said, "If your majesty can pardon Gou Jian, the State of Yue is willing to offer all the treasures and make the whole country a subject.
If not, Gou Jian will kill his wife and destroy all his treasures. And then lead 5 thousand soldiers to fight to the death with the king. It is inevitable that the king will suffer when he really fights. How can killing a Gou Jian be compared with the whole country that won the state of Yue? I hope your majesty will think twice. "
Minister Bohuo also chimed in: "Yue has surrendered. If the King of Yue can be pardoned, it will really benefit the State of Wu. "
Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, was very moved and wanted to make peace. Wu is not ignorant. Minister Wu Zixu knows that the King of Yue just wants to be wronged. In order to save his strength, Xu Tu made a comeback. Therefore, the admonition said: "It is better to make it grow by virtue; To eliminate diseases and pests, we must cut the grass and get rid of the roots. Today, Gou Jian is a saint, Wen Zi and Fan Li are good ministers, and the monarch and the minister are one, and the sage can benefit the people. Once they return to China, it will be a great disaster for Wu. Wuyue and China are separated only by a strip of water. Once the feud is formed, success or failure cannot be ignored. Now that we have conquered this country, it is really against God's will to save it. "But with Bo fire around, the prince was complacent and didn't listen to Wu Zixu. Finally, he made peace with Yue and left.
Gou Jian, the king of Yue, returned to the capital of Yue after being cleared by Huiji. He wanted Fan Li to take charge of state affairs, so he personally went to Wu to intercede for Fu Cha. Fan Li said: "As a soldier, words are not as good as ministers; As for governing the country, it is better to be knowledgeable than to be close to the people. I am willing to go abroad with the king. " In fact, Fan Li was afraid that the King of Yue could not bear the burden of humiliation and forgot the principle of keeping secrets in order to achieve his own goals.
In about 493 BC, Gou Jian, the monarch and his subjects arrived in Wudu to meet Fu Cha, immediately presented exquisite treasures, and tried to flatter them humbly. Then, with the help of Bo, Focha's understanding was obtained.
When Gou Jian and Fan Li arrived in Gusu, the capital of Wu, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, let them live in a stone house next to the cancer grave and raise horses for the king of Wu. Fu Cha left Gou Jian in Beijing to test whether he really surrendered to him. Every time Fu Cha goes out by car, Gou Jian gives him a Lama. It is conceivable that Gou Jian was humiliated in Wu.
Mr. and Mrs. Gou Jian lived in Wu for three years. In these three years, Gou Jian buried his hatred deeply. In order to gain Fu Cha's trust and return to Yue as soon as possible, he served Fu Cha carefully, more obedient and docile than other servants in Fu Cha. At the same time, Wen Zi often sends gifts to Eber, and Bohuo always intercedes for Gou Jian in front of Fu Cha.
One time. When Gou Jian heard that Fu Cha was ill, he sent a message to Fu Cha, saying that he would go and have a look. Fu Cha heard that Gou Jian cared so much about himself that he promised him. Bohuo led Gou Jian into Fu Cha's bedroom, just as Fu Cha wanted to have a bowel movement, Gou Jian hurried over to help. Fu Cha told Gou Jian to go out, and Gou Jian said, "When the father is sick, the son should serve, and when the king is sick, the servant should also serve. Besides, I still have some experience. As long as I taste the king's feces, I can know whether the king is seriously ill. " Focha was very happy and stopped refusing. Fucha feels much more comfortable after taking a shit. Gou Jian helped Fucha to bed, glanced at the toilet lid again and tasted the dung. Then he kowtowed to Fu Cha and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The king's illness is no longer dangerous. In a few days, he will be fine! " Focha asked him, "How do you know?" Gou Jian said, "I just tasted the excrement of the King and knew that the poisonous gas in my stomach had been sent out. Or will it be good soon? " Seeing that Gou Jian has served himself so well, Fu Cha is a little guilty. He said to Gou Jian, "You have treated me well. When I am ready, I will let you go back. "
Because Gou Jian served Fu Cha everywhere, and Bohuo constantly reported to Fu Cha that the state of Yue was calm and there was no sign of rebelling against the king of Wu, Fu Cha thought that Gou Jian, the king of Yue, had really surrendered completely, and that the state of Yue posed no threat to Wu. So in 49 1 year BC, Fu Cha personally put Gou Jian and his wife on the bus and let them go back to Yue.
After being imprisoned in Wu for three years, Gou Jian finally returned to Yue. At this time, Yue was in ruins, and Gou Jian asked Fan Li for the way to revitalize Yue, and Fan Li made an incisive exposition on it. He believes: "Time and personnel are constantly changing, so the formulation of principles and policies should be decided by time and events. Everything is born in the earth, and the earth is all-encompassing and all-encompassing. It always captures everything and is a whole. Animals, crops and so on can never be separated from the ground. All things, regardless of good and evil, are treated equally to make them grow, and human beings also rely on the health of the earth. However, everything grows at different times, and it is impossible to barely grow to a certain time; The same is true of personnel changes, and it is impossible to barely succeed until the final turning point. So let nature take its course and live in the world. When the opportunity comes, we will reverse the situation that is not conducive to ourselves. "
Fan Li advocated that in foreign relations, Yue should treat weak countries with courtesy, while for powerful countries, it should adopt a submissive attitude on the surface, but of course, it must not yield in its bones. As for destroying the enemy of Wu, it will not be achieved overnight. We have to wait or urge it to decline, and when the time is right, we can destroy it in one fell swoop. Moreover, we must persist in hiding our purpose, otherwise, the humiliation and burden of these years will be in vain. Finally, Fan Li said, "I hope your majesty will never forget the suffering of the stone chamber, so that Yue can prosper and avenge Wu Can!"
When Gou Jian heard this, he repeatedly called it good. He immediately ordered Wen Zi to take charge of state affairs and Fan Li to manage the army. Gou Jian is also very hard, very hard, very hard, very strong, without a mattress, lying with a salary. There is still a gallbladder hanging above the sitting. No matter what you eat or live in, you should taste the gallbladder first, so as to motivate yourself not to forget the bitter days of the past. Every night, Gou Jian often secretly cries and painfully says to himself, "Gou Jian, have you forgotten the shame of Ji Ji!" " At the same time, he respected the virtuous and polite, respected the elderly and sympathized with the poor, so as to win the support of the people. He also rewarded fertility, accumulated wealth, trained foot soldiers and repaired armor, and never dared to slack off.
However, Gou Jian always treated Wu with sincerity and had no ambition.
By 485 BC, Gou Jian had returned to Vietnam for five years. At this time, the treasury was enriched, the land was reclaimed, and the people were happy to use it. So Gou Jian's ambition was aroused, and he forgot the big principle of hiding things. He wants to get back at Wu, but he is ashamed to get back at him. Hearing this, Fan Li knew that the time was not yet ripe, and quickly ran into the palace to remonstrate, saying, "Although our country is committed to personnel, the time is not yet ripe, which is unfavorable for striving for merit." Gou Jian suddenly realized: Yes, I became conceited again and forgot my past sufferings.
A whole year passed, and Wu Zixu, the veteran of the prince of Wu, became more and more unhappy when he saw that he was getting stronger and stronger. He advised the prince to attack Yue as soon as possible, but the prince wouldn't listen. Wu Zixu said angrily, "Your Majesty won't listen to dissuasion. Three years later, Wu will be conquered by Yue! " The prince of Wu was furious and gave Wu Zixu a sword and ordered him to commit suicide. After Wu Zixu died. The prince of Wu prides himself on killing too many people, and his politics is even more corrupt and fatuous. At this moment, Gou Jian summoned Fan Li and asked, "The prince of Wu killed Wu Zixu, and there are more and more flatterers. Can you cut Wu? " This time Gou Jian was not as sharp as last time. But he said: "Although there are signs of germination, on the whole, the signs of Wu's death are not very obvious, and it is not yet possible to attack Wu." Fan Li is very clear about the strength comparison of wuyue. If he sends troops by force, it will only lead to the next failure. Gou Jian thought for a moment and was deeply impressed. Therefore, he continued to "humble" Wu.
In the 14th year of Gou Jian, the King of Yue (483 BC), a natural disaster occurred in the State of Wu. Without food, people are suffering. Gou Jian wanted to attack Wu again. Fan Li said: "The time has come, and the personnel are not finished. Your Majesty can wait. " At this time, Gou Jian couldn't hold back again, and he was furious: "I talked to you about personnel, and you dealt with me at the right time: now the right time has come, but you use personnel as an excuse to shirk." What the hell does this mean? "
Fan Li answered, "Don't blame your majesty. Personnel must attend the meeting at the right time and place to succeed. Now, Wu is in a state of great disaster, and people are in panic. The monarch and his ministers work together to resist internal and external troubles. The king should still gallop hunting, sing and dance, and drink happily. Seeing this, Wu certainly won't engage in moral politics. When his people are exhausted and disheartened, they will succeed in one fell swoop. " Fan Li asked Gou Jian to go hunting, sing and dance, and have a good drink, but he still hoped that Gou Jian would not show up. After three years of martial arts baptism, Gou Jian suppressed his revenge and anger, still waiting for the opportunity.
In the fifteenth year of Gou Jian, Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, ignored the situation that mantis caught cicada and yellowbird, and went north with a good soldier to meet the vassal in Huangchi (now southwest of Fengqiu, Henan), leaving only the friend of the vassal and the infirm and disabled. At this time, Gou Jian and Fan Li realized that the time had come! So, they led the soldiers to bypass the Huaihe River by sea, and then landed in Gusu and Wudu. Vietnamese soldiers have been trained for many years and have excellent weapons. Fan Li and others are old generals. After the confrontation between the two sides, Wu Jun was defeated and the prince of Wu was killed.
After hearing the bad news in Huangchi, Fu Cha didn't dare to make public, but secretly sent envoys, just like the defeat of Jiao Shan, and humbly asked Gou Jian for pardon. Supposedly, this trick was also used once in Yue State, and the hearts of Yue Wang and Fan Li were like mirrors. However, Fan Li said to Gou Jian, "Wu is still difficult to destroy, and the king will allow peace and give a devastating blow when he is ready." Fan Li is really an unparalleled master. Not only did he let Gou Jian, the King of Yue, conceal his purpose when he failed, but he also concealed his motivation when he was recuperating. If he can do this, he is not far from success. So Gou Jian forgave Wu and withdrew his troops to China. Four years later, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, once again went north to attack Wu. Wu Jun hurriedly accepted the challenge and was defeated by osawa (now near Taihu Lake). The Vietnamese army continued to send troops and surrounded the Wudu Gusu. According to Fan Li's strategy, it took three years to build a camp and surround it without destroying it.
In the end, Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, was exhausted and desperate, and could no longer support himself. So he sent envoys to the Vietnamese military camp to kneel down and beg for peace. At this time, Gou Jian was a little arrogant again. As soon as he saw that the prince of Wu was so humble, he wanted to make peace. Fan Li saw the situation clearly and said, "At that time, the king's failure will be remembered. God gave the state of Yue to Wu, but Wu didn't want it, which led to today. Since heaven has given the kingdom of Wu to Yue, how can Yue go against the sky? Besides, the king's hard work is all for the sake of a kingdom of Wu. Have you forgotten the shame of the past? The 20-year plan, once abandoned the previous results, will be accused of not taking it. "
The emissary of the State of Wu had no choice but to leave the camp of Yue in tears. Soon, the army of the State of Yue wiped out the State of Wu. Gou Jian played politics hypocritically, sealed Fu Cha in the corner of Yongdong (an island in the sea east of Huiji) and asked him to be the monarch of dozens of families. Focha suffered such humiliation and felt remorse. Only then did he see the talents of Gou Jian and Fan Li, but it was too late. He deeply regrets that he didn't listen to Wu Zixu, so he is ashamed today. So he covered himself with linen to show that he was ashamed to see Wu Zixu in the grave, and then he drew his sword and committed suicide.
Since then, the state of Yue has dominated Jianghuai and became the overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Throughout the ages, we have regarded this story as a driving force to encourage us to move forward in difficult times and as a model of success as long as we make up our minds. However, we can imagine that if Fan Li hadn't repeatedly advised Gou Jian to hide his intentions deeply, he would have died step by step before he suffered all the hardships.
It can be seen that in this historical event, whether it is the demise of the King of Wu, the prosperity of the King of Yue, the wisdom of Fan Li, or the loyalty of Wu Zixu, they are unconsciously covered by the light of four words: Yin.