Fan Li
Fan Li was born into a poor family in Yuan Sanhu, Chu State in the later years of the Spring and Autumn Period. When Wen Zhong served as governor of Yuan, Fan Li befriended him. Later they went to Yue State and became powerful ministers at the Yue Court.
In 494 BC, Goujian, the King of Yue State, decided to start a war against the Wu State, Yue’s northern neighbor. Fan Li advised the king not to start the war, but the king did not listen. The Yue State lost the war. After Goujian retreated to the Kuaiji Mountain, large briberies were used in the arrangements for the Yue State to have an armistice. Fan Li followed Goujian to the Wu State as hostages and stayed in Wu for three years. During this period, Fuchai, the king of Wu State, tried to persuade Fan Li to defect and promised him an important government position if he decided to work for the Wu State. But Fan refused to be tempted before the proposal. Goujian and his ministers humbled themselves to the extremes. Fan Li continued to heavily bribe the officials in Wu state for exchanges of less severe treatments. Finally, Goujian was allowed to leave and he went back safely to the former Yue State. Fan Li and Wen Zhong devoted themselves to Goujian’s recovery plan. Goujian went all out to build up his force again. He erected cities and developed production while waiting for opportunities to recover his lost state. Fan Li expounded his victory strategies to help the king understand the way the world was and rebuild the state. According to Fan, things in the world kept changing; as times and forces rose and fell and underwent vicissitudes, people must bring themselves to go along the changes and wait for opportunities patiently; only when opportunities occurred could victories become possible. Guided by this strategy, Goujian worked for ten years during which he gathered his forces and thoroughly absorbed his lessons. Finally, Yue state came back into full strength again and conquered the Wu State. Goujian’s ambition for hegemony came true and the Yue State became a power.
Source: travelchinaguide.com
Editor: Wang Moyan
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