Those who are truly ambitious can often bear the burden of humiliation, hide their dissatisfaction and humiliation deep in their hearts, and then wait for the time to act.

In 494 BC, King Gou Jian of Yue heard that King Wu Fu Chai was training his troops day and night and was about to attack the country of Yue, so he wanted to preemptively attack the country of Wu. At this time, his minister Fan Li dissuaded him: "War is a very cruel thing, and unprovoked fighting is against moral integrity. This is tabooed by God. It is not good for those who fight and is very disadvantageous. They should be cautious. Don't act rashly."

At this time, Gou Jian was a hot-blooded man who didn't know how to tolerate, let alone the magical effect of "doing something without doing anything." He just said forcefully: "I have decided, you can do it. Say no more."

So Gou Jian mobilized 30,000 elite soldiers from all over the country, went north to attack Wu, and fought with Wu soldiers in Fujiao. As a result, Gou Jian was defeated, leaving only 5,000 remaining soldiers. He retreated to Kuaiji Mountain and was surrounded by the Wu army.

At this time, Gou Jian understood Fan Li's brilliance and said to Fan Li sadly: "I don't listen to your words, that's why I have this problem. How to deal with the crisis now?"

Fan Li Calmly admonished: "If you keep it full but not overflowing, you will be on the same path as heaven, and God will protect it; the earth can provide all things, and people should use them sparingly, so that they can receive the blessings of the earth; help dangers, stabilize them, and serve them humbly, then If you are of the same mind as others, you can do something about it. For now, the only way is to bribe the king and ministers of Wu with humble words and courtesy. If not, you can bend your body and serve the king of Wu to turn things around. This is a last resort in times of crisis." p>

In other words, you must take the initiative to show weakness to Wu Guo and hide your determination and fighting spirit.

Gou Jian had no choice but to send his official Wen Zhong to the Wu army camp to request peace.

When Wen Zhong went to Wu camp for the first time, he was strongly obstructed by Wu Zixu, the minister of Wu King Fucha, who said: "God has given the Yue Kingdom to the Wu Kingdom. This opportunity must not be missed. Don't agree." Wen Zhong was helpless. , had to come back.

When Gou Jian heard the news, he was so sad that he forgot to hide his true thoughts. He wanted to kill his wife and destroy the house, and then fight to the death with the King of Wu. Fan Li and Wen Zhong, who were still calm, dissuaded him and came up with an idea: "The powerful official of the Wu State, Tai Zai Bo Pei, is greedy for money. This is the way to go." So, the Yue State first used beautiful women and treasures to buy Bo Huo. He sent it to King Wu Fucha, and then sent Wen Zhong to beg for peace.

Wen Zhong knew how to prevent King Wu from seeing Gou Jian’s ambition. After meeting King Wu, he said: "If the king can pardon Gou Jian, the country of Yue will be willing to offer all its treasures, and the whole country will be reduced to Subjects.

If not, Gou Jian will kill all his wives and destroy all the treasures. Then he will lead five thousand soldiers to fight to the death, which will inevitably cause the king to suffer losses. Is it comparable to gaining the entire Yue Kingdom? I hope the king will think again."

The slanderous minister Bohuo also said: "The Yue Kingdom has surrendered as a subject, and it will indeed be of great benefit to the Wu Kingdom if the King of Yue can be pardoned. ”

King Wu Fu Chai was moved and wanted to make peace. It was not that the State of Wu had no understanding people. Minister Wu Zixu knew very well that the King of Yue just wanted to beg for peace. In order to preserve his own strength, Xu Tu made a comeback. So he remonstrated and said: "To cultivate virtue and do good, it is better to let it spread; to eliminate diseases and harms, we must cut off the roots. Now Gou Jian is a virtuous king, Wen Zhong and Fan Li are good ministers. The emperor and his ministers work together to benefit the people. Once they return to the country, they will surely The state of Wu is in serious trouble. Wu and Yue are connected by water and soil. Once they form a feud, success or failure cannot be ignored. Now that the Yue state has been conquered, if it is allowed to survive, it will really go against God's will and create trouble for the invaders. "But Bo Huo is here. There were slanderous remarks coming from the side, and the King of Wu was also complacent, so he refused to listen to Wu Zixu's words, finally made peace with the Yue State, and stopped his troops.

Gou Jian, the king of Yue, returned to the capital of Yue after relieving the siege of Kuaiji. He originally wanted Fan Li to preside over the affairs of the country, while he himself went to the State of Wu to serve Fu. Fan Li said: "When it comes to military matters, I am not as good as the minister. As for pacifying the country and being close to the people, I am not as good as the minister. I am willing to go to a foreign country with the king." In fact, Fan Li was afraid that the king of Yue would not be able to endure the humiliation and bear the burden and forget. The principle of concealment to achieve one's own goals.

About 493 BC, several people from Gou Jian and his ministers arrived in Wudu and saw Fu Chai. They immediately presented treasures of beautiful women and flattered him in a low and low voice. With Pei Bo's help, he reluctantly Obtain Fu Chai's understanding.

When Gou Jian, his wife and Fan Li arrived in Gusu, the capital of Wu State, King Wu Fucha asked them to live in a stone house next to Heai's tomb and raise horses for King Wu. Fu Chai kept Gou Jian in the capital to test whether he truly surrendered to him. Every time Fu Chai went out in a carriage, he would ask Gou Jian to pull his horse for him. It is conceivable that Gou Jian suffered humiliation in the state of Wu.

Gou Jian and his wife lived in Wu for three years. During these three years, Gou Jian deeply buried his desire for revenge. In order to gain Fu Chai's trust and allow him to return to Yue Kingdom as soon as possible, he served Fu Chai very carefully and was obedient, appearing to be more docile than Fu Chai's other servants. At the same time, Wen Zhong often sent people to give gifts to Bo Pi, and Bo Huo always interceded for Gou Jian in front of Fu Chai.

Once. When Gou Jian heard that Fu Chai was ill, he asked Uncle Pei to send a message to Fu Chai, saying that he wanted to visit him. Fu Chai heard that Gou Jian missed him so much, so he agreed to it. Bo Huo led Gou Jian into Fu Chai's bedroom. Just as Fu Chai was about to have a bowel movement, Gou Jian rushed over to help him. Fu Chai asked Gou Jian to go out, and Gou Jian said: "When the father is sick, the sons should serve him; when the king is sick, the ministers should also serve him.

Besides, I have some experience. Just taste the king's feces and I can know whether the king's illness is serious or mild. "Fu Chai was very happy and refused any more. After Fu Cha defecated, he felt much better. Gou Jian helped Fu Chai get on the bed and lay down. He then opened the toilet seat and took a look, taking out the feces and tasting it. Then he kowtowed to Fu Cha and said "Congratulations to your Majesty! Your Majesty's illness is no longer dangerous. In a few days, he will be completely cured!" Fu Chai asked him, "How did you know?" Gou Jian said, "I tasted your Majesty's feces just now and I know it." The poisonous gas in his belly has come out, won't he be cured soon?" Fu Cha felt a little sorry when he saw Gou Jian serving him so thoughtfully, so he said to Gou Jian, "You treat me well. When I recover, I will let you go back. ”

Since Gou Jian served Fu Cha carefully, and Bo Huo kept reporting to Fu Cha that the country of Yue was very peaceful and there was no sign of rebellion against King Wu, Fu Cha thought that King Gou Jian of Yue had truly surrendered to him. There was no longer any threat to the State of Wu, so in 491 BC, Fu Chai personally sent Gou Jian and his wife into the carriage and released them back to the State of Yue.

After being detained in Wu for three years. , Gou Jian finally returned to the country of Yue. At this time, the country of Yue was in ruins and waiting to be revitalized. Gou Jian asked Fan Li for advice on how to revitalize the country of Yue. Fan Li made an incisive discussion: "The weather and personnel are constantly changing, so we should formulate policies. , Policies should be determined according to times and events. All things are born on the earth, and the earth is all-encompassing and inclusive. It encompasses all things and forms a whole. Animals, crops, etc. can never leave the earth. All things, good or evil, are treated equally by the earth and allowed to grow, and humans also depend on the earth for their health. However, the growth of all things has its own time, and it is impossible to force growth without a certain opportunity; the same is true for changes in personnel, and it is impossible to force success until the final turning point. Therefore, you should live in the world in accordance with nature, and when the opportunity comes, you will reverse the situation that is not beneficial to you. ”

Fan Li advocated that in terms of foreign relations, Yue should treat weak countries with courtesy, and should adopt a pliant attitude toward strong countries on the surface. Of course, they must never surrender in their bones. As for destroying Wu and taking revenge, it will not happen in a day. If you can succeed within a short period of time, you have to wait or push him to decline, and then destroy him in one fell swoop when the time is right. Moreover, you must insist on hiding your purpose, otherwise, you will have to bear the burden of humiliation in the past few years. It was all in vain. Fan Li finally said: "I hope the king will never forget the suffering of Shishi, so that the country of Yue can prosper and Wu can be revenged!" After hearing this, Gou Jian immediately praised him for his kindness. Wen Zhong was ordered to preside over the affairs of the country, and Fan Li was in charge of the army. Gou Jian also worked hard and worked hard to improve himself. He did not need a bed, but hung a gall above his seat. The bitter gall encouraged him not to forget the miserable life in the past. Every night, Gou Jian often cried secretly and said to himself bitterly: "Gou Jian, have you forgotten the shame of Kuaiji?" At the same time, he respected the virtuous and the elderly. He subsidized poverty in order to win the support of the people. He also rewarded children, accumulated property, trained soldiers, and repaired armor, and never dared to slack off. However, Gou Jian was always humble and ambitious in his dealings with the state of Wu. Nor was it exposed.

In 485 BC, Gou Jian had returned to Yue for five years. At this time, the Yue State's treasury was abundant, the land was cultivated, and Gou Jian was eager to use it. He had somewhat forgotten the principle of concealment and wanted to raise troops to retaliate against the Wu State. When Fan Li heard this, he knew that the time was not yet ripe, so he quickly ran into the palace to admonish him: "Although our country is doing its best, the time is not right." Being immature and forcing yourself to succeed will be detrimental to yourself. Gou Jian suddenly realized: Yes, I have become arrogant again and have forgotten the sufferings I suffered in the past.

Another full year passed. Wu Zixu, an old minister of the King of Wu, saw that the country of Yue was getting stronger and stronger day by day, and his heart became more and more intense. Wu Zixu was unhappy and advised the King of Wu to attack Yue as soon as possible, but the King of Wu refused to listen. Wu Zixu said angrily: "Your Majesty does not listen to the advice. In less than three years, the Kingdom of Wu will be defeated by the Kingdom of Yue!" The King of Wu was furious and gave him a gift. Wu Zixu gave him a sword and ordered him to commit suicide. After Wu Zixu's death, the king of Wu favored Taizai Bohuo, and the government became more corrupt. At this time, Gou Jian summoned Fan Li and asked, "The king of Wu has killed Wu Zixu, and there are many sycophants. Can we attack Wu?" This time, Gou Jian was not as sharp as last time. However, Fan Li said: "Although signs of abnormality have sprouted, overall, the signs of the demise of Wu are not very obvious. It is not possible yet. Defeat Wu. "Fan Li was very aware of the balance of power between Wu and Yue. If he sent troops forcefully, it would only lead to the next failure. Gou Jian thought about it for a while and agreed. So he continued to be "humbly" towards Wu.

< p>In the 14th year of King Gou Jian of Yue (483 BC), the Kingdom of Wu encountered natural disasters. There was no food and the people were in dire straits. Gou Jian wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to attack Wu. Fan Li said: "The time has come and the personnel are not yet exhausted. The king will wait for now." At this time, Gou Jian couldn't hold himself back anymore and said angrily: "I talked to you about personnel matters, and you dealt with me according to the weather. Now that the time has come, you are using personnel matters to shirk the blame." What does this mean?"

Fan Li heard this and replied: "Your Majesty, don't be surprised. Personnel must coordinate with the right time and location before success can be achieved. Now that Wu is suffering from disaster and the people are in panic, the emperor and his ministers will work together to resist internal and external troubles. Your Majesty, it is appropriate for you to go on hunting expeditions, singing, dancing and drinking as usual. Seeing this, Wu State will definitely not practice virtuous government. It will succeed in one fell swoop when its people are exhausted and discouraged. "Fan Li asked Gou Jian to go hunting, singing, dancing and drinking, but still wanted him to continue to hide his secrets.

Gou Jian finally passed the baptism of Wu Gong for three years, suppressed his revenge and anger, and still waited for the opportunity.

In the fifteenth year of Goujian's reign, King Wu Fuchai did not care about the situation of the mantis stalking the cicada and the oriole behind. He actually led his elite troops north to the Weiguo Huangchi (now southwest of Fengqiu, Henan) to gather the princes. Only the prince's friends and the elderly, weak and disabled were left behind. At this time, Gou Jian and Fan Li recognized that the time had come! So they led their troops to enter the Huaihe River via the sea route, and then landed in Gusu, the capital of Wu. The Vietnamese soldiers have been trained for many years and have sophisticated weapons. Fan Li and others are all veteran generals. After the two sides fought, the Wu army was defeated and Wu Prince You was killed.

After Fu Chai heard the bad news in Huangchi, he did not dare to publicize it, and secretly sent envoys to ask Gou Jian for pardon, just as Yue did when he defeated Jiaoshan. It is said that this kind of strategy has been used by the Yue Kingdom once. The King of Yue and Fan Li were like mirrors in their hearts. However, Fan Li said to Gou Jian: "It is difficult to destroy the Kingdom of Wu now. Your Majesty, please make peace and wait for further destruction." "Fan Li is really a peerless master. Not only did he let Yue King Gou Jian hide his purpose when he failed, but he also didn't reveal his motives when he was recuperating. He could also hide it when he won. If he could do this, he would be so far away from success. Not far away. So Gou Jian pardoned Wu and returned home. Four years later, King Gou Jian of Yue once again marched north to attack Wu. The Wu army hurriedly accepted the battle and was defeated miserably at Lize (near today's Taihu Lake). The Vietnamese army continued to move its troops and surrounded Gusu, the capital of Wu. According to Fan Li's strategy, he built forts high and surrounded them without annihilating them, which lasted for three years.

In the end, King Wu Fu Chai was completely exhausted and could no longer support him. So he sent his envoys to kneel down and go to the Vietnamese army's camp, begging to stop the troops and make peace. At this time, Gou Jian was a little arrogant again. When he saw King Wu being so humble, he wanted to make peace. Fan Li clearly understood the current situation and said from the side: "Back then, the king was defeated in Kuaiji. God gave the State of Yue to the State of Wu, but the State of Wu did not want it, which led to today. Now that God has given the State of Wu to the State of Yue, what happened to the State of Yue? Can you act against the will of heaven? Moreover, the king has sacrificed his life and endured hardship all for the sake of the country of Wu. Have you forgotten the shame of the past? After twenty years of planning, if you give up your previous efforts, God will take the blame. "

The envoy from the state of Wu had no choice but to leave the camp of the state of Yue in tears. Soon, the Yue army destroyed Wu. Gou Jian played a trick of hypocritical benevolence and righteousness. He granted his husband a small place in Yongdong (a small island in the sea east of Kuaiji) and made him the king of dozens of families. Fu Chai suffered this humiliation and felt filled with regret. Only then did he see the depth of Gou Jian and Fan Li's city, but it was already too late. He deeply regretted that he had not listened to Wu Zixu's words, which was why he was ashamed today. So he covered his face with linen to show that he was too embarrassed to see Wu Zixu, and then he drew his sword and committed suicide.

After that, the Yue State dominated the Jiang and Huaihe Rivers and became the dominant hegemon in the world during the Spring and Autumn Period.

From ancient times to the present, we have regarded this story as a motivation to move forward in difficult times and as an example of success as long as we are determined. However, we can imagine that if Fan Li had not repeatedly Give Gou Jian advice, let him hide his intentions deeply, and weaken the King of Wu step by step. He would have died long ago without waiting for him to suffer hardships.

It can be seen that in this historical event, whether it was the destruction of the King of Wu, the rise of the King of Yue, Fan Li's wisdom, or Wu Zixu's loyalty, they were all unknowingly overshadowed by the light of four words. , these four words are: deeply hidden.