Fan Li stood alone by the goldfish pond in the garden, looking at the goldfish. Various types of goldfish swam happily from one side to the other. Fan Li stood motionless, staring blankly, seeming preoccupied.
Zheng Dan called again: “Doctor Fan.”
Fan Li came to his senses, a polite smile spreading across his face: “Miss Zheng Dan, is there something I can help you with?”
Zheng Dan looked at him, gazing intently. This handsome man had a dignified bearing and a pair of charming peach blossom eyes. Suddenly, Zheng Dan became brave: “Doctor Fan, do you know? I liked you from the first time I saw you.” Her pretty face blushed for the first time.
Fan Li was stunned.
Zheng Dan’s personality was straightforward, cheerful, and strong. But this was not what Fan Li liked. Fan Li preferred more delicate women, like Xi Shi – fragile, blushing before speaking, evoking a sense of tenderness.
Fan Li said: “Miss Zheng Dan, thank you for your affection.”
However, with national crisis imminent, it’s not appropriate to indulge in romantic feelings.” His words were subtle but clear: I don’t like you.
Zheng Dan was slightly discouraged. She had already guessed Fan Li didn’t like her, but hearing it directly was hard to accept. After a moment, she regained her composure, laughing: “Doctor Fan, the one who liked you from the first sight, besides me, is also Xi Shi.”
Fan Li’s gaze dropped, stunned: “Miss Xi Shi?”
Zheng Dan nodded: “Yes! Xi Shi! Xi Shi likes you even more than I do.”
This time, Fan Li said nothing. He no longer mentioned “national crisis is not a time for romance”. He seemed to sigh very softly, almost imperceptibly. Then he turned back to look at his goldfish.
Zheng Dan’s heart shattered piece by piece.
Fan Li indeed liked Xi Shi.
He liked Xi Shi, not her.
Who said a woman’s beauty is a treasure? Sometimes, a woman’s beauty is a disaster – isn’t there a saying, “beautiful women have tragic fates”?
Xi Shi’s jade flute was beautifully played, with lonely and lingering notes emerging from the flute holes, melancholic and plaintive, like weeping and complaining.
“So sad,” someone suddenly said.
Conquering Wu, Surely Marrying Xi Shi (2)
Xi Shi was startled, and the flute sound abruptly stopped.
The tall shadow slowly walked closer; it was Fan Li.
Xi Shi stood up, “Master Fan,” she called him, her voice very low.
Fan Li said, “Miss Xi Shi, why are you alone playing the flute so late?”
Xi Shi lowered her head, softly saying, “I can’t sleep, thinking about leaving for Wu country tomorrow, leaving home, becoming a stranger from now on. I don’t know when I’ll return home, or if I’ll ever return.”
Fan Li comforted her: “You’ll return. Within three years, we’ll attack the Wu palace, and then you and Miss Zheng Dan can come back.”
Xi Shi lowered her head, silent, but tears uncontrollably flowed. She felt her heart breaking.
Fan Li finally couldn’t help himself, rushed forward, and tightly embraced Xi Shi. This woman was whom he loved, but he was powerless. He not only couldn’t protect his beloved, but must cruelly send her into another’s arms. This feeling of humiliation, bitterness, helplessness, and despair, no one could understand.
Fan Li murmured, “Xi Shi, I’m sorry. National hatred and family grudges force me to fail you. I cannot indulge in personal emotions.”
Xi Shi wept, continuously crying, choking, “I understand. I don’t blame you. I only blame fate.”
Gou Jian is the most enduring person in Chinese history. If he claimed to be second in his ninja turtle kung fu, no one would dare to claim first place. He proved to the world the true meaning of “enduring hardship to become a superior person”. From the day Gou Jian returned as a slave from the Wu state until the day he defeated the Wu king, he tortured himself daily with unwavering determination: holding ice in winter, sleeping on wooden planks, and eating with bitter bile in every meal – who among the people under heaven could understand Gou Jian, and who could do what he did? Gou Jian’s uniqueness is unprecedented, both before and after him.
Gou Jian’s endurance transformed him. His motivation was a firm belief that what was owed would be repaid, that the time would come when what was taken from him would be returned, and what was worn would be stripped away.
Gou Jian’s strategy to destroy Wu consisted of seven tactics: First, donate currency to please its rulers and ministers; second, buy grain to deplete its reserves; third, send beautiful women to confuse its will; fourth, build palaces to exhaust its wealth; fifth, send flattering ministers to disrupt its plans; sixth, force its advisors to commit suicide to weaken its support; seventh, accumulate wealth and train troops to exploit its weaknesses.
Xi Shi and Zheng Dan were the “third tactic of sending beautiful women to confuse its will,” and sending large timber was the “fourth tactic of building palaces to exhaust its wealth.”
It is clear that Gou Jian was extraordinary.
What is there to fear about falling? The most important thing is being able to get up after falling and still being a hero.
As Fan Lei predicted, the lustful King of Wu, Fu Chai, upon seeing the stunning beauties Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, was electrified, his eyes brightening with a blue-green light.
Fan Lei signaled to Xi Shi and Zheng Dan standing behind him.
At this moment, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan were dressed provocatively. Xi Shi wore a pink translucent long dress to hide her large feet, emphasizing her slender figure; Zheng Dan wore a grass-green translucent short skirt that made her look more charming. Both were barely covered.
Seeing Fan Lei’s signal, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan knowingly swayed their hips and approached, kneeling: “We pay respects to the King.” Their voices were soft and melodious.
Fu Chai was overjoyed, looking at Zheng Dan, then Xi Shi, his lustful expression increasingly obvious.
“Beautiful ladies, please rise!” Fu Chai repeated.
He helped Zheng Dan up, then Xi Shi.
Fu Chai’s gaze fixed on Xi Shi’s face, unable to look away. Though Xi Shi and Zheng Dan were equally beautiful, Fu Chai preferred Xi Shi. The beauty before him, with eyebrows like emerald feathers, skin white as snow, face like peach blossoms, hair like golden phoenix feathers, captivating and charming. Fu Chai was intoxicated.
“Beautiful lady, the King has seen you before,” Fu Chai said.
Xi Shi was bewildered.
Zheng Dan was bewildered.
Fan Lei was bewildered.
The three looked at each other. After a while, Xi Shi stammered, “My King, you’ve seen me?”
Fan Lei was startled, wondering what Fu Chai meant. He quickly asked, “My King, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan are visiting Wu for the first time. How could you have seen Xi Shi before?”
Fu Chai smiled and said sentimentally, “I saw you in my dream.”
This was Xi Shi’s wedding night, given to a completely strange man she did not like.
Fan Li’s Second Visit to Wu (1)
Fan Li stayed in Wu for three days.
This was Fan Li’s second time in Wu.
The treatment was completely different, like heaven and earth apart. Fan Li’s first visit was accompanying Goujian and his wife as war criminals.
It was hard on Goujian and his wife, wearing servant clothes daily and doing servants’ work, first guarding Helü’s tomb, then working as grooms and gatekeepers. Fu Chai, originally of equal status, was arrogant because he was the victor. Every time Fu Chai went out in his carriage, Goujian had to lead the horse, walking in front—any person with dignity would have preferred death to such humiliation.
Only Fan Li accompanied Goujian and his wife, staying close day and night.
Fan Li was far more dignified than Goujian. Every time Goujian saw Fu Chai, he would kneel submissively while Fan Li always stood respectfully behind, never kneeling to Fu Chai.
