Wen Zhong read Fan Li’s letter and was not convinced. Is Goujian really such a person? Is Fan Li judging Goujian’s heart with his own cautious mind?
Wen Zhong did not expect that Fan Li’s prediction would soon become reality.
Goujian no longer needed to taste pig’s bile or sleep in the woodshed; he became idle. One day, he took a sword— the very sword used when Fu Chai forced Wu Zixu to commit suicide. Goujian said to Fu Chai, “You had seven methods to destroy a country, and I used only three to destroy the kingdom of Wu, leaving four methods. Who do you think I will use them against?”
Wen Zhong, having been Goujian’s confidant for many years, understood his intentions. Goujian had forced his wife to commit suicide, claiming she could not tolerate Xi Shi, a meritorious official of Yue. He had a bowl of poison brought and forced his wife to drink it, sending her to heaven or hell to pave the way for him.
Now it was Wen Zhong’s turn.
Goujian would not allow his meritorious officials to remain in the world. Wen Zhong took the sword and muttered to himself, “Fan Li was right. When birds are shot down, good bows are put away; when cunning rabbits are killed, hunting dogs are cooked.”
The article is concise and mostly relevant to the main theme. However, the mention of the wealthy man named Tao Zhu Gong and his wife seems extraneous and does not contribute to the plot. Therefore, I will remove this section.
Here is the edited content:
“Alas, I regret not listening to Fan Li’s advice.”
Wen Zhong had no choice but to draw his sword and take his own life.
Fan Li was a clever man who took Xi Shi and fled far away, not only winning a beautiful woman but also escaping the fate of “when birds are shot down, good bows are put away; when cunning rabbits are killed, hunting dogs are cooked.”
(End)
