In 497 BC, the two countries fought in Fujiao, and Wu won a great victory. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, was forced to retreat to Huiji. The prince of Wu sent troops to pursue and besieged Gou Jian on Huiji Mountain. The situation is very critical. At this point, Gou Jian listened to the doctor Wen Zi's plan, prepared some gold and silver treasures and some beautiful women, secretly sent someone to see Wu Taizai, and pleaded with the king of Wu through Taizai. The king of Wu finally agreed to the peace of Gou Jian, the king of Yue, but Wu Zixu of Wu thought it was impossible to make peace with Yue, otherwise it would be tantamount to letting the tiger return to the mountain and the king of Wu would not listen. After the surrender of Gou Jian, the King of Yue, he took his wife to Wu. They live in a stone house next to Focha's father's grave and raise horses. Every time he travels in Fu Cha, Gou Jian always follows him respectfully with a whip. Later, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, became ill. In order to show his loyalty to Fu Cha, Gou Jian personally tasted Fu Cha's stool to judge the date of Fu Cha's recovery. The date of Fu Cha's illness coincides with Gou Jian's prediction. Fu Cha thought Gou Jian was loyal to him, so he put him and his wife back in Yue. After returning to China, Gou Jian, King of Yue, was determined to avenge himself. In order not to forget the national humiliation, he slept on the firewood, and there was a gall hanging in the place where he sat, indicating that he did not forget the national humiliation and the national disaster. After ten years' accumulation, the State of Yue finally changed from a weak country to a strong one, and finally defeated the State of Wu, who committed suicide in shame.
Later, people summarized this story as "tasting courage with salary", which was used to describe people's efforts and self-motivation.
2. The story of Han Xin's "humiliation under his legs"
The Qin Dynasty in the second century BC was the first unified feudal dynasty in the history of China, and the Great Wall of Wan Li, China was formed in this dynasty. However, due to the tyranny of the father and son emperors, the rule of the Qin Dynasty was only 15 years. At the end of Qin Dynasty, the peasant uprising was surging, and heroes came forth in large numbers. Han Xin was one of the famous military commanders.
Han Xin was a famous military commander in ancient China. He was born in poverty and lost his parents at an early age. Before the army was established, Han Xin was neither in business nor willing to farm, and had no property at home. He lives a poor and discriminated life and often eats every meal. He has some friendship with a local official, so he often goes to the official's house for free meals. But after a long time, Xiao Guan's wife resented him and planned to eat early. Han Xin arrived, and there was no food to eat. Han Xin was very angry and broke up with Xiao Guan.
In order to survive, Han Xin had to go fishing in the local Huaihe River. An old lady who washed clothes saw that he had no food, so she gave him the food she had brought. So for dozens of days, Han Xin was very moved and said to the old lady, "I will definitely repay you one day." The old lady was very angry and said, "You are a man. You can't support yourself. I only give you food because you pity me. Who wants you to repay me? " Han Xin was very ashamed and determined to make a career.
In Huaiyin, Han Xin's hometown, some young people look down on Han Xin. One day, a teenager saw that Han Xin was tall, but he often wore a sword. Thinking that he was timid, he stopped Han Xin in the downtown area and said, "If you have courage, draw your sword and stab me; If you are a coward, get under my crotch. " The onlookers knew that this was a deliberate act of finding fault and humiliating Han Xin, and they didn't know what Han Xin would do. See Han Xin thought for a long time, without saying a word, from the man's crotch. Everyone present at that time laughed and thought that Han Xin was a timid person who was afraid of death and had no courage. This is the story of "leg humiliation" handed down later.
In fact, Han Xin is a very resourceful person. He saw that the society was in the process of changing dynasties, so he devoted himself to studying the art of war and practicing martial arts, believing that he would have a bright future. In 209 BC, peasant uprisings against the rule of the Qin Dynasty broke out all over the country, and Han Xin joined one of the powerful armies. The leader of this army was Liu Bang, who later became the founding emperor of the next dynasty. At first, Han Xin was just a small official who was responsible for transporting grain and grass, and he was very frustrated. Later, he met Xiao He, Liu Bang's counselor, and they often discussed current affairs and military affairs. Xiao He realized that Han Xin was a very talented person, so he strongly recommended it to Liu Bang, but Liu Bang refused to reuse Han Xin.
One day, disheartened Han Xin quietly left Liu Bang's army and defected to other insurgents. After Xiao He got the news of his departure, he didn't report to Liu Bang and quickly rode after Han Xin. Liu bang got the news and thought they had escaped. Two days later, Xiao He and Han Xin came back. Liu Bang was overjoyed and asked Xiao He what was going on. Xiao He said, "I chased someone for you." Liu Bang was puzzled: "There were dozens of generals who fled that year. You didn't chase them. Why did you chase Han Xin just now? " Xiao He said: "The generals who fled in the past were mediocre and easy to get. As for Han Xin, he is a rare wizard. If you want to compete for the world, you can't find anyone to discuss big things with you except Han Xin. " Liu Bang said, "Let him be your general." . Xiao He said: "Let him be a general, he may not be willing to stay." Liu Bang said, "Let him be a military commander." From then on, Han Xin changed from a grain official to a general. Later, in the process of helping Liu Bang conquer the world, he won many battles and made great contributions.
3. The story of Michelangelo's "Retreat for Progress"
The best way to break the deadlock is for me to give in first, or when the other party keeps refusing to raise the sign and you are unfathomable.
The clever Italian artist Michelangelo is recognized as the greatest work, which should be his marble sculpture David.
You know, when Michelangelo just finished carving the statue of David, the official in charge of it went to see it and was not satisfied.
"Is there anything wrong?" Michelangelo asked.
"The nose is too big!" The official said.
"Really?" Michelangelo stood in front of the statue and looked at it. He shouted, "isn't it? The nose is a bit big, I'll change it right away. " As he spoke, he picked up the tools, climbed onto the shelf and fiddled with them.
With Michelangelo's chisel, a lot of marble powder was lost, and the official had to avoid it.
After a while, Michelangelo repaired it, climbed off the shelf and asked the officials to check it again:
"Look, it's all right now!"
The official looked at it and said happily, "Yes! Great! That's right! "
After seeing off the officials, Michelangelo went to wash his hands first. Why?
Because he just secretly took a small piece of marble and a handful of stone powder to show off.
From beginning to end, he didn't change the original sculpture at all.
But think about it: if Michelangelo doesn't do this and argue with that official, will there be such a good result?
Wei and Jin calligrapher Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi was born in a calligraphy family. His uncles Wang Yi and Wang Dao; Cousins Wang Tian and Wang Qia were both famous calligraphers at that time. Wang Xizhi (32 1-379, or 303-36 1) was born in Linyi (now Shandong) and later moved to Yin Shan (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). He is a general of the right army, and he will have a look at the internal history of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
At the age of seven, Wang Xizhi studied calligraphy with the female calligrapher Wei Shuo. Wang Xizhi had been copying Shu Wei until he was twelve years old. Although he is very good, he always feels dissatisfied. Because I often listen to the teacher's stories about calligraphers' diligent study and hard practice, I admire the calligraphy of Zhang Zhi, a "grass saint" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and I am determined to use Zhang Zhi's "Linchi" story to motivate myself.
In order to practice calligraphy well, wherever he went, he always waded through mountains and rivers, explored ancient inscriptions and accumulated a lot of calligraphy materials. In his study, in the yard, at the gate and even outside the toilet, he has stools and pens, ink, paper and inkstones. Whenever he thinks of a well-structured word, he immediately writes it on paper. When he practiced calligraphy, he thought hard and even forgot to eat and sleep.
He believes that raising geese can not only cultivate sentiment, but also understand the truth of calligraphy from some gestures of geese. One morning, Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi took a boat tour of Shaoxing. When they arrived near Xianshui Village, they saw a flock of white geese on the shore, staggering and dawdling. Wang Xizhi was fascinated by these white geese and wanted to buy them home. Wang Xizhi asked the Taoist priest nearby, hoping that the Taoist priest could sell him the goose. The Taoist priest said, "If the right army adults want it, please write a Taoist health book" Huang Ting Jing "for me! Wang Xizhi longed for geese and readily agreed to the conditions put forward by the Taoist priest. This is the story of "Wang Xizhi gave the White Goose Book".
At the age of twenty, A Qiu Chi Jian sent someone to Wang Dao's house to choose a son-in-law. At that time, people paid attention to family status, and the door was right. When Wang Dao's son and nephew heard that Qiu's family was coming to propose marriage, they all dressed up in disguise, hoping to be selected. Only Wang Xizhi, as if he didn't hear anything, was lying on the bamboo couch in the east, eating baked wheat cakes in one hand and painting clothes in the other. When people came back, they reported what they had seen to Captain Xi. When he knew that there was a quiet Wang Xizhi leaning on the east couch, he couldn't help clapping his hands and cheering. This is the son-in-law I want! So Chi Jian married his daughter Xi Jun to Wang Xizhi. This story has become two allusions of "East Bed" and "Lingtan".