After the King of Wu pardoned the King of Yue, Gou Jian always thought about how to restore the country, so he tired himself every day, made himself think anxiously, and hung a gallbladder on his seat.
Look at the gallbladder before sitting down every day, lie down and sleep, and taste the gallbladder before eating and drinking water. He often says to himself, "Have you forgotten the shame you suffered on Kuaiji Mountain?"
He farmed his own fields, and his wife wore her own clothes. Every meal he eats has almost no meat and vegetables, and the clothes he wears have no bright colors. He is respectful to wise people, treats guests with courtesy, helps the poor, mourns the dead and works hard with the people. Finally defeated the state of Wu.
Original text:
Since the state of Wu pardoned the state of Yue, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, rebelled, but he was too worried about his health to sit down. When he sat down, he was afraid of eating and drinking. Say, "Have women forgotten the shame and sin they will remember?" Self-cultivation, wife self-weaving; Eating without meat, clothes are not heavy; Welcome guests under the saint's day; Shake the poor and hang the poor, and work with the people. Destroy Wu.
This article is taken from Historical Records of Gou Jian's Family, the King of Yue, by Sima Qian in the Western Han Dynasty.
Extended data writing background:
In wuyue during the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu and the State of Yue lived next to each other, but they forged a feud because of the long war. Gou Jian, the king of Yue, defeated He Lv, the old king of Wu, and won at first. He was carried away, but he refused to accept Fan Li's suggestion and hoped to destroy Wu as soon as possible. The prince Fu Cha and Wu Zixu led the troops to defeat. The lives of Gou Jian, King of Yue, and his subjects are at stake.
Fan Li volunteered and went to see Fu Cha alone. After some wits and wits, he persuaded Fu Cha to retreat and rescued Gou Jian. A few years later, Gou Jian gained the trust of Fu Cha, and returned to Yue from Wu, secretly trying to accumulate strength.
Gou Jian finally got the opportunity to transfer troops to attack Wu. After a fierce battle, Fu Cha became Gou Jian's prisoner. After more than ten years of hard work and struggle, Gou Jian finally realized his grand dream of rejuvenation. Since then, Gou Jian has devoted himself to national affairs and made the country prosperous.
Historical Records, formerly known as Taishigong or Taishigong Gong Ji and Taishigong Historical Records, is a biographical historical book written by Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han Dynasty. It is the first biographical general history in the history of China, recording the history of four years and more than 3,000 years from the legendary Huangdi era to Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty.
In the first year of Taichu (BC 104), Sima Qian began to create Taishi Gongshu, later called Shiji. This book was used for 14 years before and after completion.
About the author:
Sima Qian (former 145 or former135-impossible to test) was born in xia yang (now south of Hancheng, Shaanxi). Historians and essayists in the Western Han Dynasty. Sima Tan's son, Ren Taishiling, was imprisoned for defending Li Ling's defeat and surrender, and later served as the secretariat. He worked hard to complete the historical records he wrote, and was called Shi Qian, Tai Shigong and the father of history by the later Buddha.