King Helü of Wu launched an attack on Yue, but King Goujian of Yue defeated the Wu army, and Helü was struck by an arrow and died. His son, King Fuchai of Wu, drilled his troops day and night, determined to avenge his father.
Goujian wanted to strike first, but Fan Li advised, "Weapons are instruments of ill omen; those who wield them recklessly incur heaven's wrath, as Helu learned to his cost. The Wu army has not yet crossed the border to engage us—it is better to strike after they do."
Goujian said, "With determination, great things can be accomplished. I have made up my mind to destroy the state of Wu!"
At the Battle of Fujiao, the Yue army was utterly defeated. King Goujian gathered his remaining troops and retreated to the summit of Mount Kuaiji.
Fan Li devised a plan, sending the senior official Wen Zhong as an envoy with a generous tribute of treasures and beautiful women to bribe Bo Pi, the Grand Steward of the Wu Kingdom, persuading King Fuchai to accept Yue's submission and withdraw his troops.
To avenge the humiliation at Kuaiji, King Goujian of Yue sought to restore his kingdom's honor
Ji Ran said, "To strengthen the army, you must first enrich the state; to enrich the state, you must first understand the flow of wealth. When there's a drought, many buy carts; when there's a flood, many buy boats—a simple yet profound truth. After a drought, floods often follow the next year, so production and trade cannot remain rigid. Farmers grow grain, merchants circulate it; if grain prices are too low, farmers suffer; if too high, merchants see no profit. When farmers suffer, harvests decline; when merchants suffer, wealth diminishes. Therefore, grain and goods should not be too expensive or too cheap, but fluctuate with the times, keeping trade lively and the state prosperous. When resources are abundant and currency flows, knowing which goods are plentiful and which are scarce determines pricing. When prices peak, they naturally fall; when they bottom out, they naturally rise. When goods are expensive, be willing to sell; when cheap, buy boldly. Only when money and goods flow like water, never stagnating, can they yield tenfold or hundredfold profit."
King Goujian of Yue ordered Fan Li and Wen Zhong to implement Ji Ran's strategies. A decade later, Yue became the wealthiest state south of the Yangtze, crushed the Wu army, and marched north to challenge Qi and Jin, securing its place among the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period.
Fan Li said to Wen Zhong, "The king is harsh and suspicious; we can help him succeed but cannot share his wealth and glory. It's best we retire after our work is done." Wen Zhong couldn't bring himself to leave the court and was later forced by Gou Jian to commit suicide.
Fan Li sighed deeply, "Master Ji Ran's strategies for enriching a nation number seven. Yue applied five of them and became hegemon. Now I intend to use them to enrich my family through commerce."
Fan Li sailed toward Lake Tai, changed his name and identity. He later did business in the state of Qi, calling himself Chi Yi Zi Pi, and returned south as Tao Zhu Gong. Over nineteen years, he amassed a fortune of a thousand gold pieces three times, each time distributing it all to poor friends and relatives. In his old age, his descendants continued the family business, building a wealth of tens of thousands that rivaled princes and nobles.
"Changing one's name and surname" refers to altering one's name and surname for reasons one wishes to keep unknown.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biographies of the Merchants"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "变名易姓" came to describe changing one's name and surname for reasons one wishes to keep unknown.