During the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Yue and Wu clashed repeatedly in battle, leaving a legacy of bitter enmity between them.
When King Goujian of Yue launched an attack on Wu, King Fuchai of Wu surrounded the Yue forces on Mount Kuaiji with elite troops. Goujian sent his minister Wen Zhong to sue for peace, and Wen Zhong used beautiful women and precious treasures to bribe the Wu chancellor Bo Pi, persuading King Fuchai to pardon the Yue king.
After returning to the state of Yue, King Goujian constantly reminded himself of the humiliation at Mount Kuaiji. He personally worked the fields, sharing hardships with his people, humbled himself before worthy advisors, and entrusted state affairs to Minister Wen Zhong. He sent Fan Li and Minister Zhe Ji as hostages to sue for peace with the state of Wu. Two years later, Fan Li returned to Yue and continued to follow the king, offering strategies and counsel.
Twenty years later, the state of Yue launched another campaign against Wu, which, exhausted from wars with Qi and Jin, suffered a crushing defeat, finally avenging the humiliation of Mount Kuaiji.
After King Goujian of Yue dominated the other feudal lords, Fan Li was appointed Supreme General for his extraordinary contributions. But Fan Li understood Goujian's true nature—a man to share hardship but not prosperity. Reflecting deeply, Fan Li submitted a memorial: "I have heard that when the ruler faces trouble, his ministers must toil; when the ruler is humiliated, his ministers must sacrifice. In the past, you were disgraced at Kuaiji, and I did not die only to help you exact revenge. Now that vengeance is fulfilled and you rule the realm, I have my own aspirations—please do not press me." With that, Fan Li packed a simple bag and departed for the state of Qi.
After fleeing to the state of Qi, Fan Li often thought of his colleague Wen Zhong, a key minister who had helped the King of Yue achieve dominance. Fan Li wrote him a letter: "Once the birds are all shot down, the good bow is put away; once the cunning hares are dead, the fastest hounds are boiled for food. The King of Yue has a long neck and a beak-like mouth—such a man is ruthless at heart. I have known him for years; he can share hardship but not prosperity. Now that Yue rules the land, we are no longer needed. Leave while you can, or face disaster." Wen Zhong read the letter and feigned illness to avoid court. But slanderers accused him of plotting rebellion, and the king, believing the rumors, sent him a sword as a gift—forcing him to take his own life.
"The idiom 'Cook the Hound After the Hare is Dead' means that once the rabbit is caught, the hunting dog is boiled and eaten. It describes those who are discarded or killed after their service is no longer needed, often referring to rulers eliminating their loyal ministers."
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of King Goujian of Yue"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "兔死狗烹" came to describe how those who are discarded or killed after their service is no longer needed, often referring to rulers eliminating their loyal ministers.