During the late Spring and Autumn period, the emerging state of Wu in the Taihu Lake region grew increasingly powerful.
After King Shoumeng of Wu died, the throne passed through several hands, ultimately landing with Prince Liao, who became the new ruler of Wu.
Prince Guang was deeply dissatisfied. He thought to himself, "Prince Liao is merely the son of Yumei, the third son of King Shoumeng—what right does he have to be king? My father, Zhufan, was the eldest son of the late king, and I am the eldest grandson. According to the tradition of primogeniture, the throne should be mine." So Prince Guang secretly resolved to seize the throne. He began recruiting talented individuals far and wide, and among them, Wu Zixu, Sun Wu, and Zhuan Zhu became his trusted confidants and powerful allies.
Finally, Prince Guang hosted a banquet for King Liao of Wu, ordering Zhuan Zhu to disguise himself as a chef. When Zhuan Zhu served a dish with a dagger hidden in the fish's belly, he drew the blade and assassinated King Liao on the spot.
After Prince Guang achieved his ambition and became King Helu of Wu, he felt uneasy about seizing the throne through such treacherous means. From then on, he was very careful to cultivate his public image.
He appointed Wu Zixu as his prime minister to help govern the state and Sun Wu as his general to train the army, all with the aim of enriching the nation and strengthening its military. Moreover, he was especially careful in every action, striving to appear as a benevolent ruler.
His personal life was remarkably frugal: he ate only a single dish at each meal, slept on just one layer of matting, adorned his palace with no lavish decorations, used no ornate patterns on his carriages or boats, and all his utensils—neither carved with intricate designs nor painted in red lacquer—were chosen for their thickness and durability to save costs. When natural disasters or plagues struck, he personally visited and comforted the orphaned and widowed, providing relief and aid; when inspecting the army, he strictly disciplined himself, sharing the same meals as the soldiers and ensuring that every warrior received a portion of the rewards. He also made time to labor alongside the common people, drawing close to them and sharing their hardships. Truly, he loved the people as his own children. Before long, he won their recognition and support.
After King Liao of Wu was assassinated, his two younger brothers fled to the State of Chu for refuge, where King Zhao of Chu granted them asylum. King Zhao's half-brother, Zixi, strongly disapproved and warned him, "Helü has only recently become ruler, yet he already enjoys widespread support—clearly, his methods are extraordinary. He treats the people like his own children, sharing their joys and hardships, so the people will surely fight for him. By harboring his enemies, you risk bringing disaster upon yourself."
Indeed, within a few years, Wu's strength surged. With full public backing, King Helü launched an attack on Chu, winning five battles in five campaigns, capturing Chu's capital and extinguishing the state, elevating Helü's prestige to its peak.
"Treating the people as one's own children" means regarding the commoners as one's own sons, describing a ruler's love for the people.
Source: *Zuo Zhuan*, "Duke Zhao's Thirtieth Year"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "视民如子" came to describe how a ruler loves the people as if they were his own children.