With the assistance of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, King Helü of Wu defeated the powerful state of Chu and then planned to attack Chu's ally, the state of Yue. In 496 BCE, King Yunchang of Yue died, and his son Goujian succeeded him. As a new king had just ascended the throne, Yue's internal situation was unstable. Helü saw this as a perfect opportunity to attack Yue, so he ignored the advice of Sun Wu and others and hastily launched a campaign without adequate preparation. Goujian organized his forces to counterattack and used clever tactics on the battlefield, causing the Wu army to retreat in panic. Helü was severely wounded in this battle and died soon after. His son Fuchai succeeded him, and before his death, Helü instructed Fuchai to avenge him.
After succeeding to the throne, Fuchai did not forget his father's dying instructions. With the assistance of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, he trained his troops day and night, determined to avenge his father. Upon hearing that Fuchai was preparing for revenge, Goujian decided to strike first, ignoring the advice of Fan Li and others, and launched an attack on the State of Wu. The two sides clashed fiercely at Mount Fujiao. As a result, under the strategic planning of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, Fuchai deployed surprise troops and decisively defeated the Yue army. Goujian fled with his remaining forces to a small town on Mount Kuaiji, where they were completely surrounded by the Wu army.
Fu Chai wanted to completely eliminate him, but Gou Jian, in order to preserve his strength and plan for a comeback, adopted Fan Li's strategy and knelt in surrender to Fu Chai. Initially, Fu Chai did not agree. Fan Li suggested that Gou Jian personally serve Fu Chai to allay his suspicions. So, the people of Yue bribed the Grand Tutor Bo Pi with beautiful women and treasures, stating that King Gou Jian of Yue was willing to submit and pay tribute to the King of Wu. Bo Pi, a greedy and lustful man, accepted the bribes and spoke favorably of Yue in front of Fu Chai, who finally agreed not to destroy Yue. Wu Zixu strongly opposed this, arguing that Gou Jian was only seeking peace under duress and would surely seek revenge later; if they did not eradicate the root of the trouble now, it would lead to endless future problems. However, Fu Chai, swayed by Bo Pi's slanderous words, ignored Wu Zixu's earnest remonstrations and insisted on withdrawing his troops and returning to his state.
King Goujian, filled with remorse before his people, admitted that he had overestimated his own strength by attacking the State of Wu, causing great suffering among the populace. He then buried the war dead, comforted the wounded, and provided for the families of those who had perished, doing everything he could for his people. Afterward, he entrusted the governance of the state to Wen Zhong and others, and, accompanied by his wife and Fan Li, went to the State of Wu to serve King Fuchai. The ministers and common people wept as they saw him off.
After Goujian and his wife arrived at the capital of the State of Wu, King Fuchai deliberately humiliated them by making them live in a damp, cold stone chamber. Goujian personally drove Fuchai's chariot and acted as his foot soldier, while his wife swept and cleaned the palace every day. The couple remained respectful and submissive, enduring three years of humiliation while serving diligently without a single complaint. During this time, Wu Zixu repeatedly advised Fuchai to kill Goujian, but the Grand Steward Bo Pi, who had been bribed by the State of Yue, spoke well of Goujian before Fuchai, thus sparing his life. Once, when Fuchai fell ill, Goujian even tasted his excrement to help diagnose the illness. Deeply moved, Fuchai finally believed that Goujian was truly submissive and, ignoring Wu Zixu's strong objections, insisted on releasing Goujian back to Yue.
In 490 BC, Goujian finally returned to the Yue Kingdom, only to find a desolate scene of barren land and a dwindling population, both ravaged by war. Determined to restore his kingdom and avenge his humiliation, he appointed Fan Li and Wen Zhong, adopting their proposals to reform domestic affairs while implementing policies that encouraged production and rewarded childbirth, allowing the people to recover and multiply.
Goujian adopted Fan Li's "beauty scheme," sending Xi Shi and other beautiful women to the State of Wu to seduce Fuchai and weaken his resolve. After obtaining Xi Shi, Fuchai doted on her excessively, spending every day drinking and every night reveling in music and pleasure, indulging in wine and women, and neglecting state affairs. To please Xi Shi, he launched massive construction projects, building the Gusu Terrace and exhausting the people's labor. Meanwhile, Goujian continued to bribe the Grand Tutor Bo Pi, further driving a wedge between Fuchai, Bo Pi, and Wu Zixu, causing Fuchai to become increasingly estranged from Wu Zixu.
Goujian himself stayed far away from wine, women, and pleasure, eating simple meals and wearing coarse clothing, always living a frugal life with his wife. He often took his wife and joined the common people in farming the fields, and the clothes they wore were made from silk his wife raised silkworms to produce and wove herself. To remind himself never to forget the humiliation he had suffered and to strengthen his resolve for revenge and redemption, he refused to live in palaces but instead stayed in a thatched hut, sleeping on straw, and hung a gall bladder at his door, tasting it every day.
Thus ten years passed. With the assistance of Fan Li and Wen Zhong, Goujian devoted himself to revitalizing his state, spending ten years building up its population and another ten years training its people. The Yue Kingdom grew prosperous, its society stable, and its army strong and well-equipped, waiting only for the right moment to launch an attack on the Wu Kingdom and avenge its past humiliation.
During this period, the State of Wu remained the dominant power in the southern region, and King Fuchai of Wu sought to expand into the Central Plains. To drain Wu's resources, the State of Yue actively supported Fuchai's northern campaigns against Qi and Jin for hegemony, while secretly building alliances with Qi, Jin, Chu, and other states. To dispel Wu's suspicions, Yue even went to war with Chu, Wu's long-standing enemy. When the Wu people saw Yue and Chu clashing on the battlefield, they grew even more trusting of Yue. In 485 BCE, Fuchai launched a northern campaign against Qi to vie for supremacy. Wu Zixu opposed this, arguing that Yue should be eliminated first. Fuchai ignored his advice and pressed on, achieving a major victory over Qi at the Battle of Ailing. Elated by his triumph, Fuchai later forced Wu Zixu to commit suicide. After Wu Zixu's death, Sun Wu retired into seclusion, and Bo Pi took over all state affairs, leading to even greater corruption in the court.
In 482 BCE, Fuchai once again led tens of thousands of elite troops north to Huangchi (south of present-day Fengqiu, Henan) for a grand assembly of feudal lords; at that time, the State of Jin was embroiled in internal strife, and Wu, relying on its formidable military strength, briefly seized the position of hegemon.
As Fuchai marched north to the Huangchi meeting to contend for hegemony, he also demanded that Goujian bring troops to attend. Fuchai mobilized a massive force, leading the majority of his elite soldiers to the Huangchi assembly, leaving only the crown prince and the old and weak to guard the Wu capital, which was now hollowed out. Goujian saw this as the perfect opportunity to exploit Wu's weakness, launch a surprise attack, and exact revenge for past grievances.
The people of Yue had long been eager for a decisive battle with Wu, and before the war began, the commoners repeatedly petitioned Goujian for permission to fight. Seeing their unwavering resolve, Goujian ordered an advance on Wu. He pretended to agree to attend the Huangchi meeting with Wu, but instead led three thousand elite troops directly toward the Wu capital. Fuchai, who had long exhausted his kingdom through constant military campaigns and overworked his people, had deployed his entire army elsewhere, leaving only the elderly and weak to defend the capital, making them unable to withstand Yue's assault. Yue captured the Wu capital in one swift strike and killed the Wu crown prince.
Fuchai hurried back to the State of Wu, while Goujian continuously sent troops to attack, besieging the Wu army for three years. The Wu army finally could no longer hold out and sent someone to beg Goujian for peace on bended knee, but Goujian refused. The King of Wu had no choice but to commit suicide, the State of Wu was destroyed, and Goujian finally avenged his shame.