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posted this awhile ago but since i had to write this for an essay ill repost it since it got deleted by "retribution"
btw i wrote it all myself
Story Name: Wo Xin Chang Dan (Sleeping on sticks tasting gall.)
Wo Xin Chang Dan is a classic Chinese 4 letter idiom and every Chinese idiom has a very meaningful story behind it. Wo Xin Chang Dan literally meaning sleeping on stick and tasting gall, I will explain the story to you.
478 BC, the ‘Spring and Autumn’ period of Ancient China a time of anarchy and unrest the control was divide into 15 states ruled by 15 different lords.
Qi(齊), Chu(楚), Qin(秦), Jin(晉) ,Lu(魯),Chen(陳), Cai (蔡) ,Cao(曹), Song(宋) ,Wei(卫) ,Wu(吳) ,Yue(越) ,Hua(滑) ,Zheng(鄭) ,Yan(燕).
This classic Chinese tale is about Wu (吳) which is by modern Suzhou, Jiangsu China, and Yue (越) by modern Zhejiang.
Yue was run by Gou Jian (句踐.
Yue prospered due to its vast fertile land and hard working citizens, the citizens of Yue lived happy lives.
Unfortunately the humble and peaceful lives of the Yue people did not last. Their neighbor Wu whom did not have as much fertile land and were known by many other countries as ‘semi barbarians’
But the Wu’s military power was of a great threat to all other states.
Soon the king of the Wu state King He Lu (阖闾) declared war on the Yue and within months the once beautiful fertile Yue farms was turned into turmoil and the Yue large city were now nothing but rubbles and dust with corpses lying all over the ground.
All but one thing has been lost soon the enemies were at the gate, the capital of Yue was about to be surrounded by brutal and bloodthirsty soldiers of the Wu.
Fan Li the advisor of state of Wu a very close friend of Gou Jian came into the palace as he was coming in Gou Jian was about to commit suicide.
“Goodness! What are you doing my lord??” asked Fan Li
“Perfect timing, join me we shall not surrender to those evil enslavers let us move on to the next world!” replied ecstatically by Gou Jian as he rose the blade of his sword to his neck.
“No! my lord I have come to tell you something that may help us win the war.” Fan Li said with haste.
“Oh really? What is it?” Gou Jian asked with great doubt.
“Just come with me” said Fan Li
Page1
They arrived at the capitals jail where some 10,000 prisoners are being kept.
Fan Li’s starts a speech:
“My fellow countrymen! As you know your homeland has been humiliated by the neighboring country of Wu and its army of demons. Join me and to help me achieve our goal to drive out the enemies who have burnt your former houses, killed your family , robbed your friends. Today you are here as criminals and will die as criminals but help me and I can change that.”
Few hours later many thousand prisoners armed with blades marched to the Wu’s army camp. Shocked He Lu came out he ordered his men to get ready for battle.
Suddenly all the prisoners slit their own throats and behind them were many, many thousand Yue’s soldiers, citizens with bows and fired at the Wu. The sky was raining with arrows cries of death were heard. But outside of He Lu’s camp He Lu was struck by a flying arrow on the left torso. He lay in agony and eventually died of blood loss. His son Fu Chai (夫差) mourned for him. The Wu retreated Fu Chai swore that he would avenge his fathers death with 1000 pains to Gou Jian.
This time Wu is going through reformation due to the death of their lord He Lu. At this time many people saw hope in He Lu’s first son. In the court of Wu apart from He Lu came his most loyal man Marquis Wu ZiXu (伍子胥) then Bo Pi. During the reformation Wu Zixu stay neutral to Fu Chai and the elderest son of He Lu whom was very soon killed.
Bo Pi helped Fu Chai kill his own brother to gain the Wu throne. Bo Pi was a corrupt official he did not like Wu Zi Xu much so he often told tales about Wu Zi Xu to King Fu Chai.
After 5 years of peace.
One day in the royal of Yue Gou Jian asked his noble men on their views about warring Wu as a payback for their sudden attack. Fan Li strongly objected because he suggested that Yue’s military power was inferior to Wu and that Wu has been training troops ever since their retreat 5 years ago and he concluded by saying if Gou Jian wars Wu Fan Li shall leave Yue as it will be the end for Yue. Gou Jian who forgot about how Fan Li saved Yue obnoxiously snapped “May I ask who do you think is king here???”
After an argument Fan Li set off.
Yue wars Wu but within months enemies are once again at the gates. But this time Gou Jian did not have Fan Li. Soon Fan Li came back because he was a natural patriot and supported his land. But this time he had no idea. Gou Jian then decided to commit suicide.
But once again Fan Li stopped him and said “My lord you are the king if you desert your people by simply committing suicide, your name will be passed down in history as a coward. Do not give up my lord as long as you are alive there is hope.”
“Are you trying to tell me to surrender and be enslaved by Fu Chai? I would much rather die than surrender!” Gou Jian replied infuriated.
Fu Chai and his men marched in
“Ho~ what do we have here? The little runt who overestimated his countries power are you going to surrender?.” said Fu Chai.
Page 2
“I shall never surrender to the likes o~!” cried Gou Jian stopped by Fan Li
“Ha-ha~ my lord we surrender to you, we are now you servants please spare us.” said Fan Li
“Oh? Thank you but I shall kill the man whom murdered my father, Fan Li you truly are a genius how would you like to serve Wu?” asked Fu Chai respectfully
“No thank you, but I am King Gou Jian’s noble man.” said Fan Li
“King Gou Jian? What do you king? He is nothing but a slave of mine now! How can he be your king?” Fu Chai said arrogantly.
“You are right sir, but if Gou Jian is a slave then me and the entire Yue shall be a slave’s slave.” Said Fan Li
Gou Jian lay there with tears in his eyes. Fu Chai put his hand over his face and took a deep breathe.
“Then I shall kill him since you have no desire to join me.” Said Fu Chai
“What is the fun killing someone giving them an easy death, maybe you should humiliated him.” Suggest Fan Li
“Kill me you wretched tyrant!” yelled Gou Jian.
“Hmmm good idea…. He is my slave as you suggested then.” Said Fu Chai
Wu Zi Xu interrupted “What??? Have you forgotten who killed your father??? King o..”
“I have not forgotten and my decision is final marquis Wu! Now shut up!” interrupted by Fu Chai as he raised his voice.
Fu Chai takes Gou Jian back to Wu and for 10 years Gou Jian was humiliated by Fu Chai and he had no self respect he ate with the pigs got down as a stool for Fu Chai to get on his horse and many other humiliating gestures he was forced to perform.
One day Fu Chai got really, really sick and he could not get out of bed. All the imperial doctors could not identify what sickness this was.
One day they got a town doctor and the doctor gave him some medicine but after one week. He could not tell the difference and everyone wondered if he is getting better, out of no where Gou Jian said yes he has gotten better his feces are a lot bitterer than it was before he got the treatment. At this point everyone was disgusted by the very thought that Gou Jian ate Fu Chai’s feces. Fu Chai lay there shocked and staring into space. As he said “Gou Jian, I think you can go back to Yue now, I can tell you have absolutely no self respect and no one will respect you as a king. You are free to go.”
Wu Zixu once again objected and reminded Fu Chai of his father’s death but Bo Pi just told Wu ZiXu to shut up. Wu decided it was hopeless and left.
Gou Jian left for Yue, even though he went back he was never the same person again, from a hot blooded obnoxious king he turned into a wise, quiet, dull, and mature king.Within months of his return he gathered his people and reformed the country.
Fan Li still loyal and everyone desperate to get back at the Wu.
After a few years Yue was still making steady progress. Wu ZiXu saw the threat of Yue and warned Fu Chai. Whom no longer paid any attention to his duties. Bo Pi was bribed by Gou Jian told Fu Chai that Wu ZiXu was plotting against him. So Bo Pi asked Wu ZiXu to suicide and Wu ZiXu said “I see, so this is how it is the hardship of me and your father will go to waste because of this traitorous wretch over there (as he looked at Bo Pi) it’s all too late now bye bye my lord.” Then he slit his throat and fell in front of everyone.
Months later after Wu ZiXu’s death Yue warred Wu and won. Before Fu Chai committed suicided he lamented that he did not heed the wise marquis Wu ZiXu’s advice.
had a few pics as well but 2 lazy 2 upload them enjoy and tell me what ya think
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