| Zhong and Li: |
Someone asked: Among Wu Zixu, Wen Zhong and Fan Li, who was worthy?
Yangzi said: Zi Xu helped the state of Wu make trouble, destroyed the state of Chu, entered the capital at Ying, whipped the corpse of King Ping and expelled the government officials —none of this was virtuous (de). He plotted against the state of Yue and remonstrated against attacking Qi to no good use. Unable to leave, he finally saw the destruction of Wu with his own eyes. Wen Zhong and Fan Li did not strongly remonstrate against King Gou Jian of Yue's plan to attack the state of Wu, and he was held by King Fuchai of Wu for three years on Mount Kuaiji. They caused their ruler to yield the altars of the spirits of earth and become a servant boy to King Fuchai. In the end, they destroyed Wu, but none of them were good enough to be considered worthy. In the end Fan Li sent Wen Zhong a letter warning him to flee and then escaped to go fatten himself! |
