Dynasties of ChinaWarring States periodEastern Zhou royal family
Reign 475–469 BCE
In the seventh year of his reign, King YueGou defeated Wu and went north to form an alliance. King YueGou sent an envoy to confer Xu with the title of Hou Bo.
Ji Ren was the son of King Jing. The year of his accession to the throne is generally regarded as the beginning of the Warring States period. The most significant event during his reign was the Yue's destruction of Wu: King YueGou Jian captured the capital of Wu in 473 BC, and King Fu Cha of Wu committed suicide. Gou Jian immediately crossed the Huai River to the north, met with the Qi, Jin and other princes in Xuzhou to pay tribute to the Zhou royal family. King Yuan sent someone to give Gou Jian sacrificial meat and named him Hou Bo. The Yue Kingdom became the overlord for a while. After the success, the adviser Fan Li sailed away in a boat, while Wen Zhong was given a sword by Gou Jian to commit suicide.
PoliticsWarring States period begins
King Jing died and Crown Prince Ren came to the throne. The periodization commonly used today uses this year as the beginning of the Warring States period; there are other sayings such as 476 BC, 453 BC, or 403 BC as the boundary.
MilitaryYue destroys Wu
King YueGou Jian took advantage of the fact that the Wu Kingdom had been fighting for many years and its national power was empty. He besieged Wudu for several years and broke through. King Fu Cha of Wu failed to make peace and committed suicide. Wu Kingdom was destroyed.
DiplomacyXuzhou meeting
After destroying Wu, Gou Jian crossed the Huai River north and met with the princes of Qi, Jin and other states in Xuzhou to pay tribute to the Zhou royal family. King Yuan sent people to give dogs and meat as sacrificial meat, and named him Hou Bo. The country of Yue became the overlord for a while.
PeopleFan Li goes to Yue
Fan Li believed that Gou Jian "can share the same troubles and be at peace with him". After his success, he took a boat and floated on the sea. Later, he went to Tao Di to do business and became rich, named Tao Zhugong. Wen Zhong did not listen to the advice and was later given a sword by the dog to commit suicide.
Lasting legacyFan Li was regarded as the ancestor by later generations of businessmen, and "Tao Zhugong" is still the name for wealthy businessmen to this day.
After the defeat of Kuaiji, he worked hard to become stronger and destroyed Wu in 473 BC. He went north to Xuzhou to ally with the princes, and was granted the title of Hou Bo by King Yuan. He was the last overlord in the late Spring and Autumn period.
A native of Chu, he and Wen Zhong assisted Gou Jian to destroy Wu in more than 20 years. After his success, he went on a boat to do business in Tao land and became rich, named Tao Zhugong.