When Gou Jian returned to Yue State, he was determined to avenge himself. Afraid that the ease in front of him would stifle his ambition, he hung a gallbladder where he ate. Whenever he eats, he first tastes the bitterness, and then asks himself, "Have you forgotten Huiji's shame?" He also took off the mat and made a mattress out of straw. This is "Taste the Gallbladder" recited by later generations.
Gou Jian decided to make Yue rich and strong. He personally took part in farming and let his wife weave her own cloth to encourage production. Due to the disaster of national subjugation, Yue's population decreased greatly, so he formulated a system of rewarding childbirth.
He let Wen Zi manage state affairs, let Fan Li cultivate talents, listen to others' opinions with an open mind and help the poor. People all over the country are eager to make more efforts to turn this oppressed country into a powerful one.
Extended data:
King Yue sleeps on firewood and tastes bitter every day. On one occasion, he licked the stool of Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and said that he was well, so he gave him the stone. He Lv, the king of Wu, defeated Chu and became the overlord of the south. The State of Wu and the nearby State of Yue have always been at odds. In 496 BC, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, ascended the throne, and the king of Wu took the opportunity to send troops to attack Yue. A great war broke out between wuyue and China.
He Lv, the prince of Wu, is full of confidence. I didn't expect to be defeated in the end. He also died of serious injuries. Before he died, he told his son Fu Cha not to forget to avenge Yue. Later, Fu Cha acceded to the throne and vowed to destroy Yue. He asked Wu Zixu and another minister, Ai Bo, to practice the army every day to prepare for the attack on Yue.
Three years later, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, personally led an army to attack Yue. Gou Jian of Yue refused to listen to the doctor Fan Li's advice and insisted on sending troops to attack the king of Wu. As a result, Gou Jian, the King of Yue, fled to Vietnam with 5,000 beaten soldiers and was besieged by Wu Jun.
Gou Jian regretted it very much at this time. He said to Fan Li: I regret that I didn't listen to you and walked so far. What should we do now? Fan Li said: Let's make peace quickly. Therefore, Gou Jian sent a doctor, Wen Zi, to the camp of Wu Wangying for peace, and bribed Wu's uncle to put in a good word in front of Fu Cha.