The war between Wu and Yue comprised several separate phases. It began when a Yue princess, who was married to one of the princes of the neighboring state of
Wu, left her husband and fled back to the State of Yue. This became the spark for the war to come. Also, as Yunchang developed Yue's strength, he came into conflict with King
Helü of Wu, causing a feud between the two states. Upon the death of Yunchang and the accession of Goujian, Helü seized the opportunity and launched an attack on Yue. At the
Battle of Zuili (), however, Yue defeated Wu, and King Helü was mortally wounded. Before his death, he instructed his son, the later King
Fuchai of Wu, "Never forget Yue!" Yue would be defeated three years later by a resurgent Wu, and Goujian captured, to serve as Fuchai's servant for three years before he was eventually allowed to return to his native state. Upon resuming his rule, King Goujian quickly appointed skilled politicians as advisors, such as
Wen Zhong and
Fan Li, to help build up the kingdom. During this time, his ministers also worked to weaken the State of Wu internally through
bribes and diplomatic intrigue. This includes sending
Xi Shi to King
Fuchai, with the aim of distracting him from his official duties. Whilst ruling his kingdom, Goujian never relished kingly riches, but instead ate food suited for peasants, as well as forcing himself to taste
bile, in order to remember his humiliations while serving under the State of Wu. The second half of a Chinese
idiom,
wòxīn-chángdǎn (, "sleeping on sticks and tasting gall"), refers to Goujian's perseverance. After ten years of economic and political reforms, the last phase of the war began, by which time the State of Yue had come a long way from its previous defeat; as described in the
Shiji (in the biography of
Fan Li), "
Ten years of reforms; the state is rich, the warriors well-rewarded. The soldiers charge in the face of arrows like thirsty men heading for drink..." (修之十年，國富，厚賂戰士，士赴矢石，如渴得飲). Taking advantage of Fuchai's expedition to his north to defeat
Qi, Goujian led his army and successfully attacked the Wu capital, killing the Wu crown prince, You. In the 24th year of his reign (473 BC), Goujian led another expedition against Wu, laying siege to the capital for three years before it fell. When a surrender from Fuchai was refused, Fuchai committed suicide and Wu was annexed by Yue. After his victory, Goujian ruthlessly killed Fuchai's scholars, even those who helped him (including
Bo Pi), not allowing himself to make the same mistake Fuchai had made by sparing the lives of his enemies. However, Goujian would not stop there; he would later force Wen Zhong to commit suicide. Fan Li, knowing that Goujian was a man with whom one can share woe but not wealth together, left Goujian after the defeat of Wu. King Goujian's army is known for a common misconception: scaring its enemies before battle with a front line formed by criminals sentenced to death who committed suicide by decapitating themselves. However, in the passage, "越王句踐使死士挑戰，三行，至吳陳，呼而自剄。", the literal translation of "死士" is "soldiers (who are) willing to die", not "criminals sentenced to death". "自剄" means to "commit suicide by cutting one's throat," which was a common way to end one's own life in Ancient China. ==Family==