The State of Chu ordered a noble prince to lead troops to attack Chen. An elderly man saw him off and warned: “Jin is powerful; you must march with caution.”
The prince said: “Do not worry, old sir; I shall defeat Jin for you.”
The elder replied: “Very well, I will build a cottage outside the southern gate of Chen and wait.”
The prince asked why.
The old man answered: “I laugh at Gou Jian. If conquering a nation were so easy, why did Gou Jian endure arduous secret preparation for a full decade?”
Note
Conquering rival states is never an easy task. Blind arrogance and underestimation of foes lead to military failure; remarkable success relies on long-term rigorous preparation.
Late Warring States Legalist philosopher, uses the anecdote to criticize arrogant generals who underestimate enemies.
Chu noble prince
Overconfident military commander ready to invade Chen with blind optimism.
The elderly counselor
Wise common elder who uses Gou Jian’s story to subtly remonstrate against recklessness.
Gou Jian (Goujian)
States of Chu, Chen, Jin
Three influential vassal states of Spring and Autumn Period.
Allusion of Gou Jian’s ten-year hardship
The story of Gou Jian enduring hardships to revive Yue was widely cited in pre-Qin texts to prove great achievements require long arduous accumulation.
Subtle remonstrance
The elder avoids blunt rebuke and uses metaphor to persuade the arrogant young general, a traditional Chinese persuasion art.
Military philosophy
Ancient military thought stresses prudence against powerful opponents and rejects blind conceit in warfare.
荊令公子將伐陳，丈人送之曰：「晉強，不可不慎也。」公子曰：「丈人奚憂，吾為丈人破晉。」丈人曰：「可。吾方廬陳南門之外。」公子曰：「是何也？」曰：「我笑句踐也，為人之如是其易也，己獨何為密密十年難乎？」
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