Guarding the West River

to become the general of Lu. How can such a cruel person achieve great things?" Zhai Juan said, "These are the words of those who oppose him, so you can't believe them. I recommend him because we need such a person to defend ourselves against Qin." The Marquis of Wei said, "Just ask him to come."

Wu Qi liked to compete with swords and loved fame rather than profit. He wanted to be famous and wanted to be a big official, and he spent all his thousand dollars of the family fortune. One time, his mother scolded him severely. He gambled and bit himself on the arm, swore, and said, "If I don't get the fame, I will never go home!" And so he left Wei and went to Lu.

When Wu became a student of Confucius' disciple Zeng Shen, he studied day and night and became a good student of Zeng Shen, and was already famous. One day, he ran into Tian Jiu, a great official of Qi, and the two of them talked about the sky and became quite friendly. Tian Jui admired his hard work spirit and loved his knowledge, so he promised his daughter to him. This student from Lu became the aunt of the Tian family in Qi. After staying for five or six years, his teacher Zeng Shen said to him, "You have been studying here for years, why don't you go back home to see your mother?" Wu Qi said, "I made a vow in front of my mother that I would never go home if I didn't make it to the top." Zeng Ji gave him a hard time and said, "How can a son make a vow with his mother?" Here, his teacher despised him a little. In a few days, Wu Qi received a letter from home, saying that his mother had died. He cried three times, wiped away his tears, put his heart into it, and continued to study as usual. This time, Zeng Shen was furious and scolded him, "Your mother is dead, and you still don't go back to mourn. I have been promoting filial piety all my life, how can I accept people like you as students?" He expelled Wu Qi and instructed other students not to associate with him in the future.

After Wu Qi was expelled, he simply threw away the literature and studied martial arts exclusively. After studying the art of war for three years, he gained some ability. When he arrived at the state of Lu, he met with the minister Gong Yi Huo and talked with him about the art of war. Gong Yi Huo appreciated his talent and recommended him to Duke Lu, who appointed him as a general, but not as a general.

At that time (412 BC, the 14th year of King Weili of Zhou), Tian He, the minister of Qi, intended to usurp the throne and was afraid that his neighbors would fight him. He used two tactics: he used the tactic of friendship with the powerful neighbors, like the "three Jin"; and he used the tactic of strong oppression of the weak and incompetent small countries, like Lu. Tian He first sent an army to fight against Lu, saying that Lu had followed Wu to fight against Qi in the past and that this revenge had to be avenged. Gong Yi Huo said to Duke Lu Mu, "To repel Qi, Wu Qi must be used." The Duke of Lu agreed with his words, but did not give Wu Qi military power. Within a few days, the city of Lu was captured by Qi. Then Gong Yi Huo said, "Why didn't your lord send Wu Qi to defend the city?" Duke Lu said, "I know Wu Qi can be a great general, but he is the aunt of the Tian family of Qi. Are you sure about that?" Gong Yi Huo did not dare to vouch for him, so he went out. Wu Qi ran over to him and said, "Qi's army is attacking very hard, why isn't your lord defending against it? I am not boasting in front of the minister, if I were a general, I would be able to beat back the Qi army!" Then Gong Yi Huo told him what Duke Lu Mu had said. Wu Qi said, "I thought it was something difficult, but it's for my daughter-in-law! Which country does not have a son-in-law from another country? If you say so, no one can be trusted." It happened that his daughter-in-law died of an illness, and those who opposed him said that he had killed her because he wanted to be a general.