A Marriage Alliance Gone Wrong

In 526 BCE, during the tumultuous Spring and Autumn period when feudal states frequently used marital unions to secure political alliances, King Ping of Chu sought to strengthen ties with Qin by arranging a marriage between his crown prince Jian and Princess Mengying of Qin. This seemingly routine diplomatic maneuver would trigger one of history’s most consequential royal scandals.

The king dispatched minister Fei Wuji to escort the bride—a fateful choice, as Fei was an ambitious schemer who recognized his monarch’s weakness for beautiful women. Upon seeing Mengying’s exceptional beauty during the journey, Fei devised an audacious plot. Rushing ahead to the Chu capital, he inflamed the king’s desires by exaggerating the princess’s charms, suggesting the monarch claim her for himself. Shockingly, King Ping agreed to this betrayal of his own son.

The Deception Unfolds

Fei Wuji executed his scheme with Machiavellian precision. Returning to the bridal procession, he informed Qin’s escort officials that Chu tradition required brides to first pay respects to their parents-in-law at court. Once inside the palace, Mengying was detained while Fei substituted one of her maids as the false bride for Prince Jian. The ruse succeeded perfectly—court officials and even the prince remained unaware of the switch.

The truth emerged a year later when Mengying bore King Ping a son named Zhen. This scandal created a dangerous predicament for Fei Wuji, who rightly feared Prince Jian’s future retaliation should he ascend the throne. The minister began systematically undermining the crown prince, eventually convincing the guilt-ridden king to banish his own son to the frontier city of Chengfu while elevating Zhen as the new heir apparent.

The Fallout: Persecution of the Wu Family

The conspiracy expanded to engulf Wu She, Prince Jian’s virtuous tutor from the distinguished Wu family. Fei accused both the prince and Wu She of treason, forcing Jian to flee to Song while Wu She was imprisoned. Fei, fearing retaliation from Wu’s formidable sons—Wu Shang and the legendary Wu Zixu—devised a trap.

When summoned to court with promises of clemency, the elder brother Wu Shang naively complied despite Wu Zixu’s warnings. The consequences were brutal: Wu She and Wu Shang were executed, while Wu Zixu began his epic flight across China—a journey that would reshape regional politics.

Wu Zixu’s Odyssey of Vengeance

The fugitive statesman’s flight reads like an ancient epic. After reuniting with Prince Jian in Song, then escaping to Zheng following Song’s civil unrest, Wu Zixu found temporary refuge until Prince Jian’s ill-advised coup attempt in Zheng resulted in his death. Carrying Jian’s young son, Wu Zixu embarked on a desperate journey toward the only state resisting Chu’s dominance: Wu.

His escape through the heavily guarded Zhaoguan pass became legendary, aided by an old family friend who disguised him. Arriving in Wu’s capital in 522 BCE, the destitute nobleman survived by playing the flute in streets until catching the attention of Prince Guang—a royal claimant preparing his own bid for power.

Revolution in Wu and the Road to Revenge

Wu Zixu became instrumental in Prince Guang’s 515 BCE coup, introducing the assassin Zhuan Zhu who killed King Liao with the famous “fish-intestine sword.” The new King Helu rewarded Wu Zixu with high office, where he transformed Wu into a military power—constructing fortifications (modern Suzhou’s foundation) and recruiting strategist Sun Tzu.

Wu Zixu’s innovative “rotation warfare” tactics systematically weakened Chu by keeping its armies in constant motion. By 506 BCE, exploiting Chu’s diplomatic blunders with Tang and Cai states, Wu launched a devastating invasion. The campaign culminated in Wu Zixu’s triumphant entry into Chu’s capital—eighteen years after his exile.

The Bitter Taste of Vengeance

Denied living targets for his wrath (King Ping had died naturally and Fei Wuji was lynched by angry mobs), Wu Zixu exhumed the former king’s preserved corpse, delivering 300 lashes with a bronze whip before scattering the remains. This extreme act, while satisfying personal vengeance, damaged Wu’s standing among other states.

Chu’s salvation came through diplomat Shen Baoxu’s dramatic seven-day vigil at the Qin court, whose tearful appeal secured military intervention. Combined with rebellions in Wu, this forced Wu’s withdrawal—though Chu never regained its former dominance.

The Tragic Finale

Wu Zixu’s later years saw his prescient warnings about Yue’s rising threat ignored by King Fuchai. After Wu’s victory over Qi in 489 BCE, the king turned against his aging advisor. Forced to commit suicide in 484 BCE, Wu Zixu’s dying prophecy—that Yue would destroy Wu—proved accurate when King Goujian conquered Wu eleven years later. The defeated Fuchai, covering his face in death, acknowledged his fatal error in rejecting Wu Zixu’s counsel.

Enduring Historical Legacy

This multi-generational saga illustrates several timeless themes: the corrosive effects of court intrigue, the unpredictable consequences of personal vendettas on state affairs, and the cyclical nature of political fortunes. The events influenced military strategy (Sun Tzu’s involvement), inspired countless literary works, and demonstrated how individual passions could redirect the course of history. Modern historians view the scandal as accelerating Chu’s decline while propelling Wu’s brief ascendancy—a pivotal transition in China’s journey toward the Warring States era.

The story’s dramatic elements—royal betrayal, exile, battlefield reversals, and poetic justice—continue to resonate, offering rich material for operas, novels, and philosophical reflections on power’s corrupting influences. Most significantly, it established Wu Zixu as one of Chinese history’s most complex figures: both brilliant strategist and relentless avenger, whose personal saga became inextricably woven into his state’s rise and fall.