第187页 / 共266页

[Chu was the personal name of Chuan Chu, a native of the Wu State

and contemporary with Sun Tzŭ himself, who was employed by

Kung-tzu Kuang, better known as Ho Lu Wang, to assassinate his

sovereign Wang Liao with a dagger which he secreted in the belly

of a fish served up at a banquet. He succeeded in his attempt,

but was immediately hacked to pieces by the king's bodyguard.

This was in 515 B.C. The other hero referred to, Ts'ao Kuei (or

Ts'ao Mo), performed the exploit which has made his name famous

166 years earlier, in 681 B.C. Lu had been thrice defeated by

Ch'i, and was just about to conclude a treaty surrendering a

large slice of territory, when Ts'ao Kuei suddenly seized Huan

Kung, the Duke of Ch'i, as he stood on the altar steps and held a

dagger against his chest. None of the duke's retainers dared to

move a muscle, and Ts'ao Kuei proceeded to demand full

restitution, declaring the Lu was being unjustly treated because

she was a smaller and a weaker state.