Guiguzi

Author: Anonymous / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In 403 BC, the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei divided the Jin State, extinguishing the last remnants of the Spring and Autumn Period, and the smoke of war for the unification of the Warring States began to spread. After the division of Jin, Wei acquired vast lands spanning modern Shanxi, Henan, and Hebei. Wen of Wei was an ambitious ruler, and with the vast central plains at his disposal, he became even more formidable. Thus, he pioneered reforms and vigorously pursued the strengthening of the state.
Guiguzi was born during the period of the struggle for dominance among the feudal lords, in the powerful state of Wei among the Seven States of the Warring States. Guiguzi, surnamed Wang, named Xu, was later revered as "Master Guiguzi" after retiring to Gu'er Valley at the foot of Mount Tai (known as Guigulü). In 390 BC, when middle-aged Minister Wang Cuo of Wei had a precious son, he invited an astrologer to examine the child. The astrologer said, "Extraordinary appearance, extraordinary events, extraordinary gains, extraordinary losses." Wang Cuo asked the meaning behind this, and the astrologer replied, "This child has an extraordinary appearance and will achieve extraordinary things. Your master was childless until the age of 40, so this is called an extraordinary gain. An extraordinary gain leads to overindulgence; excessive joy will bring great loss—this is called balance."
When Wang Xu was three years old, his mother died of an incurable illness. This must have been the great loss the astrologer spoke of after the great gain. From then on, Wang Cuo grew even more affectionate toward his young son, who had lost his mother at a tender age. Wang Cuo was a high-ranking official in Wei and often accompanied the ruler, thus mastering subtle strategies for advancement and retreat. He frequently invited ministers to his home to discuss poetry, literature, state affairs, and strategies for serving the ruler and governing the people.
As a child, Wang Xu was deeply influenced by his father, and from his youth, he developed a keen interest in political intrigue and stratagems. One day, Wang Cuo invited officials from his own party to a wine banquet to discuss state affairs. The focus of the discussion was a man named Wu Qi, and Wang Xu overheard his father expressing disagreement with him. After the guests left, Wang Xu asked his father, "Who is Wu Qi?" His father replied, "Wu Qi is a wealthy young man from Wei who loves military strategy and once studied Confucianism with Zeng Can. This man is heartless, unloyal, arrogant, and domineering. If he stays in Wei, he will surely bring trouble." The clever Wang Xu noticed his father's deep prejudice against Wu Qi.
Later, Wang Xu gradually learned that Wu Qi was a brilliant military strategist who understood military tactics. Duke Wen of Wei, impressed by Wu Qi's literary and martial prowess, employed him to assist Li Kui in reforming the state. Wu Qi intensified the reforms, threatening the interests of some hereditary aristocratic ministers, which led to his exclusion by figures like Wang Cuo. In 385 BC, Duke Wen and Li Kui passed away, and Duke Wu appointed a new prime minister—unbeknownst to Wu Qi, it was Shang Wen, whom he considered incompetent and unworthy. Shang Wen, supported by Wang Cuo and others, seized the prime minister's position. From then on, the factional struggle between Wu Qi and Wang Cuo intensified.
Although young at the time, Wang Xu paid close attention to these political struggles and power games. He realized that his father and Wu Qi could no longer reconcile their differences, and their rifts were irreparable. Before the age of 15, Wang Xu grew up amidst these political intrigues and power struggles. By then, he was no longer a naive youth but had delved into astronomy, geography, divination, and astrology. Among these, he was most interested in the Book of Changes (I Ching), which he mastered thoroughly, using its principles to observe people's conversations and practice divination. He also applied the knowledge from books like the Wu Xian Star Manual, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, and the Art of War to enrich his knowledge and skills, particularly in strategy and statecraft.
With his knowledge at the time, Wang Xu had long surpassed his peers and even sometimes made his erudite father admit that he was unmatched. Thus, Wang Cuo wrote a letter to his sister in Luoyi. And so, at the age of 15, with an insatiable curiosity about the unknown world, Wang Xu embarked on his journey to Luoyi to pursue his studies.
P2-3