Chapter Six. Asking For Food Aid

This chapter of the Yuejue shu, is an account of the life of Wu Zixu. It focuses on the enmity between Wu Zixu and Prime Minister Pi, whose quarrels seem to have divided the government of Wu in the years before the final conquest of the kingdom. The portrayal of King Fuchai of Wu, caught between the warring figures of Wu Zixu and Prime Minister Pi, is a classic example of the way a ruler was often depicted in early Chinese fiction as a passive individual dominated by his powerful advisors. The chapter is extremely closely related to the Guoyu, and in particular to the Wuyu chapter.Keywords: King Fuchai of Wu; Wu Zixu; Wuyu; Yuejue shu