吳越春秋

A sweeping chronicle opens with mythic roots, tracing Wu’s ancestors back to the divine gardener Hou Ji and his mother Jiang Yuan, who becomes a revered deity after a series of miraculous trials. From these heavenly beginnings the narrative follows the early cultivators who tame five grains, map the land’s waters and hills, and lay the foundations of a thriving agricultural community. The story then moves to the rise of Tai Bo and his descendants, whose wise governance and strategic settlements transform a scattered frontier into a fledgling state known as Wu.

The second act introduces King Su Meng, whose reign is marked by earnest attempts to restore ritual propriety and strengthen the kingdom against the ambitious Chu. He appoints capable ministers, battles internal dissent, and leads campaigns that both threaten and solidify Wu’s borders. Through vivid episodes of council debates, battlefield maneuvers, and personal ambition, the early history of Wu unfolds as a tapestry of myth, duty, and the fragile balance of power.