Legend of the Battle for Supremacy

This film (drama)Also known as争霸传奇，is aMainland China, Hong KongProducerbeauty live，At2006Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin, Cantonese，Current Douban rating8.1(For reference only)。

King Goujian of Yue battled King Fuchai of Wu, who sought revenge and vowed to conquer the Yue state. The Yue statesman Fan Li advised Goujian not to engage in open conflict with Fuchai, but Goujian refused to listen. Goujian faced Fuchai in battle, suffering defeat after defeat, with him and his five thousand remaining soldiers cornered in Kuaiji. King Goujian found himself in a desperate situation, filled with regret. Fan Li insisted that Goujian surrender to Fuchai, leaving Wenzhong to guard Yue, encouraging the people to cultivate the land, secretly rebuilding the military, while he accompanied Goujian to Wu to serve Fuchai. The King of Yue and several ministers arrived at the Wu capital to meet Fuchai, immediately presenting beautiful women and treasures, humbly flattering Fuchai; with help from Bo Zhao, they managed to gain Fuchai's understanding. Fuchai ordered an area beside the tomb of Helu to be built into a stone chamber, where Goujian and his wife, along with his ministers, were driven inside, stripped of their royal garments and forced to wear the attire of convicted criminals, making them do degrading tasks such as tending to horses. Whenever Fuchai went out in his carriage, Goujian had to walk alongside, holding the horsewhip. As they passed through the bustling market, the people of Wu pointed and said, "There is the defeated King of Yue, come see!" The mocking and derision were relentless. Goujian was in immense pain and despair; yet, in Fan Li's eyes, a place that seemed chaotic and hopeless was brimming with life and hope! He devoted himself to serving Goujian, willing to endure humiliation, just waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables. For three years, Fan Li accompanied Goujian and his wife, enduring much humiliation; how many times had Goujian wanted to give up, only to be stopped by Fan Li! Fan Li's immense intelligence and deep loyalty became Goujian's source of resilience! Everyone knew that Goujian was willingly submitting to Wu for the chance to take revenge. Wu Zixu repeatedly urged Fuchai to annihilate Yue; however, the arrogant and confident Fuchai deliberately wanted to keep Goujian alive; he believed that to keep Goujian by his side and to toy with him was more satisfying than to kill him outright! Fan Li had crossed paths with Fuchai multiple times before the battle of Kuaiji, with gains and losses on both sides. Fuchai admired Fan Li and considered him a formidable rival—this marked the beginning of a relationship that was both adversarial and friendly. Fuchai gradually softened towards Goujian, largely due to his admiration for Fan Li; he frequently contemplated releasing the two back to their homeland, but was consistently opposed by Wu Zixu. The turning point came in the third year of Goujian’s stay in Wu; during a time when Fuchai fell ill, Fan Li knew it to be a common ailment and would soon recover, so he devised a plan with Goujian: he actually had Goujian offer to taste the king's excrement to please Fuchai! Indeed, Fuchai was moved by Goujian's gesture, immediately moving him and his wife out of the stone chamber to nearby civilian housing, still tending to horses. Not long after, Fuchai recovered from his illness, and just as Fan Li had expected, the King of Wu decided to release Goujian to return. He ordered a banquet to be held at the Wentai to grandly send Goujian back to Yue. Wu Zixu was furious and told Fuchai, "Goujian tasting the king’s excrement means he is accepting the king's heart." Fuchai didn’t listen and released Goujian back to Yue as planned. Goujian did not forget the humiliation of those three years; after returning home, he lay on firewood and tasted bitterness, vowing to revitalize Yue. Having learned a lesson, Goujian was obedient to Fan Li's strategies. Fan Li advocated treating smaller states with respect; for powerful nations, a surface show of submission was necessary, but deep down, one must not yield. As for Wu, Fan Li aimed to push it towards decline, waiting for the right moment to strike. As it seemed destined, Fuchai and Fan Li also became entangled on an emotional level. Fuchai unexpectedly met the stunning beauty Xi Shi by the Huaxi River, later learning that she was actually Fan Li's fiancée. Fuchai pursued her recklessly, but Xi Shi remained unmoved. Yet after Goujian and Fan Li became slaves in Wu, Xi Shi ended up in Fuchai's embrace. Fuchai was not a kind man and constantly suspected Xi Shi's schemes. However, he could not resist her beauty and tenderness, showering her with affection. This played into Xi Shi's hands, as she was the "finest weapon" trained by Fan Li to deal with Fuchai. The exceptionally intelligent Fan Li meticulously calculated, having Xi Shi engage in psychological warfare with Fuchai. Using her beauty and softness, Xi Shi captivated Fuchai, while Wu's seemingly strong state had already buried the seeds of its decline. Fan Li and Fuchai calculated against each other, but human variables often led to unexpected twists! While Fan Li and Xi Shi were willing to sacrifice their personal feelings, jealousy is a common human emotion; watching the one he loved gravitate towards the enemy's embrace caused Fan Li great torment. But was Xi Shi any happier? The more Fuchai lavished her with affection, the more she suffered! Yet she had to pretend to be happy! Her suffering was too painful to share with others! Fan Li transformed his grief and anger into strength, constantly offering Goujian excellent plans to deal with Fuchai. They swore to make Yue powerful again, waiting for the opportunity to eradicate Wu in one fell swoop. Xi Shi and Fan Li conspired together; as Fuchai's favored concubine, she constantly sowed discord between Wu Zixu and Fuchai. Wu Zixu, feeling wronged, found his relationship with Fuchai increasingly tense. Wu had already attracted hostility from other states due to Fuchai's arrogance, facing crises on all sides. Wu Zixu opposed Fuchai's attack on Qi, advocating the annihilation of Yue, leading to a fallout with Fuchai; Fuchai gifted Wu Zixu a treasured sword, ordering him to commit suicide. At the moment before death, Wu Zixu demanded his eyes be gouged out: "The king does not listen to my advice; I want to see with my own eyes—within three years, Wu will surely be conquered by Yue!" Wu Zixu's words became a confession; everything unfolded just as Fan Li had predicted! Finally, Fan Li implemented a brilliant scheme to cut off Wu's grain supply; then, at a time when Wu was beset by internal strife and external challenges, he mobilized troops to attack Wu, delivering a devastating blow! Ultimately, Fuchai committed suicide, and Wu was destroyed by Yue, which became unprecedentedly strong. Over these twenty-two years, the people of Yue, especially King Goujian, Fan Li, and Xi Shi, lived a life of inhumane humiliation and burden! In the end, they succeeded! After more than twenty years of rivalry, the victor between Fuchai and Fan Li was Fan Li! Fan Li brought Xi Shi back to Yue, marrying her, showering her with gratitude and love. Fan Li was conferred the title of General by Goujian, enjoying unmatched honors and achieving great success. After Fuchai's demise, Fan Li seemed to lose interest in life. After a fleeting moment of glory, he left without saying goodbye, leading his family in exile, sailing a small boat, wandering the East Sea, disappearing into the world.