The Zhou king moved east, the royal house declined, and the Central Plains had no hegemon. The realm teetered on the brink.
In the darkness before dawn, Guan Zhong, a “wild man” who seemed incapable of doing anything right and never had anything to his name, strode onto the stage of history.
Before his dazzling debut, he pulled off a ruthless trick:
He shot Prince Xiaobai and “killed” him with an arrow, then performed a “man appears from thin air” act, producing the very hegemon who would save Qi from collapse.
Guan Zhong: Even a salted fish needs a dream. Witness the comeback of a great statesman.
Duke Huan of Qi: The timid nobody in the halls of power finally breaks through the smoke of war and is crowned the foremost of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period.
Duke Xiang of Song: A ridiculous eccentric or a true gentleman? Discover the king in Spring and Autumn history most reminiscent of Don Quixote.
The role of Guan Zhong is quite interesting. From a good-for-nothing "savage" to the right-hand man of a generation of overlords, this kind of counterattack is really inspiring! This reminds me of Shang Yang in "The Qin Empire", who also helped Qin become stronger through his own efforts and wisdom. Moreover, this book also gave me a deeper understanding of the history of the Spring and Autumn Period. The wisdom of those sages is really admirable. It feels like a journey through time and is well worth reading!
The author has a profound foundation in literature, has ancient documents and history at his fingertips, and his writing is humorous and has the style of Qian Zhongshu.