The Legend of Jiang Shang

Jiang Shang, whose courtesy name was Ziya, was also known as Lü Shang because his ancestors had been enfeoffed in Lü. Later generations revered him as Jiang Taigong, and his religious name was “Flying Bear.” His life was a legend, rising from hardship and obscurity to everlasting renown.

Jiang Shang endured many hardships in his early years. He butchered cattle and sold meat in Chaoge, then set up a stall selling wine in Mengjin, yet he never stopped nurturing grand ambitions and studying statecraft and military strategy. In his seventies, he fished by the Wei River, using a straight hook to catch kings and nobles, until he met Ji Chang, King Wen of Zhou, who was eager to find worthy talent. After their conversation, Ji Chang marveled at his abilities, called him “Taigong Wang,” and invited him to serve the Zhou court, beginning his journey to turn the tide of history.

He helped King Wen build the state’s strength, then aided King Wu, Ji Fa, with his strategic planning. At the Battle of Muye, he defeated the vastly larger forces of King Zhou of Shang, laying the foundation for the Zhou dynasty’s eight-hundred-year rule. Afterward, he was enfeoffed in Yingqiu, in the land of Qi. Making the most of local conditions, he developed the region’s fishing, salt, and commercial industries, quickly turning Qi into a powerful state in the east and paving the way for Duke Huan of Qi to dominate the feudal lords.

From commoner in the marketplace to teacher of kings, from fishing by the Wei River to becoming the Marquis of Qi, Jiang Shang used his world-shaping talent to write a magnificent chapter in a time of turmoil: “When the time is right, Heaven and Earth lend their strength.” His wisdom in “holding two-thirds of the realm while continuing to serve Shang” and his profound mastery of “cultivating the Way and understanding strategy” made him a revered master among later military strategists and tacticians. His legend is still told today.