Wealth and Honor Rule the World

Wealth and poverty, fortune and hardship, are all part of life. Some families laugh while others grieve. Whether we laugh or cry, every taste of life eventually flows away like water to the east. Shen Fu, also known as Shen Wansan, rejected the path his father had arranged for him, abandoning the imperial examinations and an official career in favor of pursuing wealth through business. After countless trials and tribulations, and a series of almost mythical encounters, he finally achieved his goal and became the richest man in the land. Yet behind the envy of thousands, what heartbreak and helplessness lay hidden? Did he truly obtain everything he had ever sought? From Shen Wansan’s studies and business ventures to his rise to fortune, and later his rivalry with Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, we witness a family’s journey from prosperity to decline. Along the way, the many facets of human nature are revealed, especially the weakness that makes people able to endure poverty but unable to remain content with wealth. Drawing on historical legends, this book aims to remind people in today’s society who see wealth as their ultimate goal that money cannot represent everything. There is so much more we must seek as we make our way through the world.