Fan Li

Fan Li (Chinese: 范蠡; pinyin: Fàn Lǐ) from the Spring and Autumn period, was an ancient Chinese military strategist, politician, and businessman. Fàn Li was an important political and military advisor to Goujian, the king of Yue. He became known as Tao Zhu Gong (陶朱公) which he took after achieving a decisive victory for Yue over the state of Wu and retiring to live a secluded life with his wife Xi Shi, one of the most famous beauties in Chinese history.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Fan.
Fan Li

Biography

Along with King Goujian of Yue, Fàn Li was once a hostage of the state of Wu. After three years of captivity the two of them returned to Yue where Fàn Li helped Goujian carry out a host of reforms to streamline the administration of the Yue state. In 493 BCE, Yue was finally able to destroy the state of Wu. After the victory, Fàn resigned and renamed himself Tao Zhu Gong Chinese: 陶朱公; pinyin: Táo Zhū Gōng). After his departure, he was said to have written a letter to Wen Zhong from Qi, advising Wen Zhong to leave Goujian's service, but Wen refused; Wen was later forced to commit suicide by Goujian.

After retiring from his ministerial post he lived with Xi Shi, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China, on a fishing boat, roaming the misty wilderness of Lake Tai in the style of the Taoist immortals of old. In his later years, he became a legend for his success in business, and was posthumously worshipped as a god of money, or the God of Wealth (Cai Shen).

Fàn Li was an ancestor of Fan Zhongyan, a famous chancellor and historical figure from the Song Dynasty.[1]

References
  1. Yen, L.D.H.C.H. (2013). Ethnic Chinese Business in Asia: History, Culture and Business Enterprise. World Scientific Publishing Company. p. 262. ISBN 978-981-4578-44-8. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
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