诸稽郢行成于吴
Zhuji Ying Went to Wu to Seek Peace
吴王夫差起师伐越，越王勾践起师逆之江。King Fuchai of Wu raised an army to attack Yue. King Goujian of Yue also raised an army to meet the enemy on the river.
大夫种乃献谋曰：“夫吴之与越，唯天所授，王其无庸战。Minister Wen Zhong then offered his advice, saying, "The fates of Wu and Yue are determined by Heaven. Your Majesty need not engage in battle.
夫申胥、华登，简服吴国之士于甲兵，而未尝有所挫也。Shen Xu and Hua Deng have trained the soldiers of Wu in warfare, and they have never suffered a defeat.
夫一人善射，百夫决拾，胜未可成。夫谋必素见成事焉，而后履之，不可以授命。If one man is good at shooting, a hundred men will follow suit, victory is not certain. A plan must be one that has been foreseen to succeed before it is carried out, one should not risk one's life rashly.
王不如设戎，约辞行成，以喜其民，以广侈吴王之心。 Your Majesty would do better to set up defenses, use gentle words to seek peace, to please the people of Wu and to inflate the pride of King Fuchai of Wu.
吾以卜之于天，天若弃吴，必许吾成而不吾足也，将必宽然有伯诸侯之心焉； I have divined this with Heaven. If Heaven has abandoned Wu, it will surely agree to our peace offer and underestimate us. Then the king of Wu will surely become overconfident and have the ambition to dominate the feudal lords.
既罢弊其民，而天夺之食，安受其烬，乃无有命矣。”Once he has exhausted his people and Heaven has taken away their means of livelihood, we can safely accept the remnants. Then he will have no such fate."
越王许诺，乃命诸稽郢行成于吴，曰：“寡君勾践使下臣郢，不敢显然布币行礼，敢私告于下执事曰：‘昔者，越国见祸，得罪于天王，天王亲趋玉趾，以心孤勾践，而又宥赦之。King Goujian of Yue agreed and then ordered Zhuji Ying to go to Wu to seek peace, saying, "My sovereign, King Goujian, has sent me, Ying, as his servant. I dare not openly present gifts and perform the rites. I dare only to privately convey the following message to your subordinates: 'In the past, Yue suffered misfortune and offended the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King himself condescended to come, isolating King Goujian in his heart, yet later pardoned him.
君王之于越也，繄起死人而肉白骨也。孤不敢忘天灾，其敢忘君王之大赐乎？ Your Majesty's treatment of Yue is like bringing the dead back to life and making bones fleshy again. I dare not forget the natural disasters. How could I forget Your Majesty's great kindness?
今勾践申祸无良，草鄙之人，敢忘天王之大德，而思边陲之小怨，以重得罪于下执事？ Now King Goujian has brought further misfortune upon himself through his own misdeeds. I am a humble person from the countryside. How could I forget the Heavenly King's great virtue and instead think of the small grudges on the border and thus further offend your subordinates?
勾践用帅二三之老，亲委重罪，顿颡于边。今君王不察，盛怒属兵，将残伐越国。King Goujian has led a few elders to personally take on the heavy blame and kowtow on the border. Now Your Majesty fails to perceive this and, in great anger, has mustered troops and is about to brutally attack Yue.
越国固贡献之邑也，君王不以鞭箠使之，而辱军士，使寇令焉！Yue has always been a tributary state. Your Majesty should not use whips to command it but instead has humiliated the soldiers and issued orders like those for invaders!
勾践请盟。 一介嫡女，执箕帚以晐姓于王宫；一介嫡男，奉盘匜以随诸御。King Goujian requests an alliance. One legitimate daughter will hold a broom and dustpan to serve in the royal palace for all surnames; one legitimate son will hold a basin and pitcher to follow the attendants.
春秋贡献，不解于王府。天王岂辱裁之？亦征诸侯之礼也。’” Annual tributes will be continuously offered to the royal palace. How could the Heavenly King deign to reject this? This is also the rite for summoning the feudal lords.' "
夫谚曰：“‘狐埋之而狐搰之，是以无成功。’ As the proverb says, "The fox buries it and then digs it up again, so there is no success."
今天王既封殖越国，以明闻于天下，而又刈亡之，是天王之无成劳也。Now that the Heavenly King has fostered Yue and made it known to the whole world, yet now he is going to destroy it again. This means that the Heavenly King will have no achievements.
虽四方之诸侯，则何实以事吴？敢使下臣尽辞，唯天王秉利度义焉！”Even the feudal lords from all directions, what reason do they have to serve Wu? I dare to let my servant speak out all the words. May the Heavenly King consider the advantages and weigh the righteousness!
