Bo Pi was a bureaucrat in the state of Wu

Wu (state)

The State of Wu , also known as Gou Wu or Gong Wu , was one of the vassal states during the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period. The State of Wu was located at the mouth of the Yangtze River east of the State of Chu. Considered a semi-barbarian state by ancient Chinese...

 in the Spring and Autumn Period. His grandfather, Bo Zhouli, who was an official in the state of Chu

Chu

Chu or CHU may refer to:Surname:* Chu , a common Chinese surname for 朱 , but it can also refer to any Chinese surname whose pinyin is "chu", such as 楚, 储, 褚, 初, 除 and other possible surnames....

, was executed, and Bo Pi fled to Wu, where he served as an advisor to the king of Wu. During a war with the state of Yue

Yue (state)

Yue was a state in China which existed during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period , in the modern province of Zhejiang. During the Spring and Autumn Period, its capital was in Guiji , near the modern city of Shaoxing...

, in which Wu had the upper hand, Bo Pi was corrupted by lavish gifts from King Goujian of Yue. Bo Pi influenced King Fuchai of Wu to make peace with the state of Yue despite Wu Zixu's

Wu Zixu

Wu Yun , better known by his style name Zixu , is the most famous ancestor of people with the surname of Wu . All branches of the Wu clans claim him as their "first ancestor"...

, another advisor of King Fuchai, objections, who warned of a possible future attack by Yue. Afterwards the two advisors competed for the king's trust, until Bo Pi convinced the king to execute Wu Zixu for treason. Then, while King Fuchai waged another campaign in the state of Qi, King Goujian made a backstabbing attack on Wu, conquering it, just as Wu Zixu warned about. Bo Pi was executed by King Goujian for disloyalty to the former King Fuchai and, ironically, for accepting gifts from foreign rulers.

External links

• Bo Pi entry in the Baidu-pedia