Declination to Throne (3)

1 The people of Yue, ruthless and wild, were nicknamed the southern savage. Even to be the king was not an easy job there. The past three kings all were murdered in their tour of duty.

2 Hence, Sou, the incumbent prince, felt headache when he thought that he would succeed to be the throne of Yue. He was afraid that his destiny would be as same as the past three kings.

3 Nevertheless, what you don’t like to have, it approached sooner.

4 The King of Yue in his prime of life suddenly died. The court was eager to urge Prince Sou to succeed. Then, Prince Sou felt nervous because he rather loathed the position of the king that was hard and dangerous. Therefore, he fled from his palace at night and hid out in a cave.

5 The officials were very anxious, because a country requires a king at any time. They hence sent for searching. At last, they found the cave where they know that the prince hid in it. He didn’t come out despite all people’s eagerest plea. Without any other ways, they had to fume and drive him out.

6 Helpless, the prince stepped up carriage on which he shouted at heaven, “King, King! I felt annoyed when hearing it. Can’t you find other? Why me?”

7 Prince Sou certainly was not afraid that he was incompetent, nor detested the luxury life in palace. What he was afraid of was that his life would under the menace of careerist.

8 Prince Sou who cherished life and preferred conservation of body to throne, was the ideal king who people of Yue supported.

9 The virtues that a leader of state should possess of are to respect and to cherish life. It is unqualified for a leader to be rash to resort to the war for solving problem.