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Fate and Destiny

A man predestinated at his birth for wealth and honour, though fleeing wealth and shunning honour, at length he cannot get rid of it.

"Old Duke Tan Fu" had three sons: — T'ai Po, Ch'ung Yung and Chi Li. T'ai Po was the eldest son, according to the customs he should be the heir-apparent, but his father "Old Duke" favoured the youngest son Chi Li and the son of Chi Li, Chang, who became the later Wên Wang of the Chou dynasty. When Chang was still in his swaddling clothes, there appeared portents indicative of his holiness. Therefore Tan Fu said: — "It is through Chang that my family will become illustrious." When T'ai Po heard of it, he retired to Wu, a barbarous area in southern China, in order to make room for Chi Li. T'ai Po tattooed himself, and cut his hair, mixed himself up with one of Southern barbarians. But he couldn't escaped his fate, he run away from one throne, but became king of the barbarians.


King Yi of Yüeh escaped into the mountains, earnestly desiring not to become king, and wishing to find a substitute. But the people of Yüeh smoked his den so, that at last he could not escape, and ascended the throne by force.
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