The World Eng Family Benevolent Assoication

It is the custom and tradition of the Chinese people to honor the
most famous and revered ancestor from the family past. To the Ng’s, Ng
Zisui is that honored person for the Ngs. Many Ng family associations
and temples throughout the world are named after him. This story is
based on a translation of a Chinese version of the life of Ng Zisui by
Dr. William F. Wu and additional historical material contributed by Dr.
Michael Quinto. We would like to offer our thanks and appreciation to
William, Michael, our members and friends who had contributed to the
writing of this story.

Ng Zisui (526 to 484 B. C.) lived in the Spring & Auturm Period (770 to 476 B.C.) of Chinese history.   During this period, China was made up of many kingdoms each with its own
ruling hierarchy. The area was unstable and mutual distrust between
kingdoms was common. Loyal advisors with great wisdom were highly
valued. In the Kingdom of Chu, Ng Zisui’s forefather, Ng Ju was highly
respected,honored and greatly trusted by the king. Subsequent
progenies, such as Ng Che, Ng Zisui’s father, was also a highly
regarded advisor to the king.

In the Court of King Chu Ping, Ng Che was the senior advisor to the
king and teacher of the heir to the throne, Prince Jian. Fei Wuji was
the junior advisor and protector of Prince Jian. Fei Wuji, a
treacherous and ambitious person. Through his treachery, he maligned
the prince and schemed to gain the king’s favor.

The King sent Prince Jian to Chengfu to organize the civil
administration and the defense of the area. While in Chengfu, Fei Wuji
convinced the king that Prince Jian was disloyal and can no longed be
trusted. Prince Jian is plotting to overthrow you and is creating
turmoil in the Kingdom. You too may very well be in great danger. The
king immediately ordered the arrest of Ng Che and sent Chenfu’s Chief
of Security to kill Prince Jian. Instead, the chief informed the prince
of his predicament and allowed him to escape to the Kingdom of Sung.

Fei Wuji advised the king that Ng Che’s two sons, Ng Shang and Ng
Zisui, were astute political and military strategists. If they knew of
the king's order to kill Prince Jian, they might attempt a coup d’etat.
The king sent a decree to summon Ng Che’s two sons, and should they
disobey, their father would be executed. Ng Che told the messenger that
Ng Shang is a gentle and caring person and would obey the order, but Ng
Zisui is a straightforward, headstrong and rebellious person, and would
disobey the order, if he suspected it was a trap. After receiving the
summon, Ng Zisui convinced his brother that it was a scheme to lure
them in and execute them. The sons decided not to appeared. As a
result, their father and three hundred of their clansmen were executed.

Remorseful and bitter, the two brothers vowed to avenge the death of
their father and clansmen. An attempt to avenge their death failed. Ng
Shang was captured and summarily executed. Ng Zisui escaped to the Sung
Kingdom, where he found Prince Jian. Together they went to the Jang
Kingdom then to the Jin Kingdom. During their stay at Jin Kingdom, King
Jin Jinggong approached Prince Jian to help him conquer the Jang
Kingdom. The plan was so ill-conceived, the venture failed, and Prince
Jian was captured and executed.

Prince Jian left behind his only son, Ng Sheng. Concerned for
Sheng’s safety Ng Zisui returned with him to the Chu Kingdom. In the
Chu Kingdom, Ng Zisui was a wanted man. His picture was posted all over
the kingdom. He and his young charge were constantly pursued by
soldiers. They hid in the mountains, sometimes concealing themselves
underneath piles of leaves when the soldiers approached. When the
opportunity arose, they went into the city to seek the help of Dong Gao
Gung, his physician friend and former official of the king’s court.

Dong Gao Gung gave refuge to them in his home for a week. he was
under enormous stress trying to plot a way for their escape. Overnight,
his hair turned completely white and his facial features aged greatly.
His facial feature changed completely. The change was a blessing in
disguise. Unrecognizeable, he and Sheng escaped and headed for the Wu
Kingdom.

In order to get to the Wu Kingdom they must cross a river. When they
reached the river and risked not being spotted crossing over the
bridge, Ng asked a fisherman to ferry them across the river. The
fisherman knowing the contributions of Ng Zisui to the Chu Kingdom, he
immediately complied. He ferried them across. As he disembarked with
his charge,Sheng, Ng offered his sword to the fisherman as a gesture of
gratitude. The fisherman declined. He felt the sword is a symbol of
courage and dignity, he was not worthy of his sword, Only he, Ng Zisui,
is worthy of the sword. In parting, Ng Zisui asked the fisherman not to
reveal the encounter to anyone. The fisherman was deeply offended by
the reminder. To show his loyalty and trustworthiness he then walked
into the river and drowned himself. Now no one can reveal the encounter.

Ng Zisui fell on hard time in Wu Kingdom. In order for him and his
charge, Sheng, to survived, he resorted to playing his flute and
begging for food in the streets of the Wu Kingdom. Later he became ill.
After he recovered, he sought an audience with King Wu Wangliao to
offer his service. The king, well aware of Ng Zisui’s political and
military expertice, appointed him one of his advisors.

Five years later, King Chi Ping of the Chu Kingdom died and was
succeeded by his son Jen. King Wu Wangliao, sensing the right moment to
invade Chu Kingdom. He sent his two youngest brothers to lead the
invasion force. The invasion failed and the Wu army annihilated and by
some miracle, the two brothers escaped to safety.

By now, the Wu Kingdom was in turmoil. One of the generals, Gung Zi
Guang, seized the opportunity to revolt. He assassinated the King and
declared himself King Huo Lu, Ruler of the Wu Kingdom. Once in power,
King Huo Lu immediately appointed Ng Zisui Minister-at-Large.

Three years later King Hou Lu decided to invade the Chu Kingdom again.
Once again. the invasion failed. King Hou Lu was mortally wounded. His
grandson, Fu Cha succeeded to the throne.

Six years passed, King Fu Cha of Chu Kingdom decided to have his
brother invade the Wu Kingdom. The defense of the Kingdom fell on Ng
Zisui’s lap. Ng Zisui led his force valiantly and drove the invaders
back to their capital and subsequently conquered the Chu Kingdom. He
entered the tomb of King Chu Ping, who ordered the deaths of his
father, Ng Chi, his brother, Ng Sheng, and three hundred clansmen. Ng
Zisui whipped King Chu Ping’s corpse three hundred times. Thus,
avenging their brutal deaths.

No sooner had Ng Zisui returned to the Wu Kingdom in triumph, the
king ordered him to conquer the Yue Kingdom. It was again a success;
the king and queen of Yue were captured and given the humiliating
positions of stable-hand at King Fu Cha’s stable. Secretly,they swore
revenge.

Corrupted by power and delusion of omnipotence, King Fu Cha became
decadent and arrogant. Foreseeing the danger the king’s overconfidence
and excesses, Ng Zisui advised the king to release the Yue king and
queen before they gained support from sympathetic followers within the
Wu Kingdom. The king, headstrong with his sense of supremacy, sneered
at the prediction, handed Ng Zisui his sword and ordered him to kill
himself. Grieve-stricken with the king’s obstinacy, and weary of all
the treacheries, Ng Zisui took the king’s sword and took his own life.
Before he died he predicted that one day the Yue Kingdom would be
resurrected to invade and conquer the Wu Kingdom. He asked that after
his death his two eyes be removed and hung on top of the east gate of
the kingdom so he can see the Yue troops march in for the conquest.
King Fu Cha will lived to regret his obduracy. True to Ng Zisui’s
prediction, the king and queen of Yue were released and later returned
to overthrow King Fu Cha.

The king ordered Ng Zisui’s body be thrown into the ocean. His body
was carried by the ocean current to the mouth of the Jin Huang River
and tossed into the rapids that spilled into the ocean. His body did
not drift back into the ocean. Instead, it stayed at the mouth of the
river, where the rapids collided with the ocean tide. There, Ng Zisui’s
body spun in the undertow. To this day his indomitable spirit rises up
to a great crescendo as the gigantic waves from the Pacific Ocean crash
with the rapids of the Jin Huang River.

APPENDIX 附錄

Ng Zisui (Wu Zixu) 伍子胥 Birth name 生時命名: Ng Yuen (Wu Yuan)伍員
Ng Tom (Wu Can) 伍參 (Great grandfather曾祖父)
Ng Ju (Wu Ju) 伍舉 (Grandfather 祖父)
Ng Che (Wu She) 伍奢 (Father 父親)
Ng Sheng (Wu Shang) 伍尚 (Brother 兄弟)
Chu Kingdom 楚國 (Present day Hunan & Hubei Province 現今湖南湖北省)
King Chu Ping 楚平王
Prince Jian 建王子
Fei Wuji 費無忌
Sung Kingdom 宋國
Jin Kingdom 晉國 (Present day Henan Province 現今河南省)
King Jin Jinggong 晉頃公
Jang (Zheng) Kingdom 鄭國
Prince Sheng 尚王子
Wu Kingdom 吳國 (Present day Jiangsu Province 現今江蘇省)
Dong Gao Gung 東皋公
Zhao GuanPass 昭關
Wu Wangliao 吳王僚
Gung Zi Guang 公子先
Huo (He) Lu 闔閭
Fu Cha (Chu) 夫差
Yue Kingdom越國 (Present day Zhejiang Province 現今浙江省)
Jin Huang River 錢杭江