Chapter 60 Taigong fishing, those who wish to take the bait

In the last years of the Shang Dynasty, Jiang Ziya was nearly eighty years old, but his talents were not met, so he only became a doctor. Seeing that King Zhou had no way and was persecuted by Daji, he escaped from Chaoge, the capital of the Shang Dynasty.He came to live in seclusion by the Wei River and fished every day.He fishes differently, with short rods and long lines, straight hooks and no bait.While fishing, he said to himself: "Jiang Taigong is fishing, and those who wish to take the bait!" One day, Xibohou Jichang went back to Xiqi through the Wei River.He heard that Jiang Ziya was a sage, so he personally invited him to Xiqi.Jiang Ziya deliberately avoided, hiding in the reeds and not coming out.Ji Chang fasted for three days, bathed and dressed, and his twins carried gifts to invite Jiang Ziya again, and Jiang Ziya came out to greet him.

Later generations called this event "Jiang Taigong's eighty encounters with King Wen".Jiang Ziya was named prime minister by King Wen, and helped King Wen and King Wu defeat Zhou and establish the Zhou Dynasty. The idiom "The Taigong fishes, and those who wish to take the bait" is a metaphor for willingly falling into the trap in order to seek talents.