第九章 亡羊补牢

During the Warring States period, there was a minister in the state of Chu named Zhuang Xin.

At that time, King Xiang of Chu spent every day with a few close companions. They accompanied the king in entertainment and always said what the king liked to hear.

Zhuang Xin noticed that King Xiang of Chu rarely listened carefully to other ministers' opinions and was becoming less and less concerned about the dangers at the borders.

One day, Zhuang Xin came to the palace.

"Great King, the state of Chu still appears strong, but danger is getting closer. If you continue to listen only to these people around you and do not address the country's problems, Chu may lose a lot of territory."

After hearing this, King Xiang of Chu was very angry.

"Chu has so many troops and cities, yet you say the country will face great disaster. Are you deliberately trying to frighten me?"

Zhuang Xin replied: "I do not hope my words become reality. It is precisely because the matter has not yet happened that I have come to remind you."

King Xiang of Chu was unwilling to listen further.

Zhuang Xin knew that staying would be useless, so he asked to leave the state of Chu and go to live in the state of Zhao for a period of time.

Five months after Zhuang Xin left, the state of Qin indeed sent troops to attack Chu.

Some places in Chu had not made preparations, and the army was quickly defeated. The Qin army successively occupied many cities, and even Chu's capital was lost.

King Xiang of Chu could only take a few people and flee to a small town.

In the past, there was music and laughter in the palace every day. Now, King Xiang of Chu lived in a temporarily prepared house, with only a map in front of him.

On the map, large areas of land that originally belonged to Chu had already fallen into the hands of Qin.

At this moment, he finally remembered Zhuang Xin's warning.

King Xiang of Chu immediately sent people to the state of Zhao to invite Zhuang Xin back.

After Zhuang Xin arrived at the small town, King Xiang of Chu asked in a low voice: "I did not listen to your words then, and now I regret it. Things have come to this point; is there still a way?"

Zhuang Xin did not say that everything could be restored to the way it was.

He replied: "I have heard a folk saying: after losing one sheep, it is not too late to mend the sheepfold."

King Xiang of Chu asked: "But can the lost sheep come back?"

"Not necessarily," Zhuang Xin said. "Mending the sheepfold cannot make the lost sheep come back automatically. But if you do not mend it, the remaining sheep will continue to be lost."

"Chu has already lost a lot of territory; this is something that cannot be pretended not to have happened. What needs to be done now is to first see clearly what remains, and then decide how to defend it."

King Xiang of Chu was silent for a long time.

This time, he did not drive him away because Zhuang Xin's words were unpleasant to hear.

He made those who only said pleasant things leave their important positions, and sought ministers who understood the military and the situation of various regions. They inspected the remaining land, arranged defenses, and dealt with the most dangerous issues.

With Zhuang Xin's help, Chu finally held on to the remaining land and did not let the defeat expand further.

The sheepfold was mended; the lost sheep did not come back, but the remaining sheep were finally safe.

Later, people used 'wáng yáng bǔ láo' to mean: after a problem arises, it is still not too late to find ways to remedy it in time.