范蠡與西施

吳王夫差為報父仇，與越國交戰，越軍大敗，夫差令勾 踐夫婦為人質養馬，范蠡自願陪伴勾踐夫婦為奴隸，受盡屈辱。經文種進言慫恿，夫差同意讓勾踐君臣歸越。勾踐臥薪嚐膽，圖謀復國。苧蘿村的越女西施天生麗質，國難當前，她忍辱負重，與村女鄭旦一起上獻給吳王夫差，成為吳王最寵愛的妃子。她們把吳王迷惑得眾叛親離，無心國事，終令吳國覆亡於越王之手。范蠡與西施重逢，兩人恍若隔世。范蠡不等勾踐進宮，留言文種「狐死狗烹、鳥盡弓藏」的道理後，即與西施雙雙泛舟離去。

Fan Li and Xi Shi

To avenge his father’s death, King Fu Chai of Wu launches a war against the state of Yue and defeats the Yue army severely. Fu takes King Gou Jian of Yue and his wife hostage and orders them to raise horses.Fan Li volunteers to be a slave to accompany the hostages. After suffering all kinds of humiliation for three years,Gou and his wife return to Yue after Wen Zhong persuades Fu to release them. Leading a Spartan life, Gou resolves to recover his country.

Xi Shi, a Yue woman from Zhuluo Village, is a born beauty. To save her country, Xi allows herself to be given to Fu together with another beauty, Cheng Tan. They become Fu’sfavorite concubines. The two women cause the king to lose trust in his supporters and distract him from state affairs until Gou invades and overthrows Fu. Fan meets Xi after a separation that seemed as long as a lifetime. Before Gou returns to the palace, Fan tells Wen that he has outlived his usefulness and leaves with the beautiful Xi Shi.