Strategist who helped Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou overthrow the Shang and was made ruler of Qi. Legend says he fished with a straight hook and no bait, hence the saying 愿者上钩, "the willing take the bait".
Jiang Taigong fishes - those willing take the bait. (proverb: a willing victim falls into the trap)
Tips
history
His title 太公望 means 'the man the Grand Duke hoped for'. King Wen's grandfather, the Grand Duke, had foretold that a sage would come and make Zhou rise, so on meeting him King Wen said 吾太公望子久矣, 'my grandfather has long been hoping for you'.
culture
He is also revered as a god of war and folk deity who can ward off evil; old buildings sometimes have 姜太公在此 ('Jiang Taigong is here') written on them as a charm.
