"Do you want to have a meal? Take a bath? Or choose me?" she said jokingly.

He was hiding the fact that he was an illegitimate child.

After many years of effort, he was finally able to achieve his goal and make a name for himself.

He was able to achieve career success and fame after much hardship.

His success is an example of the proverb 'one general achieves success at the cost of ten thousand bones'.