Chapter 18 second quarter

A few of you were walking outside just now. This season, the mountain air is refreshing and refreshing. Before the break, I talked about the charm of Confucius as a human being. Now I will change the topic and talk about my trip to the Central Plains this summer.In June, July, and August, a group of merchants from Chu State and I ran around the place where I wandered with Confucius when I was young. Five or six years ago, a businessman from the state of Chu fell ill in this village during a trip. He lived in my home to recuperate, and I took good care of him.This spring, he came here again and said to me: "If you want to visit the former Chen and Cai countries, I can take you there." This is really a surprise to me, and he is warm and thoughtful, which is absolutely fine. Believe it, so I agreed.

"Given my age, I'm afraid this will be my last trip. "In the summer of the third year of Duke Ai, I was twenty-five years old and followed Confucius into the capital of the state of Chen. Recalling the past forty-six or seven years ago, I felt that the three years in the capital of the state of Chen were very pleasant and unforgettable. It was because of Wu Chu The scene of the war, running away in a panic, wandering Chen and Cai wilderness, in retrospect, there are only good memories. "Later, I entered my hometown, Cai State. At that time, Cai State was under the rule of Chu State. We walked from north to south for several days, crossed Ru River in the outskirts of Xincai, entered Chu State, and arrived at Chu State. A letter for the new city built by the survivors of Cai State.

"Why do we have to wander like this? Besides Confucius, who else can know? Even if the teacher is alive now, I am afraid I can't answer it. Although there is Sadako Sicheng's suggestion, why bother to go so hard?" How about going to the war-torn Chu State? It is really incomprehensible. "On a starry early summer night, we entered the negative letter. Thanks to Ye Gong's care, we spent three months in this town that looks like Chu Feichu and Cai Feicai. This period of time is like a dream. It seems to be for An audience with King Chu Zhao, the most promising overlord of the Central Plains. This day has finally come, but what we waited by the roadside in the middle of the night was the coffin of King Zhao who died of illness on the front line.

"The past is vague. After forty-three or four years of absence, I revisited the old place with deep emotion. First of all, Chen, Cai, and Cao, the three relative vassal states of the Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains, have all disappeared without a trace. Chen, Cai Chu died in Chu, and Cao was annexed by neighboring Song. Generally speaking, even if a country falls and loses independence, the people will still live the same life in the old place. But I don’t have this feeling there, it’s like stepping into a foreign country, reflecting The strange people who came into view lived a strange life, even at the place where the water was drawn, it was another scene. Probably this is the tragic situation of subjugated country.

"Also, the previously dotted cities that basically enjoy political autonomy are full of freedom and clear atmosphere, and they are good places for tourists to relax and rest. Now these cities have disappeared, and the borders established between countries, Outposts manned by armed soldiers can be seen everywhere. "Considering the safety of the journey, we will take the big road this time and try to follow the previous route as much as possible, from Lu to Chen through Song Dynasty and then to Cai. The capitals of the two big countries of Lu and Song are well-organized and magnificent, while in the past Chen and Cai The prosperity of the capital of the country has long gone, and it has changed beyond recognition. It has become a barracks of the Chu State. It is desolate and desolate. Especially the capital of the Cai State, every plant and tree there will evoke my memories. However, the subjugation of the country makes it difficult for me to form memories of the past. This piece The land is no longer the Cai State of the past, and the people here are not the Cai State people of the past. This is the large barracks of the Chu State, with only yellow dust covering the sun and rolling sky, and only rough and brave soldiers in the wind and sand.

"Since my purpose is to revisit the old place, I stayed for a few nights whether it was Chen State or Cai State. Confucius often discussed life and work problems with the local people in his residence in Chen State, and gave them advice. Ideas, ideas, and sometimes young local officials were called together to explain to them the principles of "benevolence" and "propriety". So, on the first day I arrived in the capital of Chen Guoguo, I went to look for the Confucius Museum that I missed so much. But , now that area has become a barracks, and outsiders are not allowed to approach it. Indeed, it is very suitable to set up the barracks in the government office area next to the original Sicheng Sadako's residence, whether it is the location or the building itself. Therefore, scattered nearby Zilu , Zigong, Yan Hui, and my earthen house. Although I am very concerned about what it looks like now, I can't find out. Also, I wanted to pay homage to Gao Jie who once gave us great care as soon as I entered the city. The tomb of the famous politician Sicheng Sadako, but he didn't know where his tomb was, so he had to give up.

"We now call him Sicheng Zhenzi. In fact, "Zhenzi" is the posthumous title given by the Chen Guo court after his death to commend his achievements during his lifetime. People usually call him by his posthumous title, just like calling him by his first name during his lifetime. , so the tomb of this important minister cannot be found. This is the tragedy of the country’s ruin and family ruin. Sicheng Sadako is an outstanding politician with far-sightedness. Maybe he committed suicide before the country’s subjugation, and destroyed it together with the tomb. "I walk around the streets every day. The old city outlines and bustling streets have long since disappeared. However, as soon as I turn into the alley, I suddenly feel the unique atmosphere of Chen Guo. The men, women and children who come and go are undoubtedly from Chen Guo. I remember Yan Hui said that the people of Chen Guo believe in witches and lust. It seems to be true. I got into an alley and walked through another alley. It was like reuniting with brothers and sisters after a long absence. Oh, this is the capital of Chen Guoguo, not any other place, but the capital of Chen Guoguo. I walked alone, and there were two or three places where the locals entertained me with drinks. Listen to their full of complaints.

"——Chu people are domineering and domineering here, it's almost breathless. However, they can't grow a rabbit's tail. In another two hundred years, the entire Chu country will perish. They will soon come from here. fuck off. "I asked them how they knew that the state of Chu would perish in two hundred years. They said that every time they played Kagura, they asked the gods to come down and ask the gods for their will, and the gods always answered in this way. "—they were originally uncivilized people in the border areas, and they were not qualified to rule the Central Plains at all, but they actually destroyed Chen Shucai, so they were arrogant and arrogant, showing off their might in this area. Although it didn't take long, they should also know thank you Heaven, and then withdraw to the Yangtze River. If you don’t know the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth, you will continue to be the same, as the oracle said, and the country will be destroyed. If that’s the case, and you can’t bear it, someone had better warn them now.

"During the five days I stayed in Chen Guoguo, an old man came to visit. He once sent a water tank to the Confucian Museum, and he was very moved after listening to Confucius' speeches several times. He said: "My life runs through Confucius' thoughts of "ritual" and "benevolence", but I didn't know until long after Confucius passed away that he was the leading scholar and educator in the Central Plains, trying to save the chaotic real society by reforming people's concepts and outlook on life. "Many people in this town have listened directly to the teachings of Confucius. They established a Confucius Research Association to recall, collect, sort out, and discuss Confucius' words, but unfortunately they did not persist. I would like to ask for one thing: Mr. Hope will introduce some information about the Confucius Institute in the capital of Lu, and we would like to present some of the materials we have collected to them. These materials inevitably have mistakes, but there may be some precious things in them. Recently We will send young people to send the materials directly, and please handle it as appropriate."

I said that after returning to the State of Lu, I must live up to my high expectations and properly handle these materials, and at the same time I also want to read them as soon as possible. A few days later, I went to Xincai, the former capital of the state of Cai, with merchants from the state of Chu. For me, this was the first time I returned to my hometown after 44 years.Forty-four years ago, the great war between Wu and Chu brought disasters to the fish in the pond. We fled from the capital of the state of Chen and wandered in the plains of Chencai. Attack of the defeated.Chen Cai cut off food was a very important event in Confucius' life.

In contrast, this trip was quiet and peaceful, with endless farmlands, fertile and fertile, and green grasslands dotted with white sheep.Occasionally, I also met Chu troops, large and small, and they were all disciplined, and Qiu committed no crimes. We, a group of merchants from Chu State, pulled about twenty carriages full of goods and moved forward slowly.As soon as the sun goes down, we will go to the village to rest, and at night we must drink and feast with the local dignitaries.I didn’t know until this trip that they are international businessmen of Chu nationality. They both have huge markets in the Chen and Cai countries that Chu just occupied, deal in various commodities, and hold the economic power in the Central Plains. There are huge offices in the capital, which seem to have some kind of national mission. From this point of view, Chu State intends to conquer its neighbors and include other people's territories into its own territory.This grand strategy that Chen, Cai and other countries could never dream of is being gradually put into practice. Some girls from a nearby village performed a dance for us and sent us across the border of the Chencai state, which existed in name only. The soldiers of the state of Chu simply asked us for our names and destinations, and let us pass.We climbed over the hills on the national border, entered the Shangcai area, and went down the Ru River.I imagined what the ancient capital of Shangcai would look like now, and I was always a little concerned, but felt inconvenient to speak. Maybe this is the cowardly and shrinking mood of the subjugated people.Along the way, I often wandered into the village alone and stayed there.This was a kind arrangement by the merchants of Chu State.On the second night, I began to doubt whether this area was Cai Guo before, because all the men, women and children here were from Chu, except for a very few people who looked like Cai people.However, Chu people are also a mixture of many races, and their appearance, posture, and language are different. On the fourth day, we entered Xincaicheng Street. "There is no doubt that this is the place where I was born, and it is my hometown." - I couldn't help but say it out loud.It seems that if I don't say that, my hometown will run away. The current Chu language is not a single language, but contains many conquered small national languages. At my request, we lived in a dormitory with lush tung trees on the outskirts of the city.That night, a few young people from Cai Guo were invited, and everyone chatted freely and freely.The parents of these young people are all from the state of Cai, and they themselves were born and raised in the state of Cai, but their language and clothing have been adapted to the state of Chu, and they have become authentic Chu people.Among them are three girls?They sang both solo and chorus, all singing Chu songs. "Why don't you sing Cai Guo's songs?" I asked. They replied in unison: "There is no good song. There is no song we want to sing. As soon as I open my mouth, it will naturally be a song from the other side of Rushui." I am speechless.Cai Guo has indeed disappeared, and Chu State has indeed replaced it. On the third day after entering Xincai, I asked the locals to lead me into the city, because Confucius had never entered the city before, so this time I passed through the city gate after half a century. This is the place where I spent my teenage years and left me with countless fond memories.The unusual experience of that year is also unforgettable - the sudden siege of the Chu army.When the siege was cleared, the Wu army seemed to descend from the sky and swarmed into the city.Citizens evacuated to the Rushui River overnight.The ruler moved the capital to the state.The desolate and desolate palace quickly turned into a noisy market.There is no dark impression, no feeling of depression.Xu, Zhou, Fei, Lai, Xiao, Shu, Yong, Liang, Xing, Jiang, Wen, Huang... all the subjugated people gathered in this international market to engage in busy trading activities.As soon as the spring starts after the new year, I will go out for a trip.So fortunately, he began to follow Confucius all over the Central Plains. The people of the subjugated country work together, forget about their work, and start their lives again.Today, that market has become the largest Chu State international market in the Central Plains, and active trade activities are carried out.If I were to choose a random name for this market, I would call it the "Chu Kingdom Melting Pot".This "melting pot" has melted Chen, Cai and many other countries. When I came to the capital of the state of Cai, the biggest achievement I gained was to realize that the state of Chu across the river is more powerful than other countries I know, and it will definitely make great contributions to the cause of peace in the Central Plains. I once followed Confucius into Chu.We crossed the Ru River, set foot on the vast plain, crossed the national border, and went all the way south, entering the river zone where rivers criss-cross.The first city we arrived in was the negative letter built by the state of Chu to accommodate refugees from the state of Cai.Now that I think about it, the idea of ​​building a city of negative letter is really unusual, only the state of Chu can come up with such a whimsical idea, and only Ye Gong, the city's top official, can have such boldness.At that time, King Zhao had the highest voice to dominate the Central Plains.Confucius entered Chu just to see King Zhao. Today, Confucius, King Zhao, and Ye Gong are no longer alive, but I am about to cross Rushui again with the merchants of Chu State, revisit the old negative letters, and realize the greatest wish of this trip.I want to stand alone in the darkness of the negative letter night, just like the night that night sent the spirit of King Zhao, thinking about issues that can only be thought about here and now.On a mysterious night full of stars and as dark as ink, I pondered the words of Confucius that I have not fully understood or deeply comprehended for many years.