Chapter 30 Twenty-seven, string songs are endless

Confucius said: "Ci, it is said in the "Poetry": 'It is not a bison or a tiger, but it is exhausted to run in the open field.' Is there something wrong with our theory, otherwise why have we fallen to this point!" After Confucius and his disciples fled from the state of Song, they ran towards the state of Zheng overnight. At daybreak, Zi Gong stood at the south gate, but he couldn't find Confucius, and he was very anxious.At this time, he saw an old man, wearing a bamboo hat, humming a folk song, and carrying a burden, he stepped forward and saluted, "Excuse me, old man, have you ever seen an old man over sixty years old with a tall face and a kind face? "

The old farmer looked at Zigong for a while, thought for a while and said, "Oh, I saw an old man outside the east city. He was nine feet long and had a forehead like Tang Yao's, a neck like Gao Yao's, shoulders like Zichan's, but he was as tall as a waist. It's less than three inches below Xia Yu's, and that exhausted and embarrassed look is like a stray dog." After speaking, he pointed to the east, and then left with a laugh. Zigong rushed to the east gate, and sure enough, he saw Confucius standing outside the east gate looking around, and hurried over, "Teacher, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." The master and apprentice hugged each other, with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy, and both of them shed tears. After a while, Zilu also came, and so did Gong Liangru, Ran Qiu, Zeng Shen, Ran Geng, Zai Yu and others. Zigong told the old farmer what he said, and everyone laughed. Confucius laughed until tears flowed, and said: "I don't dare to compare my shape with those of the ancestors, but if you say I am a lost dog, it is true, true! Haha, a lost dog!..." Everyone was chatting and laughing outside the city, and another hour later, Ran Yong, Min Ziqian and the disciples who were separated arrived, but Yan Hui was nowhere to be seen.

Confucius looked around anxiously. "Come back, you can't have an accident!" After a while, Yan Hui came looking for him with sweat streaming down his face. Confucius' hanging heart finally fell. He patted Yan Hui's shoulder and said, "Hui, I thought I would never see you again." Yan Hui hurriedly said, "The teacher is still alive, how dare Hui die." Confucius said with a smile: "Okay, okay, Hui is the most filial piety." Sima Geng said sadly: "Teacher, I'm sorry, I didn't expect my brother to be such a person." Confucius comforted: "A gentleman has no worries or fears. Your brother is your brother, and you are you. Don't worry anymore."

Sima Geng said again: "Teacher, I don't have this brother from now on." Zilu comforted him: "It would be better not to have that nasty brother Sima Huanyu, we are all your brothers." Zixia comforted him and said: "In the four seas, we are all brothers. Ziniu don't need to be sad." Confucius praised: "Bushang is right. In the four seas, there are all brothers. Why worry about Ziniu having so many brothers?" Sima Geng laughed after hearing this. Confucius ordered, and a dozen or so students, one of whom was quite a lot, went into the city together, found a building to live in, had lunch, and everyone went shopping, seeing that the capital of this country is small and exquisite, although it is not big, But the streets are tidy and there are many shops, which is not bad.

In the evening, Confucius wrote a letter to King Zheng, explaining his identity and purpose of coming. The next day, he asked Zilu and Zigong to present it to the palace, and then waited for the king to receive him. Zheng Shenggong is a monarch who favors martial arts rather than virtuousness. He came to the throne at a young age, only in his twenties, suave and suave, with no one in his eyes.At this time, he was sitting high on the training ground, watching his soldiers drill, with a look of complacency on his face.He was thinking that one day, when the six kingdoms were wiped out, he would also taste what it was like for Zhou Tianzi to rule the world.The pride is beyond words.

The guard presented the slips that Confucius had sent in, and he quickly glanced at them, then threw the slips aside, and smiled proudly to the left and right: "Such old people only know etiquette and benevolence, and they are worth swords and guns. Is it?" Then he said to the servant: "Tell him, I am busy training soldiers and horses, so I don't have time to see you." "yes." After Confucius had lunch, he was discussing rites and music with his disciples in the courtyard. People from the library came in and said: "There are people from the Palace of Zheng Guo looking for Confucius." Confucius' eyes lit up, and he hurriedly greeted him, but he didn't expect the visitor to say:

"The monarch has a decree, because he is busy with state affairs and has no time to meet him, Confucius please do it yourself." Confucius bowed his head in disappointment, and said to Zi Gong and the others: "I thought Zheng Guojun was young and promising, and I really wanted to help him make the country rich and the people strong, but I didn't expect to be so young and energetic, with no one in his eyes." Zigong said, "Then let's go, teacher!" Confucius nodded.But where?Confucius was at a loss again.He sighed for a long time, and said: "Nothing has ambitions, nothing has ambitions!"

At this time, Gong Liangru, a disciple of Chen State, said: "Teacher, don't worry, go to Chen State. Sicheng Zhenzi admires you very much, and said that if Teacher comes to Chen State, he must live in his house." Confucius nodded and said: "Okay, then we will go to Chen State, but we will leave after a while, because I want to inspect Zichan's relevant political achievements." In the evening, Confucius and his disciples went to visit the village school that Zichan had preserved when he was Prime Minister. As soon as they entered, they heard the people of the country talking about the state affairs. The disciples were very surprised. In the case of Song Dynasty, the township school was destroyed by Sima Huanzhi long ago. So Zigong asked Confucius:

"Teacher, why do the people of Zheng dare to discuss government affairs openly?" Confucius said: "This is the merit of Zichan. At that time, some officials proposed to destroy the township school, but Zichan firmly opposed it, saying: "The common people go there for a walk in the morning and evening to comment on the quality of the government. If they think good policies, we will implement them. , what they think is bad, we will change it, what is wrong with it, why destroy the township school?'” Zigong nodded in praise and said, "It turns out that Zheng Guo still has a place where people criticize the government. It's really not simple."

Confucius also said: "In this regard, Zichan has a famous saying called 'It is better to prevent the mouth of the people than to prevent the river', which means that blocking the mouth of the people is more dangerous than blocking the river." Confucius said: "Based on this sentence, it can be proved that Zichan is a virtuous prime minister." Zigong asked again, "Teacher, what other famous words does Zichan have?" Confucius said: "Remaining anger is hard to offend, and desire is hard to achieve." Zilu asked, "What does it mean to concentrate one's desires hard to achieve?" Confucius said: "It means that governing the country should not be done arbitrarily, and it should not go against the wishes of the majority." Yan Hui said: "I remembered that when Zichan died that year, the teacher shed tears! It turns out that Zichan was indeed remarkable." In the morning, after the rooster crowed, Zigong and Zilu heard the rooster dancing in the courtyard of the building. For a while, the sword was shining and the robes were fluttering.Yan Hui and Ran Geng came out with a big basin of clothes, they were dazzled when they saw it, they smiled and went to the well. After a while, Confucius came out. He took a few breaths of fresh air, and began to admire the swordsmanship of the two disciples. Seeing the teacher coming, Zilu and Zigong hurried over to say good morning to Confucius, and then danced again. He also took off his robe and punched. After Confucius closed his fists, he wiped his sweat aside. Zi Gong and Zi Lu also closed their swords and came over. Confucius said, "Seeing that you are capable of writing and martial arts, I am so happy to be a teacher. I hope you can serve the country as soon as possible." " And said, "I want to hear about your aspirations." Zilukou quickly replied, "Teacher, I would like to wear white feathered arrows as bright as the moonlight, and red feathered arrows as dazzling as the sun. The sound of the drums beating resounded through the sky, and the battle flags fluttered in the air. Then Leading the soldiers and charging forward, this is what I am most willing to do." Confucius praised: "This is a heroic act, good! How about you, Duanmuci?" Zigong said calmly: "Teacher, I would like to wear plain clothes and a white hat to lobby between the two countries without resorting to fighting or spending a grain of food, so that the two countries can be as close as brothers." .” Confucius said with a smile, "Okay, it is Zi Gong's skill to turn hostility into jade." At this time, Min Ziqian and Ran Yong, who were reading in the room, came to call for dinner. Everyone followed Confucius into the house. When Confucius and his party approached Wanqiu, the capital of Chen State (now Huaiyang, Henan Province), they saw someone greeted them at the city gate from a distance. Confucius got out of the car quickly and walked over.An old minister came forward to salute and said: "Master, you have worked hard all the way, welcome to our country." Confucius also returned the gift and asked, "Isn't Sir Zhenzi the doctor?" "The minister is right." "Long India, long admiration." Confucius said happily. "They are all my disciples." Confucius said, pointing to the students. "See Doctor Sadako." "Courtesy, no courtesy." Doctor Sadako kindly returned the gift. "Just ask the master to stay in the humble house, and Mr. Hua will meet the lost son tomorrow." "Ah, that bothers you too much." "Where, where. It's our honor that a sage like Master can visit the humble house." "The doctor is too polite." Lord Chen's attitude towards Confucius was exactly the opposite of that of Zheng Guo. As soon as Confucius arrived in Chen State, Duke Chen Hua summoned Confucius the next day. That morning, Confucius was dressed in the morning glow, and with a smile on his face, he followed Dr. Sadako onto the step carpet of Chen Wangguan.Entering the hall, Confucius gave Chen Huagong a big gift. Hua Gong asked, "Where does Master live?" Confucius replied humbly: "Mr. Hui, Qiu lives at the house of Master Zhenzi in Sicheng." "Oh, well, he'll treat you well. Here's a little gift from me." The palace people lined up and knelt down to present generous gifts to Confucius, and Confucius kowtowed to thank Mr. Hua. "Confucius thanked the king." Mr. Hua said again: "Confucius is a great sage who is famous all over the world. I hope that Master will stay in our country for a longer period of time, and I will also ask him for advice more often." "Thank you, my lord, Kong Qiu is willing to serve my lord." However, Chen Huagong still respected Confucius and refused to use him. The master and apprentice of Confucius had to wait while giving lectures. One day, Zilu and Wumaqi went to Wanqiu to cut firewood, and they climbed up to the high platform covered with dense shadows.Here, it is cool and pleasant, and you can overlook it from a distance, so it is a resort for sacrifices and recreation in the Chen Kingdom.Both opened their collars to enjoy the coolness of the mountain breeze. Suddenly, there was singing and laughter. They turned their heads and saw hundreds of luxury carriages coming along the road. The carriages were filled with luxuriously dressed men and women. They sang and laughed happily and came to Wanqiu.Wu Maqi was from the state of Chen and a disciple of Confucius Xinna. He said to Zilu, "This is the caravan of the rich man of the state of Chen." Just listen to them singing: Zilu looked at it and said, "If you get so rich, you don't have to learn from your master for the rest of your life. What do you think?" Wuma threw down his sickle and sighed: "I have heard from my teacher that a warrior should not spare his own head, and a man of lofty ideals should not be afraid of being in a difficult situation. Senior brother asked me this because he didn't understand me and wanted to test my will , or your own idea?" Zilu listened, lowered his head, did not speak, carried firewood and went down the mountain alone. Wu Ziqi watched his back silently... Zilu returned to his residence, put down the firewood, and entered the house with his head down.Confucius was very surprised when he saw it. Zilu always heard the voice before the person arrived. What's the matter today? Then he asked: "Zhong You, what's the matter today? Did something not go your way?" "Nothing, teacher." "No, what's wrong, tell the teacher." "Teacher, I..." Ran Yong, who was chopping firewood in the yard, also felt strange, so he asked: "Zhong You, you've always been happy, but today you're hesitating, what happened?" "Wu Maqi and I went to Wanqiu to cut firewood, and when we saw the rich man's caravan, I suddenly felt envious of them, and I said something I shouldn't have said to Wu Maqi, and I felt very regretful..." "Wu Ziqi, what did he say to you?" Ran Yong asked. "It is said that if you get rich, you don't need to learn from the teacher." "Teacher, I..." Zilu said ashamedly. Confucius said with a smile: "It turned out to be because of such a sentence. The teacher didn't say that you will not be rich. The purpose of our study is to serve the country in the future and let the common people live a better life." Confucius said again: "No one is perfect, and no one can make mistakes for a while." Zeng Shen said: "So I have to examine myself three times a day." Confucius said: "Zeng Shen is right. People need to be able to reflect on themselves frequently, and Zhong You is doing self-reflection." Zilu asked, "Teacher, what does it take to be a perfect person?" Confucius said: "People who see benefit and think righteousness, people who can give their lives in times of crisis, people who have been poor for a long time but do not forget their ambitions. These people can be regarded as perfect people." Zeng Shen said: "Brother Zilu wants to be a perfect person, so he is introspecting himself." Ran Geng also said: "Brother Zhong You is reflecting on himself." Confucius praised: "Zhong You did right today, but if he did something wrong or said something wrong, knowing that introspection is progress, Zhong You will definitely become a perfect person in the future." After hearing this, Zilu became happy. At this time, Ran Yong and Min Ziqian, who were on duty to cook, brought out the food and said, "It's time to serve." Then everyone went to get the bowls and chopsticks, ready to eat. Confucius and his disciples lived in the state of Chen, waiting for the appointment of Lord Chen Hua, and at the same time took time to visit the neighboring state of Cai. There was no hope of becoming an official in the state of Chen, so Confucius wanted to go to the state of Chu. He heard that King Chu Zhao was very enlightened and ambitious, so he sent a wise and eloquent Zaiyu to the state of Chu to meet King Chu Zhao. Zaiyu arrived at the capital of the state of Chu (now southeast of Yicheng, Hubei).King Chu Zhao received Zai Yu, and the doctor asked Yin Zixi to accompany him. Zaiyu presented the letter from Confucius. Zaiyu saw that although King Chu Zhao was old, he was full of energy and did not look old, and he admired him very much. King Chu Zhao opened it and looked at it, and said: "I heard that Confucius is a great sage. I really want to see it so that I can listen to it. Where is the master now?" Zaiyu replied: "My lord, my master, master and apprentice are all in Chen Guo." King Chu Zhao asked, "I heard that you first arrived in Weiguo?" Zaiyu heard the implication and asked why Weiguo didn't appoint Confucius, so he said: "Yes, the master originally wanted to stay in the state of Wei for a period of time to assist Duke Ling of Wei in governing the country, but the villain of the state of Wei has power, and the king can't use the good and the good, so the master has to leave the state of Wei." "Oh, that's right." Zaiyu also said: "Master thinks that King Zhao of Chu is a king with great ambition and can influence the world, so he is willing to go to Chu State to show his ambition of assisting the king in governing the world." "Oh, good, good, the widow also needs such a talent." King Chu Zhao asked again: "How does Master plan to govern the world?" Zaiyu replied fluently: "Master has always advocated governing the world with benevolence and propriety, and governing the country with virtue. Only in this way can the monarch and his subjects be united and the people be convinced." King Chu Zhao said again: "Okay, I have heard that Confucius brought many disciples?" "Yes, we all resigned from office and came with the master, and we are willing to assist the good king together with the master." "Okay, I will use them all." King Chu Zhao saw that Zaiyu was in his early thirties, dignified in appearance, intelligent in eyes, neither arrogant nor humble, and his conversation was extraordinary. He admired him very much, so he said: "Please tell Confucius, I will summon him." "Xie Guojun, I bid farewell." Zai Yu saluted King Chu Zhao and withdrew. King Chu Zhao said to his favorite minister Ling Yi: "Zha Fuzi's students are all so capable, and he himself is even more remarkable. I will appoint him and want to seal Qibaili Book Club to Confucius. What do you think?" Ling Yin Zixi asked back: "Among the hundred officials of the king, is there a talent like Zaiyu?" "……No." "Since there is no such thing, then if Kong Qiu gets the fiefdom, and there are so many virtuous disciples to assist him, think about it, Your Majesty, will it be a blessing to Chu State after you reuse him?" King Chu Zhao thought for a while and said, "Okay, then according to your words, I won't use him for the time being. However, I still plan to summon him." Zaiyu returned to Confucius' residence and reported to the teacher the situation of his mission to Chu, saying: "Teacher, King Chu Zhao admired you very much and said that he would summon you and use you." Confucius immediately became excited and asked: "What is King Chu Zhao like?" Yu said: "I am old, but in good spirits." Confucius said: "Okay, we will stay in Chen Guo temporarily, waiting for the summoning of King Zhao of Chu." So the teachers and students of Confucius stayed in Chen Guo for a while. Soon, war broke out among Wu, Chen, and Chu. Confucius and his disciples had to go to Chu, but they were trapped between Chen and Cai. Confucius was surrounded by Wu's army in Cai. It turned out that the master and apprentice of Confucius were going to the state of Chu. Chen and Cai were afraid that it would be bad for them if Confucius was reused by the state of Chu, so they sent troops to stop them and surrounded the teachers and students in the wilderness. In the first few days, the masters and apprentices ate dry food to satisfy their hunger, and after the dry food was eaten, they used wild vegetables to satisfy their hunger. On the seventh day without food, the disciples were so hungry that they lay on the ground and could not stand up. Confucius struggled to sit up. Seeing Zaiyu, Yan Hui, etc., whose faces were as pale as vegetables from hunger, he felt very sad. He also saw his disciples lying on the ground moaning, and some of them uttered words of forgiveness.Seeing that everyone was in a low mood, Confucius panted and held the piano in his arms and plucked it, laughing at himself and singing: After hearing this, Zilu said angrily, "Is it appropriate for the teacher to sing when he is so poor?" Confucius put down his zither and said kindly: "A gentleman can be poor, but he can't fall down. Only by sticking to his beliefs and not changing his will because of poverty is he a gentleman. When a villain is poor, he will betray and do everything." "Yo, come here, sit down, let's have a good discussion." Confucius asked Zilu to sit down. Zilu sat down beside Confucius. Confucius plucked the piano and sang: ... Confucius said: "The "Poetry" says: 'It is not a bison or a tiger, but it is exhausted to run in the open field.' Zilu, let me ask you, is there something wrong with our theory? Otherwise, why have we fallen? to this point?" Zilu thought for a while and said, "Teacher, is it because we haven't reached the realm of benevolence, so we still can't be trusted by others." Confucius said: "Is that so? Zhong You, if it is said that the benevolent must be trusted, how can there be Boyi and Shuqi? If the wise must be able to do it, then how can there be a prince than Gan?" ?” At this time, Zi Gong and Yan Hui also sat down after listening. Zigong asked, "Teacher, what are you talking about?" Confucius said: "Ci, it is said in the "Poetry": 'It is not a bison or a tiger, but it is exhausted to run in the open field.' Is there something wrong with our theory, otherwise why did you fall to this point?" Zigong said: "Teacher's theory is so grand that no country in the world can accommodate you. Could the teacher lower the standard a little?" After listening to this, Confucius looked up to the sky and sighed: "This is not the reason why my knowledge standard is too high, but a matter of opportunity. There are too many situations where people are highly educated but underappreciated. For example, a good farmer who is good at farming may not necessarily get a good harvest. A good craftsman may not be able to cater to everyone. A gentleman has a good theory, which can be used to govern the country and cultivate the people, but it may not be tolerated by the ruler. Now, you do not believe in your own beliefs, but pursue To be accommodated by others, Ci, your vision is too short-sighted." Confucius asked Yan Hui again: "Hui, please answer me. The "Poetry" says, 'It is not a bison or a tiger, but it is exhausting to run in the open field'. If our political views are correct, why are we repeatedly trapped? in the open wilderness?" Yan replied: "Teacher, your political views are too ambitious, so they have not yet been accepted by the world. Once they are adopted, it will be extraordinary. Now the teacher promotes his political views, but he has not been accepted yet. What are you afraid of? It is not being easily tolerated, which further proves the superb political views of the teacher. The fact that the teacher’s theories have not been adopted is not our fault, but the shame of those in power, which further shows the extraordinary political views of the teacher.” Confucius smiled happily and said, "That makes sense. You are indeed my good student." Confucius smiled again and said: "Disciples, let's sing a nursery rhyme." So he plucked the piano and took the lead in singing: The lying disciples laughed and cheered up when they heard this, so they crowded around Confucius again, plucked the strings and sang songs. Zilu held his sword and danced, following the rhythm of the singing and music, he performed the sword dance.At this time, Gong Liangru also held his sword and danced with Zilu.Some disciples played the zither, some played the sheng, and some clapped their hands. The songs of Confucius, teachers and students resounded all over the field, attracting the surrounding soldiers to watch.Zilu's brave dancing posture and gleaming sword sometimes stabbed at the guards, causing the guards to retreat for a while, while Zilu held the sword and laughed. Zigong asked Zaiyu who was sitting beside him, "What do you think of the teacher?" Without hesitation, Zai Yu said, "I think the teacher is more virtuous than Shun Yao." Zigong said with a smile: "The teacher said that you can't carve rotten wood, don't you hate it?" Jae Yu said: "The teacher loves me and only criticizes me!" Zigong said: "Zaiyu is really a good student of the teacher." Zigong exchanged jewelry for some rice from the guards. Everyone was overjoyed. Yan Hui carefully cleaned the rice and put it in the pot. He lit firewood and watched over to cook.The other disciples surrounded Confucius and listened to Confucius' lectures. The rice was cooked, and the long-lost aroma made everyone salivate.Hungry, everyone is only looking forward to the meal being cooked soon, so even though they are listening to the lecture, they look back from time to time, it's time to get out of the pot... However, at this moment, almost at the same time, two or three disciples saw Yan Hui reach out and grab a handful of rice from the pot and put it into his mouth... God!Yan Hui, who was called the most moral by the teacher, did his moral defense collapse in the face of hunger? Seeing that they were all looking back with strange eyes, Confucius himself looked at Yan Hui, and a scene that sent a chill down Confucius's back was imprinted in Confucius' eyes: Yan Hui was chewing, and he was still chewing the rice grains stuck to his fingers. into the mouth... Confucius couldn't believe his eyes, but he clearly saw this ruthless fact with his own eyes.Confucius then turned his face down, only looking at the bamboo slips and books without speaking. After a while, Yan Hui brought the rice pot over and said excitedly to Confucius, "Teacher, the rice is cooked. Please taste it first." Confucius looked down at the book and ignored it. Yan Hui was surprised and looked at everyone.Everyone turned their heads. Yan Hui was very surprised, and said to Confucius: "Teacher, please eat." Zilu glared at Yan Hui and said, "You ate it first, and let the teacher taste it first, do you understand etiquette?" "That's right, that's right, you ate it yourself first, why are you pretending to be filial to the teacher?" Min Ziqian sneered. That's it, Yan Hui suddenly realized. "Teacher, I didn't eat it stealthily. It was a piece of sawdust that fell into the rice cooker when the wind blown it. It made a little bit of dirt on the rice. I was reluctant to throw it away. I even chewed and ate the sawdust." "Ah, that's right. I blamed Yan Hui by mistake." Confucius raised his head and said shamefully: "Huh, we wrongly blamed you and thought you were stealing food." "Yan Hui, I'm sorry." The disciples said. "Ah, no...it's nothing, everyone, let's eat!" Everyone looked at it, and there was only a small piece missing from the rice cooker, so everyone was ashamed that they had misunderstood Yan Hui. Zi Gong said: "Yan Hui is worthy of being praised by the teacher, the most virtuous student." Confucius also said: "It seems that what you see with your own eyes may not be true!" Confucius saw that everyone cheered up, so he said to Zigong, "Zigong, try to break out of the siege and go to Chu State to meet King Chu Zhao and ask him to send someone to rescue us." Zigong said: "The disciple obeys the order and will never fail the teacher's entrustment." The rice exchanged by Zigong ran out, and they fell into hunger again. The teachers and students of Confucius were all dizzy from hunger, but they still kept singing.They dug wild vegetables in the besieged wilderness to satisfy their hunger. After eating, they sang and learned from each other back to back.Then he looked south helplessly, hoping that the rescuers brought by Zigong would show up soon... Confucius, who was in his sixties, was dizzy, but he still held on. He told himself a thousand times not to fall down. Even though his stomach swelled and his stool was difficult to defecate after eating wild vegetables, he still persisted and sat down. with.Although he was weak and sweating coldly every day, he still gave lectures out of breath, while his disciples sat and listened back to back. Confucius told them to lie down if they were sick. Seeing that everyone was so tired, Confucius struggled to play the piano, and the sad sound of the piano spread all over the field... Yan Hui and his disciples couldn't help but shed tears when they heard this... Suddenly the sound of the piano stopped abruptly, and Yan Hui saw cold sweat dripping from the teacher's broad forehead, so he handed the towel to Confucius.Confucius wiped his sweat and bounced again... Seeing that the teacher couldn't sit still, Yan Hui leaned over and said, "Teacher, please lean on me." Confucius looked at Yan Hui's thin body and shook it. Shake your head.When Zilu, who was standing guard, saw him, he sat down beside Confucius, let Confucius lean on his generous back, and Confucius continued to play the piano... When everyone was struggling on the hunger line, the sharp-eyed Zai Yu suddenly shouted happily: "Look, everyone, it must be Zi Gong who brought the rescuers..." The teachers and students looked in the direction they were pointing, and they saw a group of cavalry galloping with the Chu flag. Chen and Cai's soldiers saw them and hurriedly retreated. Sure enough, it was the Chu army that Zigong asked for help. Confucius and his disciples were saved again. Zi Gong said: "Teacher, King Chu Zhao is going to summon you, but he is currently in the army. Let me pick you up." Confucius' eyes lit up when he heard this, and the opportunity finally came.Chu State is a big country, if it can be used by King Chu Zhao, and if it can make a big splash in Chu State, then these ten years of ups and downs will not be in vain. So, Confucius and his disciples drove to Chengfu, where King Zhao of Chu was stationed. This time, because the army of Wu State attacked Chen State, and Chu State sent troops to rescue Chen State, King Chu Zhao led the expedition and the army was stationed in Chengfu. King Zhao of Chu was informed that Confucius' master and apprentice were coming, so he mobilized his teachers and led his officials to welcome him outside the city gate. From a distance in the car, Confucius saw banners fluttering outside the city gate, drums and music were beating, and a crowd of people stood in a dark crowd. He thought that King Chu Zhao must have come to welcome him, and hurriedly urged: "Zigong, hurry up." Zigong raised his voice Whip, the car sped up. When they were almost at the city gate, it was indeed King Chu Zhao who greeted him outside the city in person. Confucius and his disciples hurriedly got out of the car and walked towards them. Welcome to the drumming masterpiece of Confucius. "Confucius pays homage to the king." Confucius kowtowed to King Chu Zhao. "Master, please get up quickly." King Chu Zhao, dressed in military uniform, supported Confucius with both hands. King Zhao of Chu received Confucius and his disciples in the tent of the Chinese army. Confucius was given a seat opposite King Zhao, and the disciples stood on both sides of the teacher.The doctor ordered Yin Zixi to accompany him. Confucius saw that King Zhao of Chu, who was more than a few years old, led a team to march, and he admired him very much. Although the white-haired King Zhao had a haggard face, his eyes were bright and his expression was high-spirited. Confucius sighed: He is indeed a wise king. King Chu Zhao saw that Confucius was in his sixtieth year, and his temples were gray, but he still led his students to travel to other countries to seek politics, which is really remarkable. King Zhao said: "I have heard that Confucius advocated propriety, benevolence, and benevolence. I dare to ask whether the master also regards propriety as the first priority in governing the country." Confucius thought to himself that King Zhao, as the king of a large country, would call me an old man instead of a widow when talking to me, which shows that his character and humility are very refined compared with the young and energetic king of Zheng Guo.Then he replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, Confucius believed that propriety is the basis for governing a country, virtue is the basis for government, and force is the criterion. Only by taking care of the specimens can we gain a foothold in the world. If you don't know etiquette, you can't stand, but Qiu emphasized that governing the country with benevolence and propriety is not Ignore force. My disciples all practice riding, archery and other six arts, which is to prepare for martial arts." King Chu Zhao nodded, feeling very pleasing to the ear, and said, "Okay, okay, that's great." He asked again: "Then, Master, how do you think the country can be governed with propriety?" Confucius reported: "Confucius traveled to several countries, lamenting the current collapse of rituals and music, and ministers arrogating the emperor. He deeply felt the importance of restoring Zhou rituals and revitalizing the Zhou family." Confucius paused and then said: "As far as I know, there are ministers and tyrants in the states of Lu, Wei, Jin, and Song. So I feel that the rituals of Zhou are dying out." King Chu Zhao nodded again, and said, "I heard that the master not only has the right way to rejuvenate the country, but also has the right way to govern the country. The master has been in office for only one year, and the grain will be plentiful. I don't close the door at night. I don't know what is the master's unique trick?" Confucius said with a smile: "Confucius didn't have any special skills. Confucius just pursued the rule of virtue and etiquette." King Chu Zhao said: "Although the old man is old, he still wants to make the state of Chu rich and strong. After the old man's personal conquest is over, he will invite wise men from all over the world to join in the great cause. I wonder if the master is willing to help the old man?" Confucius said sincerely: "If the king of Mongolia values ​​it, Confucius should act like a dog and a horse." King Chu Zhao was overjoyed when he heard this, and said repeatedly: "Okay, after the battle is over, I will definitely use you again." After some conversation, King Zhao of Chu saw that Confucius was a man of high moral character, and he spoke in a calm manner. He thought to himself, he is indeed a great saint in the world, and he regretted seeing him too late, and his sallow face began to glow. At the same time, Confucius also felt that King Chu Zhao was a man with great ambitions and his own opinions. He thought, if he could assist such a hero, he would be lucky for three lives if he could help such a hero to make a great cause for the restoration of the Zhou ceremony and the prosperity of the state.Today's meeting with King Zhao really made me fall in love at first sight, so my face was flushed, and the excitement was beyond words.Then he stood up and said, "Thank you, Mr. Guo." As soon as King Chu Zhao waved his hand, the attendants brought generous gifts, and Confucius bowed his hands in thanks. King Chu Zhao said again: "Master, please wait at the letter first. My general, General Shen Zhuliang, will receive you very well. When the war is over, I will definitely send someone to pick you up to work with you in the capital." "Thank you, my lord." Confucius bowed again. King Chu Zhao sent Confucius and his disciples out of the tent. King Chu Zhao returned to the camp and said to Ling Yin Zixi: "Confucius is indeed a talented person. I will use him again after I return from the battle. What do you think?" Zixi replied: "Your Majesty, I do not deny the extraordinaryness of Confucius, and his disciples are all talented people today. Dare I ask you, is there any emissary like Zi Gong?" King Chu Zhao said, "No." "Is the king's assistant like Yan Hui?" "No." "Is the king's general like Zilu?" "No." "Is the majesty's political officer like Zaiyu?" "No." Ling Yin Zixi asked King Chu Zhao four consecutive rhetorical questions in one breath, and then said aggressively: "Your Majesty wants to use Confucius instead of talking about it, but also seal the land with him. Seven hundred miles is not a big land, but have you ever thought about the time when King Wen of Zhou and King Wu lived in Fenghao, even though they were only a hundred miles away, they eventually ruled the world. Now Confucius is assisted by high-ranking disciples and has a feudal land as his base, it’s like adding wings to a tiger, once he succeeds, I’m afraid that the state of Chu will perish.” After Ling Yin Zixi finished speaking these words in one breath, he looked at King Chu Zhao solemnly and said: "Your Majesty, I'm just saying something from the bottom of my heart, accept it or not, take your own advice, and I'm leaving." King Chu Zhao was speechless for a moment, but stared blankly at Ling Yin Zixi's back... After living in Chengfu for a few days, Confucius' master and disciples drove to negative letter again... When Confucius and his disciples arrived at the post, they temporarily stayed in the library and waited for Chu Zhaojun to summon them.During the waiting period, Confucius still gave lectures and discussions to his disciples. One day, in the courtyard, after Confucius had finished his lecture, he said, "If you have any questions, you can bring them up for discussion." Just as Zilu was about to ask a question, the building staff came to report: "Ye Gong came to see Confucius." "Who is Ye Gong?" Zilu asked. "General Shen Zhuliang of the Chu State, he is the commander-in-chief of the garrison. Because he was an official of Yedi, everyone called him Yegong." "Oh, that's right." "He admired Confucius very much, so he came to ask for advice." Confucius got up immediately and said, "Someone is far away to welcome, and some is lost to be far away. Disciples, let's meet outside the door." Seeing that he was a general who was over fifty years old, Confucius went up to salute and said, "You are Ye Gong, Confucius is very polite." When Ye Gong saw that Confucius went out to meet him personally, and greeted himself first, he couldn't help sighing: "Master is the most ceremonial saint in the world, and his reputation is indeed well-deserved. It is really lucky to see Master today!" "Ah, where, where, Kong Qiu is a commoner, and it is an honor to meet the general!" "Please, general, please come in." After Ye Gong took his seat in Confucius' house, he saw that Confucius was already over sixty years old, and he was still wandering outside, traveling to various countries to promote his political ideas. He couldn't help admiring him very much. Yan Hui served the tea and stood behind Confucius. Zi Gong, Zi Lu, Ran Qiu, Zai Yu, Min Ziqian, Ran Yong, Ran Geng, etc. also stood on both sides of Confucius. Confucius introduced his disciples to Ye Gong one by one. "This is Zilu who is both civil and military, this is Zigong who is the most eloquent, this is Yan Hui who is the most learned, Da is Ranqiu who can speak and do, this is..." Ye Gong listened and said in admiration: "Master has so many good disciples, if he can serve Chu State in the future, then the King of Chu State will really be like a tiger with wings added." Confucius said: "King Zhao of Chu is a wise monarch. It is a great honor for me to assist such a monarch." "Okay, I will definitely recommend my wife in front of the king." "Thank you General." Kou Shigong said: "At this time, the king of Chu is leading his troops on the front line. When he comes back, he will definitely appoint you." Ye Gong said again: "I would like to ask my master, what are the essentials of governing?" Confucius said: "Those who are near are happy, and those who are far away come. That is to say, you must not only convince the people in your own country to your government, but also make the foreigners in the distance yearn for you. Of course, you must first convince the people of the country." Ye Gong praised: "Those who are near are happy, and those who are far away come. Well said, well said, this is probably the way to govern!" Ye Gong asked Zilu again with a smile: "What kind of person is your teacher? Can you explain clearly?" Zilu looked at Confucius, not knowing how to answer.Confucius said with a smile: "You can say this, my teacher is a person who forgets food when he is angry, forgets worries when he is happy, and does not know the coming of old age." Zilu smiled and said, "Our teacher is still optimistic and always young." Ye Gong said again: "I heard that the king of Chu is planning to appoint four of your disciples: Zaiyu, Zilu, Zigong, and Yanhui." Confucius said with a smile: "My disciples all have their own strengths. If the king of Chu can appoint them, they will definitely help the king." Ye Gong and Confucius' masters and apprentices discussed some political issues before leaving. Ye Gong walked the shield, and Confucius said to his disciples: "If you are good at learning, you will be an official. I train you, not for you to stay at home, but for you to be an official, and to serve the country. Not only Zilu, Zaiyu, and Zigong , Yan Hui and four people, but to let everyone be able to become officials, this is also a heavy responsibility on your shoulders." Just as the master and disciple of Confucius were waiting for the appointment of King Chu Zhao with a letter, there came the sad news that King Chu Zhao died in the battle. 这一天，叶公又来了，只见他面色凝重，泪流满面，孔子惊问其故：“叶公为何事如此伤心？” “国君死了。” “啊！”孔子惊得几乎跌倒，被子路、子贡扶住。 叶公用长袖擦了擦眼泪，说：“昭王是在征战中死于城父的军营中。” “唉”，孔子悲哽着说，“这么好的国君，怎么说没了就没了啊，真正是：道之将行，天命也；道之不行，亦天命也。” 叶公又叹道：“楚昭君去世，你们也就不必去楚国都了，听说令尹子西反对国君用你们。他曾劝国君说：'楚国的将帅不如子路，外交使臣赶不上子贡，相令不如颜回，理政不如宰予，孔夫子又是治国有方的大贤人，如果任用他们只怕楚国危矣。'” 楚国不能去了，到哪里去呢？孔子又一次陷入茫然…… 自楚昭王死后，孔子情绪十分低落，感到在外奔波了那么多年，到头来一切都落了空。 这天傍晚，子贡、子路、颜回、曾参、冉求、宰予、冉雍、冉耕、闵子骞等见孔子心情不好，便把孔子拉出门外散步。他们走在路上，见一轮落日正在西沉，树上的飞鸟正呱呱叫着归巢，看着血一样红的西天，孔子越发感到人生落寞酌悲凉，他驻足往落霞看去，晚风吹拂着他花白的胡须…… 这时，田间一个骑着牛的人哼着歌走了过来。 孔子走过去见是一个须发飘长的老者，孔子忽然想起老子，不知他现在飘流何方？ 子路问：“老师，这是个什么人？” “是个隐者。” 孔子想跟他交谈，但他却飘然而去。 孔子望着骑牛人，想起了老子曾经劝孔子要无欲无为的话，孔子叹道：“我的观点是有作有为，无论碰到任何艰难困苦，我也不会去做惚士。”