Chapter 33 Thirty, Zigong goes out

Confucius still shook his head and said, "Ci, you have moved the five kingdoms with one horse, preserved Lu, disordered Qi, defeated Wu, strengthened Jin, and dominated Yue. It is really extraordinary, but you have done too much..." "Teacher, what can I do?" Zi Gong asked. In the evening, Confucius and his disciples were sitting in the courtyard chatting, but they saw Fan Chi walking in, and Confucius asked in surprise, "Fan Chi, why don't you help Ran Qiu govern well, what are you doing when you come back?" Fan Chi hurriedly saluted the teacher and said, "Teacher, it's not good. The State of Qi is attacking Lu again. Tian Chang's army has already overwhelmed the country. The state of Lu is in danger. Please let me report to the teacher."

Confucius was shocked when he heard this, and said angrily: "The state of Qi is also deceiving people too much. Students, the motherland is in trouble. How can we sit by and watch? How can our relatives and our ancestral temple be insulted by the enemy? Who has a plan to retreat?" As soon as Confucius finished speaking, Zilu jumped up, his eyes widened, his beard straightened when he spoke, and he roared angrily: "Teacher, please go ask Wei Linggong for reinforcements, and you will lead your troops to go!" , kill him and turn his back on his back!" Confucius said: "Sit down, the teacher knows your loyalty, but in the face of a strong enemy, courage alone is not enough, it seems that you must outsmart it."

Zi Zhang said: "Teacher, I would like to go to Qi to try to save Lu." Confucius looked at him and said, "You are too young, I think you should go to Zigong!" Zi Gong, who was in deep thought, raised his head and said, "Teacher, students obey the teacher's arrangement!" "Okay, let's go in and discuss it." The masters and apprentices went into the main room and sat down. Confucius said: "Actually, Qi State is in chaos now. Tian Chang's purpose is to rebel and seize power, and he is afraid of the forces of Bao Mu and Yan, so he attacked Lu State to divert the conflict. That person Tian Chang, I met him when I went to Qi State before, and I heard that he wanted to overstep. Qi Jun has always hated him, so this kind of person is actually just bluffing."

Confucius paused and then said: "Zigong, internally, you must grasp his interests with the Bao and Yan clans, and externally, use the surrounding powerful countries to restrict him. It is not difficult for him to retreat in this way." Zigong nodded. Zilu couldn't hold back any longer: "I think I'll give Tian Chang a blow first..." Confucius interrupted him and said: "Zilu, you are reckless. Since ancient times, the strategy of retreating without fighting is the best policy. Therefore, we must make good use of the interests between Qi, Jin and Wu to restrain him. In short, a diplomat It must be reasonable and beneficial, neither too soft to make people think we are easy to bully, nor too arrogant to make people disgusted and have a counterproductive effect."

Zigong nodded in admiration... Zi Gong said: "The teacher is right, it is to weigh the pros and cons, and grasp the interests to restrict them." Confucius frowned slightly, and said: "Zigong, you have already understood, and with your eloquence, as a teacher, I believe that you will never disgrace your mission." Zi Zhang also said: "What the teacher said is very true. I believe that brother Zi Gong will be able to maneuver skillfully." Confucius said: "It's getting late, everyone go to rest, I will discuss with Zigong again." After the disciples left, Confucius and Zigong sat cross-legged and discussed each other until late at night.

Saving the country is like fighting a fire. Zigong set off the next day. Confucius and his brothers sent him outside the city gate. Affection." "Teacher, I've remembered. Lao Bing, please stop, and the disciple will leave now." "No, no... send another paragraph." Confucius said. Confucius was so anxious to save the country that he sent Zigong off one way after another, and told him over and over again. Zigong bid farewell to all his senior brothers again, and then got into the car and left. Zigong traveled day and night at full speed, and soon arrived in Linzi, the capital of Qi.He stayed in the post house, and went to Tian Chang's mansion early the next morning to ask for an interview.

Of course Tian Chang understood Zi Gong's intentions, but he didn't want to see him.Zigong asked his disciples to tell Tian Chang that he had a clever plan, and Tian Chang invited him into the hall. Zigong said: "I'm here, Duanmu Ci, to kowtow to Mr. Tian!" Tian Chang said: "Don't be polite, you have already recognized your name, so you don't have to be polite. Presumably, you are sent by Confucius to lobby, and the purpose is to ask me to retreat!" Zigong said seriously: "Our teacher sent me here not to beg for help, but to persuade him."

"Oh? What do you want to persuade me, please tell me." Tian saw Zigong's eloquence, and he was indeed a disciple of Confucius, so he restrained his arrogance a little. Then Zi Gong went straight to the point and said, "Your Excellency, do you think it is easy to conquer the State of Lu? From what I have seen, it is better to attack the State of Wu than to attack the State of Lu." Tian Chang laughed loudly: "Is this why you came to persuade me?" Zigong said without hesitation, "Yes, because Lu is not easy to conquer, but Wu is easier to conquer."

"Oh? How did you see that?" "Because Lu is weak and difficult to attack, Wu is strong and easy to attack." Tian Chang was furious when he heard this: "What are you talking about! Are you teasing me?" Zigong said solemnly: "I heard that those who are worried about the inside will attack the strong countries; those who are worried about the outside will attack the weak countries. Surely your lord is not worried about the outside?" Seeing that he hit his vitals, Tian wanted to hear his opinion, so he softened his tone and said, "Please continue."

Seeing this, Zigong stared into his eyes, and took the opportunity to incite him: "I heard that the general was blocked three times, and it was all the powerful ministers who hindered it. So, you have to show those who oppose you. In fact, if you cut down Lu's victory will only make the monarch more proud, and the powerful officials who oppose you will be more proud. They will not buy you, but will further alienate you from the monarch. Then, you go to fight with those powerful officials. It is tantamount to throwing a moth into the flames to kill oneself, so please think twice, general."

Tian Chang listened, and felt touched: "What you said is reasonable, but my soldiers and horses have already marched to the country of Lu, how can I withdraw them?" Zi Gong said: "It's not difficult. The general just needs to order to stay there temporarily. I will go to Duke Ai of Lu and ask for an envoy to Wu, and ask the king of Wu to send troops to rescue Lu. Then you can take the opportunity to attack Wu's army?" They came from afar and went deep alone, so they just happened to be the turtle in your urn?" "Okay, then I will stand still for the time being and wait for you to send Wu Jun to me obediently." After Zi Gong bid farewell to Tian Chang, he rushed to the state of Lu in the starry night. After meeting the king, he told Duke Ai of Lu about his plan to withdraw troops.Duke Ai of Lu frowned and said, "The state of Lu is single and weak. It is really difficult to fight against Qi's army, but will King Wu send troops to rescue Lu?" Zigong said confidently: "Wu King Fuchai is an ambitious monarch. Now that he is a little stronger, he has the heart to dominate the world. As long as the lord is willing to ask him, I don't want to show him. Heroic." After Zi Gong finished speaking, he presented the letter from Confucius to Duke Ai of Lu. Duke Ai of Lu unfolded it and read it, and said, "Okay, I will send a letter of credence to Fu Wangfu, asking him to send troops to rescue Lu, then Mr. Lao Zigong will go there in person." "Your Majesty, please rest assured, Zi Gong is entrusted by the Monarch and Master, and will never yield." "Okay, then please." On the same day Zigong received the letter of credence, he drove south to the state of Wu. After rushing all the way, he finally entered the state of Wu. The scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is beautiful, the flowers are red and the willows are green. That evening, I finally arrived in Gusu City. Zigong lived in the post house. After washing and washing, it was dark after dinner. I didn't care about going shopping, so I stretched my legs on the bed, resting my head on my hands and thinking. stand up…… Before leaving, the teacher told me that Fu Chai, the king of Wu, was the most difficult test. He had to know the advantages and disadvantages of him, and he had to be aggressive, and he had to be just right, so as not to backfire...Zigong was thinking about how to answer Fu Chai tomorrow, Maybe he was too tired, so he fell asleep after a while. Zigong woke up before dawn, washed up quickly, changed his clothes, ate some spring food, and then drove straight to the palace. After Fu Chai, King of Wu, came down to court, he received Zigong in his study. After Zigong gave the big gift, the king of Wu said: "No gift, but a seat." Zigong sat down opposite the king of Wu. Fucha said, "Aren't you a disciple of Confucius? Why are you an envoy again?" Zigong said: "If the country is in trouble, everyone is responsible!" After saying that, he got up and presented the letter of credence written by Duke Ai of Lu to King Wu. Fu Chai unfolded it, shook his head and said, "I want you to send troops to rescue Lu, but I can't do it now. I'll wait until I have completely settled the Yue Kingdom. What if there is a fire in the backyard?" Zigong smiled calmly after hearing this, and said: "The king of Wu really has plans, but if the king only wants to be the monarch of Wu, then he has no choice but to do so. But if the king wants to dominate the world, it will be a mistake." "Oh? How did you see that?" "Today's feudal lords are fighting for hegemony. From the perspective of our eastern countries, Qi and Wu are fighting for hegemony. Now, Qi is sending troops to Lu. If Qi takes Lu, then Qi's power will be greater than that of Wu, and Qi I won’t let it go. In fact, the purpose of Qi’s defeating Lu is not Lu, and the drunkard’s intention is not to drink. The purpose of King Qi is to take Wu to destroy his opponent. So, wait until you destroy Yue. Isn't it too late to go to war with Qi?" After hearing this, Fu Chai thought it made sense, but he still felt that it would be impossible not to destroy the Yue Kingdom first, so he said: "Although what you said is feasible, I can't send troops because of the troubles of the Yue State. Otherwise, what should I do if he takes advantage of the false attack to attack the Wu State?" Zi Gong thought, Fu Chai is really powerful, and it seems that he has to throw his trump card, so he said: "I am willing to persuade the King of Yue, Gou Jian, to ask him to personally lead an elite army to go out with you, so as to relieve your worries about the future, Your Majesty." "If that's the case, if you can really call Goujian's main force, then the widow will agree to Lu Aigong's request for help." So Zigong bid farewell to the king of Wu, took a water route, and took a shortcut to the country of Yue. Zigong stood in front of the canopy, looking at the rushing river, thinking about Confucius' advice to him, and persuading Goujian, the king of Yue, that he must grasp his desire to avenge and destroy Wu in order to succeed... Zigong, I have followed my teacher for so many years, and this critical moment of serving the country must not disappoint my teacher's expectations. The boat went down the river, and this morning, we arrived at Kuaiji Mountain, the place where King Gou Jian of Yue lived and tasted his courage. Gou practiced himself.Ah, the teacher is so great, he was right, Gou Jian is eager for revenge, and everything is for revenge, so the focus of my lobbying with him must also be revenge. Zi Gong rushed forward, and wanted to make a big gift to Gou Jian, king of Yue, but before he knelt down, Gou Jian helped him up with both hands. "Ah, welcome, the disciples of Confucius have come to our country, but our country is small and remote. I don't know why you are willing to come to this poor country?" "Where, where, my teacher and wife have already introduced me to my master's noble personality. I am really lucky to meet you today, and I am so flattered to meet the king personally in the suburbs!" Goujian, who was dressed in rough linen robes, was hunchbacked, with wrinkled face and gray beard. At first glance, he looked a bit old and weak, but his small eyes shone with a chilling light... Ah, it really is extraordinary. "Please, Mr. Duanmu, please get in the car, the widow will personally drive you into the city." "Ah, dare not, dare not..." "Get on, get on." Gou Jian forcefully helped Zigong into the cart, and jumped into the cart like a farmer himself. With a sound of "drive", Gou Jian swung his whip, and the carriage ran towards the city. The other ministers They all trotted behind the car. Goujian welcomed Zigong into the palace. Zigong saw that it looked like a palace, but it was just a few broken thatched huts, but the soldiers on duty were all capable and capable, with shining eyebrows and eyes. After being seated, Goujian hosted a banquet to wash Zigong's dust. Fan Li sat beside him and drank three bottles of sake, and the attendant brought a bowl of wild ducks.Zigong thought, this pot of duck meat was probably just for me.Sure enough, it is a country that is trying its best and gearing up to try its best. I am very moved.He thought to himself, facing such a country, he must do what his teacher told him to do, save the country of Lu, but never harm their interests. Gou Jian said: "Sir, you are hungry, eat quickly, and we will talk in the back room after eating." After dinner, Zi Gong followed Gou Jian into his bedroom, and as soon as he entered, he saw a gall hanging on the head of the bed, and he was very moved.Just as he was thinking, Gou Jian sighed and said, "I know that Confucius was a sage who advocated benevolence, and his disciples certainly advocated benevolent government. You, sir, have seen it with your own eyes when we Yue people have reached this point. You also know that we All of this is to avenge the country for the shame of the country, and I also know about the fact that the master went to the Wu country to ask for help, but I don’t know what the master wants me to do?" Seeing that Goujian was being honest, Zigong also said openly: "Now that Qi is strong and heavy troops are suppressing Lu, and Lu is in danger, the king and teacher now want me to ask Wu for help. The king of Wu agreed, but he has a concern. , if you promise me one thing, King Yue, then there is hope for saving Lu." Gou Jian said: "Although the State of Lu is a weak country, it is a feudal state of Duke Zhou. It is the only country that retains the rituals and music of Zhou. How can we stand idly by when such a country is bullied? Sir, please be blunt, as long as we can avenge our hatred, To save the weak and resist the strong, I can do whatever you want me to do." "Okay. The king of Yue is indeed of extraordinary character. That's it. The king of Wu has agreed to send troops to rescue Lu, but he is worried about you. He will not send troops unless the king of Yue can mobilize elite soldiers to follow the king of Wu. In this way, he and Give up fighting, if you can't win, it doesn't matter to you; if you can win, then with his hegemony, he will definitely take advantage of the victory and attack Jin. At that time, the arrogant soldiers will be defeated, and you can take advantage of their exhaustion and attack them. Wouldn't it be possible to take revenge?" Zigong said in one breath, then looked up into Goujian's eyes... Gou Jian's eyes lit up, and he stood up with a blow to the table with his right hand, and shouted: "Fu Chai, king of Wu, your end is coming... that's it, I'll send troops right away, and go to Gusu on time." Zigong completed the task of talking about Yue and returned to Gusu, the capital of Wu. As expected, Gou Jian mobilized heavy troops and prepared to lead the army himself. After the king of Wu got the report, he called Zigong to ask: "Sure enough, Goujian's elite soldiers have been mobilized, but he is going to personally conquer, you see..." "Ah, that won't work. It might be unethical to ask someone to mobilize elite soldiers, and it would be unethical to go beyond the king's personal conquest, so let his deputy future forget it." "Okay, just do as you say." So Wu Wangfu sent troops to attack Qi in the north, and the Qi army was defeated.Zigong rushed to the state of Jin again, and the king of Jin received him. Zi Gong said: "I heard that everything is forewarned, and everything is established, and if it is not forewarned, it will be destroyed." The King of Jin heard something in Zigong's words, so he turned his back and asked, "I have heard that Mr. Duanmu is the favorite student of Confucius. Today, people from all walks of life rushed here. Is there any advice for you?" Zigong said with a serious face: "Your Jin should know that Qi and Wu are currently fighting a war, and King Fuchai of Wu is very ambitious. Not to mention destroying Yue, he also wants to dominate the world. Now Wu soldiers are marching northward, and they are coming fiercely to defeat Qi. In the end, the target must be Jin, so it is better for Jin to make some preparations." The king of Jin felt that the situation was serious, and that Fu Chai, the king of Wu, was so domineering that he was indeed an overlord, so he asked, "Then what should I do?" "Quickly mobilize the army and prepare for the battle." "Okay, thanks for the reminder." The King of Jin held a banquet to wash away the dust for Zigong, and gave a big gift as a thank you. Sure enough, after the victory of the Wu army, the opportunity came for Wu Wang Fuchai to seek hegemony. Regardless of the fatigue of the soldiers, he wanted to eat the state of Jin in one go, and then clean up the states of Lu and Yue, so Wu Jin fought in the Yellow River.The Jin army had been prepared for a long time and fought hard, so the Wu army was defeated. Fortunately, Wu Zixu rushed to the rescue, and the king of Wu survived.At the same time, Goujian, king of Yue, took the opportunity to attack Gusu, the capital of Wu, and the king of Wu shouted after hearing the news: "Shang Zigong has been fooled!" Fu Chai hurriedly withdrew his troops and returned to the country to resist Goujian, but he met the fate of death and the country's death. After Zigong triumphantly defended his country, he was surrounded by his brothers as soon as he entered the courtyard. "Brother Zigong, you have done a great service in saving the country of Lu." Confucius stood aside and did not speak. "Teacher, I'm back." Zi Gong walked over and saluted Confucius. Confucius said: "Duanmuci, you are too smart. As long as you persuade the king of Wu to attack Qi and save Lu, as a teacher, you are not asked to let Qi and Jin fight and let Yue destroy Wu. You are unrighteous!" , Alas, after all, he was born as a businessman and forgot about benevolence and righteousness." Zigong argued: "Why did you say that, sir? The king of Wu, Fu Chai, is indeed an ambitious man who wants to dominate the world. If he is not dealt with as soon as possible, then Lu and Yue will be destroyed by him. By then Isn't it too late?" Confucius said: "Your mouth is too strong. I can't tell you more. Hurry up and wash your face and prepare to eat." Confucius looked at Zigong, he loved him and blamed him at the same time, shaking his head.Zilu said, "Master Lu should be happy that the country of Lu is saved." Gong Liangru also said: "That's right, Zigong sent his horse to save the State of Lu, disrupted the State of Qi, destroyed the State of Wu, strengthened the State of Jin, and dominated the State of Yue. It is true that one person sent an envoy to disrupt the world!" Confucius still shook his head and said, "That's right, this gift from Duanmu has preserved Lu, chaotic Qi, defeated Wu, strengthened Jin, and overpowered Yue, and moved the five kingdoms with one horse. It's really extraordinary, but it's too much." Confucius said to Zigong again: "It seems that you still need to learn the doctrine of the mean." Zigong was puzzled and asked, "Teacher, what is the doctrine of the mean?" Confucius said: "Come, sit down." He said to other disciples: "Sit down and listen to me." "Teacher, drink water." Yan Hui handed over the cup, Confucius took the cup and took two sips. Zigong asked again, "How did the teacher think of the doctrine of the mean?" "This is what I realized from Yun Zhong Xing Guan." Confucius paused, and then said: "The doctrine of the mean is the practice of the middle, the righteousness, and the classics. I only discovered it when I was fifty years old. In the future, all disciples must learn it well, and they will not make big mistakes." Zilu said, "I also want to learn divination." Zi Gong said: "Zhong You, don't interrupt, let the teacher continue." Confucius continued: "The way of the mean is to go too far." Zilu hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by going too far?" Confucius said word by word: "Exceed, it is too much, and it is not enough. Too much and not enough are not the golden mean. Why do I say that Zigong is too much when he is an envoy? , a little lack of benevolence." Yan Hui said, "So benevolence is the premise of the doctrine of the mean." Confucius nodded and said, "Yan Hui can understand my intention best." Ran Yong said: "I agree with the teacher, Zi Gong is a bit too much." At this time, Min Ziqian came to call for dinner and asked: "I didn't hear what the teacher was talking about, and Jae Yu and I were cooking." Confucius said: "It's too late to tell. The main thing is to tell Zigong and Zilu. You and Zaiyu are actually very good at it. I will give you a make-up lesson later." Zai Yu brought in a big pot of meat and put it on the table. Confucius said: "Eat, eat, and make up lessons for Min Ziqian and Zaiyu after eating." He also said, "Although Zigong did a little too much, he did a great job in saving Lu. Therefore, today we must celebrate him well. " Zilu said: "Today I gained another piece of knowledge, which is called too much, and it is worth celebrating." The other disciples served wine and dishes, so everyone raised their glasses for Zi Gong. After years of traveling and working hard, Confucius finally fell ill and lay on the bamboo couch in the hall on the way. He still had a high fever for six or seven days, and his disciples stood by, distraught.Yan Hui soaked a towel in cold water and put it on Confucius' forehead to help him cool down. "Teacher, Zi Gong has invited a famous doctor, you must hold on." "Hmm...cough cough..." Confucius coughed violently for a while, and said, "I can't cough up phlegm, give me some water to drink." Min Ziqian hastily poured a bowl of water for Confucius.Confucius took two sips and waved his hand. Zigong invited a famous doctor. The old doctor checked Confucius’ pulse, asked about his condition, and then prescribed a prescription. He said to Zigong outside the house: "After taking these medicines and coughing up thick phlegm, the fever will subside." Zigong asked, "Is there any danger?" "It's not good to say that I'm old and burned for so many days." Yan Hui and Min Ziqian were busy decocting the medicine, while Zigong stayed by Confucius' bedside. When the medicine was ready, Yan Hui brought it spoonful by spoonful for the teacher to drink.After taking the medicine, Confucius fell asleep, woke up in the middle of the night and coughed up a lot of thick phlegm, and the fever subsided as expected. Zigong touched Confucius' forehead with his hand, and he was relieved when he saw that the scalding was gone. The next day, after taking another dose, Confucius was hungry. Zai Yu hurriedly brought the porridge, and he fed it to the teacher spoonful by spoonful.Confucius shook his head after eating half a bowl, and said, "I don't want to eat." Zaiyu put the bowl on the table, and said to Confucius: "Teacher, I sleep during the day, and you scold me that I can't carve a rotten wood. The teacher is right. From now on, I will work hard and stop sleeping during the day." Confucius said: "Life is too short, only a few decades, and it will come to an end in a blink of an eye. It is helpless to sleep at night, and it would be a pity to sleep during the day." "Teacher, the disciple understands." After Confucius took those few doses of medicine, he gradually recovered under the careful care of his disciples. Just recovering from a serious illness, Confucius, supported by Zi Gong and Yan Hui, took a walk in the courtyard. Confucius asked Zigong: "Duanmuci, when you heard that I was seriously ill, you wanted to invite all your disciples to be my retainers to prevent accidents. Do you think that the most valuable human relationship is the relationship between the monarch and his ministers?" "Teacher, Zigong is wrong. The teacher said that if money and officialdom are just clouds to me, the relationship between teacher and student is the most noble relationship." Confucius looked at his disciples who shared weal and woe with him and sighed: "If one day, I have no choice but to drift overseas on a raft, who will follow me?" "Teacher, I am willing." Zilu said first. "Teacher, I am also willing to follow you to wander around." Yan Hui said. "Teacher, I am willing too." Zigong said. "Teacher, we are all willing." The disciples waiting by the bed contended. Confucius smiled in relief, and asked again: "If one day I am unlucky and wear shabby clothes, who would be willing to stand with me without feeling embarrassed?" "Teacher, I'm here." Zilu still spoke first. "Teacher, I'm here." Yan Hui said anxiously. "Teacher, I'm here." Zi Gong also said anxiously. "Teacher, we all have..." All the disciples said in unison. Confucius was very moved when he heard this, and two lines of hot tears rolled down his pale face, which had just recovered from a serious illness...