Chapter 45 Forty-two, the mountains look up

Confucius' contribution to Chinese culture is unprecedented, and Confucius' merits and virtues are just as Sima Qian quoted: Confucius is worthy of being the father of Chinese culture. If there is no Confucius in China, all generations will be like a long night... Three thousand disciples of Confucius held an unprecedented grand funeral for their mentor, mourning this unprecedented great man. The mourning hall is located in the main hall. The coffin of Confucius is placed between the two pillars of the main hall according to the teacher's will. The altar is lit with spiritual incense. The mourning hall is filled with flowers picked by three thousand disciples from all over the world. White lanterns hang high.

The disciples all wear sackcloth and filial piety to guard the spirit in turn, and the long-lasting incense will never go out.There were continuous rows of spirit guards on both sides of Confucius' coffin. The next day, there were envoys from various countries, ministers of state and ministers, princes and nobles, and ordinary people who came to express their condolences.There was an endless stream of people from all walks of life, "The king is here." Gong Xichi, who presided over the condolence funeral, reported. Behind the two rows of official ceremonies, a dragon chariot was put down. Lu Aigong was supported by the official attendants. After getting off the chariot, he walked towards him. Ran Qiu, Ran Yong and other disciples who were standing outside the gate of the Confucian mansion rushed up to meet him.

Duke Ai of Lu was welcomed into the mourning hall. After bowing three times and bowing nine times to the coffin of Confucius, he preached: After finishing the reading, Zigong knelt on the ground and asked angrily: "Teacher, you didn't reuse him when you were alive, and you regretted it after death. You are too rude." Duke Ai of Lu felt guilty and did not blame Zigong. On the day of the funeral, there was an unprecedented grand event. There were three thousand disciples of Confucius, relatives and friends, neighbors, and foreign envoys, including those from the Kingdom of Yan, princes and ministers, and ordinary people... The sound of sacrificial drums, bursts of mourning and joy, everyone Plain clothes and filial piety clothes followed the coffin of Confucius, and the funeral procession stretched back and forth for dozens of miles. Everyone bowed their heads and wept as they walked. Even the grand funeral of princes and monarchs did not have such a touching scene.

The sky was gray, and it started to drizzle, and after a while, it snowed heavily. Everyone didn't bring an umbrella, so they had to be drenched.Fortunately, when we arrived at the cemetery, the sky cleared up, and everyone walked up the mountain on the snowy water. Confucius' Mudi is on the hill north of Surabaya, next to Mrs. Qi Guan's grave.Confucius' coffin is going to be buried on the left side of Mrs. Qi Guan. Before the burial, Xigong Chi recited the sacrificial oration: Then, three thousand disciples each brought a piece of bad loess from their hometown and piled up Confucius' grave.

After the funeral, the disciples of Confucius cried and could not bear to leave. Zigong said, "I'm going to build a shed here to guard the teacher's tomb. Anyone who wants to stay can stay." "I would like to stay." "I would like to stay." "I would also like to stay." So the tragic scene in Chinese history began: Unexpectedly, the disciples were all vying to guard the tomb, so everyone went back to the city to get daily necessities, and then built hundreds of small sheds around the tomb of Confucius, Three thousand disciples started guarding the tomb here for three years.

Min Sun, Zeng Xi, Yan Lu, Ran Qiu, Ran Yong and other elders all insisted on staying, Zi Gong persuaded: "Brothers are getting old, please go back, as long as I lead here." But both Zeng Xi and Yan Lu shook their heads and said, "We are the earliest students of Confucius, so we should stay." Seeing that the old brothers were determined to stay, the young disciples refused to leave, so they spontaneously and consciously lived a very hard life around the tomb of Confucius. No matter the weather is cold, windy or rainy, they are willing to huddle together in these straw huts. For three years, they wear plain clothes and filial piety and eat simple food. They study and study during the day, discuss and exchange together at night, and sort out the teacher's quotations.The cemetery of Confucius has spontaneously turned into a school.

The disciples collected pines and cypresses from all over Kyushu and eight states, and planted tens of thousands of pines and cypresses around the tomb of Confucius.Two thousand and five hundred years later, the ancient trees are lush and covered with thousands of trees, and it has become the famous Konglin today. The stars move and turn, the sun and the moon fly like a shuttle. Three thousand disciples have guarded the tomb for three years.On this day, another priest ceremony was held. All the disciples wore plain clothes and wept. After the sacrifice, the hut was demolished, and thousands of saplings were planted on the ground of the original hut before leaving with tears. .

Only Zigong did not leave. He planned to guard the tomb for another three years, and his disciples helped his hut add a few more layers of thatch, so they left with tears in their eyes. When Zigong abandoned his official position and came to guard the tomb, he and his disciples cleared the weeds and helped the saplings with tears every day. Perhaps it was because the sincerity of Zigong and his disciples touched the former teacher, so there appeared some mysteries that could not be solved for thousands of years in Konglin . Perhaps it is because the saplings were watered by the hot tears of hundreds of disciples, so not only the trees grow luxuriantly, they will not dry up for a hundred years, they are vigorous and straight, symbolizing the immortality of Confucius' thought, but also there are no weeds growing in the cemetery. The spiritual Ganoderma lucidum and yarrow used for divination are only found in the tomb forest, not outside.Later, what was even more strange was that every year on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month, around the birthday of Confucius, in front of the rare and rare regular tree that Zigong planted with tears, a stone tablet erected for him by Emperor Kangxi was soaked with water droplets. It's like tears are streaming down my face and I can't wipe it off, day and night...

A hundred years later, the saplings around the tomb of Confucius have grown into towering ancient trees, forming a dense forest.Some disciples of Confucius simply moved their families to build houses around the tomb of Confucius because they missed their teacher.Later, hundreds of disciples lived there, and Kong Lin became Confucius. The home of Confucius was also built by later generations into the world-famous Confucius Mansion.