Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 174 Self-inflicted Evil, Unforgivable (3K2)

Seeing this formation from a long distance, Zai Yu hurriedly ordered to stop.

Standing in the car, he first counted the number of musicians and dancers in front of the city gate.

Just after counting, Jae Yu's face turned green.

Shen Shun who was driving also muttered.

"Forty-eight people, this is the Liujia used by the princes! It's no problem for Qi Zi to use this specification, but if you use it to welcome us, then..."

Zigong closed his eyes and listened to the music coming from the leisurely, and quickly identified which piece it was.

"They played "Big Summer"."

"Da Xia" is a movement composed during the period of Dayu. Its original function was to praise Dayu's achievements in water control. The Zhou royal family would occasionally use this piece of music during sacrifices.

Qi Guo is the descendant of Dayu, it is no problem for them to play "Great Xia", but whether Zai Yu can accept it is a problem.

Zai Yu originally thought that his first overseas visit as the chief envoy would be relaxed and enjoyable.

Who would have thought that Qizi would pose a problem for him as soon as he came up.

Is this kid trying to mess with me, or...

Zaiyu thought about it for a while, and then related to the changes in Qi State in recent years, and Qi Zi's previous behaviors of courting him, he seemed to understand a little bit.

Today's Qizi did not inherit the throne through peaceful means.

Instead, he came to power three years ago by killing his brother.

Behaviors such as killing brothers, killing fathers, and killing kings are not uncommon in this era.

But since you have done it, you must be prepared to bear the consequences at any time.

Because this kind of behavior is completely inconsistent with the principles of love between relatives and distinctions between respect and inferiority in Zhou etiquette, so if you do this kind of thing, it is tantamount to giving people a handle and giving neighboring countries a reasonable reason to fight.

In the past, there was no reason for war, and countries wanted to flatten the country, so they had to use rote to find some excuses.

For example, disrespecting the emperor, poor tribute, insufficient pilgrimage, and lack of virtue in the monarch.

Now that Qizi has committed such a serious crime, it is justifiable for all countries to attack him. This reason is justified, as if they are really here to uphold justice.

Qizi should be aware that the position of the monarch is disgraceful.

But he does not have the strength to wrestle with neighboring countries, so there is only one way to secure the throne.

Officially, it is called mediating between strong neighbors through flexible diplomatic means.

In layman's terms, it's called hard licking.

Judging from the current situation, the wolfberry should be licked well.

At least for the past three years since he took office, neither the Qi State nor the Lu State has any intention of moving him for the time being.

It's just that I didn't expect this guy to be so embarrassed. He didn't finish licking the monarchs and Shiqing of the two countries, but he even wanted to lick me, Dr. Tuqiu.

But the wolfberry dared to lick it, but Zaiyu didn't dare to accept it.

Sanhuan dared to dance the emperor at home to use Bayi, because they were deeply rooted in Lu State, even if they used it, others didn't dare to say anything, and they didn't have to listen to it.

But with Zaiyu's current strength, he dare not surpass him a little bit.

If he accepts it without hesitation, once the matter is reported back to the country, although the monarch and the others will not punish Zaiyu for this incident, the reputation he has accumulated in the Lu State will be wiped out.

The four words of obedience to etiquette and happiness are the foundation of Zaiyu's life in the state of Lu, and it is also the code for the master to teach his students.

Once surpassed, his evaluation in Lu's public opinion system will take a turn for the worse.

To put it bluntly, if he doesn't abide by the rules himself, how can he use the revised "Zhou Li" to punish others in the future?
Whether it is doing business or making legislation, the most important thing is reputation.

Once you break your promise, this is a loss that cannot be recovered no matter how much you pay.

Zaiyu figured this out, so he shook his head slightly at Zigong.

Zigong also understood what he meant, so he ordered the driver to go forward immediately, and let him, the deputy envoy, go to negotiate with Qizi first.

Qizi stood on a temporary high platform and looked at the Lu mission in the distance, but only saw a car slowly approaching.

Before Zi Gong's chariot came close, he ordered the chariot to stop, and then bowed to Qi Zi from afar.

"Deputy envoy of the State of Lu, hand over Duanmuci to pay homage to the monarch."

Qizi heard Zigong's words and asked with a smile, "Why doesn't Duanmuzi come closer and talk?"

When Zi Gong heard this, he replied with a straight face, "It's because the ministers have committed crimes, so they dare not approach."

"Ah?" Qizi asked suspiciously, "What is your crime?"

Zigong raised his hand and swept across the group of musicians, and replied: "The foreign minister is ordered by the emperor to take up the post of deputy envoy to go abroad.

As the deputy envoy of the mission, I should have inquired about your country's schedule in advance, and informed you in advance of the identities and arrival time of our mission.

However, I failed to do this, which almost caused you to violate the etiquette and receive the doctor of our country with the etiquette of a prince.

The foreign minister has committed a serious crime, which is unforgivable. Please punish him. "

Qi Zi's face changed when he heard this.

But he was not angry, but frightened.

He had never dealt with Zai Yu before, and in the past when he gave gifts to the Lu State, he was in contact with San Huan, Yang Hu and others.

And the virtues of these people are well known, they naturally come as they please, the higher the standard of etiquette, the better, and the more arrogant it is, the more it shows Qi State's compliment to them.

With the experience of dealing with Sanhuan and the others, it is difficult for Qizi to prevent Lu's officials from being regarded as a group of insects.

So after learning the news of Jae Yu's upcoming visit, Qi Zi naturally thought of going out of the city to meet him.

In fact, at the beginning, he planned to go out of the city for thirty miles to meet him, but Qi Zi thought about it, if he used this trick on Jae Yu, then when San Huan came, what form should he use to meet him? Woolen cloth?
You can't go sixty miles out of the city, can you?

Besides, if he really went sixty miles out of the city, wouldn't he have to go to the territory of the State of Lu?

After hearing Zigong's words, Qizi said, "Oh, how could this be your fault, Duanmuzi?
The distance between the two countries is far away, so it is reasonable for the messengers to deliver messages differently. "

Zigong leaned over and said, "Since you don't want to punish me, please forgive my crimes."

Qi Zi hurriedly asked, "How can I forgive your sins?"

Zigong raised his head, swept his sleeves across the musicians and dancers in front of him, and said loudly.

"Please go back to the palace first and issue an order to your courtiers to withdraw the Liuyi Dance and silence the sound of "Great Summer", and then send a capable doctor to welcome our mission into the city.

In this way, my sins can be forgiven by you. "

Qizi finally let go of the stone hanging in her heart when she heard these words.

Fortunately, the envoy of Lu State should not be angry.

If he was angry, it would be impossible to save him face by saying that.

When Qizi heard this, he first thanked Zigong, "I have been taught by you."

Zigong said goodbye to him with a smile, then turned around and went back to report.

Zaiyu, who was in the distance, saw that the crowd gathered in front of the city gradually dispersed, and finally heaved a sigh of relief.

He was about to give the order to enter the city when he suddenly heard Gongshuban's childish voice.

"Master, why are you unwilling to accept such etiquette?"

Zhao Wuxie's voice followed closely: "I remember you said before that the monarch in charge of the country should respect the sages, so that they can stay away from disasters.

Now, Master, you are a rare sage in the world, and Qi State respects you so much. You are unwilling to accept their courtesy. Is this because you are unwilling to help them avoid disasters? "

Zai Yu frowned and looked back, the two boys were actually hiding in the big box on the carriage for presents.

"Huh? When did you come here? At this time, shouldn't you be attending classes at the rural school?

Still smiling!Skipping class!What's so funny about skipping class? "

Gongshu Ban said with a shy face: "How can the curriculum of the township school compare to your teaching?
We went to Qi State with Master, and learned more than what we learned in three months in the village school.

If I can come to Qi State with you again, isn't it worth the first half of the study? "

Zaiyu was about to ask Gongshuban, a cheeky boy, to recite "Poetry" when Zhao Wuji asked another question.

"Master, you haven't answered my question yet. Why don't you accept Qi's courtesy?"

Zai Yu looked at Zhao Wuxie's expectant face, and couldn't explain it too clearly to the children, so he could only reply.

"It is natural for a monarch to be courteous and respectful, but how can a wise man not be humble and prudent?
It is said in "Yi": The way of heaven is full of profit and modest, the tunnel becomes full and full of modesty, ghosts and gods harm the surplus and are blessed and modest, and the human way of evil is full of prosperity and loves modesty.

As long as a person is humble and not complacent, the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth will help him, so no matter where he goes, is he still unhappy?
It seems like a good thing to accept Qi State's courtesy.

But in an instant, it may become a bad thing.

As the saying goes, misfortune depends on fortune, and fortune rests on misfortune.

Once upon a time, during the time of Shang Zhou, a sparrow gave birth to a crow in the corner of the city wall.

Shang Zhou ordered people to divination, and the divination people said: When small animals give birth to big animals, the country will be in good weather, peaceful and happy, and the reputation of the king will spread far and wide.

After Shang Zhou heard about this incident, he was complacent about the blessings brought by the sparrow, and never went to govern the country again.

Therefore, there is no limit to violence, and foreign aggression will come, and the state of Yin will be destroyed.

This is an example of a blessing that turned out to be a disaster.

During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the benevolent government of the former kings was lost, and the criminal law was also abolished.

One day, a mulberry tree grew out of Wuding's court, and within seven days, the mulberry tree grew as thick as a person's arms.

Wu Ding ordered someone to do a divination, and the person said: mulberry is a plant that grows in the wild, but if wild plants grow in the court, it is estimated that the country will perish.

Wu Ding was afraid, so he was always vigilant, carefully cultivated his own virtue, implemented the benevolent government of the previous kings, helped the perishing country to revive, continued the inheritance that other families had cut off, used reclusive sages, and clarified the methods of respecting the elderly.

Three years later, the world will be in great order, and all nations will come to court.

There are six countries where monarchs from far away have to go through translation before they can come to court because of language barriers.

This is an example of getting a bad omen, but cultivating virtue, and getting blessings instead.

For example, a sparrow gives birth to a crow, a garden grows a mulberry, and a foreign envoy receives substandard courtesy. These are all abnormal situations.

The examples of Shang Zhou and Wu Ding are still vivid in my memory. As a scholar and gentleman, how dare he rush straight at the sight of auspicious omens, without considering the disaster hidden behind it?

Besides, to accept the courtesies of the princes as a doctor is to go beyond my duty, how dare I not consider the right and wrong of it, but accept it calmly?

"Book" said: "Heaven commits evil, and it is still against the law."Self-inflicted crimes cannot be blamed.

No shirt!You must keep this sentence in mind! "

Zhao Wuxie was taken aback.

Why did the Master only tell me this and not Ben?

He couldn't figure it out, but he still bowed down and accepted it politely: "It is still a violation of heaven's evil. Self-inflicted evil is not acceptable. Your teachings must be written down."

　The author has been following the reader's footsteps, smelling his whereabouts, but has not yet made up his mind to give him the final blow.

　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)