Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 177 Do you know how to be polite?

More than a dozen carriages galloped across the field in the outskirts.

Confucius is dressed in white clothes, wearing a four-pronged crown on his head, a jade belt around his waist, and holding a festival, sitting meticulously on the chariot.

If Zaiyu and Zigong saw Master dressed like this, they wouldn't need Master to tell them, they would know what the old man was planning to do.

Because the master once taught them: the etiquette is great, so it is called Xia.The beauty of obedience is called Hua.

The reason why Huaxia is called Huaxia is precisely because of the prosperous etiquette and gorgeous costumes.

The countries in the Central Plains called themselves Huaxia, and in a sense, they were showing off to the surrounding Rongdi and barbarians.

Those of us who are wealthy and civilized are not like you barbarians who wear ragged animal skins. What can you be arrogant about?

It's okay to be poor, but you still don't know how to be polite. Are you still not happy to say a few words about you?

In a word, Zhu Xia is an old master.

And the master is dressed so gorgeously today, sitting so summer, and still holding the festival in his hand, he must have received the order of the king, and is going to convey the order to the four directions.

In fact, that's exactly what happened.

The season of spring plowing has arrived. In order to urge the localities to complete the spring plowing tasks on time, Lu Jun specially sent several doctors to various places for inspection.

The areas inspected by Confucius were concentrated in the northern part of Lu State, so Zaiyu's fiefdoms were naturally included.

In fact, Confucius didn't have to be so concerned about the doctor's private fiefdom.

If someone else came, it would basically be a formality.

But Confucius was a serious person, and Zai Yu didn't dare to see his old man for almost a year because of his guilty conscience.

Even if he occasionally had to go back to Qufu for some business, he would come and leave quietly, for fear of bumping into his wife.

After all, there were many things that he couldn't explain clearly to his master.

There was no expression on Confucius' face, while Yan Hui, who was accompanying him on the trip, was a little absent-minded.

Although Yan Hui was still the censor, but because of his excellent work, his title was slightly promoted from corporal to sergeant.

But the promotion is naturally not Bai Sheng's. As a sergeant censor, Yan Hui has also transformed into a small leader.

In addition to completing his own work, he also had to manage two corporal censors and more than 20 officials who assisted in the work.

And because Yan Hui performed well in last year's spring plowing work, the higher-ups asked Yan Hui to take the lead in completing Lu State's spring plowing work this year in the spirit of using it to death.

And judging from the situation that Yan Hui accompanied his master to inspect various places these days, this job may not be easy to do!

On the side of the tank, there was a familiar face.

That was the eldest son Lu who was responsible for protecting the safety of Confucius and his party.

Zilu stood on the car and looked into the distance, and suddenly said, "I saw the farmers plowing the fields, master, we should have reached the border of Tuqiu soon."

Confucius nodded slightly when he heard this, and suddenly said, "Slow down."

Zilu asked, "Ah? Why?"

Yan Hui replied: "Master, I think you want to carefully observe the effectiveness of Ziwo's management of Tuqiu, right?

I have managed Tuqiu for almost a year.

When he first took office, slanderous voices about him could often be heard in Qufu.

Later, all he heard was praises about him.

This kind of thing is really unreasonable. Master probably wants to understand the real effect of Zi Wo's management of Tuqiu, right? "

Zilu nodded half understanding, and then ordered the accompanying carriages to slow down.

Confucius sat on the carriage and looked at the fields around. The farmers in the fields were working hard. The ditches from the Zishui River were filled with river water, and they moved forward through the waterways between the ridges of the fields, and finally met with Tuqiu. The moats meet.

Confucius didn't say a word when he saw it, but nodded slightly.

Seeing you, Yan Hui gradually relaxed his tense expression in recent days, and let out a long breath.

Seeing their expressions, Zilu couldn't figure out what the two riddlers meant.

But if he asks again now, it seems to make him stupid.

So Zilu had no choice but to suppress his doubts for the time being, and ordered the convoy to move on.

As the carriage drove into the city, he looked up at the houses on both sides of the street, and saw merchants driving carts from the road, carrying goods to and from the market and outside the city gate.

When Confucius saw it, he nodded slightly again.

Zilu didn't know whether Master was happy or not, so he asked, "Master, where are we going now?"

Confucius said: "Go to the government office."

The cars of the people came to the front of the government office, and before they got out of the car, they ran into Shen Shu who came to the government office to apply for funding.

Shen Jian was walking carelessly on the road, when he suddenly saw a bunch of carriages parked in front of the government office, he was about to step up to question him, when he saw a big black-faced man a head taller getting out of the carriage.

When Shen Shun saw his face clearly, he bowed his head in fright, "Master, why are you here?"

When Confucius heard this, he just shook his head slightly: "Ah, how are you doing these days?"

Shen Shu hurriedly replied: "Please remember, I've been doing well recently. Why don't you wait here for a while, and I'll go and call Ziwo, Zigong, Ziyou, and Zigao over."

Unexpectedly, when Confucius heard this, he just smiled and shook his head: "No need. They must be very busy, right? You take me to the government office, and I will leave after I finish reading, so I won't bother them."

Shen Shun was also confused by what the Master said.

Didn't the master come here to inspect this attire?

If it was an inspection, how could he leave without seeing the local chief officer?

But Shen Shu didn't dare to ask more questions, since the master said so, then he will take the master for a while.

So Shen Jian had no choice but to lead the way ahead bravely. While walking, he didn't forget to put the gold and jade hanging around his waist into his sleeves, lest his master say again: "If you want to, how can you get it?"

Under his leadership, Confucius walked around the government office, and then nodded his farewell to Shen Zhi.

Shen Jian stood on the high platform of the government office, watching his master's car drive away from the front of the government office, but he didn't react for a while.

Master, what does this mean?
I go lightly as I come lightly?
And just as Shen Shu was thinking, he saw Jae Yu's car driving slowly.

Then came the discussion between Zaiyu and Zigong.

"My son, now that the craftsmen from Qi State have arrived, shouldn't it be time to make some steel?"

"What are you in a hurry for? Are books, soy sauce, and coal tar not enough for you to sell?"

"While those things are doing well, how can they compare to steel?

According to what you said, a steel sword cuts iron like mud, then this thing is much more sought-after than books and soy sauce. "

When Zaiyu heard this, he replied, "Zigong, haven't you thought about it? Steel..."

While talking, Zai Yu raised his head to look at Shen Zhi, only to find that the boy had a look of hell, so he couldn't help asking.

"Zi Zhou, what's wrong with you?"

Shen Jian replied, "Master just came."

"Master?"

When Zaiyu and Zigong heard these two words, their hearts almost jumped out of fright.

The two asked one after another: "Did Master ask about Tu Qiu's express government decree?"

Shen Shu shook his head: "No."

"Master, have you asked about Tuqiu's market tax?"

Shen Shu shook his head again: "No."

"Have you asked about Tuqiu's military establishment?"

Shen Shu still shook his head: "No."

Zai Yu breathed a sigh of relief: "Then what did the Master ask?"

Shen Shun replied, "Master didn't ask anything."

Zigong was stunned and said, "Then Master can't come all the way from Qufu and just do nothing?"

Zai Yu was also stunned: "My master has also learned to travel with public funds? He can't say nothing, can he?"

Shen Shun said, "Master has spoken."

Zaiyu and Zigong asked in unison: "What did Master say?"

Shen Shun recalled the Master's expression at that time, imitated his tone, raised his sleeves and said with a smile, "You are so kind!"

Is it good for you?

Master, this is...

Think I'm doing alright?
After Shen Shun finished speaking, he took out a small red box from his sleeve and handed it to Jai Yu.

"By the way, my master asked me to give this to you."

……

On the outskirts of Tuqiu, Confucius and his party gradually walked away.

Zilu stood in the car and pondered for a long time, but finally he couldn't hold back and asked.

"Master, didn't you come to Tuqiu today to inspect the effectiveness of Ziwo's governance, and to distinguish the right and wrong of the rumors about him in Qufu?
But why did you say goodbye without even seeing me? "

When Confucius heard this, he just smiled and replied, "That's because I have already seen what I want to see!"

Zilu was puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Confucius said: "When I came to the territory of Tuqiu, I saw that the ditches had been dredged, the fields were neatly planned, and the crops were growing luxuriantly. This shows that he treats the people with respect and humility, and can practice what he has said, so the people are willing to do their best for him.

And when I entered the city of Tuqiu, the houses on both sides of the street were in good condition, there was an endless stream of merchants coming and going, and the trees in front of each house were verdant. This shows that he was loyal and lenient in his administration, so the people's lives were prosperous, and the merchants also believed in him. reputation.

But when he came to Tuqiu's government office, the garden was full of quietness, and all the subordinates obeyed their orders. This shows that he can clearly observe and make decisions, so Tuqiu's political affairs will not be disturbed.

I have seen all of this, so do I have to meet Yu in person to tell whether he is right or wrong? "

Ke Zilu thought of the slanderous words about Jaeyu circulated in Qufu, and couldn't help asking: "But even so, didn't those people in Qufu say that there are some violations of etiquette in Ziwo's administration?"

When Confucius heard this, he just shook his head slightly: "Zhong You! This is not what you know. Let me ask you, do you think Yan Zi of Qi is a worthy man?"

Zilu nodded and said, "Yanzi made Qi not subject to external insults, but he loved the people internally. Of course he is a virtuous and capable gentleman."

Confucius nodded and said, "Then do you think Yanzi can be regarded as a wise man?"

Now, it can be regarded as stopping Zilu's question.

Zilu had followed his master into exile in the state of Qi, and had heard of some of Yanzi's deeds.

Although Yan Zi also respected etiquette, he didn't pay much attention to some details of etiquette, but kept as simple as possible.

Such an approach, in Zilu's view, is of course impolite.

So he directly replied, "Yanzi doesn't know how to be polite."

Who knew that Confucius just shook his head: "Yanzi knows propriety."

"Huh?" Zilu frowned, "If Yan Zi knew how to be polite, wouldn't Guan Zhong also know how to be polite?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zilu said this, Yan Hui shook his head before the Master could reply.

"Yan Zi knows propriety, but Guan Zhong doesn't."

Zilu was dumbfounded: "Why?"

Yan Hui just muttered: "Although these two people have governed Qi.

But Guan Zhong lived extravagantly, and the shapes and structures of the utensils used in his home, and the decorations of the carriages and horses he traveled on were all the same as those of Duke Huan.

This is a violation of the principle of "respect" in etiquette, so even if Guan Zhong governed the state of Qi, he could not be regarded as knowing etiquette.

But Yanzi lived a simple life, never exceeding his duty as a courtier, and the salary he got could be shared with his family and the people.

This is to grasp the purpose of benevolence in "ritual", so even if there are some discrepancies in some minor details, it will not affect his essence as a person who knows the etiquette.

The reason why the master said that Guan Zhong didn't know how to be polite, but Yanzi knew how to be polite, is for this reason! "

Hearing this, Zilu rubbed his head in embarrassment and said, "It seems that I listened to the rumors and misunderstood me."

Confucius just shook his head and said, "Zhong You! Have you forgotten what I said before?

Listening to the Tao, but smearing it, abandoning virtue.

In the past, you misunderstood Yan Zi and Guan Zhong because of other people's remarks, but now, you must never misunderstand Ah Yu because of this! "

　Sometimes a single reader vote is enough to save someone.

　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)