One day, a man from Lu State came to Qi State with a group of disciples. When Qi Jinggong inquired about this man's background, he immediately became excited. He immediately ordered someone to greet him and prepared to receive him personally the next day.
This man's surname was Kong, his given name was Qiu, and his given name was Zhongni. He was none other than the famous Confucius. Duke Jinggong of Qi had long heard about his deeds.
Confucius's father was called Shu Liang He, and he was the general of the Lu army who held the Thousand Jin Gate in the Battle of Biyang. Of course, this is not worth bragging about, because Shu Liang He's military position was actually not high, and he was just a nobody in the Lu army. A middle and lower level military officer.
Uncle Lianghe originally had a son and nine daughters. His son had a leg problem. Uncle Lianghe was worried that he would not be successful in the future because of the leg problem, so he wanted to have another son, so he married a young folk girl named Yan Zhengzai.
In order to beg for a son, Shu Lianghe once took Yan Zhengzai to Niqiu Mountain in the southeast of Qufu to pray. After returning from Niqiu Mountain, Yan Zhengzai gave birth to a son. Shulianghe named him Qiu. Confucius gave birth to a son in The second eldest among them, he was found in Niqiu Mountain, so he was also named Zhongni.
Confucius lost his father when he was three years old. Yan Zhengzai was a concubine and was shunned by the elder brother in the Confucius family. After the death of her uncle Liang He, she could no longer stay in the Confucius family. Yan Zhengzai was very ambitious and she took Confucius with her. She left her hometown of Zouyi and moved from Changping Township to Qufu, living hard by working for others. Although her life was difficult, she did not forget her uncle Lianghe's last wish, and she wanted to train Confucius into a useful talent.
Confucius entered the "official school" at the age of fourteen. He was smart, diligent, and highly savvy. He could recite all the books he read, and his academic performance was always among the best. His teachers and classmates loved him. Confucius also loved learning and was determined to learn. Specializing in learning. The saying "I am determined to learn in my fifteenth year" refers to this period.
Confucius lost his mother at the age of seventeen. He wanted to bury her next to his father's tomb, but he didn't know where his father's tomb was, so he had to bury his mother on the mountain near the village. Later he found out that his father's tomb was east of Qufu. He moved his mother's grave to Fangshan and was buried next to his father's grave. This move won praise from his neighbors, who all said he was a filial son.
When Confucius was eighteen years old, he had grown into a handsome young man. He was tall and handsome. He had completed all the courses in the "official school" and thought that his knowledge was quite good.
One day, the Jisun family hosted a banquet for private scholars. Confucius wanted to show his face, so he came to the party uninvited. Unexpectedly, the Jisun family's steward Yang Hu saw him and cursed: "Everyone here is... You are a celebrity, who do you think you are? Get out of here right away."
After this humiliation, Confucius studied hard and became better and better at the "six arts" (poetry, etiquette, music, archery, driving, and arithmetic). He lived in Daxiang at that time, and everyone who knew him praised him. He was good at learning, but Confucius said humbly: "What do I know? I just learned to drive."
When Confucius was twenty-six or seven years old, he got his first job, which was called "Chengtian", which was the job of managing cattle and sheep. He was very dedicated. He said: "I want to fatten the cattle and sheep I manage." Be strong." He did it.
Later, he became a "commissioner", which is equivalent to today's accountant. He said: "I must make sure the accounts I handle are clear." He did an excellent job again.
When Confucius was thirty years old, his reputation gradually grew. Some people came to him with dried beef to become his disciple. Confucius readily accepted. He was knowledgeable and taught well, and he quickly gained people's trust. Among his students were not only children of nobles, but also children of common people. When more and more people came, Confucius opened a study room specifically for teaching. At that time, schools were all run by the government and were called "official schools", while Confucius was a private school. , called "private education". The tuition fee he charged was ten strips of dried beef.
His income from teaching was much higher than his income from working as an errand, and teaching was a very time-consuming task, so he simply quit his job as a "commissioner of history" and devoted himself to teaching. "At the age of thirty." It means that one can support oneself. Because he had many disciples and was famous, people called him Confucius, and some also called him Mr. Zhongni.
When Meng Xizi, an official of the Lu State, was dying, he told his two sons, Meng Yizi and Nangong Shi, to go to Confucius to learn etiquette. Both of them joined the disciples of Confucius. Nangong Shi later became an official.
In 532 BC, Nangong Shi applied to Lu Zhaogong, hoping to send him and his teacher to Luoyi to inspect Zhou rites. Lu Zhaogong was very supportive and gave them a carriage, two horses, and a servant.
When the two arrived in Luoyi, Confucius gave Laozi a wild goose as a greeting gift and asked Laozi about rituals and music.
Lao Tzu, whose surname is Li and whose given name is Er, is also called Lao Dan. He is an official who manages the imperial library. He is knowledgeable and later wrote the "Tao Te Ching" and became the founder of Taoism.
When Confucius met Laozi, Laozi was sitting on the table, with a long beard and white eyebrows, and his eyes were slightly closed, like a statue. As a junior, Confucius had a very humble attitude. The two talked for a long time.
Laozi admired Confucius very much and recommended him to the famous court musician Chang Hong.
When Chang Hong met with Confucius, he put on the guqin and played a piece. Confucius felt as if he was listening to fairy music, and he was fascinated by it. After just one piece, Confucius humbly asked for music knowledge. During the question and answer session, Chang Hong discovered that Confucius had a very high level of understanding. , he liked it in his heart, and after the meeting, he specially took Confucius to visit the Zhou Dynasty's music workshop, where he saw the musical instruments and the ritual performances.
Confucius stayed in Luoyi for a few days and completed his visit and study. Before leaving, he and Nangong Shi went to say goodbye to Laozi. Laozi said politely: "I heard that rich people give money to others. I am not rich, so I can't give it as a gift. Money. I don't dare to call myself a "benevolent person", but I have something to say. So I will pretend to be a "benevolent person" and give you a few words."
Confucius cupped his hands and said, "Qiu listens attentively."
Laozi said: "Those who are wise and profound, and who are close to the dead, are fond of discussing others. Those who are eloquent and eloquent endanger their own bodies and bring evil to others. Those who are sons of others should not think of themselves. Those who are ministers of others should not think of themselves. .”
It means: Some people are smart and insightful, but because of their intelligence, they put themselves close to the threat of death. Why? Because they like to talk about others. Some people are knowledgeable and knowledgeable, but they often get themselves into accidents. Why is this so dangerous? Because he likes to expose the sins of others. As a son of a man, you should think about your parents and not just yourself; as a minister, you should think about your superior and not just yourself.
Confucius bowed again, raised his head, and looked at me eagerly, as if he still wanted to listen. I smiled and said, "These are the few words I want to say."
Confucius said: "Qiuba came across the mountains and rivers just to listen to the teacher's teachings, and he also asked the teacher to teach him."
I closed my eyes, twirled my beard, thought for a moment, and then said, "Then, just four more sentences."
Confucius quickly bowed. Laozi said: "First, the ancient sages have all turned into withered bones, and the only thing left is their words. Second, if the world is good, a gentleman will drive out; if the world is bad, just leave. Third, I heard In other words, a wise businessman hoards goods as if they have nothing; a highly moral person looks ordinary and seems dull. Fourthly, you should get rid of pride and reduce desires, because those things are actually things you don’t need. "
Confucius responded: "Master taught, Confucius will remember it carefully."
Lao Tzu said: "That's all I have to say."
Confucius stood up to say goodbye and returned to the State of Lu with Nangong Shi. After returning, the students gathered around him and asked him what they had gained from the trip.
Confucius couldn't restrain his excitement and said: "I know birds fly; I know fish swim; I know beasts walk; however, those who fly can be shot with arrows; those who swim can be fished with hooks; those who run can be caught with nets
"As for the dragon, I don't know how it rides on the wind, why it moves on the clouds, or how it goes from heaven to earth. When I saw Lao Tzu, hehe, it was really elusive. I guessed that I was a dragon."
In the year when Confucius met Laozi, bad news came that Gongsun Qiao had died. Gongsun Qiao was a famous minister of Zheng State who was famous all over the world at that time. Confucius once visited him and he admired Gongsun Qiao's talents and virtues very much. Confucius
When he heard the news of Gongsun Qiao's death, he was so sad that he cried. He said: "Zi Chan is the most like the "benevolent" person in ancient times that I have ever seen."
The students were puzzled. Someone asked him why he admired Gongsun Qiao so much. Confucius gave two examples:
When Gongsun Qiao was in power, there was a fire in Zheng State. Someone asked him to pray for God's blessing. Gongsun Qiao said: "The way of heaven is far away, but the way of humanity is close. We should follow the humanity that is close to the interests of the people, and not place our expectations on
The boundless way of heaven." Another time, Zheng State encountered a flood. Someone asked him to sacrifice to the Dragon King. Gongsun Qiao said: "We can't ask for the Dragon King, and the Dragon King can't ask for us. In fact, we have nothing to do with the Dragon King.
What’s the use of begging him?”
Gongsun Qiao's thoughts had a great influence on Confucius. Later, a student of Confucius wrote this passage in The Analects. Confucius said of Zichan: "There are four ways of a gentleman: he is respectful in his actions and respectful in his actions.
It nourishes the people and is beneficial, and it makes the people righteous."
Confucius was thirty-five years old when he arrived in Qi State, but his reputation was already famous all over the world. So when he appeared, he aroused the interest of Qi Jinggong. Qi Jinggong summoned Confucius. His first question was, why did Mr. Zhongni arrive?
Qi State is coming?
Confucius said: "The Marquis of Lu was expelled. The Marquis of Qi must have known about this matter. I left because of this."
Qi Jinggong said: "I know about Luhou. For his sake, I almost sent troops to Lu. If Yanzi hadn't dissuaded me, he would still be the king now."
The Marquis of Lu mentioned by Confucius and Duke Jin of Qi was Duke Zhao of Lu. In 517 BC, when Duke Zhao of Lu was in his 25th year, Ji Sun, one of the "Three Huans", expelled Duke Zhao of Lu from the country.
The Sun family united with the Mengsun family and the Shusun family and jointly established Lu Zhaogong's brother as the king, who is now Lu Dinggong. The great power of Lu almost completely fell into the hands of the "Three Huan". Lu Dinggong
He was just a nominal king.
Confucius said: "What 'Sanhuan' did made Zhongni intolerable, so I came to Qi."
Qi Jinggong said: "Let's not talk about that troublesome thing, let's talk about the strategies to govern the country and secure the country. Please speak frankly, Mr. Zhongni."
Confucius said: "Nowadays, the world is in chaos. The emperor is being ignored by the princes, the princes are being ignored by the officials, and the officials are being ignored by their retainers. This kind of thing happens everywhere. It happens in almost all countries. What is the reason? It is because of the collapse of rites.
The music was bad. Zhongni believed that this was the reason for the wanton arrogance of rebellious ministers and traitors. To govern a country, one must first establish education. What should be used to educate? Only Zhou rites are the best standard. Between monarchs and ministers, and between subjects,
Even within a family, there should be rules. Without rules, the world will inevitably be in chaos."
Qi Jinggong was a little confused after hearing this, so he asked: "How can we make the subjects understand the rules, follow the rules, and not violate the rules?"
Confucius said: "If you practice benevolence, have a benevolent heart, implement benevolent government, and declare benevolence and righteousness, then the subjects will know how to teach and the rules will be in place."
Qi Jinggong became even more confused after hearing this. Although he felt that what Confucius said was reasonable, he also felt that the things Confucius said were a bit haphazard and completely unlike what Yan Pingzhong, Sima Rangju and others talked about.
Specific measures. Qi Jinggong felt that if the conversation continued like this, he would not get the results he wanted, so he ended the conversation hastily.
Although Qi Jinggong didn't understand Confucius' stuff, he thought that Confucius was a famous person. Since he was a famous person, he must have some abilities. So he planned to invite Confucius to be an official in the imperial court. He told Yan Pingzhong about his idea.
Yan Pingzhong said: "The people of Confucius's group have two problems. One is that they are too aloof, and the other is that they pay too much attention to etiquette. If they are too aloof, they will look down on others. This makes it difficult to live in harmony with the people below. How else to do things? Pay too much attention to etiquette.
You can't take care of the life of the poor. My lord, you also know that the people of Qi live frugally and live frugally. How can they have the spare time and extra money to take care of the bits and pieces of etiquette and rituals? I have observed that Confucius
When he came out, he was very particular about the carriage and horses, and when he was eating, he was also very particular about the style and placement of the food. He had to walk in a decent manner, walk up the stairs with proper gait, dress in a proper manner, and pay attention to etiquette and music. I heard
When he was in the State of Lu, he preached his ideas of self-denial and restoration of propriety. This was simply adding insult to injury to the people. People were so poor that they had no house to live in, but he still asked them to make pomp and ruin their fortunes by going to funerals. How could this work?
?If Confucius were asked to govern Qi, the people would probably be made even poorer by him."
Yan Pingzhong (Yan Ying, also known as Yan Zi) was a famous "wise man" in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was considered a famous politician and thinker of that era. According to the "Yan Zi Chun Qiu", Yan Zi's thoughts were neither Confucian, Taoist, nor Mohist. He
In terms of governing the country and providing for people's livelihood, they were very different from Confucius' views. They were completely different approaches. Naturally, Yanzi could not accept Confucius's ideas.
However, Yan Zi admired Confucius' knowledge and demeanor very much. He maintained a respectful attitude towards Confucius. Qi Jinggong was influenced by Yan Pingzhong and ultimately failed to use Confucius.
Confucius stayed in the state of Qi for more than two years. When he was more than thirty-seven years old, he returned to the state of Lu. From then on, he began to recruit disciples and concentrated on education. His students were all over the world, including nobles and commoners, and some were officials.
There are those who are engaged in business; there are those who are rich and poor, there are those who are good at writing, and there are those who are both civil and military. In short, they have all kinds of talents. They are said to have three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages.
In addition to teaching, Confucius also wrote books and established theories. With him as the leader, and assisted by his disciples, he compiled and revised the Six Classics, namely "Poetry", "Book", "Li", "Music", "Yi Zhuan" and "Spring and Autumn". These works are both
It is used as a teaching material and also focuses on Confucius’ thoughts and ideas. Confucius has its own school called Confucianism.
After Confucius died, his disciples recorded his words, deeds, sayings and thoughts and compiled them into the book "The Analects of Confucius", which became a Confucian classic. This is a story later.
In 501 BC, Confucius was 51 years old. He finally realized his dream of entering politics. He first became the Zhongdu Prime Minister of the Lu State, and the next year he became the Sikong, and was promoted from Sikong to the Great Sikou.
Confucius lived at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, when society was in the process of fission, and various ideas emerged one after another, just like a hundred flowers blooming. Many stars appeared, and Confucius was undoubtedly the most dazzling one among them.