After a while, Zhi Lei opened his eyes, smiled, picked up his wine glass, and signaled to a few people: "It's not early, let's stop here today, the three virtuous brothers have a good rest first, forget what they talked about today." Tomorrow I will recommend to the head of the family, and with the talents of the three virtuous brothers, I will definitely be able to use it. ”

After that, he called someone in, took the three of them to rest, and paced to the window, looking up at the sky and the bright moon.

The next day, Zhi Lei asked his subordinates to arrange for Qing Yuzhi and others to have breakfast, and then took them to see the head of the family, Zhi Yao.

"The head of the house, the son of Zhilei outside brought three guests to ask to meet."

Na Zhiyao was enjoying breakfast while flipping through bamboo slips. When he heard the advice of his subordinates, he put down the bamboo slips, wiped his mouth, and said to the subordinates, "Please let them in." ”

After a short time, Zhi Lei walked in with the three of them, and after greeting him, he said: "Uncle, the day before yesterday, Gu Buxing, the son of the Nagu Bu family, came to the house to meet him, saying that he wanted to be friendly with our Zhi family and wanted to become allies. Zhilei didn't dare to make decisions in private, so he came to ask his uncle. ”

"The Gubu family? As far as I know, the reason why Zhao Wuxian was able to become the head of the Zhao family was because of the golden mouth of Nagu Bu Ziqing, if you want to make friends, the first choice of his Gu Bu family should be the Zhao family, why choose my Zhi family? Zhi Yao played with a jade pendant and gently wiped it with a soft cloth.

Zhi Lei smiled: "Zhi Lei also asked Nagu Buxing, why did he choose the Zhi family and not other families, he directly showed that our Zhi family is the leading power family in the Jin Kingdom, and the other families are too weak to be worthy of their relationship, and the children of the Zhao family are arrogant and look down on them." ”

"Huh." Zhi Yao first chuckled when he heard this, and then laughed out loud, "Then it's strange that the children of the Zhao family can treat his Gubu family, if it weren't for his grandfather, how would the Zhao family let the concubine be the head of the family today?" Even if Zhao Wuxian is good friends with the Gubu family, it is only one of them. Therefore, the Gubu family is also physiognomy, and defeat is also physiognomy. ”

"Uncle is extremely clever in analysis, so according to my uncle's wishes, is it good to be friends with the Gubu family?" Zhilei praised first and then asked.

"You can make friends, but you have to be careful." Zhi Yao said, "Then why does the Chang clan want to be friends with my Zhi clan?" ”

"Back to uncle, this Chang clan doesn't doubt him. Chang Yu's grandfather was Chang Hong, and Chang Hong died at the hands of Zhao Ying, so Chang hated Zhao. The Chang clan is a side branch of the Wu clan, and it is of the same clan as Ji Xian, the eldest brother's doctor, and I have also confirmed this with Ji Xian. This Zhilei answer is very in place, and the investigation is very careful in advance.

"Okay, the Wu Clan has a lot of magical methods, so let them be under your door." Zhi Yao agreed to Zhi Lei's report.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhi Lei arched his hand, and then said, "These three are my friends in Luoyi, originally Yique County, and then studied in Yique at a school called Mo's Academy, and now came to me. Bring it today, and ask your uncle to decide! ”

"Oh? How did you come up with the question? Zhi Yao looked at the three of them with interest.

Zhilei will tell about yesterday's answer. After listening to this story, Zhi Yao already had a rough judgment of these three people, that Qing Yu knows, tends to strategic planning, and has experience in governing cities, so he can be the master of a city. Qianfengli, very interested in the economy, is strictly forbidden to others, if you grow up, you can be a slaughterer. Song Feng's methods are ruthless, regardless of the life and death of others in order to achieve great things, if this person uses it well, it can be a big help, and if it is not used well, it may also be harmed.

"Very good, my Zhi clan is very welcome to join you!" Zhi Yao made a decision directly, "You can follow Zhi Lei in the future, my Zhi family will never treat the sages who follow us badly." ”

"Thank you Shangqing, we will sincerely assist." Qing Yuzhi and the three of them were very happy when they heard that Zhiyao made a decision on the spot.

"You're welcome." Zhi Yao smiled and raised his hand, "In addition, I am also very interested in your teacher, can I invite the respected teacher to come to the mansion to talk?" ”

"Don't hide it from Shangqing, I will wait for the teacher to return to his hometown this time, and I don't know when he will return. Please rest assured, once we learn that the teacher has returned, we will convey the meaning of the teacher, and the teacher will be happy to come. Qing Yu didn't dare to say anything, but left some leeway.

"Good! Good! Then Mr. Lao Qingyu Zhi bothered. Let Zhilei take you to familiarize yourself with the good students first, and then the good students will carry out their work in the future. Zhiyao took a sip of tea and said with a smile.

Several of them retired, and since then they have served under the Chi family.

returned to Qufu in Lu Kingdom, but said that Zengzi School.

On this day, Zisi came to the teacher Zeng Zi, had some doubts, and discussed it with the teacher.

"Teacher, recently in the golden mean, suddenly enlightened, summed up in one sentence, please teacher for guidance." Joy, anger, sorrow and joy have not yet occurred, which is said to be in the middle; It is said to be the sum of the middle sections. Those who are in the middle are also the peace of the world; Those who are harmonious are also the way of the world. To neutralize, heaven is in the ascendancy, and all things are nurtured. Zisi sat down and said.

After listening to this, Zeng Zi closed his eyes and chewed carefully, and analyzed it word by word: "Joy, anger and sorrow are emotions that everyone has, when the emotions of joy, anger and sorrow have not yet been activated, the heart is silent and immovable, so there is no disadvantage of being too much and too little, and it is defined by 'middle'." People inevitably have to vent their seven emotions and six desires, and when the seven emotions and six desires are sensed by the external environment and sent out, they can do it without being too much and not being too unreasonable, and they can all be just in the middle of the section, which is defined by 'and'. 'Harmony' is the great root of birth, the intersection of yin and yang balance, and 'harmony' is the common road of all things in the world, just like the boundary of yin and yang in Taiji. 'To neutralize, heaven is in place, and all things are nurtured. It can be described as a balance of yin and yang. Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! This sentence can be used to boil down your golden mean to a deeper level as the way of neutralization. So condensed, the mind is more and more refined! After admiring, Zeng Zi chewed again, and couldn't help but say, "In the world, among the young talents of your generation, I am afraid that no one surpasses you, even among the older generation, there are very few who can reach your height!" ”

"The teacher has an overreputation, although the disciple does not dare to be arrogant, but he also knows that there is another person in this world, who is younger than the disciple, but his achievements have surpassed the disciple." Zisi replied.

"Oh? And such characters? How I've never heard of it! Zeng Zi was surprised.

"I also know this person, but I haven't seen him for many years. I don't know if the teacher still remembers, ten years ago, a teenager recommended himself to come here to listen to the lecture, but he only listened to the lecture and did not apprentice to the teacher. Zisi reminded.

"Only listen to lectures, not apprentices." Zeng Zi thought about it and laughed, "You're talking about Zimo's little guy." ”

"Exactly!" Zisi also smiled.

"This Zimo, there was still some news two years before the opening of the Wenwu Academy, and I will come to see my old master if I have nothing to do, but there has been no news in the past few years, and I don't know if I am still in Qufu." Zeng Zi remembered Zimo's back then, and said with a smile, "According to what you just said, could it be that you have news of him?" This kid didn't know how to come and see me. ”

"The disciple has some connection with Zimo's Mo Academy, but not Zimo." Zisi said with a smile.

"Oh? Why do you say that? Zeng Zi asked.

Zimo has not been in Qufu for many years, and that year he went to hunt down an enemy, traveled all the way west, and finally arrived in Luoyi, where he stayed. There, he opened another Moshi Academy. This Zimo is terrible now, and the Mo's School and Mo's School are promoting his thoughts, which are deeply loved by the world. Zisi said enviously.

"His own thoughts? How I haven't heard of it. And I haven't heard of any emerging ideas in Lu? Zeng Zi asked.

"Zimo respects our Confucianism, and knows that this Qufu is the place where Confucianism flourishes, and there are teachers here. Therefore, those disciples who were successful in their studies did not stay in Lu State, and those disciples, some went to Jin State, some went to Zheng State, Wei State, and some went to Chu Qin. Zisi replied.

"Oh, it seems that the Mo Academy teaches well, let's talk about it, what kind of thoughts does Zimo Xinxing have?" Zengzi seemed very interested.

"This Zimo preaches the idea of both love and non-aggression, everyone is equal and loves each other, regardless of monarchs and ministers, fathers and sons, nobles and lows, and opposes internal and external wars; The second is the ghost of Tianzhi, advocating that people are not divided into young and old, noble and low, all are the people of heaven, although the monarch is a monarch, but because of the natural power, he should obey the will of God; The third is still virtuous, the sage is selected as the king, and the king can be virtuous and enabled, and this is the foundation of political affairs; The fourth is frugality, opposing the waste of monarchs and clans, and using the saved money and grain for what it should be. Zisi gave a brief overview of Mohist thought.

"Expounding the idea from the four points of both love and non-attack, Tianzhi and ghosts, Shangxian, and frugality, its starting point is very good, and there must be similarities with some places in our Confucianism. No matter what kind of thinking, it is based on the foundation of predecessors, constantly improving oneself. Zimo is very good! Zeng Zi gave affirmation, and his words changed again, "But between countries, between people, how can there be no disputes?" If there is a dispute, how can there be no fighting? And how to not attack? Between people, there is already dignity and order, and the young and old are orderly, how to love each other equally? I don't understand this very well, if you have the opportunity, you need to debate with Zimo! ”

Zisi smiled: "Teacher, I have also discussed this point with Zimomenzhong's teaching Fuqiu, maybe he has not fully obtained Zimo's thoughts, but there are some elaborations. I asked him, 'In today's world, what is the explanation of the strong robbing the weak, the tyranny of the many, the foolishness of the promised, and the cheapness of the noble?' At that time, he explained: "It is easy to love and benefit each other." Regard the country of man as his country, the house of man as his home, and the body of man as his body. So it is mutually beneficial. If the princes love each other, they will fight in the field, if the head of the family loves each other, if they love each other, they will not be thieves, if they love each other, they will be loyal if they love each other, if they love each other, they will be filial piety, and if they love each other, they will be harmonious. All the people in the world love each other, the strong do not cling to the weak, the people do not rob the widows, the rich do not insult the poor, the noble do not deceive the cheap, and the deceit does not deceive the foolish. Those who can make the world's misfortune and resentment not arise, love each other, and praise them with benevolence. ’”

"Hmmm! There are many beneficial exchanges between people, my Confucianism has the view of "the gentleman is righteous, the villain is profitable", this Zimo thought adopts the unity of "righteousness" and "profit", this idea is very good, and I have advantages in Confucianism, when it is a trend, it will be the world's learning in the future. Zisi, when that Zimo comes back, you help me make an appointment with him, and I want to discuss it with his good students. We can't be confined to one pattern and work behind closed doors. ”

"Zisi remembered!" Zisi replied respectfully, firstly, to show that he remembered to ask Zimo for the teacher, and secondly, to show that he remembered the following precepts.

"You also tell Zimo that he is extremely Momen teaching, and you don't have to worry about Lu Guo is the founding place of Confucianism, and you will not send disciples to the court as officials. Zeng Zi said again.

"Yes, Teacher!" Zisi communicated with the teacher for a while, and then quit.

After a few days, Zisi arranged a time and drove a disciple to the Mo Academy. When Fuqiu saw Zisi coming, he was very happy, and enthusiastically let him into the house and invited him to take a seat.

"It's not a coincidence that Brother Zisi came this time, if you come a few days earlier, you can see Brother Mo Zhai." Fuqiu laughed.

"Oh, Brother Fuqiu is saying that Mo Zhai has come back and gone out recently?" Zisi asked.

"Exactly, Brother Mo Zhai came back a few months ago, and just left ten days ago, saying that he was going to climb to the top of Taiyue and take a look at the holy mountain of our Lu country." Fuqiu replied with a smile as he prepared the tea.

"Did he say when he would be back?" Zi Siyin was a little regretful because he couldn't see Mo Zhai.

"It's not clear, after Brother Mo Zhai ascends to Taiyue, he will go directly to the Jin Kingdom, and the return date is uncertain."

"My teacher also wanted to see Mo Zhai and asked me to come to see if he had come back, but I didn't think about it and missed it again, what a coincidence! Brother Fuqiu, you can remember, if Mo Zhai comes back, you have to tell him that my teacher wants to talk to him. ”

Fuqiu means remember. Knowing that several more disciples had been recruited by the Song Kingdom, Zisi congratulated him. Later, he discussed with Zisi about his knowledge, confirmed what he had learned, and learned from each other's strengths to find his own shortcomings.