Lao Tzu, whose name is Dan, is also known as Li Er, a native of Qurenli, Li Township, Ku County, Chu State, which is a native of Luyi County, Henan Province today. He was once an official in the Zhou Dynasty who managed the book collection, and was one of the greatest philosophers and thinkers in China, and was revered as the ancestor of Taoism and a world cultural celebrity. Lao Tzu's ideological proposition is "Wu Wei", Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" uses the Tao to explain the evolution of all things in the universe, the Tao is an objective natural law, and at the same time has the eternal meaning of "not relying on any external force and can exist independently and never stop, and the cycle runs and never fails, and can be used as the root of all things".

The Tao Te Ching contains a large number of naïve dialectical views, for example, Lao Tzu believes that everything has positive and negative sides, "the cycle of movement and change, is the movement of the Tao", and can be transformed from opposites, "normal and strange transform each other, good and evil can also circulate with each other", "woe and blessing are interdependent and can be transformed into each other". Lao Tzu also believes that everything in the world is the unity of existence and non-existence, existence and non-existence are mutually beneficial, and non-existence is the foundation, "all things in the world are born from being, and existence is born from nothing".

"The way of heaven is like shooting an arrow with a string on a bow, if the string position is high, it should be lowered, and when the string position is low, it should be raised. When there is more, it must be weakened, and when it is insufficient, it must be made up. The way of heaven is more than detracted, and it is used to make up for the shortage. But this is not the case with the way of man, which is always detracting from what is insufficient, and using what is in surplus. Who can give what is surplus to make up for what is lacking in the world? Only those who can observe the way of heaven and the way of heaven can do it. So, instead of storing possessions, enlightened paths use their surplus to help others, and the more they do this, the more they will have possessions. The more you give to others, the more you do. The creation of the Tao is always for the benefit of all things, not for the sake of harming them. Whatever an enlightened person does, he will not fight with others. ”

"The people suffered from famine because the rulers devoured too many taxes, so the people went hungry. The reason why it is difficult for the people to rule is because the rulers are harsh and like to make a difference, so it is difficult for the people to rule. The reason why the people risked their lives and died was because the rulers had scavenged the people's fat and ointment in order to support themselves, so the people felt that death was nothing. The common people are not even afraid of death, so what is the use of scaring them with death? Only those who do not pursue the enjoyment of life are wiser than those who value their lives excessively. ”

Lao Tzu's doctrine has a profound impact on the development of Chinese philosophy, and we will study the classic Tao Te Ching in the future. Lao Tzu's philosophical thought and the Taoist school founded by him have not only made important contributions to the development of China's ancient ideology and culture, but also exerted a far-reaching impact on the development of China's ideology and culture for more than 2,000 years.

Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, was an outstanding military strategist and a famous political figure in ancient China. The representative of the "brave fighting faction" of the Chinese affairs ideology, the leader of the rebel army in the last years of the Qin Dynasty, and the founder of the Western Chu Dynasty, is a generation of heroes who can carry the power of ten thousand people. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu launched the Huiji Uprising with Xiang Liang, and in 207 BC, in the decisive battle of Julu, the Chu army led by Xiang Yu broke the main force of the Qin army. After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu established himself as the overlord of Western Chu and ruled over the nine counties of Liang and Chu in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Later, in the Chu-Han War, the overlord of Western Chu was defeated by Liu Bang, the king of Han, and killed himself in Wujiang. The scene of Xiang Yu saying goodbye to Yu Ji before he killed himself was very tragic, and later generations also created a drama of farewell to his concubine.

For Xiang Yu's strength and courage, later generations admired it and sighed. Sima Qian commented: Xiang Yu divided the princes of the 18 roads, and called himself the overlord of Western Chu, and his rights were the same as those of the emperor; In the end, although he did not become an emperor, this is also something that has never happened in ancient and modern times. For Xiang Yu's defeat, later generations also have poems: Don't sing still show the overlord, how to carry the mountain. Heaven and heroic opportunities, etc., after all, the people's hearts are to Liu Bang.

Soon after the uprising in Daze Township, Xiang Yu rose up after killing the county guard in Huiji County and raised troops against Qin. After the Battle of Julu, he led his army to approach Guanzhong, destroy the violent Qin, and threaten the sea. Xiang Yu's bravery is unparalleled in ancient and modern times, he is the most courageous general in the history of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and the word "overlord" refers to Xiang Yu.

Liu Bang was born in 256 BC and died in 195 BC, a native of Pei County, Chu State, which is today's Feng County, Jiangsu. Liu Bang was born in the civilian class, served as the chief of the Surabaya Pavilion during the Qin Dynasty, raised troops in Pei County, called Pei Gong, and was named King of Han after the fall of the Qin Dynasty. In the later Chu-Han War, he defeated Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, and became the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. He made decisive contributions to the reunification of the Chinese nation, the unification and strength of China, and the protection and development of Han culture. He was not only the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, but also one of the great pioneers of the Han nation and Han culture, and an outstanding politician, an outstanding military strategist and conductor in China.

Chen Sheng, one of the leaders of the anti-Qin rebel army in the last years of the Qin Dynasty, led the troops in Daze Township together with Wu Guang, became the pioneer of the anti-Qin rebel army, and opened the vigorous anti-Qin curtain of the Chu people at the end of Qin.

Chun Shenjun, wise and loyal, generous and loving, is famous for his courtesy and virtuous corporal, inviting guests, and assisting in governing the country. During the reign of King Xiang of Chu, King Qin Zhao sent the general Bai Qi to lead his troops to defeat Korea and Wei, and united Han and Wei to jointly crusade against Chu, and the situation was critical. King Xiang of Chu sent the eloquent Chun Shenjun as an envoy to Qin to persuade King Qin Zhao to withdraw his troops. King Xiang of Chu Qingxiang was seriously ill, and Chun Shenjun designed to rescue Xiong Wan, the prince of Chu, who remained in Qin as a hostage, to return to Chu and take the throne. Chun Shenjun and Wei Guoxinling Jun Wei Wuji, Zhao Guopingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng, Qi State Meng Weijun Tianwen are known as the "Four Princes of the Warring States".

Sun Shuao, a famous minister of the Chu State. In 601 B.C., he served as the prime minister of Chu, assisted the king of Chuzhuang to teach the people, lenient sentences and deferred levies, and developed the economy, and his political achievements were very outstanding. He improved the production conditions of agriculture and strengthened the national strength of the state of Chu.

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Okay, now that we've written about these celebrities, we need to recover our emotions and slowly get back to our poetry. Because of the Zhou Dynasty's conquest of Barbarian Jing, we have introduced the Chu State in detail, and we should now return to today's "Picking Herbs". The Book of Songs is a literary classic, and literature is used to reflect the face of life, and the source of life is closely related to the historical background of the time. I want to use the literary classic "Book of Songs" to briefly sort out the history of the entire Zhou Dynasty, so that we can better understand the ins and outs of the entire Zhou Dynasty. If this thing is done well, our "Book of Songs" will be better understood, and it will also facilitate the study of other classics in the future. After all, most of the classics of Chinese culture were produced in this historical context.