"That's how you are!" The guard took the knife and coin, and pressed the pocket with his hand, for fear of falling off. Looking at Confucius, he nodded. continued: "The legendary you are not this kind of person! I misread you! ”

"Me?" Confucius asked suspiciously, "Then what kind of person was I?" ”

"I've heard others say: There is a sage named Confucius in the country of Lu, who is a very inflexible person, who likes to follow people with dogma, and he will not give up if he doesn't convince you, and he is very annoying. Others couldn't resist him, so they had to promise him......"

"Me? How could I have been like this before? Confucius asked knowingly.

I have to admit it! The previous self was really like that.

"But! The legendary Confucius does not do bad things, one is one and two is two, honest and trustworthy, and you can rest assured when dealing with him! It's just a bad one! ”

"What? Which one is bad? Confucius hurriedly asked.

"Which one is bad?" The guard paused and said, "Not yet?" Say that you have a lot of rules and will not be flexible! In case of trouble, we must follow the procedure and do not exceed it.

For example! When you see others, you must salute, and you must act in a standardized manner. See what the Son of Heaven and the king do, what salute on what occasion, and so on. I can't stand that alone! Isn't that too dogmatic! Why do you have to pay so much attention to the salute? Isn't it?

We are rough people, where can we stand that constraint! Isn't it? Sometimes when you're busy, nodding is considered a salute, what are the norms? Is it cumbersome or not? Live! It's better to keep it simple! Isn't it? Where are there so many rules? Isn't it?

I've heard about it! Confucius often held some rituals in the courtyard of his house, making it look like a spring festival. What's going on? Engage in formality? Can you get a meal in exchange for a form? Drinking? If you can get food and wine to drink, then do it. If you can't get food and drink, it's better to teach students how to live and teach students one or two crafts......"

Confucius said with a smile: "The students I teach will all come out to do things in the future, and they can all become officials." Think about it: they have come out to be officials, what if they meet a superior official, the king and the Son of Heaven? Won't it be messed up then? Isn't it? So! I taught them these manners. When the time comes! You can use the pie field.

And what you say makes sense! That's a student taught by a craftsman. When craftsmen teach students, they must teach all their crafts to students, so that after students learn their crafts, they can go out and do things independently, get money and remuneration, and then have food and wine!

Different people teach different students, and the students taught by my Confucius can not only be officials and manage society, but also be teachers, teach dolls to read and write, and teach teenagers how to adapt to society and be a person who understands etiquette......"

The guard interrupted, "But you have a different impression on me today!" According to the legend, Confucius would not bribe anyone! You just now? Does it count as a bribe for me? ”

"This?"

"Are you afraid that I will pass on what you just said to Duke Wei or Mrs. Wei?"

"This?" Confucius looked at the guards sitting opposite, not knowing what to say?

When the two of them came out of the house, they got into the carriage driven by the guards, and were now on their way to the palace.

"That's right!" The guard nodded towards Confucius and said, "You have met me, I won't talk nonsense." Even if you don't give me money, I won't talk nonsense. I have a bottom line as a person, I will not be desperate for money, and I have no moral bottom line. I think! If a person has no moral bottom line, unless others don't know, otherwise! No one will dare to associate with them in the future. Isn't it? Who knows if he'll get me in the future? Isn't it?

If it was someone else, maybe? You give him the money, and he doesn't say it on the surface, but after receiving the money, he says the same. Of course! There are also people who don't! They don't say anything when they collect money, they say it if they don't collect money! This kind of person still has some bottom line. Isn't it? ”

"Yes, yes, yes! Kongqiu is taught! Kongqiu is taught! Confucius nodded again and again, and agreed.

"If it were the legendary Kongqiu, he wouldn't give me money!" The guard said again.

"Really?"

"Yes!" The guard replied, "What do you think?" This kind of bribery of others, would he, a sage and sage, do it? Isn't it? Legend has it that he adheres to principles. ”

"What do you mean? I? Not a principled person anymore? Not a sage anymore? ”

"Hehehe!" The guard laughed, "Quite the opposite! This is the man of the sages! ”

What do you mean by that? A person who does not adhere to principles is still a person who is truly a sage, and a person who adheres to principles is not a person who is a sage? ”

"Sticking to principles means sticking to what principles, not ......"

"And not what?" Confucius asked.

"Rather than sticking to superficial principles......"

"What do you mean by that?" Confucius asked anxiously.

He found that after he left the country of Lu, he came to the outside world, and it seemed that everyone knew more than him! The shopkeeper of Song Guokai's inn, a person who claims to be a Taoist, is so good that he has to obey. And when he came to Weiguo, even a guard in the Wei Palace knew more than him, and he could evaluate his life. What's going on?

Don't? I'm just a failure?

"I think Zhou Li? Weekly, huh? What does the law of kings provide? It's all superficial! It's all a rough rule, don't stick to it! And what is really beneficial, useful, and helpful to people, and it is true that people can get benefits! Isn't it?

For example! It sounds good, but in fact, it's just talking. You said? What's the point? For example, regulations! What is the use of the rules of the week, the laws of the kings, and the rules that are there, but no one obeys them? Isn't it?

So! The regulations and so on are useless. Be practical, it's true!

Take your weekly gift, for example! Self-denial! You said? What's the use of you trying to die so hard? Isn't it? What's the use of such a gift? Isn't it? Rite is a superficial form, isn't it? It's better to be practical and give me knife coins. Isn't it? ”

"This? I? ”

"What is the use of regulations? Isn't it? The weekly rites and the weekly system have been prescribed for hundreds of years, what is the use? Isn't it the same etiquette? Isn't it? So! The ceremonies you are talking about are the same as the weekly rites and the weekly system, they are all put on a show. You give me patriotic sword coins, it's true! Hey, hey, hey! ……”

"Me?" Confucius asked suspiciously, "Am I doing the right thing?" Bribe, you're still bribing right? ”

"Isn't it?" The guard added, "At least! I'm not going to betray you now! Hahaha......"

"You?"

"I'm joking with you! Just kidding! Just kidding! It is natural to collect money from others and eliminate disasters for others! Natural! ”

(End of chapter)