Zi said: "Yidi has a king, not as good as Zhuxia." ”

didn't wait for Le Ge to ask, Zeng Shen explained: "Mr. said: In those countries around the Great Zhou, the quality of the people is too poor. Although they have a monarch to govern, it is not enough to reach the time when we do not have a monarch here, and the overall quality of the people is high. Why? It's because they lack education and don't know how to read and be polite. ”

"What do you mean by putting this sentence here?" Lege asked.

"This?"

"Do you want to say: edification?"

"Yes! Uncle Le! Zeng Shen said: "It is precisely because they are not educated that their quality is low." It's that chaotic over there, even more chaotic than we have here. Combined with the above, so this paragraph must be put here! ”

"Hmmm! Then read on! ”

"Good!" Zeng Shen agreed.

Ji's brigade in Mount Tai. Zi Wei Ran You said: "Can you save it? He said, "No." Zi said: "Woohoo! It used to be called Mount Tai, but it is not as good as the forest! ”

"What do you mean?"

Zeng Shen explained: "The Ji Sun clan went to worship Mount Tai. At that time, the Zhou Dynasty had a rule: only the Son of Heaven and the princes were qualified to worship the famous mountains and rivers. Therefore, Confucius said to Ran You: Didn't you try to dissuade him? Ran You said: Persuaded! It didn't work out. Confucius said, "Alas! Could it be that the Ji Sun clan who sacrificed to the god of Mount Tai was not as good as Lin Fangzhili? ”

"Lin Fang? Is Lin Fang a student of your husband? Le Ge asked.

"Sort of!" Zeng Shen said: "He is from Lu!" Consulted sir. Although he did not formally apprentice, he respected Mr. as a teacher. ”

"Oh!"

Ran You: The surname Ran Mingqiu, the character Yes, was born in 522 BC, 29 years younger than Confucius, and was also a student of Confucius. At that time, he was a retainer of the Ji family, so Confucius rebuked him.

Zeng Shen continued to read his arrangement of the Analects.

Zi said: "The gentleman has nothing to fight. Will shoot too! Let it go up, go down and drink, and its contention is also a gentleman. ”

"What do you mean?" Lege asked.

The gentleman said, "A gentleman has nothing to fight with others." If anything, it's an archery competition. When playing, make concessions to each other before going on the field. After ejaculating, they beat each other and retreated, and then went to the hall to drink. This is the battle of gentlemen. The battle of gentlemen should be a struggle of ability, not a struggle for fame and fortune. ”

"Why fight with others in archery?" Lege asked.

Zeng Shen said: "The Zhou system stipulates 'archery', and archery is also the content stipulated in the syllabus of the Zhou Dynasty. In fact! The fight is not for the skill level of archery, but for the share! ”

"Share?"

"Share means fame, qualification, and status."

"Oh?"

Zeng Shen further explained: "Only if you have this ability, can you have this qualification and status!" Participating in the salute is an affirmation of a person's ability. But! Mr. said! In fact: the salute has become a vanity fair for some people to compete for fame and fortune. So! This is the sigh of the gentleman! ”

"Oh?"

Zixia asked: "'Clever smile, beautiful eyes, always thought gorgeous'." What is it? Zi said: "Paint the aftermath." He said, "After the ceremony? Zi said: "The giver is also a businessman, and the words and poems have been carried out." ”

"What do you mean?" Lege asked.

Zeng Shen translated: "Zixia asked Confucius: There is such a sentence in the "Book of Songs, Weifeng, Shuoren": 'The smile is so good-looking, the beautiful eyes are so bright, and you can dress up with plain powder.'" What does that mean? Confucius said: This is to say, just like painting, first have a white background and then paint, and the effect will come out. Zixia asked again: So, does it mean that benevolence is the foundation, and a person can only understand etiquette if he has benevolence first? Confucius said: You are really the one who can inspire me, Zi Xia! Now I can discuss the Book of Songs with you. ”

"Oh?" Le Ge nodded with satisfaction, feeling that Zixia was really brainy.

Zi said: "Xia Liwu can speak, but it is not enough; Yin Liwu can say, Song is not enough. The literature is insufficient. Enough, then I can ask for it. ”

"What do you mean?"

"Sir, we're talking about inheritance here!"

"Legacy?"

"Mr. said: I know the etiquette of the Xia Dynasty, I can say it. But now! Its descendants, the people of Qiguo, are few who are familiar with the summer rites, and there is not enough to prove my words; I know the courtesy of the Yin Dynasty, I can say it. But now! Its descendants, the Song people, are less familiar with Yin Li, and there is not enough to prove my words. This is all due to the fact that there are not many people who are familiar with Xia Li and Yin Li in written materials. If that's enough, I can prove it. ”

"Oh?"

"Sir sighed! If only there was a clear lineage! So! Mr. asked Yan Hui to write a book for him, and then he desperately burned ancient books! ”

"Huh?" Le Ge responded: "It turns out that Confucius asked Yan Hui to copy books and burn ancient books, which is what he meant!" It's for inheritance! Save Ancient Books! Don't let ancient books go away. Only by burning more, can there be a chance of preserving. ”

"Yes! Uncle Le! Zeng Shen said.

"Actually! There is another meaning in which Confucius said this. That's what you mean: you put it here! Le Ge said.

"Uncle Le! You say! ”

"Your husband's words mean not only inheritance, but also that! What you want to say is, Mr. Confucius, is: He is not lying! He spoke for a reason. What he means by saying this is: Believe what he says! That's what it means! ”

"Yes! Uncle Le! He once replied: "That's what I mean when I put him here!" Otherwise! It's all Mr. Complaining, isn't it? How to write only the words of Mr. complaint, then! Others will misunderstand that Mr. knows how to repay grievances. And also! What are you complaining about? Why do you want to complain? Isn't it? ”

"Good!" Lege applauded.

After Zeng Shen's interpretation, it seems that the previous words are not scattered, and there is a cohesive force suddenly.

The two began to drink tea, after which Zeng Shen continued to read.

Zi said: "Yu, I don't want to look at those who have been poured into the past." Or ask. Zi said: "I don't know." Those who know what they say are also in the world, and they are like showing them? "Finger it. Sacrifice as it is, sacrifice to God as God is. Zi said: "I don't sacrifice, if I don't sacrifice." ”

"What do you mean?"

Zeng Shen translated: "Sir said: As for the ritual of performing the ceremony, I have not been willing to watch it since the first time I offered wine. ”

"Oh?"

禘: pronounced dì, a ceremony that can only be performed by the Son of Heaven to worship ancestors.

Someone asked him what are the rules for holding the ritual and how to perform the ceremony. The gentleman said, "I don't know." Only the Son of Heaven can hold sacrifices, and those who know this rule should know how to govern the world! It will be as easy to govern the world as it is to put this thing here! Confucius said as he pointed to his palm. ”

"Oh?" The song should be harmonious.

Confucius thought that the sacrifices of the Lu State were not worth seeing. The question is not about the rules and how to do it. Rather, it said: Those who are not the Son of Heaven can also go to the sacrifice, which is not in accordance with the regulations!

Over here! Show his displeasure! Dissatisfied with the behavior of the people at that time! It's not that "people who know this kind of rule should know how to govern the world!" It will be as easy to govern the world as it is to put this thing here"! That's angry talk!

Zeng Shen continued: "Sacrificing ancestors is like ancestors really in front of them, and worshipping gods is like gods really being in front of them. Confucius said: If I don't personally participate in the sacrifice, it is the same as not holding the sacrifice. ”

Worshipping ancestors and ghosts and gods is as if ancestors and ghosts are really in front of you, not thinking that ghosts and gods really exist, but emphasizing that those who participate in the sacrifice should have pious feelings in their hearts. From this point it can be seen that Confucius advocated that the sacrificial activities carried out were mainly moral rather than religious.