Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 253 Kong Ru's Opportunity (4K2)

In the academy in Qufu, there was a strong smell of blood in the air.

The reason for this strange smell is that the Confucian disciples who just participated in the suppression of the rebellion are gathering here to report safety to each other.

Almost everyone in the big guy was injured, even if he was lucky and not injured, the clothes and armor on his body were covered with dust and blood, looking black and red, and only felt dirty.

The old Confucius, who used to be kind and gentle, was sitting on the apricot altar with his eyes closed, resting his mind with a tired face. His sleeves were cut through a few holes at some point, revealing his firm muscles. .

Seeing this, the students in the audience wanted to ask the master if they needed a change of clothes, but in the end, no one dared to ask.

There's no way, it's not that they are timid, but the deterrent power of Master's current appearance is too amazing.

Although the master is known as a gentleman of courtesy, the word gentleman is a compliment to the character and knowledge of the master.

As for the face of the master, it really has nothing to do with the words 'gentle and moist as jade'.

Even if you asked Shang Qu to evaluate it, he would only dare to say that 'the skeleton is different from ordinary people, it is actually born with different phases'.

Let Zaiyu and Zigong, two eloquent "sycophants" describe it, and it can only be said that "the master's appearance is like a goat farting—it has a masculine (sheep anus) air."

As for the description of the master by the descendants of later generations, let alone martial arts.

Xunzi even directly put this sentence in the book: Zhongni looks like a mask.

The so-called Mengba is a statue that is invited out when the New Year comes to drive away the plague ghosts and pray for the coming year.When going out for funerals, in order to scare away lonely ghosts, Meng Ling will also be invited out.

Just from the function of the mask, the big guys should be able to guess what this thing looks like.

With a ferocious appearance, coupled with a burly body like a mountain, and the bloody weapons placed beside him.

There was also a group of students who looked equally vicious in the audience, who almost had the words 'all villains' written on their faces.

Ordinary people pass by the entrance of the academy, knowing that this is the classroom of Confucius in Qufu.

I don't know, but I thought it was a gathering of some armed and violent association in Lu State.

While the students were whispering and discussing who would come forward to add clothes to the teacher, Zilu came in from the door with two arrows stuck in his chest.

Seeing Zilu dressed like this, Kong Li asked in surprise, "Zilu, are you injured?"

Hearing this, Zilu just grabbed the arrow in his chest sullenly, and pulled it out violently.

Everyone looked around, only to find that Zilu was wearing two layers of armor. Although the arrow passed through the first layer, it did not hurt his skin.

Seeing this, Kong Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He said: "It's good that you didn't get hurt. This time, Yang Hu rebelled. Some students died in the rebellion. When we saw that you didn't arrive, we thought something happened to you too."

Zilu said unhappily: "The thieves who ruined the country also wanted to kill the loyal people? Let's not talk about this. I heard that Ziwo was sent by the king to chase Yanghu. Did he catch up?"

Kong Li shook his head and said, "I overtook him, but Yang Hu was cunning and let him escape in the end."

"Huh? Yang Hu ran away?!"

When Zilu heard this, he thrust his sword into the ground angrily.

"If I had known, I would have chased after him with my son!"

As soon as the words were finished, the Master, who had been resting with his eyes closed just now, opened them.

"Yuah! What's wrong with you? You just defeated Yang Hu, and everyone is happy, why are you angry?"

When Zilu heard his master mentioning his name, he didn't hide it, but said sadly.

"Once upon a time I asked you: 'What should one do with an enemy who kills one's parents?'

You replied: 'Take a shield as a pillow and sleep on a straw mat.If you don't share the sky with your enemies, if you don't take revenge, you will never be an official.Always carry weapons with you. Whether you meet an enemy in the market or in the government office, you must immediately take out your weapon to fight him, and you don't have to go home to get it. '

I asked again: 'How should one treat an enemy who kills a brother? '

You said: 'If you become an official, you will not be an official in the same country as your enemy.If you are sent as an envoy to the country where your enemy is, even if you meet him, you cannot fight him.In other cases, you should fight with it. '

I asked again: 'Then how should we treat enemies who killed distant relatives? '

You said: 'Don't take the lead. If the relatives of the victim avenge him, you can accompany him with a weapon to assist. '

Now, the younger brother in my family died in the war because of Yang Hu's rebellion.

And among my distant relatives, some people were injured and died because of being involved in the incident.

Therefore, I originally planned to follow your teachings and go to a duel with Yang Hu to avenge Brother Kun and his relatives.

However, when Zi Wo was chasing Yang Hu, I failed to eliminate the rebels at the South Gate in time, so I didn't have time to follow Zi Wo to kill the enemy, thus allowing Yang Hu to escape.

I am hating myself for being incompetent! "

When Confucius heard this, he nodded his head slightly to express his approval, "It's enough for you to have such thoughts."

When Zilu heard this, he was still depressed.

"These things I said are just empty words. Why should the master praise me? The enemy escaped, but I couldn't kill him. Could it be that the souls of my relatives will forgive me for not being able to do so because of my three or two words?" Was it an act of revenge for them?"

After Zilu finished speaking, before Confucius could speak, Zi Gong who was beside him answered instead.

"Zilu, you haven't understood what the master wants to express!"

Zilu was puzzled, "What kind of meaning is Master trying to express?"

Zigong said: "Have you forgotten? In the past, the master told us about the process of funeral arrangements.

The Master said: "There is no fixed standard for funerals. It should be done according to the family's wealth and poverty.

If the family is rich, they must follow the etiquette when they are buried.

If the family is not rich, as long as the body of the deceased can be covered with clothes or quilts, and the coffin is suspended by ropes for burial, even if it is such a simple burial, who will blame you for being rude?
Therefore, in holding a funeral, it is better to have insufficient etiquette and more mourning than to have insufficient mourning and complete etiquette.

In holding sacrificial offerings, it is better to lack etiquette and have more respect than to have insufficient respect and complete etiquette. '

Years ago, Yanling Jizi of Wu State visited Qi State. On the way back, his son died between Yingdi and Bodi of Qi State.

In order to learn the process of Yanling Jizi presiding over the funeral, the master even spent several days making a special trip to watch the ceremony.

When Yanling Jizi buried his son in his usual clothes, the pit in his son's tomb was not deep enough to see the water, and there was no burial vessel.

After burial, the length and width of the mound just covered the pit, and the height was just above the elbow.

After the tomb was finished, Yanling Jizi bared his left arm, walked around the tomb from right to left, and cried three times, saying: "Flesh and blood return to the soil, this is fate!"Your soul is omnipresent, omnipotent! '

After speaking, Yanling Jizi set off to return home.

However, for such a simple funeral, the Master commented: "The funeral hosted by Yanling Jizi is very in line with the etiquette system. '

However, when our country holds such a grand sacrificial ceremony, the Master said: "I don't want to watch the ceremony of offering sacrifices after the first wine offering." '

The reason, what is the reason?

This is because Yanling Jizi presided over the funeral for his son. Although the process was simple and the ceremonies and utensils used were simple, his grief for his son's death was fully expressed.

However, although the festivals held in our country are grand in scale and involve a large number of people, the utensils and various rituals used are also complete and complicated.

But after the first wine offering, all the monarchs and ministers who participated in the sacrifice were slack.

Although the ceremony is still there, those complicated etiquettes and lengthy procedures have become superficial words.

The participants didn't have the slightest reverence in their hearts, so the master said that after the first wine offering, he didn't want to watch it any more.

Your desire to avenge your relatives is now fully expressed.

Although Yang Hu was able to escape, but at that time you were doing your best for the country and fulfilling your mission, so how can Yang Hu's escape be blamed on you?
Besides, now that you have such a strong desire to kill Yang Hu, is it possible that when you meet Yang Hu in the future, will he still successfully escape from your hands? "

After Zigong finished speaking, Zilu finally felt better.

He embarrassedly apologized to Zi Gong: "So that's how it is. From this point of view, I was so angry before, but I seemed to have a small temper."

He glanced at the Confucian disciples in the courtyard where almost everyone was wounded, and bowed his hands to everyone.

"Before, it was my lack of consideration that made everyone worry."

As soon as Zilu finished speaking, he heard the sound of wheels turning outside the door.

Zaiyu, Shen Sui, and Ran Qiu jumped out of the car one by one and walked into the school.

As soon as Zaiyu saw Zilu, he asked without thinking, "Zilu, are you interested in becoming Feiyi Zai?"

"Fei Yi?" Zilu heard these three words, and Monk Zhang Er couldn't figure it out: "The Ji family returned Fei Yi to the monarch?"

After hearing this, Ran Qiu laughed: "Fei Yi is the place where the Ji clan gathers, how can the Ji clan be handed over to the office for management?"

Zilu was puzzled and said, "If I didn't hand it over to the office, then what kind of Feiyi magistrate should I be?"

Shen Ying said, "My son, I am asking if you are interested in becoming Ji's retainer."

When Zilu heard this, he couldn't figure it out even more: "Zi, if I invite me to be a retainer, then I will also be a retainer of the Zai clan. Besides, I am a servant of the public office, why should I go to become a retainer of the Ji clan? "

Zai Yu laughed and said, "Isn't it because of Yang Hu's troubles? Ji Zi still has lingering fears because of Yang Hu's rebellion. Most of the humble people like us contributed to the country's suppression of the rebellion.

And most of those concubine sons and offshoots of the Ji clan chose to follow Yang Hu in rebellion.

Therefore, Ji Zi felt that instead of appointing those retainers whose ancestors had served Ji's family for generations, it would be better to use us Confucian scholars who studied poetry and abided by etiquette.

But now, Fei Yi's chancellor, Gongshan, has made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, and is about to be promoted to Ji's family chancellor, so the position of Fei Yi's chancellor is vacant.

Therefore, Ji Zi asked me earlier if there was any suitable candidate to recommend.After thinking about it, among us disciples of Confucianism, the only one who is capable of serving as the governor of Feiyi is probably only you who belong to both political affairs and military affairs.

How about it, Zilu, are you interested in serving the Ji clan? "

As soon as Zaiyu finished saying this, all the Confucian disciples present brightened their eyes.

Although this passage seems to be on the surface, Zai Yu replaced Ji Sunsi and invited Zilu to be Fei Yi Zai.

But in fact, intentionally or unintentionally, the news that the Ji family intends to use Hanwei scholars on a large scale was released.

It's not that Ji Sunsi suddenly had a big brain hole, but that Yang Hu really scared him.

If it is said that the state affairs of the State of Lu are controlled by Sanhuan, then Sanhuan's housekeeping is actually jointly controlled by several powerful retainer families.

Within the Ji clan, there are several Ji clans such as the Gongshan clan, the Gongfu clan, the Gongxi clan, the Gongyi clan, the Qin clan, and the Yang clan.

The ancestors of these families were all the bastards of the Ji family.

When the main line of the Ji family is strong, they and the Ji family will achieve mutual success, but when the main line is declining, it is easy to cause things like the Yanghu Rebellion.

If these branches that are deeply rooted in the Ji clan are appointed, another Yanghu will be formed when Baobuqi is not complete.

And the appointment of poor scholars can avoid the occurrence of doves occupying magpies' nests to the greatest extent.

Because this is like starting a company. The Ji family used to belong to a family business, and the management was all his three aunts and four uncles.

If the management is not good, and you are not easy to hold accountable, over time, it is easy to go bankrupt.

If it is managed properly, it is easy to be diluted by these original shareholders who are related to each other.

Now, appointing poor people is like hiring a professional manager to manage a company on his behalf.

If the business is doing well, at most, more wages and dividends will be paid.

If the management is not good, there is no psychological burden if you just kick it away.

Although professional managers are far inferior to shareholders, for most Confucian disciples, buddies used to dig out food from the ground and eat when they were hungry.

Now that I have the opportunity to change my fate against the sky, sit in the office chair run by the president, and become a golden-collar white-collar worker, what more bicycle do I need?

After all, Zaiyu's way of making a fortune can only be achieved by combining the right time, place and people.

Except for the chosen ones like Zaiyu, the top-notch low-ranking scholars can at most become masters.

Although the master's father was Shu Lianghe, the doctor of Zouyi, but the master himself was a bastard and was not recognized as a bastard, so he did not inherit even a single bit of inheritance.

The master relied on his mother's education when he was young, and sharpened his knowledge through work-study programs when he was young.

After reaching the crown, first relying on his knowledge of mathematics, he helped others as an accountant in exchange for some money and food.

Later, I found a position as a subordinate clerk in the office to look after the warehouse, and worked while studying. I had the cheek to visit scholars from various countries who came to the state of Lu and ask them for advice.

After saving some savings, he took a bus to Chengzhou to learn from Chang Hong and Lao Tzu.

The master worked so hard day and night to study, and his fame slowly spread when he was in his 30s.

But at this time, in order to cultivate his own power to attack Sanhuan, the first emperor Zhaogong invited a man of courtesy like Master to become an official, and let him serve as the governor of Zhongdu.

With my master's talent and hard work, I have to learn to be 30 years old, and I have to encounter opportunities before I have a chance to make a fortune.

But now, the Ji clan suddenly opened his arms to all those with low aspirations, how could this make everyone not tempted?

Everyone showed joy on their faces, and felt that their waists were no longer sore and their legs were no longer hurting, and even the wounds on their bodies looked lovely.

After Zilu figured out the cause and effect, he also wavered.

Although he is now a sergeant in the office, the next level up is a doctor.

But everyone knows that from a sergeant to a doctor, it is a natural barrier.

There are only two people in the Lu Kingdom who can cross this threshold with military exploits in recent decades.

One is Zaiyu, and the other is the master's father, Shulianghe who raised Chengguan.

Should he continue to stay in the office and wait for the opportunity, or should he go and get Fei Yizai who is at his fingertips?

Zilu felt that he was facing the most difficult decision in his life.

　There are more monthly tickets today than yesterday, this is hope.

　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)