Chapter 330: 423 pieces, remembering that wandering poet (part one)

423 pieces, remembering that wandering poet (part one)

423 pieces\remembering that wandering poet (part one)

______Walking with Love Part Sixty-six

One recalls Yu Qiuyu once said something like this: in ancient China, once a scholar made writing poetry and essays his profession, there was nothing remarkable about it. "Because the prestige of officials lies in office, not in literature; as literati, their side is insignificant in officialdom." By rights, Quyuan's office, though respectable, was merely that of Senior Minister of the Three Districts.

The so-called "Three Clans" refers to three households; a senior minister was equivalent to a professor (to Kongzi this would be a teacher, to Quyuan a trainer). And the position Quyuan held as trainer for those three households was not an ordinary one. Those three households were the Qu Clan, Jing Clan, and Zhao Clan who controlled Chu Guo's power during the Spring and Autumn-Warring States Period. To educate the offspring of such aristocratic families was naturally an outstanding person, and also a position highly respected at the time. Because he cultivated those who would become the pillars of the state. Quyuan's aspirations and ideals for governing and pacifying the state could be realized through his students.

Quyuan was also too happy, too honored. Yet Quyuan remained unsatisfied.

Quyuan thought nobody else in the world was capable; only I am!

"All the world is muddy, I alone am clear." This is a bit arrogant; putting it more seriously: too conceited! Conceited to the point of not recognizing oneself!

When a person lives to the point of not recognizing oneself, that is the worst time in his life.

Indeed, not bad; just as Quyuan's office grew higher and higher, he no longer recognized himself. Because of Quyuan's outstanding work achievements and exceptional talent, he gained the appreciation and heavy use of Chu Huai Wang: promoted from Senior Minister of the Three Districts to Left Assistant. Left Assistant was a high office in the Spring and Autumn period, a position where one could jointly discuss state affairs with the king.

Quyuan obtained such an office, yet remained unsatisfied; what he wanted was for Chu Huai Wang to heed and follow his words. Once, there was a person whose rank was higher than Quyuan's, called Shangguan Daifu, whom Quyuan offended. The reason for this offense was that Quyuan did not put him in his eyes.

Shangguan Daifu said angrily: "What's so great about you, Quyuan? Is it just because Huai Wang trusts you? Your vision has become big; your head is high, you look down on people? Even the things Huai Wang looks at, I also look after—what right do you have to not let me see them? Don't look at people through a crack in the door, making them look small—I'll give you a straight talk through the window: your office may not last forever! Let's wait and see! Who will live or die is still uncertain! One day, little-foot shoes, you'll wear them!"

In ancient times, the officialdom was nothing but scheming and intrigue, you deceiving me, I deceiving you. A slight carelessness, losing the black gauze hat is nothing; sometimes one even has to risk one's own life. Some say, "Because they disliked the small black gauze hat, they ended up wearing the cangue."

Because the saying "Because they disliked the small black gauze hat, they ended up wearing the cangue" was said by Cao Xueqin; when Cao Xueqin said this saying, the poet Quyuan had already been forced by those petty officials of the officialdom into the Miluo Jiang for nearly a thousand years; Cao Xueqin wished Quyuan had been born earlier, so as to tell him this saying, Quyuan could have lived a few more days and suffered less from the petty people's anger.

These petty people have nothing to do but pick on you all day; as for literati, their energy is not spent on this kind of quarreling. Quyuan didn't understand this, and I only today, over two thousand years later, know a little about it. This little bit of reasoning—I don't even know whether it's correct!

Quyuan was single-minded, unswerving to the end. Quyuan said: "Let's go and see who's right. I'm not afraid of you wearing little-foot shoes! Please go ahead!"

After Quyuan finished speaking, he left.

"Quyuan, you're doomed!" The Shangguan Daifu whom Quyuan had offended, saying this, walked away angrily……………………………….

That petty official, Shangguan Daifu, while walking, plotted how to "deal with" Quyuan. In wartime, it was about using swords and spears to kill the enemy; in a peaceful environment, to put someone in a deadly situation, one secretly spreads lies about others.

After Shangguan Daifu went back, he fabricated a bundle of lies to tell Chu Huai Wang. Who would have thought Chu Huai Wang actually believed that petty person's words………………………………………………………………………………

(Heart with the disaster area, emotion with the disaster area: may peace, courage, confidence, and strength be with the people of the disaster area, accompanying them!)