Chapter 804: 496 chapters, Zhuangzi sensed a hint of sourness in Zhao Wenwang's words

496 chapters, Zhuangzi sensed a hint of sourness in Zhao Wenwang's words.

493 chapters, Zhuangzi sensed a hint of sourness in Zhao Wenwang's words.

――――a red apricot branch sticking out of the wall.

The previous chapter was a minor interlude, **Confucius seeing his teacher Laozi in a small story. The meaning is to say that even Confucius, such a heavyweight figure called a sage by the people, could not be accepted by the people of that time, let alone those insignificant nobodies.

I've said too much; the preceding part seems to have several stories, yet lacks beginning and end. Some friends even complained. This is all my fault. I momentarily lost control of my train of thought, causing the article to nearly go off-topic. Cut the chatter. Moreover, the story continues with Zhuangzi meeting King Zhao; let's go on――――

King Zhao asked Zhuangzi, saying: "Sir, I only heard that Confucius studied the 'Classic of Poetry', 'Classic of Documents', 'Classic of Rites', 'Classic of Changes', 'Classic of Music', and 'Spring and Autumn Annals'—these are his petty tricks; I've never heard that Confucius studied any swordsmanship. Zhuangzi, you little brat, are you just sponging off meals?"

Zhuangzi sensed a hint of sourness in Zhao Wenwang's words, saying: "Eating for free, I dare not. Please, Your Majesty, hear me out in detail."

Within the four seas, the world is vast; one cannot finish speaking of all under heaven, nor exhaust viewing the heavenly scenery. You have not seen many things; what you have seen does not mean those things do not exist.

For example, the stars in the sky—on every clear night when we gaze far into the distance, we think we have seen all the stars in the heavens, but in fact the universe is vast; what we see is merely a fraction of its stars, and countless stars remain unseen in that universe. We sometimes suffer from narrow vision, taking what is before us as vast, acting clever, supposing we understand everything. A person considers himself remarkable, Laozi being the foremost under heaven. Such a person is sometimes like a spider in the corner of a library, in his own little web, arrogant and domineering, lost in solitary contemplation, extraordinarily pleased with himself. He may spend his whole life in that tiny corner, weaving his ideal net, born there, living there......

The outside world changes day by day; he will never see it, nor does he want to, nor does he bother to look far away. Such people always think they know a lot. If you say there is a bird in Africa called an ostrich that helps tend flocks of sheep, they would still consider it a ridiculous joke meant to deceive people......

"Enough, enough, please don't go on. No wonder everyone under heaven says you, Zhuangzi, are eloquent; today I have witnessed it. I only have one thing to say: you, Zhuangzi, took over the conversation and talked at great length. I asked you to speak of swordsmanship for me to hear, to demonstrate sword dancing for me to see, not to lecture me—what do you think you are, Zhuangzi, daring to drag on irrelevantly before the king?"

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty; I will now speak of swordsmanship to you.................."

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