Chapter 820: 511 Chapters, the Flower-Crowned Maiden and Kongzi

511 chapters, the flower-crowned maiden and Kongzi...

511 chapters, the flower-crowned maiden and Kongzi...

――――A branch of red apricot extending over the wall

Zhuangzi said to King Wen of Zhao that the swords of the feudal lords and the Son of Heaven differ hardly at all; when wielded they possess the force of thunder and the might to overturn mountains and seas; within the four seas and among the five continents, nothing can resist them, all submit..................................................

King Wen of Zhao listened as Zhuangzi spoke of the feudal lords' swords, saying they were just as mighty as the Son of Heaven's sword; thereupon he longed for the feudal lords' swords, thinking, 'When will I ever obtain such a feudal lord's sword?' As King Zhao thought this, his heart grew a little more disappointed.

Because he had only heard of it; in fact, he had never seen any feudal lord's sword.

Although King Wen of Zhao was called the Son of Heaven, in fact at that time he was merely the ruler of a feudal state.

The State of Zhao was a relatively large feudal state among the many feudal states of the time.

During the Spring and Autumn-Warring States Period, the big and small, miscellaneous feudal states numbered over 1oo. After several rounds of war and smoke, with mutual annexation and the big swallowing the small, by the time of King Wen of Zhao only seven relatively large feudal states remained: Qin, Qi, Chu, Wei, Zhao, Han, and Yan. Those small feudal states were all annexed by the large ones.

Moreover, even now these seven feudal states are still seeking opportunities to annex each other.

This is why King Wen of Zhao painstakingly seeks an invincible sword under heaven. His aim is to dominate the feudal lords, annex other feudal states, or prevent other feudal states from annexing Zhao.

This is humanity—people who are never satisfied, forever in a state of vigilance.

I write these things—are they annoying, a bit boring? A friend might say, 'Can't you let us relax a bit and write about something else, like talking about the beauty of the flower crowns of youthful maidens, like the final outcome of a love triangle?'

Isn't this not boring? What is there to talk about? Nobody is just making up stories randomly. However, some people will fabricate, racking their brains, spilling their hearts and blood, trying to attract attention; others do not fabricate, and reading them makes people weary.

A work that makes people weary is a good one. The more convoluted and bizarre the story, the greater the falsehood; a work that makes people weary must be a true reflection of the author's inner self, like an uncarved jade possessing a natural beauty.

I want to reveal human nature through these made-up stories of mine—what is human nature? Friend, if you slowly read my stories, you will naturally understand..................................................

Writing this, I recalled Zhuangzi's senior fellow student, Kongzi.

Just as Zhuangzi was boastfully lecturing King Wen of Zhao about the Son of Heaven's sword and the feudal lords' swords, Kongzi sat at home with nothing to do, no one to talk to, dispelling his loneliness.

Also very boring.

Then Kongzi muttered to himself, 'Nobody understands me!' Just as he said that, Zigong, who happened to be passing by, overheard.

Zigong thought, 'The master is spouting nonsense again—how could nobody understand you?'

Thus Zigong said to Kongzi, 'Master, stop sighing to yourself; devote some energy to studying punctuation. If you research punctuation well and get the definitions right, more people will understand you!'

Kongzi said, 'I do not resent heaven, nor blame others; I learn good rites, write well, be a good person, keep a good mood. Do the wise know heaven?'

(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!)