The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 211: Once you return to freedom, you will be happy forever
When Ying Chengjiao heard the word "消" (disappear) meaning "dissipate", he realized that something was wrong, and he couldn't help but look serious both in his heart and on his face.

After listening to Wei Mouzi's speech, he saw Wei Mouzi looking at him with a smile but without saying a word. He gently tapped his forehead three times, and thought about what Wei Mouzi said, and said:
"If the cessation of trembling is not a state or a condition.

“It’s a process, an action.

"Zhuangzi's article is not about explaining the beauty of freedom, but about teaching how to be free from worry.

“That’s just as you said.

"The reason why a quail cannot fly 10,000 meters high is due to its own habits and its natural state.

“It’s perfectly normal not to understand Peng.

“But the quail is not inferior to the roc; the quail and the roc are essentially the same.

“Shake off all external things and return to one’s true self. This is what Zhuangzi wants to tell the world.”

Wei Mou's eyes were filled with joy and he nodded repeatedly. The more he looked at Ying Chengjiao, the happier he became.

Few people are willing to learn Zhuangzi's teachings.

Even fewer people study Zhuangzi's teachings and can understand them.

Ying Chengjiao's performance made Wei Mou feel sympathy for his talent.

Wei Mou said sincerely:

“Yes, that’s the truth.

"Yingzi has a very high understanding of Zhuangzi's teachings. You can consider studying Zhuangzi's teachings in depth."

Turning his head, the old man asked with a smile:
"Huh, do you understand?"

Hu shook his head and asked:

“I don’t understand.

"Scold the quail for not flying high, and question the roc for flying high.

"Isn't what Zhuangzi said trying to persuade people to be like the great peng instead of the little sparrow?
“Only when the great roc spreads its wings and flies high can it transcend the waves.

"How can the quail, which is only wandering among the branches and grass, be able to get rid of the swaying?"

Wei Mou looked at him with a serious expression and confusion in his eyes, and felt that Ying Chengjiao was a good candidate.

In the Jixia Academy, those who studied Zhuangzi's teachings belonged to the second-to-last tier.

This is because most people have misunderstandings about Zhuangzi's teachings.

When they follow Wei Mou and learn the true teachings of Zhuangzi, most of them will leave, and it will be a blessing if only one or two remain.

Students who had just begun to learn Zhuangzi's teachings did not come to the next class, so that when Wei Mou taught, most of the students in the class were new faces.

"Since Yingzi knows, then let Yingzi tell you." Wei Mou raised his hand to signal, with hidden expectation: "In the field of teaching, Yingzi is much better than me."

Ying Chengjiao apologized with a wry smile, lowered his head, pondered, and organized his words.

When he looked up, he was met with inquiring eyes.

Ying Chengjiao pointed at himself and said:

"I was born a prince of the Qin Kingdom. My food, clothing, and shelter are far superior to those of ordinary people."

Pointing and calling:
"You were not born a prince, so can you tell me how I eat, wear and live in Qin?"

Hu shook his head. How could he say that?
Ying Chengjiao said again:
"So, do you think you deserve to be looked down upon?"

Hu shook his head again.

Didn't he know that it was normal for a prince of Qin to eat, wear and live? Why was he despised?
When Hu's head stopped shaking, he saw his master looking at him with a smile.

Looking at the encouraging look in his lord's eyes, an inspiration flashed through Hu's mind.

He caught it quickly, widened his eyes, and blurted out:

"I am Chiyu, and my master is Peng!

"I don't understand why my master shouldn't be despised, and Chiyu doesn't understand why Peng shouldn't be despised either!"

Wei Mou clapped his hands and said "Cheers", smiling and praising:
“Yingzi’s lectures are as high as the sky.

"Confucius teaches students according to their aptitude, and Yingzi teaches students according to their personality. They have the same purpose."

Ying Chengjiao waved his hands repeatedly, not daring to accept such praise:
“Confucius studied the nature and nature of man. He could see what people were good at learning and teach them what they were good at.

"I just spend a lot of time with Hu, understand him a little, and can teach according to his life experience.

“There’s nothing commendable about that.”

Wei Mou was very satisfied with Ying Chengjiao's humble behavior. He praised him repeatedly and nodded.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If Ying Chengjiao responded to the compliment with an arrogant look on his face, Wei Mou would think that a young man should have such ambition.

The old man smiled with his eyes narrowed into slits, and pointed at the two characters "Xiaoyao" on the table that were about to be eaten away by the wind:
"Please continue, Yingzi. These two words are the most important."

Ying Chengjiao first said to the old man, "That kid is showing off his skills in front of an expert," and then he said to Hu:
"You were not born a prince, can you become one through your own efforts?"

"No." Hu thought for a moment and replied.

He was not thinking about the problem itself, but about "becoming a prince".

He had never expected so much from himself in his life.

So much so that even when hearing hypothetical questions, it takes some time for the brain to react.

Ying Chengjiao looked directly at him and called out:

"It's not your fault that you can't become a prince, just like it's not the fault of the quail that it can't become a roc.

“Only if you are born as a Kun can you become a Peng.

"Some things are either born with or without."

Ying Chengjiao paused to give Hu time to react.

After a moment, seeing Hu nodded with a look of understanding in his eyes, the young man continued:
"Zhuangzi said that the Mingling of Chu regarded five hundred years as the Spring and Autumn Period, and the ancient Dachun regarded eight thousand years as the Spring and Autumn Period.

"The longest-lived person was none other than Peng Zu, who lived for 800 years.

“Comparing Peng Zu’s lifespan to Ming Ling and Da Chun, it is also a very sad thing.

"I originally thought that Zhuangzi was saying that Peng Zu was pathetic, but after listening to Wei Mouzi's words, I realized that Zhuangzi was talking about the pathetic nature of 'comparing life spans'.

“Just like I have been accustomed to seeing exotic treasures and eating wild delicacies since I was a child.

"If you compare these with me, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

"You and I are admiring rare treasures together. I can tell you the quality of the treasure and how much it is worth, but you can't tell me anything.

"When the people who serve us see this, they praise me for my erudition and ridicule you for your ignorance. Will you care?"

If Hu hadn't heard what the master said, he would still care.

After listening to what the lord said, I understood the truth.

He shook his head without hesitation, indicating that he didn't care.

Ying Chengjiao nodded, indicating that he believed it, and said:

"If one person says you don't care, what about ten people? What about a hundred people?
"What about a thousand people, ten thousand people, or even the whole world?"

Hu Chizhi didn't shake his head. Thinking about how everyone in the world was mocking him, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat on his forehead.

There was a trace of panic on his face, and he smiled bitterly:

“There’s no way I wouldn’t care.

"If that's the case, I might as well die."

"What does the outside world think of you have to do with it?" Ying Chengjiao asked back, "Why should I care about other people's opinions?"

Hu suddenly thought of the last lesson taught by my teacher.

Everyone has a world.

In your own world, you are the center and the most important thing.

The teacher's voice, smile and appearance flashed through my mind. With tears in my eyes, I completely understood this truth at this moment.

"I think I understand what the master means, but I can't do it." He wiped his eyes and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint the master. I can't completely ignore the voices and opinions of the outside world. I can't calm down."

Ying Chengjiao looked at Hu, whose tears suddenly welled up, smiled calmly, and shook his head:
“I’m not disappointed.”

On the table, the two words "Xiao Yao" disappeared without a trace and were carried away to the ends of the earth by the wind.

Wei Mou looked at the clear sky, as if he saw his old friend Zhuang Zhou who was living in seclusion in the valley and enjoying himself.

He was much younger than Zhuang Zhou at first, but now he looks older than Zhuang Zhou.

The old man's eyes were like crescent moons, and he said gently:

"Zhuangzi will not be disappointed because you cannot be free from turmoil, but will only think about how to help you be free from turmoil." The old man looked at the young man sideways:

"After listening to Yingzi's explanation, I want to say a few more words to Yingzi.

"The gap between the quail and the roc cannot be changed.

“But the difference between people who live in the village and those who travel thousands of miles away is not that big.

“People who live in the village don’t see as much as those who travel thousands of miles.

"So people who live in the village should all travel thousands of miles away? Should people who don't want to travel thousands of miles away and just want to stay in the village be laughed at?
"no.

“Some people are willing to live in the village, while others are willing to travel thousands of miles.

"This is a difference in choice between the two people, there is no right or wrong.

“So-called right and wrong all come from people.

"It comes from the benevolence, righteousness, propriety and music established by people, and from the so-called morality and laws.

"Anyone who steals a hook jade is a thief and shall be executed.

“A man who steals a country becomes a prince.

"Benevolence, righteousness, rites, music, morality, and laws are merely tools for rulers to rule the world.

"It is none other than the princes of various countries that bring about the chaos.

"The so-called emperor is the common leader elected by the people of the world, and is the person whom the people respect for their own benefit.

“Now the princes of various countries treat their people like slaves and do nothing to benefit the people.

“Although they claim to be kings, they are not kings.”

It seemed that the old man had not made such outrageous remarks for a long time.

He was so excited that he raised his hands high and expressed his thoughts on the late Zhuangzi:

“In today’s world.

“The bodies of the murdered were piled on top of each other, the prisoners in handcuffs and shackles were lying next to each other, and the victims of torture were everywhere.

“Isn’t it ridiculous that Confucianism and Mohism are arguing vigorously in chains and fetters?

"You have no conscience, no sense of shame, to have reached this point!

"To end this dark age, everyone should live in seclusion, so that they can escape the law and avoid disasters and ensure their own safety.

"In this way, the emperor will not have ministers, and the princes will not have friends.

“If the emperor has no ministers, he will have no one to carry out his orders, and he will not be able to persecute the people.

“If the princes have no friends, they will have no one to help them, and they will not be able to enslave the people under their rule.

"Is the emperor still the emperor without his ministers?

"Are princes still princes without friends?

"Without the emperor and princes, there would be no chaos and destruction.

"Without an emperor, the world will return to its most primitive and simple state, and operate according to the Tao.

“What is the Tao then?

“Tao is the source of the creation and development of all things in the world.

“The Way is the thing.

"Every flower, grass, tree, person, pig, cow, horse, sheep, sky and earth are Tao.

"When the Tao moves, things move, giving birth to the heavens and the earth and all things.

“At this time, there is no human interference.

"If everything is carried out according to the Tao and nature, then eliminating the sway will not be a difficult matter."

The old man spoke too many words in one breath and his breathing became a little difficult. He held onto the table and gasped for a long time.

Hu stepped forward to support the old man and advised anxiously:

"I understand. I know what Xiaoyao is. Wei Mouzi doesn't need to say more."

Wei Mouzi gasped and looked sideways.

His eyes were like two stars with flames burning in them.

He spoke freely, like a spark that started a prairie fire.

Ying Chengjiao, who had been sitting quietly, began breathing faster. He also had a spark of hope.

But the time has not come yet, so the prairie fire cannot spread.

The old man sat down, laughed and said:
"Huh! You don't understand yet!
"I know your temper. In the days ahead, you will force yourself to not care about other people's opinions and try to calm down.

“But the more you insist on trying to get rid of the sway, the less likely you are to get rid of the sway.

“This is called the empty being the empty burden.

“Those who pursue emptiness will be bound by their excessive attachment to the state of emptiness.

“Wanting to not care about anything is also a kind of caring, understand?
“But if you don’t want to calm down now and still care so much about what people think of you, you will fall into desire.

“This is called the desire for the sake of desire.

“Human desires are endless.

“People who are driven by desires will fall into danger because of the unlimited expansion of desires.

“Blindly pursuing desires, even if there is no danger, will only trap oneself in endless pursuit and prevent one from obtaining true satisfaction and happiness.

“I’ll use the greatest desire in the world as an inappropriate example.

“Everyone wants to be the emperor, but there is only one emperor, and those who fail in the fight for the throne will end up dead.

"Huh, don't be a slave to desire."

When Ying Chengjiao heard this, he felt that if Wei Mouzi were born in modern times, he would be very pleased with the increasing tendency of people to lie flat in society.

If you can’t roll it up, don’t roll it up.

No one wants to get involved, let's see what the capital will do in the end.

Ying Chengjiao was deeply touched and Hu was confused.

Don’t let yourself be distracted, and don’t let yourself be carefree either.

Zhuangzi has said both the positive and negative things. What does Zhuangzi want people to do?
Hu was very confused, but did not ask because he was worried about Wei Mou's condition.

Like a madness.

But Wei Mou, who knew Hu well, didn't need to see Hu's puzzled expression to know that Hu didn't understand.

If he could understand it just by hearing these, it wouldn't have become Gongsun Long's standard for determining whether his disciples had understood it or not.

The old man slammed the table three times and said loudly:

“The emptiness should be emptiness.

“You have to be empty, but you can’t deliberately deny everything.

“Instead, we should be tolerant of everything, not care about what we see, and reach a state of non-attachment.

“Desire should be met with desire.

“You have to pursue desires, but you can’t just pursue what you want.

“Instead, we should be indifferent to gains and losses, and be happy until we get what we want. Not getting what we want is the normal state.

“You don’t have to be depressed.

“What I am saying is not only difficult for you to do, but it is also difficult for everyone in the world to do.

"This is a problem of this era, not your problem."

The old man looked at Hu, then at Ying Chengjiao, and sighed softly:
“If everyone in the world learns from Zhuangzi.

"One day you will be free, and one day you will be happy."

Ying Chengjiao knew that the old man was looking at him.

He was silent for a moment, then said:
“Zhuangzi is powerless to change the world.

“It’s understandable that you choose to avoid the world.

“I have the ability to change.

"If I choose to hide from the world, it's not right."

(End of this chapter)