Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 55 Gongzi Chao's Ambition
In the thick summer,

There is a tree with lush branches and leaves standing next to Guan River.

In the shade of a tree,
Gongzi Chao asked his servants to unload the cartloads of bamboo slips, then he opened a chapter from the Book of Songs and began to recite.

He Bo was still lying in the water, the clear river water and someone's clear stupidity echoing each other.

He asked Gongzi Chao, "Why do you read the Book of Songs first?"

Gongzi Chao said confidently, "The Book of Poetry is simple."

A poem only has a few lines, and it is relatively easy for Gongzi Chao to understand their meaning.

After all, later generations are too far away from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and it is inevitable that one finds the classics of this era difficult to understand.

But He Bo said, "How is the Book of Poetry simple?"

"If you don't read the Book of Songs, you won't be able to speak!"

"The Book of Songs" is a classic book compiled in the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was later deleted and revised by Confucius, and consists of 300 chapters.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the presence of "Book of Songs" was almost everywhere.

Because it must be in accordance with Zhou Li,
Because most of the states were related by marriage, and there were many political disputes,
Therefore, when envoys traveled back and forth, their words could not be too intense or too straightforward, so they often recited passages from the Book of Songs to express their intentions, either to show closeness or distance.

In this era, if you want to be a qualified messenger, it is absolutely impossible not to read and understand "The Book of Songs".

The young master nodded and said, "My previous teacher never said such a thing to me!"

"This is because your teacher is not conscientious enough."

"But I think he's very nice and never asks me to do anything."

He Bo looked up at him, "Parents are devoted to their children and like to hire strict teachers. Why is yours like this?"

Gongzi Chao then explained, "My biological mother died very early, and my father married my stepmother not long after, and then went to Qi as a hostage, so I was raised by my stepmother."

He Bo scooped up some water and asked, "How old is your mother now? Is she over 30?"

"No, she is young and beautiful."

Zhao Huai held a high status in the Zhao family, but his second wife did not come from a prominent family and was very young when she married Zhao Huai.

The stepmother was only ten years older than Prince Chao, but because Zhao Huai later went to Qi State, she was actually a "widow" for several years at such a young age.

After listening to this, He Bo felt that he had some understanding of why Gongzi Chao was so clear-headed and stupid.

He sighed for Gong Zichao in his heart, and then said: "I haven't learned much, I can only try to tell you some deeds and principles."

"You should memorize the poem first."

He Bo studied with Ximen Bao for a long time. With his learning ability, he had already memorized all the "Book of Songs 300". Ximen Bao also explained to him the background and meaning of each poem, and why Confucius deleted other chapters but retained these 300 poems.

In addition, there are "Li", "Spring and Autumn Annals", "Zuo Zhuan", etc., which are compulsory classics for Confucian disciples.

Combined with various information from later generations, it was very easy for He Bo to disguise himself as a knowledgeable person.

But He Bo also knew that

Smart people are smart wherever they go.
Especially the era of "a hundred schools of thought" that is about to come.

The gap between the various schools of thought and myself is only the difference of more than two thousand years of experience.

He Bo only has the advantage of being a latecomer, but how can he really think that he is "unparalleled in wisdom"?
He still had a lot to learn.

but,

Let him give some advice to Gongzi Chao, a spoiled and unintentional man who has accomplished nothing but indulgence by his stepmother, whether intentional or not, and whether he can still do it.

So, while Nie City was busy with its expansion and renovation, the owner of Nie City, "Nie Gong" Zhao Chao, would go to the Guan River every day to recite various scriptures facing the empty river.

In order to avoid being harassed by too many people,

He Bo deliberately made himself visible only to Gongzi Chao and the servants he brought with him.

The villagers of Niecheng were therefore deeply impressed by Gongzi Chao's "love of learning" and praised his elegant behavior of "running to the riverside to study in order not to be disturbed by the noise of building the city."

Originally, Gongzi Chao felt a little lazy after the initial passion passed, but after hearing the villagers' praise for his simplicity, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

"When I was in Zhongmu, no one praised me like this."

Gongzi Chao sat on a big rock by the Guan River, washing his feet with the cool river water and talked to He Bo about this matter.

He had just recited a few poems, eaten two pieces of dried meat, and slept for a while under the shade of a tree. He was now very tired.

So he announced to himself that it was time to take a break!
“My teachers and my mother just let me learn whenever I wanted and praised me for being lively and cute.”

"After my father came back from Qi, he tested me at first, but later he stopped talking about it and started speaking the same way as my mother."

The young man swung his legs, creating a big splash on the surface of the river.

He Bo said to him, "I thought you would hate the villagers because they are just country folk!"

Gongzi Chao felt embarrassed, remembering his proud behavior in front of the Divine Turtle. "Since they are really praising me, how can I despise them?"

Then he had a new plan, "They praised me today. When I learn wisdom in the future, I will pass it on to them so that they can also be praised by people in other cities. Is that okay?"

He Bo said, "You are trying to learn from Confucius' teaching without distinction!"

“This is the aspiration of saints!”

Gongzi Chao became excited, "You said I can be a saint?"

“My father never told me I could do this!”

Being praised to such an extent by the Divine Turtle, he seemed to be moved to the point of tears.

He Bo splashed water on his face again, telling him to calm down and not just listen to what he wanted to hear.

Gongzi Chao was sprayed and fell onto the rocks. He almost rolled into the river and then calmed down.

"Since you think so, why don't you seize the time and read more books?"

"You don't want to have no stories to listen to today, do you?" He Bo poked out the turtle's head and squinted at Gongzi Chao.

"Then after I finish reading today's portion, you should continue to tell me about the big fish in the sea!"

The young man lay on the stone for a while, his wet body wet with water just sprayed on him by the divine turtle. Finally, he could not resist the temptation, turned over, stepped on the ground barefoot, and took the bamboo slips from the carriage.

"Okay, okay, today I'll tell you about the big black and white fish!"

When He Bo was still a human being, he never served as anyone's teacher.

He was also a little unsure about teaching Gongzi Chao.

Fortunately, Gongzi Chao is not a bad person by nature. It's just that due to his habits over the years, he can't help but put on an air of a nobleman, and he obviously likes to be lazy and hates work.

He Bo then made a deal with him and asked Gongzi Chao to fetch the precious books that only the royal family of Zhao had access to, read them to him, and then he sorted them out in the library of He Bo's mansion based on his memory.

He Bo would tell Gongzi Chao, who had never left the State of Zhao, about the wonderful sights of the world.

Although He Bo can only travel back and forth in the Zhangshui River basin until now, some things in the world have not changed much.

For example, "The heaven and earth are round like an egg", "There are greater Nine Provinces beyond the Nine Provinces", "What kind of big fish are there in the sea where the big rivers flow into", etc.

Gongzi Chao listened with great interest and was successfully caught by He Bo who caught a 100-jin land bass.

……

"Since the world is so big, I really want to go and see it!"

The young master knelt by the river, supporting his knees and looking forward to it.

"Don't you want to be the king?"

He Bo was still soaking in the water.

The incense is almost used up, so today's mutual learning is about to end.

Gongzi Chao hesitated, "Actually, I still miss it very much."

"It would be great if I could learn from King Mu. I want to go to the West to see if the people there are whiter than ghosts, and whether there are ghosts and gods like the Queen Mother of the West."

The legend about King Mu of Zhou had already spread to a certain extent at this time.

Gongzi Chao's teacher in the capital usually talked to him more about these things and never talked to him about classics and morals.

therefore,

Gongzi Chao only knew that King Mu of Zhou was a very handsome man and a sage whom he admired.

"By the time you come back, the State of Zhao may have been destroyed." He Bo said to him.

"what?"

"Am I so important?"

Gongzi Chao was shocked, but when he thought that the State of Zhao would be destroyed without him, he felt moved for himself again.

at this moment,
He felt as if he had become Duke Zhou who carried King Cheng on his back, or Yi Yin who assisted King Tang of Shang... Countless people were waiting for him to give orders, and if Gongzi Chao didn't speak, the entire country would be paralyzed.

but,

What would happen to his dream of traveling around the world if he was stranded in one place due to national affairs?
Gongzi Chao became conflicted.

Finally, he showed an expression of having a difficult choice, baring his teeth and saying, "...Forget it, at worst I won't compete with Prince Zhang!"

"As long as he gives me enough money to travel around the world, and if I'm in danger, he can send troops to save me!"

If you want to be a traveling gentleman, you also need financial and physical support.

"You have such a beautiful thought!"

He Bo laughed at him for this and then disappeared, no longer staying in the Guanhe River.

As soon as the ghosts and gods left, Gongzi Chao, with the help of his servants, put away the letters, got on the carriage, and returned to Niecheng.

Lying on the side of the carriage and watching the plants and trees around him constantly retreating as the carriage and horses moved forward, Gongzi Chao suddenly said to his attendant, "Can I write down what the divine tortoise said in a book?"

The attendant followed his words and said, "Young Master, at your age, you have the ambition to write a book. You are truly a great sage!"

But Gongzi Chao thought about it and said, "Forget it!"

"There is still not enough information that the Divine Turtle has told me. When He tells me more, I will compile it into a book."

"However, there are still many legends circulating in the world today."

"I will sort them all out, and then ask my father and the Crown Prince for some money. Then I will go to the corresponding places according to their words to verify their authenticity!"

He leaned back and lay on a pile of bamboo slips on the cart, not feeling any discomfort, his heart was filled with excitement.

Maybe it's because I have a serious ambition.

The bitter resentment in Gongzi Chao's heart about being thrown into Gaolang's land by his father gradually dissipated.

　Thanks to the book friends who let me regret once, read H books, dead trees and phoenixes, Ji Feihao, rice from the sky, visitor placeholder, Ai Leishi asuka, 20200129150947220, 20220331071429680 for their monthly tickets! (*︶*)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)