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Confucius once said: "Threesome, there must be my teacher, choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones", this sentence fully illustrates Confucius's psychology of learning, he does not care about people's class, and always puts learning in the first place.
In a village in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a jaw-dropping intellectual encounter. The protagonists of this confrontation are Confucius, and the other is + a seven-year-old boy. Who would have thought that this seemingly unequal contest would end with adults apprenticing to children? Let's take a look at what this is all about.
Road Meets Genius: An Unexpected Encounter
It was a sunny day, and Confucius and his disciples took a carriage to a small village in the country of Lu. There are several children playing on the road at the entrance of the village, and one of the little boys is particularly eye-catching.
Because the boy did not dodge the approaching carriage in a hurry, as the other children did, but continued his game as if nothing had happened, Confucius curiously asked the coachman to stop, and then got out of the car and approached the child and asked kindly:
"Kid, why don't you get out of the way?"
The little boy looked up, his eyes shining with wisdom, and then he replied unhurriedly: "Sir does not know, the car should go around the city, not the city." "
Confucius then asked, "Where is the city?" ”
The boy pointed to a small city made of stones and sand and said, "This is here, and you cannot pass through it." ”
When Confucius heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned, because this answer was not only witty, but also contained profound philosophy. He began to develop a strong interest in the little boy.
"What's your name? How old are you this year? Confucius continued.
"My name is Xiang Lu, and I'm seven years old this year." The boy replied crisply.
Confucius was secretly surprised that it was not easy for such a young child to say such insightful words. He decided to talk to the little prodigy a little more.
A Spark of Wisdom: A great Q&A
Confucius decided to test the little boy's knowledge, and he asked, "Little friend, do you know how many stars there are in the sky?" "
Xiang Lu replied without thinking: "One day and one night of stars." "
After hearing this, Confucius frowned slightly. This answer may seem vague, but it is impossible to refute. He decided to continue asking, "What do you mean by that?" "
Xiang explained: "There is the sun during the day, and the moon and stars at night. Aren't the sun, moon and stars just the stars of a day and a night? "
After hearing this, Confucius couldn't help but nod his head secretly, this answer is both clever and reasonable, and it is indeed difficult to refute. So he decided to change the topic and continue to test Xiang Lu.
"So, do you know how many kinds of grains there are on the ground?" Confucius asked again.
Xiang Lu smiled slightly and replied, "There are six kinds of grains on the ground. "
When Confucius heard this, he felt a little confused. He asked, "Why six?" Aren't there five kinds of grains? "
Xiang Lu explained: "Mr. is right, there are indeed five kinds of grains. However, if we count the 'valleys', aren't there six types? "
This answer again left Confucius speechless. He was surprised to find that the seven-year-old was not only knowledgeable, but also quick-witted and adept at answering questions skillfully.
Confucius's disciples were also impressed by Xiang Lu's wisdom, and they all moved forward, wanting to talk to the little prodigy. Among them, Confucius's proud protégé couldn't help but step forward to challenge.
He wanted to embarrass the kid who wouldn't let them pass. So Zilu asked Xiang Lu's father: "Uncle, how many years have you used this hoe?" "
Before Xiang Lu's father could answer, Xiang Lu preemptively said, "Mr. Zilu, I want to ask you a question. When you ride a horse, do you know how many times the horse's hooves are raised? "
Zilu was stopped by this question, and was speechless for a while. Xiang Lu continued: "You don't even know the number of times the horse's hooves are lifted, so how can you ask others how many years the hoe has used? "
This dialogue shows not only Xiang Lu's wit, but also his deep understanding of human nature, and both Confucius and his disciples were impressed by the wisdom of the young boy.
The Power of Humility: Apprenticeship*
After some conversation, Confucius was deeply impressed by Xiang Lu's wisdom, and he realized that although he was older, in some ways, this little boy's thinking and insights were far beyond ordinary people.
Confucius made a decision that surprised everyone. He bowed to Xiang Lu and said sincerely, "Little sir, I admire your wisdom. I want to ask you for advice, but I wonder if you would like to take me as an apprentice? "
After hearing this, Xiang Lu looked a little surprised. He said, "My husband is highly respected, how can he apprentice to me, a child?" "
Confucius replied with a smile: "There is a saying that 'if you are a threesome, you must have my teacher'." Age is not a measure of wisdom, what matters is whether we can learn with an open mind. Your wisdom is worth learning from. "
In this way, in full view of everyone, Confucius bowed to the seven-year-old Xiang Lu. This scene not only shocked those present, but also left a model of knowledge without age boundaries for future generations.
Then this incident is also recorded in the "Three Character Classic": "Xi Zhongni, Shi Xiang Lu, Ancient Sages, Shang Qinxue" has a total of twelve characters.
Fame: The Price of Wisdom
But unfortunately, Xiang Lu died at the age of twelve. It is said that there were two causes of his death.
The first is that the story of this encounter between Confucius and Xiang Lu spread throughout the Lu State and other vassal states. Xiang Lu's fame rose and became the object of invitation from monarchs of various countries.
As the saying goes: if you can't get it, you will destroy it. Some monarchs were afraid that they would not be able to get Xiang Lu's help, and they were afraid that Xiang Lu would not be able to serve their country when they grew up, so they decided that it would be better to get rid of him before he became a great power.
Then the monarch of a certain country, with bad intentions, directly sent troops to set fire to Xiang Lu's residence. So Xiang Lu, who was only 12 years old, died in the fire. This prodigy, who once impressed Confucius, died young.
There is also a theory that the matter of Xiang Lu and Confucius is known to everyone, and many countries have sent people to woo him, hoping that he can serve his country in the future. But Xiang Lu refused, and then his parents, fearing that Xiang Lu's refusal would lead to trouble, put him on the mountain, but soon Xiang Lu was trapped on the mountain by the soldiers, and then they killed Xiang Lu.
Of course, we don't know the specific truth now, but it is recorded in the history books that Xiang Lu did die at the age of twelve, which is really a big pity.
Echoes of History: The Light of Eternal Wisdom
Although Xiang Lu's life was short-lived, his dialogue with Confucius became a tale to be recited through the ages, inspiring future generations to pursue knowledge and remain humble.
Confucius's worship of Xiang Lu as a teacher not only showed his humble character, but also set an example for future generations to respect wisdom and not be ashamed to ask questions.
What do you think of Confucius's behavior this time to apprentice? Feel free to leave your views in the comment section.
Reference:2023-04-13 15:44· Xinhuanet - How did the story of Confucius Master Xiang Qi become a treasure of Han, Mongolian and Tibetan literature?
2015-12-04 06:39:55 People's Daily - Confucius Apprenticeship (Traditional Chinese Story)
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