When happiness without a bottom line ends, sadness begins. (樂極生悲)

When happiness without a bottom line ends, sadness begins. (樂極生悲)

During the Warring States Period in China, the king of the Qi Kingdom celebrated every time he encountered a happy event, and at every celebration banquet, he would get drunk.

Once, the king invited the minister (ChunYu kun) to drink because he had done a great service.

The king said. Today we must get drunk, tell me how much you can drink, I will prepare in advance.

(ChunYu kun) answered. Sometimes I drink 2 liters to get drunk, but sometimes I drink 20 liters to get drunk.

The king was curious and asked him why there was such a huge difference.

(ChunYu kun) Answer

If I attend a palace banquet, I will pay attention to my own image, so I usually drink two liters and get drunk.

But if I attended a family dinner, I would be drunk after drinking four liters.

If I am with a friend whom I haven't seen for a long time, because I am in a particularly happy mood, I will get drunk after drinking 10 liters.

On some special festivals every year, when I participate in some carnivals where I can meet beautiful girls, I will get drunk when I drink 15 liters.

I have only one experience in my life, that time I drank 20 liters of wine.

At this time (ChunYu kun) was silent.

The king asked him curiously what was going on that time.

(ChunYu kun) Continue to speak.

I was very young at the time and I attended a dinner at my best friend's house.

The other friends all went home after attending the dinner. Only my best friend and his wife were left. The three of us stayed and continued to drink.

I really drank too much that day and I forgot what I did. When I woke up the next day, I found myself lying in bed with my best friend's wife.

From that day on, I lost my best friend.

Since then, I have learned a lesson that drinking too much wine will do irreparable things.

When happiness without a bottom line ends, sadness begins.

The king nodded.

The king had a bottom line after drinking.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Have you ever had this experience, have you lost your memory because you drank too much? Can you remember the lesson and never make the same mistake?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

ChunYu kun (淳于髡)

ChunYu kun  (淳于髡)

(ChunYu kun) (386 BC-310 BC) (淳于髡)

His last name is (Chun Yu), his parents gave him the name (kun), and he was born in Shandong Province, China

淳	There are strong meanings and pure meanings.
于	The meaning of crossing, also one of the Chinese surnames.
髡	The meaning of shaving.

He is an outstanding statesman. He is famous for his wit and cleverness.

About (ChunYu kun). There is a story about him in history books.

During the Warring States Period in China, the king of the Qi Kingdom drank and had fun every day, so the Qi Kingdom declined day by day.

(ChunYu kun) was very anxious because he saw this situation.

But the king of the autocratic era has absolute power.

If he directly pointed out the king's mistakes, and the king was unhappy after hearing these words, he might lose his life.

He thought of a way.

One day, the king was in the palace and saw (ChunYu kun) hiding secretly among the trees.

The king was curious and asked what he was looking for.

(ChunYu kun) answered. There is a legend in the capital that there is a wonderful bird, which is hiding in the palace.

But this bird is very mysterious. It has been hiding in the palace for several years. But it did not cry, nor did it fly up once.

So many people are very curious about this amazing bird. If it crowed, how would it sound? If it flew, how high it could fly.

My king, you live in the palace. Have you ever seen this mysterious and outstanding bird?

The king answered.

I know this bird.

It has been playing in previous years, so it doesn't want to fly.

If it wants to fly, it can fly higher than all other birds.

Although it had no sound before, when it wanted to cry, its cry could be heard by people in the whole kingdom.

From this day on, the king has set his goal to inspire himself with these two sentences every day.

The entire country stopped declining and became stronger day by day.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

If you see this, how would you persuade the king? What do you think is worth learning from this king?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

Xin Qiji (辛棄疾/幼安)

Xin Qiji  (辛棄疾)

Xin Qiji (1140 AD-1207 AD)

His surname is (Xin), his parents gave him the name (Qiji), and when he grew up, his friend called him (You an), and he was born in Shandong Province, China.

辛	Spicy means. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
棄	The meaning of discarding.
疾	The meaning of disease.
幼	Young meaning.
安	The meaning of security. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.

He is an outstanding military general. He is also one of the most famous poets in Chinese history.

Xin Qiji has a famous poem, let me try to translate it.

Translating a poem is much more difficult than translating an article.

If you have the opportunity to learn Chinese, I believe you can appreciate the beauty of Chinese poetry more deeply.

The wind in the spring night gently shook the lanterns of the Lantern Festival, and the bright lanterns were like blooming flowers.

From a distance, it looks like the whole city is full of shiny flowers.

With the wind of spring night and the fireworks on the Lantern Festival, the whole sky seems to have countless falling stars.

Countless magnificent carriages are driving on the road. After the carriage passed by, there was still a faint smell in the air from the people on the carriage.

The musician plays the flute, the music is floating in the air, and the moonlight is like running water, surrounding the crowds coming and going on the street.

Throughout the night, the countless and beautifully decorated lanterns on the streets seemed to be dancing cheerfully.

Beautiful women walking on the street, everyone wears bright accessories on their heads and bright clothes on their bodies. They chatted happily in twos and threes.

These beautiful women passing in front of me, everyone is smiling, everyone has a faint fragrance,

What am I thinking at this time? I keep searching for the girl I want to see in the crowd. I have been searching for the whole night but have not found her yet.

I felt sad, I almost gave up, but when I turned my head inadvertently, I saw that she was standing in the corner not far in front of me.

Because the light in that corner was dim, I looked for her all night, but I didn't even see her.

Dear friend, how do you feel or think after listening to this poem.

You have had similar experience. After eagerly pursuing it, you suddenly discovered that the thing you were looking for was actually right in front of you, and you haven't noticed it.

I hope this poem will give you some new gains.

Unity can produce great power (眾志成城)

Unity can produce great power(眾志成城  )

During the Spring and Autumn Period of China, the King of the Zhou Kingdom ordered the casting of the largest bell in China.

At that time, a minister objected.

He said to the king. I suggest not to do this. Casting this clock is just to satisfy your personal vanity, it is not practical.

But the king still insisted on his own ideas.

It took a lot of money and manpower, and after three years, this big bell was completed.

On the day of completion, the king ordered his men to ring the bell.

When the king heard the sound of the bell, he said to the minister who had opposed it.

The sound of this bell is really loud. After I heard this sound, my mood became very cheerful.

But the minister answered. My feeling is contrary to yours, I think the sound of this bell is awful.

In order to build this bell, the tax burden on all people has increased a lot.

Many people have made life difficult because of this.

So when I heard the sound of this bell, it was as if I heard the people's pain and wailing.

I think that when all people have the same enthusiasm to support the completion of a thing, this force can build a new country.

But when all people use the same enthusiasm to oppose one thing, this force may also destroy a country.

The king was very angry at these words. He died of illness in the second year.

The Kingdom of Zhou also broke out in civil strife for five years.

This idiom is used as a metaphor for when everyone is moving towards the same goal, they will condense into a powerful force.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Have you ever had the experience of doing something to satisfy your vanity?

If you have had this experience, what was the result of that event?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

It is impossible to put out a fire with wood (抱薪救火)

It is impossible to put out a fire with wood  (抱薪救火)

In the late Warring States Period in China, the Kingdom of Qin became stronger day by day.

The king of the Qin Kingdom wanted to expand his territory, so he continued to launch wars against other kingdoms located in China at that time.

The Kingdom of Qin planned to send troops to the Kingdom of Wei once again.

The king of the Wei Kingdom considered ceding the land directly to the Qin Kingdom in exchange for peace.

At this time, a minister of the Wei Kingdom objected, and he told the king of the Wei Kingdom.

It is very dangerous for us to cede land to the Qin Kingdom in exchange for peace.

Our kingdom’s land is limited, and the Qin kingdom’s desire for aggression has no boundaries.

This solution is as stupid as when firefighters threw wood into the fire hoping to put out the fire.

The king of the Wei Kingdom did not adopt this opinion.

He still decided to cede a piece of land to the Kingdom of Qin in exchange for peace.

In the following decades, the Qin Kingdom sent troops to the Wei Kingdom again and again, and the Wei Kingdom became weaker and weaker.

In 225 AD, the Kingdom of Qin eliminated the Kingdom of Wei.

This idiom means that it is impossible to eliminate the harm by the wrong method.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

When you face all kinds of difficulties in life, have you ever thought about how you should act in order to really solve the problem?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

Work non-stop from morning till night (夜以繼日)

Work non-stop from morning till night  (夜以繼日)

In Chinese history, the dynasty that lasted the longest was the Zhou Dynasty, and the founder of the Zhou Dynasty was (Ji Fa).

His younger brother (Ji Dan) was the most outstanding statesman in the early Zhou Dynasty.

Because at that time the Zhou Dynasty had just established the country, there were many laws and systems that needed to be established.

(Ji Dan) sorted out various methods of governing the country at that time and applied them in the Zhou Dynasty.

But these systems are not necessarily suitable for the social environment at the time. ,

So after the implementation of these systems, (Ji Dan) began to observe their effectiveness. And think about whether it can still be optimized.

If (Ji Dan) finds that these systems can be optimized, he immediately improves them.

After implementing the optimized system, (Ji Dan) restarted to observe its effectiveness, and then continued to improve.

Therefore, (Ji Dan) helped the Zhou Dynasty to lay the foundation for 790 years of rule.

This idiom means to work without rest from night to day. Describes a person who works hard.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Will you adjust your coping strategies according to different situations? Do you have the habit of continuous optimization to improve your life or work?

I hope this story will give you some new gains

Li Longji (李隆基)

Li Longji  (李隆基)

(Li Longji) (685 AD-762 AD)

His surname is Li, his parents gave him the name Longji, and he was born in Henan Province, China.

李	The meaning of plum tree. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
隆	Describe the highest place in the middle of a mountain.
基	The foundation of the building.

He was the longest-serving king of the Tang Dynasty in China.

About Li Longji. There is a story about him in history books.

(Li Longji) In the first few years as the king, many outstanding talents were employed, so the kingdom is very strong.

But when he was old, he reused a man named (Li Linfu) as prime minister.

When (Li Linfu) talked with people, his expression was friendly and smiling, and his tone of voice was very gentle.

But the real him is not like that.

Once, (Li Linfu) said to a minister very sincerely.

I found that there is a gold mine in one place. If it can be mined in large quantities, it can increase a lot of revenue for the treasury.

The king doesn't know this, so you should report it to him.

The minister reported the matter to the king.

The king was very happy when he heard the good news. When he had a meeting with Li Linfu, he was very happy to share this information.

But at this time (Li Linfu) showed a very distressed look.

The king felt strange, so he asked him what happened.

(Li Linfu) answered. I have known this for a long time.

But he discovered that the place where the gold mine was contained had a mysterious connection with the health of the king.

If mining gold mines may cause harm to the king.

So he has not reported this information.

When the king heard his answer, he felt very moved.

From this day on, the king trusted (Li Linfu) even more.

As for the minister who reported this information, the king has alienated him from then on.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

How should we avoid being deceived by others? How can we stay smart while maintaining integrity

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

                                                                此圖片來自維基百科

Liu Ji (劉基/伯溫)

Liu Ji  (劉基)

Liu Ji (1311 AD-1375 AD)

His surname is (Liu), his parents gave him the name (ji), and when he grew up, his friend called him (Bowing), and he was born in Zhejiang Province, China.

劉	The original intention is a weapon like axe. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
基	The foundation of the building.
伯	The first man born among brothers. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
溫	Describes the state that water is neither cold nor hot. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.

He is an outstanding statesman. He is known as one of the most capable prime ministers in Chinese history.

He is also a famous writer, and has recorded a story in a book he wrote.

There is a fruit seller who has a special way of preserving oranges.

After his oranges were harvested in the fall, they were kept until the summer of the following year, and their appearance still looked fresh.

So many customers pay high prices for his oranges.

(Liu Ji) also bought one to taste.

But after he cut the orange, he found that the flesh inside had dried up and gave off a pungent smell.

He was very angry, so he told the fruit seller.

The orange you sold looks pretty on the outside, but it can’t be eaten anymore. This is a deceit.

The fruit seller answered. Since I have been selling fruit for so many years, every customer is very satisfied, and you are the first one to be dissatisfied.

You look at your surroundings. Among the daily necessities you touch, how many products are like my oranges.

Now everyone only cares about the appearance, no one cares whether the quality of these things is really good.

Even many people you meet are like my oranges.

Why don't you express your dissatisfaction with them?

(Liu Ji) Hearing this answer, he was silent.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Are there many products like this orange around in our lives? How can we prevent ourselves from becoming like this orange?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

Sima Qian (司馬遷)

Sima Qian (司馬遷)

Sima Qian (145 BC-86 BC)

His surname is (Sima), his parents gave him the name (Qian), and when he grew up, his friend called him (Zi Chang). He was born in Shanxi Province, China.

司	The meaning of control. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
馬	The meaning of horse. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
遷	The meaning of change or transfer.
子	The original meaning is baby, and it is also one of the Chinese surnames.
長	The meaning of length. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.

He is the most outstanding historian in China. There is a story recorded in a book he wrote.

During the Han Dynasty in China, among the founding heroes, the most important general was (Han Xin).

(Han Xin) When he was young, his family was very poor, and he had no special skills of his own, so his life was very hard.

One day he had no food to eat, so he went to the river to fish by himself, but he was very unlucky and did not catch any fish all day.

At that time, there was a group of women doing laundry by the river. One of them saw (Han Xin), and she chatted with (Han Xin).

From the conversation, the woman knew that (Han Xin) had not eaten all day, so she divided the food she had brought into two portions and gave him one portion.

This situation lasted for several days. (Han Xin) came to this river to fish every day, and the woman also prepared him a piece of food every day.

On this day, after (Han Xin) had a full meal, he told this woman.

I am very grateful to you for bringing me food for a while. If I succeed in the future, I will definitely repay you.

When the woman heard what (Han Xin) said, she stopped smiling and told him very seriously.

I helped you today, not because I hope you can repay me.

But there is one important thing, I want to take this opportunity to tell you.

You are a young and strong man. Why can't you feed yourself. Why do you look forward to the assistance of others every day.

This question is very important, you have to reflect on it.

A few years later, (Han Xin) became a famous general. He returned to his hometown and found the woman.

(Han Xin) Give her many gifts to thank her.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Would you thank your family or others for the kindness to you? Can you humbly accept others' accusations?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

The leather cord is broken again (韋編三絕)

The leather cord is broken again  (韋編三絕)

During the Spring and Autumn Period in China, paper had not yet been invented.

People at that time wrote words on many bamboo pieces, and then arranged these pieces in order.

Finally, weave these bamboo pieces together with a leather cord. This is the book at that time.

People roll it up when they're not reading, and open it when they want to read.

When Confucius was old, he determined to study (Book of Changes).

Confucius often read it over and over again, and he often opened and rolled up this book.

The braided leather cord was broken because of wear and tear.

This situation has occurred several times.

Every time Confucius encountered this situation, he put on a new leather cord and re-connected the entire book.

This idiom is used to describe a person who reads very hard.

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts did you have after hearing this story.

Do you have the habit of reading? Are there people around you who continue to study until old age like Confucius?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

此圖片來自維基百科

I'm so smart. (掩耳盜鐘)

I'm so smart. (掩耳盜鐘)

In the Spring and Autumn Period of China.

There is a man who wants to steal a bell from the neighbor's house.

This bell is huge and heavy. He could not move by himself.

He thought of an idea.

He took an iron mallet to strike the bell, and his plan was to break it. Then divide the fragments of the bell into several batches and take them away.

But when he hit the bell with a hammer, the bell kept making loud noises.

He is worried about being discovered

He thought of another idea.

He found two small pieces of cloth to plug his ears.

He thought to himself, so that the sound of knocking the bell could be reduced.

He thinks he is very smart.

This idiom is used to describe some people who deceive themselves in life.

Dear friend, what kind of inspiration or ideas do you have after listening to this story?

Did we make the same mistake as this person when we rationalized our wrong behavior? How can we avoid this happening?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

I can teach you to be better (百發百中)

I can teach you to be better  (百發百中)

In the Spring and Autumn Period of China, there was a famous archer in the Kingdom of Chu. His name was (Yang Youji).

In one match, he made three consecutive arrows and hit three designated willow leaves standing 100 steps away.

The onlookers all praised loudly.

At this time, someone said to him. Your archery skills are great, but I can teach you to be better.

(Yang Youji) laughed.

But this person didn't care about (Yang Youji)'s reaction, he continued.

Your archery skills have indeed reached a perfect level, so I will not teach you archery.

But have you thought about it, you may be able to shoot 100 arrows in a row, and each arrow hits the target.

But can you shoot 1000 arrows continuously without making mistakes?

Your physical strength cannot always be at its peak, and you will eventually make mistakes.

By that time, people will only remember your mistake this time, and will not remember your countless previous successes.

So what I want to teach you is that you must learn to maintain a humble attitude.

After (Yang Youji) heard this, he bowed his head and thanked the man for his guidance.

This idiom is used to describe archery or shooting is very accurate, hitting the target every time.

It is also used to describe a very absolute grasp of a thing.

Dear friend, what kind of inspiration or ideas do you have after listening to this story?

After you have succeeded in succession, do you stay alert? Can you maintain a humble attitude when you succeed?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

Who can move this stick? (立木為信)

Who can move this stick?  (立木為信)

The Warring States Period in China.

The king of Qin Kingdom hopes to make the kingdom stronger.

He hired a person named (Wei Yang) to be responsible for promoting a series of system reforms.

Before (Wei Yang) started to promote reforms, he did a strange thing.

He placed a slender wooden stick in front of the gate south of the capital.

An announcement was posted next to the stick, which stated that if someone could move the stick to the gate in the north of the capital, he would get 10 gold coins.

This task is too simple and the bonus is so high. So all people think this must be a scam.

The next day, because no one was going to move the stick, (Wei Yang) raised the bonus.

Five days later, the bonus has reached 50 gold coins.

At noon on this day, a man suddenly approached the stick.

He picked up the stick and walked to the north gate.

When many people saw it, they followed him to the north gate.

(Wei Yang) Waiting at the gate in the north, he saw the man come over and put the stick in front of him.

(Wei Yang) immediately gave him 50 gold coins and said to him, you have completed the task specified by the king, so I will now give you the prize money on behalf of the king.

The people watching around all around exclaimed.

After this incident, (Wei Yang) began to promote reform.

This idiom is used to describe a person who has a lot of credibility.

Dear friend, what kind of inspiration or ideas do you have after listening to this story?

In your opinion, why did (Wei Yang) do this strange thing before pushing forward the reform? How does this matter affect (Wei Yang)'s success in reforming later?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.

A little frog living in a well. (井底之蛙)

A little frog living in a well. (井底之蛙)

The Warring States Period in China.

The famous philosopher (Zhuang Zhou) told a story.

There is a little frog living in a small well.

One day, a big turtle passed by this well.

The frog happened to be basking in the sun by the well, and he greeted the big turtle.

The little frog chats with the big turtle. In the chat, the little frog introduces this place where he lives.

The little frog said. I live in this well and have a great time every day. I often play by the well, and when I am tired, I return to my home in the well.

I can swim in the well water and sometimes sit on the mud in the well to rest.

There are some small crabs and tadpoles living in this well.

I am like the king of this well. I feel too satisfied with my life.

The little frog then asked the big turtle. Do you want to take a look at this well I live in?

The big turtle answered yes.

But this well is too small compared to the huge body of the big turtle.

The sea turtle cannot enter at all.

The big turtle told the little frog. Thank you for your invitation. I want to go in but there is no way, so I will go back to my own home.

The big turtle then said to the little frog. You are welcome to visit me at my house next time.

The place where I live is called the sea. Its width is about several thousand kilometers. The depth is about several thousand meters.

The water of all rivers on land flows into the sea every day, but the height of the sea water will not become higher.

Even if there is a drought on land, the height of the sea water will not become lower.

You arrange another time to come to me and I will receive you well.

The little frog listened to the turtle and was speechless in surprise.

This idiom is used as a metaphor for a person who thinks that he is great, but does not know that he is very small and ignorant.

Dear friend, what kind of inspiration or ideas do you have after listening to this story?

Do we need to be wary of ourselves, do not brag about what we have, and avoid becoming a little frog?

I hope this story will give you some new gains.