The strategy is very deep and the thinking is very thorough(深謀遠慮)

 

The strategy is very deep and the thinking is very thorough(深謀遠慮)

 

In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a famous minister named Jia Yi.

There is a story about him recorded in the history books.

 

He entered the central government of the Han Dynasty as an official at the age of 22. He once wrote a very famous paper in which he analyzed the reasons for the demise of the Qin Dynasty.

He hoped that through this article, the kings of the Han Dynasty could learn from the failure of the Qin Dynasty.

 

A passage from his article is as follows.

 

After Qin Shihuang established a great career, he became very proud. He did not listen to other people's suggestions. Even if he made a wrong decision, he was unwilling to admit that he had made a mistake.

After the second king of the Qin Dynasty succeeded his father, he did not correct those wrong policies. Instead, he did more cruel things than his father. Under his rule, the people quickly accumulated greater anger. .

The third king of the Qin Dynasty was very young when he succeeded. He was not mature enough to handle the affairs of the entire kingdom. He also had no loyal ministers who could be relied on to assist him in managing the Qin Dynasty.

 

These three kings were unable to see their own problems and did not take the initiative to find ways to better govern the Qin Dynasty.

 

At that time, there were still many ministers in the Qin dynasty who were very strategic and thoughtful. These ministers also clearly saw the changes in society as a whole and understood the various problems that had arisen in society.

 

But because of the chilling atmosphere that pervaded the government of the Qin Dynasty.

If a minister voiced his objection, he would be killed for making the king unhappy.

So all the upright ministers were afraid to speak out or make suggestions. These ministers did not dare to clearly point out the problems that really needed to be changed in the king and the kingdom.

 

To summarise what has been discussed above.

The king of the Qin dynasty made important decisions that led the kingdom in the wrong direction. The loyal ministers in the kingdom did not dare to criticise, and the wise ministers in the kingdom did not dare to make suggestions. As a result, the mighty Qin Dynasty was destroyed after only three kings. This result is really very sad.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that the strategy is deep and thoughtful.

 

Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do your successes make you proud and arrogant? Did you ever learn from the failures of others?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                          圖片出處為百度百科

 

His mouth produces a lot of saliva(垂涎三尺)

  

 

His mouth produces a lot of saliva(垂涎三尺)

 

In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a famous minister called Jia Yi.

There is a story about him recorded in the history books.

 

At the age of 22, he entered the central government of the Han Dynasty as an official. At that time, there was a Xiongnu kingdom of nomadic people in northern China. The Xiongnu kingdom posed a great threat to the security of the Han dynasty.

 

Jia Yi believed that the Han Dynasty should deal with the Xiongnu Kingdom in a peaceful and skilful manner, so he expressed his views in the book he wrote.

 

We should use various forms of benefits to induce the important officials of the Hun Kingdom to be friendly to us.

 

We have the ability to make very beautiful carriages, and the texture and style of our clothes are very good.

The Hun Kingdom did not have such good production technology, so many Hun ministers felt that their clothes were too bulky after wearing our clothes.

Many ministers of the Hun Kingdom do not want to ride on a bumpy horse after riding on our carriage.

Therefore, we can use these two items to attract the people of the Hun Kingdom.

 

Compared to the Xiongnu Kingdom, which had a very simple diet, our food and cooking methods are more diverse.

I have observed that many of the ministers of the Hun Kingdom will salivate when they see our food. As long as these ministers of the Hun Kingdom have eaten our food, they will feel that the food of the Hun Kingdom is too poor.

So we can use food to win over the people of the Hun Kingdom.

 

We have wonderful music, we have a lot of very elegant pieces and a lot of beauties who can dance well.

After many ministers of the Hun Kingdom saw a lot of music and a lot of beauties in our capital, everyone liked these performances very much.

Many ministers of the Hun Kingdom will think that the traditional songs of the Hun Kingdom are too simple as long as they listen to our music.

So we can use music and beauty to win over the people of the Hun Kingdom.

 

We have beautiful houses, we have many tall houses.

After many ministers of the Hun Kingdom have seen these houses in our capital, everyone would like to live in this house for a long time.

Many ministers of the Hun Kingdom would feel that the tents they lived in in the Hun Kingdom were too uncomfortable once they saw our house.

So we can use architecture to attract the people of the Hun Kingdom.

 

The lifestyle here is relatively relaxed compared to the nomadic life in the Hun Kingdom.

After many ministers of the Hun Kingdom lived in our capital for a while, none of them wanted to go back to that poor country. Many ministers of the Hun Kingdom liked our regular and safe lifestyle.

 

I think that as long as we make good use of these five advantages, we can attract more people from the Hun Kingdom to have friendly relations with us.

 

The literal translation of this saying is 'he secretes a lot of saliva'.

This idiom is used to describe a person's desire to eat delicious food after seeing it.

It can also be used to describe a person who is greedy for something.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

If you could choose, which country would you like to be born in? Have you ever let your desires overcome your reason?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

　　　　　　　　　　圖片出自百度百科

If you change the direction of your arm, you can change the direction of your fingers.(如臂使指)

 

If you change the direction of your arm, you can change the direction of your fingers.(如臂使指)

 

In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a famous minister called Jia Yi.

There is a story about him in the history books.

 

He entered the central government of the Han Dynasty [as an official] at the age of 22. He felt that the political system at that time was very flawed, so he expressed his views to the king.

 

He once said to the king.

I think you should reduce the power and territory of the princes.

According to the results of my study of history books, I found that if the power of the princes in a dynasty is too great, then those princes will begin to disobey the instructions of the central government.

Therefore, you should formulate clear laws to reduce the power and territorial scope of the current princes in the Han Dynasty.

 

If the central government is like a person's body, then the princes are like a person's arms, and the people are like a person's fingers.

If a person's body changes direction, his arm will definitely change direction.

When a person's arm changes direction, his fingers will also change direction.

If you follow my suggestions for reforming the system within the central government, I believe you will be able to manage the entire dynasty well and avoid the danger of the princes rebelling against you.

 

The king liked Jia Yi's views very much, but Jia Yi's views made many princes in power very unhappy.

 

These princes concentrated their efforts on opposing the king's political reforms. These princes also slandered Jia Yi.

Later, the king of the Han dynasty did not accept Jia Yi's opinions because the opposition from the princes was too strong.

The Han king even transferred Jia Yi out of the capital to serve as a mid-level official in Changsha, in present-day Hunan province.

 

The direct translation of this idiom is that you can change the direction of your fingers by changing the direction of your arm.

This idiom is used to describe a person who has complete control over another person or thing.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Were you full of ideals to change society when you were young? If you were him, how would you feel after being transferred out of the capital?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                               此圖片來自維基百科

There are countless variations on this theme(千變萬化)

 

 

There are countless variations on this theme(千變萬化)

 

In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a famous minister called Jia Yi.

There is a story about him in the history books.

 

He was very knowledgeable and talented, so many ministers of the Han Dynasty were jealous of him and slandered him in front of the king.

 

The king transferred Jia Yi from the central government to the city of Changsha as a mid-level official.

The city of Changsha is located in what is now China's Hunan province. The city lies on China's third largest lake.

The city's climate is very humid and hot.

He was in a very bad mood after being transferred to this city.

 

One day a wild owl flew into his house and he wrote a poem to record the event and express his depression.

 

Part of the poem reads as follows

The various meetings and separations, births and deaths in our lives have no fixed rules.

This world is made up of countless changes, and each of our lives in this world is just an accident.

If we understand this, we will not value or worry too much about life and death.

 

Some people who lack wisdom will think they are more noble than others, but a truly wise person will understand that everything in the world is actually a whole.

 

Many people have lost their lives for false money, fame and power. These ordinary people are busy every day running around for all these false things. These people just want to get the good things and avoid the bad things.

 

A person who can truly understand the truth of the universe is not like these ordinary people. They are not driven by desires and material things. They face all the changes they encounter in life with a calm mind.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is one thousand variations to ten thousand variations.

This idiom is used to describe an event that has countless variations.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you think the things you deal with every day are really valuable? How do you see the changes you are experiencing in your life?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                  圖片來自於百度百科

He treats people's lives like worthless weeds.(草菅人命)

 

 

He treats people's lives like worthless weeds.(草菅人命)

 

In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a famous minister called Jia Yi.

There is a story about him in the history books.

 

He was once hired by the king to be a teacher for the princes of the Western Han Dynasty. He wrote a paragraph explaining his ideas on how to educate the princes.

 

We should teach the prince to respect his family and develop a loving heart. We should teach the prince to respect his elders and develop an attitude of integrity.

We should teach the prince to respect those who are wise and good at work and cultivate correct moral values. We should teach the prince to respect those who are better than himself and to remain humble.

 

I think a young person should also consider the growth of his character while pursuing the growth of wisdom.

For example, the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty, and the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China all used these methods to teach their royal members, so that these dynasties could rule China for hundreds of years.

 

Let me give you another example. In the royal family of the Qin Dynasty before the Han Dynasty, the prince's teachers did not teach the prince how to treat others with kindness and love. The prince's teacher taught the prince to use strict rules and very severe punishments to restrain others.

This distorted the prince's mentality. The Prince of Qin Dynasty inherited the throne of Qin Dynasty after the death of Qin Shihuang. After the prince took over and became king, he considered the suggestions of many loyal ministers as criticism, so he killed many loyal ministers.

After the Prince of Qin became king, he treated people's lives as worthless weeds, so many innocent people were sentenced to death during his reign.

The actions of the Prince of Qin Dynasty after he took over and became king caused resentment and resistance among many people, so the Qin Dynasty perished in a very short time.

 

 

The king of the Western Han Dynasty agreed with Jia Yi's views and was therefore relieved to have him serve as the prince's teacher.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that he regards people's lives as worthless weeds.

It is used to describe a person who does not value the lives of others and kills innocent people.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

What do you think are the most important values to teach children? Do you think that parents or teachers have the greatest responsibility for a child's education?

I hope this story has given you some new insights.

 

                                       圖片出處為百度百科

He holds his stomach and laughs(捧腹大笑)

 

 

 

He holds his stomach and laughs(捧腹大笑)

 

During the Han Dynasty in China, there was a famous minister called (Jia Yi), and there is a story about him in the history books.

 

One day he and another minister called Song Zhong went to see a very famous fortune teller called (Sima Jizhu).

 

After listening to Sima Jizhu's lecture, they spoke to Sima Jizhu with great respect.

We know many famous people, but we think your appearance and knowledge are far beyond those we know.

We feel very astonished. You are a very intelligent and talented person. You can do very noble work, but why don't you do it?

Why are you willing to put yourself in such a humble position?

 

After hearing these words, Sima Host held his stomach and laughed for several minutes, then said to them

Forgive me for being rude, but based on my observation, I think you two are very knowledgeable and cultured people, so I didn't expect you to ask me such a superficial question, so I laughed until my stomach hurt.

Let me ask you a question.

What job do you think I should do?

 

they replied.

We think you should work in the central government. You can have a very important position and get a high salary. You shouldn't be a fortune-teller.

 

Sima Jizhu wiped the smile from his face and replied in a very formal manner.

I have observed that in today's central government, most officials only flatter the king. Most of the officials collude with each other for their own selfish interests and exclude upright officials.

Most officials receive government salaries, but always exploit loopholes in the law to benefit themselves and their families. These people should be ashamed of their actions.

Because there are too many such people in the central government, I am not willing to work in the central government.

 

I like being a fortune teller.

Based on the principles of justice in the world and observing the changes of the four seasons, I give answers to those who are doubtful and confused about their lives. I help my clients

 

I enjoy being a soothsayer.

Based on the principles of justice in the world and observing the changes of the four seasons, I give answers to those who are doubtful and confused about their lives. I help my clients to understand how to face their lives. I think my work is very valuable.

 

A truly worthy person does not like to work with those treacherous villains, so these people usually choose jobs with low social status. These people like to observe society in an inconspicuous way.

A truly wise and talented person is often not eager to pursue money and fame.Instead, he chooses to quietly help others and use his own power to make society a better place.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that a person laughs until his stomach hurts, so he hugs his stomach.

This idiom is used to describe a person who laughs out loud.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?Are you proud of your work? Do you think your work can bring positive value to others?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

 

                                    圖片出處為維基百科

He tidied his clothes and sat upright(正襟危坐)

 

 

He tidied his clothes and sat upright(正襟危坐)

 

During the Han Dynasty in China, there was a famous minister named (Jia Yi), and a story about him is recorded in the history books.

 

One day he was talking to another minister called Song Zhong. They were discussing some methods of ruling a kingdom that were recorded in ancient classical books.

 

After chatting for dozens of minutes, Jia Yi said to Song Zhong

I suddenly remembered that I had read an ancient classical book. The book said that in ancient China there were many very clever and highly moral people. Some of these people would serve as officials in the central government to help the king rule the kingdom well, and some people would work as doctors to cure the people's diseases.

There are also a few people who have a special job, which is to help others with divination.

 

I know many central government officials and many doctors, but I have never had the opportunity to meet a fortune teller. Let's go talk to a fortune teller. Do you think it is a good idea?

 

Song Zhong answered after hearing these words.

Like you, I know many officials and doctors, but I have never seen a fortune teller.

I think your suggestion is very good. Why don't we go to the capital together after work to find out who is the most powerful fortune teller, and then we can find that fortune teller together.

 

After work, the two of them went to the capital together. They found out that there was a very famous fortune teller called (Sima Jizhu), so they went to a small shop run by (Sima Jizhu).

 

It was raining heavily just a few dozen minutes before they arrived at (Sima Jizhu's) shop, so there were very few people in the shop.

 

Sima Jizhu was sitting in his shop. He had several of his disciples sitting in front of him listening to his lectures.

When Lord Sima Ji saw Jia Yi and Song Zhong enter his shop, he invited Jia Yi and Song Zhong to sit in front of him.

 

After Sima Jizhu exchanged greetings with Jia Yi and Song Zhong, he continued to teach his students.

 

Sima Jizhu analysed many important laws of the world and explained the relationship between the changes of the stars in the sky and the human world. Sima Jizhu also explained a lot of professional divination knowledge. Sima Jizhu taught the students how to read the signs of good and bad fortune from the changes around them in their daily lives.

 

After Sima Jizhu spoke for 20 minutes, Jia Yi and Song Zhong felt that the theories Sima Jizhu said were very novel but logical, so they both felt that Sima Jizhu was indeed a very knowledgeable and wise man. .

 

The attitude of the two of them changed from relaxed to very respectful.

The two of them put on their clothes neatly and sat upright.

The two of them, together with Sima Jizhu's disciples, listened attentively to Sima Jizhu's lecture for about an hour until the end of the class.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that a person tucks his clothes in neatly and sits upright.

This idiom is used to describe a person's serious and respectful attitude.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Have you ever had a fortune-telling experience? Do you think people can really predict the future through divination?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

                                       圖片出處為維基百科

Upright Behaviour and Upright Speech(危言危行)

 

Upright Behaviour and Upright Speech(危言危行)

 

The famous book (The Analects of Confucius) was not written by Confucius himself.

This book records many conversations between Confucius and his disciples.

 

Confucius lived during the Zhou dynasty in China. In his time, the central government of the Zhou dynasty had very weak control over many princes in China. Although China was nominally ruled by the Zhou dynasty, it was actually internally divided into many kingdoms. .

 

Among these kingdoms, if the king of a kingdom is very wise, that king will usually rule his kingdom well.

If the king of a kingdom is very domineering, he will usually rule his kingdom badly.

 

Confucius had six skills that only nobles could learn: etiquette, music, archery, carriage driving, calligraphy and mathematics. He taught these skills to many ordinary people who were willing and eager to learn. As a result, he became a role model for many future generations of teachers.

 

After Confucius' students have learned this knowledge, some of them are hired by the kings of different kingdoms to serve as officials in charge of some important ceremonies in their own kingdoms.

 

One conversation is recorded in this book.

Once a student of Confucius said to Confucius

I have completed my studies, and recently the kings of several kingdoms wanted to employ me as an official in their kingdoms.

I can no longer hear these words of wisdom from you.

Could you please give me one last piece of advice?

 

Confucius said to him.

You may later work in different kingdoms, or you may be lured to different kingdoms because of your good work.

You can only understand the quality of the political atmosphere in these kingdoms by visiting them yourself.

 

If you arrive in a kingdom and find that it is a kingdom with a wise king and a good political atmosphere, then you should work with integrity and talk to your colleagues and superiors in an upright manner.

 

If you arrive in a kingdom and find that it is a kingdom with a domineering king and a bad political climate, then you should work with integrity and speak to your colleagues and superiors with a very humble attitude.

If you do that, I think you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.

 

After listening to Confucius' words, the student nodded and said to Confucius

Thank you for your teaching. I will keep your words in my heart and never forget them.

 

This idiom describes a person who is upright in behaviour and speech.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you have any mottos in your heart that you strongly agree with? Is the atmosphere in your present work environment good?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                 此圖片出自百度百科

He paints the eggs that are about to be eaten and carves the wood that is about to be burned.(畫卵雕薪)

 

 

He paints the eggs that are about to be eaten and carves the wood that is about to be burned.(畫卵雕薪)

 

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, there was a famous minister in the Northern Wei Kingdom, his name was Yuan Chen. There is a story about him in the history books.

 

He has royal blood. He is a very greedy and corrupt person. When he was a local official, he used unfair means to plunder people's property.

The people of the town he was in charge of hated him.

 

He built a house in the style of a royal palace, and the well in his house was made of jade.

The water bottle he drank from was made of gold, and he used fine silk for his rope.

 

He raised dozens of horses, which he bought from the far west. He used silver to make cribs and gold to make horse gear.

He also has more than 300 very beautiful maids, and he likes to show off his wealth to his friends.

 

Once, while drinking and chatting with his friends, he said arrogantly.

The most famous rich man of China's Jin Dynasty was called Shi Chong. According to the records in the history books, he wore clothes made of expensive furs, and everything he used was very splendid.

He was very wasteful, drawing pictures on eggs he was about to eat, carving on wood he was about to burn.

 

Compared to him, I come from a royal family, I am a noble, and he does not have the status of a noble.

So my behaviour should be more extravagant and wasteful than his.

 

I won't regret not being able to see Shi Chong's luxury.

My only regret is that I couldn't let Shi Chong see that my luxury is far greater than his.

 

After saying these words, he laughed arrogantly.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that he draws pictures on the eggs that are about to be eaten, and he carves on the wood that is about to be burned.

This idiom is used to describe a person's life that is extremely luxurious and wasteful.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you think a rich person has good taste? Do you value the limited resources on this earth?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                               圖片出處為維基百科

Lvzhu fell off the building (綠珠墜樓).

Lvzhu fell off the building (綠珠墜樓). 

There was a famous minister in the Western Jin Dynasty of China. He was also a famous rich man in Chinese history. His name was Shi Chong. There is a story about him in the history books.

 

He has a mistress who is very good at singing and dancing.

His mistress is called (Lvzhu), and (Lvzhu) is one of the famous beauties in Chinese history.

 

In 300 AD, a royal member of the Western Jin Dynasty named Sima Lun staged a military coup. Sima Lun took control of the central government of the Western Jin Dynasty.

Sima Lun became the real leader of the Western Jin Dynasty. Sima Lun appointed a trusted official named Sun Xiu as Prime Minister of the Western Jin Dynasty.

 

One day, Shi Chong went to the central government for a meeting. When he came home at noon that day, his face was very heavy.

 

Luzhu asked him.

Why do you look so serious? What has happened to you today?

 

He answered Luzhu.

Sun Xiu used his power to coerce me during the meeting today. He wanted to take you away from me.

I didn't agree, and even rebuked him for his shameless behaviour.

 

That afternoon, Sun Xiu led an army and surrounded Shi Chong's house.

 

Shi Chong and Lu Zhu were on top of a tall building in his house. Shi Chong looked at the troops surrounding his house. Shi Chong sighed and said to Lu Zhu.

I may be killed today because Sun Xiu knows that I love you, so as long as I live, I will never let you go with him.

 

After hearing these words, Lu Zhu remained silent for several minutes.

Suddenly, she walked forward, hugged Shi Chong and whispered into Shi Chong's ear.

 

I love you as much as you love me. If my death can save you from being killed by Sun Xiu, then I am willing to die.

Having said this, she suddenly turned around and jumped over the railing of the tall building.

 

Shi Chong did not expect Lu Zhu to commit suicide, and he did not have time to hold Lu Zhu's hand.

Shi Chong ran down the tall building in a hurry. He saw Lu Zhu's body lying on the ground next to the building. He picked up Lu Zhu's body and wept loudly.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that Lu Zhu committed suicide by jumping off the building.

This idiom is used to describe a woman who committed suicide because she was unwilling to accept the coercion of an evil person.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Have you ever been coerced by others? How do you judge suicidal behaviour?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                            圖片出處為維基百科

I left a safe place and went to a potentially deadly and dangerous place(出生入死)

 

 

I left a safe place and went to a potentially deadly and dangerous place(出生入死)

 

There was a famous minister in the Western Jin Dynasty of China. His grandfather and father were both officials in the Jin Dynasty.

He is also a famous writer and one of the most famous handsome men in Chinese history. His name is Pan Yue.

 

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, he entered the central government of the Jin dynasty.

But because many people were jealous of his good looks and talent, those jealous people slandered him in front of the king.

 

The king listened to these people and gave him a very unimportant position in the central government.

Because he was oppressed and ignored, he felt hurt and dissatisfied.

So he wrote an article to express his inner feelings.

 

In the last paragraph of the article, Pan Yue wrote

Some people who see things in the world very clearly believe that all things in the world, whether good or bad, are a whole. These people have a habit. Even when they are in a bad situation, they think that the situation is actually very good. They often leave a safe place and end up in a potentially deadly and dangerous place.

But my thoughts are not yet that transcendent.

I don't think any of us needs too much space or stuff in our lives.

As long as I am not greedy, I can live this life peacefully in a small place.

 

I suddenly thought of the sacred turtles used for divination in sacrificial ceremonies. I thought these tortoises would rather return to a free life in nature than be placed in a sacred temple to be worshipped.

 

I should also take off my splendid clothes, which only central government officials are allowed to wear, return to my hometown and collect my farming tools.

 

After I returned to my hometown, as long as I worked diligently as a farmer every day, I would have enough food to eat and I could also pay the country's taxes.

I can hear the sweet sound of the spring water flowing in the mountains, smell the fragrance of the beautiful flowers, catch many plump fish, and take a relaxing bath in the lake after a hard day's work.

 

When I go back to the countryside, I can enjoy a free and comfortable life. I think I am ready to live such a life every day for the rest of my life.

 

The original meaning of this proverb is that everyone's life is a process from birth to death. It was used to describe a natural state.

It has been extended to describe a person leaving a safe place and arriving at a potentially fatal and dangerous place.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you think he can really give up his prosperous life and return to his hometown? Do you think he will really have no worries when he returns to rural life?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

 

Pan Yue's hair is a mixture of black and white(潘岳二毛)

 

 

Pan Yue's hair is a mixture of black and white(潘岳二毛)

 

There was a famous minister in the Western Jin Dynasty of China. His grandfather and father were both officials in the Jin Dynasty.

He is also a famous writer and one of the most famous handsome men in Chinese history. His name is Pan Yue.

 

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, he entered the central government of the Jin Dynasty to work. However, because many people were jealous of his good looks and talent, these jealous people slandered him in front of the king.

 

The king listened to these people and gave him a very unimportant position in the central government.

Because he was oppressed and ignored, he felt hurt and dissatisfied.

So he wrote an article to express his inner feelings.

 

The gist of the preface to this article is as follows.

It is the year 278 A.D., I am thirty-two years old, and I suddenly find that my hair is a mixture of black and white.

I work as a minor official in the central government, and I am currently on duty in my office.

 

I wear clothes made of soft materials and an expensive hat reserved for officials. I live here every day.

When I looked out the window, I could only see the tall houses outside and the clouds in the sky. I could not see this vast world.

 

I think back to the time before I worked for the central government. I lived in the countryside. I lived in a house with a thatched roof. I lived in nature every day. I often talked to simple farmers and old people in the countryside.

 

Since I started working in the central government, I have to work late every day and get up very early the next day. I don't have a moment to spare. I feel that my life is rushed every day.

 

I feel like a fish in a pond and a bird in a cage.

Suddenly I really want to go back to the countryside to live and I don't want to continue working here.

I felt something in my heart, so I took pen and paper and wrote this article.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that Pan Yue's hair is mixed with black and white.

This idiom is used to describe a person who is sentimental about growing old.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you feel restricted by the real world? Does your current job allow you to use your talents?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                 圖片來自於搜狗百科

 

Shi Chong(石崇/季倫)

 

 

Shi Chong(石崇) (249 AD - 300 AD)

 

His surname is (Shi), his parents gave him the name (Chong), and when he grew up his friends called him (Jilun). He was born in Hebei Province, China.

 

石	It means stone. It is also one of the Chinese family names.
崇	It means high. It is also a Chinese surname.
季	It means the youngest of several brothers. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
倫	It means ethical. It means sequence. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.

 

 

He was a famous minister in the Western Jin Dynasty and a famous rich man in Chinese history.

There is a story about him recorded in the history books.

 

In 300 AD, a royal member of the Western Jin Dynasty named Sima Lun staged a military coup. Sima Lun took control of the central government of the Western Jin Dynasty.

 

Sima Lun became the real leader of the Western Jin Dynasty. Sima Lun appointed a trusted official named Sun Xiu as Prime Minister of the Western Jin Dynasty.

 

Sun Xiu used his enormous power to threaten and blackmail Shi Chong, but Shi Chong was unwilling to give in.

Sun Xiu was very angry and said to Sima Lun

We have gained effective control of the central government of the Western Jin Dynasty, but according to my observation, some people are not willing to obey us. I think these people will want to stage another coup to overthrow us, so we'd better kill these people first.

Sima Lun agreed with Sun Xiu's idea.

 

Sun Xiu then invented a crime and arrested Shi Chong and several other ministers.

After Shi Chong was arrested, he thought that if he was punished according to Sun Xiu's fictitious charges, he himself should be exiled to the border.

 

But Sun Xiu was very vicious and used his power to influence the outcome of the trial.

Shi Chong was later sentenced to death.

 

On the day Shi Chong was sent to the execution ground, he stood on the execution ground and, after sighing, said to himself

These people have sentenced me to death just to divide my money. Money is really something that can make a person crazy and do immoral behaviour.

 

 

When the soldier escorting him heard his words, the soldier said to him

If you knew that money makes a person crazy and immoral, why didn't you give away all your wealth earlier?

 

When Shi Chong heard what the soldier said, he fell silent.

 

On the execution ground, he saw a good friend of his who had also been sentenced to death and was to be executed on the same day. This good friend was called Pan Yue.

 

He said to Pan Yue with a smile.

My good brother, why are you here?

 

Pan Yue said to him with a smile.

A few years ago, you had a big party in your villa.

I wrote a poem at that party, and the last line was that I hoped we could live together again.

I think my wish has come true, let's go to the underworld together today.

 

He laughed when he heard what Pan Yue had said, and proudly accepted the death penalty.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

If you had only one more day to live, what would you do? Can you accept your death in peace?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                      圖片來自百度百科

When our hair is all grey and we retire, we will get together and live together.(白首同歸)

 

 

When our hair is all grey and we retire, we will get together and live together.(白首同歸)

 

There was a famous minister in the Western Jin Dynasty of China. He was also a famous rich man in Chinese history. His name was Shi Chong.

 

Once he had a big farewell party. After the party, he collected the poems written by his friends at the party into a book of poems.

This idiom comes from a poem written by one of his good friends called Pan Yue.

 

In this poem, Pan Yue described the reasons for the banquet and also expressed his reluctance to leave his friend.

He described the very beautiful villa in the valley where this feast was held.

Next to the villa is a small river and a small pond. There are many willow trees planted by the pond.

There are many flowers planted in the front and back gardens of the villa, and there are many lush fruit trees in the woods next to the villa.

 

At this banquet, everyone drank a lot of Chinese rice wine, and everyone's face was red from drinking.

The sound of the instruments played by the party-goers was evocative, and towards the end of the party the mood became increasingly sad.

 

In the last four lines of the poem, Pan Yue describes his inner feelings at that moment.

We come together briefly, but eventually we part. Just as we can't stay in the beautiful and lively spring forever, each of us must experience the lonely and cold winter.

 

Although we are temporarily separated, I said to my friend.

I hope that when our hair is grey and we retire, we can live together again.

We can live together in the countryside and lead a peaceful life.

 

The literal translation of this idiom is that when our hair turns grey and we retire, we will live together again.

This idiom is used to describe the very strong friendship between two people. The friendship between two people will not change when they grow old.

It is also used to describe a couple who have a good relationship and stay together until they grow old.

 

Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

What do you want to do when you retire? Who would you most like to grow old with?

I hope this story can give you some new insights.

 

                                                圖片出處為百度百科