One day, in Confucius' private school, several students were probably discussing the importance of rites and music to the country. A student named Duanmu Ci was distracted by himself. He thought, isn't Kong Cong, the doctor who defended the country, just a little personality problem? Why can he still use Wen's posthumous title after his death? "Finally shook his head, feeling don't understand, so we have to ask Confucius. Confucius said to him: "(He) is very clever and studious. He knows a lot and is not ashamed to ask people who know less than he does, so he can use' Wen'. "This period, we will generally call him your title: Zigong!

Before I went to graduate school, my understanding of Zigong was probably the question raised by Zigong in junior high school textbooks. So, when I heard that Zigong was an extremely rich multinational businessman at that time, equivalent to Buffett now, I was simply shocked! The original impression of Confucius' students was that their heads were turned upside down when they recited Confucius' words!

Zigong is really amazing. Therefore, there are many chats between Confucius and Zigong in The Analects of Confucius. Confucius often compares him with his favorite student, Yan Yuan. One day, Confucius was in a happy mood, so he called Zi Gong and asked him, Which do you think is better, Yan Hui or you? Zi Gong said very sincerely: I'm not qualified to compare with the Yan Hui brothers. If he can extrapolate, I can extrapolate at most. Confucius certainly knew that Zi Gong was modest, but he agreed with this answer: Well, there is still a gap, and there is also a gap between you and Yan Hui (the old man loves Yan Hui too much)!

Confucius likes to talk about the advantages of this student and that student when he has nothing to do with teaching. One day, I said: Yan Hui is really close to the road, but life is not very good, and it is often poor (maybe it died young at the age of 29 because of malnutrition); Zigong does not enter state-owned enterprises, but becomes self-employed, and every time he speculates in futures, he will earn money. It is conceivable that if you speculate too much, you will naturally become a multinational businessman.

Zi Gong not only knows how to do business, but also has a glib tongue. However, talking a lot sometimes really doesn't appeal to the elderly, so when chatting with teachers and apprentices, I occasionally block Zigong. One day, Zi Gong may have been very rich, so he asked Confucius happily. He said: poor but not flattering, rich but not arrogant. What do you think of your dad? Confucius knew Zigong's meanness. I thought you just wanted me to praise you for being rich and not arrogant. How can I satisfy you so easily? He said, nothing. However, compared with those poor but happy people (Yan Hui is like this) and rich but polite people, your boy still has room for improvement.

Although Confucius never thought Zi Gong was the best student, his eloquence made him a great diplomat at that time, which changed the international situation at that time and made him famous in historical records.

This has to start from the internal chaos of Qi, one of the great powers at that time. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the real power of many vassal States was sidelined, and the power was basically controlled by domestic doctors. Such as Zhi Bo, Han, Zhao and Wei in the State of Jin, and Ji in the State of Lu. The situation in Qi is even more complicated. Tian, Gao, Guo, Bao and Yan are all very powerful, and Tian (the Qi State that was really replaced later, changed his surname to Tian Ji, see Historical Records for details. Tian Chang wants to make trouble at home at this time, but he is afraid of other interventions. So the army of Qi was mobilized to attack Lu. Confucius couldn't sit still when he knew it. He called a group of students who thought they were brilliant at ordinary times and said that the country where Lu's ancestral graves and his parents lived was in danger. Why don't you come forward? Words just say that finish, always impulsive Lutz didn't hold her breath this time. First, he stood up. Confucius patted him on the shoulder and told him to stand back. Zhang Zi and Zi Shi came forward one after another, but Confucius thought it was still unreliable. Finally, Zi Gong stood up and said, "I'll go." (Zi Gong was convinced that the old man's words were meant for him, so he didn't rush out, because he knew that what the old man needed at this time was a person who was calm, steady and clear about the international situation. ) Confucius certainly agreed.

Just leave. Zigong arrived in Qi in minutes and went straight to Tian Chang. He often said: it is a mistake for adults to beat Lu. How difficult it is to fight Lu, the walls are as thin as eggs, the terrain is narrow and easy to attack, the monarch is dull and heartless, the ministers are hypocritical and useless, and the officers and men don't like fighting, so they really can't fight; You might as well fight Wu. Their walls are tall and thick, their territory is wide and deep, their weapons are sharp and advanced, their scribes read widely, they have heavy weapons in the field, and the doctors guarding the city are good at military affairs. This is easy to fight. After reading this passage, I am very confused. I touched my head when I looked at it. It doesn't matter. Tian Chang, who is so awesome, also feels that he is regarded as SB by Zigong at this time. He said angrily: what you said is difficult to fight, but I find it easy; What you think is easy is what I think is difficult, understand? Zi Gong went on unhurriedly: I heard that those who have hidden worries at home want to fight for a strong country, while those who have hidden worries outside want to fight for a weak country. Now your worry is at home (I said I am afraid of other big families). I also heard that you didn't succeed in claiming yourself three times, and other ministers didn't listen! So even if you beat Lu now, Qi will become bigger, the monarch of the victorious country will be more arrogant, and other ministers will be more distinguished, which will not only fail to achieve the effect you want, but will also be alienated from the monarch day by day, then your great event will have no chance of success, and your position may also be lost! (Hearing this, Tian Chang may have reacted, and Zi Gong went on to say) So, it is better to beat Wu. Although we certainly can't win, then the army will die outside and the domestic ministers will be hollowed out, so that no really powerful ministers will oppose you and no ordinary people will dare to make irresponsible remarks about you. Only you can control the Qi army. Tian Chang was elated and said, Good! Even so, my army has surrounded Lu and attacked Wu for no reason. How can other ministers doubt me? Zi Gong said, "Hold your ground. I am willing to send another messenger to Wu to save Lu. Then you just need to meet Wu Jun. ".

Tian Chang readily agreed and sent Zigong to the south to see the king of Wu.

When Zi Gong met the King of Wu, he said bluntly: I heard that there are kings all over the world, and those who dominate are not afraid of strong enemies. Now, the arrogant Qi State intends to take the weak Lu State as its own and compete with you. I really feel a crisis for you. Moreover, if you go to save Lu, you can be famous all over the world; Attacking Qi made a lot of money. There is nothing better than appeasing the princes of Surabaya, conquering and violently making the powerful state of Jin surrender. The king of Wu said: Good! Even so, the country I once defeated was a menace to my heart. Let me finish it first. Zi Gong said: Yue's strength is similar to that of Lu, and you are similar to that of Qi. When you finish fighting Yue, Lu will be doomed. And since you want to save the dying state of Lu, it is not a sign of courage to fight the weak state of Yue first and fear the powerful state of Qi! The brave don't take refuge, the benevolent don't punish, the wise lose no time, and people who claim to be kings emerge one after another. This is where justice lies. Now, if you can keep Yue as a sign of mercy, Lu as a sign of mercy, Qi as an attack, and Jin as a deterrent, the vassals will certainly queue up to appear before you, and then your hegemony will be realized. And if you're really worried about crossing the river, I'll let the special envoy of the East Palace cross the river and ask him to send troops to follow you, so that the country will be empty and you will have no worries.

The prince of Wu was very happy and sent Zigong abroad. It is estimated that Zigong, who came out of Lu alone at this time, has turned into an envoy of a great country with unlimited scenery. So how will he be treated in Yuehui and how will he persuade Gou Jian, who lives a hard life every day? Where will he go after crossing the country?

Let's talk about Zigong, who rode horses and chariots and was in high spirits from Soochow to Yue. The news spread like wildfire, and Gou Jian knew it for the first time and prepared for the reception. On that day in Zigong, the King of Yue personally led the Yue people out of the city to meet him. Not to mention, Gou Jian personally drove Zigong to the humble hut where he lived. As soon as he entered the door, the King of Yue spoke: How can a noble doctor like you be so degraded and humiliated in our barbarian country? Seeing that Gou Jian was sincere all the way, Zi Gong said sincerely: Now I want to ask the prince of Wu to crusade against Qi to save Lu from danger. He really wants to do this, but he is still worried about crossing the country. He said, "I will go when I settle down in this country." In this way, the state of Yue will inevitably perish. Moreover, think about it, if people are suspicious without the ambition of revenge, it would be stupid enough; If there is a plan to retaliate and let people know, it will be dangerous; Ambition was discovered before it was put into action, and it was over; These three points can be said to be the big hidden dangers of doing things. Hearing this, Gou Jian was sweating. He quickly lowered his head and said, "I overreached myself before and was defeated by the State of Wu. I was trapped in Kuaiji Mountain, and my heart ached. I just want to die with the king of Wu every day. This is why I am alive now. " . Ask Zigong what to do. Zi Gong is really a good friend. He said to Gou Jian: The prince of Wu has a bad temper, and ministers have had enough for a long time. The war in Wu is frequent, the economic development is exhausted, and the officers and men can hardly hold on; The lives of ordinary people are in dire straits, and the powerful have ulterior motives; Wu Zixu died because of strong remonstrance, and Taizai ignored the fault of the prince of Wu for his own benefit. Today's Wu can be said to be ruled by a remnant country. Your majesty, if you can really send troops to help the king of Wu to expand his ambition, give him precious treasures to make him happy, and then make him feel respected with humble words, then the king of Wu will definitely attack Qi. If he is defeated, it will be your blessing. After the victory, I will definitely attack the State of Jin again, and I will invite you to visit the monarch of the State of Jin in the north. At that time, the joint attack of Jin and Yue on Wu will definitely weaken Wu. His elite troops were exhausted in the war with Qi, and the heavy troops will be contained by Jin. You only need to solve the rest of China's old, weak and sick, so the destruction of Wu is inevitable. Hearing this, Gou Jian wrote all his inner joy on his face and immediately promised to act according to the plan. He also sent hundreds of pounds of gold, a sword and two good spears. These things are either not lacking or not needed, so Zigong refused.

When Zi Gong came back from Yue State, he said to the King of Wu, "I told the King of Yue what you meant. Hearing this, the King of Yue was very afraid. He quickly said, "My life is not good either. I lost my parents when I was young, and I didn't have more than I can chew. I offended the king of Wu, I was defeated and humiliated. I lived a hard life on Huiji Mountain, and the countryside gradually became desolate. "Thanks to a large number of princes, I was allowed to worship my ancestors. Ender is dead and will never forget it. How dare I have any wild desires! Five days later, Wen Zi came with the mission of King Yue. Naturally, another kowtow said, "Now, I heard that Your Majesty wants to promote righteousness and strength, help the weak, combat the tyranny of Qi and appease Zhou Shi.". I, Gou Jian, would like to send 3,000 elite troops from all over China to help you, and I would also like to be your depth bomb with perseverance to repay your previous gift. Now, first of all, present a national treasure, strengthen 20 pieces of armor, throw spears at Qulu, and fight with bare feet to strengthen your military strength. The King of Wu was overjoyed and asked Zi Gong, The King of Yue wants to attack Qi with me. Do you think so? Zi Gong said: This is still not good. We hollowed out the country, leaving behind all the best and pulling the monarch, which is immoral. You can accept his money and army and forget about the monarch. The prince of Wu followed Zi Gong's advice. So, we mobilized the domestic elites to come together.

Then, Zi Gong went to the State of Jin and said to the monarch of the State of Jin: I heard that it is impossible to plan ahead, it is not easy to have a good result, and the army cannot prepare in advance and win the battle. Now that Wu and Qi are about to go to war, if they can't win, Yue will definitely take advantage of the chaos to sneak attack; If Wu wins, he will definitely send troops to attack the gold. Hearing this, Jin Jun was really shocked and quickly asked: What should I do now? Zi Gong said: All you have to do is prepare for the battle! Jin Jun naturally agreed.

At this point, Zigong's task was successfully completed and he returned to Lu by carriage. At that time, Wu and Qi fought in Ailing (Tai 'an South 15km), which was the biggest battle in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Wu wiped out one hundred thousand troops of Qi. Then, as expected, he turned around and hit the state of Jin. This time, Jin defeated Wu. Hearing this, Gou Jian had an opportunity. He quickly crossed the river to attack Wu, and stationed his troops seven miles outside the city. Hearing this, the prince of Wu hurried back and fought against the state of Yue here in the Five Lakes. After several battles, Wu failed to win. Eventually, the city gate fell, and the Vietnamese army surrounded the Wu Palace, killing Fu Cha and Taizai. Three years later, the King of Yue became the last overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period. At this point, Gou Jian completed his own counterattack, and also achieved an inspirational bottom line: work hard, work harder, and work harder, and 3,000 armor can swallow Wu!

Let's take a look at Zi Gong's mission, which saved Lu and plunged Qi into chaos. At this point, Wu disappeared among the great powers, Jin became strong, and Yue finally became the overlord. There is no doubt that Zi Gong, with his wise mind, greatly changed the pattern of relations between several great powers at that time.

Later, Zigong was also the prime minister of Lu and Wei. When I was the prime minister of defending the country, I had a short story. One day, Zi Gong was sitting in his BMW, looking for Yuan Xian, an old classmate who lived in the backcountry. Yuan Xian came out in rags. Zi Gong was ashamed of him and said, Are you sick? Yuan Xian dismissed it and said, I heard that poverty means no money, and illness means learning the Tao and not practicing. As for me, I am poor and not sick! After hearing this, Zi Gong was ashamed to death and left unhappily. From then on to death, Zi Gong was deeply ashamed of his inappropriate remarks.

Zigong, as a tycoon, is rich but not arrogant. As an influential politician, he never forgets his roots. After the death of Confucius, the students built a house next to his tomb and kept filial piety for three years, but Zi Gong stayed alone for six years. So after Confucius died, many people said to Zigong: You are better than Confucius now. Finally, the story ends with Zi Gong's answer. Zi Gong said: For example, someone else's fence. Where's my wall? It may be shoulder high, and others can see my house from the outside! However, the wall of the old master's house is several meters high. If you can't enter through the gate, you will never think about how beautiful the ancestral temple is and how rich the officials are. And too few people can find the master's door. So it is no wonder that others will say so!