Hutchison Home Page Login

Notes on Strange Events

Liangzhou Past

This month, the wild game is ordered not to cut down mulberry trees. The doves are calling and brushing their feathers, and the hoopoes are landing on the mulberry trees. Plant the baskets with twisted leaves. The queens and concubines are all on guard, and they go to the east to work on the mulberry trees. Women are forbidden to watch, and women are reduced to encourage silkworm work. When the silkworm work is completed, the cocoons are divided and the silk is weighed to reward the work.

World in a Box

Wang Zhonglang once asked Liu Changsha, "How am I compared to Gou Zi?" Liu replied, "Your talent is not as good as Gou Zi's, but you are famous in many places." Wang laughed and said, "You are stupid!"

Return of the Urban Swordsman

This month is the beginning of summer. Three days before the beginning of summer, the historian visits the emperor and says: On a certain day, summer begins, and the great virtue is in fire. The emperor then gathers. On the day of the beginning of summer, the emperor personally leads the three dukes, nine ministers, and officials to welcome summer in the southern suburbs. When he returns, he rewards and enfeoffs the princes. The celebration and reward are carried out, and everyone is happy. Then he orders the musicians to practice the harmony of rituals and music. The emperor orders the Grand Commandant to praise the wise and talented, promote the virtuous and the grown-up, and to grant titles and salaries to those who are in their proper positions.

Word of mouth

Confucius said: "The Way is not far from people. If people practice the Way and distance themselves from others, they cannot be considered the Way. The Book of Songs says: 'Cut the wood, chop the wood, its principle is not far away.' Holding a stick to chop wood, looking at it from a distance, it still seems far away. Therefore, a gentleman governs people by their own way, and stops when he changes. Loyalty and forgiveness are not far from the Way. If you do not want to do it yourself, do not do it to others. There are four ways of a gentleman, and I have not been able to do any of them. What I ask of my son is to serve my father, but I have not been able to do it; what I ask of my minister is to serve my king, but I have not been able to do it; what I ask of my younger brother is to serve my elder brother, but I have not been able to do it; what I ask of my friends is to give them first, but I have not been able to do it. The actions of a mediocre person are cautious; if there is something that is lacking, he dare not not try hard, and if there is something that is more than enough, he dare not use it all; if he speaks, he will act accordingly, and if he acts, he will act accordingly. Why does a gentleman not have to be frank!"

Super home dad

Man Fen is afraid of the wind. When Emperor Wu of Jin was sitting, there was a glazed screen in the north window, which looked dense but sparse, and he looked excited and embarrassed. The emperor laughed at him. Fen replied: "I am like a cow from Wu, panting when I see the moon."