How did the meeting between Tao Zhi and Confucius witness the embarrassing situation of Confucianism in the Warring States Period?

In the context of the era of endless disputes among countries, no one takes Confucian "benevolence and righteousness" seriously. The Confucian saint Confucius can be said to be the most influential and well-known cultural celebrity in the five thousand years of Chinese civilization. He is still the "sage and sage" in the minds of many people and is also the "business card" of my country's export of culture to the outside world. We have "Confucius Institutes" all over the world. However, this saint, who is regarded as an "outstanding figure throughout the ages" in the history books, does not seem to be "unstoppable" during his lifetime. He once met the famous bandit "Robber Zhi", but was humiliated by the latter.

According to the "Nanhua Sutra", the Bandits were the largest group of "violent bandits" raging in the countryside at that time. Confucius volunteered to persuade him to put down his butcher knife, so he took the initiative to see the Bandits, but the latter disappeared; Confucius repeatedly My request to meet with Robber Zhi was fulfilled. As soon as Confucius, who was full of confidence, stepped into the camp, he was threatened by Zhang Zhi with a knife in his hand: after that, there was no opportunity for conversation. Behind the story, Confucius ran away in despair with his tail between his legs, which was completely different from the image of the "holy sage" in our minds. However, friends who are familiar with history know that many contents of the "Nanhua Sutra" were arranged by Zhuangzi to frame Confucius: before he arranged Confucius, he even got the year wrong.

He said in the book that Confucius and Liu Xiahui were friends. But Liu Xiahui was born in 600 BC, and Confucius was born in 500 BC. There is a century between them. How can they be friends? It can be seen that this is just a fictitious incident. However, this does indeed reflect the anachronism of Confucianism in that era: in the Spring and Autumn Period, all countries were working hard to "rich the country and strengthen the army", but Confucius came out at this time and declared that everyone should "restore the Zhou rites". Now people drink hair and drink blood. It's really It's too much. The monarch should not enslave the people, but should fulfill the royal principles and "put the people first", so that the world can be peaceful.

This was a very ridiculous thing in the eyes of the various countries in the Spring and Autumn Period at that time, including the later Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi said, "All things come together." As long as I have a peaceful mind, I can accept the situation and accept it. I can take it lightly no matter how the king treats me. Therefore, in the eyes of the post-Taoist cynics and the Legalist monarchs of various countries in the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius and Confucianism were an out-and-out joke.