Pot calling the kettle black, is it true? What are the rules of ancient warfare?

Many people should know that there is a saying of "pot calling the kettle black". People have always understood this sentence as an escape. Is it funny that a person who runs 50 steps should laugh at a person who runs 100 step? Since they are all deserters, it is disgusting to laugh at people who run more than themselves. But what is the truth? Pot calling the kettle black's smile has long passed, if he just took it as a joke. However, if he really understood the rules of war in the Spring and Autumn Period, he might not think so again. Then, if this sentence is put in the context of real ancient history, why should we say that pot calling the kettle black is actually right and not wrong? Let's take a look.

1. pot calling the kettle black is an idiom in China, which is pronounced "Pei". This idiom is used to show that you have the same shortcomings or mistakes as others, only to a lesser extent, but you laugh at others. From "I am a man of the motherland".

Mencius, a collection of Mencius' speeches during the Warring States Period, recorded the dispute between Mencius and hundred schools of thought, the words and deeds of his disciples, and the lobbying of princes, and was compiled by Mencius and his disciples (Zhang Wan, etc.). ).

Mencius recorded Mencius' thoughts on governing the country, political views (the debate between benevolent government and Wang Ba, people-oriented, respecting the right and wrong of the monarch's heart, people being the monarch, and following the monarch being light) and political actions. It was written in the mid-Warring States period and belongs to Confucian classics. His theoretical starting point is the theory of good nature and advocates the rule of virtue. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu called Mencius, The Analects of Confucius, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean the Four Books. Since the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has been regarded as a family heirloom. Just like textbooks now.

Mencius is the longest and heaviest of the four books, with more than 35 thousand words. From then until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the "Four Books" had been a compulsory part of the imperial examination. Mencius' theory is not only pure and broad, but also full of heroic beauty.

2. pot calling the kettle black is real. During the Warring States Period, Mencius talked with Liang and gave him an analogy. Two soldiers were defeated at the front. One escaped fifty steps and the other one escaped a hundred steps. Escape to pot calling the kettle black. Is this right?

Liang said, no, it's just that he didn't run a hundred steps. They all ran away.

We now use "pot calling the kettle black" to describe ourselves as having the same shortcomings or mistakes as others, only to a lesser extent, but laughing at others.

In fact, in the Spring and Autumn Period, fifty steps can really make you laugh a hundred times, because people who run a hundred steps are stupid.

The war in the Spring and Autumn Period was very disciplined. The loser runs away, but the winner can't catch up. Even if it wants to catch up, it is limited to fifty steps. After more than fifty steps, it is impossible to catch up. So, why run fifty paces?

There is an interesting story about running away in the Battle of Chu Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period.

When the state of Jin failed, the soldiers fled, and one of the chariots got stuck in the mud. The chasing Chu army arrived. He helped the Jin army to repair the car first, and then continued to chase. After a few steps, the chariot broke down again, and the Chu army helped to repair it, then chased it, and finally let the Jin army run away.

What's even more funny is that when the Jin army ran fifty paces away, he turned to the poor family and said, "You Chu people are experienced in losing battles, and you are so professional in running away." Do you really think that after running fifty paces, people will stop chasing you? Really, that's why I'm so thin.

This is not a war, but a friendly match.

3. There is a story in "Mencius Hui Liang Wang Shang": When the two armies were at war, just as the drums and blades crossed, the soldiers abandoned their helmets and armor and dragged their weapons to escape. Some people stop after running fifty paces, while others stop after running a hundred paces. People who run 50 steps laugh at their fear of death when they run 100 step, but forget that they run as far as others. Later generations used "pot calling the kettle black" to describe people who only laughed at others and didn't know how to reflect on themselves.

But future generations will inevitably wonder, how far is 50 steps? It's only 25 meters at most Bolt ran 100 meters without 10 seconds, and ran 50 meters in the battle. Even though the enemy's speed was only half that of Bolt, he caught up in five seconds. In fact, I still have time to laugh at runners who run 100 meters. Is this still a war? Is this story true or not?

This suspicion is normal, but it ignores the times at that time: Zhou Dynasty and Spring and Autumn Period. Confucius spent his whole life in "self-denial and self-defense". When did the ceremony resume? Zhou Li Why did Zhou Li fascinate Confucius so much? A little truth can be seen from this story.

"The important thing of the country is to worship" refers to the important thing of the country, that is, sacrifice and war. Sacrifice, as we all know, pays great attention to etiquette, and has regulations on utensils, etiquette, participants and even time. What about war? In the Zhou dynasty, fighting was like offering sacrifices, and there were many rules that needed to be observed by governors of various countries.

What about the rules? For example, people who take part in the war must be nobles, or at least scholars. This is the origin of the word "warrior". Civilians and slaves went to the battlefield, mainly carrying luggage, feeding horses and cooking.

For another example, fighting cannot destroy people's livelihood and economy, and cannot kill civilians. The war must be fought at the border between the two countries, that is, the frontier, that is, the wild, so it is called the "battlefield."

Then there is the battle of law, and the two sides will wait until they are ready. If you are not ready, you can avoid war. You can refer to the "war-free card" in the list of gods.

What if I lose? The sixth rule is not to drive north, that is, when the enemy retreats, he cannot pursue it. Chasing can also be done, and it is limited to fifty steps. If you run this distance, this war has nothing to do with you. You can sit and watch the play, and the enemy will ignore you. I'm too nervous to run 100 meters? Of course, I was laughed at by people who ran fifty paces: running fifty paces is safe, and you ran fifty paces more. Isn't that stupid? If you can't run well, what can you do well

It is said that Jin and Chu love each other and kill each other too many times. Once Jin Chu was at war, the Jin army failed to escape, and all the chariots ran away. At this time, there was an 8 jin j chariot standing motionless on the battlefield. The Chu army was very surprised, so a Chu chariot caught up with him and stopped at his side. Chu soldiers got off the bus and asked Jin soldiers, "Brother Jin, what's the matter with you? Why don't you run? "

Xia Jin replied, "I want to run, too, but my car broke down and the horse didn't move."

The soldier of Chu said, "Oh, let me see ... there should be something wrong with this place. I'll fix it for you. "

So Chu soldiers helped Jin soldiers repair their chariots, and they ran back to their chariots. Nomads from continue to run, ChuBing continue to chase. After a few steps, the chariot of the state of Jin stopped again. Master Chu stopped the car again, got off the bus and asked, "Dude, why don't you move again?" The golden warrior replied, "It doesn't move again." Chu soldiers helped repair the chariots of Jin. Nomads from continue to run by car, ChuBing back to the car to continue chasing. After catching up with the fiftieth step, the Chu soldiers stopped chasing, and the Jin soldiers also stopped, waved to the Chu soldiers and said, "Brother Chu, thank you! We will come again next time. "

It's not enough just to thank you. This even needs the help of Chu army to escape. Embarrassed, the Jin army turned back and laughed at the Chu army and said, "We didn't have as many defeats as you did. You Chu people are too experienced in running away." The implication is that I will not run away. I really have no experience.

In Mencius, there is no righteous war in the Spring and Autumn Period. According to Confucianism, it is reasonable to say that "rites and music were conquered from the emperor", but in the Spring and Autumn Period, "rites and music were broken" and "rites and music were conquered from the princes", so there was no righteous war. I can only say that even the wars in the Spring and Autumn Period were much better than those in the future.