Some allusions about etiquette in ancient China

1. Chengmen Lixue

Cheng Hao from Henan and his younger brother Cheng Yi taught the academic essence of Confucius and Mencius (i.e. Neo-Confucianism) in Luoyang, Henan during the Xining and Yuanfeng years. Scholars from these places went to worship them as their teachers. When Yang Shi was transferred to be an official, he did not go. In Yingchang, he worshiped Cheng Hao as his teacher according to student etiquette. Teachers and students got along very well.

When Yang Shi returned home, Cheng Hao watched him off and said, "My doctrine will be spread to the south." Four years later, Cheng Hao passed away. After Yang Shi heard about it, he A memorial ceremony for Cheng Hao was set up in the bedroom, and obituary letters were used to announce the people who studied with him.

After that, he went to Luoyang to visit Cheng Yi. At this time, Yang Shi was already forty years old. One day, when I visited Cheng Yi, Cheng Yi was sitting with his eyes closed. Yang Shi and his classmate You Ye stood outside the door and did not leave. When Cheng Yi noticed, the snow outside the door was already more than a foot deep.

2. Zhou Gong spits food

Zhou Gong Jidan sent his eldest son Boqin to manage Lu. Before leaving, Zhou Gong warned Boqin: I am the son of King Wen and the younger brother of King Wu. Uncle Wang, my status among the people in the world is not low.

But I have to hold my hair three times once I wash my hair, spit out the food I am chewing three times after eating a meal, and get up to receive the wise men. In this way, I am afraid of losing the wise people in the world. After you arrive in Lu, don't be arrogant because you have a land. ”

The Duke of Zhou was courteous to the virtuous and corporal, eager to seek talents. When eating, he vomited out food many times and stopped eating, eager to welcome guests.

3. Jade and silk became a war

AD In 592 BC, Qi Qinggong, the then king of Qi, received envoys from Jin, Lu, Wei and Cao in the court. The envoys from each country brought precious gifts such as ink jade, coins and silk to Qi. Qinggong.

While offering the gift, Qi Qinggong looked down and saw that Jin's Yaqing Yu Ke was one-eyed, Lu's Shangqing was bald, and Wei's Shangqing Sun Liangfu was a man with one eye. Lame, and the official son of Cao State was hunchbacked. He couldn't help but laugh secretly: Why are all the envoys from the four countries wrong?

That night, when Qi Qinggong saw his mother, Mrs. Xiao, he asked her. The four people they saw during the day told it to Mrs. Xiao. Mrs. Xiao was very happy and insisted on seeing it with her own eyes.

It happened that the next day Qi Qinggong hosted a banquet to entertain envoys from various countries. The next day, when the envoys from the four countries arrived together and everyone entered the hall one after another, Mrs. Xiao opened the curtain. Looking out, she couldn't help laughing when she saw the four envoys, and her followers all burst into laughter.

The laughter alarmed the envoys, and when they figured out it was. When Qi Qinggong made such an arrangement to make his mother happy, they were all furious and left without saying goodbye.

The envoys of the four countries agreed to return to their countries to invite troops to attack Qi and wash away the humiliation they had suffered in Qi. Years later, the four countries united to attack Qi. Qi was defeated and was defeated. Qi Qinggong had to make peace. This was the famous "Battle of An" in the Spring and Autumn Period.

4. Mencius divorced his wife.

Mencius, a thinker, politician and educator during the Warring States Period, was the main representative of the Confucian school after Confucius, and was revered by later generations as the "lesser sage" after Confucius.

< p>Once, Mencius's wife was resting in the room. Because she was alone, she sat with her legs spread carelessly. At this time, Mencius opened the door and came in. When he saw his wife sitting like this, he was very angry.

It turns out that the ancients called this kind of sitting with legs spread forward as Jiju. It is very impolite to sit with Jiju towards others. Mencius walked out without saying a word. When he saw Meng's mother, he said: "I am." I want to divorce my wife and go back to her parents' home. Meng's mother asked him: "Why is this?"

Mencius said: "She neither understands etiquette nor manners." Mencius's mother asked again: "Why do you think she has no etiquette?" "She is sitting with her legs spread apart and her basket is facing people." Mencius replied: "That's why I want to divorce her." "Then how did you know?" Mother Meng asked.

Mencius told Mother Meng what had just happened. After hearing this, Mother Meng said: "Then the person who is rude should be you." , not your wife. Have you forgotten what the "Book of Rites" teaches: before entering a house, you must first ask who is inside.

When you enter the hall, you must speak loudly. Avoid seeing other people's privacy. After entering the room, look down.

Think about it, the bedroom is a place for rest. If you barge in without making a sound or bowing your head, you have already violated etiquette. How can you blame others for their lack of etiquette? You are the one who is rude!

< p>Mencius was so convinced by what he said that he never mentioned anything about divorcing his wife and returning to her parents' home.

5. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty respected his teachers

When Emperor Liu Zhuang of the Han Ming Dynasty was the crown prince, Dr. Huan Rong was his teacher. Later he succeeded to the throne and became the emperor. "He still respected Huan Rong as his teacher." present". He personally went to Taichang Mansion, asked Huan Rong to sit on the east side, set up a few sticks, and listened to the teacher's instructions as he did when giving lectures. He also summoned hundreds of students who had been taught by Chaozhong Baiguan and Huan Rong to Taichang Mansion to pay homage to Huan Rong as disciples.

When Huan Rong fell ill, Emperor Ming sent people to express condolences and even visited the teacher himself. Every time he visited the teacher, Emperor Ming would get off the car and walk there as soon as he entered the street to show his respect. After entering the door, I often hold the teacher's skinny hand, weeping silently, and then leave for a long time.

The emperor of the dynasty treated Huan Rong like this, so "the princes, generals, and officials who asked about illness did not dare to ride to the door again, and all worshiped under the bed." When Huan Rong died, Emperor Ming also changed his clothes, attended the funeral in person, and made proper arrangements for his children.