Once upon a time, King Zhao the Beautiful became addicted to fencing. Fencers besieged his gates, and three thousand people or more visited him. Day and night, fights took place in front of the palace. Over the course of a year, more than a hundred daredevils were killed and wounded. The king's passion remained insatiable.
Three years have passed. The kingdom of Zhao began to decline, and other kings began to plot against it. Lamenting this, the heir Sad gathered all the courtiers, whose places were on the right and left, and asked:
“Who would undertake to turn the king away from his passion and put an end to the swordsmen’s duels?” I would give him a thousand gold as a reward.
“Only Chuang Tzu can do this,” answered the right and left.
The heir sent envoys to Chuang Tzu to offer him a thousand in gold. Chuang Tzu did not accept the gold, but went with the messengers and, appearing before the heir, asked:
- What will the heir command me, rewarding me, Zhou, with a thousand gold?
“Having heard about your insight and wisdom, teacher,” answered the heir, “I respectfully offered a thousand in gold as gifts to your retinue.” But would I dare to speak if you, teacher, rejected the gift!
“I heard,” said Chuang Tzu, “that you, the heir, want with my help to turn the king away from his passion.” Suppose that I, your servant, dissuading the higher one, the sovereign, begin to contradict him, and for the lower one, for you, the heir, I will not be able to settle the matter. I will be punished with death. Why then do I, Zhou, need gold? Suppose that I, your servant, persuade the higher, great sovereign, settle the matter of the lower, your heir. After all, then I will get everything I want in the kingdom of Zhao!
- Right! - said the heir. “But our sovereign allows only fencers to visit him.”
“Wonderful,” replied Chuang Tzu. - I'm an excellent fencer.
“True,” said the heir, “but all the fencers whom our sovereign receives have disheveled hair, a beard sticking out forward, helmets with rough tassels pulled down over their eyes, and a dress shorter in back than in front.” They look angry and their speech is tongue-tied. These are the kind of people the king likes. If now you, the teacher, appear before the sovereign in the dress of a thinker, things will take a bad turn.
“Allow me to prepare myself a swordsman’s costume,” asked Zhuang Tzu.
Three days later, Zhuang Tzu, dressed as a swordsman, met with the heir and appeared with him before the king. The king was waiting for them, drawing his blade. Slowly, Chuang Tzu entered the hall, and looking at the king, he did not bow.
“If you want to teach me something,” said the sovereign, “first show your skill to the heir.”
“I, your servant, heard that the great sovereign likes fencing, so I appeared before the sovereign as a fencer.”
- How do you handle a sword? - asked the sovereign.
“Every ten steps, the sword in the hand of your servant kills one person, and in a thousand miles does not leave a single traveler alive.”
- You have no rival in the Celestial Empire! - exclaimed the delighted king.
- It would be nice to measure your strength with someone. When fencing, by making a false attack, I seem to give the enemy an advantage. But, striking later than him, I am ahead of him in hitting.
- You, teacher, rest for now! Await orders in your quarters. “I’ll order some fun and invite you, teacher,” said the king.
Here the sovereign organized a sword-bearing competition, and in seven days more than sixty people were killed and wounded. Having selected five or six winners, the king ordered swords to be presented to them near the palace, and he himself called Chuang Tzu and announced:
- Today we will test which of the husbands is the most skilled in fencing!
“I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” answered Chuang Tzu.
-What is the length of the weapon with which you, teacher, will fight? - asked the king.
“I can fight with anything that is handed to me, your servant,” answered Zhuang Tzu. “But I, your servant, have three swords.” I will fight with anyone, only at the choice of the sovereign. Before you try it, let me tell you about them.
“I’m ready to listen to a speech about three swords,” the king agreed.
And Chuang Tzu told his story:
“The first sword is the sword of the Son of Heaven, the second is the royal sword, the third is the sword of the daredevil.”
- What is the sword of the Son of Heaven? - the king asked him.
“The sword of the Son of Heaven has a blade from the Swallow Stream to the Stone Wall, the tip is the peak of the Mountain of Succession in the Qi Kingdom, the blunt side is from Jin to Wei, the hilt is from Zhou and Song, the hilt is Han and Wei, the sheath can accommodate all barbarians, all seasons; in the sling is the Bohai Sea, in the sword belt is Mount Eternity. With its help, the five primary elements are curbed, crimes and virtues are determined, heat is separated from cold, spring and summer are held in check, and affairs are carried out in autumn and winter. If you cut straight with this sword, no one can stand in front of you, if you swing it up, no one above will be able to stand, down, there will be no one below, if you move it around, there will be no one on either side. At the top it will cut through the floating clouds, at the bottom it will cut through the scales of the earth. As soon as you use the sword, you will restore order among the kings, and the entire Celestial Empire will submit. Such is the sword of the Son of Heaven!
- What is the royal sword? — King the Beautiful asked, as if in a fog, confused.
— The blade of the royal sword is served by men who are knowledgeable and brave; the tip - unselfish and honest men; with the blunt side - worthy and kind men, with the cup of the hilt - loyal and wise men; handle - men of courage and valor. If you cut straight with this sword, no one can stand in front of you, if you swing it up, no one above will be able to stand, down, there will be no one below, if you move it around, there will be no one on either side. At the top it is likened to the round Heaven, so that all three kinds of luminaries are obedient; below it is likened to the square earth, so that the seasons are obedient; in the center is consistent with the desires of the people for there to be peace in all four directions. As soon as you use the sword, it will strike like a thunderclap, and everyone in all four borders will appear in the clothes of a guest to obey the decrees of the sovereign. This is the royal sword!
- What is the daredevil’s sword? - asked the king.
- A daredevil sword for everyone whose hair is disheveled, a beard sticks out forward, helmets with rough tassels are pulled down over their eyes, the dress is shorter in the back than in the front; who has an angry look and is tongue-tied; whoever fights in front of you, from above, cuts his throat, cuts his neck; from below dissects the liver and lungs. Such is the sword of a daredevil that is no different from a pugnacious rooster. His life could end any morning. It is not suitable for government affairs. Now, great sovereign, you have the post of the Son of Heaven, and you are addicted to the sword of a daredevil. I, your insignificant servant, am ashamed of you, great sovereign!
The king led Chuang Tzu into the hall, the steward served food, but the king sent all the changes three times in a circle.
“The report on swords is finished,” remarked Chuang Tzu. - Sit in silence, great sir, calm your breathing.
After this, King the Beautiful did not leave the palace for three months, and all the swordsmen, dressed in mourning, committed suicide in their places.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru