The Heaven and the Earth (5)

1 Emperor Yao once made a circuit of inspection around the country; one day he reached a place called Hua. According to the etiquette of officialdom, local officials would certainly hold a banquet in honor of the visiting emperor. Being accustomed to the complicated etiquette, Yao always regarded it as a means by which the local officials made up to their supervisor.

2 In the banquet, a local official toasted him and wished him a long life like the south mountains. Yao ungratefully asked him not to say that.

3 The official toasted him again and wished him this time to have a great fortune. Yao asked him not to say that again.

4 Being unwilling to give up, the official toasted him another time and wished him to have abundant offspring this time. Yao repeated the same response again.

5 Seeing the emperor’s declination for three times, the official couldn’t help asking him. “All people are longing for the long life, fortune and abundant offspring. Why do Your Majesty distaste?”

6 Emperor Yao flattered himself that he was aloof from material persuading. “The more offspring are, the more troubles are. The more fortune is, the more business is. These trivia make you bustle to death. The long life actually is to make you experienced more illness and aging. They are all bad, so I distaste.”

7 The unbeknown local official went on a quest. He said boldly, “I thought that you were sage before. Now I know that you are no more than a gentleman.

8 A man is born to play his role in this world. More children mean more opportunities to arrange more careers. What troubles are you afraid of?

9 Wealth can be shared with others who need it to solve their problems. What are you afraid of fortune?

10 The men of perfect practice never fix their positions to do something or not to do something, to have something or not have something. They are nomadic, omnivorous, and roaming like a wild donkey.

11 When the state is prosperous, he comes out to share the happy life with others; when the state is in chaos, he conducts himself virtuously to live in a leisure life. He will go to heaven to be a happy celestial after enjoying his life of a thousand years in the world.

12 None of the problems that you mentioned would happen to him. How would he undergo more aging and illness for enjoying the long life?”

13 After speaking, the official turned and left. Emperor Yao detected that he was not an ordinary people, so Emperor Yao hurriedly stepped down, approached him and whispered, “Excuse me.”

14 Not turning back, the incognito official shook his hand and said, “Forget it. There is nothing worth me to talk about with you any more.” Then he disappeared into the crowd. Yao stood there at a loss for a long while.