Confucius is a time

The TV series "Confucius" tells the story of Mei Yan, a female student studying in the United States, who returns to China to complete a doctoral dissertation on Confucius. From this, the two clues of the story unfold: A. The life of Confucius and his main ideas; B. In the process of studying Confucius, Mei Yan's thoughts on all aspects of contemporary life around her and on the spirit of Confucius.
Confucius story: In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the princes fought for supremacy and wars were frequent.
In Qufu, Shandong , Confucius, who was of noble descent from the declining Song State, lived in a poor family and depended on his mother for support. He liked to practice sacrificial rituals and had a dream, which was to restore the virtuous government and ritual system of the Zhou Gong era and realize a world of great harmony where everyone could live and work in peace and contentment .
In his youth, he was chased and laughed at by children for practicing etiquette. At the age of 17, he was fooled and even chased by vicious dogs because of his coffin-laying to find his father and mother and attending the banquet of the noble Ji Mansion of Lu State without authorization. In the eyes of ordinary people, he seemed to be an out-of-date weirdo. To make a living, he herded horses, drove carts, and managed warehouses. He was diligent and studious and traveled around the world, taking all kinds of people as teachers. He gradually mastered the " Six Arts " that were essential for noble gentlemen at that time, and won the appreciation and trust of a group of workers and nobles around him with his upright personality and extensive knowledge.
Contrary to Confucius's wishes, the powerful officials of Lu at that time were in power. The powerful Ji Fu and the King of Lu launched bloody power struggles again and again, bringing wars to Lu. Yang Hu, the steward of Ji Fu , saw that Confucius had talent and prestige and wanted to win him over for his own use. Confucius was unwilling to go along with the corrupt and resigned in anger.
When he was thirty, Confucius visited Laozi, whose thought that the weak can overcome the strong made Confucius realize that teaching and educating people might be the best way for him to transform this world of the weak and the strong. From then on, he began to give public lectures, imparting his own ideas of benevolence, virtue, courtesy, righteousness, loyalty, etc. to students, and taught them how to be a gentleman with moral integrity, ideals and dignity. Confucius' behavior changed the situation that learning had been done in government offices since ancient times , and made himself the first private educator in Chinese history ...
Confucius' greatest ideal was to directly participate in politics and put his ideals into practice. At the age of fifty, he finally became the chief judge of Lu. In the alliance with the powerful Qi State , when he learned that the enemy was hiding and a massacre was imminent, he was not afraid of danger and made careful arrangements. He used the peaceful singing of children and the bare hands of soldiers to make Qi Jinggong put down the cup that was raised high as a signal for killing... However, Confucius' plan to destroy the three capitals triggered the joint opposition and rebellion of the three noble families of Jisun, Shusun and Mengsun . The cowardly Lu Jun succumbed to the pressure and indulged in wine and sex. Seeing that his ideals could not be realized in Lu, the disappointed Confucius left his hometown with his students and began a fourteen-year tour of the countries...
He was imprisoned in Kuang and almost killed; he was detained in Pucheng and risked breaking his oath to escape; he met Nan Zi in Wei and witnessed the corrupt and licentious politics of Wei but was unable to intervene; he was hunted down by Sima Hengzhu in Song and fled; he was tortured by the plague and was almost dying in Zheng; he was trapped in the mountains between Chen and Cai for several days without food, and he asked the heavens in desperation why he was banished to the wilderness when he was neither a rhinoceros nor a tiger... Finally, King Zhao of Chu, who was working hard to govern the country, was willing to hire Confucius with a large sum of money, but when he arrived, he saw the coffin of the King of Chu...
During the fourteen years, Confucius wandered around, traveling back and forth between Wei, Song, Zheng, Chen, Cai, Ye and Chu states. He experienced countless life-and-death tests of hunger, wind, frost and illness, met with many monarchs, and preached his ideals with a dry mouth, but was not valued. Confucius sighed and said, "If the monarch is willing to employ me, it will only take a month or three years to achieve success." But why can't it be realized?
At the age of 68, the gray-haired Confucius finally returned to Lu. He devoted himself to teaching, revising and compiling the famous ancient Chinese classics "Book of Songs", "Book of History", "Book of Changes", "Book of Rites", and " Spring and Autumn Annals ". He had 3,000 disciples and became a great disseminator of ancient Chinese cultural thoughts. However, he still did not receive the attention of the Lu authorities. His disciple Ran Qiu, who had gained power, also succumbed to the Ji family and violated Confucius' teachings, which made Confucius angry and helpless...
In his later years, Confucius was deeply saddened by the death of his only son Kong Li and the accidental deaths of his most beloved disciples Yan Hui and Zilu . He sighed, "Is my path really blocked?" When he was dying, he climbed up the hillside and looked into the distance, and he seemed to see the world of great harmony in his mind...
Modern story:
Mei Yan was born in the 1980s in a Chinese intellectual family. She was well-off and well-educated, but a little arrogant. The reason why she chose Confucius as her research object was simple, because her American mentor highly praised Confucius, and she took it for granted that she could write a paper that would satisfy her mentor in a short period of time.
As soon as she returned to China, she locked herself in the hotel room and immersed herself in the historical materials of Confucius. The reporter Duanmu who went to the airport to greet her was one of the few people she had contact with. He was also a medium for her to contact the outside world and observe and understand the domestic society. However, she found that after eight years abroad, the domestic environment was changing with each passing day, and people's concepts and social thoughts had also changed a lot. Take Duanmu, for example, he was not at all like the cultural person in her mind. On the one hand, he was an active reporter who was involved in and reported various social news all day long. He was quite knowledgeable about Confucius and ancient culture, but on the other hand, he dealt with all kinds of people in private, went in and out of karaoke bars, banquets and other places of entertainment, and seemed to be conducting secret transactions that he did not want others to know. This made Mei Yan, who was devoted to reading books of sages, feel confused, bewildered and even contemptuous... As the days passed, with her in-depth research on the information and her gradual understanding of Confucius' life, Mei Yan realized that Confucius' life was not as dull as she had imagined, but was full of ups and downs, touching stories of sorrow and joy, and glowed with the magnificent light of ideals; at the same time, she also painfully realized that she could not understand Confucius' life and his thoughts in such a short time, and that after more than two thousand years of deification, Confucius' image had been deified and seriously misunderstood. The truth of history and Confucius' true inner pain and joy, despair and hope may have been hidden in the depths of time.
The relationship between Mei Yan and Duan Mu is also changing. From the initial alienation, hostility caused by misunderstanding, to gradual understanding and closeness, Mei Yan finally solved the mystery of the mysterious business that Duan Mu was engaged in privately. It turned out that there was a group of young urban youths who formed a group called "Zi Gong Foundation". Through repeated fundraising and self-donation, through years of running around and silent efforts, they built a Hope Primary School for children in poor mountainous areas . The seemingly cynical Duan Mu was the leader of such a group of young volunteers .
Mei Yan understood that the spirit of Confucius is still alive. Confucius' persistent pursuit of beliefs and his many ideas such as people-oriented, benevolence, virtuous governance, and filial piety have laid the foundation for the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation and are still worth upholding.
On the first day of the Hope Primary School, on the hillside, watching the children saluting the five-star red flag under the blue sky, Mei Yan told Duanmu that the title of her paper should be changed to "Confucius Spirit and Contemporary China", and that she might have to spend her whole life studying and learning about Confucius...
The purpose and goal of this drama is to describe Confucius’ life in an objective, rigorous and detailed way, reflect Confucius’ main thoughts, and deeply explore the value of Confucius’ thoughts in contemporary society. It aims to rediscover the spiritual home of the Chinese nation in the midst of impetuousness, emptiness, loss and confusion, and pursue a higher level of spiritual transcendence and redemption!!!!!!!!!!!

Episode 1
Mei Yan, a female graduate student studying in the United States, returned to a southern city to complete a doctoral thesis on Confucius. Duanmu, a reporter from a newspaper, greeted her at the airport. Duanmu and Mei Yan had never met before, but he was very attentive to her. When he learned that Mei Yan was studying Confucius, Duanmu said shamelessly: I know that old man. All this made Mei Yan, who was naturally noble and reserved, very uncomfortable. In the hotel, Mei Yan began to read documents about Confucius' childhood. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, rituals and music collapsed, and wars were frequent. In the State of Lu, Confucius was poor in his childhood and depended on his mother. Once, when he was playing with a few children, he accidentally entered the sacrificial site and witnessed the sacrificial ceremony before the expedition and the burial ceremony of the dead generals. He was shocked and sad. He made his own sacrifices to practice the rituals of burial for the dead, and was ridiculed by his friends. Soon, the State of Lu was invaded by the State of Qi, and young Confucius and his mother were displaced. When he was seventeen years old, his mother died of illness. In order to fulfill his filial duty, Confucius wore mourning clothes, placed his mother's coffin on the roadside, and knelt down to beg passers-by to help find his father's grave.

Episode 2: Meeting Zilu
Yang Hu, the housekeeper of Ji Mansion in Lu State, drove Confucius away. Confucius did not give in to the threat of swords. With the help of his brother Meng Pi and his master Wan Fu, Confucius finally found his father's tomb and buried his parents together. The monarchy of Lu State declined. The three families of Ji Sun, Meng Sun and Shu Sun controlled the government. Among them, Ji Pingzi, the head of the Ji Sun family, was particularly powerful. Yang Hu, a servant of Ji Sun, was insidious and cunning, and was also suspected by his master Ji Pingzi. When Ji Pingzi returned from the expedition, the doctors did not participate in the celebration specially arranged by the King of Lu, but came to Ji Sun's house. The King of Lu dared not say anything but waited for the day of counterattack... In order to make a living, Confucius was hired to mourn for others. On his way back, he met Zilu, a little beggar who was stealing from him. Confucius chased Zilu to the wilderness and found that Zilu was stealing for his sick mother. He felt very sympathetic. Zilu's mother died of illness, and Confucius adopted him. He accidentally discovered the precious bamboo slips that Zilu burned as firewood. Confucius began to teach Zilu to read, and from then on began their lifelong friendship. In order to make a living, Wanfu introduced Confucius to Ji's mansion to feed horses.

Episode 3 doesn't faze itself with poverty.
In order to win over the ministers and show his authority to the whole country, Ji's mansion held a banquet to entertain dignitaries. The young Confucius thought that as a scholar, he should be invited. He made his own Confucian clothing and went to Ji's mansion, where he was ridiculed by Yang Hu and others. Confucius was not afraid and argued with reason. He also accused Ji Sun of using the dance and music of the emperor's eight friends, which was a violation of the etiquette. Yang Hu was angry and let his dogs bite... During this period, Meng Xizi, one of the three major noble families in Lu, admired him and they became friends regardless of age.

Episode 4
Confucius was rescued by an old man who lived in seclusion in the mountains. He traveled among the people and learned the six arts of etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics. He met the old priest and participated in a human sacrifice with him, which had a great impact on Confucius' life. He was introduced to be in charge of the treasury. He worked hard and won the trust of Qi, a minor official, who married his daughter to Confucius. A year later, his son was born. In memory of the carp given by the King of Lu, Confucius named him Li, with the courtesy name Ziyu.

Episode 5
Confucius, 35 years old, became a minister. He changed the way the Ji Sun family collected rents with a large measure and lent money with a small measure, and used a unified measure to collect and pay debts, winning the support of the people. Yang Hu, the chief steward, sent his subordinates to collect the money, but was beaten by Zilu. Confucius went to dissuade him, but Yang Hu and his men arrived with murderous intent. Seeing that Confucius had a large number of people, Yang Hu took advantage of the situation and announced that he would comply with the will of the people and commended Confucius.

Episode 6
Yang Hu invited Confucius to drink and talked about his childhood suffering. He said that he and Confucius were born in a poor family and both had abilities and ambitions, so why not join hands to do great things? Confucius said that being successful was far less important than adhering to benevolent governance. Yang Hu was furious and threatened Confucius, but Confucius refused and resigned in anger. Confucius worshipped the famous court musician Shi Xiangzi of Lu as his teacher. Zhongsun Wuji and Zhongsun Yue, the heirs of the Mengsun family, accepted Confucius as their teacher at the dying request of their father Meng Xizi. The three of them went to Luoyi, the capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, to observe the Zhou rituals and visit Laozi, the elderly Zhou library. Confucius believed that the way to govern a country should be to govern with virtue and to take etiquette as the basis. Laozi thought that if there is Tao in the world, why ask about etiquette? When you talk about etiquette, it is the day of losing Tao... He warned Confucius that in troubled times, to protect yourself, it is best not to show your edge and not to compete with the world, but Confucius did not agree. The two men had different opinions but respected each other and were deeply impressed. Laozi's view that softness is better than strength moved Confucius... After visiting Laozi, Confucius began to recruit disciples and give lectures. Under the ginkgo tree, an earthen altar was built. Confucius and his disciples sat under the tree, studying the Book of Songs, learning etiquette, and talking about the principles of being a human being.

Episode 7
The annual cockfighting competition is about to be held. Duke Zhao of Lu gives the rooster he fed with centipedes to his trusted confidant Hou Zhaobo, asking him to fight against Ji Pingzi's rooster. One of them put iron claws on the rooster, and the other put iron wings on the rooster, both wanting to use victory to suppress the other's prestige. Hou Zhaobo's cockfighting won, and Ji Pingzi was so angry that he let the dog bite Hou Zhaobo's rooster to death. Duke Zhao of Lu was furious and sent troops to attack Ji Pingzi and surrounded Ji's mansion. Mengsun and Shusun sent troops to rescue Ji Pingzi. Duke Zhao of Lu fled, and Lu was in chaos. Confucius took his disciples to Qi to find opportunities to serve as an official and implement his ideal of benevolent government... With the introduction of Gao Zhaozi, Confucius met the King of Qi, was appreciated, and promised to grant him the land of Nixi. Finally, there was a place where he could show his ambitions for governance. Confucius was excited and planned a blueprint with his disciples. Unexpectedly, Yan Ying, the prime minister of Qi, was powerful and suspicious of Confucius.

Episode 8
Confucius visited Yan Ying and they talked freely. After drinking, Confucius became very angry and offended the shrewd Yan Ying. Yan Ying disparaged Confucius in front of the King of Qi, saying that Confucian scholars were fond of idle talk and missed practical matters, which made the King of Qi cancel the fiefdom and title originally promised to Confucius. Confucius spent his time doing chores for Gao Zhaozi while waiting day by day, and his disciples were extremely anxious. In order to appease Confucius, the King of Qi invited Confucius to the palace to listen to the ancient "Shao" music played by top musicians from all over the country. On the one hand, he was frustrated in the political arena, but on the other hand, he finally heard the long-awaited "Shao" music. With mixed feelings, Confucius burst into tears. Soon, he left Qi with his unrealized ideal of benevolent government... Time passed quickly, and in more than ten years, the political situation in Lu changed. On the one hand, Duke Zhao of Lu, who had been in exile, died, and his brother Duke Ding of Lu ascended the throne, and the war in Lu subsided; on the other hand, with the death of Ji Pingzi, the new ruler of the Ji government, Ji Huanzi, was cowardly and incompetent, and Yang Hu, who had been hiding for many years, began to seize power blatantly.

Episode 9
Confucius returned to Lu and continued to teach, becoming famous. In addition to his early local disciples Yan Lu and Zilu, some younger foreign youths also came to join him, including Gong, a disciple of the merchant Zi from Wei. One day, the disciples hid from the rain and went into the cave to talk about everyone's ambitions. Zilu wanted to lead troops to kill the enemy, Zigong wanted to be a special envoy, and Gongxihua wanted to preside over the ceremony. When asked about Zeng Dian, he said that in late spring, several friends returned from swimming in Yishui, blowing the wind on the Wuyu Terrace, and then returned singing... Confucius nodded and sighed: My ambition is the same as Zeng Dian's. Mei Yan found Mr. Sun, an expert in ancient culture, to talk about Confucius as the earliest private teacher in ancient China and his famous disciples.

Episode 10
Yang Hu colluded with his retainer Gongshan Furao, forced Liang Zhonghuai, Ji Huanzi's confidant, to death, forced Ji Huanzi to swear an oath of brotherhood with him, and seized the power of Ji Mansion and even the State of Lu. In order to win the hearts of the people, Yang Hu visited Confucius three times to invite him to serve as an official, but Confucius avoided him. Yang Hu deliberately gave Confucius a gift, forcing Confucius to return the gift, and the two met on the road... That day, Mei Yan accidentally found an article on a roadside newsstand: Can learning never get tired? - From Confucius's view of the contemporary college entrance examination, the author turned out to be Duanmu. Mei Yan hurriedly bought the article back. Yang Hu took advantage of Ji Huanzi's offering sacrifices to his ancestors in the ancestral temple and hid an ambush, wanting to kill Ji Huanzi in one fell swoop, but Ji Huanzi noticed and fled to Mengsun's house

Episode 11
Yang Hu sent Gongshan Furao to attack Mengsun's mansion. Zhongsun Heji led his troops to resist while contacting Shusun to send troops to rescue him. Seeing the army approaching, Gongshan Furao saw that the situation was not good, and turned the tables to capture Yang Hu, so Yang Hu had to flee from Lu. Zhongsun Wuji believed that Gongshan Furao was a traitor who sold out his master for fame and fortune, and asked Ji Huanzi to get rid of Gongshan. Gongshan Furao tried his best to express his love for him, even at the cost of committing suicide. The indecisive Ji Huanzi let Gongshan go and appointed him as the governor of Feiyi. After Yang Hu's rebellion, the Meng, Shu, and Ji families were terrified. Duke Ding of Lu decided to take the opportunity to strengthen the power of the royal family. On the recommendation of Zhongsun Wuji, he decided to use Confucius. In the middle of the night, the special envoy summoned Confucius to the palace. The opportunity that Confucius had been waiting for for many years to intervene in the government of Lu finally came. Before the carriage was ready, Confucius walked into the palace in the wind and snow. In the palace, the monarch and his ministers had a long talk about virtue and how to maintain internal stability and resist foreign aggression...

Episode 12
Confucius had outstanding achievements in government and was soon promoted to the position of Grand Minister of Justice of Lu. He promulgated laws, advocated fair trade and separate ways for men and women, but Zigong and Zai Yu disagreed, but Yan Hui and Zilu defended Confucius. Duke Jing of Qi and Yan Ying were uneasy when they saw that Lu was becoming increasingly stable and powerful. On the one hand, they invited the King of Lu to a meeting in Jiagu, on the other hand, they trained swordsmen and hid ambushes around Jiagu, and agreed to use the cup-breaking of Duke Jing of Qi as a signal to subdue the King of Lu. Duke Ding of Lu was in a dilemma when he received the invitation from Qi. All the ministers advised the King of Lu to refuse, but only Confucius, who put the great cause of Lu first, persuaded Duke Ding of Lu to go. In order to prevent the danger of the Jiagu League, Duke Ding of Lu called two generals to protect him, but Confucius advocated finding an army that could practice etiquette, which made Duke Ding of Lu laugh and cry... The Qi army ambushed in the mountains overnight. In Lu, Confucius and his disciples were engaged in preparations before the league... On the day of the league, the monarchs of the two countries sat on the high altar, and the officials, entourages and military guards of the two countries were lined up on both sides. Confucius served as the master of ceremonies. The first to appear was the Qi music and dance. But a team of wild men with guns and swords came dancing and shouting, rushed to the high altar and approached the Lu monarch, and was repelled by Confucius in court; then, Duke Jing of Qi ordered the army to come with a guard of honor, and behind the shields, they showed the shining swords, and the Lu monarch changed color. Confucius responded calmly and ordered the Lu army to come on stage with a guard of honor. The Lu army came in neat formation, but the weapons they displayed were wax spear heads that could melt. Yan Ying and others reminded Duke Jing of Qi of the cup-smashing action in the name of Confucius insulting the Qi army. Confucius insisted that the Lu army used an army without soldiers just to show the brotherhood between the two countries. Duke Jing of Qi hesitated... At this time, the choir arranged by Confucius appeared. Countless old men playing musical instruments and girls in white came up and sang the beautiful song "Papaya" praising peace and friendship. Duke Jing of Qi was moved and put down the cup in his hand. At the insistence of Confucius, Qi and Lu agreed to be friendly for a long time and return the land originally occupied by Lu...

Episode 13
Confucius' diplomatic victory at the Jiagu League greatly boosted his reputation. He began to ambitiously promote his political ideas: first, he proposed to "ditch and merge the tombs" to fill the ditch and build a wall to make the tomb of the Duke of Lu complete. Later, he proposed to destroy the three capitals, that is, to demolish the walls of the fiefs of Mengsun, Jisun and Shusun that exceeded the royal regulations. The King of Lu was apprehensive and worried about arousing opposition from the three families, but Confucius disagreed. Sure enough, in the hall, when Confucius announced the decision, everyone was in an uproar. Ji Huanzi and Shusun Wushu strongly opposed it in court. Zhongsun Wuji, due to the friendship between him and Confucius, was not convenient to express his opinion in public, and also went to persuade Confucius not to make too many enemies, but was rejected by Confucius. Zhongsun Wuji asked desperately, if a war was triggered, the three capitals would also be destroyed? Seeing that Confucius was unmoved, he had to leave... At Jisun's house, Ji Huanzi and Shusun Wushu gathered together to plot how to deal with Confucius. When they learned that Gongshan Furao was secretly colluding with Qi to rebel in Feiyi, a plan to kill with a borrowed knife was formed in the minds of Ji Huanzi and Shusun Wushu... That night, Ji Huanzi and Shusun Wushu suddenly came to the palace and expressed their support for the fall of the three capitals to the King of Lu, and even willing to send troops to demolish the city. The King of Lu was overjoyed. Confucius was also very happy and sent Zilu, who was helping to govern the Ji Mansion, to lead the troops.

Episode 14
Gongshan Furao learned that Zilu and others had demolished Shusunzhi's city and were approaching Feiyi. He decided to take advantage of the lack of troops in the capital to attack the palace of Lu and kidnap the king of Lu. Upon hearing the news, Confucius immediately rushed to the palace of Lu, and Ji Huanzi also took the king of Lu to Ji's mansion for temporary shelter. Gongshan Furao sent troops to surround Ji's mansion. Confucius and the king of Lu had to retreat to Wuzi Gaotai. Gongshan Furao set fire to the Gaotai, and the fire was blazing... Zhongsun Wuji learned that Confucius, the king of Lu and many officials were surrounded on the Gaotai, and immediately realized that this was an opportunity, and quickly sent Gong Lianyang, an official of Chengyi, to lead troops to reinforce. On the high platform, the King of Lu, Ji Huanzi and others were panicking, only Confucius was calm and composed. He sent people to contact reinforcements, asked the King of Lu to come out, and personally shouted to the soldiers below the stage, exposing the truth about Gongshan Furao's rebellion, pointing out that Gongshan was not loyal to the king, but rebelled... Gong Lianyang of Mengsun Mansion and Confucius' reinforcements arrived in time, Gongshan Furao was defeated and fled from Lu... The King of Lu held a banquet in the palace to celebrate the victory of quelling Gongshan's rebellion. Zhongsun Wuji took the opportunity to propose that it was Gong Lianyang, an official of his own Chengyi, who led the troops to rescue. When the King of Lu asked Gong Lianyang what reward he wanted, Gong Lianyang said that he did not need any reward, but only begged to keep the city that he had repaired for many years in power - Chengyi, the fief of Mengsun Mansion. The King of Lu promised immediately, and Confucius was helpless... The three of them were frustrated by Mengsun and stopped. Shusun Wushu and Ji Huanzi took the opportunity to propose to restore the city that had just been destroyed. Confucius had no choice but to vent his anger through the sound of the zither... Mei Yan encountered a difficult problem in her studies and asked Duanmu for the phone number of a history teacher. Duanmu volunteered to solve the problem himself and gave the answer within a few minutes, which made Mei Yan look at him with new eyes. He invited Mei Yan to a coffee shop for a long talk. The two talked about Confucius' origin, the origin of Lu and Song and Zhou rituals...

Episode 15
Qi lost the Jiagu League. Seeing Confucius' good governance, they were afraid that Lu would become stronger, so they decided to use a counter-espionage strategy. They sent beautiful women and colorful horses to Ji Sun, pretending to be good to him, but actually seducing the King of Lu. Sure enough, under Ji Sun's instigation, the King of Lu indulged in wine and women and ignored state affairs. Confucius was very worried and made many admonitions, but the King of Lu simply avoided him. The annual ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven was approaching, and Confucius wanted to use this opportunity to reawaken the King of Lu's sense of responsibility in governing. He personally designed the altar for the ceremony, and was very serious... On the day of the suburban sacrifice, Confucius led his disciples and many officials to wait for the King of Lu in front of the altar that he had painstakingly designed, but the King of Lu was nowhere to be seen......

Episode 16
Seeing that Confucius was gradually losing power in front of the King of Lu, Ji Huanzi and Shusun Wushu planned to force Confucius to leave. They put Zilu, who came to deliver a letter of persuasion, into a sack and sent a letter to Confucius threatening him with death in the three capitals; they sent people to tear down the wall of Confucius's house; they attacked Confucius' residence at night and shot arrows into the room; Confucius was refused entry to the palace... Zigong and other disciples persuaded Confucius that Lu was unjust and he had to leave and find a place where Confucius could display his ambitions; Confucius had no choice but to agree after some debate... Before leaving, Confucius put on his most precious official uniform and went to the Lu Palace to say goodbye, but was refused entry. Confucius had no choice but to board the car for a long journey... At the border, he ordered the car to stop and wait. What he waited for was not the special envoy of the King of Lu to call him back, but Shi Xiangzi who came to see him off... Confucius and his disciples left Lu in a dusty state. On the way, they met the Qi army. Their food and luggage were robbed and they had to sleep in the wilderness, with nowhere to go. At Zigong's suggestion, Confucius and his disciples fled to their hometown of Wei State and stayed at the home of Zilu's brother-in-law, the butcher Yan Zhuozou. The political situation in Wei State was complicated, with Madam Nan Zi and Crown Prince Kuai Kui forming their own parties to fight for power. Zigong used his connections to move around and persuade Confucius that he could choose Nan Zi or the Crown Prince as a way to become an official, but Confucius refused because it was not in line with the way of a gentleman. That day, Duanmu met with a merchant in a hotel room. The merchant used the bait of lowering the price of the building materials Duanmu needed and asked Duanmu to change the content in the publicity reports that was unfavorable to him, but Duanmu refused and the negotiations broke down. The merchant hinted that he would make Duanmu's "private affairs" public, and Duanmu walked away in anger.

Episode 17
Confucius went to the palace to meet Duke Ling of Wei, but found that the other party was old and stupid, only willing to talk about military formations, and not interested in the good governance he preached. At the same time, Nan Zi sent people to send gifts to lure him, and the prince also sent messengers to threaten him. Confucius was depressed and played the piano, and found someone eavesdropping outside the window. It turned out that they had been under house arrest and surveillance... Not only was they not reused, but they were monitored instead, and their personal safety was threatened. Confucius and his disciples had to decide to avoid the guards and secretly leave Wei State overnight... Zilu and Zigong stayed behind to deal with the guards, and Yan Hui escorted Confucius to leave Wei capital at night. Confucius' carriage arrived in Kuangdi, but was ambushed by a group of soldiers and captured in one fell swoop. Yan Hui escaped in the chaos... Confucius was tied up, beaten, covered in dust, and thrown into a dark prison. A hand opened the dark cell, and a voice told him: The last sentence has come, and he will be executed soon... Yan Hui, who rushed back to Wei capital desperately, told his disciples the news of Confucius' suffering. Zilu wanted to lead his men to attack Kuangdi, but was dissuaded by Zigong, who believed that Kuangdi was a territory of Wei State, so it would be a good idea to rescue them in the Wei State court... Zigong used a large sum of money to bribe the palace chief Yong Qu, and found Mi Zixia, a palace guard favored by Nan Zi, and asked his wife Nan Zi to mediate; At the same time, Yan Hui risked his life to return to Kuangdi and asked to be imprisoned with Confucius. On the eve of the execution, Yan Hui came to Confucius' cell, and Confucius was very moved... He talked to Yan Hui about destiny and his lifelong pursuits... Yan Hui wanted to record the master's words, and in a hurry, he took off his hairpin and carved Confucius' words on the pillar where Confucius was tied...

Episode 18
In the morning, the jailer came to the cell and escorted Confucius. The last moment had come... At the last moment, Zigong arrived with Yongqu and used his wife Nanzi's handwritten letter to save Confucius and resolve a misunderstanding. It turned out that the people of Kuangdi mistakenly thought Confucius was Yang Hu, who led troops to kill many years ago, and wanted to avenge the previous revenge... The master and his disciples left Kuangdi and rested by the river. There was another dispute about where to go. Zigong invited Confucius to return to Wei State to work in politics on the grounds that Nanzi had saved Confucius, but Zilu advocated going to Chen because Nanzi was licentious and extravagant. Confucius thought again and again and decided to return to Wei State. On the way, they passed Pudi, a territory of Wei State. Unexpectedly, Gongsun Xu, the garrison commander of Pudi, rebelled against Wei and blocked all roads to Wei State... Confucius, Zigong, and Yan Hui took the initiative to negotiate and were taken to the heavily guarded Pudi. Gongshu Xu had heard of Confucius's name for a long time and held a banquet to entertain him with respect, but he was determined to detain Confucius and his disciples to prevent the news from leaking out. After a duel between the two sides, Confucius promised not to return to Wei, and Gongshu Xu agreed to let Confucius and his disciples pass. However, just as they were about to leave the city, a letter from Nan Zi to Confucius that was accidentally picked up by an officer made Gongshu Xu draw his sword and block Confucius and his disciples... Fortunately, Zigong responded quickly, allowing Gongshu Xu to sheath his sword and let Confucius leave the city again. At the fork in the road, Confucius resolutely decided to break the agreement and return to Wei, which moved Zigong very much. Confucius told Zigong that in order to realize his ideal, he was willing to risk the infamy of breaking the agreement...

Episode 19
Confucius returned to Wei State, and Duke Ling of Wei held a grand welcome ceremony outside the city. Soon, Confucius entered the palace to meet Nan Zi. He thought he would see a domineering and heavily made-up woman, but unexpectedly, it was a pure and beautiful girl... Nan Zi admired Confucius very much and wanted to put Confucius under her control. Confucius also wanted to instill his ideal of virtuous governance in Nan Zi, so he had to often attend the banquets held by Nan Zi, which caused dissatisfaction from Zilu. Once, when he heard passers-by discussing the relationship between Confucius and Nan Zi, Zilu fought. When he returned to the station, he angrily questioned Confucius whether a gentleman is virtuous or lustful, which caused Confucius to swear.

Episode 20
Zigong actively campaigned for Confucius' appointment, but found that the crown prince Kuai Kui was behind the scenes. The crown prince Kuai Kui came to see his father Duke Ling of Wei late at night, trying to prevent the Duke from using Confucius; after a long talk, he found that his father, who seemed to be foolish, had long been dissatisfied with Confucius's practice of falling into the three capitals, and had made up his mind that he would never really use Confucius, and he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Confucius was giving a lecture to Nan Zi in the palace. Nan Zi's wife asked Confucius to pick flowers in the pond, but Mi Zixia gently pushed Confucius into the pond, causing laughter in the room!!!

Episode 21
Madam Nan Zi was secretly dating her old lover Song Chao in the palace. At the same time, Crown Prince Kuai Kui was preparing to send assassins to murder Madam Nan Zi. Zi Gong entrusted Yong Qu to a position in Wei State, but the King of Wei was shrewd and had no intention of letting Confucius participate in politics... The King of Wei asked Confucius to accompany Madam Nan Zi on a trip. The people pointed fingers at Confucius, and Zilu couldn't stand it and fought with passers-by... Zilu misunderstood that Confucius loved virtue as much as he loved sex. Confucius swore that he had no intention of meeting Nan Zi. When Crown Prince Kuai Kui learned that the assassination attempt failed, he fled in a hurry. Duke Ling of Wei was greatly stimulated, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, and collapsed on the bed. Madam Nan Zi's scandal was exposed and she retired to the palace, staying indoors, and Wei State was in chaos. Crown Prince Kuai Kui hid his identity and fled to an inn at the border between Jin and Wei, and was discovered by Yang Hu who came to patrol. He exposed the identity of the crown prince Kuai Kui, who was horrified, but Yang Hu promised to help him regain the throne, and the crown prince Kuai Kui was grateful. Yang Hu brought the crown prince Kuai Kui back to Jin State and explained to the doctor Zhao Yang that if he controlled Kuai Kui, he could control the future of Wei State. Zhao Yang was persuaded and reused Yang Hu. Confucius wanted to save the chaotic situation in Wei State, so he went to the palace to persuade him, but was turned away. The dirty reality made Confucius disappointed again, and he had to pack up and leave Wei State, embarking on a busy journey again... Confucius came to Qiguanzhuang in Song State, which was the hometown of his wife Qi. Touched by the scene, Confucius thought of the scene when he married Qi...

Episode 22
Qi Shi, who stayed in his hometown, was preparing something to be sent to Confucius by Ran Qiu, who was visiting his family... Under a big tree outside the Song State, Confucius was practicing a sacrificial ceremony with his disciples. His disciple Sima Niu came hurriedly and said that his brother, Sima Huantui, the general of the Song State, hated Confucius for criticizing him for his extravagance and decadence, and brought troops to kill Confucius. Confucius refused to leave, so Zilu and others had to push Confucius into the car, and the disciples fled in all directions... In the wilderness, Confucius was separated from his disciples. He looked around in the darkness and was at a loss for a way out... Zigong found Confucius, who was disheveled, at the gate of Zheng State and took him back to the inn. The disciples were overjoyed. Zigong said that passers-by described Confucius as a dog who had lost his home, and Confucius readily admitted it. Sima Niu blamed himself for being hunted down by Confucius, and became sick and in critical condition, and was isolated in a small room.

Episode 23
Confucius ignored Zilu and others' dissuasion, visited and comforted him in person, and sat outside the window to play the zither for him. He eventually fell ill due to fatigue and running around... Confucius was dying, and the doctors were helpless. Zilu sadly summoned his disciples to take care of the teacher's funeral. He set up a funeral team for Confucius according to the specifications of the princes, and asked people to chant scriptures to summon the soul. Just as the disciples were wearing mourning clothes and singing and crying for Confucius, Confucius suddenly woke up. Zilu hurriedly asked his disciples to secretly carry the coffin away, but Confucius still saw it. Confucius was very angry and scolded Zilu for usurping the etiquette in organizing his funeral. Zilu was ashamed and anxious, unable to argue, and drew his sword to commit suicide. Zigong and others hurriedly dissuaded him, and the master and his disciples cried together... After waking up, Confucius was furious when he found the funeral prepared by Zilu for him, and Zilu ran away in guilt! The disciples looked for Zilu everywhere, but Zilu went into the mountains to hunt to replenish his body! Zilu learned that his fellow disciples were looking for him and ran back in a hurry.

Episode 24
Duke Ling of Wei died, and Wei State appointed a young crown prince. With the support of Zhao Yang, a senior official of Jin State, Crown Prince Kuai Kui and Yang Hu led a team of assassins to sneak back to Wei State, pretending to be royal relatives who were attending the funeral. Unexpectedly, they were discovered by the soldiers guarding the city, and they escaped after a fierce battle. On the way back, they passed by Zhongmu, a rebellious city besieged by Zhao Yang. In order to ask Zhao Yang for credit and reward, Yang Hu deceived the soldiers guarding the city and attacked the city... In order to win the hearts of the people, Zhao Yang, a senior official of Jin State, sent people to send generous gifts to invite Confucius to Jin State to assist in the administration, and Confucius was actually tempted. It turned out that the war was frequent, and Confucius and his disciples could only sit and talk about Taoism to pass the time, and they were very anxious. Zilu and Zigong persuaded Confucius in various ways not to go, but Confucius was eager to enter politics and insisted on his own way, so Zilu and Zigong had no choice. Confucius and his disciples set out for Jin State. On the way, Confucius talked about his ideal of governing with great enthusiasm. Zilu was willing to be a general to sweep away powerful enemies, Zigong was willing to be a special envoy to eliminate war, the low-key Yan Hui said that he wanted to get a wise king, and Confucius said that his ideal was to realize a world of great harmony without war... They arrived at Zhongmu County in the evening. In the dark, they lit torches, but found that the bodies crushed under the wheels were dead bodies and scorched earth everywhere... It turned out that Yang Hu had massacred the city. Faced with the ruins, the dried blood and corpses of innocent people all over the city, Confucius was shocked and speechless, and suddenly woke up... In the morning, facing the rolling Yellow River, Confucius sighed to Zigong, "If you don't cross this river, it seems to be your fate!" The world is so big, are we really going to be desperate? Confucius and others met refugees on the way to Chen State. The old Sikong of Song State lamented that the Zhou Dynasty was no longer there, but Confucius said that as long as you persist, there is hope for everything. Seeing that Confucius still adhered to the ideal of benevolent government in troubled times, the old Sikong was deeply moved and entrusted his two grandsons to him.

Episode 25
Confucius and his disciples finally arrived in Chen State, where they saw an eagle falling from the sky, which made the court uneasy. Confucius resolved everyone's doubts with his erudition and knowledge, and made the young Duke Min of Chen admire Confucius. However, the jealous doctor Ji Xian slandered Confucius in front of Duke Min of Chen, causing Duke Min of Chen to give up on Confucius.

Episode 26
Confucius was once again idle. In his depression, he was furious at his disciple Zai Wo who slept in the daytime, saying that he was a rotten wood that could not be carved... Ran Qiu returned to Confucius and informed him of the news that Ji Kangzi had recruited him to return to the country to serve. Confucius strongly supported it, but he was also melancholy. The careful Zigong saw it. The next day, on the way to send Ran Qiu back to the country, Zigong urged Ran Qiu to strive to promote Confucius' return after returning to the country, and Ran Qiu agreed generously... Mei Yan and Duanmu discussed Confucius' political philosophy. Just as Mei Yan was impressed by some of Duanmu's profound views, Duanmu's cell phone rang. He began to talk about business and bargaining in a low voice on the phone, and concealed the truth from Mei Yan, which made Mei Yan doubt his character again. Wu Bing broke through the State of Yue and continued to move north. The war affected the State of Chen, and people fled. Zigong and Zilu, who were about to set off, looked for Confucius everywhere, but found that Confucius was in the ancestral temple, listening to the sacrificial music of the musicians. Zilu put Confucius on a carriage and set out on the road of escape... Confucius and his disciples were crowded in the crowd of disheveled refugees, running and trudging... A large group of Wu defeated soldiers approached, and Confucius' carriages, horses, luggage and dry food were looted. Zigong found some rice bran and millet, and just cooked it, three hungry Wu defeated soldiers came and wanted to snatch the remaining food. Zilu's eyes were bloodshot and he beat the defeated soldiers violently, but was dissuaded by Confucius. Confucius told them that the defeated soldiers were also ordinary people and had relatives waiting for them to return home. The defeated soldiers used food to save their dying injured companions and knelt down to thank Confucius...

Episode 27
Zigong went out to raise food but to no avail, so Zai Yu and other disciples had to dig grass roots and catch field mice for food. Just when Confucius and others were starving and cold, they unexpectedly met the envoys of Chu State who were waiting for them at Shangcai Inn. It turned out that King Zhuang of Chu, who worked hard to govern the country, admired Confucius and invited him to Chu State, ready to use him! Looking at the golden gift money, Confucius was stunned. Could it be that his bad luck was about to end and he finally met a wise ruler? Mei Yan called Duanmu and found that he was on a mountain road, but lied to herself that he was in the city. It turned out that Duanmu was invited to meet with a group of gangsters who wanted to disrupt his business, and had to use force to deal with them... After hanging up the phone, Mei Yan felt that Duanmu's whereabouts were more and more strange and unbelievable. Confucius and his disciples set out on the road to Chu State with hope. At the ferry, in the field, Zilu asked people for directions and was ridiculed one after another. After learning that he was ridiculed as a lazy person who didn't know how to distinguish grains, Confucius sighed and talked with Zilu about how difficult it was for Confucian scholars to enter the world... In the mountains, Confucius and others were blocked and chased by a group of unidentified gangsters. They had no choice but to escape to the top of a mountain... It turned out that Ji Xian, a minister of the State of Chen, and Du Neng, a minister of Shangcai, who were jealous of Confucius's talent, conspired to release the prisoners and kill Confucius in the mountains in order to prevent Confucius from taking office. They surrounded Confucius and his party and prepared to starve them to death. A fire burned the dry food of Confucius and his disciples. Confucius and his disciples were in a desperate situation again... Confucius and his students were trapped in the mountains, and their food gradually ran out, and they became extremely weak. Zilu picked wild fruits by mistake, and his disciples vomited and had diarrhea, and fell ill. To encourage his students, Confucius played the zither and sang loudly... On this day, Confucius called Zilu and asked him, "There is a sentence in the Book of Songs that says, 'It is not a rhinoceros or a tiger, but it leads the wilderness.'" What he meant was, we are neither wild bulls nor tigers, how could we be trapped in the wilderness? Did we do something to deserve such a fate? Zilu said, it must be because we have not achieved benevolence, so people do not believe us; we have not achieved wisdom, so things are not going well. Confucius asked Zigong again, and Zigong said, is your teaching too profound? It is too profound, and people cannot understand it, so the world does not tolerate it. Only Yan Hui said passionately, your teaching is the highest and the deepest, so the world does not tolerate it. So what if it is not tolerated? Only when the world does not tolerate it can the true character of a gentleman be revealed! Confucius was deeply moved by Yan Hui's firmness and understanding... Zigong suggested that if they continued like this, they would all starve to death, so it would be better to send someone to risk going out to seek help from the nearby Chu King's army, and Confucius agreed. Confucius gave the last of the remaining dry food to Zigong and sent him out to ask for reinforcements. Zigong was very moved...

Episode 28
Zigong ventured down the mountain and found the Chu army. The King of Chu promised to give Zigong reinforcements and a large piece of land; Lingyin Zixi was jealous of Confucius's reputation and tried to sow discord. He called Zigong to his tent and hinted that he admired Zigong's talent and hoped that he would leave Confucius, but was rejected by Zigong; Zixi slandered Confucius, but was refuted by Zigong one by one. Zigong grabbed a handful of soil from the ground and told Zixi that just as we step on the ground all day long but cannot know the breadth of the land, the greatness of Confucius' personality is not something that people like them can experience at all. Duanmu wanted to explain to Meiyan. But Meiyan said that she was not interested in Duanmu's so-called business, but just disdained Duanmu's dishonesty. She also said that she only cared about reading Confucius and studying, and the so-called making money was not in her mind at all. Her arrogance hurt Duanmu, and he left quietly. Zigong led the Chu army to arrive, and prisoners such as Ji Xian fled. Confucius and his disciples came to Ye State, a vassal state of Chu, under the escort of the Chu army. The Chu State was involved in the war and was in chaos. Ye Gongzheng, dressed in military uniform, was ready to lead his army to war.

Episode 29
Zilu, who was eager to make achievements, wanted to join the army and used various opportunities to recommend himself to Ye Gong, but was rejected by Ye Gong. Zigong bought food and grass for Ye Gong, which made Zilu jealous. Zilu finally gave up the idea of ​​joining the army under Ye Gong's persuasion and decided to follow Confucius wholeheartedly. In order to complete the conscription task, the orphan who had just come to Confucius was captured by Ye Gong's men. Zilu and others tried to intercede in vain and were very sad... On this day, Confucius, who had been waiting for many days, finally got the news that the King of Chu would arrive late at night. He straightened his clothes and stood in the welcoming crowd. The soldiers and chariots approached, and in the neat and silent ranks, he saw that the chariot of the King of Chu had arrived... However, the King of Chu did not move, and his face was covered with a triangular black scarf that only dead people wear! It turned out that what he was waiting for was the coffin of the deceased King of Chu... Confucius was stunned and asked the heaven in despair: Could it be that the ideal he pursued had no place in the world to be realized... Confucius and his disciples had no choice but to embark on a journey again. In the heavy snow, hungry and cold, they lost their way and almost froze to death in the wilderness. It was Zilu who rescued them from stiffness. Confucius and his disciples came to Wei State for the third time. Everything had changed and they were full of emotion.

Episode 30
The new King of Wei was the son of the crown prince Kuai Kui, and his uncle Kong Que was in power. Kong Que came to Confucius with a large sum of money, hoping that Confucius could rectify the status of the new King of Wei and promise him a high position. Confucius refused, saying that if the son replaced the father, the name would not be correct, and the words would not flow. Kong Que admired Zilu and asked Confucius to appoint Zilu as the governor of Puyi, an important town under his jurisdiction, and Confucius agreed. Mei Yan and Duanmu's car broke down on a mountain road, and they had to repair the car on the spot. Mule called and said that he wanted to donate money. Duanmu asked Mule to pay first. Kong Que gave Zilu a set of precious armor and reminded him that Puyi was a fortress to defend against enemy countries, so he should guard it well. Zilu was appointed as the governor of Puyi in Wei State, and said goodbye to Confucius before leaving. Confucius told him the essence of politics. Qi attacked Lu State. Confucius believed that Lu State was the country of his parents, weak and helpless, and he could not stand by and watch it die, so he sent Zigong to lobby.

Episode 31
Confucius' son Kong Li came to Confucius in a dusty state and told him that his mother had passed away. Thinking of his wife who had devoted herself silently for decades, Confucius burst into tears, but he reluctantly told his son that he could not go back... Stayed overnight in a small hotel in the county town. The simple room, the hard biscuits, and the familiar and intimate conversation between the old man in the hotel and Duanmu made Mei Yan realize that this was the place where Duanmu often came. While patrolling the streets, Zilu accidentally discovered Yang Hu who wanted to sneak into Wei to assassinate Kong Qu... Zigong returned to Wei and reported his achievements to his teacher. It turned out that he first persuaded Wu to rescue Lu, which led to the dispute between the two military powers of Qi and Jin; he also persuaded Jin to fight Wu, further defeating Wu; finally, he mobilized Gou Jian, the King of Yue, who had been sleeping on straw and tasting gall for revenge, to attack Wu when Wu sent troops... Confucius was worried that Zigong's arrogance would hurt innocent people. The Qi army was at the gate of Lu, and the whole country was terrified. Ran Qiu persuaded the ruling Ji Kangzi to lead the army in person to boost morale, and Ji Kangzi reluctantly agreed. Confucius and his disciples were worried about the war in their motherland. Confucius explained the Kan Gua in the Book of Changes to his disciples, telling them that even in times of crisis, they must persist in their confidence in victory, because there is life hidden in the decline... In the battle between Qi and Lu, Ran Qiu rushed to the front in a chariot, and finally led his army to defeat the Qi army, and his reputation soared. Ji Kangzi was surprised at Ran Qiu's military talent and asked him where he learned to fight. Ran Qiu took the opportunity to say that his teacher Confucius was a genius in using troops.

Episode 32
Ji Kangzi suggested to the Duke of Lu that Confucius be recalled, and the Duke of Lu agreed. On this day, Confucius finally got the message that the King of Lu wanted him back to Lu, and he was extremely happy... After leaving his hometown for thirteen years, Confucius finally returned to Lu. Ji Kangzi held a grand welcome ceremony for Confucius' return at the city gate. However, he thought he would meet a military general who could lead troops to fight as Ran Qiu said, but he didn't expect it to be an old man, and he couldn't help but be disappointed. At the banquet, he asked Confucius about the war, and Confucius, who was unaware of it, declined to talk about it. Fortunately, Zigong responded from the side, and he passed the test vaguely... Ji Kangzi invited Confucius to have a long talk, and Confucius responded with the way of benevolent government, and the two did not get along. Mei Yan followed Duanmu to the mountain village, only to find out that the project that Duanmu was secretly carrying out turned out to be the construction of a Hope Primary School for the children in this poor mountainous area. Looking at Duanmu's strict management of the quality of the project and the villagers' trust and respect for Duanmu, Mei Yan realized that she had wronged Duanmu. When she sincerely apologized to Duanmu, Duanmu smiled and told her that the work was not done by him alone, but by an organization called Zigong Foundation... In order to express his grief, Confucius devoted his energy to teaching and writing, recruiting disciples, compiling the Book of Songs, recording the Spring and Autumn Annals, and starting to learn the Book of Changes...

Episode 33
Confucius went to the palace to discuss the way of governing the country with Duke Ai of Lu. Duke Ai of Lu lamented that he had no real power. Confucius realized that his lifelong ideal of pursuing politics had once again failed... Ran Qiu helped Ji Kangzi to amass wealth and increase taxes, which made the people complain. Confucius called Ran Qiu to ask, and Ran Qiu defended that he could not disobey Ji Kangzi, which made Confucius dissatisfied. On many issues such as sending troops to Zhuanxu, Ran Qiu was in collusion with Ji's mansion. Confucius was angry and said that Ran Qiu was no longer his disciple, so he asked his students to attack him... Wandering in his hometown, looking at the traces of his past life left by his wife, Confucius was sad. The death of his son Kong Li dealt another blow to the old Confucius. The only thing that comforted him was that the birth of his grandson Kong Yi gave him hope... In order to help Confucius write books, Yan Hui recorded and sorted all day long, and became ill from overwork. Hearing that the Qilin had been found and then harmed, Confucius lamented that the prosperous age he had been looking forward to might not be realized today, and that his own road had come to an end...

Episode 34
On this day, Yan Hui coughed, carrying the bamboo slips on his back, and fell to the ground, spitting blood on the box containing the bamboo slips... Yan Hui died early, and Confucius was sad and crying. The disciples advised Confucius not to be too sad, but Confucius said, "If I don't cry for Yan Hui, who should I cry for!" The disciples were sad... With the help of Jin State, Crown Prince Kuai Kui and Yang Hu finally succeeded in launching a coup in Wei State, imprisoned the King of Wei, and forced the doctor Kong Qu to sign a treaty to let the crown prince ascend the throne. Zilu, who was the governor of Puyi, heard about the coup in the capital and went to the capital to rescue him, but was blocked outside the city. His companion Gao Chai dissuaded Zilu from the danger, but Zilu refused to listen and insisted on entering the city. Confucius learned about the coup in Wei State and expected that Zilu would be in danger, so he was very worried. Zilu entered the palace, but unexpectedly Kong Qu had been held hostage by Yang Hu, and the rebels surrounded Zilu. Zilu fought bravely, but was outnumbered and killed by Yang Hu's army.

Episode 35
Confucius, who was having a meal, was extremely sad when he learned that Zilu had died. He asked someone to pour out the meat sauce, covered his face and cried: Oh my God, you are killing me... Touching the box that his disciples had put the bamboo slips in, Confucius burst into tears... In the hotel, Mei Yan cried bitterly. She told Duanmu that she was sad for Confucius because she could not grasp and understand Confucius' life and his thoughts in such a short time. For more than 2,500 years, Confucius has gradually become an idol reshaped by rulers of successive dynasties. The truth of history and his true pain have been submerged in the depths of time... The weak and dazed Confucius often missed the deceased Zilu and Yan Hui, as if they were still with him. He no longer compiled classics and was immersed in memories all day long. This morning, the seriously ill Confucius dragged his crutches and walked out of the house alone. He walked past the Xingtan where he once gave lectures, the Ji Mansion where he once went to a banquet but was refused, and the Lu Palace where he sought to see the King of Lu late at night. Past events came to his mind vividly... In the dark night, he walked out of the city gate, chanting in a low voice: Is Mount Tai crumbling? Is the beam broken? Is the philosopher withering? ... In the morning, when Zigong followed the trail, he found the white-haired Confucius standing on the top of the mountain with a cane. Looking at the mountaintop in the clouds in the distance, he asked Zigong to drive forward and look forward again, because he saw the world of great harmony that he often saw in his dreams... Confucius closed his eyes at the age of 78. On this day, a Hope Primary School was finally completed in a certain mountainous area. Looking at the children saluting the five-star red flag, Mei Yan told Duanmu that she decided to change the title of her thesis to: Confucius Spirit and Contemporary China!!!!!!!