One day, Zhuang Zi went to pay his respects to Ai Gong, King of the State of Lu.

 

Ai Gong said: "There are many Confucian scholars in our country, but very few study your Taoist doctrines¹."

 

Zhuang Zi retorted: "The actual situation is not like what you said. In fact, there are very few Confucian scholars in the State of Lu."

 

Hearing this, Ai Gong replied by asking a question: "How can you say there are very few Confucian scholars in the State of Lu, when all the people in the state wear the clothes of Confucian scholars?"

 

Zhuang Zi said: "I hear that Confucian scholars who wear round-shaped hats understand the weather and climate; those who wear square-shaped shoes understand geography; those who wear colourful jade² can make prompt decisions in dealing³ with matters. But people who really have the particular kind of knowledge do not necessarily wear the very kind of clothes, whereas those who wear the very kind of clothes do not necessarily have the particular kind of knowledge. If you think what I said is wrong, you can issue an order to the whole country: `Anyone who does not understand Confucian doctrines but wears Confucian clothes will be sentenced to death without exception.' Try and see what the result would be."

 

Ai Gong did issue such an order. Five days later, to his surprise, no one in the country dared to wear Confucian clothes any longer. Only one man wearing Confucian clothes stood outside the palace gate. Ai Gong immediately summoned him and inquired of him about state affairs. As expected, this man answered the questions readily and fluently, clearly and logically.

 

Zhuang Zi said: "The State of Lu is the native place of Confucianism, but there is only one Confucian scholar. How can you say that there are many Confucian scholars in the State of Lu?"

 

一天，庄子去拜见鲁哀公。

 

哀公说：“我们鲁国有很多儒生，但是学习你道家学说的人却很少。”

 

庄子反驳说： “情况不是您说的那样，事实上儒生在鲁国很少。”

 

哀公听了，反问说: “鲁国上上下下，都穿着儒生的衣服，怎么能说儒生少呢？”

 

庄子说： “我听说，头戴圆形帽的儒生，能够知晓天时；脚穿方形鞋的儒生，能够通晓地理；身佩彩色美玉的儒生，理事决策，能够当机立断。不过，真正有这种学问的人，不一定穿这种服装；而穿这种服装的人，不一定懂得这种学问。您如果认为我说得不对，可以通令全国：‘凡是不懂儒学而穿儒服的人，一律判处死罪。’试一试，看看结果会怎样？”

 

哀公真的颁布了这样一道命令。五天以后，全国居然没有敢穿儒服的人了。只有一个男子汉，身穿儒服，站在宫廷门外。哀公立即召见他，并用国家大事考问他。这人回答起来，果然应对自如，头头是道。

 

庄子说： “鲁国是儒家的故乡，但是只有一名儒生。这怎么能说鲁国儒生很多呢？”

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