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One orchard, pruned.

Let's not talk about all of the stuff that needs to be done... but this still does wonders for my outlook on life.

More from the Zhan Guo Ce

The Dowager Queen Xuan of Qin loved Wei Chou Fu *. When she was sick, and expecting to die, she sent out orders saying that for her burial she needed to have Weizi ** as her burial companion. Weizi regarded this as a calamity. Yong Rui, on behalf of Weizi, persuaded the Dowager Queen, saying "Do you take those who are dead as having conciousness?"

She replied "They lack conciousness."

"If, Great Queen, your spirit is perceptive, then you know that when you are dead, you will not be conscious. Why then vainly make the one whom you loved in life be with a dead person without consciousness?

"If then, it might be that the dead are concious, the days of the former king's *** mounting anger will have been long. You queen, will try to make up for your misdeeds, but it will never be enough. What leisure time will you have to clandestinely meet with Wei Chou Fu?"

The Dowager Queen said "Good." And henceforth abandoned her plan.


* "Little Ugly" -- probably a nick name.
** Wei Chou Fu, again
** Her husband. Who possibly would not be pleased with her for taking a lover.

Even more from the Chan Guo Ce

Lord Meng Chang was going to enter Qin. As for those who wanted him to halt, they were a thousand in number, and yet he didn't listen to them. Su Chin desired to stop him. Meng Chang said "As for the affairs of men, I already know them exhaustively. That which I do not know is the affairs of the myriad spirits, and that's it."
( Read more... )