Archery-Moral Education (IV)

Since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou royal family began to decline, and its old system and old ruling order were destroyed; new systems and new ruling orders were established, and new class forces were growing. The root of this social change hidden in this process was the revolution of productivity characterized by iron tools. The development of productivity ultimately led to the reform movement of various countries and the establishment of the feudal system, which to a certain extent promoted the prosperity of ideology and culture. From the development of archery, with the decline of national archery games, the moral preaching in archery came to the fore; with the decline of the archery ability of the scholar class, the alienated throwing pot game became a substitute for archery; with the frequent war activities, the level of bow and arrow production has been generally improved.
4. Archery information in idioms and allusions

One step through the willow tree

In ancient times, one step refers to twice the distance between the two feet when walking, which is approximately equivalent to five feet in the old system. Yang, the leaves of willow. One step through the willow tree, the original meaning is to be able to shoot through a designated piece of willow leaves at a distance of one hundred steps. It comes from "Strategies of the Warring States·Western Zhou Dynasty": "There is Yang Youji in Chu, who is good at archery. He shoots at willow leaves a hundred steps away, and he hits the target every time." "Records of the Grand Historian·The Basic Annals of Zhou Dynasty": "There is Yang Youji in Chu, who is also good at archery. He shoots at willow leaves a hundred steps away, and he hits the target every time." Li She of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his poem "Watching the Shooting of Willow Branches": "Ten thousand people watch the golden reins flip, and the arrows pierce the willow branches a hundred steps away."

Shooting Through Seven Zha

According to "Zuo Zhuan", Yang Youji was a young general of the State of Chu. In the battle of Yanjiao between Jin and Chu, he shot and killed Wei Qi, a general of the State of Jin, and stopped the attack of the Jin army, and was rewarded by the King of Chu Gong. Another young general in the Chu army was Pan Dang, who was also a sharpshooter. He was not convinced by Yang Youji's ability, so he challenged Yang Youji to a competition in archery. A target was set up in the shooting garden, and the two stood a hundred steps away. They shot ten arrows, and both hit the target, and it was impossible to tell who won or lost. Someone came up with an idea. On the poplar tree beside the shooting range, a leaf was dyed red. Both of them shot at this leaf. As a result, Pan Dang missed Yang Youji but shot the red poplar leaf with one arrow. Pan Dang proposed a second competition - shooting at the breastplate. Pan Dang stacked five layers of armor and pierced through them with one arrow. Yang Youji added two more layers and shot through seven layers of breastplate. Later, idioms such as "shoot through seven layers" were used to express superb archery skills and extraordinary bow power.

射石饮羽

Huo, disappear; 羽, the feathers at the tail of the arrow. The arrow shot into the stone and disappeared the feathers at the tail. Originally used to describe the extremely strong power of shooting an arrow, it also describes high martial arts. From "Lüshi Chunqiu·Jingtong": "Yang Youji shot a rhinoceros and hit a stone, and the arrow sank into feathers. It was indeed a rhinoceros." Also in "Han Shi Wai Chuan" Volume 6: "In the past, Xiong Quzi of Chu was traveling at night and lay on a stone. He thought it was a crouching tiger, so he bent his bow and shot it. The arrow sank into the stone and sank into feathers. Looking down, he realized it was a stone."

Zuozhiyouchu

Zhi, support; chu, bend, extended to insufficient. Originally refers to the posture of bending the bow to shoot an arrow, with the left hand supporting and the right hand bent, which is a metaphor for insufficient strength. When dealing with one aspect, there is a problem in that aspect. Later, it is used to describe the embarrassing situation of insufficient financial resources or ability, and losing one thing while taking care of another. This comes from "Strategies of the Warring States·Western Zhou": "Yang Youji said: 'Everyone says it's good. You can teach archery every day. Why don't you shoot for me?' The guest said: 'I can't teach you to shoot left and right.'" Ji Yun of the Qing Dynasty wrote in "Notes of Yuewei Thatched Cottage·Luanyang Xulu V": "It's hard to support left and right, and it's unbearable." The above idioms all involve a common person, Yang Youji (?-559 BC). Yang Youji, surnamed Yang, with the courtesy name Shu, and the given name Youji, also known as Yaoji. He was a general of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period and a famous archer in ancient China. He was originally a member of the guards of King Zhuang of Chu, and later served as the palace stable Yin of the State of Chu. He was born in Yangjiaping, two miles north of Guling Village, the State of Chu (now Shiqiao Town, Shayang County, Jingmen City, Hubei Province). He was very good at archery since he was a child. The idiom "shooting through the willow tree at a hundred paces" refers to him, and "shooting through seven pieces of paper" also refers to him. The so-called "often squatting on the armor and shooting, penetrating seven pieces of paper, people call him a god." He could catch arrows from all directions with both hands and draw a thousand-jin bow with both arms, so he was called "the master archer". Yang Youji was known as "the master archer" and nicknamed "Yang Yijian". During the reign of King Zhuang of Chu, Ling Yin (equivalent to the prime minister) Dou Yuejiao rebelled. King Zhuang posted a notice to recruit talents: "The one who defeats Yuejiao will be the Ling Yin." The military officer Yang Youji came out and was willing to fight with him and shoot three arrows. After three arrows, he missed, and Youji shot Dou to death with one arrow. King Zhuang promised to make him Ling Yin. Youji recommended him to Sun Shuao and took charge of the right chariot himself. However, he always looked pleased. In the 16th year of King Gong of Chu (575 BC), Jin and Chu fought a great battle in Yanling. Before the battle, Youji competed with another archer Pan Dang in archery skills. Youji defeated him with his skills. Youji became more arrogant because of his reputation in the army. King Gong was angry and said, "The general won by strategy, but why did he get lucky with one arrow? If you are so self-reliant, you will die with your skills in the future!" He collected all of Youji's arrows. During the fierce battle of Yanling, Wei Qi, a general of Jin, shot the left eye of the King of Gong. The King of Gong was angry again and gave King Youji two arrows to seek revenge. One of Youji's arrows hit Wei Qi's throat and killed him instantly. From then on, Yang Youji became famous in the State of Chu. Hufu Qishe Hu, in ancient times, referred to the ethnic minorities in the north and the western regions. Hufu Qishe refers to learning the short-sleeved clothing of the Hu people, and also learning their martial arts such as riding and archery. This comes from "Strategies of the Warring States, Zhao Ce II": "Now I (King Wuling of Zhao) will teach the people Hufu Qishe." King Wuling of Zhao (?-295 BC), named Yong, was the son of Zhao Suhou. He ascended the throne in the 44th year of King Xian of Zhou (325 BC). In order to strengthen border defense, in the 19th year of King Wuling of Zhao (307 BC), he ordered "Hufu Qishe". Hufu is the clothing of the northern nomadic people during the Warring States Period. It is a short dress with narrow sleeves, leather boots and leather belts, and a feather crown on the head. The story of "King Wuling of Zhao wearing Hu clothing and riding and shooting" was recorded in Volume 3 of "Zizhi Tongjian". The general meaning of the story is: King Wuling of Zhao attacked Zhongshan Kingdom in the north. The army passed through Fangzi and arrived at Daidi. Then they went north to Damao, which was thousands of miles away. They attacked the Yellow River in the west. They climbed to the top of Huanghua Mountain and discussed with the prime minister Fei Yi to let the people wear short Hu clothing and learn to ride horses and shoot arrows. He said: "Foolish people will laugh at me, but smart people will understand. Even if everyone in the world laughs at me, I will do this. I will definitely be able to seize the territory and mountain country of the northern Hu people!" So he changed to wearing Hu clothing. The people of the country were unwilling to wear Hu clothing. Among them, Prince Cheng claimed to be sick and did not come to the previous period. The King of Zhao sent someone to persuade him: "Family affairs should be governed by parents, and state affairs should be governed by the monarch. Now I want the people to change to wearing Hu clothing, but you, my uncle, don't wear it. I'm worried that people all over the world will talk about me for favoritism. There are certain rules for governing a country, and it must be based on benefiting the people; there must be certain principles for handling political affairs, and the implementation of government orders must be the most important. To promote morality, the people must first understand it, and the implementation of laws must start with the close ministers of the Fei clan. So I hope to use your example to complete the feat of changing to wearing Hu clothing." Prince Cheng bowed twice to apologize and said, "I heard that the Central Plains region, under the education of saints, adopted rituals and music. It was a place where distant countries came to visit and for surrounding areas to learn and emulate. Now your king ignores this and imitates the clothing of foreign races. This is an act that goes against ancient customs and goes against people's hearts. I hope you will carefully consider it. "The messenger reported to the King of Zhao, who then personally went to explain: "To the east of our country are Qi and Zhongshan; to the north are Yan and Donghu; to the west is Loufan, bordering Qin and Han. Now without horse riding and archery training, how can we defend? Previously, Zhongshan relied on the strong army of Qi to invade our territory, plunder the people, and diverted water to surround Guanyou City. If it were not for God's blessing, Yucheng would have almost fallen. The former king was deeply ashamed of this, so I decided to change to Hu clothing and learn horse riding and archery, hoping to resist the disasters on all sides and avenge Zhongshan. But my uncle, you blindly follow the old customs of the Central Plains, hate to change clothes, and forget the great shame of Yecheng. I am deeply disappointed in you! "Prince Cheng suddenly realized and obeyed the order. King Wuling of Zhao personally gave him Hu clothing, and he wore it to the court the next day. So King Wuling of Zhao officially issued a decree to change to Hu clothing and advocate learning horse riding and archery.

Ji Chang learns archery

"Ji Chang learns archery" comes from "Liezi·Tang Xiang", which tells the story of an archery expert named Fei Wei in ancient times. He was very good at archery and could hit the target every time. He was a famous archer. There was a young man named Ji Chang who wanted to learn archery skills, so he came to Fei Wei's house to worship him as his teacher. Fei Wei said: "You can't be afraid of difficulties when practicing archery. First of all, you must practice your eyesight well, so that you can stare at a target without blinking. Go back and practice, and come to see me when you are good at it." Ji Chang went home and practiced his eyesight seriously. He lay under his wife's loom and stared at the shuttle that was going back and forth with his eyes, practicing all day. He practiced day after day for two years. Even if someone stabbed his eyes with a needle, he could not blink. Ji Chang happily went to see Fei Wei and told him that his eyesight had been practiced almost well, and whether he could learn the technique of archery. Fei Wei replied, "This is not enough. You have to continue to practice your eyesight until you can see small things bigger, then come to see me again." So Ji Chang returned home. He hung a louse on the window with a yak, and then stood in front of the window every day, staring at the louse closely. Day after day, he stared at it for another three years. At this time, the louse in Ji Chang's eyes was as big as a wheel. Ji Chang went to Fei Wei again. Fei Wei nodded and said, "Now I can teach you the skill of archery." From then on, Fei Wei began to teach Ji Chang how to draw the bow and release the arrow. Ji Chang practiced hard for several years and finally became a good archer who never missed a shot. The inspiration of this allusion to physical training is: First, we must persist in the training of basic skills. Learning archery must first train eyesight, because eyesight is the basic condition of archery. Only when the basic skills of eyesight are practiced solidly, the quality and effect of learning and training archery can be guaranteed. Second, we must adhere to the principle of gradual progress. From blinking to look at the shuttle on the loom, to staring at the lice on the cow's hair every day, and finally seeing the lice as big as a wheel, this is the effect of training to escape step by step.

A frightened bird

A frightened bird, that is, a bird frightened by a bow and arrow, is not easy to calm down. It is a metaphor for people who have been frightened and are very scared when they encounter a little movement. Originally referring to winning by cleverness, now "a frightened bird" is used to describe people who have been frightened and are very scared when they encounter a little movement. It comes from "The Warring States Policy·Chu Policy". During the Warring States Period, there was a master shooter named Gengying in the State of Wei. One day, Gengying went hunting in the suburbs with the King of Wei. A wild goose flew slowly from a distance, calling as it flew. Geng Ying looked carefully, pointed at the wild goose and said to the King of Wei: "Your Majesty, I don't need an arrow, I just need to pull the bow and the wild goose will fall down." The King of Wei didn't believe his ears and asked: "Do you have such a skill?" Geng Ying said: "Let me try it." Geng Ying didn't take the arrow, he took the bow in his left hand and pulled the string with his right hand, and there was a sound of "bang", and the wild goose flew up quickly, but flapped its wings twice and suddenly fell from mid-air. The King of Wei was surprised: "It really has this skill! Geng Ying smiled and said: "It's not that I have great skills, but because I know that this is a seriously injured bird." The King of Wei was even more surprised and asked: "How do you know?" Geng Ying said: "It flies slowly and its cry is very miserable. It flies slowly because it has been wounded by an arrow, and its wound has not healed and is still painful; it cries miserably because it has left its companions, alone in the group, and can't get help. When it heard the string sound, it was very scared and tried its best to fly higher. As soon as it exerted force, the wound split open again, and it fell down. ”

Draw but not shoot

Draw, draw the bow; shoot, shoot the arrow. Draw the bow but do not shoot the arrow. Originally refers to Jingzi teaching archery, only making a gesture of eagerness to shoot, so that the learner can see and understand, this metaphor is good at inspiring and guiding. Later it is used to metaphorically make preparations and wait for opportunities to act. From "Mencius·Jinxin Shang": "The gentleman draws but does not shoot, just like jumping. Stand in the middle of the road, and the capable will follow him."

Yi Bu She Su

Yi, use arrows with ropes to shoot prey; Su, rest, here refers to birds returning to their nests to sing and sleep. Ge Bu She Su means that archers do not shoot birds that have returned to their nests. Later it is used to metaphorically describe the wise men who live in seclusion and do not serve as officials to avoid the harm of riots. From "The Analects of Confucius·Shu Er": "You fish without a net, and you don't shoot at the birds that are sleeping. "This means that Confucius only used a fishing rod to fish, not a fishing net; he only used arrows with ropes to shoot flying birds, not birds resting in nests.

One person is good at shooting

One person is good at shooting, which means that if a general is good at fighting, his soldiers must also be brave and indomitable. It is a metaphor that if the leader takes the lead in everything, the people will follow suit. From "Guoyu·Wuyu": "Shen Xu and Hua Dengjian convinced the Wu country's patriots to use armor and weapons, and they were never frustrated. If one person is good at shooting, a hundred men will definitely pick up, and victory cannot be achieved." Also in "Kong Congzi·Datong") "One person is good at shooting, a hundred men will definitely pick up. Zhang Han was a great general, and his soldiers were all dead soldiers." Kang Youwei's "Datongshu" Xinbu Chapter 12: "If one person is good at shooting, a hundred men will definitely pick up, and everyone is kind, then the custom will follow."