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1 Yu Boya Smashes His Zither in Gratitude to an Appreciative Friend What a lie that Bao Shu was cheated out of his silver! Who recognized Boya’s talent in playing the zither? An evil lot are those claiming friendship nowadays, Unworthy of loving thoughts over seas and lakes. When it comes to friendship, none since ancient times has measured up to that between Guan Yiwu [d. 645 b.c.e.] and Bao Shuya [also known as Bao Shu].1 When both were engaged in business dealings, they divided their profits between them. Though Guan Yiwu took the larger share of the profits, Bao did not think Guan was a greedy man, for he knew Guan to be poor. Later, when Guan Yiwu became a prisoner, it was Bao who came to his rescue and recommended that he be made prime minister of the state of Qi [during the Spring and Autumn period]. Such is the stuª of which true friendships are made. Now there are diªerent kinds of friends. Those who are bound together by deeds of kindness are friends who truly know each other; those who show utter devotion to each other are friends of the heart; those who find much in common with each other are friends truly appreciative of each other. They all fall into the general category of friendship. I now propose to tell a story about a certain Yu Boya. Dear audience, those of you who would like to hear it, please lend me your ears. Those who do not want to hear it are free to do whatever you wish. Truly, What is meant for an appreciative ear Is not to be wasted on just anyone. As the story goes, during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States period, there lived a man named Yu Rui, courtesy name Boya, in Yingdu, capital of the state of Chu, in what is now Jingzhou Prefecture in Huguang.2 Though a native of the state of Chu, Yu Boya was destined for a career as an o‹cial in the state of Jin, where he rose to be a senior grand master. By order of the king of Jin, he went on an o‹cial visit to Chu. It was actually a mission that 7 he had solicited. He did so partly because, with his superior abilities, he was sure that he would acquit himself well as the king’s emissary and partly because he could take the opportunity to visit his hometown, thus accomplishing two purposes at the same time. So he traveled by land to Yingdu, where he had an audience with the king of Chu and transmitted to him the message from the king of Jin, whereupon the king of Chu laid out a feast in his honor, treating him with great courtesy. Yingdu being his hometown, Boya naturally went to visit the family graves and meet with relatives and friends. However, now that he was serving another state and was bearing orders from his king, he refrained from staying longer. As soon as his o‹cial business was over, he bade a respectful adieu to the king of Chu, who gave him gifts of gold, colored silk, and a canopied four-horse carriage. Now, because he had been away from Chu for twelve years and missed the scenic rivers and mountains of his home state, Boya wished to make a big detour by water on his return journey so as to see the sights to his heart’s content. He therefore said to the king of Chu, not in all honesty, “I have an unfortunate a›iction that makes the rapid speed of carriages too much for me to bear. I humbly request permission to go by boat instead, which would make it easier for me to undergo treatment.” The king of Chu approved Boya’s request and ordered the navy to provide him with two big boats, one for his exclusive use as the emissary from the state of Jin and the other, of a lower ranking, for his servants and the luggage. Magnificent boats they were, with brocade canopies, tall masts, and decorated oars made of fragrant wood. The ministers of the court escorted Boya and his entourage all the way to the riverbank before they bade him farewell. To satisfy his wish to see the sights, He thought nothing of the distance. Romantic scholar that he was, Boya found the sights to be all...

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