Today, let’s talk about humility. Han Feizi once told a story about King Wen of Zhou (1152-1056 B.C.). During his war against the State of Chong, when he reached Fenghuang Village, his sock came loose, so he bent down to fix it. Lyu Wang, or Jiang Taigong, then asked: “Why are you tying your sock? You could have had someone else do it for you.”

Today, let’s tell some short stories from “New Account of Tales of the World,” a collection of ancient anecdotes, short conversations and pithy observations on personalities. The ancients attached great importance to moral character, and the book addresses “moral character” in the first chapter. Let’s see how the literati of that time presented their conduct and deeds with their stories.

Today we’ll talk about a Chinese character, “宽,” which means “broad” or “tolerant.” In modern society, a calm and inclusive heart is particularly needed. Among the Confucian values of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, trust, respect, tolerance, trustworthiness, kindness and acuity, courtesy, respect, tolerance and kindness are emphasized. By showing respect and being broad-minded, one will avoid humiliation and gain support from others.

Today we are going to talk about the Chinese character: “福” (meaning “good fortune”). I feel like no other character can contain as many good wishes from Chinese people as “福.” We love to hang the character in celebration, but where does good fortune come from?

Duke Xian of Jin wanted to attack the State of Guo, but he had a problem: To attack it, his troops had to march through the State of Yu, and he needed to get permission from Duke Yu. The trouble was that the states of Yu and Guo were brotherly countries, of which the rulers shared one surname; they were closely related like lips and teeth and inseparable like flesh and bones. How could they be broken apart? So Duke Xian of Jin couldn’t eat or sleep well, and sighed every day.

Here's a story of Bian Que meeting Duke Huan of Cai. Everyone knows that Bian (407-310 B.C.) was a highly skilled doctor. In traditional Chinese medicine, doctors use observation, listening, questioning and pulse analysis to diagnose diseases.

One day, Confucius finished his class and left. The students asked Zengzi, “What did the master talk about today?” Zengzi said, “He taught us the principles of loyalty, devotion, reciprocity, empathy and forgiveness.”

Today let’s hear a story of Zou Ji who exhorted King of Qi to take advice. Zou was a counselor in the State of Qi (1046-221 B.C.). He was very tall and attractive but he had a concern that King Wei of Qi always ignored the loyal ministers’ advice and did not listen to beneficial words.