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 doctrines."

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 jade can make prompt decisions in dealing 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，莊子去拜見魯哀公。

哀公說：“我們魯國有很多儒生，但是學習你道家學說的人卻很少。”

莊子反駁說： “情況不是您說的那樣，事實上儒生在魯國很少。”

哀公聽了，反問說: “魯國上上下下，都穿著儒生的衣服，怎么能說儒生少呢?”

莊子說： “我聽說，頭戴圓形帽的儒生，能夠知曉天時;腳穿方形鞋的儒生，能夠通曉地理;身佩彩色美玉的儒生，理事決策，能夠當機立斷。不過，真正有這種學問的人，不一定穿這種服裝;而穿這種服裝的人，不一定懂得這種學問。您如果認為我說得不對，可以通令全國：‘凡是不懂儒學而穿儒服的人，一律判處死罪。試一試，看看結果會怎樣?”

哀公真的頒布了這樣一道命令。五天以后，全國居然沒有敢穿儒服的人了。只有一個男子漢，身穿儒服，站在宮廷門外。哀公立即召見他，并用國家大事考問他。這人回答起來，果然應對自如，頭頭是道。

莊子說： “魯國是儒家的故鄉，但是只有一名儒生。這怎么能說魯國儒生很多呢?”

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 doctrines."

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 jade can make prompt decisions in dealing 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，莊子去拜見魯哀公。

哀公說：“我們魯國有很多儒生，但是學習你道家學說的人卻很少。”

莊子反駁說： “情況不是您說的那樣，事實上儒生在魯國很少。”

哀公聽了，反問說: “魯國上上下下，都穿著儒生的衣服，怎么能說儒生少呢?”

莊子說： “我聽說，頭戴圓形帽的儒生，能夠知曉天時;腳穿方形鞋的儒生，能夠通曉地理;身佩彩色美玉的儒生，理事決策，能夠當機立斷。不過，真正有這種學問的人，不一定穿這種服裝;而穿這種服裝的人，不一定懂得這種學問。您如果認為我說得不對，可以通令全國：‘凡是不懂儒學而穿儒服的人，一律判處死罪。試一試，看看結果會怎樣?”

哀公真的頒布了這樣一道命令。五天以后，全國居然沒有敢穿儒服的人了。只有一個男子漢，身穿儒服，站在宮廷門外。哀公立即召見他，并用國家大事考問他。這人回答起來，果然應對自如，頭頭是道。

莊子說： “魯國是儒家的故鄉，但是只有一名儒生。這怎么能說魯國儒生很多呢?”