When interacting with people, we often hear this ancient saying: "It is better to offend a gentleman than a villain."

Why did the ancients give such advice? The reason is that a gentleman is tolerant and open-minded. Even if he offends a gentleman, he will laugh it off in anger and will never keep it in his heart.

But once you offend a villain, the situation is different. Villains, in Chinese social life, specifically refer to people who like to fight openly and secretly, do bad things such as gossiping, sowing dissension, watching from the sidelines, and adding insult to injury. When you offend a villain, even if it is an unintentional mistake, he will hold a grudge, wait for opportunities to retaliate, and use various insidious means to harm you.

Ji Kang, one of the Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove during the Three Kingdoms period, and his interactions with the hermit Sun Deng and the noble prince Zhong Hui are the best examples of how offending a gentleman and a villain can bring about different consequences!

Ji Kang was a famous writer, thinker and musician in the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period. When he became an adult, he married Cao Cao's great-granddaughter. , took pleasure in "cultivating food, playing the piano and chanting poems, and being content with one's heart". He was one of the "" The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest."

On the surface, Ji Kang looks open-minded and uninhibited, with a drunken temperament, but deep down he has a straight-forward side. In the later period of Cao Wei's reign, the Sima group gradually took control of the political power, and Ji Kang was extremely dissatisfied with this. He said that in his life, "a glass of wine, a piece of music on the piano, and the determination is complete. How can I be called chaste because of the yellow family?" For this reason, he did not hesitate to break up with Shan Tao, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" who joined the Sima Group.

Ji Kang once lived in poverty, so he and Xiang Xiu worked iron under a big tree to "support themselves." Yingchuan Zhonghui was a noble son and went to visit Ji Kang specially. Ji Kang was blacksmithing at the time and ignored him. After a long time, Zhong met Ji Kang and ignored him. He felt that it was no longer interesting to stand there, so he was ready to leave.

When Ji Kang saw that he was leaving, he asked Zhong Hui: "What did you hear to come and what did you see to go?"

Zhong Hui said: "I heard it. I came for what I heard and left after seeing what I saw." During this visit, Zhong Hui held a grudge because Ji Kang ignored him.

It is said that Ji Kang once collected medicine in the Beishan Mountain of Ji County and met Sun Deng, a famous hermit at that time. The two sat opposite each other for an hour, and Sun Deng remained silent. Ji Kang was about to leave, so he asked Sun Deng: "Sir, do you really have nothing to say?"

Sun Deng saw him asking and said: "You have outstanding talents and straightforward temperament. It is inevitable that you will encounter disaster." . ” and told him to be careful in the future. But he was unmoved.

After Zhong Hui met Ji Kang and was treated coldly, he always looked for opportunities to retaliate against him. Once, the Sima General's Palace planned to use him, but Zhong Hui stepped in to stop him. At this time, Ji Kang understood Sun Deng's words and wanted to live in seclusion to avoid disaster, so he resigned from his official position and moved to Hedong.

When Ji Kang broke off relations with Shan Tao, he gave seven reasons why he did not want to be an official. When General Sima Zhao found out about this, he was very angry and suddenly wanted to kill Ji Kang.

Ji Kang once had a good relationship with Lu Xun and Lu An, the sons of Lu Zhao from Dongping. Lu Xun had an affair with his sister-in-law Xu, and falsely accused his brother Lu An of being unfilial, and bribed the government to imprison Lu An. Lu An argued vigorously and used Ji Kang as his witness. Ji Kang was very loyal and went to the government to prove Lu An's innocence. Lu An was also very resolute and upright, and he had offended Zhong Hui and others. Zhong Hui then took the opportunity to persuade Sima Zhao to take this opportunity to kill the two men.

After the news came out, three thousand Tai students petitioned for them and tried to save Ji Kang's life in this way, but they were unsuccessful. Before his execution, Ji Kang looked at the shadow of the sun and knew that the time for his execution was coming, so he "played the piano". After playing, he sighed: "Guangling San" has been passed down forever!" He was only 40 years old when he died.

Before his death, Ji Kang wrote a letter "Family Commandments" to his son. He repeatedly warned his son to pay attention to the ways of the world, to treat officials at a respectful distance, and not to be too close; when others came to ask for help due to poverty, they could only help. One point, too much help is not good; when others are arguing, it is best not to participate; when others are whispering, leave quickly; do not speak about things you do not understand; do not force others to drink, when others persuade you to drink When the time comes, you should drink less and pretend to be drunk.