Good things that belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things to be admired. Bacon cited this wise saw in his essay Of adversity. Likewise, Mencius, the most famous Confucius after Confucius said that, Shun rose from a peasant to become the legendary emperor of China. Fu Yue, the prime minister during Shang Dynasty, was recommended as a builder. So did Guan Zhong, Sun Shu-ao and Bailixi. Therefore, if the Heaven is to lay those people the great obligation, first he must bother their mind, fatigue their physiques, starve their bodies and hamper them to disturb their progress, to shock him and finally to equip their will with fortitude and increase their capability.

However, Bacon and Mencius held different views on prosperity. Bacon said:

The virtue of prosperity is temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude.

And Mencius said, a country, without capable learned persons within it, nor enemy country outside it, usually die. After that, people began to know how life spring from adversity and die from ease and pleasure.

Stephen just returned his tour of Hangzhou with his girlfriend. He did give me a surprise that he brought a commemorative coin of Leifeng Tower. Madame White Snake had been jailed in it by the disgusting monk Fahai.

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