Should loyalty be paid?

忠诚是否应得到回报?

Round Table China

2026-02-23

22 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Round Table presents the last of six stories from the new podcast, "Sage and Youth: Debating Zhuangzi's Tao." In this episode: a humble butcher survives chaos yet refuses honor. But why? When devotion meets power, what truly counts as merit? Zhuangzi's ancient tale sparks a modern debate: whether integrity lies in rejecting rewards or in acknowledging shared struggle. For more fascinating stories and heated debates, search "Sage and Youth: Debating Zhuangzi's Tao."
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单集文稿 ...

  • Discussion keeps the world turning.

  • This is Round Table.

  • You're listening to Round Table.

  • I'm Steve Hatherly, and coming up, today we continue the special series on Zhuangzi,

  • about one of the most influential philosophers of ancient China.

  • Who was Zhuangzi?

  • And what life lesson can we still draw from his centuries-old wisdom?

  • In this series,

  • we'll explore some of the most fascinating stories from Zhuangzi and reflect on what they reveal about how we live,

  • think, and choose.

  • In today's show, we bring you the story, Tu Yang Yue Refuses Rewards.

  • The story touches on some intriguing questions.

  • Is it wrong to accept rewards for things that you didn't do?

  • Should we be destined to stay in our position in society and refuse opportunities

  • if we don't believe that we truly deserve them?

  • Over 2,500 years ago, the state of Wu invaded the state of Chu, forcing its king to escape.

  • Some of its people fled with him, including Shi Buqia to Yangyue.

  • In the following year, the king fought back and regained control of his kingdom.

  • For those who have been loyal to me and supported me,

  • now I want to offer you noble titles and huge money rewards.