King Mu of Zhou

列子Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

4.4

Word count: 3.4K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In the time of King Mu of Zhou, a magician came from a country in the far west. He could enter fire and water and pass through metal and stone; he could reverse mountains and rivers and move cities; he could ride on the void without falling and touch solid things without being blocked. His transformations were endless and inexhaustible. Not only could he change the forms of things, he could also alter people's thoughts. King Mu revered him as a god and served him as a ruler. He offered him his own main chamber to live in, brought him the three sacrificial animals, and selected female musicians to entertain him. But the magician considered the king's palace lowly and unfit to dwell in, the king's food rank and unfit to eat, and the king's concubines foul-smelling and unfit to approach. King Mu then had new buildings made for him.

Editor's review

"King Mu of Zhou" is selected from the Liezi, issued as a standalone volume by Nanhai Publishing House in 2024. The core of the story is not King Mu's travels and achievements but the arrival of the "magician," a visitor from a distant land: entering fire and water, passing through metal and stone, moving cities, riding the void without falling, changing in ten thousand ways beyond exhaustion. What is most intriguing in the text is the magician's rejection of the king's palace, food, and concubines one by one, forcing King Mu to rebuild his palace—this is not mere marvel-mongering but a fable about the measure of desire and the limits of perception. The Liezi's style is spare and forceful, its dialogue restrained, rendering the "marvelous" almost ordinary; in a short space readers can encounter both the imagination of pre-Qin fables and a subtle irony about power and satisfaction. It is suited to close reading as an entry into pre-Qin philosophical prose, and also to reading alongside the Mu Tianzi Zhuan to observe how the same figure appears differently in historical biography and in philosophical works. Read the original once on a commute or before sleep, then return to the line about the magician "altering people's thoughts," and the aftertaste lingers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers interested in pre-Qin fables and philosophical prose
Literature lovers who want to experience the Liezi's imagination through short pieces
Middle-school Chinese teachers looking for classical Chinese short texts as supplementary material
Readers who enjoy tales of the strange and the exotic and are willing to read slowly and closely

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete narrative of King Mu's life
Beginners who need full vernacular translation and annotation and do not want to engage with classical Chinese
Those who prefer long, coherent plots and have no patience for the fable form

Reading tips

Read the original through once without seeking full understanding, then use the annotations to clarify line by line what the magician transformed.
After reading the passage where the magician rejects the palace and food, pause and think about why King Mu rebuilt the palace.
Read alongside the westward journey in the Mu Tianzi Zhuan and compare the approaches of historical biography and philosophical writing.
Make a one-page reading note recording the two key points in the text: "changing the forms of things" and "altering people's thoughts."

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
周穆王第三

FAQ

Is this "King Mu of Zhou" a complete book or a single piece?

From the content, it is a standalone edition of the "King Mu of Zhou" chapter from the Liezi, not long, centered on the magician's visit and King Mu's rebuilding of the palace. Before buying, check whether the edition includes annotations and a translation, and choose according to your ability to read classical Chinese.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

The original is spare and forceful but contains uncommon characters and words, such as "ai" and "xinglou." It is advisable to choose an annotated edition, read the annotations first and then the original, and not insist on understanding everything at once; simply follow the two threads of what the magician transforms and how King Mu responds.

How should the figure of the magician be understood?

The magician can enter fire and water and move cities, yet finds King Mu's palace lowly and his food rank; he is both a symbol of exotic marvels and a mirror reflecting King Mu's mentality of exchanging offerings for satisfaction. There is no need to pin him down as a historical figure; he reads more smoothly as a fable character.

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About the author

列子 Author

Very little is publicly known about Liezi's life. He is traditionally regarded as a Daoist figure of the Warring States period, and the book bearing his name, Liezi, was attributed to him in older sources, though the received text was largely compiled and edited by later hands. The library holds 5 related works, including Tian Rui (Heaven's Gifts), King Mu of Zhou, Li Ming (Force and Destiny), Shuo Fu (Explaining Conjunctions), and The Complete Works of Liezi: Chinese Classics 39. They are commonly classified under Eastern philosophy and historical readings. These chapters unfold mainly through fables, stories, and dialogues, using myths, legends, and conversations to expound Daoist thought. The style is vivid and concise, with broad imagination, often conveying philosophy through ordinary incidents. King Mu of Zhou explores the interplay of dream and reality, Li Ming discusses the relation between human effort and destiny, and Shuo Fu focuses on the verification of words and actions. Liezi's thought and literary style have influenced later Daoist doctrine, fable literature, and philosophical discussion, and he is often mentioned alongside Laozi and Zhuangzi as an important part of the Daoist tradition.