What does the to mean in kneel and pick it up ?

With ": conjunction, then.

Kneeling and picking it up - Zhao Pu Kneel on the ground, pick it up (referring to the torn piece) and go home.

This article is from "Song History: The Biography of Zhao Pu", original text:

Ordinary young scholars, few academics, and for the sake of the phase, Taizu often persuaded to read. In his later years, he did not release the volume, and every time he returned to the private place, he opened the house to take the book and read it. and the next day, he was executed. If the family looks down on it, then the twenty articles of the Analects are also.

The general nature is deep and there is a shore valley, although there are many taboos, and can take the world's affairs as their own responsibility. At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, the people in the phase were more filthy and silent, and they were resolute and decisive, which was incomparable. Try to recommend someone as an official, Taizu doesn't need it.

Pu Mingri repeats his people, and he doesn't need to. Tomorrow, Pu will play it with his own person, Taizu is angry, and the broken play is thrown to the ground, and the color of Pu remains unchanged, and he kneels and picks it up. He patches up the old paper every day, and repeats it as before.

Taizu is enlightened, and he uses his people.

Interpretation: When Zhao Pu was young, he was familiar with the affairs of officials (should be handled), and he did not have much knowledge, and when he became the prime minister, Taizu often persuaded him to study. Zhao Pu studied diligently in his later years, and every time he returned to his house (after retiring from the dynasty), he closed the door, opened the bookbox, took out the books, and read all day long.

Wait until the next day to deal with government affairs, and the decision is very fast. After his death, the family opened the bookcase and saw the book inside, which turned out to be a copy of the Analects. Zhao Pu has a calm temperament and is serious and upright, although he is jealous and mean to people, but he can take the world's major events as his responsibility.

In the early years of the Song Dynasty, most of the people in the position of prime minister were overly cautious and confined to small sections, doing things according to routine, and not saying much, but Zhao Pu was resolute and decisive, and no one could compare with him. He once recommended someone to hold an official position, but Taizu didn't need this person. Zhao Pu asked this person (to serve as an official) the next day, but Taizu still didn't need it.

On the third day, Zhao Pu played this person (who served as an official) to Taizu, Taizu was angry, tore up the cantata and threw it on the ground, Zhao Pu's face remained unchanged, knelt on the ground and picked up the torn cantata and went home. Zhao Pu repaired and connected the shredded pieces of old paper, and played them again as before. Only then did Taizu understand that he had finally appointed that person.

In the early Northern Song Dynasty, there was a prime minister who was not famous. He doesn't always appear in the foreground, but only assists the monarch behind the scenes. However, the important principles and policies he participated in formulating have always affected the 300-year reign of the Song Dynasty and have a major issue related to the fortunes of the country and the lives of the people.

This prime minister is Zhao Pu.

Zhao Pu has been active in the political arena for 50 years in his life. As a politician of the landlord class in the feudal era, he was a historical figure with a certain foresight. The principles and policies formulated by him to consolidate the centralization of monarchy and decentralization of power have contributed to ending the long-term political turmoil and realizing the reunification of the Central Plains.

For Profound Negative Consequences, He Bears Historical Responsibility As a famous man of a generation, he lacked knowledge in his chest, and ruled the world with the so-called half of the Analects, which of course prevented him from making more positive contributions. Zhao Pu served as prime minister three times with his personal loyalty to the monarch During his entire period as prime minister, he could not see his achievements in benefiting the people, which was the biggest shortcoming.

Zhi: pronoun, it (refers to the torn movement).

Kneeling and picking it up - Zhao Pu Kneel on the ground, pick it up (referring to the torn piece) and go home.