1. Nature refers to everything in the world, and the deeper meaning is the rules and laws followed by the inner operation of everything in the world (including people). The overall meaning of this sentence is that people are just small things in nature. They cannot be arrogant and do things against the laws of nature. If we have to talk about the law of nature, then I think that what nature should law is existence. Existence is the essence and origin of all things, all things exist for the purpose of existence, and the manifestations of existence are various naturally occurring phenomena and laws. This is just the result of personal thinking, different people have opinions on whether it is right or not.
2. I don’t know where you heard the statement that Laozi and Zhuangzi have different origins. The theories of Lao and Zhuang are like those of Confucius and Mencius. They are the development forms of thought in different periods. How can we say they have different origins? If we have to say there are differences, then Laozi focuses on people's understanding of the essence of things, while Zhuangzi focuses on people's attitude towards life after understanding the essence of things. Of course, I hope everyone can discuss this issue. This is just my opinion.
3. As for the influence of Taoism on later generations, it is actually like the realm of "emptiness and tranquility" in Taoism, which has long been reflected in all aspects of Chinese tradition. For example, whenever a war breaks out, rulers often adopt the Taoist policy of "doing nothing" to recuperate and recuperate, reducing corvee and light taxes to allow time for productivity to recover. For example, in the Han and Tang Dynasties, after long-term wars and the country was initially settled, farmers were encouraged to develop production. Speaking of this, there is an allusion of "Xiao Gui and Cao Sui" in the Han Dynasty, which illustrates the problem very well. Because Cao Shen knew that the various loose policies implemented by his predecessor Xiao He were very consistent with the situation at that time, there was no need to use the new official's three tactics to torment the people. Another example is that although most of the ancient scholar-bureaucrats themselves came from imperial examinations, they were disciples of Confucius and Mencius. But in fact, most of them also believe in Taoism's simplicity and nature. This is especially reflected in the fact that when they were dismissed from office or their career was unsatisfactory, they chose Taoism as a tool to escape from the world, either to express their feelings for the landscape or to use their pen and ink. There are many examples, so I cannot list them all. In addition, Taoism has many connections with Confucianism and Buddhism in its long-term historical evolution, so there is a saying that "Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism" are not separate schools.
So, every question you ask is a big article with endless stories and philosophies. I hope you who like ancient culture can communicate together and improve each other!