The Internal Conflict in Lu
After returning to the state of Lu, Confucius continued teaching his disciples. Since the reign of Duke Xuan, the ducal house of Lu had declined, and political power had fallen into the hands of the “Three Huan” clans, led by the Ji family. In the early years of Duke Zhao’s rule, these three families further divided the military authority that rightfully belonged to the ruler of Lu.
In the 25th year of Duke Zhao’s reign (517 BCE), during the annual ancestral worship ceremony, the Ji family—then in power—withdrew the ceremonial dance troupe reserved for the duke, leaving him with only two performers. Meanwhile, they used the Eight-Row Dance, a ritual reserved exclusively for the Son of Heaven (the Zhou king), in their own ancestral temple. Moreover, during the offering, they performed the Yong hymn, which was meant only for the emperor’s sacrifices. When Confucius heard of this, he was outraged, declaring that for a mere minister like Ji to usurp the imperial rites was an intolerable transgression: “If this can be tolerated, what cannot?”
He further quoted an ancient verse: “The princes stand in attendance, while the Son of Heaven, solemn and dignified, presides.”
This meant that during the Yong ritual, the emperor stood at the center, flanked by feudal lords in reverence, as he moved with grave majesty—never glancing distractedly. Yet now, the three powerful families—Mengsun, Shusun, and Jisun— dared to appropriate this sacred imperial music for their private banquets. Confucius wondered what ulterior motives they could possibly have.
Ji’s arrogance and ritual violations also angered other nobles at court. Duke Zhao sought to weaken or even eliminate Ji Pingzi (the head of the Ji family) to restore the ducal authority. Coincidentally, a feud broke out between Ji Pingzi and another noble, Hou Zhaobo, over a cockfight. Seizing the opportunity, Duke Zhao secretly conspired with Hou Zhaobo and Zang Zhaobo to besiege Ji Pingzi’s residence. Trapped, Ji Pingzi pleaded for mercy from a high tower, but Duke Zhao refused. Ji then begged to be imprisoned in his own fiefdom of Fei, but this too was denied. He even asked for five chariots to flee into exile, yet Duke Zhao remained unmoved. Eventually, the other two Huan clans—Mengsun and Shusun—fearing that Ji’s downfall would lead to their own, rallied their forces to rescue Ji Pingzi and attack Duke Zhao. Defeated, the duke was forced into exile in the state of Qi. Amidst this chaotic civil strife, Confucius decided to leave Lu and travel to Qi.
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