The Plan to Dismantle the Three City Walls
During his tenure in office, Confucius was diligent in his duties, humble and courteous in his interactions, and worked in perfect harmony with the ministers. Not only did he achieve notable successes in diplomacy, but he also governed the state of Lu so effectively that doors were left unlocked at night and lost property lay untouched on the roads. After the alliance meeting at Jiagu, Duke Ding of Lu grew more trusting of Confucius. On one occasion, the duke asked him, “How should a ruler employ his ministers, and how should ministers serve their ruler?” Confucius replied, “A ruler should employ his ministers in accordance with the rites, while ministers should serve their ruler with utmost loyalty.” This answer, on the one hand, pointed out that the ruler’s authority was not without limits—it could only be exercised within the framework of the rites and according to their stipulations. The ruler’s position had always been supreme, but the lack of oversight and checks would inevitably lead to the abuse of power and, consequently, corruption and moral decay. Thus, Confucius proposed using the “rites” to restrain the exercise of power. On the other hand, this statement also emphasised that if a ruler treated his ministers in accordance with the rites, then the ministers, in turn, must serve the ruler with unwavering loyalty. Through this, Confucius clearly expressed his own stance. Upon hearing this, Duke Ding of Lu placed even greater trust in Confucius and entrusted him with more responsibilities. Ji Huanzi also trusted Confucius implicitly, following his advice without question.
In the eleventh year of Duke Ding of Lu (499 BCE), the duke announced that Confucius, entrusted by Ji Huanzi, would act on behalf of the prime minister in handling state affairs and participating in governance, granting Confucius the significant position of “acting prime minister.” In the twelfth year of Duke Ding (498 BCE), to strengthen the authority of the ducal house and curb the power of the Three Huan (referring to the three hereditary ministers—the Ji, Shu, and Meng clans, who were descendants of Duke Huan of Lu and thus called the “Three Huan.” At that time, the actual power of Lu was in their hands, while their retainers, to varying degrees, controlled the Three Huan themselves), Confucius invoked the ancient rule that “no family should hoard armour, and no city should have walls exceeding a hundred zhi in height.” He proposed the plan to “dismantle the three city walls,” meaning to demolish the fortified cities built by the Three Huan and simultaneously disarm their private forces, thereby legitimately weakening their power. This plan was to be implemented through Zilu, who served as the steward of the Ji clan. By exploiting the conflicts between the Three Huan and their retainers, Confucius secured the agreement of the Ji and Shu clans to dismantle their respective fortified cities of Fei and Hou. Thus, the Shu clan first dismantled the walls of Hou, a process that proceeded relatively smoothly. However, when it came to the Ji clan’s city of Fei, they encountered stubborn resistance from Gongshan Buniu. Gongshan Buniu and Shusun joined forces, leading the people of Fei to launch a surprise attack on the capital of Lu, intending to “relieve the besieged by besieging the base of the besiegers.” Caught off guard, Duke Ding of Lu hastily sought refuge in the residence of the Ji clan, ascending the terrace of Ji Wuzi. Once the Fei forces entered Qufu, they immediately surrounded the palace of the Ji clan, launching a fierce assault. Confucius rushed to Duke Ding’s side in time and commanded the generals Shen Juxu and Le Qi to lead elite troops in a counterattack. The Fei forces were defeated and fled. Confucius then ordered his troops to pursue the victory, completely defeating the Fei forces at Gumei (located in present-day Sishui County, Shandong Province). Gongshan Buniu hastily fled to the state of Qi for refuge, and the walls of Fei were finally dismantled. When Confucius planned to proceed with dismantling the walls of Cheng, the Meng clan, incited by their retainer Gonglian Chufu, opposed the demolition of Cheng. Duke Ding of Lu besieged the city but failed to capture it, thwarting Confucius’s plan. Thus, the operation to “dismantle the three city walls” was left unfinished.
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