Studious and Inquisitive
At the age of seventeen, Confucius lost his mother, Yan Zhengzai. Not long after, the noble Ji Sun family of the State of Lu held a banquet for the shi class (the lowest rank of nobility). At the time, Confucius believed that as the son of the late warrior Shuliang He, he might qualify to attend, so he followed others in. However, Yang Hu, a steward of the Ji Sun family, arrogantly rebuked him, saying, “The Ji family invites only shi—who invited you?” Confucius had no choice but to withdraw. This incident strengthened his determination to study harder.
From childhood, Confucius was diligent in learning and eager to ask questions, educating himself through relentless effort. His studies focused on the Six Arts: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. These encompassed mastering the rituals and music of the time, becoming skilled in archery, learning to drive a chariot, acquiring literacy, and developing mathematical abilities. The Six Arts were essential knowledge and skills for anyone seeking a position in the aristocratic politics of the Spring and Autumn period. Through tireless study, Confucius mastered them all, and his reputation for erudition and knowledge of rites gradually spread.
At nineteen, Confucius married a woman from the Qi family of Song, with the noble Zhong Sun acting as matchmaker. In the year of his marriage, he began working as a “Wei Li” (a minor official overseeing granaries). Under his management, the granary’s accounts were precise, with no discrepancies in inventory. Impressed by his competence, Ji Sun promoted him to “Sheng Tian” (a minor official in charge of livestock). During the Spring and Autumn period, raising livestock primarily served sacrificial purposes, and sacrifices were of utmost importance, requiring robust animals. Within a year, Confucius had the pastures thriving with healthy, well-fed cattle and sheep.
In 532 B.C. (the tenth year of Duke Zhao of Lu), the year after his marriage, Confucius’s son was born. Hearing of Confucius’s reputation for understanding and upholding rites, Duke Zhao sent a congratulatory gift—a carp. Honoured, Confucius named his son Li (Carp), with the courtesy name Boyu (Eldest Son Fish). However, this did not change the family’s impoverished circumstances. Confucius once said, “I was poor and humble in my youth, so I learned to do many menial tasks.” He had experience in sweeping, cooking, laundry, farming, carrying loads, pushing carts, herding sheep and cattle, and even serving as a musician at weddings and funerals—all of which he performed skilfully.
Near his home in Queli was a district called Daxiang, where the locals praised Confucius, saying, “How remarkable he is! So learned, yet without a specialised skill to make him famous.” Hearing this, Confucius humorously remarked to his disciples, “What am I good at? Driving a chariot? Archery? Well, perhaps I’m decent at charioteering.” This also highlights his proficiency in charioteering (one of the Six Arts). Confucius had no fixed teacher but learned from anyone he could, never tiring of acquiring knowledge. He once said, “Among any three people, there is always one who can teach me something.”
At twenty-seven (525 B.C., the seventeenth year of Duke Zhao of Lu), the ruler of Tan, a small vassal state southeast of Lu, visited the Lu court. During a banquet, a Lu minister, Zhaozi (Shusun), asked the Tan ruler about the ancient practice of naming officials after birds during the era of Shao Hao. The Tan ruler gave a detailed explanation. Upon hearing this, Confucius immediately sought an audience to learn about the bureaucratic system of the Shao Hao era.
When Confucius first entered the Grand Temple of Lu (dedicated to the Duke of Zhou), he asked about every ritual detail. Someone remarked, “Who said the son of an official of Zouyi knows rites? He asks about everything in the temple.” When this reached Confucius, he replied, “Asking when one does not know—that is precisely the proper observance of rites.”
Through relentless self-study, Confucius mastered the Six Arts comprehensively. By his thirties, he had laid a solid foundation in both scholarship and moral cultivation, earning the respect of the nobility of his time.
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