... Confucius was born in the village of Zou in the country of Lu, in 55 BCE; he was a poor descendant of what used to be a noble family. As a child, he held make-believe temple rituals; as a young adult, he earned a reputation for being fair, polite and he had a great love for learning. He traveled a lot and studied at the capital, Zhou, where he is said to have met and spoke with Lao Zi, the founder of Daoism. When Confucius returned to Lu, he became a renowned teacher, but when he was 35, Duke Zhao, of Lu, led his country to war and Confucius was drafted. Duke Zhao frequently came to him for advice, but when being counseled by one of his ministers, he decided against granting land to Confucius and gradually stopped seeking his help. When other nobles began plotting against Confucius, Duke Zhao ...

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