Drifting from Place to Place through Various States

Last week we talked about Confucius leaving the State of Lu in despair in 497 BC. Since then, he has drifted from place to place through various states. Along the way, Confucius encountered many unexpected circumstances.

As Confucius and his disciples were traveling past Kuang (presentday Changyuan County, Henan Province) on their way to the State of Chen, the local people mistook Confucius as the evil man Yang Hu. Teacher and disciples were surrounded on the spot for five days and nights. The disciples were very scared while Confucius tried to encourage them: “King Wen of Zhou is dead. The culture of his dynasty is now totally in my hands. Since Heaven wants me to preserve the culture, what can they do to me?" Finally, Ning Wuzi from the State of Wei came to their rescue, and they escaped from their perilous plight.