Mencius said: “When the traces of the sage-kings faded, the civilization of rites and music represented by The Book of Songs (Book of Poetry) thus came to an end; and after that, the Spring and Autumn Annals emerged. The Cheng of Jin, the Taowu of Chu, and the Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu…
Kan Ze (courtesy name De Run) was born in Shanyin, Kuaiji Commandery – modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang – into a family of modest means. Unlike many elite officials of his time, he had no inherited privilege. To pursue learning, he copied borrowed books by hand, demonstrating extraordinary diligence. This early discipline laid the foundation for…