At thirty-five, Confucius witnessed political chaos in Lu state: Duke Zhao was driven into exile by the powerful Three Huan clans – Jisun, Mengsun, and Shusun – who vied for control, destabilizing the state. Disillusioned, Confucius traveled to Qi, hoping Duke Jing of Qi – who aspired to emulate the legendary hegemon Duke Huan…