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Confucius remarked that Duke Ling of Wei was “without the Way (Dao)” (i.e., an unprincipled ruler). Ji Kangzi asked, “If that’s the case, why hasn’t he lost his state?”Confucius replied, “Zhongshu Yu handles diplomatic guests, Zhu Tuo manages ancestral temple rituals, and Wangsun Jia oversees the military. With such capable ministers fulfilling their roles,…