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Nangong Kuo asked Confucius, “Yi was skilled in archery, and Ao could overturn boats with his strength – yet neither died a natural death. Yu and Ji personally tilled the fields, yet they gained the empire.”
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Confucius (Kong Fuzi), born Kong Qiu or Zhongni, entered the world under modest circumstances. His father, Shuliang He (Kong He, styled Shuliang), was a low-ranking military officer in the state of Lu. Already advanced in age, Shuliang He had nine daughters and one son – whose lameness disqualified him as a worthy heir.