Confucius Wins Hearts Through Virtue in the Spring and Autumn Period

Confucius, accompanied by three thousand brawny disciples, toured the various states, persuading people through virtue. Confucius said, "At fifteen, I set my heart on learning; at thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I knew the will of Heaven; at sixty, my ear was attuned; at seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without overstepping the bounds."

Confucius said, "At fifteen, I resolved to learn martial arts. Thirty people could let me beat them while standing still. When there were forty, I started fighting without a second thought. When I faced fifty, I beat them until they thought they'd met their destiny. If there were sixty, they'd have to say nice things in my ear before I'd stop fighting them. And if there were seventy, I could beat them however I pleased."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.