Ten Years in Diqiu: Confucius’s Mission to Teach the Rites

The Spring and Autumn era is in chaos, with rituals collapsing and music in decline. Confucius leaves Lu for Wei with his disciples and settles in Diqu for ten years. Guided by benevolence and ritual, he pursues his mission amid the whirlpool of political schemes and the gloom of harsh rule. Duke Ling of Wei is consumed by political maneuvering, while Gongsun Shu abuses the people in the name of “restoring ritual.” Debauchery flourishes along the Sang River and Pu River. The master and his disciples hold fast to their conviction that “education should be open to all.” They teach in humble lanes, explain the difference between true and false ritual to the nobility, and teach displaced people how to farm and live with virtue. From condemning disorderly music by the Sang River and asking after the people's hardships in the fields, to urging virtuous governance at the Wei court and protecting the common people in the streets, they endure persecution by powerful ministers and extortion by local officials, yet always uphold “the benevolent love others” as their core and “restrain yourself and return to ritual” as their guiding principle. After ten years of hardship, the seeds of benevolence and ritual finally take root in Wei, illuminating the way forward for its people amid the turmoil. Their story embodies the steadfast resolve of “knowing it cannot be done, yet doing it anyway” and the spiritual foundations of Chinese civilization.