Welcome back everyone, Lhasla Montgomery here. Thanks for tuning in to the China History Podcast.

Part 4 today in this 18-part series that looks at the history of Chinese philosophy.

We're still in the spring and autumn period. This was during China's

Bronze Age. And we're talking about Confucius. So let's pick up from where we left

off last time in part three. Confucius, still living on the road, searching for that perfect ruler.

The life of an itinerant philosopher living on the run was a hard one. People from rock stars to traveling

salesman will attest to that. Plenty of times, Konsen, his entourage of disciples,

face these life and death situations and I'm sure the transport back in the

early 500s b.c. he wasn't that great either. As an advisor to the Chi ruler Duke Jing, Konesa wasn't being taken seriously.

And like with everyone else, he found this ruler of Chi lacking in virtue.

Duke I of Lul, who reined 494 to 467 b.C.

brought Confucius back home again in 483,

or so says the Zor Juan.

Believe it or not, there was this sort of rivalry between Lu and Chi.

rulers of both rival states vied with each other to keep the famous Confucius in their camp, even though they didn't heed his advice.

Each would try and entice Konsi to come to their capital to teach.

But Master Kong returned a Lou for good,

and it was there with Confucius Bush and 70 years old.

He finished off his days, teaching, and being accorded all the reverence and respect that many a great teacher has enjoyed over the millennia.

His last years were spent working on the book of songs, also called the Book of Odes, the Shir Jing.

He also devoted a great deal of time on the Shanghai Shu, the Book of Documents, as well as

the Chuncho, the Spring and Automannals, from which we get the name of that, half of the Eastern

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