In 719BC, at the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period (722BC
to 481BC) of the Zhou Dynasty (1135BC to 250BC),  Zi Yu Yi became the
ruler of the State of Song. He had a cousin brother, Zi Jia alias
Kong Fu, who was the commander-in-chief of the Song armed forces.
Zi3 Jia had a very beautiful wife named Wei Shi.
 
   There was a high official in the Song Court by the name of Hua Du who
coveted the beautiful Wei Shi. There was no way that he could possess her
because she was the wife of Zi Jia. The only way, he thought, was to
remove the obstacle, Zi Jia.

     The State of Song had previously fought three wars with the State of
Zheng. The wars caused great suffering to the people of Song, who were in
no mood for further war. Hua Du blamed Zi Jia for being a bellicose
commander-in-chief who caused the wars.

   In the spring of 710BC, Zi Jia prepared his armed forces for a combined
military exercise and spring hunting. Hua Du spread rumours that Zi Jia was
preparing for war again with the State of Zheng.
 
    On hearing that they would have to go to war again, the soldiers and
the citizens of Song became very angry. They converged at the front of Hua
Du's residence to demonstrate against the upcoming war. The crowd demanded
that Hua Du urge Zi Jia to abort the miltary adventure. Hua Du told them to
calm down and not to harm Zi Jia.

   The crowd now wanted Zi Jia to talk to them personally. So Hua Du led
them to Zi Jia's residence. When they arrived at his residence, Zi Jia
refused to appear and talk to the crowd. Hua Du, representing the crowd,
went in and talked to Zi Jia.

  When Hua Du reappeared to the crowd he lied to them that the military
exercise would proceed as planned. The crowd went berserk and they
forced themseves into the residence and had Zi Jia killed. Hua Du also went
in with them to search for Wei Shi. He found her and carried her into his
chariot and headed for home. However, on the way Wei Shi committed suicide
inside the chariot.

The head of the house-keepers took Mu Jin Fu, the infant son of Zi Jia
and fled to the State of Lu.

   When Mu Jin Fu grew up he became a scholar and was employed by the
Lu Court. He adopted KONG the alias of his father as his surname.
 
  Six generations later, in 551BC, Kong Zong Ni, better known as Confucius,
was born in the village of Chang Ping in the State of Lu.
 
 Chun Qiu (Spring and Autumn)

 CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.