Editing Confucius (section)

===Exile===
[[File:Journey of Confucius.png|thumb|left|300px|Map showing the journey of Confucius to various states between 497 BCE and 484 BCE]]
The ''[[Shiji]]'' stated that the neighboring [[Qi (state)|Qi state]] was worried that Lu was becoming too powerful while Confucius was involved in the government of the Lu state.{{sfn|Nylan|Wilson|2010|p=17}} According to this account, Qi decided to sabotage Lu's reforms by sending 100 good horses and 80 beautiful dancing girls to the duke of Lu.{{sfn|Nylan|Wilson|2010|p=17}} The duke indulged himself in pleasure and did not attend to official duties for three days. Confucius was disappointed and resolved to leave Lu and seek better opportunities, yet to leave at once would expose the misbehavior of the duke and therefore bring public humiliation to the ruler Confucius was serving. Confucius therefore waited for the duke to make a lesser mistake. Soon after, the duke neglected to send to Confucius a portion of the sacrificial meat that was his due according to custom, and Confucius seized upon this pretext to leave both his post and the Lu state.

After Confucius's resignation, he travelled around the [[ancient Chinese states|principality states]] of north-east and central China including [[Wei (Spring and Autumn period)|Wey]], [[Song (state)|Song]], [[Zheng (state)|Zheng]], [[Cao (state)|Cao]], [[Chu (state)|Chu]], [[Qi (state)|Qi]], [[Chen (state)|Chen]], and [[Cai (state)|Cai]] (and a failed attempt to go to [[Jin (Chinese state)|Jin]]). At the courts of these states, he expounded his political beliefs but did not see them implemented.{{sfn|Nylan|Wilson|2010|p=11–23}}