by 歐修梅
The story comes from Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Confucius
During a journey from the State of Cao to the State of Song, Confucius and his disciples engaged in the studies of the rites under the boughs of a large tree.
Harboring the thought of slaying Confucius, Commander Huantui ordered the tree to be felled.
Confucius took his leave. A disciple noted, “We should hasten our steps.”
Confucius replied, “Heaven has bestowed virtue upon me; what can Huantui truly bring upon me?”
Confucius traveled across various states, persuading their kings to adopt benevolent and virtuous governance. Although he successfully secured audiences with many kings and ministers, and even convinced rulers such as Lord Jing of Qi, he was never heavily trusted due to ostracism, slander, and defamation. At times, he even faced life-threatening dangers.
During this unsettled journey, Confucius and his disciples continued their studies. In 493 B.C., as they left the State of Cao for the State of Song, Confucius and his students practiced rituals under a large tree. Huantui, a military commander of Song, intended to murder Confucius. He sent someone to chop down the tree which provided shade to Confucius and his students as a gesture of intimidation. A student suggested, “To prevent any unforeseen danger, we should leave quickly!”
Confucius replied, “Since Heaven has bestowed virtue upon me, what can Huantui do to me?” This means that, while morality stems from personal cultivation, a person can only develops his virtue when Heaven has bestowed it upon him. Huantui despised Confucius for his virtue. However, even if Huantui could kill Confucius’ physical body, he could not take away his virtue. The virtue is bestowed by Heaven and does not belong solely to Confucius. As long as others continue to embody the heavenly virtue that Confucius received, Huantui will never be able to kill them all.
The painting depicts this episode from the life of Confucius. It does not portray the perilous moment when Huantui sent someone to cut down the tree as a warning. Rather, this picture depicts the scene where Confucius sent a young student to ask for directions as they passed through the State of Song. To avoid danger, Confucius was dressed in modest civilian garments. It is evident that, despite his plain outfits, Confucius was still revered by the literati.
