Confucius and his disciples ran out of food in the State of Chen

ln 489 BC, the State of Chu sent a messenger to summon Confucius. On hearing the news, the officials of Chen and Cai feared that Chu would become powerful after assigning Confucius to a key post. They sent troops to encircle Confucius and his disciples in the countryside. For seven days and nights, teacher and disciples had no food to eat. The disciples were too hungry to stand up, but Confucius kept giving lessons to them, playing the zither and singing. Unable to endure the suffering, Zi Lu, panting with rage, asked Confucius, “A virtuous man could suffer such humiliation as well?” Confucius enlightened him, “Of course he could, but he may keep to his moral integrity, while a petty man will do all sorts of bad things." Finally, Confucius sent Zi Gong to the State of Chu, which dispatched troops to their rescue, and Confucius and his disciples thus narrowly escaped.