Homesick Traveler

Homesick Traveler

Yu Zi Mountain, the symbol of Gaochun. Legend has it that Confucius once climbed this mountain during his travels across various states, and the mountain was thus named after him.

In the late Spring and Autumn period, the feudal lords no longer respected the Zhou emperor, engaging in endless power struggles that plunged the realm into chaos. One sage could no longer sit idly by — he was none other than Confucius, the greatest thinker in ancient China. Consequently, he resigned from his positions as the chief judicial officer and acting prime minister of the State of Lu, gathered a group of disciples, and set out to travel across the various states, promoting his political philosophy aimed at restoring the rites and systems of the Zhou dynasty. However, at the time, the major states were busy vying for hegemony, while the smaller ones faced the threat of annexation. The whole society was undergoing major transformations, so his ideas naturally struggled to gain acceptance. Confucius traveled successively through the states of Wey, Cao, Song, Zheng, Chen, and Cai.

And others. In 489 BC, he arrived in the State of Chu.

By then, the struggle for supremacy between Wu and Chu had already ended. Because the King of Wu, Helü, had been struck by an arrow from the Yue people and died a few years earlier while campaigning southward against Yue, Wu redirected all its animosity toward Yue and initiated a 22-year-long conflict known as the Wu-Yue War. Chu saw this as a golden opportunity to revive its own hegemony. While sitting back and watching the Wu-Yue rivalry unfold, Chu seized the chance to expand its influence eastward. As a result, Gaochun once again became a borderland between Wu and Chu.

When Confucius arrived in Chu, King Zhao of Chu initially planned to grant him a fief of 700 square li of registered territory. But upon realizing that Confucius’ principles were entirely at odds with his own, the king promptly changed his mind. Confucius, however, took it in stride. He was determined to continue traveling eastward until he reached the border area between Wu and Chu, to witness firsthand the sins committed by those “treacherous ministers and rebellious subjects” who fought among themselves for selfish gains.

With the help of King Zhao of Chu, Confucius and his disciples crossed the great river, following the ancient Xiaodanyang Trail — the same route used by Wu Zixu when he escaped through Zhaxi Pass. They journeyed from west to east, entering the territory of Gaochun.

At that time, the Gaochun area was not a remote backwater. During the Wu-Chu rivalry, military needs led to the opening of ancient routes such as the Xiaodanyang and Zhufang roads. Starting from the ruined military stronghold of Gugucheng (which had been burned down by Wu Zixu), the northwest route led to Xiaodanyang in present-day Jiangning County, while the northeast route reached Zhufang, south of present-day Zhenjiang and Dantu. These routes formed a continuous line suitable for chariot travel. In addition, the Zhongjiang waterway cut across the entire region.

Due to years of warfare, the Gaochun area was sparsely populated, with bones lying exposed and the land scarred by devastation. Confucius saw fertile fields lying uncultivated and abundant waters devoid of fishing activity, and couldn’t help lamenting along the way. After traversing vast water expanses and plains, he spotted a mountain ahead and, together with his disciples, made his way up to investigate.

This mountain is today’s Yu Shan (Traveler’s Mountain); at that time, it was called Liangshan, also known as Mianshan. Confucius ascended the peak from the southern slope. Though not as majestic and awe-inspiring as Mount Tai back in his homeland, with its grandeur and ever-changing vistas, this mountain was still delicate and elegant. The trees were lush, birds sang melodiously, and the blue sky with white clouds lifted his spirits. But when Confucius looked down at the land below — fertile yet desolate — a sense of bewilderment and sorrow welled up inside him. A madman from Chu named Jieyu once sang a song directed at Confucius:

　Oh Phoenix, Phoenix,

　Why is your moral code no longer valued?

　The past cannot be retrieved,

　But the future can still be pursued.

　Give it up, give it up,

　For there are no more statesmen who uphold moral rites today.

Confucius suddenly felt old and useless. Unable to stop the powerful from fighting for dominance and indulging in extravagance, he began to feel the pang of homesickness.

In the autumn of the year King Zhao of Chu passed away, Confucius began his circuitous journey back to the State of Lu.

Later, Confucius began compiling the “Spring and Autumn Annals.” In this book, he refused to recognize the States of Wu to the east of Gaochun and Chu to the west as legitimate feudal lords, instead demoting them to the rank of “viscounts.” Sima Qian explained in “Records of the Grand Historian” that Confucius did this to instill fear in the treacherous officials and rebels of the world. Because of Confucius’ journey, later generations renamed Liangshan to Yu Zi Shan (Traveler’s Mountain), reflecting the sentiment of a traveler longing to return home. Even today, people still describe the strongly local-minded residents of Gaochun as those who “would cry if they couldn’t see Yu Shan.”