Ji Kangzi 季康子 Jisun Fei 季孫肥 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

ChinaKnowledge.de -

An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History, Literature and Art

Zhou Dynasty

Oct 21, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Jisun Fei 季孫肥 (died 468 BCE), posthumous title Ji Kangzi 季康子, was chief minister in the regional state of Lu 魯 during the late Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE). The from the house of Jisun 季孫 was one of the Three Huan families 三桓. Ji Kangzi was the son of Ji Huanzi 季桓子 and reigned the state of Lu between 491 and 468.

Ran Qiu 冉求 (Ziyou 子有, also known as Ran You 冉有) recommended Confucius 孔子 to Jisun Fei, who employed him for several years as an unofficial instructor. In this position Confucius protested against the introduction of a field tax (tianfu 田賦) in Lu, yet Jisun Fei nevertheless adopted this modern method of taxation. In 488 King Fucha 夫差 of Wu 吳, attempting to become hegemonial lord (ba 霸), forced the Duke of Luto preset at the covenant (meng 盟) of the regional rulers (zhuhou 諸侯) at Zeng 鄫 one hundred cows, instead of the appropriate number of twelve.

Jisun Fei was brave enough to resist this request, and sent out Zigong 子貢 to explain his reasons to Bo Pi 伯嚭, the counsellor of Wu. During a campaign against Qi 齊, Jisun Fei entrusted the office of counsellor to Ran Qiu and personally conducted the campaign. Jisun also invited Confucius to return to Lu after long years of wandering from state to state. Confucius was highly honoured but not given a government post.

Sources:

An Zuozhang 安作璋, ed. (2004). Lunyu cidian 論語辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), 200.

Huang Huixian 黃惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 9.

Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, ed. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 388.

Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbo 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renwu cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 147.

Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, ed. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1500.