Confucius's father, Liang Qi, was the first chief executive of Guzou County

Portrait of Shu Liang (painting by Mr. Hou Xiangzhong)

Today, September 28, marks the 2572nd anniversary of the birth of Confucius. His father, Liang Qi, was the first chief executive of Guzou County.

Shu Liang (622 BC – 549 BC), courtesy name Confucius, was the father of Confucius. According to historical records: during the Spring and Autumn Period, Shu Liang was born in "Qiyi", "RenLu Yi Doctor", and "buried in Defense". The State of Yi was a vassal state of the State of Lu. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Yi, Qi, and Zou were also known as "Yiyi" as an administrative unit of the State of Yi. Confucius was born in Changping Township, Luguo (present-day Luyuan Village, Nishan Township, which belonged to Zou County before the 1960s); Therefore, there is a saying in history that "double Christmas in Zou". Shu LiangYi "Ren Lu Yi Dafu" Lu Yiyi is a part of the State of Lu, "Qi" is also "Qiu" is also "Zou", "Qi Yi Dafu" is the chief executive of Zou County, so the old zhi of Zou County has listed Shu Liang Yi as the first chief executive of Zou County.

Shu Liang's ancestor was Wei Zhong, the younger brother of Wei Ziqi, the first monarch of the Song Dynasty, who moved to Kuiyi from the time of his great grandfather Kong Mu (Zi Jin's father). His grandfather, Kong Fangshu, and his father, Bo Xia, were both doctors under the Lu State. Shu Liang was born in such a declining family of Lu Guoshi, whose social status was not high and his life was relatively poor. Shu Liang is nine feet long, extremely powerful, has a serious temperament, and is known to his neighbors with great courage.

According to the "Ten Years of the Duke of Xiang", Shu Liang made two military achievements: in the tenth year of the Duke of Lu (562 BC), Xun Yan of the Jin state led the army of the state of Lu and several other princely states to attack a small princely state named Weiyang (in present-day Taierzhuang District, Zaozhuang, Shandong). The clever Weiyang people opened the city gate to lure the army into the city, and just as the Lu army was entering, the Weiyang people suddenly lowered the hanging city gate and wanted to cut off the team entering the city, divide the encirclement, and break each one. Just at this moment, Shu Liang Rush rushed forward and supported the city gate that was about to fall with his hands, so that the soldiers who had entered the city could safely withdraw and avoid a major casualty. Shu Liang's courage and boldness not only greatly impressed the nobleman Meng Xianzi of the Lu state who participated in the war, but also won the unanimous praise of various princely states.

In the autumn of the seventeenth year of Lu Xianggong (555 BC), the Qi army invaded the northern border of the State of Lu and besieged Fangyi. Among those besieged in Fangyi were the Lu state doctors Zang Qi, Zang Yu, and Zang Jia, and Shu Liang Qi was also among them. The army sent by the State of Lu to reinforcements came to a place called Lu Song, but because it was intimidated by the strength of the Qi army, it stagnated, which made the besieged Zang brothers very anxious. In order to protect Zang Qi's safety, Shu Liang Qi, Zang Yu and Zang Jia led 300 armored troops to break through at night and escort Zang Qi to the garrison of the Lusonglu Army. This time, the Lu army finally repelled the Qi army, not only preserving the national defense, but also effectively striking at the arrogance of the Qi state.

Because of his uncle Liang Qixiao's bravery and good fighting, and his repeated achievements, the monarch awarded him the title of "Grand Master of Qiyi". Shu Liangqi married Yan Zhengzai around the age of 64. On the 27th day of the eighth month of the summer calendar in the twenty-second year of Lu Xianggong (551 BC), a pair of qilins in the southeast of the heavens rushed to Fangyi, and the cry of a baby boy in Shu Liang's house was as moving as a natural sound. Confucius, the founder of Chinese Confucian culture, was born. As the history books say: "The two dragons in the night dream, descending from the sky, gusheng master, there are two gods Qing Xiang dew in the air, to bathe in it, the heavens play the music of the heavens, listed in the yan's room." There are voices in the air that give birth to the Holy Son..." Shu Liang Qi named him Qiu, which is Kong Qiu.

Kong Qiu was a great thinker, politician, educator, and founder of Confucianism in ancient China, and was revered by later generations as Confucius. His father was noble to his son, and for more than 2,000 years after his death, he was posthumously honored by successive emperors. In the first year of Emperor Zhenzong of Song (1048 AD), he was named "Duke of Qi"; in the first year of Emperor Wenzong of Yuan(1330 AD), he was named "King of Qisheng", and in the year of Qing Yongzheng, he was again named "Prince of Qisheng".

Shu Liang was buried in Liang Gonglin (Qisheng Wanglin), located 13 kilometers east of Qufu City, as the burial place of Confucius's father, Liang Qi, and his mother Yan Zhengzai. After generations of expansion, the forest garden is surrounded by stone through the forest wall, Guppersensen. The tombstone seal inscription "Shengkao Gongqi Cemetery", in front of the tomb there are stone people and stone beasts.