descended into a chaos of massacre and conquest. It was into this mess that an astonishing and eccentric man, Master Kong, or Confucius, arrived. He became obsessed by the idea of bringing China back to its more harmonious days. He was an odd man – kind to some but foul to others, and rigid and pedantic. He made a point, in his dress, of avoiding silk lapels and cuffs of maroon. He didn’t like to eat too much, and unless his dishes were prepared correctly and sauced appropriately, would refuse to eat at all. Manners were of great importance to Confucius.
