<P> Confucius was educated at schools for commoners, where he studied and learned the Six Arts . </P> <P> Confucius was born into the class of shi (士), between the aristocracy and the common people . He is said to have worked in various government jobs during his early 20s, and as a bookkeeper and a caretaker of sheep and horses, using the proceeds to give his mother a proper burial . When his mother died, Confucius (aged 23) is said to have mourned for three years, as was the tradition . </P> <P> In Confucius's time, the state of Lu was headed by a ruling ducal house . Under the duke were three aristocratic families, whose heads bore the title of viscount and held hereditary positions in the Lu bureaucracy . The Ji family held the position "Minister over the Masses", who was also the "Prime Minister"; the Meng family held the position "Minister of Works"; and the Shu family held the position "Minister of War". In the winter of 505 BC, Yang Hu--a retainer of the Ji family--rose up in rebellion and seized power from the Ji family . However, by the summer of 501 BC, the three hereditary families had succeeded in expelling Yang Hu from Lu . By then, Confucius had built up a considerable reputation through his teachings, while the families came to see the value of proper conduct and righteousness, so they could achieve loyalty to a legitimate government . Thus, that year (501 BC), Confucius came to be appointed to the minor position of governor of a town . Eventually, he rose to the position of Minister of Crime . </P> <P> Confucius desired to return the authority of the state to the duke by dismantling the fortifications of the city--strongholds belonging to the three families . This way, he could establish a centralized government . However, Confucius relied solely on diplomacy as he had no military authority himself . In 500 BC, Hou Fan--the governor of Hou--revolted against his lord of the Shu family . Although the Meng and Shu families unsuccessfully besieged Hou, a loyalist official rose up with the people of Hou and forced Hou Fan to flee to the Qi state . The situation may have been in favor for Confucius as this likely made it possible for Confucius and his disciples to convince the aristocratic families to dismantle the fortifications of their cities . Eventually, after a year and a half, Confucius and his disciples succeeded in convincing the Shu family to raze the walls of Hou, the Ji family in razing the walls of Bi, and the Meng family in razing the walls of Cheng . First, the Shu family led an army towards their city Hou and tore down its walls in 498 BC . </P>

What were the chinese states doing during the time confucius lived