During this reign the empire was divided into twelve provinces, and ministers of agriculture, crime, works, forests, religious worship and of music were appointed. That the standard of morality was high, even at this early period, appears from the conversations which are reported between Shun’s vice-regent Yu and one of his advisers. In answer to the question put by Yu: “What are the nine virtues?” the minister replied: “Affability combined with dignity; mildness combined with firmness; bluntness combined with respectfulness; aptness for government combined with reverence; docility combined with boldness; straightforwardness combined with gentleness; easiness combined with discrimination; vigor combined with sincerity; and valor combined with righteousness.” THE STORY OF THE SAGE’S LIFE. Heih, the father of Confucius, was a military officer of great bravery and immense strength. He was married to Yen Ching Tsai, Confucius’s mother, when he was seventy years old. Confucius, the child of this aged couple, was born, so the legends say, in a cave in Mount Ne. The legends tell how his birth was heralded by strange signs and appearances, how fairies attended the birth of him of whose coming Yen Ching Tsai had been warned by genii. While he was yet a boy, he loved to play in arranging the vessels of the temple-worship, and listened earnestly to the stories of the reigns of Yaou and Shun. When fifteen years old, he gave himself to more earnest study, and when nineteen he was married. His married life was unhappy, and after a year or so he was divorced from his wife. Soon after this, being very poor, he accepted the office of keeper of the stores of grain, and in the next year he became the guardian of the public fields and lands. When twenty-two years old, Confucius gave up his offices and became the teacher of an earnest band of students. He refused to teach dull or idle scholars. He said: “I do not open the truth to one who is not eager after knowledge, nor do I help any one who is not himself anxious to explain. When I have presented one corner of a subject, and the listener cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson.” When twenty-eight years of age, Confucius studied archery, and in the next few years studied music under the celebrated music-master, Siang. The master directed his pupil to learn the air composed by the sage Wan Wang of ancient days. Confucius at once took the lute, and in obedience to Siang’s instructions, commenced to play the air. He continued it day by day.