Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 47: The Hereditary House of Confucius

His face was like the moon and his forehead like the sun. When seated, he resembled a crouching dragon; when standing, he appeared like a towering phoenix. From afar, he seemed humble and low, but as one approached, he seemed to rise loftily. His earlobes were like hanging pearls, his forehead square, his back like that of a tortoise, his form like a dragon, and his palms like those of a tiger. He had joined ribs original: "胼脇" (pián xié). In ancient Chinese physiognomy, joined ribs were considered a physical sign of a person with extraordinary strength or longevity, often attributed to sage-kings, three nipples on his chest original: "參膺" (cān yīng). A rare physical trait traditionally associated with ancient sages like King Wen of Zhou, eyes like the Yellow River, and a mouth wide like the sea.

His navel was like a mountain, his back like a forest, his arms like wings, and his lips like those of a hornless dragon. His head was shaped like a pitcher, his nose like a tortoise’s, his armpits like mounds, and his eyebrows like embankments. His feet were flat like the earth, his ears like deep valleys, and his voice like the rolling of thunder. His abdomen was vast like a marsh, and his face radiated prosperity and harmony. His cheeks were balanced and smooth, and his teeth resembled those of a fine steed. His eyebrows possessed twelve distinct colors, and his eyes contained sixty-four patterns original: "六十四理" (liùshísì lǐ). This likely refers to the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes), suggesting his innate understanding of the laws of the universe. His head resembled that of the Sage-King Yao, his forehead that of Shun, his neck that of the judge Gao Yao, and his shoulders those of the statesman Zichan. From the waist down, however, he was three inches shorter than the Great Yu.

He possessed the virtue of a Great Sage, reaching the heights of heaven and the human realm, exhausting the most secret mysteries of the Way. He mastered the books carried by the tortoise and the dragon original: "龜龍御負之書" (guī lóng yù fù zhī shū). Referring to the Hetu (Yellow River Chart) and Luoshu (Luo River Writing), the mythical origins of Chinese civilization and the I Ching, the movements of the Seven Governors The sun, moon, and five visible planets, and the affairs of the Five Stars. He embodied the ability of Fuxi original: "包犧" (Bāoxī), an alternate name for the mythical progenitor Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor, and achieved the beauty of Shun and the Duke of Zhou.

Duke Ding of Lu appointed the Former Sage as the Magistrate of Zhongdu. Within one year, the lords of the four directions all took him as their model. In the ninth year of the Duke's reign, he served as a town magistrate. In the tenth year, he was appointed Minister of Works 司空 (Sīkōng): One of the highest administrative offices, responsible for land management, waterworks, and public labor. In the eleventh year, he became the Grand Minister of Justice 大司寇 (Dà Sīkòu): The official in charge of the penal system, law, and social order, and additionally performed the duties of Acting Chancellor.

In the fourteenth year, he executed Shaozheng Mao, a Grand Master of Lu who had disrupted the government. He participated in the governance of the state, and after only three months of his administration, the sellers of pork and mutton... The text breaks off here. The complete historical passage notes that moral transformation was so great that merchants did not overcharge, and lost items were returned to their owners