In May of the 3rd year of Duke Ai of Lu state (494 BC), Confucius came to Chen state (its capital is Wanqiu, now Huaiyang of Henan Province). One day, Duke Min of Chen state told Confucius that "the house of Si duo (an official in Lu state which is responsible for the education of the people) in Lu state caught fire and burned the ancestral temple of the state ". Confucius said, "It was probably the ancestral temples of Duke Huan and Duke Xi that was burned." Duke Min asked, "How do you know?" Confucius said, "In terms of rites, if the ancestors had merit and virtue, the ancestral temples would not be destroyed. Duke Huan and Duke Xi now have more than five generations of offspring. Their own merit and virtue were not enough to preserve the ancestral temples, so heaven sent the fire on them." Three days later, an envoy from Lu state came and said that it was the ancestral temples of Duke Huan and Duke Xi that were burned. Duke Min said to Zigong, "Now I know how worthy the master is to be respected." Zigong said, "Rather than praising the master, it's better to entrust him with heavy responsibility and let him use the right way to manage the state!" However, Duke Min didn't put Confucius in important positions.