Born in the Chinese state of Lu in 551 B.C., Confucius was raised by his mother after his father died when he was only three. He married at 19 and entered the service of the local nobility. At 32, he became tutor to the Prince of Lu's children, and at 51 he entered politics. His career reached its zenith when he served as Lu's justice minister and later as prime minister. After four prosperous years, Confucius grew disenchanted with court intrigues and spent the following twelve years wandering neighboring states, offering counsel to their rulers.