“Turning to Yen Yu, [Confucius] said, “Ch’iu, what are your wishes?” Ch’iu replied, “Suppose a state of sixty or seventy li square, or one of fifty or sixty, and let me have the government of it;-in three years’ time, I could make plenty to abound among the people. As to teaching them the principles of propriety, and music, I must wait for the rise of a superior man to do that.” […] Hsi again said, “But was it not a state which Ch’iu proposed for himself?” [Confucius’] reply was, “Yes; did you ever see a territory of sixty or seventy li or one of fifty or sixty, which was not a state?” (Confucius, Analects, Book 11, translated by Arthur Waley- Note: One li is equivalent to 576 metres.)