After the State of Lu fell into internal turmoil, the court was in chaos, with numerous exorbitant taxes and levies, leaving the common people living in extreme poverty. Some, having no other choice, fled with their entire families to live in deep mountains, dense forests, wilderness, and swamps, where, though equally lacking food and clothing, the authorities could not reach them, perhaps allowing them to survive. Confucius decided to leave Lu with his disciples for the State of Qi. As they reached Lu's border, they saw the towering Mount Tai stretching between Qi and Lu. At that time, Mount Tai was surrounded by dense forests, often frequented by wild animals, and sparsely populated. When Confucius and his party turned into a mountain hollow, they heard a woman weeping. After listening intently for a while from his carriage, Confucius had Zi Lu (his disciple, known for his courage and straightforwardness) stop the carriage to inquire. Zi Lu approached the woman and asked, "You are weeping so sorrowfully—you must have something deeply distressing to tell?" The woman replied, "Yes. Earlier, my father-in-law was eaten by a tiger, then my husband also died in a tiger's mouth, and recently my son, too, was eaten by a tiger." Confucius could not help but ask from the side, "Since there are tigers here, why don't you leave this place?" The woman answered, "There are no exorbitant taxes here!" She meant that although living here carried the danger of tiger attacks, without heavy taxes, she could barely get by; if she went elsewhere, under the burden of corvée labor, survival would be even harder. Hearing this, Confucius was deeply moved. He said to his disciples, "Students, you must remember: oppressive government is fiercer than a man-eating tiger!"