Yan Ying (? -500 BC), the word Zhong, Shiping people, used to say, also known as Yi Wei (now Gaomi, Shandong)
. An important politician, thinker and diplomat in the late Spring and Autumn Period.
Yan Ying is the son of Wei Yan, a doctor of Qi State. Known for his frugal life and corporal humility. It is said that Yan Ying is short and ugly. In the 26th year of Qi (556 BC), he died of illness, and Yan Ying succeeded to the throne as a doctor. He has served as Qi, Zhuang Gong, etc., and has been an assistant minister for more than 40 years. On Tuesday, in the tenth year (500 BC), Yan Ying died of illness. Kong Qiu once praised: "Save the people without boasting, and make up for the three kings without lifting them. Yanzi is a gentleman! " The existing Yanyings Tomb is about 350 meters southeast of Yongshun Village, Qidu Town, Zibo.
Yan Ying is clever and articulate. Assisting in state affairs, he advised the King of Qi many times. He is flexible and principled, and he is not humiliated when he goes abroad, thus safeguarding the national dignity and prestige of Qi. Sima Qian admired Yan Ying and compared him to Guan Zhong.
[Edit this paragraph] The way to govern the country
Benevolent people live long, and peace leads to life.
"Benevolence" is the main theory of Confucian "benevolent government and loving the people", and it is also the central content of Yanzi's administration. Yan Zi highly praised Guan Zhong's thought that "if you want to change it, you must first love the people". He insisted that "meaning is higher than loving the people, and behavior is thicker than entertaining the people." "In case of famine, the country refused to distribute food for disaster relief, so he distributed his own food to the victims for emergency relief, and then remonstrated with the monarch for disaster relief, which won the love of the people. Externally, it advocates peaceful coexistence with neighboring countries and does not attack. I want to cut Lu, but I advise "treat Lu with courtesy to solve my grievances and leave him behind to show my virtue", but "don't cut Lu". This move was praised by many vassal States. This embodies the truth that people often say "ten thousand people praise and live a long life" "
Honest and selfless, open-minded
Assisting Qi, state, state and father-in-law, he has always been diligent and honest in politics, and advocates that "honest officials are the foundation of politics and the master of morality". He ruled the country impartially, and his relatives, friends and subordinates asked him to do things. Do it legally and refuse it illegally. He never accepts gifts, ranging from admiring cities and houses to horses, chariots and clothes. Not only that, Yan Zi often gives his salary to relatives, friends and people who work. His kind and selfless mind and magnanimous mind are the important reasons for his longevity.
Simple life, pure heart, few laws.
Yanzi lives a very simple life, eating "no millet food" and "moss", which can be described as "little food" In the present words, she is a vegetarian; Wearing "cloth clothes"; Sitting in court is a rotten car; I live in a humble room that is too close to the city to live in. As Confucius said, he not only "quit", but also paid great attention to "quit color". Seeing that Stefanie's wife was "old and evil", Gong Jing wanted to marry him with his daughter, but he refused. He said; "Go to the old man and mess things up; Those who receive less are addicted to it, and the husband forgets righteousness when he sees color, and loses virtue when he is rich, which is the opposite. " He kept his promise and matched his words with his deeds. Should be one of the secrets of health and longevity.
Optimistic and open-minded, let it go.
Yan Zi is open-minded. If he smells it, he will be very happy. He once dismissed Gao Jiao, who had never won for three years, mainly because he didn't point out his mistakes for three years. Confucius praised him for "refusing to take his place, refuting people's wrongs, refusing to take responsibility, and being righteous!" It shows that he is easy-going and generous, and pays attention to his own cultivation. Yan Zi is optimistic by nature and indifferent to life and death. He said that all people are mortal, regardless of the benevolent, the saint, the greedy and the unscrupulous. Therefore, he never "suffers from death" or "mourns death", and regards birth, aging, illness and death as natural laws. Unlike some princes who pray for immortality, they pray for the blessing of the gods. He has always maintained an optimistic and open-minded mood, physical and mental health, and longevity.
[Edit this paragraph] "Yan Zi Chun Qiu"
Yan Zi's Spring and Autumn Annals is a book about Yan Ying's thoughts, words and deeds during the Spring and Autumn Period, and it is also the earliest collection of short stories in China. According to legend, it was written by Yan Ying, but now it is generally believed that it was compiled by later generations according to his anecdotes. The name of this book first appeared in Historical Records and Biography of Yan Guan. The history of Han Art and literature is called Yanzi, which is listed in Confucianism. The book has eight volumes and 2 15 chapters, which are divided into internal and external chapters. This paper mainly describes Yan Zi's words and deeds, thoughts, concise language and vivid plot, and writes the image of Yan Ying, which is highly artistic. Most of the fables in the book are centered on Yan Zi, with complete plots, concentrated themes and strong allegory, which has a great influence on later fables.
[Edit this paragraph] Yan Zi improvised.
Two peaches killed three scholars.
During the Warring States period, Tian Kai will conquer Xu, which has the merit of expanding the frontier and strengthening Qi. Guyoko has the power to cut the giant savior; Gong recommended by Tian Kaijiang has the power to save tigers. The three men became brothers and called themselves "Three Sisters of Qi Bang". Because of his contribution, Qi Jinggong awarded him the honor of "Five Riders". Over time, the three of them rely on credit and courage, which is not only simple and slow, but also rude in front of Gong Jing. Even factionalism has gradually become a hidden danger of national stability. JiXiang Yan Ying, that is, Yan Zi was deeply worried and wanted to get rid of it, but he was worried that Gong Jing wouldn't allow it, so he became enemies with the three men.
One day, I got married and hosted a banquet for Lu. When the wine was half finished, Yan Zi invited people in the garden to pick golden peaches to congratulate the alliance between the two countries. After Gong Jing allowed the performance, Yan Zi led the garden collectors to personally supervise the performance. Picked six golden peaches, "as big as a bowl, as red as charcoal, and fragrant." According to the ceremony, Qilu two kings each enjoy one, and Qilu two countries each enjoy one. There are two left on the plate, and Yan Zi invited them to be awarded to those who worked hard in recognition of their talents. Qi Jinggong invited ministers to recommend themselves, and Yan Zi gave them peaches.
Gong and Gu Yezi recommended themselves to work as saviors. As soon as they recommended themselves for the credit, Yan Zi affirmed their credit and immediately gave them two peaches respectively. Tian Kaijiang recommended himself and made contributions in opening up the frontier. Yan Zi evaluated Tian Kaijiang's greatest contribution, but the peaches were no longer needed, saying that they could only be rewarded when the peaches were ripe next year. Qi Jinggong said that he recommended himself late, and there were no peaches to commend his great achievements. Tian Kaijiang thought it was a shame, but because of his great achievements, he couldn't get peaches, so he committed suicide with his sword. Tanino and Gong Sun Jie committed suicide because they were ashamed of their trivial work. Yan Ying got rid of three people with two peaches, which eliminated the hidden danger of Qi.
Outoutwit the enemy on the wine glass—
In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the vassal regime was divided and wars continued. Jin, a powerful country in the Central Plains, planned to attack Qi. In order to know the situation of Qi, he sent a doctor named Zhao Fan to Qi. Qi Jinggong hosted a banquet in honor of Zhao Fan. During the dinner, the wine was hot and everyone was a little drunk. Zhao Fan said to Qi Jinggong, "Please give me a glass of wine!" Duke Jing of Jin turned and told the left and right courtiers, "Pour the wine into my cup and give it to the guests." Zhao Fan took the wine handed by the courtiers and gulped it down. Ying aside to see all this in the eye, harsh voice command courtiers way; "Throw away this wine glass and change it for your master." According to the etiquette at that time, at the banquet, the monarch and the minister should use their own wine glasses. Drinking with a glass violates this etiquette and is aligned with disrespect. Zhao Fan did this on purpose to test each other's reaction, but he was caught by Ying.
After returning to China, he reported: "Now is not the time to attack Qi. I tried to test the reaction of the ministers of Qi, and Yan Ying found out. " Zhao Fan thought that Qi had such a good minister, and there was absolutely no chance to attack Qi now, so Jin Pinggong gave up his plan to attack Qi. The story of the enemy giving up the attack through diplomatic negotiations, which is now called the story of "breaking the shackles", is from Yan Ying's story. Confucius praised Yan Ying's diplomatic performance and said that "a thousand miles away is not an ancient painting", which is a true portrayal of Yan Zi's strategy.
Go to the dog country before entering the dog gate.
Yan Ying was not only upright in welcoming foreign envoys, but also resolute and resourceful in fulfilling his mission abroad.
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, governors were afraid of the power of Chu, and small countries came to worship, but big countries dared not form an alliance with them. Chu became the overlord of the vassal states, and Yan Ying of Qi sent an envoy to Chu on orders from Qi Jinggong. When King Chu Ling heard that the envoy of the State of Qi was Prime Minister Yan Ying, he said to the left and right, "Yan is less than five feet tall, but he is known as a saint. I think Chu is strong and weak, and Qi should be humiliated to show the strength of Chu. " Taizai said aside, "Yan is good at answering questions. One thing is not enough to humiliate him. It must be like this. " The king of Chu was very happy and did it as planned.
Yan Ying, dressed in royal robes, took a bus to the east gate of the capital of Chu. When he saw that the gate was not open, he ordered someone to call it. The gatekeeper has received orders from Taizai. He pointed to the next door and said, "Guo Xiang, let's go in and out of this dog hole!" This hole is spacious enough for you to go in and out. Why open the gate and enter from the inside? Yan Ying smiled and said, "This is the door for dogs, not people. People who go to the dog country go in and out through the dog door, and people who go to the human country go in and out through the human door. I don't know whether I am in the country of man or dog. I don't think Chu is a dog country! " The gatekeeper conveyed Yan Ying's words to King Chu Ling. King Chu Ling listened, pondered for a while, and then reluctantly ordered to open the city gate and let Yan Ying enter the capital of Chu.
Think about it when it happens.
Yan came to the museum and was greeted by the minister of Chu. During the dinner, a heated debate was held. The doctor of the State of Chu first spoke: "Since the Taigong sealed the state, the State of Qi has boiled salt and cultivated fields, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers on the rich side, which is enough to rival the State of Chu. Why since Qi Huangong dominated the Central Plains, it has been a flash in the pan, and he can no longer lead his ministers? With Qi's vast territory and abundant resources, a large population, a prosperous country and Yan's intelligence, why can't the Central Plains rise again? On the contrary, it is too puzzling to form an alliance with Chu in China. " Yan Ying replied, "Those who know the times are heroes, and those who change their minds are heroes. After the princes fell from power last week, the princes fought for years, and the five tyrants flourished in the Spring and Autumn Period. Qi dominates the Central Plains, Qin and Wei regroup in Xirong, and Chu dominates the earth. Of course, these are all human factors, but most of them still depend on God's will. Previously, with Jin Wengong's talent, he fled in all directions; After Qin Mugong dominated Xirong, the civil and military affairs flourished, and his descendants were weak after his death, and he could no longer shake the glory of the past; Even you, Chu, have been harassed and ravaged by Wu and Jin since then. Is it only weak gas? Today, let's make a good alliance, which is only a friendly exchange between neighboring countries. As a famous minister of Chu, you should be familiar with the meaning of the word' improvise', but how can you ask such a stupid question? "
A good minister will die in his country, but a bad king will not die.
The next doctor blushed and flinched. The doctor next to him was unconvinced and asked, "Zhong Ping, you think you are a improviser. However, since the civil strife in Qi, Qi Chen has died for you countless times, but as a noble family in Qi, you can't be an enemy of the traitors, or abandon the official position, or die for the king. Aren't you ashamed? Why do you still cling to your reputation and refuse to leave? " Yan Ying retorted seriously: "People who do great things don't have to stick to details. People who have no long-term worries will have near worries. All I know is that when the monarch dies for his country, only the courtiers should die with him. Now, my late husband didn't die for my country. Why should I just die from my late husband? All the dead are fools, not loyal subjects. Although I have no talent, how can I seek fame by death? Besides, when the country changes, I won't leave because I want to welcome the new monarch and preserve the ancestors of Qi, not because I want to be high. If everyone leaves North Korea, who will handle the state affairs? And civil strife in the country, which country has not happened? Isn't it the same in your Chu state? Why do you blame us? "
I don't know people by appearances.
Another person said discontentedly, "A hero must be absolutely beautiful and magnificent, but now you, less than five feet tall, are just a lobbyist, just trying to show your breath." Without practical skills, is it shameful to cheat the world and steal fame only by mouth and tongue? ""I heard that the hammer is very small and can be worth 1000 kilograms. Although the paddle is long, it is inevitable to be flooded. Zhou Wang is so brave that he will die. Why? I admit that I have no outstanding skills, and I am ashamed that I am in the same position, but I don't want to talk to you, just ask and answer questions. Do I refuse to answer? That would be rude. "
Little people go to small countries.
After the banquet, King Chu Ling met with Yan Ying. When King Chu Ling saw Yan Ying, he immediately asked, "Is there a shortage of talents in Qi? Why did you send a dwarf like you to Chu? " "Big king, there are many people in Qi. The capital Linzi has a population of one million. Everyone takes a breath and exhales a cloud. Everyone drops a drop of sweat, sweating like rain. How can there be no talents when pedestrians are constantly flowing? It's just that there is a rule in our country that smart people make envoys to Germany, unscrupulous people make envoys to unscrupulous countries, adults make envoys to big countries and villains make envoys to small countries. Now I have no talent, no virtue and no virtue, so I have to come to Chu as an envoy. I hope your majesty will forgive me. "
The orange in Huaibei is bitter orange.
The king of Chu was speechless. Just as a pair of warriors and a prisoner passed by the front of the temple, the king of Chu asked, "Where is this man from?" What crime did you commit? ""Qi people commit theft. " "Yan, qi people have a problem with stealing? Yan Ying knew that the King of Chu made fun of himself in this way, so he calmly replied, "I heard that oranges are called oranges in the south of Huaishui, which is especially sweet. When you move to the north of Huaishui, it becomes a bitter orange. The fruit is small, sour, bitter and inedible. The reason why there are these two diametrically opposite situations is really because of the land. Now this Qi native was born in Qi, not a thief, but a good citizen. But why did he become a thief when he came to Chu? It was Chu who brought about this change. Qi people are to Chu what oranges are to Huaibei. What does this have to do with anger? "
The king of Chu was silent for a long time and sighed, "I was going to humiliate you today, but I didn't expect you to laugh at me." This is my fault. Please forgive me! " So the king of Chu treated Yan Ying well, and Yan Ying successfully completed her mission and returned to Qi. Yan Ying faced the powerful and overbearing king of Chu and resolutely fought back. He is indomitable. In addition to maintaining his personal reputation, the ultimate goal is to maintain Qi's prestige.
The Analects of Confucius said: "Going abroad is not a shame of life." It is this spirit that Yan Yingjian keeps.
In Historical Records, China's greatest historical work in ancient times, the author's history records a witty and brave diplomatic envoy, who came to Qi in the 6th century BC. The story about Yan Zi is very popular in China. This is the story of his mission to Chu.
[Edit this paragraph] Yan Zi makes Chu.
Once, Yan Zi went to Chu, and the king of Chu knew that Yan Zi was short and wanted to play a trick on him. The king of Chu ordered another small door to be opened next to the city gate, and invited Yan Zi to enter through this small door.
Yan Zi knew that the King of Chu was going to tease him, but he refused. He said, "I didn't go to the dog hole until I got to the dog country." Now that I am an ambassador to Chu, I shouldn't go to the dog gate. "
After listening to his words, the official who entertained Yan Zi had to ask Yan Zi to enter through the gate. After Yan Zi went in, he visited the King of Chu. The king of Chu deliberately asked, "Is it because there is no one else in Qi that you were sent?"
Yan Zi replied: "Qi has a large population, and there are hundreds of streets in the capital alone. People can raise their sleeves to cover the sky. " People are sweating like rain. People in the street are shoulder to shoulder and very crowded. How can you say that there is no one? "
The king of Chu then asked, "In that case, why did you send you to visit?"
Yan Zi replied unhurriedly, "We are very particular about sending envoys to Qi. For those who are smart and capable, we will send them to countries with high morality; " For those stupid and incompetent envoys, send them to those abrasive countries. I am the most stupid and incompetent envoy, so I was sent to Chu. "This let originally intended to Doby his ministers looked at each other, speechless for a long time.
After this visit, Yan Zi went to Chu again. When the king of Chu heard that Yan Zi was coming, he said to his ministers, "Yan Zi is the most talented and eloquent person in Qi State. Now that he has come to our state of Chu, I want to humiliate him. Do you have any good ideas? "
An official suggested, "When Yan Zi came, I asked two soldiers to tie a man and walk in front of the king. The king asked, "Whose tie is this? The soldier replied: Qi people. The king asked again, why did you tie him up? The soldier said, "Because he stole something." The king of Chu thought it was a good idea to humiliate Yan Zi, so he arranged it like this.
Yan Zi came to the State of Chu, and the King of Chu gave him a banquet. While drinking, two soldiers tied a man to see the king of Chu. King Chu asked, "Who are you tying? Why are you tying?"
The soldier replied, "It's all from Qi, because he stole something."
The king of Chu deliberately looked at Yan Zi and said, "Are people in Qi born thieves?"
Yan Zi stood up from the table and said seriously, "I heard that there is a plant that grows in Qi State and can bear delicious fruit. It grows in Chu State. Although its branches and leaves look the same as when it grew in Qi, its fruit is very bad. The reason is that the soil and water are different. Now this man didn't steal when he was in Qi, but he learned to steal when he arrived in Chu. Chu's soil and water make people good at stealing? "
After listening to Yan Zi's retort, the King of Chu admitted with a wry smile, "I wanted to make fun of you, but you made fun of me. I really admire you. "
There are many similar stories about Yan Zi controlling Chu. With his own wisdom, he defeated the conspiracy of some countries to humiliate Qi He's personality, and became more and more famous and became a famous diplomat.
Yan Ying is the embodiment of wisdom in the minds of future generations. However, Yan Ying's lofty image is mainly attributed to The Spring and Autumn Annals of Yan Zi. As for the author of The Spring and Autumn Annals of Yan Zi, the old title was written by Yan Ying, which was actually a misunderstanding of later generations. Its writing time is unknown, and it was written before Sima Qian wrote Historical Records at the latest. Sima Qian said in Records of the Historian Biography of Yan Guan: "I read ..." Yanzi Chunqiu "recorded it in great detail. Ever since I saw him writing a book and wanted to see him act, I have passed it on. As for his books, there are countless in the world, so anyway, tell me his anecdotes. " However, at the end of the article, he said, "If Yan Zi is allowed to exist, I will whip him and pray for him." Can the person whom Sima Qian admires so much be an ordinary person?
When Yan Ying's stepfather was appointed as Qing, it was Qi's last year. At that time, Qi was no longer the Qi Huangong era when Guan Zhong was prime minister. The position of the central plains hegemon has long changed, and its national strength is declining. It happened that this Qi Linggong was fatuous, eccentric, cowardly, and militaristic, and repeatedly invaded the territory of Lu, making the country weak and tired, and the people complained bitterly. Although Yan Ying suggested it, it was rarely adopted by Qi Linggong. In October, the seventeenth year of Zhou Lingwang (555 BC), the state of Jin led a vassal * * * to attack the State of Qi. Qi led the troops to resist in Pingyin (now northeast of Tiqi Pingyin County). As a result, he fled in defeat and died the next year. After the death of Duke Ling of Qi, Qi Zhuanggong succeeded to the throne. This Qi Zhuanggong is also a bad king. He only values courage, regardless of morality. He established the title of "Warrior" in China, and used warriors such as Zhi Chuo and Guo Zui to inspire people's martial spirit. In this way, some hooligans, bullies and bullies are unscrupulous inside and outside the court, doing whatever they want, closing their doors and leaving themselves to fend for themselves. Yan Ying, as the prime minister, watched the atmosphere of Qi go from bad to worse and was worried. He protested many times, but Qi Zhuanggong just turned a deaf ear. When he found that Qi Zhuanggong was not a good listener, he tossed and turned and was worried.
In fact, after Qi Zhuanggong ascended the throne, his first consideration was how to use foreign troops to establish martial arts, so as to enhance his prestige and consolidate his position. So instead of listening to Yan Ying's persuasion, he gradually got bored. In the twentieth year of Zhou Lingwang (552 BC), Qi Zhuanggong refused to listen to Yan Ying's dissuasion, insisted on taking in Xia Qing Luan Ying of the State of Jin, secretly sent Luan Ying and his followers to Quwo (south of Quwo Town, Shan County, Henan Province) to organize rebellion and seize the opportunity to attack the State of Jin. Shortly thereafter, Qi Zhuanggong ignored Yan Ying's advice and went his own way, which finally angered the State of Jin. Yan Ying had no choice but to confiscate valuables from her home, and the others were scattered around her. He took his wife and children to a small village on the coast of the East China Sea. While fishing and ploughing for a living, he paid close attention to the changes in the situation.
In May of the 24th year of Zhou Lingwang (548 BC), the State of Jin joined forces with other governors to cut Qi, and Qi was in a panic. At this moment, Qi Zhuanggong's affair with Tang Jiang, the wife of big noble Cui Yao, was discovered by Cui Yao. Therefore, Cui Yao decided to kill Qi Zhuanggong and explain to the State of Jin. On this day, Qi Zhuanggong gave a banquet in honor of Li, the monarch of Ju State who came to pay tribute, and ordered the ministers to come and sit with him. Cui Yao said that he was still ill. Qi Zhuanggong did not blame, but secretly rejoiced that I could take this opportunity to see Tang Jiang again. After the banquet, Duke Zhuang of Qi, on the grounds of visiting the sick, went to Cui Yi's house to have a private meeting with Tang Jiang, and was immediately shot and killed by Tu Yong who had ambushed him at home in advance.