Qi Huangong's hegemony has made this country very powerful. Later, when Qi Jinggong became the monarch, a very talented prime minister (the most powerful official among ministers) appeared in the State of Qi. His name is Yan Ying, also called Yan Zhong Ping. He is not only knowledgeable, but also clever and alert. He cares about people's sufferings and dares to criticize the monarch's mistakes. He is Qi Jinggong's main assistant. People respectfully call him "Yan Zi". There is a book "Yanzi Chunqiu" which records his story. Now introduce one of them.

bird

Qi Jinggong likes birds very much. Once he raised a beautiful bird, he sent a man named ZHUZú u (ZHUZNOTU) to take charge of raising the bird. But a few days later, the bird flew away. Qi Jinggong was so angry that he wanted to kill Zhu Zou himself. Yan Zi stood by and asked, "Let me announce the charges against Zhu Zou first, and then you can kill him and let him die clearly." Qi Jinggong agreed.

With a straight face, he said sternly to Zou, who tied candles, "You committed a capital crime. There are three things: the king told you to keep birds, but you didn't pay attention to letting them fly. This is the first one. To make a king a bird is to kill. This is the second rule. If this matter is known by other princes, they will think that our monarch only values birds and despises the lives of ordinary people, thus looking down on us. This is the third rule. So I want to kill you now. " Later, Yan Zi turned to Qi Jinggong and said, "Please do it."

After listening to what Yan Zi said, Qi Jinggong understood what Yan Zi meant. He gave a dry cough and said, "Forget it, let him go." Then, I went up to Yan Zi and said, "If it weren't for your advice, I almost made a big mistake!" " "

This is a story that Yan Zi used his wisdom to persuade the monarch.

Superficially clever

Qi Jinggong said to Yan Zi, "There is a bronzed current in the East China Sea. In this red water, there are jujube trees, which only bloom without fruit. What is the reason? "

Yan Zi replied, "Once upon a time, Duke Miao of Qin traveled around the world in a dragon boat and wrapped steamed dates in yellow cloth. When the dragon boat swam to the East China Sea, Qin Miaogong abandoned the yellow cloth wrapped in dates and made it red, so the sea water was bronze. Because dates are steamed, they bloom after planting and do not bear fruit. "

Gong Jing said discontentedly, "I pretended to ask, why did you make this up for me?"

Yan Zi said: "I heard that people who pretend to ask questions can also give false answers."

This laughed.

When Qi Jinggong visited Niu Shan and boarded the capital of Beiqi, he suddenly cried: "How can life leave this beautiful mountain and river and die like rushing roaring water!" Hearing this, Aiken and Liang Qiu also began to cry. Yan zi is laughing. Qi Jinggong asked him angrily why he was laughing.

Yan Zi replied: "If Xian Jun stays in Qi for a long time, then Tai Gong and Huan Gong will also stay in Qi for a long time;" If the brave monarch is allowed to occupy Qi for a long time, then Zhuang Gong and Gong Ling will enjoy Qi for a long time! So, how can we get the throne of the monarch and stand tall in the world? And it is not human and moral for you to shed tears just because of this. I saw an unkind king, and I saw two stuffing ministers. So I laughed in private! "

Yan Zi counts crimes.

Qi Jinggong likes catching birds for fun, so he sent Zhu Zou to manage birds, but Zhu Zou accidentally let the birds fly away. Gong Jing was furious and ordered to kill him. Yan Zi said, "Zou has three charges, so let me reprimand him. Then kill him and let him die. " Qi Jinggong said happily, "Good." So I called candle Zou in.

Solemnly said, "candle Zou! Do you know the crime? You take care of the bird for the king but let it escape, which is the first sin; Letting the king kill for birds is the second sin; As soon as this incident came out, everyone in the world thought that our country valued birds over people and ruined the reputation of our king. This is the third crime. Damn you! " Say that finish, immediately request Qi Huangong ordered beheading.

But Gong Jing said, "Don't kill him. I took your advice."

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.

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, large population, strong 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; Duke Mu of Qin

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 have to resist traitors, abandon your official ambitions and 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. "

Yan Zi was sent to 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 lift their sleeves to cover the sun; " People are sweating like rain. 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 the envoys sent by the State of Qi to visit, and we are also very particular about Yan Zi (afternoon horse ornaments) in the shrewd TV series" The Soldier's Sage ".

Capable people 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 tease his ministers of chu 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 best talker in Qi. Now he will come to our state of Chu, and I will humiliate him. Do you have any good ideas? " An official suggested, "When Yan Zi comes, please allow me to tie a man and walk in front of the king." The king asked, "Who are you binding? 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 happily, two small officials tied a man to see the king of Chu. King Chu asked, "Who are you tying? Why are you tying?" The soldier replied, "It was all delivered together because he committed theft." The king of Chu deliberately looked at Yan Zi and said, "Do people in the State of Qi naturally like to steal?" Yan Zi stood up from the table and said solemnly, "I heard that oranges grow in the south of Huaihe River, which is oranges, and when they grow in the north of Huaihe River, they become bitter oranges. Although the leaves of these two plants are the same, their fruits taste completely different. What is the reason? It is because of the difference in soil and water. Now, this man works hard in Qi, but he learned to steal when he arrived in Chu. Chu's soil and water make the people good and steal? " After listening to Yan Zi's rebuttal, the King of Chu admitted with a wry smile: "A saint can't joke with him, and I am bored myself." There are many similar stories about Yan Zi controlling Chu. With his own wisdom, he defeated the conspiracy of some countries to humiliate Qi and personality, and became more and more famous, becoming a famous diplomat at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period.

Yan Zi Chun Qiu recorded nearly a hundred stories of Yan Ying's exhortation to Qi Jinggong. Through these stories, we can see that his thoughts are full of wisdom, and his language is also very distinctive, or sharp-edged, or very subtle; Or serious, or funny He can adopt different persuasion methods according to different environmental occasions to achieve the best results. Once, a beloved horse in Qi Jinggong suddenly died. Qi Jinggong was furious and ordered the arrest and dismemberment of the horse's owner. At this time, Yan Zi appeared, and the left and right soldiers were about to start work. Ying stopped him and said to Qi Jinggong, "There must be a way to kill people. When Yao and Shun dismember people, where should they start? " Yao Shun is the legendary Ren Jun.. He won't kill for a horse. Naturally, there is no law to kill and dismember. Knowing what Yan Ying meant, Qi Jinggong said, "Then don't dismember the body, just hand it over to the jailer for execution." Yan Ying said to Qi Jinggong, "This man really deserves to die, but he still doesn't know what crime he has committed. Please let me tell him his crime, let him know and die. What do you say? " Qi Jinggong said: "OK, then you can say it!" Yan Ying began to count his crimes: "You have committed three major crimes: the monarch asked you to raise a horse but you raised it to death, which is a capital crime;" It is the monarch's favorite to treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor, which are two capital crimes; Because you killed the monarch when you were a dead horse, the people will definitely blame him when they hear about it, and the princes will definitely despise our country when they hear about it. You killed the monarch's horse, aroused people's resentment and made our neighbors look down on us. This is the third capital crime. Are you guilty of sending you to prison today? " Qi Jinggong sighed: "Please let him go! Let me go. Don't hurt my name of benevolence and love. "It is obviously wrong for Qi Jinggong to kill people because of a horse. However, Ying didn't agree with what Qi Jinggong said here, and even didn't speak for him, but in fact, it was a kind of irony. He used logical reduction to absurdity to classify Qi Jinggong's murder mistake to extremes, and made Qi Jinggong realize his mistake and correct it. His humor contained wit. On another occasion, one of Qi Jinggong's favorite concubines died, and Qi Jinggong stayed there for three days without eating. The left and right ministers repeatedly persuaded him, but he just wouldn't listen. Yan Ying came in and said, "A magician and a doctor came outside and said,' I heard that the baby died of illness and they are willing to save people.' Qi Jinggong immediately got up and said, "Can her illness be cured?" Yan Ying said: "This is what the guests said. He must be a good doctor. Please let him try. But if they come to save people, they have to ask you to leave here, take a good bath, eat well, and ask ghosts to come down. " Qi Jinggong was very happy and said, "All right, I'll leave at once. Let's go out to take a shower and eat. Yingying ordered someone to bury it quickly. "。 After the funeral, he said to Qi Jinggong, "The doctor can't cure her illness. We have buried her, so we dare not tell you. " Qi Jinggong was very unhappy. Knowing that Yan Ying had lied to him on this matter, he said, "You told me to leave on the grounds that the doctor was seeing a doctor, and then you left the dead body without telling me. I, as a monarch, became a figurehead. " Ying said, "Don't you know that the dead can't be resurrected? I have heard that princes are obedient and princes are rebellious. Today, you went against your will. You are humble to the sage, but sad to my concubine. A dead man wants to bring her back to life. This is not the way to be a monarch. Princes and guests heard that you don't want to send envoys to China, and the ministers of this dynasty are ashamed to be an official when they see you like this. Doing things according to your behavior can't guide the people well; Obeying your desires will not save this country. You are wrong. " Qi Jinggong said, "I don't understand this. Please tell me how to do it. Yan Ying said, "The country's literati and the guests of the prince's neighbors are waiting to see you outside. You should cry and feel sorry for your loss. "Qi Jinggong lost his mind because his dead concubine was so sad. On this occasion, it is obviously impossible to persuade him in a normal way. Therefore, Yan Zi, who is full of wisdom, adopted another method of "cheating". He lied that the doctor could come back to life, coaxed Qi Jinggong to leave, and then persuaded him. Although this method is not "honest", it is the best method in that environment at that time, and Yan Zi's ability to improvise is best seen from this matter. Yan Ying is such a person. He is a loyal minister, a man who dares to speak and remonstrate. At the same time, he is also a man with sharp thinking, flexible mind and quick thinking. Therefore, he can adopt different remonstrance methods according to different time and environment, different characteristics of events and different moods of kings in different periods. Please read "Chapter One, Persuade to Surrender, Chapter Two, Gong Jingdong's Battle of Taiwan, Yan Zi's Persuade to Surrender": During his trip to Shandong, he returned to China, and Minister Jing started the battle of Taiwan, and he was cold. Those who are hungry and cold have a good hometown, and China people are looking forward to Yan Zi. When Yan Zi arrived, he continued his work, sat for a long time, drank and enjoyed himself. Yan Zi said, "If you give me a gift, I will ask you to sing." Song said: "People say,' Ice washes me, so what! Too busy to distract me, if! "At the end of the song, I sighed and shed tears. The public no longer says, "Master, is this the end?" Almost a servant of the big stage! I'll stop it soon. "Goodbye, this. Needless to say, it's like a big stage, and the man with a simple whip says, "I'm a fine man, everyone has a house, so I don't have to be dry and wet." Why not do it quickly? All the people in China say, "Yan Zi helps heaven to abuse". "Yan Zi came back, but he didn't arrive. You made an interesting strike, cars rushed over and people followed. Hearing this, Zhong Ni sighed and said, "In ancient times, a good official's fame and fortune went to the king, but misfortune went to his body. If you advance, you will learn from your shortcomings, while if you leave, you will praise your virtue and righteousness. Therefore, although things are lazy, they can hang down their clothes to the princes and dare not cut their merits. When this is the case, it is right! " In doing so, Yan Ying deliberately gave his "good reputation" to the king and kept his "bad reputation" for himself. Confucius admired him very much, saying that he not only corrected the king's mistakes, but also made the people feel the king's justice. No one is perfect, no matter how high the position, he will always make mistakes. Smart subordinates will spare no effort to save the reputation of their superiors at this time. If the boss makes a mistake, the result may be to preserve the boss's good image, which is of great benefit to the boss, himself and even the whole team members; So the boss will be very grateful for your sacrifice and will always look for opportunities to repay. Management is always full of such contradictions. It seems that you have paid a lot, but in fact you have gained more.

Yan is the hero of the war of words.

When Yan Zi, a doctor of the State of Qi, went to Chu, Chu sent tall warriors to meet him on both sides in order to laugh at Yan Zi's short stature. Yan Zi said to Chu, "I came here for friendly exchanges between the two countries, not to fight with your country. Take these warriors down. " The escort had to disband the samurai awkwardly. Yan Zi entered the Chaomen, where dozens of ministers of Chu were waiting. Yin Dou, a suburb of Chu, spoke first: "It is said that Qi was superior to Qin Chu when Jiang Gong sealed the country, and the goods passed through Lu and Wei. Since the Duke of Huan, he was repeatedly violated by the Song and Jin Dynasties, and Qi Junchen ran around and surrendered to the princes. However, Gong Jingzhi and Yan Yingzhi are not worse than Huan Gong and Guan Zhong. Why? " Yan Zi said: "The rise and fall of a country is the law. Since Chu Zhuangwang, hasn't Chu been repeatedly attacked by Jin and Wu? In the case of knowing everything about affairs and communicating with princes on an equal footing, how can we be obedient? Didn't your's parents, as famous ministers of Chu, do the same? Aren't you their descendant? " Fight and be ashamed to retreat. Yang Gai, the minister of Chu, stepped forward and said, "I heard that you are very resourceful, but Qi and Cui Daqing were in a deadlock. How many loyal ministers and people gave their lives to fight against them? As an old minister, you can neither beg thieves nor abdicate, let alone fight to the death. What's the use of staying in the court? " Yan Zi said: "Ambitious people are not limited to details; Zhuang Gong's death had his own mistakes. The reason why I stayed in North Korea was to help the new king build a strong country, not to covet my own life. If all the old ministers are dead, who will help the king? " Yang Gai knew that he was bored and stepped down. Zheng Dan came forward to ask Chu Youyin, "You are too boastful. Cui Qing is difficult, Gao Chenhe. You just watched the fire from the other side, but you didn't see anything. Yan Zi replied, "You only know one thing, but you don't know the other." . I have never made an alliance between Cui and Qing. "I want to save the king from the plight of the four families. This is exactly what we should do. How can we say that we are watching? " Zheng has nothing to answer. Taizai Chu flashed out of Xinjiang and asked, "You are the Prime Minister. You should dress up beautifully and equip your chariots and horses to show the Rong Sheng of Qi. Why are you riding a thin horse and wearing shabby clothes? I also heard that you have been wearing this fox skin for 30 years. Are you too stingy? " Yan Zi smiled and replied, "You are too young. I come from my hometown, my parents have clothes to wear, my mother has meat to eat, and my wife has no famine. At the same time, more than 70 people depend on my help. Although I am thrifty, I am rich in three families and help the group. Isn't this more showing the virtue and integrity of the king? " Qi Jiang was amazed. Che Youbao, the king of Chu, asked, "I heard that princes are all burly and handsome, and they can make contributions to the present and leave their names in future generations." And you are less than five feet, and you can't win a chicken. Aren't you ashamed? Yan Zi calmly replied, "Camels are small, but they can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms; "Paddle empty long, always water service. Overseas Chinese were killed by Lu and Nangong by Song. You think you are tall, but in fact you can only serve the king of Chu. Although I have no talent, I can be independent and loyal to my country. " Capsule tile is ashamed. Wu Ju, the doctor of Chu, saw that it was difficult for everyone to be Yan Zi, and quickly said, "Yan Ping is a genius in the world. How can you compete with him? Forget it, the king of Chu is waiting to be summoned. " Later, Yan Zi and King Chu Ling fought, which is another story! Yan Zi, born in Zhong Ping, was a native of Laizhi Yiwei (now Gaomi, Weifang City, Shandong Province) and was famous in the Spring and Autumn Period. According to expert research, he lived to 95 years old (595-500 years ago). More than 2,500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period when medical conditions were extremely poor and living standards were very low, it was a miracle that a politician could live to such an old age. Yanzi was busy with political affairs all his life, and there was no discussion about health and longevity. However, from related books and legends of people in his hometown, we can get a glimpse of this politician's longevity. Benevolent people live a long life, and harmony keeps them healthy. "Benevolence" is the main theory of Confucian "benevolent government and loving the people", and it is also the central content of Yanzi's administration. Man 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. Qi Jinggong wanted to find Lu, and he suggested that "please be polite to Lu to solve my grievances, but leave it as a sign of my virtue", but "Lu was not cut off". 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, which is "close to the city, and I can't live in it." "As Confucius said, he not only quit, but also paid great attention to abstinence. 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 make a mess of it; Those who receive less are addicted to it, and those who forget their righteousness when they see color, and those who lose their virtue when they are rich are called 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 be. 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 blame, and being righteous!" "That he is easy-going and generous, pay attention to self-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.