Wuxia Chinese Lesson 11 asked the people of Qi to introduce the deeds of Yan Zi

Yan Zi, named Yan Ying (578 BC - 500 BC), with the courtesy name Zhong and posthumous title Ping. It is customary to call him Ping Zhong, also known as Yan Zi. He was a native of Yiwei (now Gaomi, Shandong) ( Pinglitian, Laizhou City, Yantai, also said to be from Qihe, Texas, and Heze, Shandong), a famous politician, thinker, and diplomat in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Yan Ying is the son of Yan Ruo, a senior official in Qi State. In the twenty-sixth year of Qi Linggong (556 BC), Yan Ruo died of illness, and Yan Ying succeeded him as the senior official. He served successively as Qi Linggong, Zhuanggong and Jinggong, and served as assistant to the government for more than 40 years. He was famous among the princes for his political foresight, diplomatic ability and simple style.

Yan Ying is smart, witty and eloquent. He assisted the state affairs internally and repeatedly admonished the king of Qi. Externally, he was both flexible and principled. He was not humiliated when traveling as an envoy and safeguarded Qi's national character and prestige. Sima Qian admired Yan Ying very much and compared him to Guan Zhong. Confucius once praised: "He saves the people without boasting about them; he acts as a complement to the three kings but does not have them; Yanzi is a gentleman!"

Famous deeds

1. Zhechong Zunzu

In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, various princes were established and wars continued. Jin, a powerful country in the Central Plains, planned to attack Qi. In order to find out the situation of Qi State, he sent the official Fan Zhao as an envoy to Qi State. Duke Jinggong of Qi entertained Fan Zhao with a feast. During the banquet, when the wine was in full swing and everyone was a little drunk, Fan Zhao took advantage of the wine and said to Qi Jinggong: "Please give me a glass of wine to drink!" Jinggong turned around and told the ministers on his left and right: "Pour the wine on me." Give it to the guests in the cup." Fan Zhao took the wine handed to him by the courtier and drank it in one gulp. Yan Ying saw all this in his eyes and ordered the courtiers sternly: "Throw away this wine glass quickly and replace it with another one for your lord." According to the etiquette at that time, at the banquet, the monarch and his ministers should each use their own wine glasses. Fan Zhao violated this etiquette by drinking from Jinggong's wine cup, which was disrespectful to the monarch of Qi State. Fan Zhao did this deliberately to test the other party's reaction, but Yan Ying still saw through it.

After Fan Zhao returned home, he reported to Jin Pinggong: "It is not the time to attack Qi State yet. I tested the reaction of Qi's monarchs and ministers, and Yan Ying saw through it." Fan Zhao thought that Qi State The state has such a virtuous minister. If he goes to attack Qi State now, he has absolutely no guarantee of victory. Therefore, Duke Ping of Jin gave up his plan to attack Qi State. Relying on diplomatic negotiations to make the enemy give up the plan to attack, the current allusion of "Zhe Chong Zun Zu" comes from Yan Ying's deeds. Confucius praised Yan Ying's diplomatic performance and said: "It does not leave the room of a bottle, but rushes thousands of miles away." This is a true portrayal of Yan Zi's ingenuity.

2. Yan Zi’s envoy to Chu

Yan Zi was sent as an envoy to Chu. The King of Chu knew that Yan Zi was short in stature, so he ordered someone to open a small door next to the main gate and asked Yan Zi to enter through the small door. . Yanzi knew that the king of Chu was teasing him, so he sternly refused. He said, "When you get to the "Dog Kingdom", you should go through the Dog Cave. I am on a mission to Chu State now, so I shouldn't go through the Dog Cave." The official who entertained Yan Zi had to ask Yan Zi to enter through the gate.

Yanzi went in to see the King of Chu. The King of Chu deliberately asked: "Is there no one in Qi to send? You are actually sent as an envoy." Yanzi replied: "Linzi, the capital of Qi, is full of people. People raise their sleeves to cover the sun; they shake them. Sweat is just a burst of rain; pedestrians rub their shoulders and their toes touch their heels. How can you say that there is no one in Qi? "The king of Chu then asked: "If that's the case, why did you send you on a visit?" Yanzi replied: "We? The State of Qi is very particular about sending envoys: for those who are smart and capable, they are sent to countries with high moral standards; for those who are stupid and incompetent, they are sent to countries that are ineffective. I am an envoy. He is the stupidest and most incompetent person in the country, so he sent me as an envoy to Chu State." Yan Zi's words made the kings and ministers of Chu State who were planning to tease him look at each other and were speechless for a long time.

3. Nan Ju and Bei Zhi

Yan Zi is about to go to Chu as an envoy. When the King of Chu heard the news, he said to the ministers around him: "Yan Ying is the most eloquent person in Qi State. I want to humiliate him. How can I humiliate him?" The minister replied: "When he comes, Your Majesty, please allow us to tie up a man and pass in front of him. The Majesty asked, "What does he do?" I replied, "(He) is from Qi." The Majesty (then) asked: "(He)". What crime did he commit? '(I) replied: '(He) committed the crime of stealing.'" The king of Chu thought it was a clever idea.

Yanzi came to the state of Chu. The king of Chu invited Yanzi to drink. When he was drinking happily, two petty officials tied up a man and came to the king of Chu.

The King of Chu asked: "Who is the tied man?" (Gongshi) replied: "(He) is from Qi State and has committed the crime of stealing." King Chu looked at Yan Zi and asked, "Are the people of Qi good at stealing to begin with?" Yanzi left his seat and replied: "I heard that the tangerines in Huainan are big and sweet; when they are planted in Huaibei, they can only produce small and bitter oranges. The leaves are similar, but the fruit tastes completely different. Isn't it because of the different soil and water?" ? By the same token, the people of Qi lived and worked in peace and contentment in Qi, but as soon as they arrived in Chu, they started to become thieves. Could it be that the soil and water of Chu made the people good at stealing? The King of Chu smiled and said: "A saint cannot joke with him, but I am asking for trouble." ”

4. Discussing with Chu Ministers

Yan Xiangguo came to the embassy, ??and the ministers of Chu State washed his dust for him. A fierce debate started during the meeting, and the senior minister of Chu State spoke first. Said: "Since the founding of the state by the Grand Duke, Qi has boiled salt and cultivated fields. It has become rich and has tens of thousands of soldiers, which is enough to rival Chu. Why was it that after Duke Huan of Qi came to dominate the Central Plains, it was so short-lived that he could no longer lead the princes? With the vast territory of Qi, the large population, the wealth of the country, and the ingenuity of Yan Xiangguo, why can't the Central Plains rise again? Instead, they formed an alliance with our Chu State, which is too puzzling. ”

Yan Ying replied: “Those who know the current affairs are heroes, and those who take advantage of the situation are heroes. Previously, after the Zhou Dynasty lost power to the princes, the princes fought for years, and the five hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period emerged one after another. The rise of Xirong and the dominance of the Chu Kingdom in the Jingman land were certainly due to human factors, but most of them relied on divine will. Previously, Duke Wen of Jin had great talents and strategies, and he fled to all directions; after Duke Mu of Qin came to dominate Xirong, his literary and military achievements were at their peak. After his death, his descendants weakened and could no longer regain their former glory; even your state of Chu, after King Zhuang of Chu, He was also often harassed by the Wu and Jin kingdoms and suffered a great deal of hardship. Could it be that Qi is the only country that is weak? Today, the state of Qi comes to make good relations and form an alliance. This is just a friendly exchange between neighboring countries. As a famous minister of the Chu State, you should be familiar with the meaning of the four words "act according to circumstances". Why do you ask such a question? "

The lower doctor blushed and stepped back. The upper doctor beside him asked unconvincedly: "Pingzhong, you think you are a man who adapts to changes. However, since the civil war in Qi, countless ministers of Qi have died for the king. , but you, as a noble family in Qi State, cannot attack the traitors, abandon your official position, or die for the king, don't you feel ashamed? Why do you still linger on your reputation and status and refuse to leave?

Yan Ying retorted sternly: "Those who do big things don't have to stick to small details. If you don't have long-term worries, you must have immediate worries." I only know that when a monarch dies for the country and the country, his ministers should die with him. Now the ancestor did not die for the country and the country, so why should I casually die with the ancestor? Those who died were fools, not loyal ministers. Although I am not talented, how can I gain fame and reputation by dying? Moreover, when the country changes, I do not leave, but to welcome a new king and to preserve the ancestors of Qi. I am not coveting high positions. If everyone leaves the court, who will be responsible for the important affairs of the country? And which country has never experienced civil strife? Isn't this the case in your country of Chu? Why blame us? ”

Another person said dissatisfiedly: “A hero must have an extraordinary appearance and incomparable majesty. But now, the Prime Minister, you are less than five feet tall, have no power to tie a chicken, and are just a lobbyist who only uses his words.” That’s all. Isn’t it shameful to rely solely on words without any practical skills to deceive the world and steal one’s reputation? "I heard that although the weighing hammer is small, it can be worth a thousand catties, and the oar, although long, will inevitably be submerged in the water. King Zhou is so brave that he will inevitably die and the country will be destroyed. Why?" I admit that I have no outstanding abilities and am not worthy of my position, but I am by no means trying to show off my rhetoric to you. I am just asking and answering questions. Do I refuse to answer? That's too rude. ”

5. War of words

When Yanzi went to Chu as an envoy, when he entered the court, in order to mock Yanzi’s short stature, Chu sent tall warriors to greet him on both sides. The Chu State accompanying said: "I am here for the friendly exchanges between the two countries, not to fight with your country. Remove these warriors. "The companions had no choice but to rebuke the warriors in embarrassment.

Yanzi entered the court gate, and dozens of ministers from the Chu State were waiting. Yin Douchengran in the suburbs of Chu spoke first: "I heard that the State of Qi forced Jiang Gong to seal the country. In Qin and Chu, goods passed through Lu and Wei. However, since Duke Huan, it has been invaded repeatedly by Song and Jin. In the early Jin and late Chu, Qi monarchs and ministers traveled around and submitted to the princes.

But based on the ambition of Duke Jing and the virtuousness of Yan Ying, they are no worse than Duke Huan and Guan Zhong. Why is this? Yanzi said: "The rise and fall of strength is the law of a country. Since Queen Chuzhuang, hasn't Chu been repeatedly attacked by Jin and Wu?" We, Lord Jing, are knowledgeable about affairs and interact with the princes on an equal footing. How can we be submissive? Didn't your fathers, as famous ministers of the Chu State, do the same thing? Aren't you their descendant? " Dou Chengran retreated in shame.

Chu Minister Yang Beggar stepped forward and said, "I heard that you are very good at adapting to changes and playing both sides. However, Qi State encountered difficulties with Cui and Qing. You sacrificed your life to attack the two men. As an old minister, you can neither attack the thieves nor abdicate, nor can you fight to the death. What is the use of staying in the court? Yanzi said: "Those with great ambitions do not stick to trivial matters; Duke Zhuang's death was due to his own mistakes." The reason why I stay in the court is to support the new king's ambition to build and strengthen the country, not to covet my own life. If all the old ministers die, who will help the king? Beggar Yang realized that he was bored and retreated.

Zheng Dan, the right Yin of Chu, stepped forward and asked: "You are too boastful. Cui and Qing are in trouble, Gao, Chen and others are in trouble. You are just watching the fire from the other side, and I don't see you." What's the plot? Yanzi replied: "You only know one but not the other. I have not interfered with the alliance between Cui and Qing. I am protecting the king when the four tribes are in trouble. This is the right way to be soft and strong. How can I say that I am just a spectator?" "Zheng had nothing to say.

Qi Jiang, the Grand Prime Minister of Chu, asked in a flash: "As a prime minister, you should dress beautifully and display chariots and horses to show the prosperity of Qi. Why are you riding a thin horse and wearing shabby clothes? I heard that you have worn this fox fur for thirty years. Are you too stingy? Yanzi smiled and replied: "You are too young. Since I have been in the position, my father's generation has clothing, my mother's generation has meat, and my wife's family has no famine. At the same time, there are more than 70 people who rely on me for help." Although I am personally frugal, I am rich among the three tribes and relieve the difficulties of the people. Doesn't this further show the king's virtue? "Qi Jiang was impressed.

The King of Chu's chariot, You Nangwa, asked: "I heard that kings, generals and ministers are all tall and handsome, so they can make contributions to the present and leave a name for future generations. And you are less than five feet tall and cannot be stronger than a chicken. Don't you feel ashamed? Yanzi replied calmly: "Although a camel is small, it can weigh a thousand catties; a boat with an empty oar will eventually become a water servant." Qiao Ru grew up but was killed by the Lu State, and Nangong Wan Jueli died in the Song State. You think you are tall, don't you think you can only ride horses for the King of Chu? Although I am not talented, I can stand alone and serve the country loyally. " Nang Wa was so ashamed.

Wu Ju, the Chu doctor, saw that it was difficult for everyone to be Yan Zi, so he hurriedly came to the rescue and said: "Yan Pingzhong is a genius in the world, how can you compete with him? Forget it, the King of Chu is waiting to be summoned. ”

Six, two peaches kill three men

Tian opens the territory, Gongsun takes over, and Guyezi serves the king of Qi. They are all brave and unusual, but they are proud of their achievements and do not follow etiquette. Yanzi sees it as a disaster and advises Jing Duke Jin was worried that they could not be subdued by force, so Yanzi asked Duke Jin of Qi to reward them with two peaches and let them eat them according to their merits. Gongsun Jieyi got one peach from fighting a wild boar and a young tiger, and Tian Kaijiang also took it from him when he led his troops to retreat from the enemy. A peach, Gu Yezi accompanied Jinggong to cross the river, once killed the turtle and eliminated the monster, and he stood up with his sword drawn. Tian Kaijiang and Gongsun Jie said: "In terms of bravery and merit, I can't compare with you, and I won't give up the peach." , was greedy, did not dare to commit suicide, and lacked courage, so he returned the peach and committed suicide. Guyezi thought that he was unkind, shameful to others, and praised his words, which was unjust; he was not brave enough to die, so he committed suicide.

When the three scholars died, Duke Jinggong buried them with scholarly rites.

Yanzi killed three people with two peaches, eliminating political dangers, and his wisdom was extraordinary. There are three graves.

7. The Golden Bottle of the Kingdom of Ji

Qi Jinggong visited the hometown of the Kingdom of Ji and got a gold pot. When he opened it, he found that there was a cinnabar document inside, which said: "If you don't eat, you will turn against the fish. Don't ride on a horse." "Jing Gong said: "That's right! According to the meaning of this saying, if you eat fish but not the other side, it is because you hate the smell of fish; if you don't ride a bad horse, it is because you think it can't travel long distances."

Yanzi said: "That's not the case. I feel that these eight characters contain the principles of governing the country: Don't turn the fish over when eating, which means don't use up the people's power! Don't ride on the horse-drawn carriage, which means don't use the little ones to eat. Stay safe with me!"

Jing Gong asked: "Why did the state of Ji perish if it had such a document?" Yanzi replied: "I heard that the gentleman has his own reasons. When you hear a wise saying, hang it on the door.

But Ji Guo had such good advice, but poured it into a pot as water. What good result would it have if it did not perish? "

8. Wisdom on Life and Death

Qi Jinggong went to Niushan to visit, and when he climbed north to the capital of Qi, he suddenly cried: "How can life be like rushing and roaring water, leaving this beautiful world? He died because of the mountains and rivers! "Ai Kong and Liang Qiu heard this and began to cry. But Yanzi was laughing. Qi Jinggong asked him angrily why he was laughing. Yanzi replied: "If people have not died since ancient times, then Taigong and Dinggong will keep Qi forever, and Huangong, Duke Xiang, Duke Wen, Duke Wu, etc. will all assist them. You will be wearing a bamboo hat and coarse clothes, holding a big hoe and a small rake, bending down and walking in the fields. You will have no time to worry about death! But you just shed tears and feel sad because of this matter alone. This is not in line with benevolence, justice and morality. I saw one unkind king and two flattering ministers. This is why I laughed secretly! "

Yan Ying said: "If a wise king does not get old, sick or die, then you will only be in the farmland at this time, how can you sometimes be hurt by the scene? It is precisely because one person leaves the throne that another person has the opportunity to be established as the king, and it is also your turn to become the king. It is ridiculous that you are not blessed in the midst of blessings. It is very unkind for you to cry in sorrow because you are about to die! How can I not laugh at the unkind king and the flattering ministers? ”

Qi Jinggong was very ashamed after hearing this. He raised his wine glass and punished himself with a glass of wine. He also punished Ai Kong and Liang Qiu with a glass of wine each.

9. Trentai Escort

When Qi Jinggong came back from hunting, Yan Ying accompanied him at Trentai. Liang Qiuju wanted to please Qi Jinggong, so he hurried to accompany him. Qi Jinggong said happily: "It seems that only Liang Qiuju is in harmony with me." ah! Yan Ying said: "Liangqiu and you can only say that they are the same. How can we say that they are in harmony?" Qi Jinggong said: "Isn't He and Tong different?" Yan Ying replied: "Of course it's different." Harmony is like a prepared meat soup. Fish and meat are cooked with vinegar, sauce, salt and plum, and stewed with firewood. The chef adds various seasonings, and the taste is delicious. A gentleman eats it and calms his heart. This is called harmony. The same is true for the relationship between king and minister. If you think something is right but is actually wrong, your minister should point out that it is wrong; if you think it is wrong but is actually right, your minister should also insist on what is right. In this way, politics will be stable and without deviation, and the people will not be competitive. The former kings also used the five flavors and five tones to stabilize the people's minds and achieve political success. Playing music is like seasoning. There are one Qi, two bodies, three categories, four things, five tones, six rhythms, seven words, eight winds and nine songs. Only when these nine are combined can it become a beautiful movement. When a gentleman listens, he can calm down his mind and harmonize his virtue. Now Liangqiu Ju is not like this. As soon as you say yes, he will say yes; if you say no, he will say no. This is like adding water to the water when cooking. Who can eat it? When you play the piano, it is just a sound. Who can listen to it? His behavior is homosexuality. Is this okay? ”

Historical records indicate that Liang Qiu was a sycophant in the reign of Duke Jin of Qi, who specialized in flattering the monarch. However, Duke Jin of Qi admired such a person very much and doted on him, saying that he was the only one who could get along with him. Yan Ying's words are specifically for this purpose. He deeply analyzes the difference between "harmony" and "tong". "Tong" means the sameness of different people and things, while "harmony" means the coordination between different people and things. On the surface, "sameness" seems to be an ideal state, but there is no contradiction and no development. In fact, there is no difference or individuality in things. Only "harmony" is the perfect form of healthy development of things. , different foods can become delicious after being blended, and different tones and rhythms can be blended into a perfect piece of music. On the surface, Yan Ying seems to be doing an abstract noun analysis, but in fact, he is using it to tell Qi Jinggong. The principle of governing the country is also the principle of life - "a gentleman should be harmonious but different". He cleverly and implicitly criticized Liang Qiuzhi's blind flattery and Qi Jinggong's inability to distinguish between loyal and traitorous people, and served to persuade Qi Jinggong to stay away from sycophants. The purpose of getting close to people and admonishing ministers truly embodies the gentlemanly demeanor of the pre-Qin aristocrats who "focus on the text but admonish"

10. Dead horses kill people

Once, Qi Jinggong had one. His beloved horse died suddenly. Qi Jinggong was furious and ordered the horse owner to be captured and dismembered.

At this time, Yan Zi was present, and the warriors on the left and right were about to take action. Yan Ying came up to stop him and said to Qi Jinggong: "There must be a way to kill people. When Yao and Shun dismembered people, what part of the body did they start with?" Yao and Shun were the legendary benevolent kings. There is no way to kill people just because of a horse, and there is no way to kill people and dismember them. Qi Jinggong knew what Yan Ying meant, so he said, "Then let's not dismember him and hand him over to the prison officer for execution." Yan Ying asked Qi Jing again. The duke said: "This man deserves to die, but he doesn't know what crime he has committed. Please let me tell him about his crime and let him know it, and then he will die clearly. Do you agree?" Qi Jinggong said: "Okay. , then you say it!" Yan Ying began to count his crimes: "You have committed three major crimes: the king asked you to raise the horse but you raised the horse to death, which is a capital crime; the horse that died was the king. My favorite, these are the two capital crimes; because you raised the king's horse to death, the people will definitely resent him when they hear about it, and the princes will despise our country when they hear about it. You raised the king's horse to death, making the people resentful. "It is the third most deadly crime to make our neighbors look down upon us. Do you know that you are guilty of being sent to prison today?" Qi Jinggong sighed and said, "Please let him go! Don't hurt me!" In the name of benevolence, Duke Jin of Qi dies.”

Xi. Duke Jinggong’s concubine died. Duke Jinggong of Qi stayed in mourning and sat there without eating for three days. The ministers on the left and right persuaded him many times but refused to 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 come and save her.'" After hearing this, Qi Jinggong was overjoyed and got up immediately and said, "Her illness can be cured." Can you be cured?" Yan Ying said: "This is what the guest said. He must be a good doctor. Please give him a try. But when they come to save people, they have to ask you to leave here and take a bath and eat well. They still have to stay. Here we pray for ghosts and gods." Qi Jinggong was very happy after hearing this and said, "Okay, I'll leave immediately." While Qi Jinggong left to bathe and eat, Yan Ying ordered the coffin bearer to bury the deceased immediately. After the coffin, he continued. Qi Jinggong said, "The doctors can't cure her disease. We have already put her to death. We dare not not tell you." Qi Jinggong was very unhappy after hearing this. Knowing that Yan Ying had lied to him about this, he said, "You He asked me to leave on the pretext of seeing a doctor, and then he buried the dead without telling me. As a king, I am no longer worthy of my name." Yan Ying said, "Don't you know that the dead cannot be resurrected? It is called obedience, and the obedience of the ruler is called disobedience. Today, the ruler is disobedient and behaves rebelliously. He shows little courtesy to the virtuous people, but he is very sad for his concubine. The dead body still wants to bring her back to life. The hurtful nature of grief is already there. This is not the way to be a king. The princes and guests are unwilling to send envoys to our country when they hear that you are like this. The ministers of this dynasty are ashamed to act according to your behavior and cannot lead the people well; they obey you. Desire can't save the country. It's wrong for you to do this. "Qi Jinggong said, "I don't understand this. Please tell me what to do." Yan Ying said, "The scholar-bureaucrats of the country and the guests from all over the country are waiting outside. Seeing you, you have to cry and express your condolences."

Qi Jinggong was overly sad because of the death of his beloved concubine and lost the reason he should have controlled. In this situation, it is obviously not possible to use normal methods to persuade him. Yanzi, who was full of wisdom, adopted another "deception" method. He first lied that doctors could resurrect the dead, coaxed Qi Jinggong to leave, put the dead man into a coffin, and then persuaded him. Although this method is not "honest" enough, it is still the best method under the circumstances at that time. From this incident, Yanzi's ability to adapt to changes can best be seen.

12. Zhuzou raises birds

Qi Jinggong especially likes birds. One time he got a beautiful bird and sent a man named Zhu Zou to be responsible for 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 aside and asked, "Can I announce Zhu Zou's crime first, and then you kill him and let him die clearly?" Qi Jinggong agreed. Yanzi said sternly to the tied Zhuzou: "You have committed a capital crime. There are three crimes: The king asked you to raise birds, and you carelessly let the birds fly. This is the first one. To unite the kings. This is the second rule. If other princes find out about this, they will think that our monarch only values ??birds and despises the lives of the people, so they look down on us. This is the third rule. I'll kill you." After saying that, Yan Zi turned to Qi Jinggong and said, "Please do it." After hearing what Yan Zi said, Qi Jinggong understood what Yan Zi meant. He coughed dryly and said, "Forget it, let him go.

Then, he walked up to Yan Zi, raised his hands and said, "If it weren't for your guidance, I almost made a big mistake!"

13. Flashy

Qi Jinggong said to Yan Zi: "In the East China Sea, there are bronze-colored water. In this red water, there are jujube trees, but they only bloom but do not bear fruit. Why?" Yanzi replied: "In the past, Duke Mu of Qin traveled around the world in a dragon boat and wrapped steamed jujubes in yellow cloth. The dragon boat swam to the East China Sea. Duke Mu of Qin threw away the yellow cloth wrapped with dates and dyed the sea water red, so the sea water turned bronze. And because the dates have been steamed, they only bloom but do not bear fruit after planting. " Jinggong said dissatisfied: "I pretended to ask, why are you lying to me?" Yanzi said: "I heard that people who pretend to ask questions can also give false answers to them. "

14. Dismissal of Gao Liao

Gao Liao served as an official under Yanzi, and Yanzi dismissed him. The officials who followed him tried to dissuade Yanzi, saying: "Gao Liao has already died. I have been working with you for three years, but you have not given him a position, and you have to fire him. It is not morally consistent. Yanzi said, "I am a narrow and shallow person. Only if everyone tightens the rope like a rope holding up a big net can the net be stable and the country be established." Until now, Gao Liao has been working by my side for three years and has never said a word to correct my mistakes. This is why I want to fire him. ”

15. Jinggong marries a daughter

Qi Jinggong had a beloved daughter, and he wanted to marry her to Yanzi. So Jinggong went to Yanzi’s house to have a banquet. , Jinggong saw Yanzi's wife and asked, "Is this your wife?" Yanzi replied: "Yes, she is." ""Hey! Old and ugly. I have a daughter who is young and beautiful. Please let her enrich your inner chamber.

Yan Zi left the seat and replied: "She is indeed old and ugly now, but I have lived with her for a long time. She was young and beautiful in the past." Moreover, people originally entrusted their youth to the old, and entrusted their beauty to the ugly. She trusted me, and I accepted her trust. Although the king has given me a gift, can it make me betray her trust? "Yanzi bowed twice and declined.

Confucius praised him as a man who "does not take his own way, refutes others' faults, speaks politely to avoid blame, and is a righteous man!" "It shows that he is easy-going, generous and pays attention to his character.