Translation

When Yanzi was the Prime Minister of Qi, one day when he was out, the coachman's wife peeped at her husband through the crack in the door. Her husband drove the car for the Prime Minister. He sat under an umbrella and whipped the four horses in front of the car, looking very proud and proud. After the coachman came back, his wife asked for a divorce. The coachman asked her why. The wife said: "Yanzi is less than six feet tall. He is a prime minister and is famous in all countries.

Today I saw him go out with the same ambition and ambition. I think deeply and often think that I am not as good as others. Now you are eight feet tall, but you are working as a coachman, but you feel that you are very satisfied, so I asked for a divorce." From then on, her husband restrained himself in everything. , much more humble. Yan Zi felt strange and asked him what was going on. The coachman told the truth, and Yan Zi recommended him to be a doctor.

The concept of frugality

Yanzi believed that frugality was the basic quality of a wise man. Therefore, he had a deep feeling of disgust towards those people or behaviors that were rich, arrogant, extravagant and wasteful. He once criticized Qi Jinggong's extravagance and lust many times. He himself requires and restrains himself from frugality. Qi Jinggong wanted to adjust his residence many times and even built him a new house while he was on an envoy trip, but he refused firmly.

When Qi Jinggong rewarded him with chariots and horses, he said: "The emperor sent his ministers to the officials, and the ministers took care of their clothing, food, and care, in order to lead the people of Qi, but they were afraid of their extravagance and ignored them. Now, if the king rides on the chariot and the horse rides on it, the ministers will ride on it. If the people are unrighteous and waste their clothes and food without caring about their journey, the ministers cannot stop them." ("Miscellaneous") This is what happened. He said that he wanted to set an example of frugality to prevent people from excessively pursuing material enjoyment and causing social disorder and moral corruption.