Yan Zi, who was less than five feet tall and ugly in appearance, was a world-famous thinker and diplomat in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was called by Sima Qian as a "man who lived up to his mission and spoke eloquently in all directions". He served in three dynasties and was a prodigy of Qi who could dominate the world in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Yan Zi's talent is the first to promote his eloquence. Yan Zi was sent to Chu, and the monarch and ministers of Chu were not convinced of him and deliberately humiliated him face to face. King Chu Ling asked Yan Zi: When the King of Qi sent you to the State of Chu, was there no one in the State of Qi? Yan Zi answered: There are seven or eight thousand families in Linzi, the capital of Qidu. The clothes that people raise can cover the sun, and the sweat that they waved away is like rain. People in the city are shoulder to shoulder. How can we say that there is no one? King Chu Ling said, Then why did you send such a dwarf to the State of Chu? Yan Zi replied: The King of Qi appointed envoys with different emphases. A wise man sent him to be an envoy to a wise monarch, and a stupid man sent him to be an envoy to a stupid monarch. I was a stupid man, so I was sent to Chu.
The banquet began, and a doctor from the State of Chu said: Since the Taigong sealed the country and founded the state, the State of Qi has boiled salt to cultivate land, and it is rich in armor, with tens of thousands of soldiers, which is enough to compete with the State of Chu. Why is it that after dominating the Central Plains, it was a flash in the pan, and instead of leading the princes, it came to form an alliance with my country, Chu? Yan Zi calmly said, "The man who knows the times is a hero, and the man who changes his mind is a hero. Since Zhou lost power in the princes, the princes have been fighting for years, and their national strength has been affected. Even your Chu State is suffering from internal troubles and foreign invasion. Is it only Qi State that is weak? I came to your Chu state for friendly exchanges between normal neighboring countries. Why don't you understand such a simple truth?
under Yan zi's questioning, the doctor was speechless and retreated to one side with a red face. Not convinced, the doctor next to him asked again, "A hero must be absolutely beautiful and magnificent. Now you are less than five feet tall, and you are just a lobbyist who plays with your tongue to make a living.". Isn't it cheating the world and stealing fame just by relying on your breath without any practical skills? Yan Zi replied: I heard that although the scale is small, it can weigh a thousand pounds; Although Zhou Wang is brave, he is a sinner of national subjugation; Although I am short and ugly, I will not be humiliated as an envoy, don't you think? Several doctors in the world knew that they were no opponents in the face of Yan Zi's eloquence, and they stopped talking.
Yan Zi, a famous figure throughout the ages, is also amazing for his wisdom of remonstrance.
In the era of Jing Gong, the criminal law was harsh, and if you committed a minor crime, your feet would be cut off, resulting in disabled people with broken feet everywhere in the country. The people have long complained about this. Yan Zi has been trying to persuade Jing Gong to change the criminal law, but he has never succeeded. Just one day, in order to show his concern for the courtiers, Jing Gong felt that Yanzi's home was near the market, small and noisy, and wanted to change it to a spacious new house for him. Yanzi said, I can't move, this house was lived by ancestors, and I have feelings here; Second, I can understand the business situation near the market, and it is convenient to buy things. Jing Gong was very impressed and moved. Ask him: you are close to the market, do you know what is expensive? Yan Zi immediately replied: Expensive and cheap. Yong is a shoe worn by people with broken feet, and shoes worn by healthy people. It is expensive and cheap, so what has Qi become? Jing Gong suddenly woke up and immediately ordered to reduce the criminal law.
Yan Zi's little wisdom changed the important laws of a country.
At that time, there were three generals in the State of Qi, Gu Yezi, Gong Sunjie and Tian Kaijiang, who were arrogant and arrogant, and ignored Jing Gong. Jing Gong has been trying to get rid of them, but he has been unable to find an excuse. Yan Zi thought of a way for Jing Gong, bought two huge peaches and sent them to the general's office, saying that the three generals should decide for themselves, and the two who made the greatest contribution would eat peaches. Guyezi happened not to be here, and Sun Jie and Tian Kaijiang felt that they had the greatest contribution, so they ate them one by one. When Gu Yezi came back, he was very angry when he heard about it. His exploits were much greater than theirs. He felt that this was a shame to him, so he drew his sword and committed suicide. When the other two generals saw Gu Yezi's death, they were ashamed of their actions and immediately drew their swords and committed suicide. This is the famous story of "two peaches kill three scholars" in history, and it is a classic work directed by Yan Zi.
As a thinker, Yan Zi left a very rich legacy to future generations. His depth of thought and his insight into the national economy and people's livelihood are rare wealth for future generations.
Jing Gong went to Niu Shan to play, looked north at the capital of Qi and cried, I have such a vast country, but I have to die one day, which is really sad. Ai Kong and Liang Qiu, who accompanied him around, also began to cry after him. But Yan Zi laughed alone, and Jing Gong was very unhappy. Yan Zi said, if the wise monarchs of past dynasties always guard the throne, can you still be a monarch now? Dreaming monarch I met a flattering minister and I met a couple, so I laughed.
Yan Zi met an old man while accompanying Jing Gong to visit Maiqiu. The old man said, I hope you live long and don't offend the people. Jing Gong said that if it is possible for the people to offend the monarch, where is the saying that the monarch has offended the people? Yan Zi said, Did Jie and Zhou offend the king or the people? Was it killed by the king or by the people?
Jing Gong woke up like a dream, and gave Mai Qiu to the old man as a fief, thanking him for his advice and wisdom.
In particular, the well-known classic "Orange in Huainan is orange, and orange in Huaibei is bitter orange" is the great wisdom left by Yan Zi.