Yan Zi went on an envoy to the State of Chu. The kings and ministers of the Chu State wanted to make fun of Yan Zi and show the prestige of the Chu State. They knew that Yanzi was a short man, so they opened a small hole next to the gate and allowed Yanzi to enter the city through this small hole.

Yanzi walked to the small cave, looked at it, and said: "This is a dog cave, not a city gate. People who are on an envoy to the dog country only enter through the dog cave. Today, I am on an envoy to Chu." I am not on a mission to the Dog Kingdom. Have I come to the Dog Kingdom or to the Chu Kingdom?" The Chu people had nothing to say, so they had to open the city gate and welcome Yan Zi in.

When Yan Zi saw the King of Chu, the King of Chu smiled and said, "Why, is there no one in Qi?"

Yan Zi knew that the King of Chu was mocking him, so he did not move. He replied seductively: "What are you talking about! In Linzi, the capital of Qi State alone, there are seven or eight thousand households. If all the pedestrians on the street open their sleeves, they can cover the sky and the sun; if they all shake their sleeves, Sweat can gather into a heavy rain, and people are crowded shoulder to shoulder and toes touching heels. "My king, how can you say that there are no people in Qi?"

The king of Chu said: "Since there are so many people?" Why do you want to send someone like you as an envoy?"

Yanzi replied calmly: "Oh! You don't know that we have a rule for sending envoys in Qi State: If the other country is a superior country, send a capable and virtuous person; if the other country is a low-level country, send an incompetent person. Because I am the least promising person, I was sent. Come to your country of Chu."

Notes

Envoy - an envoy, being sent to other countries. The following two characters, one is a noun, that is, person, and the other is a verb, which is to delegate.

Short - length, here is the meaning of short stature of a person.

Yan - used as a verb, it means to please.

Best Man——Best Man, Yinbin. A groom is a person who specializes in welcoming and entertaining guests.

Linzi - Zi, audio capital. Linzi, a place name, was the capital of the ancient Qi State in present-day Shandong Province.

Lv - Yinlu, an ancient social organizational unit, with twenty-five families grouped into one Lu. Three hundred houses means a large population.

袂——Yinmei, is the sleeve of clothes.

Heel - sound type, which is the heel of a person.

Ming-command, here means appointment and dispatch.

Lord - advocate, here is the meaning of rules and regulations. The word "main" at the end refers to the master and the king.

Unworthy - a person who is unworthy and has no talent or virtue.