Yan Bao's deeds come from the book "Yanzi Spring and Autumn", which was first thought to be composed by posterity, and later in the tomb excavation of the book Jane confirmed that it was a work of the Spring and Autumn Warring States period.
The book "Yanzi Spring and Autumn" has produced many stories and idioms, such as the most famous "two peaches kill three soldiers" and "Yan baby makes Chu". In particular, the two peach killings and three soldiers are included in the "Chronicles of the States of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty" and "Three Words and Two Beats", which are widely circulated. Yan Bao also became a famous and second-to-none politician in the Spring and Autumn Period, even to the point of juxtaposing Guan Zhong. But in my opinion, what Yan Bao did in his life can only be regarded as a decent gentleman, not a qualified politician, and he has little help to the State of Qi, and can even be regarded as a foreign rhetorician. At most, it is Bao Shuya's level, and Guan Zhong is not a level at all
There's a reason to say this
It is said that Yan Baby used two peaches to stir up dissension between the three brave generals of the Qi Kingdom. The three brave generals will die one by one because of uneven distribution. This is also the most brilliant story of Yan Bao. Let's not talk about how likely it is to kill three soldiers with two peaches, but what is worth publicizing about this story?
First of all, killing three people with two peaches is absolutely unjust in the eyes of Confucianism, because these three people have not committed any mistakes. Just because Yan Baby was worried that the three people were too powerful and afraid of being used by the Tian family, he tried to get rid of the three people. And when the three died, Yan Bao recommended Tian Hoang Tho of the Tian clan. I really don't know what Yan Baby and Qi Jinggong think.
The most crucial point is that the three warriors killed by Yan Baby with a plan did not help Qi Guo, but instead suspected of excluding dissidents.
Yan Bao's level was also the level of a diplomat, and it did not even reach the level of Zhang Yi and Su Qin in the later generations.
The "Yanzi Spring and Autumn" records that the Chu state is strong. The countries of the world are vying to make friends with the Chu state. The State of Qi is no exception. Therefore, Qi Jinggong sent Yan Bao, who could speak the Tao, to the Chu Kingdom. (When did Guan Zhong become a messenger?) King Chu Ling heard that Baby Yan was short, but five feet tall. A small five-foot hole was built in the city wall overnight, intended to deliberately humiliate Yan Bao.
When Baby Yan arrived, the soldiers guarding the gate deliberately closed the city gate and let Baby Yan enter the city from a small hole, and Baby Yan said without panicking:
"This is a dog hole that is not entered by people, and when the dog country goes out, it enters from the dog hole, and when it goes out, it enters through the door of the person."
King Chu Ling listened quickly and opened the city gate. Let the baby enter through the city gate.
Those words are beautiful aren't they? But it is of no use, and it cannot change the reality of Chu Qiang and Qi Weak. As Shangqing, Yan Bao had no specific way to make the State of Qi strong. It's just verbally saying something beautiful and harsh. And a certain stick country a virtue. In fact, the State of Qi is still the weak State of Qi.
Some people say that Yan Bao has gone through three dynasties, as if Yan Bao has contributed to the three generations of Qi monarchs, and the real situation is that when Cui Zhu and Qing Feng killed the Duke of Qi Zhuang, he had no way to stop it and there was no way to turn the tide. Only the corpse of Qi Zhuanggong could be collected, and then there was no more.
Later, Cui Zhu and Qingfeng bit the dog, and the Cui family was destroyed by the Qing family. Later, the Qing family was destroyed by the Gao, Luan, Bao, and Tian families. Later, the Gao and Luan families were destroyed by the Bao and Tian families. Yan Bao never did anything, all he did was to go from Qi Linggong to Qi Jinggong to higher and higher official positions, and bigger and bigger fiefdoms. Then he made a mediation between the major families and qi Jinggong and said a few beautiful harsh words when he went on a foreign mission.
Where does this count as a virtuous person? He Guan Zhong let the State of Qi dominate for 40 years, there was no turmoil in the country, and there were many talents. Yan Baby and Guan Zhong were really too far apart.
Although Yan Bao is just a diplomat who can say beautiful and harsh words. However, his personal virtues are still commendable, for example, once Qi Jinggong went to Yan Baby's house as a guest, and when he saw that Yan Baby's wife was old and ugly, he wanted to marry his beautiful daughter to him, but Yan Baby refused. It is said that Yan Bao wore a fox fur (coat) for 30 years, even when he was on an envoy to the Chu state, and the King of Chu Ling laughed at the fact that the Qi state was too poor. But Yan Bao still went his own way, and Qi Jinggong couldn't do anything with him.
However, as the minister of state of Qi, there is still no gain for the state of Qi.
Therefore, Yan Bao, a sage who is popular in the later world because of "Yanzi Spring and Autumn", has too much water, and he is at most a diplomatic emissary, at best we call him a diplomat