Regarding Chun Yu's account, the Chronicle of History reads:
Chun Yu Jie, Qi Zhi's son-in-law. Less than seven feet long, funny and argumentative, counting the princes, not humiliating. - "Chronicles of History and Funny Stories"
In the pre-Qin era, "hair" was a punishment that meant being shaved off. It may not be a big deal today, but at that time, "the parents of the body's hair and skin" were forcibly shaved, but it was a very humiliating punishment.
The term "son-in-law" originated from the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, according to the customs of that time, the eldest daughter of the family could not marry, but had to stay at home to preside over the sacrifice, so if the eldest daughter wanted to become a relative, she could only recruit men to join the family. If the family is really poor enough to take a wife, no one will choose to join the family.
It can be seen that Chun Yu Jie was indeed born at the bottom of society, but such a person, but in the Warring States period of constant chaos, he became one of the most influential scholars in the Minoru Academy, and was even more appreciated and valued by the three generations of monarchs of the State of Qi, and was recorded in the "History", and the celebrities have been famous throughout the ages.
background:
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, social turmoil was unstable, and various princely states successively carried out reforms and reforms in order to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and society changed drastically, and many problems urgently needed to be solved.
As a result, scholars and thinkers in all fields and classes have the opportunity to show their fists. They wrote books and talked to each other, and soon a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contending" appeared in the ideological field.
Although they start from different interest groups, they are not vassals of politics, not dependent on a political group, but follow the principle of "use me to stay, and use it to go".
During this period, because of the economic development and political enlightenment of the State of Qi, coupled with the more generous treatment given to scholars by the monarch of the State of Qi, it attracted almost all the famous schools of thought at that time to gather in Jixia, making the Minoru Academy Palace the center of the various schools at that time.
Jixia Xuegong was founded in the period of Tian Qi Huan Gong, flourished in the Qi Wei King, Xuan Wang, and continued until the last Qi King period before weakening, and finally disappeared when Qin unified the Six Kingdoms.
As early as the time when Tian Qi Huan founded the Minoru Academy, Chun Yu was already "Mr. Minoru". After king Qi Wei ascended the throne, Chun Yujie was worshipped as "Shangqing", and once sent envoys to other princely states many times as an envoy, circling between the princes, not dishonoring the national character, not living up to the fate of the country, and was an outstanding diplomat.
Blockbuster
In the early days of King Qiwei's reign, because of his desire for pleasure, he ignored the affairs of the dprk and the chinese government, drank all night for absurd pleasures, and entrusted the affairs of the dprk and the central government to the qing doctor.
The surrounding princes took the opportunity to attack the emerging Tian Qi regime, and qi's internal affairs were chaotic and precarious. However, the ministers of the DPRK did not understand the disposition of the newly enthroned King Qi Wei and did not dare to rush into speaking.
At the time of Qi's internal and external troubles, Chun Yujie dared to stand up and use his own "hidden language" to satirize the King of Qiwei, and finally prompted the King of Qiwei to make up his mind and change the law to become stronger.
Chun Yu Said with a Hidden Meaning: "There is a big bird in the country, the court of the king, and for three years it has not been singing and not singing, I don't know what this bird is?" - "Chronicles of History and Funny Stories"
King Qi Wei had great ambitions, not a faint and incompetent person, and Chun Yu's sarcasm suddenly woke him up.
"If this bird does not fly, it will soar into the sky; if it does not chirp, it will be a great hit." - "Chronicles of History and Funny Stories"
Chun Yu's sarcasm prompted King Qi Wei to make up his mind and change the law to become stronger. He summoned seventy-two county magistrates, rewarded one, executed one, straightened out internal affairs, and straightened out the military might to prepare for the battle against the princes. The princely states were shocked and returned the land that had been encroached upon by the State of Qi.
Chun Yuji's talents were put to use, thanks to king Qi Wei's respect for talents, regardless of origin. It was precisely because of this that Chun Yuji began to be used by the King of Qi Wei, and gradually changed from a "Shang Dafu" who was not ruled and talked about to a diplomat who could represent the State of Qi and other countries.
Envoy to the Chu State
Once, the King of Qi sent Chun Yu to send an envoy to the Chu State, and when the King of Chu saw that he was short in stature, he sneered and said:
"Can't Qi Guo find a decent person?" And sent sir you! What is sir's specialty? ”
In the face of the chu king's ridicule, Chun Yuji did not use a hidden language this time, but said bluntly:
"I don't have any special skills, only a seven-foot long sword in my waist, which is used to kill the formless king."
The King of Chu saw this and said with trepidation:
"Please sir, I'm just kidding you."
Seeing this, people have to think of the famous story of YanZi making Chu in history, both of them are short in stature and not amazing in appearance, but they both rely on their talents and temperament to subdue the arrogant and rude King of Chu and maintain the dignity of the State of Qi.
Chun Yujie lived more than a hundred years later than YanZi, and he admired this sage in the history of the State of Qi, Chun Yujie, and also followed his example everywhere.
On another occasion, the King of Qi sent Chun Yu to envoy the Chu Kingdom, and specially brought a crane as a gift to the King of Chu. Who knew that as soon as they left the city gate, the crane flew. Chun Yujie did not panic, but held an empty birdcage, and went to see the King of Chu and explained to the King of Chu:
"The envoys of the King of Qi came to offer the hooves, and they were too on the water to bear the thirst of the hooves, but they drank from them, and they flew to me to die." I want to stab my stomach and strangle my neck and die. The fearful king of wu ordered the soldiers to kill themselves for the sake of birds and beasts. Hooves, wool, multi-phase people, I want to buy and replace, is not to believe and deceive my king also. Wanting to go to the country of Tuo to die, the two masters of pain and pain are unable to understand. Therefore he has served, prostrated himself to the king of sin. ”
This statement is very clever. "Do not tolerate the hunger and thirst of the crane, let it come out to drink water", explaining Chun Yu's benevolence; "wanting to stab the abdomen and strangling the neck and dying", explaining Chun Yu's courage; "worrying about others criticizing the King of Chu" explains Chun Yu's loyalty; "unwilling to buy another similar bird to replace" explains Chun Yu's letter; "The communication between the two countries of Pain and Chu is severed", explaining Chun Yu's righteousness; "serving the crime" and "receiving punishment" shows Chun Yu's sincerity.
Such a man of benevolence, courage, loyalty, faithfulness, righteousness, and sincerity, how could the King of Chu bear to cure his sins?
Sure enough, in the end, instead of blaming, the King of Chu rewarded Chun Yu with a large amount of gold and silver treasures.
Recommend talent
Chun Yuji's talents were put to use, thanks to king Qi Wei's respect for talents, regardless of origin.
After the death of King Qi Wei, his son King Xuan of Qi ascended the throne, because he was obsessed with wine in the early days of his reign, so that many talents in the Minoru Academy Palace left the State of Qi at that time, and Chun Yuji was no exception.
The success of the Jixia Xuegong led other countries to follow suit, among which King Hui of Wei used heavy gold and generous gifts to recruit talents in various countries, and Chun Yuji, Mencius and others came to the Wei state.
King Hui of Liang personally received Chun Yuji, and the two talked for three days and three nights without any tiredness. In the face of the talented Chun Yujie, Liang Huiwang was very admired, and even promised the position of "Qing Xiang".
During the Wei dynasty, although the King of Wei treated Chun Yu with courtesy, he was unmoved and never became an official.
Later, Chun Yujie left the State of Wei and eventually returned to the State of Qi after traveling to many places.
Seeing the situation in other countries, Chun Yuji deeply understood that if He continued to let King Xuan of Qi be so extravagant and lavish and did not pay attention to talents, the foundation of the State of Qi for many years would cease to exist.
Therefore, Chun Yujie boldly spoke to King Xuan of Qi by borrowing ancient metaphors from the present, hoping that he could revitalize the Jixia Academy Palace and recruit talents.
In the face of Chun Yu's persuasion, King Xuan of Qi did not pay attention to it at first, but instead used the reason of "no soldiers in the country" to prevaricate Chun Yu, after all, after so many years, many sages in the State of Qi have never been reused, and most of them have chosen to leave.
However, Chun Yuji did not give up, but instead recommended 7 sages to King Xuan of Qi in one day. Seeing that there were still so many talents in his country, King Qi Xuan was certainly very happy, but he couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.
"People are grouped and things are clustered. I have always been with the Magi, my friends are all people of high moral character and extraordinary intelligence, the Great King, you look for me to seek the Magi, this is like scooping water in the river, taking fire on the flint, easy to get, inexhaustible, how can you think that I recommend too many Magi to you in a day? There are so many Magi around me, not just these 7 people! In the future, I will continue to recommend it to the king. ”
In the end, after the advice and supervision of Chun Yuji and others, King Xuan of Qi realized the truth that "if you gain a soldier, you will prosper, and if you lose a soldier, you will die", and re-create the Minoru Xuegong, recruiting talents with generous treatment, so that the State of Qi has regained its strength, and the Jixia Xuegong has once again restored its former prosperous appearance.
Relatively speaking, King Qi Xuan was not a Ming Emperor, but there is no doubt that during the reign of King Qi Xuan, the State of Qi developed rapidly, and the Jixia Xuegong reached its most prosperous period.
Seventy-six people of Xuanwang Xi's literary lobbyists, such as Donkey Yan, Chun Yu Jie, Tian Biao, Receiving, Prudent, and Huan Yuan, were all given the rank of the first, and they were discussed for the sake of the Shang Dafu and the incurability. It is the revival of the Bachelor of Qi Ji, and hundreds of thousands of people. - "History of Tian Jingzhong's Complete Family"
summary
It is said that "accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger", Chun Yujie assisted the three generations of kings of the State of Qi in his lifetime, and even served as the teacher of the prince, which shows the trust and dependence of the Monarch of the State of Qi on Chun Yujie, the elder of the Jixia.
When Zou Ji was visiting him, Chun Yu Ji led more than seventy people of Mr. Ji Xia to ask him difficult questions, which made Zou Ji attach importance to the etiquette and carry out reforms; when Xun Zi went to Ji Xia to study, Chun Yu Jie, a lowly mr. Ji Xia, was already a senior figure in the Ji Xia Xue Palace, and Xun Zi often asked him for advice, and his idea of "long li and heavy law" was influenced by Chun Yu Jie's thoughts.
Throughout Chun Yu's life, you will find that he has learned a lot and has no master. However, Chun Yu's thoughts are not without their own rules. Judging from the historical records of Chun Yu's satire on the monarch and the questioning of teachers and friends, he also attaches importance to the law of etiquette and is more inclined to the rule of law.
Chun Yu was enjoying a high life, and when he died, there were 3,000 disciples who sent funerals, which showed that his disciples were numerous and highly respected.