Guan Zhong, a native of Yingshang County, Anhui Province, often did business with Bao Shuya when he was young, and Bao Shuya knew that Guan Zhong was very talented.
Guan Zhong's family still has a mother to support, very poor, and when doing business, he often takes advantage of Bao Shuya. Bao Shuya was always very kind to Guan Zhong and never took these things to heart.
Later, both of them went to the State of Qi as officials, Bao Shuya served Gongzi Xiaobai, and Guan Zhong served Gongzi Gui. Then, in the struggle for kingship, Gongzi Xiaobai won and became the King of Qi, which was known as the Duke of Qi Huan in later generations; after Gongzi Gui failed, he died, and Guan Zhong was implicated and imprisoned.
Bao Shuya then recommended Guan Zhong, and after Guan Zhong was appointed by the Duke of Qi Huan, he became the Minister of Qi, and later the Duke of Qi Huan was able to dominate, and the princes of Jiuhe and the world were all planned by Guan Zhong.
Guan Zhong often said to people: "When I was initially poor, I used to do business with Bao Shuya, and I often wanted to take more money, but Bao Shuya did not think that I was greedy, and knew that my family was poor.
I once gave advice for Bao Shuya, and in the end things got worse, and Bao Shuya didn't think I was stupid, knowing that things depended on the timing, but the time had not yet come.
I have gone out to be an official several times, but I have been swept out by the monarch, and Bao Shuya does not think that I am not out of the house, knowing that I have not yet encountered the right opportunity.
Many times, when I was fighting, I escaped halfway, and Bao Shuya did not think that I was timid, knowing that there was an old mother in my family, and if she died easily, her mother would have no one to support.
After Gongzi Gui failed, the summons that I assisted Gongzi Gui with me also died, and I was imprisoned in prison and humiliated, and Bao Shuya did not look down on me at this time. I know that I am not informal, but I am afraid that I will not have merit in my body, so I will become famous in the world.
The parents who gave birth to me, the ones who know me, Bao Shuyaya. ”
After Bao Shuya recommended Guan Zhong, he was willing to be Guan Zhong's subordinate. Bao Shuya's descendants all served as high officials in the State of Qi, and more than ten generations of grandchildren had feudal titles, and their descendants were often well-known high-ranking officials of the State of Qi
People in the world do not praise Guan Zhong's talent very much, but they appreciate Bao Shuya's understanding of people and are also willing to recommend people's virtues.
After Guan Zhong became the minister of the State of Qi, he relied on such a small coastal country as the State of Qi to let goods circulate, so as to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and put the interests of the people first.
Therefore, in the book "Guan Zi", it is said: "There is grain in the warehouse, and then the people will know the etiquette; there is no worry about food and clothing, and the people will care about the rise and fall of honor and disgrace; the ruler's behavior is in accordance with the law, and the people will naturally abide by the law and maintain the program."
Etiquette, righteousness, and shame, the four dimensions of the country, cannot be carried forward, and the country will perish. The promulgation and implementation of government decrees is like flowing water through the plains, unobstructed, conforming to the will of the people, and the country can naturally become rich and strong and prosperous. ”
Therefore, I think that Guan Zhong's theory is popular and simple, and the laws are scarce, so it is easier to implement. Whatever the people want, they must seize the opportunity to meet their needs; and those things that the people do not approve of must be abolished.
During his time as a chancellor, Guan Zhong was very good at turning misfortune into happiness and defeat into victory, and was also good at sorting out the priorities of things and measuring the gains and losses of things.
Duke Huan of Qi had a lady, Cai Ji from the State of Cai, who once swung a boat on the lake and teased Duke Qi Huan. Qi Huangong stopped her, but did not listen; in a fit of rage, he temporarily drove Cai Ji back to Cai Guo, but did not completely sever ties.
After Cai Ji returned to China, the monarch remarried Cai Ji. Duke Huan of Qi was furious and planned to march south to attack the State of Cai.
However, Guan Zhong seized the opportunity, and after defeating the State of Cai, he continued to march south, attacking the State of Chu, asking the teachers for their guilt, and accusing the State of Chu of not paying tribute to the Zhou Dynasty and filtering wine during sacrifices.
Duke Huan of Qi originally planned to go north to Shanrong, but Guan Zhong took the opportunity to let the current monarch of the State of Yan, like the founding monarch of the State of Yan, rule the country with virtue and enshrine the Zhou Chamber.
Duke Huan of Qi and the State of Lu met in Kedi, and Duke Huan of Qi intended to renege on his covenant with Cao Mo and not return the land of the State of Lu; Guan Zhong advised Duke Huan of Qi to fulfill the agreement. The princely states then regarded the state of Qi as their hegemon.
Therefore, there is a saying: "If you want to take it, you must give it first, which is the secret of government." ”
Guan Zhong was richer than the royal family, and also married a woman who had been married three times, and also built a special platform for feasting and drinking, and the Qi people did not think that Guan Zhong was humiliated and extravagant.
After Guan Zhong's death, the State of Qi still governed the country according to the policies of his lifetime, and was stronger than other princely states. More than a hundred years later, the State of Qi had such a good minister as Yan Bao.
Yan Bao, a native of Donglai, Shandong. Throughout his life, he served the three monarchs of Qi Linggong, Qi Zhuanggong, and Qi Jinggong. Relying on frugality, everything that is practiced is valued by the Qi people.
After becoming the Minister of Qi, there was only one meat dish on the dinner table, and the wives and concubines did not wear good clothes.
In the courtroom, if the monarch asks him to give advice, Yan Bao will speak directly; if the monarch does not let him speak, he will act impartially.
If the monarch is a Ming Jun, Yan Bao will obey the order; if the monarch is a Ming Jun, Yan Bao will adapt to the situation.
Yan Baby relied on these characteristics to stand for three dynasties without falling, and his reputation was far-reaching.
Qi Guoxian's father Yue Shi was tied up by the servants and was about to be taken back to prison. When Baby Yan went out, he happened to meet him on the road, so he used a horse to atone for Yue Shi's father. Then, carrying Father Yueshi, he went home together.
Yue Shi's father did not thank him, and Yan Bao did not care about this matter anymore and walked into the inner chamber. After a while, Father YueShi asked to leave and cut off contact with Baby Yan.
Yan Baby was shocked, sorted out his clothes, apologized, and said: "Although I Am not a benevolent and righteous person, I want to save My Husband from imprisonment, why did Mr. Yan break off relations with me so quickly?" ”
Father Yue Shi said, "Not so. I have heard that every gentleman does not know himself well with his benefactor, but feels humiliated by helping him because of pity; he is very happy that he helps his benefactor because he knows himself.
Just now I was tied up in ropes, almost put in jail, and the people who arrested me didn't know me, so I don't blame them. Since Mr. Yan saved me, he must have known my character, so I regarded Mr. Yan as a confidant.
However, after Mr. Yan took me home, he hurried back to the inner room, which was extremely rude and obviously did not regard me as a confidant. Therefore, instead of being here with Mr. Yan and suffering from this nest, it is better to go back to prison. ”
After listening to it, Yan Bao suddenly realized that he would lead Father Yue Shi as a guest of honor.
When Yan Bao was the prime minister of the State of Qi, he once went out in a carriage, and the coachman's wife saw her husband through the crack in the door.
At this time, the coachman was driving a carriage for Yan Baby, with a large umbrella on his head, driving four horses with a horse whip, triumphantly, as if he was the Minister of Qi Guo, and did not pay attention to Yan Baby at all.
After returning home, the husband and wife asked for a divorce, and the driver asked: "What happened, why did the lady say this for no reason?" ”
His wife said: "Mr. Yan is less than six feet tall, but he has become the Minister of Qi And his reputation is far and wide. Even though Mr. Yan's status is so prominent now, when the concubine sees him go out today, his face is still very cautious, and he is still thinking about state affairs at any time, looking very humble.
Now you are an eight-foot-tall husband, but you are just a coachman, but your face is satisfied. I was so humiliated by marrying such an asspirant, self-aware man that I asked to leave. ”
From then on, the coachman began to restrain himself and be humble in everything. Yan Bao saw that the coachman's personality had changed greatly, felt very strange, and asked why. The coachman relayed his wife's words to Yan Bao. Yan Bao was very appreciative of the couple and recommended the coachman to be a high official.
Tai Shi Gong said: I read the articles in the "Guan Zi", "Herdsmen", "Mountain Height", "Riding Horses", "Light and Heavy", "Nine Houses", and the book "Yan Zi Chunqiu", which recorded in detail the thoughts and political achievements of Guan Zhong and Yan Bao.
After reading the two people's books, I wanted to see how the two of them handled people in their daily lives, so I wrote this biography for the two of them.
As for the books of the two men, they can be found everywhere, so they will not be repeated here, but only some trivia of the lives of the two people.
Guan Zhong, the world thinks that he is a sage, but Confucius looks down on Guan Zhong. Is it because of the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, since the Duke of Qi Huan is so virtuous, Guan Zhong does not persuade him to be called king and emperor, but only to help Qi Huan to dominate?
There is a saying that says: "The beauty of adulthood is the evil of saving people, so the monarchs and the people are happy with themselves, and they are like a family." Isn't this sentence about Guan Zhong?
After Cui Zhu killed the Duke of Qizhuang, Yan Bao walked in, lay on the corpse of the Duke of Qizhuang and wept bitterly, and only left after performing the courtesy of the king. At the risk of being killed by Cui Zhu, Yan Bao also wanted to worship Duke Zhuang of Qi, how could he be said to be a person who "saw righteousness and did not act courageously"?
As for Yan Bao's courage to speak out and even make the monarch unhappy, this is the so-called "thinking of loyalty when going to the dynasty, and thinking about how to make up for mistakes after retiring from the dynasty." ”
If Mr. Yan Bao is still alive, I will be satisfied even if I work as a coachman for him.