090 Two peaches kill three soldiers Qi Jinggong had long wanted to replace Jin as the leader of the princes. This idea has been running in his mind for more than twenty years. In the past, when King Ling of Chu attacked Chen and Cai (531 BC), Cai Wei went to the Central Plains to

090 Two peaches kill three scholars

Qi Jinggong had long wanted to replace Jin Kingdom as the leader of the princes. This idea has been running in his mind for more than twenty years. In the past, when King Ling of Chu was attacking Chen and Cai (in 531 BC), Cai Wei went to Zhongyuan to ask for help, but the princes were afraid of Chu and did not dare to send troops. At that time, Qi Jinggong sent people to the Chu Kingdom to inspect it, hoping to see how powerful this "barbarian kingdom" was. Yan Pingzhong was the one who went to Chu State with this mission. The kings and ministers of Chu State heard that Qi State had sent envoys to visit here, and they deliberately wanted to insult him and show off the prestige of Chu State. They knew that Yan Pingzhong was a short man, so they opened a hole about five feet high next to the city gate and asked him to get in through this hole. Yan Pingzhong could speak. He said: "This is a dog cave, not a city gate. If I come to the 'dog country', I have to go through the dog cave. If I come to visit the 'human country', I should go through the city gate." Go in through the door. I'll wait here for a while, and I'll ask you to find out first what kind of country Chu is." The man in charge of the city gate immediately told King Chu Ling what Yan Pingzhong said. King Chu Ling had no choice but to order people to open the city gate and welcome him in. The waiters said many unpleasant things to ridicule Yan Pingzhong. Unexpectedly, he dismissed them all, and they no longer dared to open their mouths.

King Chu Ling met Yan Pingzhong and joked with him: "Is there no one in Qi?" Yan Pingzhong said: "What are you talking about? Linzi is already crowded with people: everyone wants to laugh together. A breath can turn into a cloud; a wipe of sweat can cause a shower of rain; a walking person rubs his shoulders; when he stops, the people behind him will step on his heels. How can the king say that there is no one in Qi? ?" King Chu Ling said, "Then, why did I send you here?" When Yan Pingzhong heard this, he felt angry and ridiculous. He replied: "There is a rule in our country: when visiting a high-level country, send high-level people there; when visiting a low-level country, send low-level people. I am the least promising, so I am sent here." He smiled deliberately, and King Chu Ling had no choice but to laugh along with him.

When it was time to sit down to eat, the warriors dragged a prisoner down the hall. King Ling of Chu asked them: "What crime did the prisoner commit? Where is he from?" The warrior replied: "He is a bandit, from Qi!" King Chu Ling turned around and said to Yan Pingzhong with a smile: "Why are people from Qi so so? You have no future and are doing this?" Yan Pingzhong said: "Why doesn't the king know? The tangerines in Jiangnan are big and sweet, but when they are grown in Huaibei, they become tangerines. , small and sour. Why do mandarin oranges turn into goose oranges? Isn’t it because of the different soil and water conditions? For the same reason, people from Qi State who worked well in Qi State became bandits when they arrived in Chu State. For the sake of water and soil." The kings and ministers of Chu felt that they were no match for Yan Pingzhong, and they all respected him instead.

Yan Pingzhong came back from Chu and said to Qi Jinggong: "Although Chu has many soldiers and horses, it does not have great talents. We have nothing to fear from them. My lord just needs to put the country in order and care for the people. There is one more thing. "You must promote talented people and stay away from villains." Qi Jinggong agreed with his words, but he messed up the phrase "promoting talented people." He thought that strong men who loved fighting were talents. He only knew how to promote the rank of Hercules. In this way, Yan Pingzhong became worried for Qi State.

One day, Lu Zhaogong ① came to visit Qi in person. Qi Jinggong wished that Lu State would leave Jin State and join Qi State. This was a special treat for him. While they were sitting at the banquet, Duke Zhao of Lu had his uncle Sun She present as a presenter, and Duke Jinggong of Qi had Yan Pingzhong as a presenter. The four kings and ministers were sitting in the hall. Standing under the hall were three powerful men favored by Qi Jinggong. They stood there as if in demonstration. Yan Pingzhong felt very uncomfortable when he saw the three of them looking so proud and triumphant. They were simply arrogant and arrogant. He has always treated such warriors as roughnecks.Qi Jinggong regards this kind of rough guy as a great talent. Who would be willing to come with a real talent? Yan Pingzhong wanted to get rid of these warriors and then recommend truly talented people. While the two monarchs were drinking, Yan Pingzhong had an idea. He reported to the superior and said: "The peach tree that my lord has planted for several years has produced peaches this year. I want to pick a few and give them to the two monarchs to taste. Is it accurate?" Qi Jinggong asked. Send someone to pick it. Yan Pingzhong said: "I will go and watch the gardener pick it myself." After a while, he was holding a wooden tray with six peaches in it, with red and green skin and a puddle of water in it. It's almost coming out. Qi Jinggong asked him: "Are these just a few?" He said: "There are still a few that are not very familiar, so I picked these six." Qi Jinggong asked Yan Pingzhong to pour wine and give orders. Yan Pingzhong presented a peach to Duke Zhao of Lu and one to Duke Jin of Qi. He also filled the glasses with wine and said, "The peach is as big as a bucket and is rare in the world. If the two monarchs eat it, they will live together forever!" The two monarchs drank the wine and ate it. When I saw the peach, everyone said it tasted good. Qi Jinggong said: "It is not easy to eat this peach. Uncle Sun is a very wise doctor and is famous all over the world. This time I have made a gift to you, so I should eat a peach." Uncle Sun She knelt and said, "I don't dare to do this. Xiang Guo Yan Zi is really wise and wise in his domestic politics and admired by foreign princes. His merits are not small. This peach should be given to Xiang Guo. "Qi Jinggong said: "You two have made great contributions, and each of you will give me a cup of wine. , a peach." The two ministers were ordered to eat and drink. Yan Pingzhong said: "There are still two left. I think it is better for your lord to ask all the ministers to tell their merits. Whoever has the greatest merit will be rewarded." Qi Jinggong ordered the people to pass on the order, saying: "The ministers in the hall If anyone among them feels that he has made too great a contribution, he can just show it to his face and let the Prime Minister judge him, and give him a peach to try. "

Among the three strong men favored by Qi Jinggong, there is one. The man named Gongsun Jie took a step forward and said: "I followed my lord to Tongshan for hunting, and suddenly a tiger came and rushed towards my lord. I quickly went up and killed the tiger and saved my lord. That's all. I should have a peach for this, right?" Yan Pingzhong said: "You saved my lord's life, this is really a big contribution." He turned to Qi Jinggong and said, "please give him a glass of wine. A peach." Gongsun Jie quickly thanked him, drank the wine in one gulp, and went down eating the peach.

Another strong man named Guyezi said recklessly: "What's the big deal about beating a tiger? When I followed my lord across the Yellow River , I met an old turtle. It suddenly killed the lord's body. The horse bit him and dragged him into the water. I jumped into the water and fought hard for a long time. When I got there, I killed the turtle and rescued the master's horse. Isn't this considered a credit? " Qi Jinggong interrupted and said, "If it hadn't been for him that day, I wouldn't have even lived! Eat, eat!" Yan Pingzhong gave him a peach and poured him a cup of wine.

The third strongman Tian Kaijiang ran up angrily and shouted: "I once followed the order of my lord to fight Xu Kingdom . It doesn't count that I killed the general of Xu Kingdom, but I also caught him. More than 500 enemies frightened Xu State into surrendering quickly, and even neighboring Tan State and Ju State surrendered to us. Isn’t this worthy of a peach?” Yan Pingzhong said: “Like you. Serving the country and helping the lord conquer the country is a greater contribution than killing the tiger. Unfortunately, I have finished eating the peaches. I will reward you with a cup of wine." Qi Jinggong said: "You have the greatest contribution. , But you said it too late." Tian Kaijiang said angrily: "What's so strange about killing tigers and killing turtles? I went thousands of miles away to bring glory to the country, but I didn't eat anything and was embarrassed in front of the two kings. , What dignity do I have to stand here?" The old man pulled out his sword and wiped his neck.

Gongsun Jie was shocked. He said: "I deprived Tian Kaijiang of his reward for killing the tiger, and I really feel ashamed. If I were alive, how could I be worthy of Tian Kaijiang?" As he spoke, he also committed suicide.Guyezi shouted loudly: "The three of us are friends in adversity, brothers who live and die together. It's so shameful for me to live alone!" He also committed suicide. Every time Qi Jinggong hurriedly called for people to stop him, he didn't have time.

Lu Zhaogong was stunned. He stood up apologetically and said: "I heard that these three warriors are world-famous talents. I didn't expect that they would commit suicide today because of these two peaches. It would be such a pity. Even I feel very uneasy in my heart." ." Qi Jinggong sighed and said nothing. Yan Pingzhong said as if nothing was wrong: "Although such warriors are useful, they are not great talents. If three die today, thirty will come tomorrow. A few more or a few less, it doesn't matter. We still have Let's have a drink." After Lu Zhaogong left, Qi Jinggong asked Yan Pingzhong, "You have spoken big words in front of Lu Hou, and you have finally preserved the prestige of Qi. But where can I find such a warrior?" Said: "I want to recommend someone, who is sure to be worthy of these three people." Qi Jinggong asked anxiously: "Who is it? Go and invite him quickly!"

[Comment]

The original story of "Two Peach Kills Three Scholars" In " Yanzi Chunqiu ", it is intended to highlight Yanzi's cleverness and wit. But in fact, Yanzi killed three warriors of Qi through an insidious little plan. It was not a glorious thing to say, and it did not benefit the country or himself. On the contrary, the previous story of Yan Zi's mission to Chu shows that he is resourceful, brave, neither humble nor arrogant, and safeguards the interests of the motherland, which is really worthy of praise. I remember that the story " Yan Zi made Chu " was included in Chinese textbooks before. I wonder if it is still there today? In addition to Yanzi's wit, it also tells us a more basic truth, that is, insulting others is insulting yourself. Insulting others without being insulted is just because others are not sharp or generous enough. So remember the old saying, treat others well and treat yourself well.

Zhuge Liang's "Liang Fu Yin" chants about this incident: "Stepping out of the east gate of Qi, looking into the Dangyin Lane. There are three tombs inside, and they are similar. Whose tomb is it? Tian Jiang Gu Yezi. Li Neng Pai Nanshan, Wen Neng Ji Ji. In one dynasty, two peaches killed three soldiers! "Obviously, Mr. Kong Ming is aggrieved by the three warriors." The Qing Dynasty poet Cui Xiangyu's "Tomb of Three Scholars" is very different from Zhuge Liang's point of view: "Although warriors are excellent but weak in intelligence, their fame and heart attach too much importance to their body and body. The combination of ritual and extension will eventually lead to chaos, Zhuge Why should you laugh Yan Ying "It's normal for different people to have different starting points, different times, and different opinions. There is no need to have unified thoughts on all things. This is obviously impossible to achieve. Seeking common ground while reserving differences is the fundamental way to solve problems.

The whole book is now exactly halfway through, and it is about the historical moment of the late Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States Period . This was a period when domestic thinkers, military strategists, and politicians emerged in large numbers. From the perspective of China's overall historical and national conditions, it is not conducive to the emergence of scientists, artists, and architects, but more conducive to the emergence of politicians and military strategists. Therefore, this period of history can be said to be an essential period of Chinese history. Understanding this period of history will definitely be of great benefit to understanding Chinese culture. Yanzi himself was a great politician, and he was also a great military strategist. "Sima Fa" was a famous military book sent to him. Let's see how he made Qi strengthen its army.

①The son of Lu Aigong, The grandson of Lu Chenggong

②Equivalent to the best man

③In Tancheng County, Shandong Province, Tantan was twice

091 Rectifying discipline

Yan Pingzhong said to Qi Jinggong: "I know that there is a man in Qi who is both civil and military. , His name is Tian Ranju. He is living in seclusion. The Lord plans to restore the career of the late king Huan Gong. "Qi Jinggong complained to him and said, "Since you know that there is such a person, why didn't you invite him earlier?" Said: "When talented people come to work, they must not only choose their masters, but also their colleagues.How can a person like Rang Ju work with those warriors who are just brave enough to do anything? "Qi Jinggong was still thinking about those three warriors. The more Yan Pingzhong said that they were not good, the more Qi Jinggong felt that he was biased. This made him suspicious of his words. Unexpectedly, a spy from his own country came in and reported: “The State of Jin heard that three of our warriors had died, so it sent troops to invade our borders and captured several cities. Yanguo also took advantage of this time to invade. "Qi Jinggong asked Yan Pingzhong to go and invite Rangju immediately.

Rangju met Qi Jinggong, and the monarch and his ministers talked happily. Qi Jinggong worshiped him as a general and sent 500 military chariots to resist Jin and Yan. Rangju He hesitated in his heart and did not dare to move. He knew that the soldiers of Qi had a big problem, which was that they did not follow discipline. When Qi Jinggong saw that he seemed inconvenient to speak, he asked him what was wrong with him and said, "I am a countryman." If an old man suddenly takes over the military power and becomes a general, some people will inevitably be dissatisfied. Besides, the most important thing in the army is to have a constitution. If there is no constitution, if someone thinks that they have contributed and made merit in the first place and do not obey military orders, then the whole army will be prone to chaos. If the lord can send a trusted and capable minister to serve as a supervisor, then I can rest assured. "Qi Jinggong sent his closest doctor Zhuang Jia to serve as a supervisor.

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About the author

Mr. Lin Handa (1900-1972), a native of Cixi, Zhejiang, a famous educator and linguist and historian. He graduated from Shanghai Zhijiang University in 1924. In 1937, he went to study at Colorado State University in the United States, where he studied in the Department of Public Education and received a master's degree. At the end of 1945, he co-sponsored the establishment of the China Association for the Promotion of Democracy with Ma Xulun and others. He was elected as the executive director. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as professor and provost of Yanjing University, and deputy minister of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Mr. Lin Handa has been engaged in research and writing since the 1920s, and has written extensively. His works on education include "Challenge to Traditional Education" and "A Lecture on the History of Western Education"; on character reform and , there are "The Way Out of Chinese Pinyin Characters" and "Organization of Chinese Pinyin Characters"; popular history There are more than 60 reading materials in total, including "Up and Down Five Thousand Years", "New Collection of Stories from the Eastern Zhou Dynasties", "New Collection of Stories from the Later and Later Han Dynasties", "Stories of the Three Kingdoms", etc., which is an extremely precious cultural heritage, especially his. Popular historical books, popular with generations of young readers