During the Spring and Autumn Period, Yan Zi, a famous minister of Qi State, was ordered to govern East Afghanistan. At the beginning of his tenure, Yan Zi made a field investigation, understood the people's feelings, made plans, personally directed the construction of roads, reclaimed wasteland, maintained social order, purified folk customs, punished lazy and wicked people, and was neither humble nor supercilious ... After three years of careful governance, East Afghanistan has achieved social stability, economic development and people's happiness and prosperity. At this time, many people complained that Yan Zi had poor governance and no political achievements, and there were still such problems. So I summoned Yan Zi and scolded him, saying, I thought you were talented and sent you to govern Dong 'a, but the more you treat Dong 'a, the more chaotic you are. I'm really disappointed. I can only dismiss you. Yan Zi didn't argue, but asked Qi Jinggong to give him another chance to govern Dong 'e. If the governance was not good, he would die for it. Gong Jing agreed to his request.
In the following three years, Yan Zi did not build roads, regardless of directors, and did not punish lazy politicians. He decided to finalize the case in prison, protect the strongmen, and even engage in graft, deceiving his superiors and deceiving his subordinates, but the voice of praise spread all over the country. When Gong Jing heard the praise, he personally greeted Yan Zi and congratulated him: You managed Dong 'a very well! Yan Zi replied: In the past, I ruled East Afghanistan, blocked roads, closed back doors, and people who did evil were very unhappy; I reward hardworking and filial people and punish thieves and bad people. Lazy people are unhappy. I am not partial to strongmen, who are very unhappy. People around me beg me to do something. I will do it if it is legal, and I will refuse if it is illegal. You are very unhappy on both sides; I don't serve the dignitaries outside the etiquette, and the dignitaries are unhappy. Evil people, lazy people, powerful people speak ill of me outside, you have both ends, and powerful people speak ill of me inside. For three years, bad words filled your ears. Later, I carefully changed my policy, not blocking the road or closing the back door, which made the villains happy; Lazy people are willing not to reward diligent and filial people, and not to punish thieves and bad people; When solving a case, please the strongman, and the strongman is very happy; You asked me to do things on both sides, and I agreed. Your left and right sides are happy. Serving the dignitaries went beyond etiquette, and the dignitaries were very happy. So three evils speak well of me outside, and two evils speak well of me inside. For three years, good things filled my ears. In fact, what I used to blame should be rewarded, and what I reward now should be punished. Therefore, I dare not accept your reward. Say that finish, bye bye, and then leave.
Gong Jing quickly apologized to Yan Zi and said, You'd better continue to try your best to govern Dong 'e! I will stop interfering. From then on, Gong Jing trusted Yan Zi more and gave him more power.
From the above story, we can see at least three points. First, the King of Qi has the final say and lacks a rigorous evaluation mechanism. Even if there are left and right ministers, the opinions of a few people fail to fully reflect public opinion. The second is to be confused by superficial phenomena. The King of Qi seemed to draw a conclusion based on public opinion, but he was victimized by greed for words because he didn't make an in-depth investigation. When Yan Zi's achievements were outstanding, he was rated as incompetent. When his achievements were average, he was rated as excellent. Third, policies that conform to benevolence, righteousness and morality cannot withstand great pressure and are forced to change into hidden rules. These three points constitute the classic model of institutional change, which is a historical humor and a mockery of history.
In the first three years of Yan Zi's administration, ordinary people still had to pay taxes, but they had food and clothing. Yan Zi paid taxes reasonably, and the people were willing, which won the praise of the people, but lost the support and communication of their partners in officialdom. Therefore, it is not recognized by Qi Jinggong.
In his second three years in power, Yan Zi changed his ways. Ordinary people still pay taxes, but the taxes have increased so much that after they pay taxes, there is nothing left. As for half of them, they are hungry, but they have greatly filled their partners in officialdom.
In fact, it's just like the food chain in nature: big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, and shrimp eat mud. The common people are shrimps, who live on microorganisms in the soil. Yan Zi's official partner is a small fish who lives by the people. However, the growth and reproduction speed of shrimp is fixed. As long as the food is not eaten too much and does not exceed the reproduction speed and quantity of shrimp, then this food can still be maintained, which is also reasonable. Mencius said that without a gentleman, you can't cure a savage, and without a savage, you can't raise a gentleman. People who cure diseases eat people, and people who cure diseases eat people, which means this.
Because Yan Zi understands this truth, the first governance of Dong 'a is a phenomenon, and the second governance of Dong 'an is another phenomenon. This paper compares these two phenomena for Qi Jinggong and tells Qi Jinggong that only those who are beneficial to the country love them and those who are harmful to the country hate them can the world be peaceful and the people be harmonious.
To tell Liu how to govern the country well by dividing it into two categories, without provoking, has achieved the expected effect, and made it clear that governing the country is like judging a person. To judge whether a person is loyal and virtuous, we should not rely on personal likes and dislikes and hearsay, but should evaluate objectively, fairly and accurately, so as to distinguish right from wrong and be a man of insight.
Second, the plot is ingenious, and the peach is used to kill people in the 7th century BC, China, a vassal state. At that time, there were three warriors in Qi, Tian Kaijiang, Gu Yezi and Gong Sunjie. They are brave and good at fighting, known as the Three Warriors, and are very popular in Qi Jinggong. Over time, these three warriors became arrogant, not to mention contradicting ordinary ministers, even Gong Jing dared to contradict them. Because they are brave, but they have no brains and are not loyal to the monarch. If they are used to incite, it will be a great disaster.
Yan Ying, the prime minister of Qi, was very worried when he saw the expansion of evil forces. For the sake of national stability, Yan Ying decided to look for opportunities to get rid of these three warriors. But as a scholar, how can we kill the three warriors that Gong Jing trusted? One day, King Lu, a neighboring country of Qi, visited, and the King of Qi hosted a banquet for them and their party in the palace. Yan Ying, the Three Warriors, and officials from civil and military departments all attended. Yan Ying had an idea when she saw the arrogance of the Three Warriors. Halfway through the banquet, Yan Ying invited Gong Jing to pick some peaches in Gong Jing's garden to entertain the guests, and the king agreed. So Yan Ying went to the garden behind the palace and picked six peaches. The kings of the two countries each ate one of these six peaches, and the prime ministers of the two countries each ate one, leaving two at last. Duke Jing of Jin announced the three of them, and then asked the slaves to serve them two fresh peaches on a plate. He said to them, "Three Ai Qing, you are all my beloved Hercules, and I want to reward you. But today, the slaves are picking peaches in the back garden, and there are only two left. I want to give them to the three of you, and two of them have contributed the most. Let's start doing better than yourselves! "
Two peaches killed three scholars.
Qi Jinggong's words had just finished when the Warrior Palace first stood up and said, "When I was hunting with the king, I personally killed a tiger and lifted the siege of the king. Is this a great contribution? Yan Ying said: This contribution is great and should be rewarded. So, the king rewarded GongSunJie with a peach, and GongSunJie immediately showed a smug smile.
Dried cattle with Tiankai sauce
Tian Kaijiang, the second warrior among the three warriors, saw this and stood up and said that it was nothing to kill a tiger. When my master was besieged by the enemy, I fought back with a weapon in my hand twice before I rescued him. Because of my work, I can also eat a fresh peach alone without sharing it with others! Hearing this, the king thought he was right, so he gave the remaining peaches to the second warrior.
At this time, the last ancient Yoko in the Three Warriors could not sit still. He came forward and said, I once crossed the Yellow River with the king. A giant fish bit the left horse and dragged it into the whirlpool at the foot of the mainstay mountain. I dived into the river, chased a hundred steps upstream, chased a few miles downstream, caught the giant fish and killed it. The left hand grabbed the tail of the left horse, and the right hand held the fish head, jumping out of the water like a crane. The boatman at the ferry said,' The Yellow River Water God is out!' When they looked carefully, it turned out that I had lifted the fish head. A mainstay like me can also eat a fresh peach alone without sharing one with others! The king was very helpless and comforted him, saying that your contribution was really great, but you said it too late. There are no peaches. I'll reward you next time.
Tian Kaijiang won't listen. He felt left out by the country, insulted and angry in full view. He drew his sword and died on the spot. Seeing this, Gong, the first warrior, drew his sword and said, It's really unreasonable that I am rewarded with little merit and General Tian with high merit. While speaking, he also committed suicide with his sword. At this time, Tian Kaijiang, the remaining soldier, jumped out and said, The three of us once swore to live and die together. Today, they both died. How can a person live? Say that finish, also committed suicide.
While speaking, all three samurai committed suicide. Qi Jinggong couldn't even stop it, and the guests were dumbfounded. With his wisdom, Yan Ying killed three brave warriors with only two peaches, cleverly eliminating the hidden dangers of the country.
From the case, the key to deal with these four people is to disintegrate their alliance, and the best way is to create contradictions between them. Yang Bin, a successful personality scientist, once said: Most contradictions and conflicts in life stem from our personality. Character determines fate. In real life, we often see such a situation:
Some people can face each other with a calm mind no matter how provocative others are, so as not to fall into each other's trap, while others can't stand the provocation of others, and they get angry when others say it, and finally fall into the trap set by each other, and it's too late to regret it. The latter belongs to the kind of person who is indomitable and easily overwhelmed by emotions. This kind of person is often prone to failure, because as long as the other party cleverly plots, he can be used to achieve his goals and even get rid of himself. From the above story, we can see that Yan Zi killed them impulsively with three military commanders.
In this story, Yan Ying was able to kill three martial arts masters with two peaches, relying on his clear understanding of their personality defects, perfect application and his slight means to promote the development of the incident. It can be seen that when we meet a powerful opponent, we should not confront him head-on, because the result can only be a complete defeat, but we should know ourselves and skillfully use each other's shortcomings to achieve our goals.
Three. Governing the country with courtesy and reducing taxes Yan Zisheng was a famous thinker and politician when slavery collapsed and feudalism emerged. His thought of clean government is embodied in his thought of loving the people. He emphasized that morality is higher than loving the people, and deeds are thicker than sharing happiness with the people: the monarch is hungry for civilians who can't take their money, and often makes them suffer, strictly listens to their prisons, and punishes them bitterly; We should observe the sufferings of ordinary people, know their hunger when they are full, know their cold when they are warm, and know their labor when they are idle. We should spread the wealth of hundreds of officials and help the people.
One year it rained in Qi for 17 days, and the flood disaster was serious. Qi Jinggong turned a blind eye to this, still drinking and having fun day and night, and sent people everywhere to look for singers. Yan Zi repeatedly called for relief for the victims, but Gong Jing refused. Yan Zi distributed the food of his family to the victims. Put chariots, horses, utensils, etc. Put it on the roadside for people to use at will. Before I left, I went to see Gong Jing and said, "People can't be short, cold can't be brown, and hunger can't spoil chaff." But "If you don't show mercy" and "People can't protect themselves, isn't it pitiful?" Then, I left angrily. Therefore, Qi Jinggong ordered the warehouse to be opened to help the victims.
Yan Zi opposed the extravagance and waste of the rulers and advocated good governance and tax reduction. He shouted loudly that the extravagance and corruption of the rulers are the enemies of the people, which will lead to people's rebellion and the monarch who offends the people will be punished by the people. Qi Jinggong came to Machu and asked the seal man how old he was. The seal told him: 85 years old. Gong Jing said: How long will you live! Please bless me! The national seal wishes him a long and healthy life first, which is beneficial to the country and Gong Jing is not satisfied; I once again wished his descendants a long life, but Gong Jing was still not satisfied, so he said, "You didn't offend the people." . Gong Jing was very unhappy and said, Only the people have offended the monarch. Which monarch has offended the people? Yan Zi chimed in that the monarch was wrong. Aren't you killed by the people?
Qi Jinggong awarded Yanzi Pingyin and Yi one or two big cities. Yan Zi politely declined to say: Our king likes to build palaces, but the people's physical strength is limited, and they no longer have the strength to bear these; Kings like to have fun and dress up their women beautifully, and the people have no extra money to pay for it. The king likes to prove his strength by fighting, and the people worry about whether they can survive today every day. Let the people run out of physical strength and money, close to death, which is what the people hate most! That's why I dare not accept the reward. Gong Jing said: It doesn't matter, but don't gentlemen want to be rich and noble? Yan Zi said: I heard that the minister is king first, then for himself; Settle the country before considering the family; Why don't you want to be rich and noble when you let the king ascend the throne behind you and abdicate? Gong Jing asked: In that case, what should I give you? Yan Zi took this opportunity to offer him three conditions as a reward, including tax and punishment. Relax the tax on fish salt, only check the checkpoints and markets without taxation, and only collect one-tenth of the tax on aquaculture. If the punishment is a capital crime, it will be reduced to fixed-term imprisonment, if it is fixed-term imprisonment, it will be reduced to fixed-term imprisonment, and if it is a punishment, it will be pardoned. Yan Zi said: If the master can do these three things, it will be the greatest reward for the minister, which is also the interest of the monarch.
In Yan Zi's view, people are eager to reduce taxes, because only in this way can they have enough food and clothing; The king does not show his dignity and strength by fighting, which is also the wish of the people, because only by living in a place where there is no smoke can he live in peace, without worrying about his loved ones dying on the battlefield all the time; The king is abusing labor and financial resources again, which is also the wish of the people. On the premise of the people's needs, Yan Zi ruled the country with courtesy, called a spade a spade, hit his face, and pointed out that the king was dissolute and indulgent, which made the people very disgusted; He affirmed that he should be a priest first, then himself and his country, and then his family. Everywhere for the sake of the people, put forward specific methods and requirements of lenient punishment, saving the ban, loving the people and caring for the public. However, in the end, Yan Zi's opinion was actually adopted by Qi Jinggong.
As the ancients said, sincerity is in the middle and shape is outside. Treat people with courtesy in words, and the core is sincere respect for others. Everyone wants to be respected by others. It's worth it to be polite! Regarding governing the country by courtesy, let's see how Yan Zi did it.
First of all, respect the people of China and influence them with practical actions.
Gong Jing once asked Yan Zi about Anbang's way of governing the country, but Yan Ying didn't answer him immediately, because Yan Ying knew better than anyone that a powerful king wanted to hear his affirmation, not his criticism. However, Yan Ying didn't want to lie. He lost his credit in front of everyone. Therefore, he accompanied Gong Jing on a private visit. First, they went to a shoe store. Gong Jing was puzzled when he saw that many people bought fake feet, but few people bought shoes. After hearing this, the shopkeeper said: Now the monarch is easy to punish people. People who cut off their feet only buy artificial limbs, and even fewer people don't buy shoes. Along the way, Gong Jing saw low and shabby houses and sallow and emaciated people, and many people were begging. Gong Jing looks very depressed. Yan Zi took the opportunity to persuade Gong Jing to be benevolent, telling the truth that morality is higher than loving the people and behavior is thicker than entertaining the people. In this way, Yan Ying praised Qi Jinggong without breaking his promise to the people or offending the king. This shows Yan Ying's patriotism and love for the people.
Secondly, set an example and follow the etiquette.
Since ancient times, you have to get some tribute for the reward given by your superiors, even if it is intercepted halfway. However, some people set an example and are strict with etiquette. Even if they are rewarded by their superiors, they suggest applying them to the people. This person is known as Yan Zi.
Third, always remind the king to strictly observe etiquette in order to govern the country.
Once, Qi Jinggong held a banquet. When he arrived at a happy place, he said to the ministers: Please drink to your heart's content and make yourself at home! However, Yan Ying went against Qi Jinggong's wishes and persuaded Qi Jinggong. However, Qi Jinggong wouldn't listen. Finally, Ying attacked the child's shield with the child's spear. Let Qi Jinggong know that a country without etiquette is like a fragmented law, which cannot be unified.
Since ancient times, few people can disregard their own lives and kings for the stability of the people, and Yan Zi is one of them. His courage and strategy have amazed countless people!
In Historical Records, China's greatest historical work in ancient times, the author's history records a witty and brave diplomatic envoy, who came to Qi in the 6th century BC. The story about Yan Zi is widely circulated in China. This is the story of his mission to Chu.
Yan Zi sent an envoy to Chu. The monarch and ministers of Chu wanted to make fun of Yan Zi to show the prestige of Chu State. They knew that Yanzi was short, so they opened a small hole next to the city gate to let Yanzi enter the city from this small hole.
Knowing that the king of Chu was trying to tease him, Yan Zi flatly refused, saying, This is a dog hole, not a city gate. People who go to the dog country go in through the dog hole. Today I am the ambassador to Chu, not a dog country. Excuse me, did I come to the dog country or Chu State? After listening to his words, the official who entertained Yan Zi had to ask Yan Zi to enter through the gate.
Having said this, can the king of Chu still let him enter through the small door? That's not insulting yourself. As a last resort, the king of Chu can only order people to open the door and let Yan Zi enter through it.
In order to insult Yan Zi, the King of Chu let Yan Zi enter through a small door, hoping to see the embarrassment that Yan Zi was angry but could not attack. However, Yan Zi let him down. He only said: I didn't go to the dog hole until I got to the dog country. Now that I am the ambassador to Chu, I shouldn't go to the dog gate. Seeing his short stature, the king of Chu laughed at the fact that there was no one in Qi, but wisely replied: I am the most stupid and incompetent envoy, so I was sent to Chu. Cleverly hit back at the king of Chu, saying that Chu was an inferior country.
After Yan Zi went in, he visited the King of Chu. The king of Chu deliberately asked: Is it because there is no one else in Qi that you were sent here?
Yan zi's mission
Yan Zi replied: What are you talking about! There are seven or eight thousand families in Linzi, the capital of Qi. If the pedestrians in the street open their sleeves, they can cover the sky; If everyone shakes a sweat, it will gather into a heavy rain, and people will be crowded side by side, and their toes will touch their heels. Your Majesty, why do you say that there is no one in Qi?
The king of Chu then asked, in that case, why did he send you to visit?
Yan Zi replied unhurriedly, "We are very particular about sending envoys to Qi. We send smart and capable people to countries with high moral standards. For those stupid and incompetent envoys, send them to those abrasive countries. I am the most stupid and incompetent envoy, so I was sent to Chu. Yan Zi's words made the ministers of Chu, who had intended to tease him, look at each other and remain speechless for a long time.
After this visit, Yan Zi went to Chu again. When the King of Chu heard that Yan Zi was coming, he said to the ministers around him: Yan Ying is good at talking in Qi. Now that (he) is here, I want to humiliate him. what can I do?
The courtier replied: When Yan Zi came, I asked two soldiers to tie a man and walk in front of the king. The king asked, "Whose tie is this?" The soldier replied, "Qi people." The king asked again, "Why did you tie him up?" The soldier said, "because he stole something." King Chu thought it was a good idea to humiliate Yan Zi, so he arranged it this way.
Yan Zi came to the State of Chu, and the King of Chu gave him a banquet. While drinking, two soldiers tied a man to see the king of Chu. The king of Chu asked, what do the tied people do?
The soldier replied: He is a Qi native and committed theft.
The king of Chu deliberately looked at Yan Zi and said, "Are Qi people good at stealing?
Yan Zi stood up from the table and said seriously, I heard that there is something that grows in Qi State and can bear delicious fruit. It grows in the state of Chu. Although its branches and leaves look the same as those planted in Qi State, the fruit is rotten. The reason is that the soil and water are different. Now this man didn't steal when he was in Qi, but he learned to steal when he arrived in Chu. Does the soil and water of Chu make people good at stealing?
For an ordinary person, this kind of rhetoric will make the other person immediately embarrassed and at a loss. However, it is not an ordinary person who faces this situation, but an extraordinary Yan Zi. Yan Zi unhurriedly hit back at the king of Chu with a plant, saying that the soil and water in Chu is not good, and neither is the soil and water in Chu. In this way, Yan Zi once again escaped Yan Zi's insult.
After listening to Yan Zi's retort, the King of Chu admitted with a wry smile: A saint can't joke with him. I'm asking for bad luck.
There is a poem about the farmer transplanting rice seedlings: putting green seedlings in the field with his hands, he looks down at the water in the sky; Physical and mental purity is the way, and retrogression is the way forward. People who study hope to go to high school one day; People who do business hope to get rich. So they are desperate to move forward for their own goals and interests, even if they hit a wall. If you know how to take a step back and take a detour at this time, there will still be other broader spaces in this world, just as the ancients said: take a step back and think about it.
Therefore, if a person wants to behave himself, he must be modest and polite, and if he wants to succeed in his career, he must know how to retreat and make progress. The engine uses the backward power, but triggers more kinetic energy; The more compressed the air, the greater the explosive force; Soldiers fight, sometimes they have to detour and turn around to win; Many times, if we want to achieve something, we must bow our heads instead of crawling forward to succeed. In the above story, Yan Zi used this method to let the king of Chu deal with him as he deals with you. Talking and laughing, freely waving wine, both principled and flexible; It can also be typical of China's wit, which neither grows the ambition of the other party, but also uses the rude jokes of the other party to retreat and let the people who insult others humiliate themselves. Sima Qian once said: I would be surprised if I gave Yan Zi a false order. Sima Qian worships Yan Zi very much, and even wants to be his slave and whip him. You can imagine Yan Zi's character.
Five, clean and thrifty, repeatedly refused to give "Historical Records Biography of Yan Guan" records: Yanping Zhongying, Lai Zhiyiwei also. In the matter of Qi and Zhuang Gonghe, frugality is more important than Qi. Me and I don't care about meat, and we don't care about clothes and silks. It is in the DPRK, and if you say it, it means that it is not as good as it is dangerous. State-owned Tao means obeying life, while no Tao means balancing life. In this way, the third world became famous to the princes.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the slave owners and nobles lived a very decadent life with the privilege of being secular leaders, and luxury prevailed. Although Yan Ying is an assistant minister, she strongly advocates frugality, trying to eat meat instead of clothes and silks, and is praised by Qi people for frugality.
Yan Ying usually wears coarse clothes. Even if he worships his ancestors, he just washes his clothes and puts on his hat. A fox fur coat is only worn when going abroad or attending a grand ceremony, and it has been worn for more than 30 years. Daily rough tea and light rice, dinner is just brown rice, only one meat and two vegetables. According to records, one day, when Yan Ying was about to have lunch, Qi Jinggong sent someone to see him. Yan Ying divided her meal into two parts and invited people to lunch. After Gong Jing knew it, he sighed and said, "Guo Xiang's family is too poor!" ! Say that finish, immediately ordered to send Yan Ying gold two hundred, as his reception expenses. I didn't expect Yan Ying to refuse to accept it, so I called someone to bring it back. Gong Jing ordered another batch of goods, but he still refused to accept them. When Gong Jing sent another batch, Yan Ying said to the deliveryman, Please tell your majesty that I am not poor. The salary given by the king is not only enough for me to support my family and receive guests, but also can be used to help the poor. So, I can't accept the king's bonus! People are embarrassed to say to Ying, "Guo Xiang, I am also under orders. If you don't accept this time, how can I repay the king? " ? Ying thought for a while and said, in that case, I will accompany you to the palace and let me face the king politely decline.
When Yan Ying met Gong Jing, he first thanked him for his deep love. Afraid of Gong Jing's insistence, he first said to Gong Jing: As a courtier, to reward the people with a monarch is to govern the people on behalf of the monarch. Treacherous court officials are not like this: they don't have to be collected on the people, but they become boxes for things. Benevolent people don't do this: sorry for the monarch, sorry for the people, I'm just a miser. So, please don't reward n liegeman again. Gong Jing asked inexplicably: Didn't Guan Zhong also accept the five hundred villages awarded by Huan Gong? Why did you Yan Ying refuse? Yan Ying was worried about the saints and lost something. Fools worry a lot, have relative answers, and think that although they are stupid, they may be correct in handling this matter. Seeing that he had put words to this point, Gong Jing had to give up.
Yan Ying usually goes to court, always riding an old car pulled by a bad horse, and sometimes even walking. When Gong Jing knew about it, he felt that Yan Ying's chariots and horses were not commensurate with his position, so he sent someone to send a new horse three times, but Yan Ying refused. Gong Jing was very unhappy and asked him why he didn't accept it. Yan Ying said, I feel a great responsibility when you let me manage the officials of the whole country. At ordinary times, I oppose extravagance and waste, and ask them to tighten their belts and reduce the burden on the people. If I ride a good car and a good horse, it will be effective as an official, and the extravagant wind will be toxic. If this happens, I'm afraid it can't be banned any more.
Yan Ying's Xiang Fu is located in the downtown area, but it is dark and narrow. Qi Jinggong offered to build a secluded and spacious new house for him, but Yan Ying refused. Qi Jinggong didn't give up. When Yan Ying was abroad, he built a luxurious Prime Minister's Mansion for him. After returning to China, Yan Ying immediately moved back to the original low and narrow residence from Xinxiangfu, and at the same time transformed Xinxiangfu and distributed it to the people living there.
There is an old saying in our country: it is difficult for a country to prosper without the spirit of thrift and hard work. It is difficult to maintain long-term stability in a society that is not supported by the spirit of thrift and hard work. -A nation can hardly stand on its own feet without the support of thrift and hard work. This truth is the same for national construction and personal behavior. Yan Zi adhered to this principle all his life. Lead by example, refuse and refuse to accept Qi Jinggong's reward for various reasons, and wholeheartedly consider the country and the people. And in his later years, Yan Ying not only refused to accept Qi Jinggong's reward for N, but also returned the reward he had received before. Jing generally believes that there has never been a precedent in the history of Qi, which he strongly disagrees with. In this way, the two men pushed around, but finally Qi Jinggong was persuaded by Yingying and promised to withdraw the reward. Yan Ying lived a clean and frugal life, set an example and practiced the frugality he strongly advocated with practical actions. Even on my deathbed, I still don't forget to earnestly warn my family that the funeral should be simple and no reburial is allowed.
Yan Zi's words and deeds suppressed the corruption of the upper court, avoided many incidents of wasting people's money, and played a positive role in curbing and changing the bad atmosphere. Qing Zhou Fu Zhi in Ming Dynasty commented that Yan Zi's practice of changing customs was related to advocating frugality and honesty after Qin and Han Dynasties. Besides Yan Zi's thrifty virtue, his style of interacting with people and observing people's feelings is even more commendable.