Guan Zhong, courtesy name Yi Wu, was from Ying. When he was young, he and Bao Shuya were thick as thieves, and Bao Shuya saw his talent early on. Guan Zhong was very poor and often shortchanged Bao Shuya, but Bao Shuya was always good to him and never spoke ill of him. Later, Bao Shuya served the young prince Xiaobai of the Qi state, while Guan Zhong served Prince Jiu. Xiaobai ascended the throne as Duke Huan of Qi, Prince Jiu died in battle, and Guan Zhong was imprisoned. Bao Shuya then recommended Guan Zhong to Duke Huan.
After being appointed, Guan Zhong governed the state of Qi, and Duke Huan thereby became dominant, uniting the feudal lords nine times and bringing order to the kingdom, all thanks to Guan Zhong's strategies. Guan Zhong said, "When I was young and destitute, I used to do business with Bao Shuya. When dividing the profits, I always took more than my share, and Bao Shuya did not think I was greedy; he knew I was poor. I once gave advice to Bao Shuya, but ended up even poorer. Bao Shuya did not think I was foolish; he knew some things are worth the risk. I held office three times and was dismissed three times. Bao Shuya did not think I was incompetent; he knew I was just unlucky. I fought three times and fled three times. Bao Shuya did not think I was cowardly; he knew I had a mother to care for. After Prince Jiu was defeated, I was imprisoned and humiliated. Bao Shuya did not think I was shameless; he knew I did not care about those trivial matters, what mattered was that my talents weren't recognized. My parents gave me life, and Bao Shuya truly understood me!"
After Bao Shuya recommended Guan Zhong, he always deferred to him. His descendants enjoyed salaries and fiefdoms in the Qi state for generations, lasting over ten generations, who remained prominent officials. People admired Guan Zhong's brilliance, but even more, they admired Bao Shuya's judgment.
After Guan Zhong took office in the state of Qi, he developed the economy and accumulated wealth with the small coastal area of Qi, making the country rich and strong, the army powerful, and looked out for the common people. Therefore, he said, "When folks have full bellies, they start caring about proper behavior; when they're well-fed and clothed, they understand what's right and wrong. When the upper-class society has good customs, family relationships can be stable. If these four aspects are not done well, the country will perish. Rules should be as natural as the flow of water, and they should make sense to the people." Therefore, his policies were simple and easy to implement. He gave the people what they wanted and got rid of what they didn't. He governed the country well, turning bad luck into good. He carefully weighed the pros and cons, prioritizing what mattered most. When Duke Huan of Qi attacked the State of Cai due to anger over favoring a concubine, Guan Zhong took the opportunity to attack the State of Chu, calling them out for not paying their respects to the Zhou. When Duke Huan of Qi went north to subdue the Mountain Barbarians, Guan Zhong took the opportunity to order the State of Yan to restore the political system of the time of Duke Hui. At the Ke meeting, when Duke Huan tried to break his deal with Cao Mo, Guan Zhong talked him out of it, earning the loyalty of all the other states. Therefore, it is said, "Good judgment is key to ruling a country." Guan Zhong was loaded—as rich as any noble—and having several wives with big weddings was perfectly normal in Qi. After Guan Zhong's death, Qi continued to follow his policies and remained stronger than other vassal states. A hundred years later, along came Yanzi.
Yan Ying, with the courtesy name Pingzhong, was from Yiwu in the state of Lai. He served three rulers of the state of Qi—Linggong, Zhuangong, and Jinggong—and was known for his frugality and diligent administration. After becoming the prime minister of Qi, he never ate meat during meals, and his household did not indulge in silk. In court, if the ruler spoke to him, he would give straightforward advice; if the ruler did not speak to him, he would silently do good deeds. He supported the ruler when the state was well-governed, but courageously offered advice when it strayed. In this way, he assisted three generations of rulers, gaining fame among neighboring states.
There was a man named Yueshi Fu, who was very virtuous but was imprisoned for committing a crime. Yanzi met him on the road while on official business and freed Yueshi Fu by giving up his carriage's left-hand horse and taking him home. Yueshi Fu did not thank him but went straight back to his room. After a while, Yueshi Fu actually requested to break off relations with Yanzi. Yanzi was surprised and quickly apologized, saying, "Although I am not a righteous person, I at least rescued you from prison. Why do you want to end our friendship so quickly?" Yueshi Fu replied, "It's not like that. I've heard that gentlemen are humble with strangers but frank with those who know them. In prison, no one knew me. You rescued me; that shows you understand me. But if you understand me and still treat me without respect, I'd rather have stayed in prison!" After hearing this, Yanzi quickly invited him into the house and welcomed him warmly as a guest.
Yanzi became the Prime Minister of Qi State. One day, when he went out, the wife of his charioteer peeked at her husband through the crack of the door. Her husband was Yanzi's charioteer, holding a large umbrella, driving four horses, looking full of himself. When he returned home, his wife asked for a divorce. When asked why, she said, "Yanzi, though barely six feet tall, became the Prime Minister of Qi, renowned throughout the land. Today, when I saw him leave, he looked very focused and maintained a humble demeanor. And you, who are eight feet tall, are just a charioteer, yet so arrogant, that's why I want to divorce you." Later, the charioteer became more humble. Yanzi found it strange and asked him what happened, so the charioteer told him the story. Yanzi then recommended him to become an official.
Sima Qian, the renowned historian, said: I have read the chapters of "Shepherding the People," "Mountains High," "Riding Horses," "Light and Heavy," "Nine Treasuries," and others in Guan Zhong's "Guanzi," as well as "Yanzi Chunqiu." Their works are remarkably thorough. Having read their books, I wanted to understand their characters, so I wrote their biographies. As for their writings, there are already many opinions from the world, so I will not comment further, only write some of their anecdotes.
Guan Zhong, everyone says he is a wise minister, but Confucius did not think highly of him. Why is this? Is it because the ritual music system of the Zhou Dynasty declined, and although Duke Huan of Qi could be considered a wise ruler, Guan Zhong did not help him achieve royal achievements, only allowing him to dominate a region? As the saying goes, "to make the best of a situation, and correct its flaws," isn't this referring to Guan Zhong?
Yanzi stayed to mourn for Duke Zhuang of Qi until the funeral was completed before leaving; isn't this a manifestation of "courage without a just cause is not true bravery"? Furthermore, his words of frank advice, risking offending the ruler, embody the spirit of "to be loyal in counsel and diligent in self-reflection." If Yanzi were alive today, I'd be proud to be his stable boy!
