Companion stories in history

Biography of Yan Guan is the second part of seventy biographies of Historical Records. Deng Yizan, Niu Yunzhen and Li Wanfang pointed out that Biography of Yan Guan belongs to "biography, unique style", "unique character" and "variation", which shows the particularity of its style. The Biography of Yan Guan records the achievements of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying in many places. Yan Ying showed the theme of "bosom friend" by respecting sages, transcending the control of stone fathers and rulers, and telling anecdotes. Besides Guan Zhong and Bao Shu, Biography of Yan Guan also shows the theme of bosom friend. Yan Ying and Shi Yue's father were friends between court officials, and also reported the experiences between Qi Huangong and Guan Zhong and between Qi Jinggong and Yan Ying. Combining Sima Qian's life, we can see that the theme of Biography of Yan Guan is bosom friend, which reflects their similar experiences and emotional resonance. Sima Qian wrote Guan Zhong and Yan Ying as a joint biography because they were both important political figures and political thinkers in the State of Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Key words: Sima Qian, confidant, Yan Ying, Guan Zhong, biography of Yan Guan.

The first is the preface.

The book Historical Records includes twelve biographies, ten tables, eight books, thirty schools and seventy biographies, with a total of 130, among which biographies account for more than half of the chapters in Historical Records. Sima Qian said in "Preface to Taishi Gong": "Help me to be righteous, don't make me lose my time, my career is famous all over the world, and I have made a biography of 70 people", pointing out that the Biography of Boyi was followed by the biographies of two famous figures in the Spring and Autumn Period-Yan Guan Biography. From the early Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period, there were not many wise ministers who assisted me, but Sima Qian was independent of Boyi and directly in charge of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying, and did not make biographies for others. The reason may be that it is difficult to make a biography because of the lack of historical materials of other characters.

Biography mainly focuses on characters, and the words and deeds of characters should be the focus of the article. However, the writing of Biography of Yan Guan is obviously different. Deng Yizan said: "Although the number of words is secondary in the resume, it is only a short biography, but there are many deeds." Li Wanfang said: "The Biography of Yan Guan is a variant of the official history." The so-called "Biography of Yan Guan", "Biography of Yan Guan", "Different Styles" and "Variants" all point out that the Biography of Yan Guan is unconventional. Therefore,

Second, the choice of historical materials and confidant themes

The reason why Sima Qian wrote Biography of Yan Guan is: "Yan Zi is frugal, but I am extravagant when I am poor. Qi Huan is the overlord and Gong Jing is the ruler. " Secondly, it is pointed out that although Guan Zhong's extravagance is in sharp contrast with Yan Ying's frugality, they are both outstanding statesmen of Qi State. Guan Zhong assisted Huan Gong to achieve hegemony and outstanding achievements, and Yan Ying assisted Gong Jing to achieve success in governing the world. Therefore, Yan Guan's combined biography was written as Biography of Yan Guan. Because "Qi Huan is in charge and Gong Jing is in charge", the achievements of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying's assistant administration should be the focus of this biography. However, after careful analysis, it is not difficult to find that the focus of Sima Qian's narrative is not here.

Biography of Yan Guan can be divided into three parts: Biography of Guan Zhong, Biography of Yan Ying and Praise of Sima Qian. The record of Guan Zhong's achievements in Guan Zhong's Biography is as follows:

Guan Zhong used it as a government official, and Qi Huangong used it to bully nine princes and conquered the world. Guan zhong's plan is also ... during his official period, Guan zhong only set up a beach to collect money, be rich and like customs ... He ordered it to be like the original water, so it was easy to follow people's hearts, so it was humble and easy to do what customs hoped, so he gave it; What is vulgar? No, so go ahead. It is political, good for every cloud has a silver lining, turning defeat into victory. It is important to weigh carefully: Duke Huan really angered Ji Shao, attacked Cai and Guan Zhong in the south, and accused Mao of not paying tribute; Duke Huan actually marched north to Shanrong, and Guan Zhong put Yan Xiu in charge of Zhao Gong. At the meeting, Huan Gong wanted to break Cao Mo's covenant, so Guan Zhong believed it. The vassals returned to Qi. Therefore, he said, "knowing how to deal with it is also a political asset."

In addition, "therefore, it is called:" The warehouse knows etiquette, food and clothing honor and disgrace, and the service is solid, and the country is doomed. ""It's a quote from Guan Zi's herdsmen, which can be regarded as Guan Zhong's political thought and related to his political achievements. Read the above records about Guan Zhong's political achievements carefully, and many of them are the results of outlining. This aspect can be found in chapters such as The Qi Taigong Family. The more detailed record of Guan Zhong's political achievements in The Complete Biography of Yan Guan is based on the fact that "Huan Gong was really angry at conquering Cai from the south and Guan Zhong attacked Chu, but he did not accept responsibility; Duke Huan actually marched north to Shanrong, and Guan Zhong put Yan Xiu in charge of Zhao Gong. At the meeting of Yu Ke, Huan Gong wanted to back Cao Zhi's promise, so Guan Zhong believed it, which proved that Guan Zhong was good at weighing and considering the priorities of government affairs, turning disaster into joy and turning defeat into victory, thus making his ministers join Qi State. In "Qi Taigong Family", the ins and outs of the above three cases are more clearly explained, and it is clear that Guan Zhong's clever attack on Huan Gong as a teacher of Cai Chu is entirely a personal act. After helping Yan get rid of Shan Rong, he ceded his territory to Yan, which changed the international image of Qi from an arrogant power to a polite country. When he made an alliance with Lu in Kedi, he advised Huan Gong to keep his promise and turned him from a fickle villain into a trustworthy gentleman.

As far as the Biography of Yan Ying is concerned, the full text is 323 words, of which only "frugality is the most important, honesty is the most important, and frugality is the most important", "Being in North Korea is very dangerous to talk about; If you don't talk well, you will be in danger. The second section, "Let the three generations become famous princes", consists of 53 words, involving Yan Ying's political demeanor and position, accounting for less than one-sixth of the essay, and also belongs to the outline and achievement statement. In Qi Taigong Family, Yan Ying's specific achievements can be much more detailed. According to this article, Yan Ying suggested that Gong Ling should not escape to be in charge of Qi Gong Ling in the near future. When Qi Zhuanggong was in office, Yan Ying advised Qi Zhuanggong not to accept Luan Ying, a doctor of the State of Jin, but Qi Zhuanggong wouldn't listen. He was finally bullied by Luan Ying and lost to Jinshi. When Cui Yi was the queen of Zhuang Gong, Yan Ying was not afraid of Cui Yi's strength, but when Fu Zhuang died, he cried. Cui Yi established Gong Jing as Qi Jun, while Yan Ying ignored Cui Yi to celebrate the national seal. Yan Ying was on a mission to the State of Jin, believing that the State of Qi would eventually be owned by Tian, and asked to pay tribute to Lu. When the comet appeared, Gong Jing thought he was worried about the disaster. Yan Ying suggested that Gong Jing pay a small amount of punishment to win people's hearts. In addition, the Biography of Sima Yi also contains the content that Yan Ying recommended Tian Rangcha to Gong Jing as a general.

Sima Qian had the final say and wrote biographies strictly, but their achievements in life were only a few words, which were deeply appreciated by some critics, such as Li Jingxing:

"Biography of Boyi" is better than birth, and "Biography of Yan Guan" is better than escape. It is amazing to make a career, but it is an understatement, just like a dragon, showing scales and claws, and all eyes are on it. Is it a very powerful skill!

Another example is Wu Jiansi:

Guan Zhong and Yan Zi were first-rate figures in the Spring and Autumn Period. They have a successful career and live in a family. They don't know how to tell the story. Shi Gong only used a light and elegant pen, but he folded out a show. Moonlight and flowers are another realm.

Another example is Wu Rulun:

Since Guan Zhong is in charge, he is full of strategies, and he uses imaginative prose, which is absolutely brilliant.

When Sima Qian summed up Yan Guan's great achievements, he only wrote a sketch, ignoring the pen and ink and color, and did not enumerate the examples and historical facts in detail. Therefore, Li Jingxing called it "like a dragon", Wu Jiansi called it "the moon and flowers" and Wu Rulun called it "unparalleled". But can it really be realized? I'm afraid Yan's outstanding concrete achievements are hard to obtain, which is quite different from the readers' expectation to know Yan Guan's achievements through the most closely related biographies.

Through the detailed description of Taigong family and other related chapters, Guan Zhong and Yan Ying's achievements and status in Qi can be fully demonstrated. Yan Guan's achievements are not described in detail in Biography of Yan Guan, but in Family of Qi Taigong, which is called "knowing each other" in Historical Records. Only through mutual understanding of Qi Taigong Family and other chapters can we get a glimpse of their achievements. Although this can avoid repeated records of historical events, the focus of writing biographies for important politicians who enjoy high status in the internal affairs and foreign affairs is not on their political achievements. At first glance, they will inevitably leave a pearl.

Sima Qian has profound knowledge, rich experience, sharp mind and a macro view of history. In order to manage the biographies of two famous officials in the Spring and Autumn Period, people think that it should not be so neglected. Besides, since the achievements of management and strictness can be seen in family and other articles, why should they be spread separately? The reason should be that Sima Qian had ulterior motives, and he wanted to express some thoughts and confide in Biography of Yan Guan.

I have read Herdsmen, The Mountain is High, Riding a Horse, Weight, Jiugongge and Yanzi Chunqiu, all of which he said are very detailed. Since I saw his books, I wanted to observe his actions, so I passed them on. As for his books, there are many in the world, so I discussed his anecdotes regardless.

It is pointed out that by studying Guanzi and Yanzi Chunqiu, we hope to understand people and discuss the world, so we set up a biography for them to understand their friendship. As for the selection criteria, we don't record the famous works of Guanzi and Yanzi Chunqiu, but the narrative focuses on anecdotes about the lives of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying. There are only many anecdotes about Guan Zhong and Yan Ying's life, such as Han.

Qi Huangong likes purple, and purple is everywhere in a country. It's time, the five elements can't be purple. When Huan Gong suffered from this disease, Guan Zhong said, "I love purple. Purple is very expensive. People in a country like purple, but I have no choice. " Guan Zhong said, "If you want to stop, why don't you try not to wear purple?" It is said that both sides said, "I hate the smell of purple." So those who wear purple clothes on the left and right will say, "Come on, I hate the smell of purple." The public said, "Yes." Therefore, today, doctors will not wear purple clothes, tomorrow, the country will not wear purple clothes, and on the third day, the territory will not wear purple clothes.

Qi Huangong likes to wear purple clothes, and people follow the trend, which leads to the soaring price of purple silk. Through Guan Zhong's advice and guidance, the fashion of purple clothes was stopped. Sima Qian once praised Guan Zhong with "filial piety" in the Biography of Praise for Yan Guan, saying: "The saying goes:' Let its beauty be preserved while its evil is preserved, and make a blind date from top to bottom.' ""And anecdotes can be a powerful footnote. Another example is Liu Xiang's "Yan Zi Xu Lu":

If you can kiss internally, you can be virtuous externally. If you are in the position of prime minister, you will be rewarded with ten thousand points. Therefore, his relatives provide him with food and clothes, and there are more than 500 families. Chu Shi is also a large number of people who make fires. Yanzi's clothes were covered with cloth and elk fur. He was tired of driving our car, so he gave money to his relatives and friends, which was very important to everyone.

Describing Yan Ying's frugality and self-restraint, he did not long for personal enjoyment, but used his salary to help relatives and wise men. This anecdote can be confirmed, which proves Yan Ying's frugal style of "eating meat is not important, and my concubine doesn't wear silk" in Biography of Yan Guan. However, Sima Qian abandoned the above two anecdotes and did not record them. Thus, the anecdote about Yan Guan in Biography of Yan Guan should be the subjective choice of Sima Qian. Yang Shen once pointed out: "There are many things about Yan Zi, but Tai Shigong recorded this in detail, which is meaningful." After careful study, it is not difficult to find that the anecdotes about Guan Zhong and Yan Ying in Biography of Yan Guan all point to the theme of "knowing yourself" and "bosom friend".

First of all, look at an anecdote of Guan Zhong in Yan Guan Biography, which records the profound friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao. After introducing Guan Zhong's name and family, Sima Qian directly cut into the friendship with him: "When I was young, I often traveled with Bao and knew his talents. Guan Zhong is very poor. He often bullies Bao Shu, but he finally gets along with him. I don't think so. However, Bao Shu works for Xiaobai, while Guan Zhong works for Gong Zijiu. Bao Shu entered Guanzhong. " Bao Shu knew Guan Zhong's talent and always treated him well, and recommended Guan Zhong to Qi Huangong after Gong Zi's defeat for a long time. Later, he described their friendship in the form of Guan Zhong's personal account:

Guan Zhong said: "When I was in trouble, I tasted the newspaper writers, shared wealth and profits, and became self-sufficient. Uncle Bao doesn't think I am greedy, but he knows I am poor. I tasted my poorer uncle Bao, but he didn't think I was stupid and knew when it was good and bad. I tasted the taste of three officials and three people chasing after each other, but Uncle Bao didn't think I was bad, and neither did he. I have tasted the taste of three wars and three walks, but Uncle Bao doesn't think I am poor. " 」

Guan Zhong made a profit for himself by doing business in partnership with Guan Bao. Guan Zhong failed to find a job for Bao Shu, was frequently dismissed, escaped from the war many times, and did not die after Gong Zijiu was killed. He took pains to explain how Bao Shu had a unique vision and was not influenced by the common values of the common people, but he could put himself in Guan Zhong's shoes in many ways, understand his life experience and experience, and understand his thoughts and ambitions. Bao Shu's five narrative modes of "knowing me" and the repetition of five words "knowing me" highlight that Bao Shu is really Guan Zhong's confidant, and finally it comes down to "Baozi is the one who gave birth to me and knows me!" Emphasize the value of knowing me.

Two anecdotes about Yan Ying are recorded in Biography of Yan Guan. One is that Yan Ying promoted Shi Fu as a guest. The content is as follows:

Shi Yue's father is virtuous, and he is fighting. Yan Zi came out, was discredited, was redeemed by Zuo Yi, came back, thanked him, and entered the boudoir. After a long time, Shi Yue's father asked for it. However, Yan Zi took a photo of his clothes and thanked him, saying, "Although this baby is not kind, it can be saved from this battle. Why can he want it? "

Yue's father suffered a lot. Yan Ying realized Yue's talent and redeemed him with a left horse. The accidental meeting made Yue's father regard Yan Ying as a "bosom friend". However, after Yan Ying's coldness and rudeness, Yue's father was deeply interested in this and asked to leave. Finally, Yan Ying humbly changed his attitude and took Yue's father as a guest. This anecdote points out that Yue's confidant. It is said that personal self-realization is closely related to intimate friends. In front of people who don't know them, they are often wronged and belittled, but those lucky enough to meet bosom friends can stretch their ambitions and achieve themselves. Another anecdote is that Yan Ying recommended the charioteer as a doctor. The content is as follows:

Yan Zi went out to find Qi Xiang, and his royal wife married her husband leisurely at home. Her husband married Xiang Yu, with a big cover and full of pride. When he came back, his wife invited him. The husband asked him why. His wife said: "Yan Zi is less than six feet long. His body is in harmony with the country. He is a famous vassal. Today, my concubine abides by it. "

First of all, from the point of view of the charioteer's wife, Yan Ying and charioteer are very different in image and character: Yan Ying is short and tall, with strong humility and self-control; The driver is tall and ambitious. Then he described that the charioteer sincerely accepted his wife's advice and was humble and restrained. Yan Ying found the charioteer modest and restrained, and convinced others with virtue, so he recommended him as a doctor. The charioteer changed his way and saw the saints Qi and Yan Ying. They could detect the change of charioteer and understand the reason. It can be said that the charioteer was recommended by Yan Ying as a doctor, which is what Master Yue called a gentleman's "faith".

Through the friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shu in Yan Guan Biography, we can see that Yan Ying is more moral than Shi Fu, and Yan Ying knows who is the ruler. Thus, Sima Qian carefully selected and recorded three anecdotes about Yan Guan, which fully revealed the value of knowing yourself and yourself. The emotional clues of "bosom friend" and "know me" run through three anecdotes and become the theme of Yan Guan Biography. It is said that bosom friend is the real meaning of the connection between the two books. Because of this, our biographies don't talk much about Guan He and Yan's great achievements. They think that Guan Zi and Chun Qiu are both "rich in the world and do nothing", while Yan's works are mostly ink. However, when describing Guan Zhong's anecdote, that is, Guan Bao's friendship, Bao Shu, who knows people and is good at their duties, tends to be superior to Guan Zhong. After talking about the friendship with Guan Bao, Sima Qian even wrote: "Since Bao Shu entered Guanzhong, his descendants have been living in Qi. He is a famous doctor for more than ten generations. There are not many sages in Guanzhong, but many Bao Shu can know people, praising Bao Shu's modesty, generosity and virtue, while Bao Shu's "unity of knowledge and action"

Third, friends and friends know each other and meet each other.

Through the friendship of Guan Bao, Biography of Yan Guan publicized Yan Ying, the father and ruler of Shi Yue, and highlighted the theme of "bosom friend". This kind of confidant mainly refers to the mutual understanding between friends, and Sima Qian used it to promote friendship and praise the value of friendship. Chen said to:

Biography of Boyi is a relationship of loyalty and filial piety, so Biography of Yan Guan is a relationship of friends, and three praises are not enough.

Soup harmonic also said:

"Biography of Boyi" is the first one, and then "Yan Guan". The order of the world is the same. However, Boyi and Shu Qi are brothers and sisters, and The Biography of Yan Guan is unique in the way of friends, which maintains the justice of human history, which worries historians!

It is pointed out that Biography of Boyi and Biography of Yan Guan are not only arranged in chronological order, but also because Sima Qian's heart is to maintain human relations and discipline, Biography of Boyi shows the relationship between monarch and minister, father and son and brothers, and Biography of Yan Guan shows the relationship between friends.

However, the theme of "bosom friend" expounded in Yan Guan Biography not only shows the mutual understanding between friends, but also covers the encounter between monarch and minister, but the content in this respect is relatively vague. "Biography of Yan Guan" said: "When Xiaobai was the Duke of Huan, Gong Zi died for a long time, Guan Zhong was imprisoned, and Bao Shu entered Guan Zhong. Guan Zhong is both useful and appointed. " Guan zhongzhi's plan is also. "Although a few simple words made Guan Zhong help Qi Huangong achieve hegemony, it also showed that Huan Gong was magnanimous, did not forget the past, boldly used Guan Zhong's strategy, and sincerely accepted Guan Zhong's strategy. The encounter between Huan Gong and Guan Zhong finally evolved into hegemony. There is a clearer description of the encounter between Huan Gong and Guan Zhong's monarch and minister in Qi Taigong Family. According to the article, when Gong Zijiu was born, Xiaobai was in a split state. Xiao Bai played dead to delay Guan Zhong, so he took the lead in regaining the throne for Huan Gong. Later, Duke Huan sent a letter to Lu saying, "I corrected my brother, forbeared punishment, and asked Lu to commit suicide. If I am called out, Guan Zhong is willing to die. Otherwise, I will surround Lu. "It can be seen that Huan Gong hates Guan Zhong. Don't lose it. " Huan Gong can readily accept suggestions and use Guan Zhong. After Guan Zhong returned to Qi, he "went to see Duke Huan, thinking that he was a doctor and was in charge". With the help of Guan Zhong, Huan Gong became the overlord of princes. It goes without saying that Guan Zhong's wisdom and talent depend on Huan Gong's side, especially in the era when the monarch is supreme, he actively uses the world. When Duke Huan asked who could succeed him to the throne, Guan Zhong replied, "Knowing a minister is not as good as knowing a monarch", which clearly shows that the knowability of a monarch is closely related to the use of his servants. Therefore, although Guan Zhong is "not ashamed of trifles, his fame is not obvious in the world" (Biography of Yan Guan), he must meet a monarch who can make good use of people, so that he can have a chance to show his talent. Huan Gong is lenient. Guan Zhong can really understand Huan Gong's mind, and dare to make suggestions and persuade him in many ways, so as to correct Huan Gong's words and deeds. Huan Gong and Guan Zhong are bosom friends, and the encounter between the monarch and the minister has also become a prominent hegemony.

Similarly, the wise Yan Ying observed Gong Jing's improper words and deeds and policies everywhere because of his loyalty, and dared to speak out and remonstrate, even at the expense of "offending the monarch's face" (Biography of Yan Guan). Qi Jinggong can also know Yan Ying's loyalty, listen to remonstrance and be magnanimous, but he can obey Yan Ying's exhortation and fable and dare to protest face to face. Gong Jing can also deeply understand Yan Ying's sincerity, tolerance, understanding, respect and trust. When Gong Jing heard the news of Yan Ying's death, he went to the funeral in a hurry and cried on his body, saying, "Dr. Zi, big or small, blamed me day and night, but I was still lascivious and refused to accept it. My sins accumulated among the people." Who will the people sue? "I am grateful to Yan Ying for her careful warning. Gong Jing and Yan Ying usually know each other better than words. In addition, seventeen years after Yan Ying's death, he said to Zhang Xian, "Zhang, I lost my life. I have never heard of my incompetence for seven years. "This is not only a lament for loyal subjects, but also a feeling of bosom friends.

Confucius thought it was a benevolent move for Guan Zhong to assist Qi Huangong with nine sons. He affirmed that Guan Zhong endured humiliation after Gong Zijiu's death, and then helped Huan Gong dominate his ministers and rectify the world. This is the future generations. However, he also pointed out that Guanzhong was still young:

Confucius said: "Guan Zhong's instrument is small! Or "Guan Zhong frugality" or "Guan Zhong frugality" or "Guan Shi's three returns, you can't be frugal without proper business" or "Guan Zhong knows the courtesy" or "Guan Jun tree blocks the door, and Guan Shi also blocks the door; The monarch of the country has his own rebellion against the interests of the two monarchs, and so does the governor. If you manage your family, you know etiquette, but who doesn't know etiquette? " ("The Analects of Confucius Eight Shu")

Criticism of Guan Zhong's extravagance and waste seems modest and narrow-minded. Confucius believed that Guan Zhong was small because he could not be frugal and had no manners. However, when Sima Qian praised the Biography of Yan Guan, he said: "Guan Zhong is a so-called sage in the world, but Confucius is small." You think Zhou Dao is declining, Huan Gong is virtuous, but you don't want to be king, but you dominate! Confucius criticized Guan Zhong for being too young, because Guan Zhong could not inspire Huan Gong to establish a higher level of Wang Ye. This theory has aroused different opinions of scholars. Nakai Kidd said:

Without Confucius' advice, Confucius only regarded Ying Zheng as a trivial matter.

I said to:

Tai Shigong said that Guan Zhong could not encourage Qi to lead the king, which was the foundation of Mencius. From the benefit of Zhouzhi, it is not as good as that of Yin Zhou and Qi Huan, nor as good as that of Wang Wen. Why did he catch Zhou Zhi's Guan Zhong with Qi Huan, blocked the door, returned three times and ignored the state affairs? He was very happy when he claimed that he had succeeded.

It is true that Confucius meant to accuse Guan Zhong of being narrow-minded, while Sima Qian was familiar with Confucian classics and respected Confucius' personality. Arguably, Confucius' original intention should not be misunderstood, and Guan Zhong's failure to usurp Zhou Zuoren should not be blamed. Read this passage carefully, and pay attention to the theme of "bosom friend" that runs through the whole Yan Guan Biography. In the world where the so-called "virtuous minister" and "Huan Gong is a virtuous minister", Guan Zhong is both a virtuous minister and a virtuous monarch, and this is a rare and enviable opportunity in history. However, Guan Zhong could not seize the opportunity to help Huan Gong bring Wang Ye to China, but only controlled his ministers, so he was narrow-minded.