生平

哭齐庄公

齐后庄公六年（前548年），妻子与齐后庄公通奸的大夫崔杼，为了复仇，设了以妻为诱饵将庄公谋杀了。晏婴得知之后，走到崔杼的家门外。左右问道：「您自杀以身殉君主吗？」晏婴说：「就我一个人的君主吗？我为甚么要死？」左右又问：「那逃走吗？」晏婴说：「是我的罪过吗？我为甚么要逃？」左右再问：「回去吗？」晏婴说：「君主都死了，要回去哪？统治人民的，难道是用以凌驾于人民吗？社稷才是真正的君主。为人臣者岂为了禄米？是为了保护社稷啊。所以君主为社稷而死，我也为君主而死；君主为社稷而逃亡，我也为君主而逃亡。如果他是为了自己的错误而死或逃亡，我又不是他的亲宠之臣，谁愿意这样去作？而且有人都敢弑杀君主了，我何必自杀，何必逃亡，我又要回去哪？」门开后，晏婴进去，伏在齐后庄公尸首上大哭，又起来跳了三次后，出去（古代丧俗「顿足」之礼），表示悲痛后就离开了。旁人对崔杼说：「一定要杀他。」崔杼说：「他有民望，放了他，以争取民心罢。」

出使楚国

有一次，晏婴出使楚国。楚人因他身材矮小，看不起他，就在大门旁另开一道小门，请他从小门进去。晏婴不肯进去，说：「我若是出使狗国，那我便会走狗门进国，今天我是要出使楚国的，那我便不该走这个门。」接待的官员听了，只好请他从大门进去。晏婴见到楚灵王。楚王问：「齐国难道没有贤明的人了吗？为何让你作为使臣来到我国？」晏婴答道：「齐国的临淄有三百闾（古代一闾为25户），城民只要把袖子抬起足以遮蔽太阳，把身上的汗水洒下有如下雨，人们肩并著肩，脚尖挨著脚跟，怎么会没有人？」楚王又问：「那为什么是选你做为使臣呢？」 晏婴回答：「齐国派遣使臣，都是把一名使臣派到适合他去的国家。贤能的人会被派去出使有贤能君主的国家，不够贤能的人就被派去出使无品德君王的国家，婴在齐国臣子之中，能力是最差的，所以被认为最适合出使楚国。」

屡劝景公

景公三十二年（前516年），东北方出现彗星。景公叹息说：「堂堂！谁有此乎？」群臣皆忧然泪下。晏婴反而大笑，景公恼怒。晏婴说：「臣笑群臣谀甚。」景公说：「彗星出东北，当齐分野，寡人以为忧。」晏婴说：「君高台深池，赋敛如弗得，刑罚恐弗胜，茀星将出，彗星何惧乎？」景公说：「可禳否？」晏婴说：「使神可祝而来，亦可禳而去也。百姓苦怨以万数，而君令一人禳之，安能胜众口乎？」当时景公大造宫室，养狗马，奢侈无度，税重刑酷，晏子借机谏止。

有一次，景公修建房舍，将要修建得非常漂亮。一天刮风下雨，景公和晏子一起入席饮酒。喝得正畅快时，晏婴起身唱歌，唱道：「穗乎不得获，秋风至兮殚零落，风雨之拂杀也，太上之靡弊也。」唱完，转过头流下了眼泪，跳起了舞。景公制止住他，说：「今日夫子为赐而诫于寡人，是寡人之罪」于是撤掉了酒席，罢徭役，停止修建房舍。

又有一次，连下三天的雪。景公披著用狐狸毛做的皮衣。晏婴谒见，景公说：「奇怪啊！怎么大雪降了三天，我却感觉不到天气寒冷呢？」晏婴回答：「真的是天气不寒冷吗?」景公笑了。晏婴说：「婴听说过，古代那些被称为贤明的君主，虽然天天能吃饱却能体会没食物的人的饥饿，虽然穿著暖和却能体会缺乏衣物的人的寒冷，虽然生活安逸稳定却能体会努力工作的人的辛劳，为何君王您会不知道呢？」景公说：「你说得对！寡人知道该如何做了。」 于是下令广发粮食，在路上见到的，不必问他们是哪乡的；在里巷见到的，不必问他们是哪家的；巡视全国，统计数字，不记他们的姓名。士人已任职的，就发给两个月的粮食，病困的人发给两年的粮食。孔丘听到后说：「晏子能明其所欲，景公能行其所善也。」

拔擢贤才

有一次，晏婴外出，在路上遇到被囚禁之中的越石父。把他赎出来，用车载回家。晏婴没有向越石父告辞，就走进屋内，过了很久没出来，越石父请求与晏婴绝交。晏婴大吃一惊，道歉说：「婴虽然不是个仁者，但好歹让先生幸免于灾厄，为何先生这么快便与婴绝交呢？」越石父说：「不是这样的。我听说过，君子对于不能理解自己的人会表现得笨拙，而对能理解自己的人会表现精明。刚才我尚在囚车之中时，先生不知道我这个人如何，却选择救了我，既然先生认为我值得相助而出手救了我，那我便将先生视为能理解我的人；一个能理解我的人却不愿以用礼对待我，那我还不如继续待在囚车之中。」于是请他进屋待为贵宾。

晏婴一次坐车外出，车夫的妻子从门缝偷看她的丈夫。他丈夫替宰相驾车，遮著大伞，赶著四匹马，志气扬扬，十分得意。车夫回到家里，妻子要求离婚，车夫问原因，妻子说：「晏子身高还不到六尺，但他作为齐国相国，在诸侯之间名声响亮。今天妾看到他，志向宏达远大，但态度仍是谦恭。而你身高有八尺，只作为人家的车夫，但态度却相当得意，妾所以想求离婚。」从此，车夫就谦虚恭谨起来。晏婴感到奇怪，问他原因，车夫如实相告。晏婴就推荐他为大夫。

去世

景公四十八年（公元前500年），晏婴病重，在柱子上凿了个洞，把一封信放在里面，对他的妻子说：「这柱子里的信，孩子长大了以后，拿给他看。」不久，晏婴病逝。

待儿子长大后打开信，见信上写：「布帛不可以缺少，缺少了就没有衣服穿的；牛马不可以缺少，缺少了就没有拉车的；士不可以缺少，缺少了就没有官可以任用；国家不可以穷困，穷困了就不可推行政令。」

现存晏婴墓在山东淄博齐都镇永顺村东南约350米。

子晏圉。

评价

• 孔子：「救民百姓而不夸，行补三君而不有，晏子果君子也！」 、「不以已之是，驳人之非，逊辞以避咎，义也夫！」 、「晏平仲善与人交，久而敬之。」

• 司马迁：「方晏子伏庄公尸哭之，成礼然后去，岂所谓『见义不为无勇者』耶？至其谏说，犯君之颜，此所谓『进思尽忠，退思补过』者哉！假令晏子而在，余虽为之执鞭，所忻慕焉。」

• 齐景公：「子大夫日夜责寡人，不遗尺寸，寡人犹且淫泆而不收，怨罪重积于百姓。今天降祸于齐，不加于寡人，而加于夫子，齐国之社稷危矣，百姓将谁告夫！」

• 孟子：「管仲以其君霸，晏子以其君显。」

• 曾子：「晏子可谓知礼也已，恭敬之有焉。」

• 苏轼：「贤哉晏平仲，事君不以私。」

Life

Family and early life

Yan Ying was the son of Yan Ruo (晏弱), a Qi minister of state, and succeeded to his father's post in 556 BC on his father's death. He was said to be short of stature and very ugly, but an able debater with a nimble mind. It was because of these skills that he was often dispatched to other states to serve as a diplomat, often defending the interests of Qi against other states.

Over a career spanning four decades, he served as minister and advisor to three dukes of Qi: Ling, Zhuang and Jing.

Death and burial

Yan Ying was buried in Zibo, Shandong province. In his last illness, he had a letter sealed into a hole which was drilled in a pillar, and told his wife to have it read once his son was grown.

The letter, when it was retrieved, read: 'Do not exhaust the cloth and silk, for you will lack for clothes; do not exhaust the livestock, for you will lack for labour. Do not exhaust worthy men, for the government cannot be staffed; do not exhaust the state's resources, for the state cannot provide for its people.'

Stories

Death of Duke Zhuang of Qi

In the fifth month of 548 BC, Duke Zhuang was killed by Cui Zhu's men for having an adulterous relationship with his second wife Tang Jiang. The duke was shot in the back by an arrow while trying to escape by climbing a wall. Cui Zhu at the time was an extremely powerful minister of the state of Qi and detested Yan Ying. It was Cui who had installed Duke Zhuang onto the throne. As soon as Yan Ying heard of the news, he stormed into the premises of Cui Zhu by himself with no regard of his own safety in search for the Duke. He proceeded to take off his hat and started to beat his chest and stomp his feet while approaching the Duke's body. He wailed and cried and afterwards picked himself up and left the scene with little regard of his surrounding. The men surrounding Cui Zhu wanted to kill Yan Ying on the spot for trespassing but were stopped as Cui Zhu noted that the people look up to him and that killing him will only cause Cui to lose popularity. After killing the Duke, Cui coerced everyone to take an oath to be loyal and obedient to him. Any disobedience resulted in death. Yan Ying never complied but Cui Zhu was unable to kill him because of the voice of the people.

After Duke Zhuang's death, his half-brother Chujiu was installed to the throne to be known as Duke Jing of Qi by Cui Zhu. Duke Jing in return, appointed Cui Zhu as the right prime minister and Qing Feng as the left prime minister of Qi. In 545 BC, Cui Zhu and his wife committed suicide after being betrayed by Qing Feng. Cui tried to give over 60 households situated in Beidian and its vicinity to Yan Ying but he refused.

Visiting the state of Chu

Prior to visiting the state of Chu, its leader King Ling of Chu wanted to humiliate Yan Ying. Knowing that Yan Ying was short, the King instructed a smaller entrance to be made adjacent to the city gates. Upon arrival, Yan Ying was asked to use the smaller side entrance but he refused and said: "only when you are entering a city run by dogs would you use a dog door, I have arrived at the state of Chu so I should not use a dog door."

After entering the city the King met Yan Ying and asked in a conceited demeanour: "Is there no one else left in the state of Qi to send? They actually sent you as the envoy."

Yan Ying replied: "Our capital Linzi is full of people. Sleeves are raised to cover the sun; along with every wipe of sweat a small drizzle; pedestrians walk shoulder to shoulder; toe to heel. How can you state that Qi has no people?"

"If that is the case, then why did they send you?"

"Qi has a very particular way of selecting the places their envoys are sent: those that are bright and competent are sent to dignified and respectable places; those that are incompetent are designated to failed states. I am the most incompetent one which is why I have been sent here to Chu." A long silence ensued while the subjects of the King squinted at Yan Ying.

The King and several of his ministers had also prepared another plan to humiliate Yan Ying. Subjects of the King were to deliberately pass in front of him with a tied up criminal they captured that is from the state of Qi, the same state Yan Ying was representing. The King invited Yan Ying to drink with him and as they were happily discussing matters, two officers brought forth the criminal, and the King asked: "What is the nature of this man being tied up, what did he do?"

One of the officers replied and said: "he is from Qi and has committed theft."

The King looked at Yan Ying and asked: "The people from Qi are inclined to stealing things?"

Yan Ying stood up from his seat and replied: "I have heard that the oranges to the south of the Huai River are large and sweet, however, when cultivated north of the River, they become shrunken and bitter, the same with its leaves, the taste of the fruit having changed in its entirely. All of this merely because the soil and surrounding environment is different. By the same analogy, the people of Qi, when in Qi, live in peace and work hard. In contrast, when in Chu, they have to resort to thievery. Is this to think that the conditions in Chu cause its citizens to steal?"

The King laughed and expressed that: "Sages are not to be joked with, I have made a fool of myself." The idiom nanjubeizhi (南橘北枳 nán jú běi zhǐ), which has the literal meaning of 『south oranges north bitter oranges』, is based on this story.

Toward the end of Yan Ying's visit, the King had felt so ashamed of his actions that he personally accompanied him on his journey back home to Qi.

Subduing the enemy with a wine vessel

Towards the middle of the Warring States period, the state of Jin, who at the time was one of the most powerful ones, was conspiring to attack the state of Qi. To better gauge the situation of the state of Qi, the duke of Jin sent one of his senior officials, Fan Zhao, on a diplomatic mission. The duke of Qi received and entertained Fan Zhao with a banquet. In the midst, Fan Zhao feigning to already be drunk, asked for another cup of wine as his cup was missing. Out of courtesy, the Duke of Qi who was drunk, immediately asked a server to pour wine into his own cup and let the guest drink from it. Zhao proceeded to drink from it and returned the cup to the Duke. The mannerisms at that time were that each drank from his own cup. Fan Zhao's use of the Duke's cup was a great disrespect to the state of Qi and it was a deliberate test to observe the reactions of his subjects. Yan Ying saw through this and immediately asked a servant to replace the Duke's cup.

Upon Fan Zhao's return to his state, he reported this incident to the duke of Jin and suggested that it was not the right time to invade Qi; that an attack would deem futile as the state of Qi has virtuous subjects. As such, the duke of Jin decided to not invade the state of Qi. The Chinese refrain of "subduing the enemy with a wine vessel" (折冲樽俎 zhé chōng zūn zǔ) is based on this story and has the meaning of the importance of using diplomatic negotiations to avert war. Confucius praised Yan Ying of his actions and stated that "by upholding one』s own wine vessel (principles), enemies from thousands of miles away can be defeated."

Valuing birds over warriors

Duke Jing was an admirer of birds; from such, he employed Zhu Zou (烛邹 zhú zōu) to raise birds for his enjoyment. On one occasion, Zhu lost the Duke's favorite bird. The Duke became annoyed and ordered Zhu to be put to death. Yan Ying heard of this and became worried; according to Qi's laws, the crime that Zhu committed was certainly not punishable by death; however, he knew that the duke was arrogant and stubborn. To preserve the integrity of the laws of the kingdom, Yan Ying decided to intervene. He went to the Duke's court and suggested that Zhu Zou committed three crimes and that he would like to recite them to Zhu face-to-face so that he understood in what ways he broke the law and for what reasons he was going to die. The duke approved. Two warriors brought Zhu to the palace before the Duke. Yan Ying knelt down to publicly denounced Zhu and said: "you were asked to take care of your majesty』s birds, but yet you let one escape, this is your first crime; because of one bird, you angered your majesty, this is your second crime; once the other six kingdoms hear about this they will think of our majesty as being outrageously unreasonable for valuing birds over warriors, this is your third crime." Yan Ying turned to the Duke and said: "your majesty, he may be killed now."

Duke Jing appearing as if he had just awoken from a dream and said: "no need to kill him anymore, I have understood the words of wisdom." The Duke proceeded to approach Zhu Zou and personally untied him.

Killing three warriors with two peaches

The affair of Yan Ying 'Killing three warriors with two peaches' (二桃杀三士 èr taó shā sān shì) comes from the Yanzi chunqiu. Duke Jing of Qi had three generals, Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang and Gu Yezi, in his employ; while the three were all capable and accomplished warriors, their arrogance towards other ministers convinced Yan Ying that they would have to be removed.

He therefore devised a ruse where two peaches were presented, purportedly as a reward, to the three generals; the two with the greatest accomplishments would get a peach each. Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang promptly reported their accomplishments and each took a peach, but Gu Yezi angrily rebuked them, and then listed his own accomplishments. The first two agreed that Gu's accomplishments were the most notable and, out of shame at having taken gifts they did not deserve, returned the peaches and killed themselves. Gu Yezi, shamed at having killed two colleagues by his boasting, then killed himself too, removing three major threats to the stability of the Qi court.

The story has in turn become a Chinese saying, denoting the use of ruses and stratagems to remove opponents.

Works and legacy

During the Warring States period (roughly 475–221 BC), a book was published called Yanzi chunqiu (晏子春秋 yàn zi chūn qiū), with stories of his advices to three Dukes of Qi, his life and times. A chapter of Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian is devoted to him and Guan Zhong.

Confucius was mentioned in the Annals as an admirer of Yanzi; when asked to comment on Yanzi, he said: 'To rescue the ordinary people and not boast, to advise three rulers and not be arrogant – Yanzi is truly a gentleman.'

Sima Qian was also an admirer, showing his esteem in grouping Yan Ying with Guan Zhong, another highly influential minister of the State of Qi. His evaluation of Yan Ying's statesmanship was: 'never shaming his missions, he excelled in debate throughout the world'.