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Chapter 278 Guan Zhong, the First Prime Minister of Eternity

Guan Zhong was not only a famous thinker in the pre-Qin Dynasty, but also a statesman.

He realized the unity of the nine princes and unified the world, and assisted Duke Huan of Qi to become the leader of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

It can be said that Guan Zhong is the founder of China's political and economic system and is known as the first prime minister of China.

He led the first economic reform in our country's history, and many economic systems are still in use today.

For example, the current state-owned enterprise and central enterprise systems were invented by Guan Zhong more than 2,000 years ago.

At the same time, Guan Zhong was also a pioneer of Legalist thought. He believed that although the law cannot be maintained forever.

But the law is the source of survival and chaos, and it is used by sage monarchs as the highest standard in the world.

Moreover, governing the country according to the law is well-founded. Guan Zhong cited the ancient Yellow Emperor and Emperor Yao, who both relied on the law to govern the country.

The ritual and music system of the Zhou Dynasty actually originated from law.

Guan Zhong's Legalist thoughts are mainly reflected in his governance. Rather than being a pioneer of Legalist thoughts, he can also be said to be a practitioner of Legalist thoughts.

In governing the country, Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi to become the first of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. He set many precedents in governing the country and made Duke Huan of Qi the first overlord of the Central Plains.

"Guan Zhong's father, Guan Zhuang, was a high official in the state of Qi. Later, his family declined, causing Guan Zhong to live in poverty."

"In order to make a living, Guan Zhong worked as a businessman, which was considered a humble businessman at the time, and joined forces with his friend Bao Shuya to do business in partnership."

“I have traveled to many places, met all kinds of people, and seen many worlds, thus accumulating rich social experience.”

"When you're a soldier, you run away from battle."

"I tried to become an official several times but failed."

"In 698 BC, Duke Xi of Qi passed away, leaving behind three sons, Prince Zhuer, Prince Jiu and Prince Xiaobai."

"After the death of Duke Xi of Qi, the prince's sons came to the throne and became Duke Xiang of Qi."

"At that time, Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya were assisting Prince Jiu and Prince Xiaobai respectively."

"Soon, Duke Xianggang of Qi got exposed because of his affair with Duke Huan of Lu's wife, so he simply got Duke Huan of Lu drunk and killed him."

"In response, Guan Zhong had a premonition that great chaos would occur in Qi."

"Gongzi Jiu's mother was Lu Jun's daughter, so Guan Zhong protected him and fled to the state of Lu."

"Three years later, Qi was in civil strife."

"The two young masters who were on the run, when they saw that the time was right, they both wanted to return home in a hurry so as to seize the throne of the king."

"After Duke Zhuang of Lu learned that Qi had no king, he was extremely anxious and immediately sent troops to escort Young Master Jiu back to the country. Later he found that Young Master Xiaobai had already set off to return home."

"Guan Zhong then decided to go ahead and lead thirty troops to intercept Young Master Xiaobai on the road from Ju to Qi."

"The people and horses passed Jimo for more than thirty miles, and they met the young master Xiaobai's large group of horses and chariots."

"When Guan Zhong waited for the young master's white chariot and horse to approach, he took aim with his arrow and shot."

"One arrow hit, and Young Master Xiaobai fell down."

"Guan Zhong thought that young master Xiaobai had been shot to death by himself, so he led his troops back."

"Actually, Young Master Xiaobai was not dead. Guan Zhong shot an arrow and hooked his copper belt. Young Master Xiaobai was so anxious that he bit off the tip of his tongue and pretended to be dead and fell down."

"After this shock, Young Master Xiaobai and Bao Shuya became more vigilant and quickly advanced towards Qi State."

"When they came to Linzi, Bao Shuya went to the city to persuade them, and both Gao and Guo, the ministers of Qi, agreed to support Xiaobai as king."

"So Young Master Xiaobai entered the city and successfully ascended the throne. He became the famous Duke Huan of Qi in history."

Confucius: I have to admit that although Guan Zhong's personal morality was lacking, his talents were indeed nothing to say.

Guan Zhong had three residences, but he did not know how to be thrifty. He enjoyed the same courtesy as the monarch and did not understand the difference between monarch and minister.

Guan Zhong's performance in these two aspects of frugality and courtesy caused him the most criticism.

According to their Confucian view, Guan Zhong was a man whose talents exceeded his moral character.

Bao Shuya went into business with Guan Zhong, and Bao Shuya contributed more capital.

Every time he made a profit, Guan Zhong would take the lion's share. The reason was that his family was poor and he had an old mother to support.

After Duke Huan of Qi became the king of Qi, he killed the young master Jiu who was vying for the throne.

One of the two closest ministers of Prince Jiu committed suicide, Cheng Ren.

The other is Guan Zhong, who not only did not commit suicide, but instead helped his lord's enemies.

This kind of behavior was looked down upon by people in an era when the Spring and Autumn period was respected.

Later, he became a prime minister and became the most powerful person in the country. He lived a luxurious life and had many concubines.

When being accused, he said solemnly that he was bringing a bad name to the monarch.

With all this, even he had to criticize Guan Zhong's moral character.

However, despite Guan Zhong's personal moral shortcomings, there are also things worthy of his praise and recognition.

If it weren't for Guan Zhong, we would probably be people with disheveled hair and clothes slit on the left.

Because of Guan Zhong, Duke Huan of Qi was able to summon all the princes to participate in the alliance and dominate the princes without using force.

"In 685 BC, after Duke Huan of Qi came to the throne, he urgently needed to find talented people to assist him, so he planned to ask Bao Shuya to serve as Prime Minister of Qi."

"But Bao Shuya said that he was not as talented as Guan Zhong. If Qi wanted to dominate, Guan Zhong must be appointed as prime minister."

"Guan Zhong, together with Young Master Jiu, thought that Young Master Xiao Bai was dead and there would be no one to compete with him for the throne, so they were in no hurry to leave."

"Only when I arrived at Qi State six days later did I learn that Qi State already had a king, and the new king was none other than Young Master Xiaobai."

"When Duke Zhuang of Lu learned that Qi had a new king, he was furious and immediately sent troops to attack Qi in an attempt to intervene with arms to seize the throne."

"The two sides will fight while they are fighting. Guan Zhong suggested that the young white man should attack quickly while his mind is still undecided."

"But Duke Zhuang of Lu did not listen to Guan Zhong and was ambushed."

"The Lu army was defeated, and Prince Jiu and Guan Zhong fled back to the state of Lu with Duke Zhuang of Lu."

"The Qi army took advantage of the victory to pursue it and entered the territory of Lu."

"In order to avoid future troubles, Duke Huan of Qi sent a letter to Duke Zhuang of Lu."

"Tell the State of Lu to kill Prince Jiu and hand over Guan Zhong, otherwise the Qi army will fully attack the State of Lu."

"After Duke Zhuang of Lu learned about it, he discussed it with the doctor Shi Bo. Shi Bo believed that the Qi State wanted Guan Zhong not for revenge, but to appoint him as a ruler."

"Because Guan Zhong's talents are rare in the world, the country he governs will inevitably become rich, powerful and hegemonic."

"If Guan Zhong is appointed by Qi State, it will be a big trouble for Lu State."

"Therefore Shi Bo advocated killing Guan Zhong and returning his body to Qi."

"But Bao Shuya used a trick to say that Duke Huan of Qi hated Guan Zhong to the core and must kill Guan Zhong alive."

"Moreover, Duke Zhuang of Lu was newly defeated. When he heard that Qi troops were approaching the border, he was so frightened that he did not listen to Shi Bo's advice."

"Under pressure from the State of Qi, he killed Prince Jiu, captured Guan Zhong, and prepared to send him back to Duke Huan of Qi, hoping to retreat."

"Guan Zhong knew that this was Bao Shuya's plan, so he asked the escort workers to rush to Qi State, and finally arrived in Qi State safely."

"After Bao Shuya's suggestion, Duke Huan of Qi agreed to choose an auspicious day to greet Guan Zhong in person with a very solemn etiquette."

"This is to show the importance and trust in Guan Zhong, and at the same time let everyone in the world know the virtuous and generous nature of Duke Huan of Qi."

"After Duke Huan of Qi welcomed Guan Zhong, he chatted for three days and three nights, speculating on every word."

"After fasting for three days, Duke Huan of Qi worshiped Guan Zhong as his prime minister and called Guan Zhong his father."

Ying Zheng: Guan Bao's acquaintance makes me envious.

It can be said that Guan Zhong was able to become Qi Huangong's guest, thanks to Bao Shuya, a close friend of life and death.

Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya were good friends, and they had a deep friendship.

The two of them made money from doing business together, and Guan Zhong always gave more to himself and less to Bao Shuya, but Bao Shuya never cared about it.

People secretly talked about this, saying that Guan Zhong was greedy for money and did not care about friendship.

When Bao Shuya found out, he explained to Guan Zhong that it was not that Guan Zhong didn't care about friendship and was only greedy for money.

Guan Zhong did this because his family was poor and I was willing to give him more money.

Guan Zhong participated in the battle three times, but escaped from the battle three times.

Therefore, people laughed at him, saying that Guan Zhong was greedy for life and afraid of death, and did not have the spirit of brave sacrifice.

After Bao Shuya heard the ridicule, he knew that it was not in line with Guan Zhong's actual situation, so he explained it to people.

Guan Zhong was not afraid of death because he had an elderly mother who was solely supported by him, so he had no choice but to do so.

Guan Zhong's friendship with Bao Shuya was very sincere. He also tried to do some good things for Bao Shuya many times, but failed.

Not only did it fail, but it also caused many new difficulties for Bao Shuya. It would be better not to do it well.

Therefore, people thought that Guan Zhong had no ability to do things, but Bao Shuya didn't think so.

Bao Shuya knew in his heart that his friend Guan Zhong was a very capable person.

The reason why things were not done was simply because the opportunity was not ripe.

During their long-term relationship, the two of them formed a deep friendship.

Guan Zhong told people many times that it was my parents who gave birth to me, and it was Bao Shuya who knew me.

The deep friendship between the two was something everyone would envy, including him.

"In the second year of Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Huan of Qi wanted to strengthen military armaments, but Guan Zhong refused."

"But Duke Huan didn't listen and continued to repair the military."

"Once, Mrs. Song made Duke Huan of Qi angry, and Duke Huan of Qi was so angry that he wanted to attack Song."

"Guan Zhong thinks it is not possible. He believes that if the internal affairs are not repaired, the external military use will not be successful."

"Qi Huangong didn't listen, so he really raised an army to attack Song Dynasty."

"The princes raised troops to rescue the Song Dynasty and defeated the Qi army."

"In the third year of Duke Huan of Qi, Guan Zhong suggested sending troops to punish Tan Guo for not following etiquette and law."

"Tan State was originally very small and weak, but it was quickly wiped out by Qi State."

"Qi State wiped out Tan State without any effort and expanded its territory."

"In the fifth year of Duke Huan of Qi, at the suggestion of Guan Zhong, the State of Qi, Song, Chen, Cai, Zheng and other states met in Liaocheng of Qi to form an alliance to discuss ways to stabilize the Song State."

"Suiguo was also invited, but did not participate."

"In order to improve the prestige of Qi State, Guan Zhong sent troops to destroy Sui State."

"The State of Lu was originally relatively powerful, but it was defeated by the State of Qi one after another, and saw that all the other princely states obeyed the State of Qi."

"Sui and Tan, who disobeyed Qi, were destroyed again, so Lu also submitted to Qi."

"Soon, Qi and Lu reconciled and formed an alliance in Dong'e, Shandong."

"It was during this alliance that the famous incident of Cao Mo robbing the alliance occurred."

"Cao Mo forced Qi to return all the lost territory to Lu. Duke Huan of Qi wanted to regret it later, but Guan Zhong said that a great country should not break its promise and made Duke Huan of Qi return the lost territory."

"In the sixth year of Duke Huan of Qi, Lu, Song, Chen, Cai, and Wei all surrendered to Qi one after another."

"Tan and Sui have been eliminated long ago, and only Zheng is still in civil strife."

"Guan Zhong therefore suggested that Duke Huan of Qi step in to mediate the civil strife in Zheng, in order to improve Qi's status and accelerate its goal of becoming a hegemon."

"Gong Li of Zheng returned to his country, killed the officials, and ascended the throne as king. In order to consolidate his throne, he must unite with Qi."

"Guan Zhong seized this opportunity and suggested that Duke Huan of Qi unite the three kingdoms of Song, Wei and Zheng. He also invited the Zhou royal family to participate and held an alliance in Juancheng, Shandong."

"In the seventh year of Duke Huan of Qi, Guan Zhong asked Duke Huan of Qi to summon Song, Chen, Wei, and Zheng to form an alliance in Juancheng again in his own name."

"At this point, Duke Huan of Qi became the recognized overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period."

Liu Che: Without the series of reforms implemented by Guan Zhong, Duke Huan of Qi would not have become the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period.

In terms of politics, Guan Zhong's main achievements were administrative regions and talent selection.

After Guan Zhong became prime minister, he reorganized the original administrative region system and divided Qi into more than 20 township administrative regions.

Soldiers, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants settled separately and were not allowed to move at will.

Local officials at all levels are directly appointed and removed by the monarch, and they uniformly execute the monarch's decrees, which strengthens centralization of power.

Guan Zhong attached great importance to talent selection. After taking office, he gradually broke down the old official system and selected people with real talents and knowledge level by level.

At the same time, it is stipulated that local township heads can recommend talented people, regardless of whether they are farmers, businessmen, or craftsmen.

In this way, the source of talents was expanded and the foundation of Qi's ruling class was consolidated.

In terms of economy, Guan Zhong also implemented a series of reforms, making the people of Qi rich and powerful.

Guan Zhong adjusted measures to local conditions and levied varying amounts of taxes according to the quality of the land.

It makes the tax burden more reasonable, increases people's enthusiasm for production, and further enhances Qi's economic strength.

This taxation reform mainly aimed at the excessive levies and excessive extortion of landowners, ensuring the livelihood and production development of farmers, and also had a significant impact on them.

Guan Zhong also implemented the policy of balancing grain prices, which protected farmers' rights to freely buy and sell grain to a certain extent and guaranteed the production profits of private fields.

In order to increase the country's economic income, Guan Zhong proposed the famous salt and iron monopoly, which was a state monopoly on the management of salt and iron.

Vigorously develop the salt industry and iron smelting industry to promote economic development and increase Qi's fiscal revenue to a certain extent.

At the same time, people are prohibited from deforestation and fishing for immediate benefits to protect the normal growth of trees and fish.

Guan Zhong also promulgated the policy of monetary unification, and the Qi court uniformly minted currency.

By gathering and dispersing goods, commodity prices are adjusted and the market economy is regulated.

At the same time, the imperial court unified the minting of coins, strengthened Qi Huangong's intervention in the national economy, and had an important impact on the economic development of the country.

In terms of military affairs, Guan Zhong unified administrative regions and military management. In peacetime, it is an administrative region, and in wartime, it is the army, which can reduce military expenditures.

On the other hand, sergeants have lived together for generations and have formed an interest group with inseparable relationships with each other.

Hiding troops among the people and integrating military and political affairs, an army with strong combat effectiveness was formed.

In terms of diplomacy, Guan Zhong advocated easing relations with vassal states, drawing clear boundaries, and returning lands previously occupied by other countries.

At the same time, Guan Zhong dealt with the invasion of Shanrong and Di people and formed alliances with various vassal states to jointly resist the invasion, demonstrating the responsibility of a great power.

The once-declined State of Qi rose again and became a great vassal state with strong military and economic strength.

It was precisely because of Guan Zhong's reforms in all aspects that Duke Huan of Qi, backed by strong military and economic strength, summoned all the vassal states to form an alliance and became the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period.

"In the twenty-fourth year of Duke Huan of Qi, Shanrong attacked the State of Yan, and the State of Yan asked Qi for help."

"Qi Huangong believed that the Chu State in the south was causing greater harm and was unwilling to send troops."

"But Guan Zhong believed that those who were in trouble at that time were Chu in the south, Shanrong in the north, and Di in the west. They were all scourges for the countries in the Central Plains."

"If the king wants to conquer Chu, he must first attack Shanrong."

"After the north is settled, we can concentrate on conquering the south."

"Now that the Yan State has been invaded, it has asked our country for help. If you raise your troops and take the lead in attacking the barbarians, you will surely win the support of all countries."

"Gong Huan of Qi was convinced, so he raised his troops to save Yan."

"Guan Zhong accompanied the army to attack Shanrong to rescue Yan State, and they fought until Guzhu returned to the court with his troops."

"In the twenty-sixth year of Duke Huan of Qi, the Di people in the northwest also raised troops to attack the Central Plains, attacking Xing first."

"As the overlord, Duke Huan of Qi, of course cannot ignore it."

"Guan Zhong was also very concerned about this issue, so he proposed it to Duke Huan of Qi."

"Rong Di is very cruel and greedy."

"All the countries in Xia are relatives and care about each other. When one country is in trouble, everyone should help each other and cannot ignore it."

"It is very dangerous to be satisfied with the comfort of the status quo. It is the best policy to send troops to save Xing State."

"Qi Huangong admired Guan Zhong's idea, so he sent troops to rescue Xing State, and Xing State was quickly rescued."

"Not long after, the Di people sent troops to attack the Wei Kingdom. Wei Yigong was killed and the Wei Kingdom was destroyed."

"The people of Di pursued the people of Wei to the banks of the Yellow River, and the State of Song sent troops to rescue 730 people of Wei."

"Just when we established Wei Dai Gong as the king in Cao Yi, the newly restored Wei State was in a very difficult situation."

"Qi Huangong and Guan Zhong sent Prince Wukui with 500 chariots and horses and 3000 soldiers to defend the country and garrison Cao Yi."

"I also brought the horse-riding sacrificial robes to Mr. Wei, and the carriage and brocade silk to Mrs. Wei Jun."

"In addition, there were more than 300 cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, and chickens, and they helped build the palace."

"The Xing Kingdom has not yet recovered, and the Di people came to loot it for the second time."

"In the twenty-seventh year of Duke Huan of Qi, the Di people attacked the state of Xing. The situation was very serious."

"Under Xing's request for help, Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong immediately joined forces with Song and Cao to rescue Xing."

"When the armies of Qi, Song, and Cao arrived, the people of Xing State fled to their country one after another as if they saw their relatives, and the Di people were driven back."

"Although they won, the Xing Kingdom was looted by the Di people again."

"So Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong, together with Song and Cao, helped Xing move the capital to Yiyi, which is close to Qi."

"Both Xing and Wei were plundered by the Di people, but under the leadership of Duke Huan and Guan Zhong of Qi, they were able to recover."

"At that time, people praised the Xing people for moving into the new capital, as if they had returned to their hometown."

"After the restoration of Weiguo, people are in a happy mood and have forgotten the sorrow of the country's subjugation."

Li Shimin: Guan Zhong advocates the idea of ​​a king loving the people wholeheartedly, which I deeply agree with.

Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi to become the overlord of the princes, and united the princes and kings of the Central Plains to fight against the barbarians.

Expeditions to the Shanrong in the north, conquests of the Yi and Di in the west, and rejection of Chu in the south allowed the people of the Central Plains to live and work in peace and contentment and live a prosperous life.

If it were not for Guan Zhong, I am afraid that the Tang Dynasty would have the image of barbarians, wear barbarian clothes, and become common people under barbarian rule.

Guan Zhong's thoughts on governing the country had a profound influence on later generations, and he also learned a lot from them.

Guan Zhong advocated the rule of law in the country, and all people in the country, high and low, must abide by the law, and rewards and punishments must be handled in accordance with the law.

He also believed that the governance of the Tang Dynasty was good or bad, and the fundamental reason was to govern the country according to law.

Guan Zhong attached great importance to economic development and believed that the stability or instability of the country, as well as the people's law-abiding or non-law-abiding, are closely related to economic development.

There are many valuable things in Guan Zhong's thoughts that he can learn from, such as Guan Zhong's advocacy of respecting public opinion.

Guan Zhong once said that the prosperity of government lies in obeying the people's will, and the failure of government lies in disobeying the people's will.

This is the same as the principle he proposed that water can carry and capsize a boat. As a king, you must love and protect the people.

"In the 29th year of Duke Huan of Qi, the State of Chu sent troops to attack the State of Zheng again. Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong made an appointment with the princes to jointly rescue Zheng against Chu."

"Due to Chu's continuous attacks on Zheng, Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong formed an alliance with eight countries including Lu, Song, Chen, Wei, Zheng, Xu, and Cao to go south."

"First destroy the Cai State in one fell swoop and target the Chu State."

"The State of Chu sent its envoy Qu Wan out to negotiate with the army under pressure."

"You live in the North Sea and we live in the South China Sea. We are thousands of miles apart and don't interfere with anything."

"Why did you come to us this time?"

"Guan Zhong was beside Duke Huan of Qi. After hearing this, he answered for Duke Huan of Qi."

"In the past, Duke Zhaokang obeyed the order of King Zhou and once told our ancestor Taigong."

"If you, the fifth-level prince and the ninth-level uncle, don't abide by the law, you can attack him."

"From the sea to the east, the river to the west, Muling to the south, and Wuli to the north, they are all within the scope of your conquest."

"You are openly violating the king's etiquette by not paying tribute to the king of Zhou for the filtered wine used for sacrifices."

"There is also King Zhao's southern expedition. He has not returned yet. This matter has nothing to do with you."

"We came here just to punish you."

"Qu Wan replied that it is indeed our fault that we have not paid tribute for many years."

"As for whether King Zhao's southern expedition took place at the Han River before he returned, you have no choice but to go to the Han River to find out."

"Qi Huangong saw that the Chu envoy Qu Wan's attitude was neither soft nor hard, so he ordered the army to station in Yancheng."

"The armies of the North and the South have been at odds for half a year from spring to summer."

"It was not possible to continue the stalemate between the two sides, so the Chu State sent Qu Wan to negotiate with Duke Huan and Guan Zhong of Qi."

"Qi Huangong and Guan Zhong had no intention of fighting for a long time. They just wanted to use this military operation to show their overlord's prestige and scare the Chu State."

"So they quickly agreed to negotiate with Qu Wan and reached an agreement to withdraw their troops to Zhaoling."

"In order to show off his military strength, Duke Huan of Qi asked Qu Wan to come to the army and ride with him to watch the army."

"Pointing to the army and showing it to Qu Wan, Duke Huan of Qi was extremely proud."

"If you command such an army to fight, what kind of enemy can resist?"

"Command such an army to attack a walled city. What kind of walled city cannot be conquered?"

"Qu Wan, the envoy from Chu State, answered very calmly, very tactfully and forcefully."

"My lord, if you use virtue and justice to appease the princes of the world, who would dare to disobey?"

"If we only rely on force, then our Chu State can use Fangcheng Mountain as a city and the Han River as a pond."

"The city is so high and the pool is so deep. No matter how many soldiers you have, it will probably not help."

"Forced by the situation, Duke Huan of Qi agreed to form an alliance with Chu, thus ending the military confrontation between the north and the south with dignity."

Zhuge Liang: The alliance between Qi and Chu was only temporary. It didn’t take long for Guan Zhong to launch an economic war against Chu, which severely damaged Chu’s vitality and forced it to surrender to Qi.

Duke Huan of Qi has always wanted to deal with the Chu State, but he suffered from the fact that the Chu State was so powerful that he might not be able to raise an army to attack the Chu State.

In the end, it was Guan Zhong who gave Duke Huan of Qi an idea and asked Duke Huan of Qi to pay a high price for deer, a specialty of the state of Chu.

Duke Huan of Qi then set up a small city on the border with Chu State and sent people to Chu State to buy live deer.

The price of live deer in Chu State was 80,000 yuan per head. Guan Zhong asked Duke Huan of Qi to send someone with 20 million yuan to go to Chu State to purchase them.

When the King of Chu heard about this, he asked the people to catch live deer quickly so that they could exchange the money in Qi's hands as soon as possible.

In the view of King Chu, money is something that everyone likes and is also something that the country depends on for its survival.

And deer are just beasts. There are many of them in Chu, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t want them all.

In order to hype up this incident, Guan Zhong also deliberately deceived the official purchasers from Chu State.

If you can get twenty live deer, you will be rewarded with a hundred catties of gold.

If you get two hundred live deer, you can get a thousand pounds of gold.

As a result, the whole state of Chu was in a state of excitement. Both the official and the people, men, women, old and young, were all excited.

The common people put down their farm work and went all over the mountains and fields to catch live deer.

At this time, Guan Zhong asked his ministers to quietly purchase and hoard grain from the people of Qi and Chu.

Chu State made five times more money than usual by selling live deer.

The surplus grain purchased and hoarded by Qi State was five times more than usual.

Then Guan Zhong told Duke Huan of Qi that he could attack Chu with peace of mind, and answered Duke Huan of Qi's doubts.

Chu State received five times more money than usual, but the farming season was delayed, and the grain could not be harvested in a few months.

The State of Chu will definitely buy grain when the time comes, and the State of Qi will just seal the border. .

Duke Huan of Qi suddenly realized this and ordered the border with Chu to be closed.

As a result, the price of rice in Chu State skyrocketed. The King of Chu sent people everywhere to buy rice, but they were intercepted by Qi State. The number of Chu refugees who fled to Qi State amounted to four-tenths of the country's population.

After this incident, the vitality of Chu State was severely damaged, and it surrendered to Qi State three years later.

"In the thirty-fifth year of Duke Huan of Qi, King Hui of Zhou passed away."

"Gong Gong Huan of Qi and other princely states supported Prince Zheng as the emperor. This is King Xiang of Zhou."

"After King Xiang of Zhou came to the throne, he ordered people to reward Duke Huan of Qi in recognition of his merits."

"Qi Huangong summoned all the princes to gather in Kuiqiu to hold a ceremony to receive the gift."

"During the ceremony, the Emperor of Zhou sent a special official, Zai Kong, to deliver meat for sacrifice to Duke Huan of Qi."

"Because Duke Huan of Qi is old and virtuous, I specifically ordered Duke Huan of Qi to accept the reward without having to bow down."

"Qi Huangong wanted to obey the king's order, but Guan Zhong advised Qi Huangong."

"Although Duke Huan of Qi unites the nine princes and controls the world, if he does not bow down, I am afraid that the emperor of Zhou will be afraid."

"Thereupon, Duke Huan of Qi thanked the Emperor of Zhou for the reward, and then stood up to receive the reward."

"Seeing this, all the princes praised Duke Huan of Qi for his courtesy."

"Qi Huangong reiterated the good alliance and concluded a new alliance. This is the famous Kuiqiu Alliance in history."

"In the thirty-ninth year of Duke Huan of Qi, King Zhou Xiang's younger brother and uncle colluded with the Rong people to attack the capital."

"The civil strife in the royal family was very critical. Duke Huan of Qi sent Guan Zhong to help King Xiang of Zhou quell the civil strife."

"Guan Zhong completed it well and was praised by King Zhou Xiang."

"In order to show respect for the overlord's ministers, King Zhou Xiang planned to hold a banquet to celebrate Guan Zhong's success using the etiquette of a minister."

"But Guan Zhong didn't accept it, and in the end he only accepted the courtesy treatment."

"In the forty-first year of Duke Huan of Qi, Guan Zhong was seriously ill. Duke Huan of Qi personally visited the palace and asked Guan Zhong who should succeed him."

"Guan Zhong recommended Gongsun Xipeng, and also mentioned that Yi Ya, Shu Diao, Chang Zhiwu, and Wei Gongzi Qifang were only good at flattery and had no ability to govern the country. He asked Duke Huan of Qi to stay away from these people."

"Not long after, Guan Zhong died of illness, and his successors, Gongsun Xipeng and Bao Shuya, continued to use the political system left by Guan Zhong."

"Guan Zhong's descendants were appointed as high officials and enjoyed blessings from generation to generation."

Zhu Yuanzhang: Guan Zhong gave Duke Huan of Qi some dying advice, telling him to stay away from flatterers. Unfortunately, Duke Huan of Qi did not listen to Guan Zhong's advice and trusted these people, so he eventually died at the hands of these traitors.

Before Guan Zhong died, he hoped that Duke Huan of Qi would alienate Yi Ya, Shu Diao, Chang Zhiwu, and Wei Gongzi Qifang.

But Duke Huan of Qi thought that Yi Ya would not hesitate to cook his son to satisfy his taste. Such a person need not doubt his loyalty.

But Guan Zhong believed that human nature is to love one's own son, and he could bear to boil his own son to death, let alone treat other people.

Duke Huan of Qi thought that Shu Diao castrated himself so that he could serve him. There is no need to doubt such a person.

But Guan Zhong believed that people's nature is to cherish their own bodies, and even if they bear harm to their own bodies, they would not be loyal to the king.

Duke Huan of Qi believed that the witches of Chang could examine the principles of life and death and could expel diseases brought by ghosts to humans. There was no need to doubt such people.

Guan Zhong believed that death and life were destined, and that the diseases brought to humans by ghosts were caused by the loss of spirit.

The king does not obey the destiny and keeps his spirit, but relies on the constant shaman. As a king, he will inevitably do everything.

Duke Huan of Qi thought that Wei Gongzi Qifang had served him for fifteen years and would not go back to attend the funeral even after his father died. There was no need to doubt such a person.

Guan Zhong believed that people's nature is to love their father. If his father died, he would not go back to attend the funeral, and he would not be loyal to the king.

Although Guan Zhong had clearly told Duke Huan of Qi these truths, Duke Huan of Qi ignored them.

Not long after Guan Zhong's death, Duke Huan of Qi forgot about Guan Zhong's last words and instead reused these traitors.

In the end, the prophecy came true, and Duke Huan of Qi died at the hands of these traitors.

(End of this chapter)