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Yi Yin is the ancestor of Chinese chefs and is revered as the Saint of Chefs in the Chinese culinary world.

He was the first founding hero of the Shang Dynasty and the first famous prime minister recorded in history books.

He assisted Shang Tang in destroying the Xia Dynasty and made great contributions to the establishment of the Shang Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, he became a famous prime minister. From a slave to a prime minister, Yi Yin's life was full of legends.

Yi Yin's contribution to the Shang Dynasty was no less than that of any other king of the Shang Dynasty. He was also recognized by successive Shang kings, officials and people. He is a well-deserved wise prime minister of all ages.

"It is said that Yi Yin was born on the bank of the Yi River."

"He grew up without parents and was adopted by the royal chef of Shen State, a small state in the Xia Dynasty."

"He cultivated the land and studied in this small country, and soon became a well-known scholar."

"His reputation even spread to another state of the Xia Dynasty, the Shang State, whose ruler at the time was Cheng Tang."

"Cheng Tang heard that Yi Yin was a man of outstanding talent, so he wanted to hire him to the Shang State to assist him."

"But the king of Youshen refused, and Cheng Tang failed to recruit him three times."

"The ruler of the Xia Dynasty at that time was King Jie of Xia, who was incompetent and tyrannical, causing great resentment among the people."

"Yi Yin persuaded King Youshen to punish the criminals, overthrow the rule of King Jie of Xia, and save the people."

"But Youshen State has the same surname as the Xia Dynasty, and Youshen is a small country, so Yi Yin failed to persuade them successfully."

"But Cheng Tang was eager to find talented people, so he came up with a plan."

"Cheng Tang married the daughter of King Youshen as his concubine, and Yi Yin took the opportunity to come to the Shang Kingdom as a slave as a dowry."

"Yi Yin arrived in the Shang Kingdom and worked as a royal chef for King Tang, but his status was a slave."

"As a slave, Yi Yin could not help Yi Yin govern the country, and could not even directly express his political views to Cheng Tang."

"Cheng Tang then planned to change Yi Yin's slave status first, and for this purpose he held a grand sacrifice ceremony in the temple, which in layman's terms was a ceremony to change one's status."

Ying Zheng: Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. The first person to say this was Yi Yin.

To be honest, Yi Yin was appreciated by Shang Tang because of his cooking skills.

Yi Yin got the news that Youshen clan would form an alliance with the Shang State, and Shang Tang, the king of Shang State, would marry the princess of Youshen clan as his concubine.

Because Yi Yin liked to analyze the general situation of the world, after learning about King Jie of Xia's excessive debauchery and tyranny, he realized that the Xia Dynasty was not far from being destroyed.

Yi Yin thought that there would definitely be a new person to replace him, but the monarch of Youshen State was timid and could not accomplish anything great.

Yi Yin also knew Shang Tang and knew that he was a ruler with great ambitions.

Yi Yin felt that this was a great opportunity for him to change his fate, so he took the initiative to apply to become a dowry slave of the Princess of Youshen.

Of course, Yi Yin is also full of confidence in his abilities, and he believes that as long as he has the opportunity, he will be able to soar to heaven.

In this way, Yi Yin came to Shang and met the wise ruler Shang Tang who changed his life.

When he first arrived in Shang, Yi Yin was a dowry slave.

And because of the superb cooking skills demonstrated by Yi Yin, he was able to continue working as a chef.

Shang Tang soon discovered Yi Yin’s extraordinary qualities, first of all because of a delicious dish.

The name of this delicious dish is swan soup, which is a soup made with swan meat.

Shang Tang found that the taste of this dish was very different from that of previous chefs, so Yi Yin successfully attracted Shang Tang's attention.

In order to let Shang Tang discover his talent, Yi Yin deliberately cooked the dishes sometimes very delicious and sometimes salty or bland.

Once, Shang Tang found that several dishes were either bland or bitterly salty, making them difficult to swallow.

He couldn't help but get angry and immediately called Yi Yin and scolded him.

Unexpectedly, Yi Yin was not panicked, but calmly talked about the way to govern the country.

I also know that cooking should not be too bland or too salty.

Only when the seasoning is added properly will the dish taste delicious.

Today I deliberately made the dishes both light and salty to remind the king that governing a country is the same as cooking.

We should neither be impatient for success nor be lax and lazy.

Instead, we must relax in moderation so that the country can be governed prosperously.

Shang Tang was shocked when he heard this. He couldn't believe that such words came from the mouth of a cooking slave.

After many conversations, Shang Tang discovered that Yi Yin was not only knowledgeable but also talented.

Moreover, he was proficient in both civil and military strategies, which made people deeply impressed by Yi Yin.

Yi Yin still had great ambitions and was extremely dissatisfied with the tyrannical rule of the Xia Dynasty.

Shang Tang realized that Yi Yin was the talented person he had been looking for, so he freed Yi Yin from his slave status.

Shang Tang ignored the opposition of his nobles and did not care about Yi Yin's humble status. He promoted Yi Yin to the position of prime minister and let Yi Yin take charge of the country's affairs.

"The ritual process first required people to smoke Yi Yin with reed smoke, and then to burn him with torches."

"Finally, pig blood was smeared on Yi Yin. The purpose of this was to remove the bad luck from Yi Yin."

"But after completing this set of rituals, Yi Yin felt that his dignity had been insulted."

"So after he was freed from slavery, he not only did not serve Cheng Tang."

"Instead, he ran to King Jie of Xia, hoping to offer him advice and change the government of the Xia Dynasty."

"But Xia Jie was not interested in Yi Yin, especially when he saw that Yi Yin looked strange, he disliked this person even more."

"It is said that Yi Yin had neither a beard nor eyebrows, and it is said that Yi Yin was born in Kongsang."

"In short, Xia Jie disliked Yi Yin very much, and Yi Yin's many memorials were rejected by him."

"Yi Yin wanted to do something for the Xia Dynasty and try to save it, but he was treated like this."

"One day Yi Yin was walking down the street feeling unhappy and heard people talking."

"And the common topic of discussion among these people was that they hated King Jie of Xia and wanted to go to King Tang of Shang. Yi Yin finally realized that King Jie of Xia had completely lost the support of the people."

"So Yi Yin packed his bags without hesitation and prepared to return to the Shang Kingdom."

"When Cheng Tang saw Yi Yin again, he didn't mind that he had left him and joined King Jie of Xia."

"Not only that, Cheng Tang immediately appointed Yi Yin as Yin, who was actually the prime minister at that time."

"Yi Yin then told Cheng Tang what he had seen and heard in the Xia Dynasty, and persuaded Cheng Tang to implement benevolent governance, rally the people's hearts, and actively prepare to destroy King Jie of Xia and replace him."

Liu Che: Yi Yin did not go to assist King Jie of Xia, but went to the Xia Dynasty as a spy for King Tang of Shang.

After Shang Tang promoted Yi Yin to be prime minister, Yi Yin did not disappoint Shang Tang and taught him how to rule the world with virtue like Yao and Shun.

In order to help Shang Tang defeat King Jie of Xia, Yi Yin asked to be a minor official in the Xia Dynasty to gather intelligence.

The reason why Yi Yin was so confident was that he had a childhood sweetheart in the Xia Dynasty.

When Yi Yin was in Youshen State, the monarch of Shi State came to visit with his princess.

The monarchs of Youshi and Youshen were discussing state affairs, while Princess Mei Xi was playing outside.

Mei Xi found that Yi Yin was not only knowledgeable but also handsome, so she fell in love with him.

Mei Xi was beautiful and Yi Yin loved her very much.

When Mei Xi and Yi Yin grew up, they could be said to be childhood sweethearts.

The two of them were often together under the moonlight, extremely intimate and enviable.

But then tragedy struck.

Xia Jie sent troops to teach the disobedient monarch of Youshi a lesson, but Youshi could not defeat Xia Jie.

So, he broke up the couple and gave Mei Xi to King Jie of Xia.

Yi Yin and Mei Xi were separated by death, but they made a vow to each other and were determined to overcome all difficulties and get back together.

After Mei Xi entered the palace, she was deeply loved by King Jie of Xia, and she spent her days in a daze in the wealth and glory given by King Jie of Xia.

Yi Yin continued to struggle at the bottom of society, trying to learn the ways of Yao and Shun, looking for a wise ruler, hoping to display his talents.

Now that Yi Yin finally found the wise ruler Shang Tang, he was also willing to go to King Jie of Xia to gather intelligence.

After Yi Yin arrived in the Xia Dynasty, he would go out for a walk when he had nothing to do, chat with the people, learn about the local sentiments, and understand the people's attitude towards King Jie of Xia.

After learning about the resentment among the people of the Xia Dynasty, he boldly concluded that the Xia Dynasty would be destroyed soon, and began to prepare with Shang Tang for a war to attack the Xia Dynasty.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the political situation and military strength of the Xia Dynasty and to get close to his long-cherished Mei Xi, Yi Yin went to the Xia Dynasty again to carry out intelligence work.

Yi Yin and his former lover Mei Xi finally reunited. He successfully persuaded Mei Xi to become his undercover agent, and she became the most unexpected chess piece planted in the enemy camp.

When King Jie of Xia attacked the Minshan clan, the Minshan clan offered two beautiful women in exchange for reconciliation.

When King Jie of Xia found a new favorite, he forgot about his concubine Mei Xi.

Mei Xi was resentful towards King Jie of Xia because she had fallen out of favor.

Yi Yin took advantage of this opportunity to return to the Xia Dynasty and conspire with Mei Xi to find out the core military secrets of the Xia Dynasty and return to the Shang Kingdom safely.

It was very important for Yi Yin to know every detail of Xia Jie, and the news of Xia Jie's incompetence further strengthened Yi Yin's determination to help Shang Tang conquer the world.

Yi Yin used the intelligence he obtained to lay a solid foundation for the victory in the war against Xia. "Since Cheng Tang's benevolence was well known throughout the world, King Jie of Xia would certainly know about it."

"So Xia Jie realized the threat of Cheng Tang, so he issued an imperial edict to trick Cheng Tang into the capital and imprison him in Juntai."

"Yi Yin also came to the capital at the same time, and he used all the connections he had during the Xia Dynasty."

"He also gave a lot of money to King Jie of Xia, and finally persuaded him to release Cheng Tang."

"After Cheng Tang returned to his own state, he actively implemented the strategy of destroying the Xia Dynasty with the assistance of Yi Yin."

"Cheng Tang first tested the Xia Dynasty's strength and deliberately refused to pay tribute to the Xia Dynasty."

"Xia Jie was very angry and ordered the Nine Yi troops to attack the Shang Kingdom."

"At this time, Yi Yin suggested that Cheng Tang resume paying tribute to the Xia Dynasty, and the Xia Dynasty stopped its war."

"Emperor Yi Yin and his ministers took this opportunity to continue to bide their time and reserve their strength."

"A few years later, around 1601 BC, Yi Yin suggested that Cheng Tang stop paying tribute to the Xia Dynasty again."

"Xia Jie once again ordered the Nine Yi army to attack Shang, but the Nine Yi army did not obey his orders."

"Yi Yin told Shang Tang that King Jie of Xia had lost his authority and could no longer command the world, and the time was ripe to attack the Xia Dynasty."

"So Cheng Tang, with the assistance of Yi Yin, launched an attack on the Xia Dynasty."

"The Xia army was defeated and King Jie of Xia fled."

"Cheng Tang destroyed the three states of Wei, Gu and Kunwu in one fell swoop, and then sent troops to attack the capital of the Xia Dynasty."

"Soon, Cheng Tang captured the capital of Xia, and the Xia Dynasty came to an end."

"So Cheng Tang established the second dynasty in Chinese history, the Shang Dynasty, and became the founding monarch of the Shang Dynasty, and Yi Yin of course became the founding prime minister of the Shang Dynasty."

Li Shimin: The four great chef gods of China are Peng Zu, Zhan Wang, Yi Ya and Yi Yin, but only Yi Yin is known as the chef saint.

First of all, the introduction about Peng Zu mainly comes from mythology and there is no real basis to verify.

Secondly, the story of King James mainly comes from legend and there is no official record.

It is said that Emperor Wen of Sui once asked the cook what was the most delicious thing, and the cook replied that salt was the most delicious.

Emperor Wen of Sui thought that salt was the most common thing and had no taste at all, so he ordered the cook to be beheaded.

After the cook was killed, other cooks dared not use salt to cook anymore.

Emperor Wen of Sui felt that the food was tasteless, so he posted a notice to recruit imperial chefs.

At this time, Zhan Shu took down the list and told Emperor Wen of Sui that the most delicious dish was cake.

Emperor Wen of Sui was anxious to find bread, so he ran through the streets and alleys with his ministers.

Just when he was starving, Zhan Shu brought him a sesame cake.

Emperor Wen of Sui thought it was delicious, so he named Zhan Rat as King Zhan.

But these are just rumors and there is no detailed evidence.

As for Yi Ya, who cooked for Duke Huan of Qi, he was not worthy of being a holy chef in terms of virtue.

Duke Huan of Qi once said that he had tasted all the delicacies in the world except human flesh, which he felt was a pity.

Duke Huan of Qi's words were just an unintentional joke, but Yi Ya kept them in mind and wanted to win Duke Huan of Qi's favor.

So he cooked his four-year-old son into a soup and presented it to Duke Huan of Qi for him to taste.

In order to satisfy the king's request, Yi Ya cooked his own son. He was inhumane and his character was a big failure.

The last one is Yi Yin, who was the first famous prime minister in history known for his virtue recorded by Sima Qian in "Records of the Grand Historian".

Yi Yin was raised by a cook and was able to learn the art of cooking. When he grew up, he became a master of cooking.

Yi Yin cooked delicious food for Shang Tang, and took the opportunity to use cooking as an introduction to analyze the general situation of the world and the way to govern the country.

Yi Yin assisted Shang Tang in conquering the world, and was later re-elected as prime minister to four generations of Shang kings. He was a famous wise prime minister in history.

His philosophy of governing a big country like cooking a small fish is widely circulated. It not only reflects Yi Yin's superb political wisdom, but also contains profound cultural philosophy.

The theory of harmonizing the five flavors and the theory of cooking temperature founded by Yi Yin are still the unchanging principles of Chinese cooking.

From many aspects, Yi Yin deserves to be honored as the Saint of Cooking.

"Seven years after the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, Cheng Tang died."

"Because Crown Prince Tai Ding had died, Yi Yin placed Cheng Tang's second son on the throne, Emperor Waibing."

"Three years later, Waibing died, and Yi Yin appointed Waibing's third brother Zhongren as the King of Shang."

"Four years later, Zhongren died, and Yi Yin made Taijia, the son of Taiding, king."

"Taijia was in office for a long time. In the first two years, he did a less than satisfactory job."

"Later, they became licentious and tyrannical, extremely despicable, totally unlike the descendants of Cheng Tang."

"Although Yi Yin was the prime minister, he had absolute authority."

"Yi Yin feared that Cheng Tang's empire would be ruined by this unworthy descendant of Cheng Tang, so he exiled Taijia to the Tong Palace near Cheng Tang's tomb, asking Taijia to reflect on his mistakes there."

"History records that Yi Yin exiled Taijia, a minister exiled the emperor. This is the only case in history."

"The emperor was exiled, Yi Yin became regent, and the state continued to function as usual."

"Yi Yin's trick really worked. Taijia was exiled to Tong Palace for three years."

"For three years, Taijia faced his grandfather Cheng Tang's grave every day."

"Taijia finally realized how difficult it was for his grandfather to establish the Shang Dynasty, and vowed to carry on his grandfather's legacy and build the Shang Dynasty into a prosperous country."

"Yi Yin knew that Taijia had repented and reformed, so he personally went to the Tong Palace to welcome Taijia and brought him back to the court."

"Then Taijia was allowed to remain as the king of Shang, and Yi Yin himself remained as prime minister."

"Taejia, who has returned to the court, has lived up to expectations."

"He became a virtuous king, very diligent in his work, and cared for his people. The people of the country lived a peaceful and prosperous life."

"Not only that, the princes submitted and the whole world was at peace."

"Taijia reigned for twenty-three years. After his death, Yi Yin appointed his son Wo Ding as the King of Shang."

"Yi Yin died not long after Wo Ding ascended the throne. He was already a centenarian by then."

"When Yi Yin died, a thick fog fell from the sky and lasted for three days."

"Wodin respected this five-dynasty veteran so much that he buried him with imperial rites."

Zhu Yuanzhang: Yi Yin was the first meritorious minister in the founding of the Shang Dynasty and a veteran of five dynasties. He can be regarded as a famous prime minister.

Yi Yin made outstanding contributions to the destruction of Xia and the establishment of Shang, and was ranked as the first meritorious minister of the founding of the country.

After the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, Yi Yin continued to assist Shang Tang in governing the country.

During his tenure as prime minister of the Shang Dynasty, Yi Yin advocated governing the country by using culinary methods such as harmonizing the five flavors.

After the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, Yi Yin had a keen insight into the people's sentiments, rectified the administration of officials, and helped Shang Tang formulate various rules and regulations.

These systems stipulated that officials must work diligently, be loyal to the royal family, and not have any second thoughts, otherwise they would be severely punished.

Yi Yin also formulated many laws, and the people who committed crimes would be punished according to the law, and some could even be made slaves.

It even stipulated that officials who violated the law would be severely punished regardless of their rank.

Strict laws prevented officials from doing anything wrong, creating a good situation of clear politics in the early Shang Dynasty.

It is for this reason that Yi Yin was later evaluated by Lao Tzu as a wise minister who could govern a large country like cooking a small fish.

Yi Yin lived to be one hundred years old, making him the longest-lived prime minister in history.

Yi Yin served as prime minister of the Shang Dynasty for more than fifty years and spent half of his life assisting the king in governing the Shang Dynasty. He devoted his life to the cause until his death.

And it was under Yi Yin's rule that the Shang Dynasty grew stronger from its initial weakness.

Finally, in order to commemorate Yi Yin's great contribution to the Shang Dynasty, King Wo Ding of Shang buried Yi Yin with the ceremony of a king.

Yi Yin was buried next to Shang Tang's mausoleum to recognize his great contribution to the Shang Dynasty.

Looking back on Yi Yin's life, he did three things that were unethical as a minister.

First, Yi Yin changed his master three times and was a subject of the monarch of Youshen State. Later, he switched to Shang Tang and then to Xia Jie, which seriously violated the moral code that a loyal minister should not serve two masters.

Second, Yi Yin was committing treason. As a minister of a state in the Xia Dynasty, he instigated the monarch of his own state to rebel against Emperor Jie of Xia, which was clearly a case of rebellion.

Third, as a minister, Yi Yin exiled the emperor, which was not in line with the ethics of a minister.

However, Yi Yin's behavior was not only not criticized, but praised instead.

This was mainly because Yi Yin was not greedy for power, but simply wanted to force the emperor to mend his ways.

If any one of these three things Yi Yin did happened to someone else, he would definitely be infamous for eternity.

But three things concentrated on Yi Yin made him famous forever.

This is mainly because Yi Yin was devoted to the public and even exiled the emperor out of loyalty to the court. (End of this chapter)