How Yanzi Diffused His Ruler's Anger (Again)

Last time, we looked at the story of how Yanzi saved a stableman from death. This time, we'll look at another similar story.

Around 2500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn period of China's history, Duke Jing was the ruler of the State of Qi, and Yanzi was one of his trusted ministers. Duke Jing loved drinking alcohol, and one time, he drank so much that he fell into a coma for three whole days. When the Duke finally rose from bed, Yanzi came to see him.

(Pause: If you were Yanzi, what would you say to the Duke?)

Yanzi first bowed respectfully, then asked, "Your Grace is finally awake! How are you feeling? It seems last time the alcohol was too much for your body to handle?"

The Duke sighed, "Yes. It seems so."

Yanzi gently replied,

“In ancient times, wine was not for excess. It was only to honor guests and strengthen bonds between friends. Men did not gather too often to drink, for it harmed their farming. Women did not feast too often, for it harmed their weaving. Even when they did gather, wine was never passed more than five rounds. Beyond that, punishment followed.

But now, Your Grace drinks for one day and lies insensible for three. State affairs are abandoned, and your attendants grow corrupt. Those who once refrained from evil for fear of punishment now dare to act. Those who once did good in hope of reward lose heart.

When a ruler strays from virtue, the people no longer respect reward or punishment. And when both virtue and justice are lost, the very foundation of the state collapses.

I beg Your Grace: restrain your desire, lead by example, and guide the people with virtue!”

Image Source: Gemini

Seeing Yanzi's sincere devotion and the truth of his words, the Duke nodded. For a period of time, he restrained himself. But before long, wine called to him again. This time, he drank for seven days and seven nights without break.

One of his ministers, Hong Zhang, could no longer bear it. He stepped before the Duke and declared,

“Your Grace has drunk for seven days! Please stop at once. If you will not, then grant me death instead!”

The Duke’s face darkened. To obey Hong Zhang seemed like weakness; to kill him felt too cruel. Unsure, he held his anger back.

At that very moment, Yanzi entered. The Duke turned to him and said,

“Hong Zhang dares to say, ‘Stop drinking or grant me death!’ If I listen, it seems I am ruled by my minister. But if I refuse and put him to death, my heart cannot bear it. What should I do?”

(Pause. If you were Yanzi, how would you respond?)

Yanzi bowed to the Duke, and then said, “Hong Zhang is fortunate indeed to serve under a ruler like you. Had he spoken like this to tyrant kings like Xia Jie or Shang Zhou, he would surely be dead already."

Image Source: Gemini

The Duke was startled. He realized that his every choice would influence his reputation for all of history, whether he would be praised as a good ruler or condemned as a tyrant. He also felt a little ashamed that Yanzi was saying he's a good ruler when he almost killed a loyal minister out of ego. He wanted to live up to Yanzi's praise, so he spared Hong Zhang. Thanks to the two loyal ministers, he also resolved to give up wine.

(Story Source)

Commentary

This story has many perspectives that we can reflect on and learn from.

Duke Jing's Role

From Duke Jing's role, we can reflect on how harmful alcohol is. Like Yanzi said, it must be consumed with moderation for the purpose of strengthening bonds, not to be indulged in. If we are not careful and drink too much, we may lose our sense of rationality and end up doing terrible things that we regret deeply later.

Alcohol isn't the only thing that harms our virtues. Any addiction is harmful. Thus, if we have bad addictions, it's important to overcome them as soon as possible to prevent them from harming ourselves and the people around us further.

We also see the importance of having good friends and colleagues who advise us on what's right when we need it. The reason Duke Jing was able to have such devoted ministers must be a result of his humility and willingness to listen to advice. If we want to have good advisors in our life, we also need to cultivate our humility.

Yanzi's Role

From Yanzi, we should learn from how he was very considerate and upright in advising Duke Jing. He didn't scold the Duke out of anger, nor did he shy away from saying what needed to be said. He first showed consideration for the Duke's health and feelings. Before advising, he also gave a bow to show his respect.

When he advised, he first talked about the impact the Duke's actions are having on the state, which shows that he is thinking for the greater good. He then says "I beg Your Grace", which reflects his humility and respect. He didn't say "You must quit drinking", as if he is in a higher position and able to order the Duke. In this way, the Duke felt respected, so he was able to accept all the rationale that Yanzi gave and did not argue back.

When the Duke later drank for seven days, Yanzi didn't get upset and say, "Didn't you say last time that you would quit drinking? What's wrong with you! You're such a liar!" Such words would probably upset the drunken Duke and get him into deep trouble or danger.

Instead, Yanzi praised the Duke, saying that he must be a good ruler because if he were a bad ruler, he would have sentenced Hong Zhang to death already. This reflects Yanzi's big heart. He is always looking for ways to help his ruler become virtuous and govern the people well. His sincere devotion would surely touch Duke Jing's heart, and the Duke would be self-motivated to improve himself to be worthy of Yanzi's faith in him.

Hong Zhang's Role

From Hong Zhang, we can learn from his uprightness. I think he probably urged the Duke politely to stop drinking many times during the course of seven days, but the Duke never listened. By the seventh day, Hong Zhang was truly worried for the Duke and the citizens, and he was willing to give up his life in order to shake the Duke awake. His selfless intention is very admirable, and it's not something most people can do.

We can't say that his decision and actions were wrong per se. Perhaps if Yanzi wasn't there, and the Duke truly killed him, the Duke might understand Hong Zhang later and have the motivation to reform. In that case, Hong Zhang would have great merit.

But it's also possible that the Duke would get a bad reputation for killing a loyal minister out of ego, and then the other ministers and citizens would lose trust in him, and other dukes of other states would look down on him. Duke Jing would then feel terrible about himself and degrade as a leader.

Thus, it's very important to act with a calm mind and to weigh the pros and cons of all possibilities. If Hong Zhang acted out of anger towards the Duke, then he might not have thought about the negative consequences that his death might have. If he acted out of a calm mind with a kind intention for the Duke, then he might have already weighed the possibilities and decided that it's worth the risk.

I wonder what Yanzi would have done. I think one principle Yanzi would grasp is that we need to wait for the right time to advise. When the Duke is drunk, his sense of judgment and rationality is muddled. That's not a good time to rationalize with the Duke. That's probably why Yanzi waited until the Duke sobered up before advising last time.

If he really wanted to try to shock the Duke awake, maybe he might blame himself for being a bad minister, unable to help his Duke overcome addiction to alcohol, and then plead the Duke to punish him. These are just my speculations.

Concluding Thoughts

When learning such historic stories, we need to learn from each person's mistakes and prevent them in our lives. We also need to learn from each person's strengths and emulate them.

Do we have any addictions like Duke Jing that we ought to overcome? Are we humble and willing to accept advice like Duke Jing?

Are we considerate, upright, and timely in advising like Yanzi? Are we always seeking to help others grow their virtues like Yanzi?

Do we get a bit hot-headed and act on a whim like Hong Zhang? Or can we maintain our calm in triggering situations and weigh the pros and cons of all possibilities?

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Weekly Wisdom #402