Onitako

Chapter 10 Power Technique
A flatterer is flattering and loyal; a flatterer is rich and wise

[Original text]

Those who say it, say it; those who say it, capitalize it.Those who decorate words are false; those who are false are profit and loss.Those who respond, use words; those who use words, talk lightly.Those who make righteousness are clear;Those who are hard to say, but discuss it; but those who discuss it, catch a few.Those who speak flattery are flattering and loyal; those who flatter are broad and wise; those who speak flat are decisive and brave;Those who first intend to accept desires are flatterers;

【Translation】

Lobbying is to persuade others to accept one's ideas; and persuading others to accept one's own ideas is to help others.Whitewashed rhetoric lacks reliable basis.The so-called lack of reliable evidence will bring bad influence.The so-called rhetoric of promise and answer is a kind of sweet rhetoric; clever rhetoric is a kind of diplomatic rhetoric that despises arguments.The purpose of speaking with meaning is to distinguish the truth from the false; and the purpose of distinguishing the true from the false is to conform to and verify one's inner feelings.The words of accusation that challenge others are intended to question and discuss things; while questioning and discussing things are intended to induce and explore the subtleties of things.Flattery is the name of loyalty through flattery; flattery is the name of wisdom through rich and empty words; plain words is the name of courage through decisive and unquestioning words. ;Sorrowful speech is to gain trust by exercising ingenuity; calm statement is to win the name of victory by attacking others.Flattery and flattery, satisfying the other party's desires, is flattery; complicated and vain rhetoric, is gambling; planning choices, using resourcefulness, is power; even giving up without hesitation, is decisive; covering up one's own shortcomings, but accusing others of their faults, is rebellion. .

Examples of Wisdom
Reversing black and white and admonishing Wenhou
When Wei Wenhou was in power, Ximenbao governed Yedu with strict laws and disciplines, upright and honest, stern and selfless.He not only threw the big and small witches who pretended to be gods and ghosts into the Zhang River to sacrifice to the river god, but also severely punished several corrupt local officials.The people in Yedu applauded his benevolent government.Under his leadership, people built water conservancy projects, farmed and started businesses, which soon brought prosperity to this desolate area.

Ximen Bao is diligent in government and loves the people. He is a clean and honest official. He neither flatters his superiors nor the monarch of Wei State. Therefore, although his political achievements are remarkable, he is not appreciated by Wei Wenhou.

On the contrary, because Ximen Bao touched the interests of his private party, some ministers around Wei Wenhou always tried every means to slander and frame him, so that Wei Wenhou listened to his words and planned to recall him to the capital and dismiss him from office.

After Ximen Bao visited the monarch, Wei Wenhou scolded him face to face, and the ministers also criticized him emphatically.Ximen Leopard didn't say a word of complaint, he just petitioned:
"In the past, the ministers were ignorant and didn't know how to govern the place. Now the teachings of the king and the ministers have taught me how to govern. Please give me another chance to govern in another place for a year. If the governance is still not good, the king can chop it off. Drop my head to appease the anger of the people."

Wei Wenhou agreed to his request.

Therefore, after Ximen Bao took office in the new place, he changed his previous incorruptibility and exploited the people wantonly, causing local complaints.He kept bribing Wei Wenhou's trusted ministers and asked them to say more good things in front of Wei Wenhou.

When his one-year term expired, he went to Beijing to meet the monarch.Wei Wenhou praised him for his good governance with a smile on his face, and the left and right ministers also praised him.

Ximen Leopard heard this, and cursed angrily: "I used to be loyal to govern the place for the king, have achievements in government, and are deeply supported by the people, but the king wants to resign from my official position. This year, the minister is actually oppressing the people and bullying the people." Keeping it secret, the king praised and praised me. Isn’t this a very stupid behavior? I can’t be humble and ashamed of the people! Please allow me to resign and go home!”

After all, he handed in the official seal on the spot and waited for the release.

Only then did Wei Wenhou come to his senses, he helped Ximen Leopard up in shame, and said:
"The widow only now understands the truth of the matter. Please forgive me. I promise that from now on, I will be a good minister, far away from a villain, and use my talents to make use of them. Please continue to do your best for me."

[Comment and Analysis]

Ximen Leopard's words of persuasion to Marquis Wen are mainly "flattering words", and he has long known his impression in the minds of the monarch and his officials.When Wei Wenhou listened to the slander, he did the opposite to show his loyalty.Here, Ximen Leopard uses ingenious counter-evidence to show his innocence, and finally makes Wenhou a virtuous minister and a villain, which shows his good intentions.

Xie Jin pleases Zhu Yuanzhang

After Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he suddenly had a whim to go to Huangjue Temple to study, because he had been a monk in Huangjue Temple when he was young, and he thought of the few doggerels he had written in those days, so he wanted to see if they were still written in Huangjue Temple. the wall.He wanted to relive his old dreams and re-experience the feelings of the year.Xie Jin was a bachelor in Wenyuan Pavilion at that time, and he was very talented, so it was uncommon for him to accompany the king for such things.

The abbot of Huangjue Temple was very happy when he heard that the young novice monk had become the current emperor, and he wanted to visit the temple. He hurriedly cleaned the temple inside and out, and then opened the door to greet the emperor in person.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't speak, but just looked around for the poem he wrote back then, but he couldn't find it, so he asked the abbot seriously:

"The poems I inscribed on the temple wall back then, why can't I find any of them now?"

When the abbot heard this, he was dumbfounded and realized that the emperor came all the way for this.The original inscribed poem had already been scrubbed clean, but he couldn't answer truthfully, so anxious that he only knew how to gesticulate in the air with his hands, but was speechless.So he looked at Xie Jin with his eyes, hoping that he could help him get out of the predicament.

Xie Jin and the old monk were originally a pair of literary friends, and they often recited poems and fought against each other in their spare time. Now that the abbot is in trouble, naturally he has to help him.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's dazed and bewildered look, Xie Jin hurried out to smooth things over and said:

"Your Majesty, when the abbot saw your holy face, he was so nervous that he couldn't even speak. He gestured with his hands to compose poetry. Didn't you see that?"

"What, is there such a thing?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked with great interest:
"Then what is he gesticulating? Tell me."

Xie Jin replied casually:

"The sage does not dare to keep his poems."

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped the conversation and asked in surprise:

"why?"

"The ghosts and gods on the wall of the poem are worried."

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that his poems were so powerful, he waved his hand and said:
"Then wipe it off."

"Wash lightly with Julaifa water."

"Aren't there any traces left?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't seem to be reconciled if he didn't ask for something, and he still couldn't forget the poem he wrote back then.

Xie Jin said calmly:

"There is still a dragon shining on bullfighting."

What he said made Zhu Yuanzhang laugh heartily.He knew that Xie Jin was flattering himself, so he gave up and didn't pursue anything anymore.

Another time, Xie Jin accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang to fish in the pond in the Imperial Garden. Xie Jin was very good at fishing, and he caught half a basket in a short time.However, Zhu Yuanzhang was born in the army, so he couldn't hold back when fishing, and frequently pulled the hook to see if there were any fish.As a result, not a single fish was caught.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw one in Xie Jin's place for a while, then got angry immediately, flicked the fishing rod, got up and left.

Xie Jin saw that this was bad. Once Lord Long Live got angry, it was not a joke. The so-called "accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger", if he annoyed the emperor, he might be in trouble.In order to calm the emperor's anger, he relaxed and leisurely recited a doggerel to Zhu Yuanzhang's back:

A few feet of silk fell into the water,
The golden hook disappeared without a trace.

Fanyu dare not face the Son of Heaven,
Long live the king only catches dragons.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he immediately ran to Java in a fit of anger, and even praised Xie Jin as a genius.

[Comment and Analysis]

Xie Jin is using "flattery" here.Facing the two problems of "obliterating the emperor's handwriting privately" and "fishing skills far superior to the emperor", he easily resolved these two problems with the method of "flattering", which is enough to show his flexibility and wit Being agile and able to grasp the timing of "flattery" at the same time made Zhu Yuanzhang turn his anger into joy.

Taking history as a mirror to persuade Liu Bang

After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang started the long-term Chu-Han War.In 203 BC, Xiang Yu stormed Liu Bang's resident Xingyang, and Liu Bang's situation was critical.

One day, Liu Bang asked Li Shiqi what to do.

Li Shiqi said: "In the past, Tang of Shang attacked Xia Jie and enfeoffed his children in the land of Qi; after King Wu defeated Shang Zhou, he enfeoffed his children in the land of Song. Now, regardless of the reputation, the Qin Dynasty invaded the princes year after year and wiped out the six kingdoms. After the kingdom, the descendants of the royal families of these countries have no place to stand. Now, if your majesty can restore the six kingdoms, entrust their children, and give them the seal of restoration, the monarchs, ministers and people of the six kingdoms will definitely thank your majesty for your great kindness and will come Surrender to the king and submit to the king. At that time, the king will be able to complete his hegemony, and even Xiang Yu will have to come to pay tribute."

Liu Bang thought it made sense after hearing this, so he asked Li Shiqi to bring his seal to divide the seal and restore the six kingdoms.When Liu Bang informed Zhang Liang of this decision, Zhang Liang said, "If you do what Li Shiqi says, your career will be over soon."

When Liu Bang heard this, he was shocked and asked hurriedly, "How could it be?"

Zhang Liangdao: "In the past, when King Tang of Shang attacked Xia Jie, he entrusted his children to Qidi because he estimated that he could defeat Xia Jie and put him to death. But now, Your Majesty, you are sure to defeat Xiang Yu and put him in the land of Qi." dead?"

Liu Bang shook his head: "No, at least not yet!"

Zhang Liang went on to say: "This is the first reason why it doesn't work. Back then, when King Wu of Zhou attacked King Zhou of Shang, he was very sure that he could kill King Zhou of Shang. But now, Your Majesty, are you sure that you can take Xiang Yu's life? "

Liu Bang said: "No."

Zhang Liang also said: "This is the second reason why it can't be done. After King Wu captured the capital of Yin, he was able to reward the merchants, release Jizi from prison, and rebuild Bigan's tomb. Now, Your Majesty, Can you rebuild the tombs of the saints, reward the sages, and open the door to the wise?"

Liu Bang said: "No."

Zhang Liang also said: "This is the third reason why it can't be done. After the victory of King Wu, he was able to distribute the grain in the warehouse of the Shang Dynasty to the hungry, and take out the money from the treasury of the King of Zhou to the poor. Now, Your Majesty, Can the money in the treasury be given to the poor now?"

Liu Bang said: "No."

Zhang Liang went on to say: "This is the fourth reason why it can't be done. After King Wu took over the world, he covered all the weapons with tiger skins and stored them away, expressing that he would never use troops against the world and start wars again. Now, Your Majesty, you can do it." Abandon military and follow literature, no longer use soldiers?"

Liu Bang said: "No."

Zhang Liang said: "This is the fifth reason why it can't be done. Also, King Wu was able to drive all the cattle to the peach forest to express that he would no longer labor the people. Now, can you do this, Your Majesty?"

Liu Bang said: "No."

Zhang Liang said: "This is the sixth reason why people with lofty ideals leave their relatives and fight with Your Majesty. They want to have a place to live day and night. Now, you want to entrust the descendants of all countries, Then all the people with lofty ideals in the world will have a place to stay, so who will follow you? This is the seventh reason why you can't. So, if you use this strategy, your career will be over."

After Liu Bang heard this, he quickly recalled Li Shiqi and stopped mentioning the matter of enfeoffment.

[Comment and Analysis]

Zhang Liang's words to persuade Liu Bang not to divide the enfeoffment were "Qi Yan".Its characteristic is to speak out one's own opinion first, and then try every means to get the other party to adopt it.Standing on the position of the monarch, Zhang Liang explained the seven reasons for indivisibility based on history, which convinced Liu Bang, and then changed his mind. The government changed with time, and the system changed with the custom. He found the correct way to deal with it, and finally became a generation of emperors. Industry.

Use bamboo as a metaphor to show Zilu

Zilu, a student of Confucius, surnamed Zhong and named You, often followed Confucius around the world and was responsible for protecting his safety.Zilu was mighty in stature, quick in response, dignified in appearance and personable. As long as Zilu was by Confucius' side, he would invisibly have a shocking power.Under his protection, Confucius never suffered any harm.

One day, Confucius asked Zilu, who was guarding him, "Zhong You, I haven't seen your hobbies for a long time. What hobbies do you have?"

Zilu replied casually: "I like wearing a long sword best! That will add to my image, and nothing makes me happier than this."

Confucius frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied, and then asked: "What about studying? Don't you think learning is a happy thing?"

Zilu asked blankly, "Study? I never thought that would be of great benefit!"

Confucius sighed and said unhurriedly: "The power of learning and knowledge is huge and invisible! You see, the king of a country needs the assistance of his ministers to make the country prosperous; ordinary people need the advice of sensible friends. Only by making your own mistakes can you improve yourself; in order to live in the world, you need to constantly learn from others and listen to their opinions in order to learn from others.

"A true gentleman likes to learn and brainstorm, so he is resourceful, and he will succeed in doing things; on the contrary, those who are not good at learning are self-righteous, slander benevolence, and have resistance to learned people, which is tantamount to pushing themselves back. It can be seen that if you don't study, you will fall behind!"

Zilu patiently listened to the great principles of Confucius, and when the teacher finished speaking, he retorted disapprovingly: "I don't think it's completely like this! You see, the bamboos on Nanshan are not supported by anyone, so they grow straight. Is it? And arrows made of this kind of bamboo can also pierce through leather! It can be seen that many things can still work well without learning and knowledge!"

Seeing that Zilu was still not convinced of his point of view, and was still messing around, Confucius felt annoyed and amused.He followed Zilu's words and said: "Leaving aside the other things, if you can repair the bamboo arrow, put feathers on it, and then sharpen it, wouldn't it have greater penetrating power? What do you think?" ?”

Zilu was speechless for a moment, and when Confucius saw this, he struck while the iron was hot and said, "When you look at a person, you should not just look at his appearance. Some people have a golden appearance, but their stomachs are empty; some people have an ordinary appearance, but their belly is full of jewels. Although the former It is pleasing to the eye, but vulgar; the latter is pleasing to the eye, but also admirable. It can be seen how important learning is to a person!"

Zilu said to Confucius sincerely: "I will definitely remember your teachings!"

[Comment and Analysis]

When Confucius persuaded Zilu to be eager to learn, the words he used were "jingyan".When Zilu refuted that arrows made of bamboo can penetrate leather, Confucius seized the inadequacy of this sentence, and refuted Zilu by saying that the repaired bamboo arrows were more powerful, so that he was speechless and speechless. Agree with Confucius' point of view.

devious reasoning

During the Warring States Period, Zhao Liehou was very fond of music. He enjoyed music every day and often recruited kabuki from all over the country.One day, Zhao Liehou said to Xiang Guogong Zhonglian: "The person I love the most, can I make him a nobleman?"

Gong Zhonglian didn't know what he meant, so he said, "Your Majesty, it's okay to make him rich, but it's not okay to make him expensive."

Zhao Liehou said: "Since this is the case, then reward Zheng Guo's kabuki guns and stones with [-] mu of land each. They are my favorite people."

Gong Zhonglian was surprised, what would the ministers think in doing this?But he still verbally agreed to Zhao Liehou, but he didn't actually implement it.

A month later, Zhao Liehou asked Gong Zhonglian about rewarding the land. Gong Zhonglian declined and said that he was looking for a suitable field, but he had not found it yet.

Another month later, Zhao Liehou asked about this again.Gong Zhonglian always thought it was inappropriate to do so. After several prevarications, he simply claimed that he was sick and could not go to court.

When Mr. Fanwu heard about this, he said to him, "I understand your intentions very well, but your method is not appropriate. Have you ever thought about recommending some suitable talents to the monarch?"

Gong Zhonglian said he couldn't find it.So Mr. Fanwu said: "Niu Hu, Xun Xin, and Xu Yue are all very good. They have their own specialties and their reputations are very good."

Gong Zhonglian recommended them to Zhao Liehou.When they met again, Zhao Liehou asked Gong Zhonglian again: "How is the matter of giving the land to the kabuki going? Did it take too long?"

Gong Zhonglian replied: "This is not a trivial matter, you should be careful, the minister is choosing a satisfactory place."

The three people recommended by Gong Zhonglian also began to do Zhao Liehou's work tactfully for this matter.Niu Hu was waiting beside Zhao Liehou. He always told Zhao Liehou words such as benevolence, righteousness and kingly way, and Zhao Liehou felt very comfortable after listening.The next day, Xun Xin said another set of words about recommending wise men and appointing capable men. Zhao Liehou was very happy to hear that.On the third day, Xu Yue said something about being diligent and thrifty, inspecting meritorious deeds, and rewarding appropriately, etc. Zhao Liehou was very happy to hear that.

When he went to court again, Zhao Liehou said to Gong Zhonglian: "Stop rewarding the land for the time being." After speaking, he appointed Niu Huu as a teacher, Xun Xin as a lieutenant, Xu Yue as an internal historian, and Reward Xiang Guogong Zhonglian with two sets of clothes.

[Comment and Analysis]

Various words can also be used in admonishment, and Gongsun Lian did this when admonishing Zhao Liehou here.Started to "cold deal" with the orders issued by Zhao Liehou with "flattering words", delaying them.Then select sages and admonish Zhao Liehou together, and there must be "flattery words" and "Qi words" among them.The so-called "three people make a tiger", villains are used to spreading rumors, and gentlemen can also rely on a variety of words to achieve their wishes.

You can eat, but you can't speak
[Original text]

Those who speak so are a few passes away, so they close their affection.Eyes and ears, Sasuke of the heart, so peeping evil.Therefore, it is said: "Respond to the adjustment, and move with the benefit of the way." Therefore, those who talk about it without confusion, those who fly without getting lost, those who change without danger, see it to be reasonable.Therefore, those without eyes cannot show the five colors; those without ears cannot use the five sounds.Therefore, those who cannot go have nothing to open; those who cannot come have nothing to receive.There are those who are not connected, so there is nothing wrong.The ancients said: "You can eat with your mouth, but you can't speak." There are taboos for those who speak;

Human feelings, if you speak, you want to hear, and if you do something, you want to be successful.That's why the wise don't use their weaknesses, but use the strengths of fools; they don't use their clumsiness, but use the strengths of fools, so they don't get stuck.Those who say it is beneficial, follow its strengths; those who say it is harmful, avoid its weaknesses.Therefore, the defense of insects must be firm and thick.The movement of stinging insects must be stinging with poison.Therefore, animals know how to use their strengths, and talkers also know how to use them.

【Translation】

Therefore, the mouth is the organ used by the human body to speak, just like a gate, it is an organ used to announce or block the inner feelings.The eyes and ears are the assistants of the heart, and are the organs used to detect evil.Therefore, it is said: "As long as the heart, eyes, and ears are in harmony, it will lead to a favorable path." Therefore, although there are cumbersome words, there will be no chaos, even if there are flying monsters, there will be no confusion, and even if there are changing deceptions, there will be no confusion. Not dangerous, the reason is to be able to grasp the key points and grasp the train of thought.Therefore, people without eyes cannot show them the five colors; similarly, people without ears cannot play the five tones for them.Therefore, where you cannot lobby, there is no information to obtain; similarly, where others do not lobby, it is because there is no information to accept.It can be seen that things are unreasonable, so we don't do things as things.The ancients said: "You can eat with your mouth, but you can't speak." Because people who speak have taboos, this is the so-called "one mouth makes gold", because words can distort the facts.

According to human nature, everyone wants to be obeyed as long as they speak, and hopes to succeed as long as they do things.Therefore, a wise person does not use his own shortcomings, but rather uses the strengths of the stupid; he does not use his clumsiness, but rather uses the cleverness of the stupid.Do this so you won't be in an embarrassing situation.That is to say, if it is beneficial to me, I will follow its strong side; if it is harmful to me, I will avoid its weak side.Therefore, the beetle must rely on its own thick shell to resist external aggression; when the stinger takes action, it must use its own stinger.It can be seen that animals and the like know how to use their strengths, and people who rely on words to lobby should use their own lobbying skills.

Examples of Wisdom
Fang Kuang was killed for his talent

During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao had a talented man named Yang Xiu.Not only was he talented, but he was quick-witted and intelligent.At first, Cao Cao valued him very much.However, Yang Xiu has always been proud of his talents, and his sharpness was too exposed, which not only gradually disgusted Cao Cao, but also eventually led to his death.

Yang Xiu is good at trying to figure out Cao Cao's mind.Once, Cao Cao ordered people to build a new garden, and he brought people to visit after it was repaired.Cao Cao felt dissatisfied, and wrote the word "living" on the garden gate before leaving.After Cao Cao left, Yang Xiu said to the gardener: "My lord thinks the gate of the garden is too wide, please make it narrower."

The repairer of the garden was puzzled, so Yang Xiu said, "Didn't you see the character 'living' written on the door just now? The door and 'living' together form the same character 'kuo'. This is to tell You guys, the garden gate is too wide and must be narrowed." After hearing this, everyone said it made sense.So, the gardeners followed what Yang Xiu said.A few days later, when Cao Cao came to visit again, he found that the gate of the garden had been changed to a smaller size, and he praised it again and again.

Another time, someone gave Cao Cao a box of shortbread.Cao Cao wrote the words "Yihe Crisp" on the cake box and put it on the table.It happened that Yang Xiu came in and saw it, so he called everyone over and wanted to share shortbread.

However, this box of shortbread was given to Cao Cao, who would dare to taste it lightly.Seeing people's hesitation, Yang Xiu said: "My lord wrote the three characters 'one-in-one crisp' on the box, which means 'one person, one mouthful' when read separately. So feel free to eat it, and I will take care of it if anything happens." bear."

Everyone felt that what he said was right, so they all stepped forward to grab the shortbread.After Cao Cao knew about this, although he didn't say anything, he felt a little disgusted with Yang Xiu's self-assertion.

Later, Cao Cao led his army to attack Liu Bei and was defeated at Dingjun Mountain.Cao Cao felt in a dilemma, but he was unwilling to withdraw his troops easily.One night, General Xia Houyuan came into the tent and asked Cao Cao the password for the night patrol.Cao Cao was eating, holding a piece of chicken in his hand, and casually said the word "chicken rib".

After Xia Houyuan got out of the account, he told the password to the night watchmen.After Yang Xiu heard this, he ordered his men to pack their bags and prepare to retreat.A soldier reported this to Xia Houyuan. He was a little puzzled, so he hurriedly asked Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu said: "Chicken ribs, chicken ribs, it's tasteless to eat, and it's a pity to throw them away! My lord doesn't want to fight here anymore. Although he didn't say it directly, he is already prepared in his heart to ask the teacher to return to court."

Xia Houyuan had heard it a long time ago, and he believed in his words.After returning to the tent, he also ordered his subordinates to pack up their belongings to prepare for the withdrawal, and sent someone to notify the other soldiers.

Someone quickly reported this news to Cao Cao.When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help being furious. He had long been disgusted with Yang Xiu's act of relying on his talents, and immediately ordered someone to decapitate him on the grounds of bewitching the army's morale.

[Comment and Analysis]

"The mouth can be used to eat, but not to speak", the original meaning is that the mouth can be used to eat, but not to speak, because speaking has many scruples and taboos.It reminds counselors that they should hide their talents at unfavorable times, instead of being smart, so as to ensure success in their careers without disaster.The death of Yang Xiu was caused by Cao Cao's jealousy because he was too sharp. He always showed that he was superior to his master, which would definitely lead to disaster.

If a person wants to be appreciated and valued by others, he must not be withdrawn and guard his own corner, but must dare to show his talent.However, it is not enough to be bold when expressing yourself, and more importantly, you must grasp the timing of your expression.Excessive flamboyance and too much sharpness will not lead to good results.If you give people the feeling of being self-righteous and pushy, it will definitely arouse the resentment of others.

Three people become tigers, great harm

The allusion that three people become tigers comes from the chapter "Warring States Policy: Pang Hui and the Crown Prince in Handan".Here a secret known only to strategists is revealed, that is, the dominance of human language over real facts.

During the Warring States Period, King Wei and King Zhao made a treaty. King Wei sent his son to Zhao as a hostage, accompanied by doctor Pang Hui, and set off for Handan, the capital of Zhao, on a certain day.

Before leaving, Pang Hui asked King Wei a question. He said, "If someone told you that I saw a tiger among the hustle and bustle of the city, would your lord believe it?" King Wei said, "Of course I don't believe it." Pang Hui asked again, "What if two people told you that?" King Wei said, "Then I doubt it." Tiger, does your lord still believe it?" King Wei said, "Since so many people say they saw a tiger, it must be true, so I have to believe it."

After hearing this, Pang Hui said with deep emotion: "Sure enough, as I expected, the problem lies here! In fact, people and tigers are afraid of each other, and each accounts for a certain amount. Whether a tiger is afraid of a tiger or a tiger is afraid of a man depends on the comparison of power. As we all know, a tiger would never dare to break into a busy city. Nowadays, the king does not care about reason, does not investigate deeply, and only relies on three people saying that a tiger has come to the downtown You can be sure that when I arrive in the country of Zhao, which is farther than the busy city, if you hear three or more people who don't like me say bad things about me, wouldn't you want to assert that I am a bad person? Before I leave, I would like to ask you Speaking of this point of doubt, I hope the king will not trust people's words."

After Pang Hui left, some people who were usually dissatisfied with him began to speak ill of him in front of King Wei.After a long time, Wei Wang really listened to these slanderous words.When Pang Hui returned to the state of Wei from Handan, the king of Wei didn't want to summon him anymore.It can be seen how great the power of "all mouths" is!

[Comment and Analysis]

"'All words make gold', there is a reason for the words", the original meaning is to say that the words of the same voice can melt the metal, which is caused by the deviation and misinterpretation of the language.From this point of view, gossip and gossip can indeed destroy a person.When there are too many people who agree, white people will be called black, and those who are true will be called fake.Therefore, we must have our own analysis when dealing with everything, and we must not trust others, let alone copy what others say, otherwise we may be confused by illusions.

Therefore, speaking with a wise man depends on knowledge; speaking with a man of knowledge depends on debate.
[Original text]

Therefore, there are five speeches: sickness, fear, worry, anger, and joy.A sick person feels weak but not energetic; a fearful person loses his bowels and has no owner; a worried person is blocked but not vented;For these five things, use them if they are fine, and do them if they are beneficial.Therefore, when speaking to the wise, rely on the knowledge; when speaking to the wise, rely on the argument; when speaking to the debater, rely on the essential; when speaking to the noble, rely on the status; Rely on benefit; speak to the lowly, rely on modesty; speak to the brave, rely on courage; speak to the superior, rely on sharpness.This is the trick, but people often do the opposite.Therefore, if you talk to the wise, you will use this to clarify it; if you talk to the unwise, you will use this to teach it, which is very difficult.There are many kinds of sayings, and things change.Therefore, if you talk all day long, you will not lose its kind and things will not be chaotic.It does not change all day long without losing its master, so wisdom is not arrogant.Listening is precious, wisdom is precious, and speech is precious.

【Translation】

Therefore, there are five types of lobbying rhetoric: one is sick words, the other is fear words, the third is worry words, the fourth is angry words, and the fifth is happy words.The so-called sick words are the words that are lacking in energy due to depression; Uncontrollable words spoken due to rash actions; the so-called happy words are unfocused words spoken due to laxity.The above five situations can be used after they are proficient, and they can be implemented after they are beneficial.Therefore, when talking to a wise man, the principle should be profound knowledge; when talking to a rich man, the principle should be eloquence; When talking to the poor, we should use the principle of elegance; when talking to the poor, we should use the principle of profit; when talking to the humble, we should use the principle of humility;All of these are ways of treating people, but many people run counter to it.Therefore, when talking to the wise, use these to clarify; when talking to the unwise, use these to teach.However, in reality it is very difficult to do.So there are many ways to speak and many variations to do.It can be seen that even if you talk all day long, if you don't lose the way of speaking, things will not be chaotic.If you don't change your speech all day long, you won't lose the main purpose. Therefore, the precious thing about a wise person is that they don't get confused.The most important thing to listen to is cleverness, you must hear the other party’s true thoughts; the most important thing for wisdom is to sum up the rules;

Examples of Wisdom
self-recommended to show talent

In 259 BC, the Qin army aggressively attacked the State of Zhao, and within a month, they came to the city of Handan, the capital of Zhao.After the Battle of Changping, the strength of the Zhao State was weak. At this time, there were no reinforcements outside and food and grass inside, and the country was in danger of subjugation.People in Handan were panicked.

The king of Zhao sent his son Pingyuan Jun to the state of Chu to move troops to rescue Zhao.After receiving the order from King Zhao, Mr. Pingyuan immediately summoned his disciples and said: "The state of Zhao is in danger, and the minister of King Zhao is going to ask for help from the state of Chu. I want to bring 20 people who are both wise and brave, both civil and military, to complete this important mission." Then began to select fellow diners.After picking and picking, a total of 19 people were picked out, and there was only one person left, but no one could find the right one.

Mr. Pingyuan was embarrassed, and at this moment, a person stood out from the unselected crowd.This person is unremarkable in appearance and rarely speaks at ordinary times.He walked up to Mr. Pingyuan and said, "Young master, if you really can't find a suitable candidate, and I'm not talented, I'd like to make up for it and go with you."

Because there were so many diners, Mr. Pingyuan couldn't recognize them all, and asked, "Who are you? Why haven't I seen you before?"

"I'm Mao Sui," the man replied.

Mr. Pingyuan really had no impression, so he asked, "How long have you been under my door?"

Mao Sui replied, "It's been more than three years."

Mr. Pingyuan stared at Mao Sui, shook his head and said, "Put the awl in a cloth bag, and it will show its sharpness soon. You have been under my door for so long, why have I never heard of you? Going to the state of Chu for the first time has a great responsibility, and it is related to the survival of the state of Zhao. Since you have no outstanding talents, you should stay as a housekeeper!"

Mao Sui said calmly: "Although I have been under the son's family for more than three years, you have never put me in your cloth bag. If you had put me in your cloth bag, I would have stood out from the crowd."

Mr. Pingyuan felt that Mao Sui was firm and there was no other candidate, so he said to him, "Okay, please go to Chu with us."

Mr. Pingyuan and the others simply packed up their luggage and set off on the road.Along the way, Mao Sui, who is usually a man of few words, talked eloquently and eloquently. He knew everything about astronomy, geography, and the situation of various countries, which made the people in the same company look at each other with admiration.

When he arrived in the state of Chu, Mr. Pingyuan went to the palace of the king of Chu alone to meet the king of Chu. All 20 guests stayed in the guest house to wait for news.

Let's say that Mr. Pingyuan met the King of Chu, and tried to explain the critical situation of Zhao State and the stakes of Chu State in saving Zhao.But the king of Chu was absent-minded, coping with it superficially, and he still didn't make it clear whether he would send troops or not.Negotiations have been going from morning to dusk, but no substantial progress has been made.

The diners waited impatiently, so they encouraged Mao Sui to find out about the negotiation situation.

Mao Sui came to the palace, went straight to Lord Pingyuan, and said angrily: "The matter of Zhao and Chu's joint resistance against Qin can be finished in two sentences, but your son talks about evening from morning, why is that? "

When the King of Chu saw a young boy, he asked Mr. Pingyuan, "Who is this man?"

Mr. Pingyuan hurriedly stood up and replied, "This is Mao Sui, my servant."

When the King of Chu heard this, he was furious and scolded: "Bold maniac, I am discussing military and state affairs with your master. What are you trying to do when you barge in? Why don't you retreat quickly!"

Lord Pingyuan quickly grabbed Mao Sui and told him to leave the palace so as not to cause trouble.

Mao Sui broke free from Mr. Pingyuan, jumped in front of the king of Chu, held down the sword with one hand, stared at the king of Chu and said: "The king dared to scold me loudly, but he relied on the number of Chu soldiers. But now , Your Majesty's life is in my hands, even if your Majesty has millions of troops, you will never be able to quench your thirst. My master is here, please be respectful, Your Majesty!"

The king of Chu was so intimidated by Mao Sui's actions that he didn't dare to breathe. He shook his body and only stared at Mao Sui's hand pressing the sword.

Mao Sui glanced around and saw that the guards of the king of Chu were all holding swords in their hands, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was breathless.Mao Sui showed no fear, and continued: "Back then, Shang Tang ruled the world with an area of ​​70 miles; King Wen was only a hundred miles away, but he was able to command the princes. Winning the world is not about the number of soldiers, but about being able to adapt to the situation and strengthen his reputation. Today Chu has a vast territory of 5000 miles, with millions of armored soldiers, dominating the world, unrivaled. However, Qin was able to conquer Yan and Ying in one battle with tens of thousands of horses, and was burned in another battle. Yiling, the ancestor who humiliated the king in the three wars, this kind of enmity for all ages, even the state of Zhao felt ashamed of the state of Chu, doesn't the king know how to be ashamed? Today, my master is ordered by the king of Zhao, and he is not afraid of hardships and dangers. I came all the way to the Chu State, joined forces with the King, and jointly fought against the Qin State. Not only did the King not want to take revenge, but instead, he repeatedly shirked, waited slowly, and scolded me in front of my master, which is really unreasonable!"

The king of Chu was so ashamed that Mao Sui's words made him blush, and his attitude suddenly changed. He said politely to Mao Sui: "What you said hit the nail on the head. I was confused for a moment and almost missed this opportunity. Today, I would like to follow my husband and fight against Qin together."

Mao Sui followed closely, and asked, "Once your Majesty has said a word, it's hard to catch up with four horses. Is this the case for the marriage?"

The king of Chu said: "It is certain, and I will never go back on my word!"

Mao Sui immediately greeted the King of Chu and said, "Please bring chicken, dog, and horse blood!"

After a while, the waiter brought blood and sacrificial vessels.Mao Sui held the horse's blood to King Chu with both hands, and said, "Please drink it first, Your Majesty."

The king of Chu licked it, and Mao Sui handed the dog's blood to Lord Pingyuan to drink, and then drank the chicken blood himself.Everyone shouted, the oath is over.

Mr. Pingyuan and others bid farewell to the king of Chu and returned to the country to return to their orders.During his trip to Chu State, Mr. Pingyuan was full of emotions. From then on, he not only treated Mao Sui as a guest of honor, but also said to the people around him: "I have seen hundreds of talented people in the world, but I have never seen such a person as Mr. Mao." A man of great courage and courage. Mr. Mao will be a blockbuster if he doesn’t make a sound, and his three-inch tongue can really be worth hundreds of thousands of troops!" After that, Mr. Pingyuan would humbly ask Mao Sui for advice on every major event.Because of this, Mao Sui made Chu famous in one fell swoop, and he was highly regarded by Lord Pingyuan ever since.

[Comment and Analysis]

The story of Mao Sui's self-recommendation is well known.In the process of self-recommendation, he used the words "speak to the rich, rely on the high" against Mr. Pingyuan, which overwhelmed Mr. Pingyuan in terms of momentum.After gaining trust, he led him to lobby the state of Chu, and in the process of persuading the king of Chu, Mao Sui adopted the words of "speaking to the brave, relying on the dare".The so-called meeting on a narrow road, the brave wins, Mao Sui overwhelmed the king of Chu again, forcing the king of Chu to agree to fight against Qin together.Using different methods for different objects is the reason for the success of self-recommendation.

Zhuangzi's Discussion on the Sword Admonishing the King of Wen

During the Warring States Period, King Zhao Huiwen (298-266 BC) was very fond of swordsmanship, even reaching the point of obsession.More than 300 swordsmen were supported in his palace, and fencing was performed in front of him day and night. After one year, more than 100 swordsmen were killed or injured.

King Zhao Huiwen didn't realize these mistakes of his own, and still ordered the swordsmen to fight each other to please himself.A few years later, the swordsmen suffered countless casualties.

It was precisely because King Zhao Huiwen was obsessed with swordsmanship that he neglected state affairs and made Zhao State decline day by day.

Seeing Zhao's decline, other vassal states felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, so they took the opportunity to annex him.

When Prince Kui saw Zhao Guo like this, he summoned the people around him and said: "Whoever can persuade the king to stop watching fencing, I will reward him with a thousand pieces of gold."

The left and right cronies said to Prince Kui in unison: "Zhuangzi can make the king order the swordsmen to stop fencing."

Prince Kui had heard of Zhuangzi's name for a long time, and saw that both left and right were unanimously recommending Zhuangzi. It can be said that heroes see the same thing, so he sent someone with a thousand pieces of gold to invite Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi resigned from the gold and refused to accept it, so he came to the country of Yue with the envoy.

Prince Kui was overjoyed and went out to meet him in person, receiving him with the courtesy of a superior guest.

Zhuangzi said to Prince Kui, "What can Prince Kui teach me?"

Prince Kui replied: "I heard that you are wise and intelligent, so you gave a thousand pieces of gold, but you don't want to accept it. How dare I say that?"

Zhuangzi said: "I heard that the purpose of Prince Kui's invitation to me is to persuade the king to give up his preferences. If I persuade the king upwards and disobey the king, if I fail, and if I fail to cater to Prince Kui's wishes, I will be punished." Execution, then what's the use of asking for a thousand pieces of gold? If I can persuade the king above and cater to Crown Prince Kui below, what can I ask for and what can't I get?"

Seeing that Zhuangzi said so, Prince Kui no longer mentioned the matter of giving away a thousand pieces of gold.So he said to Zhuangzi: "All the people your majesty receives are swordsmen. How can you meet your majesty?"

Zhuangzi replied, "I can pretend to be a swordsman, because I can also use a sword."

Prince Kui said: "The swordsmen the king meets are all with drooping hats, thick crowns, unkempt faces, short clothes, wide-eyed eyes, and swearing at each other. This is what the king likes. If you go to see him in a Confucian uniform King, I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

Zhuangzi said to Prince Kui, "Please prepare your swordsman's clothes."

Prince Kui prepared the clothes, and after Zhuangzi put them on, he and Prince Kui went to the palace to meet King Huiwen. The king drew out his sword and waited for Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi walked into the palace gate with his head held high and his chest held high, but he did not bow down when he saw King Huiwen.

King Huiwen asked, "What can you teach me?"

Zhuangzi said: "I heard that the king likes swordsmen, so I will compete with him in swordsmanship."

King Huiwen said: "What is unique about your swordsmanship, and how can you subdue your opponent?"

Zhuangzi said: "With my swordsmanship, I can defeat my opponent within ten steps, and I will not be hindered when I travel thousands of miles."

After hearing this, King Huiwen said happily, "In this way, you are invincible in the world."

Zhuangzi said: "The method of using the sword should first show the void, so that people can take advantage of it, and then strike first to subdue the opponent. Please allow me to try it."

King Huiwen said: "Sir, please go to the building to rest first, and then invite you after I arrange the fencing competition."

King Huiwen asked the selected swordsmen to stand in front of His Highness with swords, and then sent someone to invite Zhuangzi.

King Huiwen said to Zhuangzi, "Today I am going to invite you to confront the swordsman."

Zhuangzi replied, "I have been looking forward to it for a long time."

King Huiwen asked, "What is the length of the sword you use?"

Zhuangzi said: "I can use both a long sword and a short sword. I have three kinds of swords, and the king can choose them. Please listen to me, and then it will not be too late to try the sword."

King Huiwen said: "Then you can introduce the three kinds of swords first."

Zhuangzi replied: "My three kinds of swords are the sword of the emperor, the sword of the princes, and the sword of the common people."

King Huiwen asked, "What about the Sword of the Son of Heaven?"

Zhuangzi said: "The sword of the Son of Heaven has Yanling Stone City in Yan as the tip, Mount Tai in Qi as the blade, Jin and Wei as the back, Zhou and Song as the mouth, Korea and Wei as the edge. The handle of the sword is surrounded by four barbarians, surrounded by the four seasons, surrounded by the Bohai Sea, tied by Mount Heng, governed by the five elements, judged by the virtue of punishment, opened and closed by Yin and Yang, supported by spring and summer, and supported by autumn and winter. Operation. This kind of sword is straight, it is supreme, it is supreme, and it is not inferior to the case. It can decide floating clouds at the top and the ground at the bottom. Once this kind of sword is used, it can straighten the princes and subdue the world. This is the sword of the Son of Heaven. .”

When King Huiwen heard this, he was at a loss and frustrated, with a dull expression, and asked, "What's the matter with the sword of the princes?"

Zhuangzi said: "The sword of the princes is to use the wise and brave man as the tip of the sword, the honest man as the blade, the virtuous man as the back, the loyal and virtuous man as the mouth, and the heroic man as the handle. There is no front for the straight sword, no top for the lifting, no bottom for the case, no side for the movement, the top is round sky to conform to the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, the bottom is square to conform to the four seasons, and the center is harmonious The will of the people is to settle the four villages. When this sword is used, it shakes the four directions like a thunderbolt. Within the four realms, everyone surrenders and obeys the king's order. This is the sword of the princes."

After hearing this, King Huiwen pondered for a long time, and then asked, "What about the common people's sword?"

Zhuangzi replied: "The sword of the common people, the hat is lowered, the crown is thick, the hair is unkempt, and the short coat is on. They stare at each other and insult each other. Then you come and go, fighting endlessly, cutting the neck up and stabbing the liver down. Lung. This is the common people's sword, similar to a cockfight, once killed, it will not do any good to the country. Now, the king has the position of emperor, but he prefers the common people's sword, even I feel unworthy for the king."

After hearing this, King Huiwen suddenly realized, took Zhuangzi's hand and walked into the hall to pay respects to Zhuangzi.Zhuangzi said to King Huiwen, "Your Majesty, please rest. I have finished describing the three kinds of swords."

Since then, King Zhao Huiwen never went out of the palace to watch the sword fight.

[Comment and Analysis]

Zhuangzi used two words here: "Speak to the wise, rely on Bo" and "Talk to the past, rely on sharpness".King Zhao Huiwen was not a foolish king, he could hear what the three kinds of swords were pointing at from Zhuangzi's words.When he understood that there was something else in his words, he resolutely gave up those swordsmen he once liked and managed the government again, which is really commendable.This is inseparable from Zhuangzi's knowledgeable ability and eloquent eloquence.

【Wisdom summary】

The original meaning of "quan" is weighing hammer.In ancient times, it was a weighing weight. In this article, it is extended to mean measurement, comparison, expediency, and flexibility.The main content of this article is how to choose the appropriate rhetoric according to the expedient situation and adapt to the situation in the process of lobbying.

The article first says that "those who speak flattery are flattering and loyal; five words.Flattery is based on finding out the other party's intentions, using rhetoric to please the other party, making suggestions for the other party to make them accept their own views, and making the other party feel that they are loyal to him; flattery is to cater to the other party with false words , Praise the other party, and at the same time show one's erudition and knowledge, in order to gain the trust of the other party, so as to further shorten the distance, and leave a reputation of "resourceful" in the other party's mind; Chen stated his own suggestion, and enhanced the authenticity of the words in a decisive and capable way; Qi Yan deliberately used words with a sense of urgency to get close to the other party, in order to show that he understood the other party's thoughts, and made the other party feel that he was standing on his side Considered; jingyan is to use steady and calm words to find out the shortcomings of the other party's strategy, and to refute them, so that the other party can't make up their minds, so that the other party agrees with one's point of view.

In the process of lobbying, we must pay attention to the important role of lobbying mouth, ears, and purpose. Especially when using words to lobby, you must not speak casually. If you offend the lobbying object, it will be counterproductive.The purpose of lobbying can only be achieved if we send out at the right time, recognize the essence of things, and grasp the laws of the development and change of things.

The article also mentions five common mistakes in words: "Sick people feel weak and lose energy; Those who disseminate and disseminate without meaning.” Overall analysis of these five kinds of mistakes are: one is that the language is empty and not persuasive, giving people the suspicion that the reason is not straight and not strong; the other is that the language is incoherent and makes People can't figure out the essentials and can't find the key entry point; the third is talking hesitantly, giving people a worried and depressed look; the fourth is speaking in a way that is not clear and logical, like rushing to the heart; fifth is the speech is loose, without points, A hammer to the east and a mallet to the west make people confused after hearing it.

At the end of the article, nine methods of lobbying objects are summarized: "Speak to the wise, rely on knowledge; speak to the rich, rely on debate; speak to debaters, rely on the essentials; When speaking to the rich, rely on highness; when speaking to the poor, rely on profit; when speaking to the humble, rely on modesty; when speaking to the brave, rely on courage; In the process of speaking, different lobbying attitudes and techniques should be adopted according to different objects, and if you learn to adapt to the situation, you can change from passive to active; if you speak with clear themes, prominent points, and distinct levels, you will be more appealing, persuasive, and deterrent, and thus more powerful. It is beneficial to achieve the purpose of lobbying.

(End of this chapter)