During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Jing of Qi had three brave warriors under his command, namely Gong Sunjie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezi. All three of them were able to fight tigers barehanded, and were therefore renowned for their bravery throughout the world.
One day, Prime Minister Yanzi passed by them, walking humbly in small steps, but these three people did not stand up, which was very impolite.
Yan Zi went to court to pay respects to Duke Jing and said, "I have heard that a wise king should cultivate brave and brave individuals who uphold the principles of righteousness and respect for their superiors and subordinates. They should also maintain a sense of stability and respect for their elders and elders. Internally, they should be able to suppress riots, while externally, they should be able to deter the enemy. The country benefits from their contributions, and the people should admire them for their bravery. Therefore, the country has elevated their status and increased their salaries. However, the brave individuals that the king cultivates now do not uphold the principles of righteousness and respect for their elders and elders. Internally, they should not be able to suppress riots, and externally, they should not be able to intimidate the enemy. This is just a disaster for the country and the people. It is better to eliminate them as soon as possible
Jing Gong replied, "These three people are extremely brave, and they may not succeed in a hard fought battle, nor in an assassination attempt.
Yan Zi said, “Although they are all brave and fearless warriors who are not afraid of strong enemies, they do not teach the etiquette between the elderly and the young.” Yan Zi then asked Duke Jing to send someone to reward them with two peaches, saying, "Why don’t the three of you eat these two peaches according to their merits
Gongsun sighed and said, "Yanzi is truly a wise and resourceful person. He asked Duke Jing to evaluate our achievements. If he doesn’t accept peaches, it means he’s not brave enough. However, we have three people in total, but only two peaches, with more people than peaches. In this way, we have to eat peaches according to the size of our achievements.
My gong Sun Jie once defeated a wild boar and also defeated a nursing mother tiger. A credit like mine, Gongsun Jie, can be enjoyed alone as a peach without having to share it with others After Gongsun finished speaking, he picked up a peach and stood up.
Tian Kaijiang continued, “I held a weapon in my hand and repelled the enemy twice in a row. Thanks to someone like Tian Kaijiang, I can also enjoy a peach alone without sharing it with others.” After speaking, Tian Kaijiang picked up a peach and stood up.
Gu Yezi said, “I once followed the monarch across the Yellow River. A big crocodile bit the monarch’s carriage and dragged it to the middle of the river. I crossed the Yellow River and killed the crocodile to save the monarch. With the same credit as me, Gu Yezi, you can also enjoy a peach alone without sharing it with others! Why don’t you two return the peach to me?” After Gu Yezi finished speaking, he drew his sword and stood up.
Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang saw the situation and said, “Our bravery cannot compare to yours, and our achievements cannot match yours. However, we picked up the peach before you without any humility. This is greed; since we are so greedy, we still live shamelessly. What courage is there?” So they both handed over the peach and committed suicide by cutting their necks.
Gu Yezi saw this situation and said, “They both died, but I, Gu Yezi, live alone. This is unkindness; using words to humiliate others and praise oneself is unjust; regretting one’s words and deeds but not daring to die is lack of courage. Nevertheless, if they both eat the same peach, it is appropriate. And I eat a peach alone, it is also appropriate.” He felt very ashamed, so he also put down the peach and committed suicide by cutting his neck.
The messenger replied to Duke Jing, “All three of them have died.” Duke Jing sent someone to dress them, put them in coffins, and buried them according to the funeral of the brave warriors.
Although Yan Zi’s strategy helped the monarch solve the current problem, it also created a barrier between the monarch and his subjects, ultimately leading to opposition between them
The state of Qi also perished in centuries of decline Borrowing a knife to kill "is a vicious scheme, just like using a double-edged sword to kill enemies can also cut oneself
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But what’s the worth of the minister over these 3 warriors?
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The minister didn’t want to benefit the country, he just wanted to teach the 3 warriors a lesson, which unfortunately happened to be a fatal one because they’re fucking idiots bound by honour.
This resulted in him cooking up this scheme and misleading the King into believing that the 3 warriors were bad for the country.
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This strategy is to borrow a knife to kill. On the surface, it means that the King of Qi borrowed Taozi’s knife to kill three brave warriors, and the Prime Minister Yanzi borrowed the King of Qi’s knife to kill three impolite warriors. The three brave warriors also borrowed the Prime Minister Yanzi’s knife, leading to the downfall of the country
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Interesting. I love learning about Chinese folklore this way! This is so cool!
(I wonder if there are any Igbo Nigerian Folktales I can try this with…)
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It’s more Chinese history than folklore; as mentioned in the start, this is set in the Spring and Autumn period of China (770 - 481 BC), during the rule of Duke Jing (547–490 BC).
The 36 Stratagems is essentially a book on how to be a sneaky bastard, as it focuses on using deception to achieve your aims, be it politically, militarily or socially.
As xin_xinxin mentioned, this stratagem is known as ‘borrow a knife to kill’, aka getting someone else to do your dirty work (usually unintentionally).
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Ohhhh, that’s Even Better then, Wow! Now I’m double-impressed! Great job!
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I’d also love to see a fluffy version of any Igbo Nigerian folktales - I have only a passing familiarity with non-Egyptian African folklore (Anansi is about the god I can name), so any stories you think are adaptable are welcome.
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