History of Number Two Figures: Guan Zhong, the Great Prime Minister Who Made a Mediocre Leader a Hegemon

Guan Zhong was a statesman who flourished as the Prime Minister of the State of Qi during China's Spring and Autumn period, living over 2,600 years ago. He is regarded as one of the greatest prime ministers in Chinese history, having elevated Duke Huan, who was merely a mediocre monarch, to the status of a hegemon.

Even if you do not know about Guan Zhong himself, many of you have likely heard the phrases “The friendship of Guan and Bao” or “When food and clothing are sufficient, one knows propriety.”

To briefly explain Guan Zhong's achievements, as the Prime Minister of the then-weak State of Qi, he implemented domestic reforms and diplomatic strategies, turned Qi into a powerful nation, and made his monarch, Duke Huan, the hegemon of the Central Plains.

Although Guan Zhong is highly regarded as a great prime minister, it is interesting that Confucius did not fully support him in his later years, while Zhuge Liang looked upon him with envy.

What can be learned from the life of Guan Zhong

Early Life and Rise to Prominence

Guan Zhong himself was born into a low-status, poor family and spent his youth doing business with his childhood friend, Bao Shuya. Bao Shuya remained a lifelong friend, and from a young age, he recognized Guan Zhong's extraordinary talent, believing he would eventually become a great figure capable of managing state affairs.

Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, who were in business, wanted to enter government service to make a name for themselves. They entered the State of Qi, and under the 13th King of Qi at the time, Duke Li, Guan Zhong served as an attendant to Prince Jiu, while Bao Shuya served Prince Xiaobai (the future Duke Huan).

Caught in a Succession Dispute

When Duke Li passed away, his eldest son, Zhuer, succeeded him as the 14th King of Qi, taking the name Duke Xiang. Duke Xiang was a tyrannical monarch who often behaved in an unprincipled manner, and he was eventually killed by his cousin, Gongsun Wuzhi. Fearing that any prince with a claim to the throne would be killed if they remained in the country, Guan Zhong fled to Lu with Prince Jiu, while Bao Shuya and Xiaobai fled to Ju.

After that, Gongsun Wuzhi was also killed by those who held a grudge against him, leaving the throne vacant. In the State of Qi, debate split over which of the two remaining princes, Jiu or Xiaobai, should be welcomed as the new monarch.

A council of senior officials in Qi concluded that Xiaobai was the most suitable successor, and messengers were sent to him. In response to this, Guan Zhong plotted to install his own prince, ambushing the Xiaobai army as they hurried back to the country, and Guan Zhong himself shot Xiaobai with an arrow. Confident that Xiaobai had fallen, Guan Zhong leisurely returned to the country with Jiu, only to find that Xiaobai had already returned and been installed as the King of Qi. Although the arrow had indeed hit Xiaobai, he had survived thanks to the buckle on his belt.

Thus, the succession struggle ended in victory for Xiaobai, who took the name Duke Huan, the 15th King of Qi. Jiu, whom Guan Zhong had supported, was killed, leaving the question of how to deal with Guan Zhong.

Escaping Punishment Through the Recommendation of His Best Friend, Bao Shuya

For the newly crowned Duke Huan, Guan Zhong was a hateful figure who had tried to take his life as an enemy, so it is no wonder he considered having him killed. However, Guan Zhong's best friend, Bao Shuya, dissuaded Duke Huan from punishing him.

“I have been fortunate enough to follow you, my lord, and you have finally become the King of Qi. However, when I think about the future, I must honestly say that the burden is too heavy for me alone. If you intend to rule only the state of Qi, I might be sufficient, but if you wish to become the hegemon of the world, there is no one more suitable than Guan Zhong. A country that employs Guan Zhong will surely become a power in the world. You must by all means employ him.”

Duke Huan, unable to ignore the opinion of Bao Shuya, whom he trusted most, decided not to punish Guan Zhong.

Duke Huan of Qi, Impressed by Guan Zhong's Insight, Appoints Him Prime Minister

Duke Huan, who had been granted an audience with Guan Zhong through Bao Shuya's intercession, was once again struck by Guan Zhong's insight and decided to appoint him as Prime Minister.

The hallmark of Guan Zhong's politics was the belief that to make a nation powerful, one must first ensure the stability of the people's livelihoods; stabilizing their lives leads to higher moral standards among the people, which in turn becomes the foundation for the nation's existence and the enhancement of its national strength. In later years, this concept became known as 'When the granaries are full, the people will know etiquette.'

Guan Zhong's concrete policies were centered on the following five pillars:
・Protection and encouragement of agriculture
・State management of salt, iron, and other key industries
・Maintenance of a balanced budget
・Regulation of the distribution of goods and commodity prices
・Development of tax systems and military service

In short, it was about revitalizing the economy, stabilizing the lives of the people, and enriching the national treasury. While these policies might seem obvious today, one can see that 2,600 years ago, they were extremely visionary. The policies implemented by Guan Zhong achieved remarkable results, allowing the State of Qi to increase its national power.

The Four Ropes That Support a Nation

The foundation of Guan Zhong's policy lay in the stability of the people's lives, and the five items mentioned above were the policies to realize that. So, why does the stability of the people's lives lead to an increase in moral consciousness?

Guan Zhong believed that a nation is maintained by four ropes. If one of the four breaks, it lacks stability; if two break, it faces a crisis; if three break, it collapses. If all four break, the nation perishes.

Even if it lacks stability, it can be recovered. Even if it faces a crisis, it can escape. However, once it perishes, there is nothing that can be done.

As for what the four ropes are:
・Li (Propriety): Observing moderation
・Yi (Righteousness): Not engaging in self-promotion
・Lian (Integrity): Not hiding one's own mistakes
・Chi (Shame): Not being dragged into the evil deeds of others

If everyone observes moderation, order is maintained. If one does not exaggerate facts beyond necessity, there will be no lies or deception. If there is no one hiding the mistakes they have committed, injustice will naturally fade into the shadows. If there is no one being dragged into the evil deeds plotted by others, there is no way for major evil deeds to be planned.

It is convincing that if politics guarantees the stability of life, moral consciousness will naturally rise.

The Philosophy of 'Give First'

Guan Zhong says that perceiving the wishes of the people and fulfilling them is the essence of politics. He believed that politics that ignores the intentions of the people will inevitably reach a dead end.

・Everyone dislikes poverty.
　Therefore, the ruler must enrich the lives of the people.
・Everyone wants to escape disaster.
　Therefore, the ruler must ensure the safety of the people.
・Everyone does not want to suffer the tragedy of their family being wiped out.
　Therefore, the ruler must strive for the prosperity of the people.

Trying to force obedience through punishment without attempting to win the hearts of the people is impossible, and to increase punishments and execute people indiscriminately to intimidate them just because they do not obey is like digging one's own grave. It is clear that 'Give first' was based on a deep insight into the psychology of the people.

Conditions for a Leader

While Guan Zhong achieved results in terms of policy, he also preached about the virtues necessary for a statesman.

・Only when a ruler has a solid philosophy can disasters be prevented before they occur.
・Before worrying that there are no wise ministers, reflect on whether you are utilizing your subordinates well.
・Before worrying that there are few resources, consider whether the resources are being distributed appropriately.

Guan Zhong says that formulating countermeasures according to the situation is a condition for a leader, and an impartial and selfless attitude is the virtue of a statesman.

If a statesman is indecisive, countermeasures will always be reactive; if they are keen on self-interest, the hearts of the people will drift away; if they use incompetent favorites, they will be abandoned by capable subordinates. This can be said to be a way of thinking that still applies today.

Diplomatic Strategy That Valued Faith and Justice

Although the State of Qi increased its national power, Guan Zhong, despite possessing such capability, did not think to crush other countries by force.

For example, after defeating their arch-rival, the State of Lu, during a meeting to conclude a peace treaty involving territorial concessions, a Lu general seized a momentary opening to hold a dagger to Duke Huan's throat, demanding the return of the territory. Because he was forced to promise the return on the spot, Duke Huan was frustrated and later considered breaking this promise and killing the general.

Hearing this, Guan Zhong remonstrated with Duke Huan. He said, "Although you were forced into it by threats, breaking your word will damage the trust of many feudal lords." As a result of agreeing to return the territory, this story spread rapidly among the various states, and Duke Huan gained a reputation as a great man of integrity. Subsequently, the feudal lords came to look up to Duke Huan as their leader, and he succeeded in establishing his position as a hegemon.

A Warning Regarding Personnel Appointments

Guan Zhong also offered opinions to Duke Huan regarding personnel appointments. Once, Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong, "What is the most worrisome thing when governing a country?" To that question, Guan Zhong replied, "It is the 'shashu' (shrine rats)." A shrine rat is a rat that nests in a shrine, and it is a metaphor for a corrupt aide.

"For a rat, a shrine is an ideal home; it is not easy to exterminate because if you try to smoke it out, there is a risk of fire, and if you pour water on it, there is a risk of ruining the walls. Similarly, among a ruler's aides, there are those who make the ruler forget the distinction between good and evil, and who, taking advantage of the ruler's backing, bully the people and try to line their own pockets. If you keep such people as close aides, the country will eventually perish."

Guan Zhong also knew the knack for remonstrance, so he used the parable of the rat to gently warn Duke Huan not to employ corrupt aides.

The Decline of the State of Qi After Guan Zhong's Death

Guan Zhong, who had been in charge of national politics as Duke Huan's prime minister for over 40 years, became bedridden. Duke Huan visited him and consulted him on who should be the next prime minister if something were to happen to Guan Zhong.

When Duke Huan asked for Guan Zhong's opinion on three candidates, he was opposed to all of them. After Guan Zhong's death, Duke Huan followed his instructions and banished the three, but because he saw stagnation in the national government, he called them back and re-employed them as senior vassals.

As a result, just as Guan Zhong feared, these three began to manipulate power as they pleased, and the politics of the State of Qi began to waver. Another factor was that there was no one like Guan Zhong to offer remonstrance, and Duke Huan, who was originally a womanizer and reckless, neglected politics as if a weight had been lifted from him.

After the death of Duke Huan, the ruler, a power struggle began in the State of Qi, and the national government fell into extreme chaos, leading the country down the path of decline.

Commentary

What were your impressions after hearing the story of the great prime minister, Guan Zhong?
Even if one wins a succession struggle and becomes a ruler, without a clear vision, foresight, and execution ability on the part of the ruler themselves, proper state management would likely have been impossible. Duke Huan was a ruler only because of the existence of the great prime minister, Guan Zhong.

By the way, although not mentioned in this article, Guan Zhong was not necessarily a saint. In order to maintain his position as prime minister and to keep in check those around him who found his existence annoying, he asked Duke Huan for titles and vast wealth. He thoroughly looked after his own interests. Nevertheless, because he continued to achieve results in his politics as prime minister, it is said that the people did not criticize Guan Zhong.

At the beginning, I mentioned that Confucius, famous for the Analects, did not have a very high opinion of Guan Zhong. It is said that this is because Guan Zhong was in a position where he should have committed ritual suicide when his own lord, Jiu, was killed, and even though he was recommended by a friend, he was considered a person lacking in benevolence and righteousness for defecting to the enemy side. Indeed, in that respect, it might have been inevitable that Guan Zhong was thought of as a person without principles.

However, even Confucius gave the highest praise to the fact that he enriched the State of Qi, which was a weak country at the time, and made Duke Huan, a mediocre ruler, a hegemon.

I personally believe that Guan Zhong wanted to build the ideal country he envisioned by borrowing the power of the country and the ruler. It may be due to my lack of research, but I do not feel that Guan Zhong held heartfelt respect, empathy, or affection for Duke Huan, the ruler.

From the perspective of a business owner, some may have complicated feelings when hearing the story of Guan Zhong. They might feel uncomfortable seeing a capable person striving for their own ideals on the stage of a company they built themselves.

Of course, if the company develops due to the reflexive benefits of those activities and the president is also seen externally as a capable manager, there may be cases where one thinks a win-win relationship is fine. This is a matter of perception, so there is no right or wrong.

However, even if Guan Zhong valued his own ideals, I think he was more than expected as an assistant by giving Duke Huan, who thought it was enough to just govern one country, the grand goal of becoming the hegemon of the Central Plains and raising his perspective.

Now, while it is the established view that Duke Huan was a mediocre ruler, I think it could be argued from a different perspective that he was actually an excellent individual.

In what respects, you ask?

• He followed the advice of his trusted aide, Bao Shuya, and appointed Guan Zhong to a high position as recommended.
• He did not object to the policies proposed by Guan Zhong and entrusted them to him completely.
• He listened to Guan Zhong's remonstrations and corrected his behavior accordingly.

While it may give the impression that he lacked initiative as the head of an organization, perhaps Duke Huan was aware that he was a mediocre ruler. And I believe the fact that he trusted Guan Zhong and left everything to him is truly remarkable.

As the country developed, there must have been times when Duke Huan became arrogant or overconfident.

If he had wanted to, he could have easily dealt with a nagging aide, no matter how capable they were. Yet, for 40 years, he sincerely accepted Guan Zhong's words, trusted him completely, and sought his advice until the very end, which is something I believe is not easily imitated. In that sense, Duke Huan could be called an excellent leader who knew how to manage talented people.

If you think about how you would interact with an exceptionally talented person if they joined the company you manage, you might find some useful insights from the story of Guan Zhong.

Thank you for reading until the end.

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