Yan Ying (578 – 500 BC) was an official of the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn Period (722 – 481 BC). In year three of King Zhuang's reign (550 BC), Luan Ying, a high-ranking scholar from the Jin State, escaped to Qi. King Zhuang hosted a feast for Luan Ying and told his officials, "Luan Ying is very talented. I'm treating him well so that he will want to help me reach my ambitions."

Yan Ying had already met Luan Ying by then. He told King Zhuang, "Luan Ying is cunning and dishonesty. I noticed it when he first talked with me. Just now, I saw that he was full of flattery to you and had no words of sincerity. He is acting this way because he has ulterior motives. As King, you should be on your guard."

The King did not listen and trusted Luan Ying just as before. At the same time, Luan Ying also paid bribes to many officials to win their trust. Many were swayed by Luan Ying and spoke good things about him. Yan Ying repeatedly admonished the King to watch out for Luan Ying. Eventually, the King became very impatient and blurted out, "You don't know what's good and what's bad! Has Luan Ying offended you in the past? You tell me everyday how terrible he is. I think you fall into the category of treacherous people!"

Yan Ying was not shaken. He said, "My King likes to hear sweet words, so Luan Ying caters to your desire. If you call such a person loyal, who wouldn't be able to be loyal, then? I have nothing to hide in my heart, but I cannot stand sycophancy. Only wicked people care so little about their honor."

A year later, it was discovered that Luan Ying was a spy of the Jin State. King Zhuang did not reflect back on what he did. Instead, he still blamed Yan Ying for being impolite and wanted to charge him for offending the ruler.

Three years later, King Zhuang was killed by Cui Zhu, who was a high-ranking official in the king's court. No one else dared to mourn King Zhuang's death, yet Yan Ying leaned onto the king's body and cried passionately, with no concern for his personal safety. Cui Zhu said, "The king did not take you seriously. Why are you mourning his death?"

Yan Ying said solemnly, "A loyal official does not flatter; a wicked official does not speak the truth. Having served under him, I should of course be loyal. How could I only point out his mistakes yet forget the greater loyalty?"

Cui Zhu's assistants wanted to kill Yan Ying. Cui also detested Yan Ying, but he changed his mind and told those that followed him, "If he is not afraid, what good does killing him do? He is well-respected by the public. If we spare his life, it will be good for our public image."

In order to consolidate his power, Cui Zhu confined all the court’s officials to Taigong Temple and surrounded the temple with over 1,000 troops. Every official was required to swear their loyalty to him. Anyone who did not would be killed immediately. Cui had already killed seven people, and the situation was extremely tense.
It was Yan Ying's turn. Everyone held their breath to watch what he would do. Yan Ying raised his wine glass with poise, and sighed to the sky with both anger and sorrow, "How despicable! Cui Zhu killed the king without reason. All those who assist the bad in doing evil will not end well." He then drank the whole glass. Cui Zhu was both ashamed and angry. He pushed his sword against Yan Ying's chest and asked him to swear his allegiance. Yan Ying was not afraid at all and said solemnly, "I will never bow to you!" As Cui Zhu was about to kill Yan Ying, an assistant of Cui's said, "You must not kill him! You killed the king because he was not ruling the country well. That's why the people of the country did not revolt against you. If you killed Yan Ying, there will be a lot of trouble." Cui Zhu could do nothing but let Yan Ying leave.

After King Jing became the ruler of Qi in 547 BC, Yan Ying became concerned that the king blindly trusted Liang Qiuju, who was a sycophant. Once, Liang was again singing unfounded praises for the king. The king was so pleased by the flattery that he said that Liang was the most in sync with him. Yan Ying came up to the king and said, "I see it differently. Liang was only flattering you. These are purely words of sycophancy. He may agree with you on some things, but he is not really in sync with you."

The king was embarrassed, and said, "What's the difference anyway?"

Yan Ying said plainly, "Of course there is a difference! Being in sync is like cooking a broth. You need water, fire, vinegar, sauce, salt, plum, and other condiments. You have to mix them well, then boil them. If it's too bland, you add some condiments. If it's too strong, you add more water. This is how you make a good broth. The same is true for the relationship between the king and the officials. When the king is right, the officials should protect him. When the king is wrong, the officials should point it out in order to correct the mistake. Only then can a country be stable and its political affairs be handled properly."

The king fell silent. Yan Ying then said, "Liang Qiuju only wants to please the king. Regardless of the matter, he only follows what the king says. This is 'agreement,' but not in sync. How can this benefit the king or the nation? Unfounded flattery only fosters self-importance for the king. Listening to his words are like adding water to water: there is no taste. If a musical instrument has only one pitch, nobody would want to listen to it."

The king thought about Yan Ying's words for a while and recognized that Yan Ying was right. He told other officials, "I have long heard that Yan Ying was extremely courageous and loyal. Today I finally had the chance to see it myself. He was not afraid to anger me and dared to say what other people didn't dare say. He is one with true loyalty!"

 直言上谏　坦荡无私
春秋时期，晏婴在齐国为官。齐庄公三年，晋国大夫栾盈逃到齐国，庄公盛情款待他，他对群臣说：「栾盈很有才，我善待他，想让他助我成就霸业。」
晏婴和栾盈先已经见面交谈，他此时便对庄公说：「栾盈此人工于谄媚，他和臣交谈的时候，臣已感受到这一点了。我见他对主公极言奉承，无一句真心话。他如此行事，乃用心不轨，其意非善，主公还应有所戒备啊。」

庄公不听，对栾盈宠信不减。栾盈在齐交结大夫，遍送贿赂，极力巴结，以至许多人都被其拉拢，力言其好。晏婴反复上谏庄公，请他提防栾盈，最后庄公烦不胜烦，竟出语大骂说：「你不知好歹，难道栾盈和你有仇，你天天跟我说他坏话，我看所谓的奸人就是你这样的人了！」

晏婴毫不畏惧，他说：「主公喜爱甜言蜜语，栾盈便投其所好。如果说这样的人为忠，那么这样的话谁不会说呢？我问心无愧，却以之为耻，只有奸恶之人才这样不以为然。」

一年过后，栾盈为晋国内奸的真情败露，庄公居然不自加反省，却仍指责晏婴对他说话无理，有犯上之罪。

齐庄公六年，庄公被权臣崔杼杀死，无人敢去吊唁。晏婴不顾个人安危，趴在庄公尸体上大哭。崔杼对晏婴说：「主公对你并不重用，你为何哭他？」
晏婴正色说道：「忠不谄媚，奸不言真，我身为人臣，自当尽忠，又岂能只指责其错失，而没有大义呢？」

崔杼的左右欲杀掉晏婴，崔杼对晏婴也早已是恨之入骨，但是转念一想，对身边的人说：「他不畏死，杀他何益？他是百姓所仰望的人，放了他可以收取民心。」

崔杼为了巩固权势，树立威信，把满朝文武大臣都驱赶到太公庙上，派上千名兵马内外把守，逼迫大家宣誓效忠并服从于他。稍有违迕，即被处死。已经杀了七个人，气氛十分恐怖。

轮到晏婴了。大家屏住呼吸，只见晏婴从容的端起酒杯，义愤填膺的对天悲叹道：「可恨！崔杼无道弑君王。凡为虎作伥、助纣为虐者均不得好死！」说罢，便一饮而尽。崔杼恼羞成怒，恶狠狠的用剑顶着晏婴的胸膛，要他从新发誓。晏婴毫不畏惧，厉声回答：「我晏婴决不屈服于你！」崔杼就要下手。这时，身边的一个心腹悄悄的对他说：「千万使不得！您杀庄公，是因为他无道，国人反应不大，您如果杀了晏婴，那可就麻烦事了。」崔杼无可奈何，怒视著晏婴离去。

齐景公继位后，晏婴见他宠信梁丘据，对梁丘据的谄媚之言全然接受，不觉心忧。一次，梁丘据又胡言奉承景公，景公对众臣说梁丘据和他最为和谐，晏婴就此上前道：「臣不是这样看的。梁丘据分明是无端夸奖主公，全无根据和由头，这只是谄媚之言罢了。你们之间只是「同」，而不是「和」，这岂是和的真意呢？」

景公脸上无光，只道：「这有甚么分别吗？」

晏婴直言道：「当然不同了！和谐就像做羹汤一般，用水、火、醋、肉酱、盐、梅等各种调料，经搅拌糅合使味道适中，先用火烧煮，淡则加料，浓则加水，如此方能食之味佳。君臣之道也该如此，君主正确的，臣子应极力维护。君主不对的地方，臣子也应指出来，以正过失。这样，国家才能安定，政事才没有失误。」

景公听之茫然，晏婴随即又说道：「梁丘据之人，为取主公欢心，不问好坏，顺从主公行事出言，始终和主公保持一致，这是「相同」怎么是「和谐」呢？这样对主公对国家有甚么益处呢？无端吹捧却会助长主公骄傲之心。听他之言，如同在水里加水，谈不上甚么味道。又好比琴瑟，只弹一个声音，没有人会去听它啊!」
景公听罢方悟，久思过后，不禁称好。他对众臣说：「早闻晏婴勇气过人，忠义可嘉，今日我终于亲眼见到了。他不怕惹我生怒，敢言人之不敢言，这才是真正的忠臣啊！」