During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Jing of Qi had three ministers: Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezhi. These three were not only brave and strong but also skilled writers, yet they were utterly rude—when they saw Prime Minister Yanzi passing by, they wouldn't even greet him, and they often treated Duke Jing himself with disrespect. Worried they might rebel, Duke Jing sought Yanzi's advice. Yanzi replied, "In a few days, Duke Zhao of Lu will visit. I'll pick some peaches and leave only two to reward the one with the greatest merit. Let them compete for the fruit, and you can achieve your goal."
"Fine! Let's do it your way!" Duke Jing of Qi said.
A few days later, Duke Zhao of Lu visited the State of Qi, and Duke Jing of Qi hosted a banquet in his honor. During the feast, Yanzi had six peaches picked for a taste. Duke Jing and Duke Zhao each ate one, then Duke Jing rewarded Yanzi and Shusun, an advisor accompanying Duke Zhao, with one each, leaving two peaches. Duke Jing then issued an order: "Let any attendant below the hall who believes they have rendered exceptional service speak up. Our prime minister will judge their merit, and if worthy, they shall be rewarded with one of these peaches."
Sure enough, Gongsun Jie strode out and said, "Earlier, I followed the king to hunt on Mount Tong. Suddenly a tiger charged at His Majesty. I quickly stepped forward, killed the tiger, and saved the king's life. For this deed alone, shouldn't I be entitled to a peach?"
"Since you saved the king's life, a great deed, you may eat one peach and receive an extra cup of wine," Yanzi said.
Thus, Duke Jing of Qi awarded the wine and peaches to Gongsun Jie, who cheerfully drained his cup and ate the peach before withdrawing.
Then Gu Yezi stepped forward and said, "Killing a tiger is nothing special. Earlier, when I crossed the Yellow River with the king, we encountered an ancient giant turtle. It bit the king's horse and dragged it underwater. I jumped in and fought the turtle desperately, killed it, and saved the horse. Doesn't that count as a great achievement?"
"Without you that day, I would have lost my life! Have a peach!" said Duke Jing of Qi.
So Duke Jing of Qi handed the last peach to Gu Yezi, poured him a cup of wine, and said, "This is yours." Gu Yezi drank the wine, took the peach, and withdrew.
At this point, Tian Kaijiang could no longer hold back. He stormed forward and shouted, "I once followed the king's orders to attack the state of Xu. I killed Xu's general, captured over five hundred enemies, and forced Qi to surrender in fear. Even the neighboring states of Tan and Ju submitted to our kingdom. With such merit, am I not worthy of a peach?"
Yanzi remarked, "Your service to the state and helping the king subdue vassal states is certainly greater than fighting tigers or killing giant turtles, but unfortunately the peaches are gone, so only a cup of wine is left for you!" Tian Kaijiang angrily replied, "What's so special about fighting tigers or killing giant turtles? My merit is the greatest, yet I didn't even get a peach—how can I face the world alive?" With that, he drew his sword and killed himself.
Gongsun Jie was startled and said, "I blushed with shame for taking Tian Kaijiang's peach based on my trivial merit of killing a tiger. How could I face Tian Kaijiang if I lived?" Then he also drew his sword and slit his throat.
Gu Yezi said, "We three are brothers who shared hardships and vowed to live and die together. Now that they are dead, for me to live on alone is to be without benevolence; to boast of my own merits and bring shame upon my friends is to be without righteousness! Why should I continue living?" With that, he too took his own life.
And so, Yanzi devised a plan, using just two peaches to eliminate three valiant warriors.
Later, the idiom "Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors" was used to mock those in power who use malicious schemes to kill honest people, and also to describe honest people who fail to understand the situation and end up being used by others.
Source: *Yanzi's Spring and Autumn Annals*, "Inner Chapters: Remonstrations Part Two"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "二桃杀三士" came to describe how honest people who fail to understand the situation and end up being used by others.