Yan Pingzhong (578-500 BCE), courtesy name Zhong, posthumous title "Ping," commonly known as Yan Pingzhong or Yanzi, was a Grand Master of the State of Qi, from Yiwei (present-day Laizhou, Shandong). He was the son of Yan Ruo, a Senior Grand Master of Qi, and served under three rulers—Duke Ling, Duke Zhuang, and Duke Jing of Qi—for over fifty years. Standing less than six feet tall and of plain appearance, he was shrewd and resourceful, assisting in domestic governance and repeatedly admonishing the Qi rulers. Abroad, he remained flexible yet principled, never disgraced on diplomatic missions, once engaging in a verbal duel with the King of Chu. He advocated peaceful coexistence with neighboring states. When Duke Jing of Qi planned to attack the State of Lu, Yanzi advised, "Please honor Lu with Li (Propriety) to quell our resentment, and present gifts to its envoys to demonstrate our De (Virtue)," so the duke abandoned the campaign. He governed with impartiality, granting requests from relatives and subordinates only if lawful, and rejecting illegal ones. He lived frugally, never accepting gifts, and often distributed his salary to relatives, friends, and the poor. Confucius once praised him: "Saving the people without boasting, serving three rulers without claiming credit—Yanzi is truly a Junzi (Exemplary Person)!"
Yan Pingzhong (a virtuous minister of the State of Qi) was amiable and magnanimous, focused on self-cultivation, humble and respectful toward worthy men, and delighted upon hearing of his own faults. Confucius praised him, saying, "He does not use his own rightness to refute others' wrongness; he uses humble words to avoid blame—this is indeed Yi (Righteousness)!" He was skilled in interacting with others, and Confucius remarked that people who spent a long time with him would come to feel respect for him.