A Study On The Values Of The Spring And Autumn Emissary Group

The envoys were a brilliant group during the Spring and Autumn period,but the academic community has not yet conducted specialized research on the values of the envoy group.The values held by the officials as "envoys" have unique connotations and are changing with the times.The values of envoys in different regions also exhibit different characteristics.Starting from historical documents,the article sorts out the establishment of envoys during the Spring and Autumn period,analyzes the two identities of envoys: specialized and part-time,summarizes the types of missions of the envoy group,and produces the "Summary Table of Spring and Autumn Emissary Missions",which summarizes more than 700 historical materials such as the envoy’s mission,location,and situation.It simplifies the complexity into a "Statistical Table of Spring and Autumn Emissary Missions",and grasps the basic situation of the Spring and Autumn envoy group’s missions from both historical facts and data,Based on this,conduct research on the values of envoys.The core values that stand out in the words and actions of envoys during the Spring and Autumn period are respect for propriety,trustworthiness,and righteousness,with loyalty as the core.Specifically,these values include fulfilling one’s mission,selflessness in serving the public,knowledge and authority in accordance with scriptures,respect and submission,humility,and self-interest.Loyalty to the monarch and loyalty to national interests are the fundamental values of envoys.But at the same time,in terms of time clues,the values of the Spring and Autumn envoy group showed a characteristic of blending old and new,specifically manifested as "seeking righteousness" to "seeking profit",and the concept of etiquette was gradually weakening;Due to different cultural and natural environments,the values of envoys from the royal family,major powers,small countries,and the four regions of the Four Barbarians also exhibit obvious regional characteristics.Overall,the Spring and Autumn envoy group upheld the core values of loyalty to the country,humility and courtesy,respect for righteousness,and adherence to faith.Objectively,there is a phenomenon of envoys seeking personal gain,betraying faith,and violating etiquette,which is a reflection of the great changes in the Spring and Autumn period.Although the civilization and temperament of the Spring and Autumn period were destroyed,there were still a group of envoys who adhered to morality and passed on excellent spiritual qualities to future generations,leaving a spark for the revival of Chinese civilization and temperament from the ravages of war.