Background

Baili Xi was born during the Spring and Autumn period, a time of great internal chaos in China. Though talented, he came from a very poor family and was unable to realize his potential by the time he was in his 30s. After much encouragement from his wife, he left home to seek greener pastures and hopefully advance his career ambitions.

He went to the prosperous state of Qi to seek his fortune. However, the government was riddled with corruption and he had no money to bribe the officials. Before long, he had used up all his money and was forced to beg in the street. While in Qi, he befriended Jian Shu (蹇叔), another fellow scholar. Jian Shu talked to him and found him extremely talented.

Some years later, Baili Xi went to work in the minor state of Yu (虞国). He ended up in the state of Jin. Not wanting the serve the Jin regime, he went south to the state of Chu, another large state. The King of Chu did not know about his talents and sent him to care for the animals instead.

Serving Duke Mu of Qin

Some years later, Duke Mu of Qin heard about Baili Xi and inquired of his whereabouts. Upon the advice of his minister, he famously redeemed Baili Xi with five pieces of goatskin. In order to escape detection from the king of Chu, he sent a low-ranking official to meet the king and had Baili Xi transported to Qin in a prisoner's cart. Once in Qin, Duke Mu accorded Baili Xi with great respect and appointed him as his right-hand man. Baili Xi was already in his 70s by that time. He recommended his old friend Jian Shu to Duke Mu. Together, the duo played a major role in Qin's rise to power. Thus, Duke Mu was able to attain "hegemon" status and became one of the "Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period".

生平

羊皮換相

百里奚生年不詳。周惠王二十二年（秦穆公五年，前655年），百里奚曾被晉獻公貶為給長女穆姬陪嫁的奴隸（見秦晉之好），不甘受辱又逃到楚國。但才華被其販賣者所發覺，於是告知於官吏，秦穆公派人詢問百里奚的贖身價，販賣者對曰：「五羖皮（五張黑山羊皮）」，於是秦穆公派人給付贖價品，將百里奚迎回奉為上賓，日後再因蹇叔成為重臣。因此百里奚被後人稱為「五羖大夫」。

輔穆霸戎

百里奚在主持秦國國政期間，百里奚「謀無不當，舉必有功」，輔佐秦穆公倡導文明教化，實行「重施于民」的政策，讓人民得到更多的好處，並內修國政，外圖霸業，開地千里，稱霸西戎，結束了今甘肅、寧夏等地區的征戰，開始了關中的崛起。這一時期，秦孝公稱之為「甚光美」的時代。史載百里奚「三置晉國之君」，「救荊州之禍」，「發教封內，而巴人致貢；施德諸侯，而八戎來服」，使秦穆公成為西戎霸主，春秋五霸之一（有異說）。

處罰和被殺

根據《風俗通義》的說法百里奚為秦穆公所殺，《史記》蒙恬傳則說百里奚曾遭到秦穆公處罰。

評價

• 孔子在一次與齊景公的交談中，曾經談到秦國。齊景公問，秦國從一個弱小的西方狄戎之國，變強的原因是什麼？孔子說：秦國國小，但志大。「其謀也和，法無私而令不愉。」秦穆公和百里奚談了三天，然後授之以政。這種情況，若不稱霸，也就很少有的了。

• 《孟子.萬章上》：萬章問曰：「或曰：『百里奚自鬻於秦養牲者，五羊之皮，食牛，以要秦穆公。』信乎？」孟子曰：「否，不然。好事者為之也。百里奚，虞人也。晉人以垂棘之璧與屈產之乘，假道於虞以伐虢。宮之奇諫，百里奚不諫。知虞公之不可諫而去，之秦，年已七十矣，曾不知以食牛幹秦穆公之為汙也，可謂智乎？不可諫而不諫，可謂不智乎？知虞公之將亡而先去之，不可謂不智也。時舉於秦，知穆公之可與有行也而相之，可謂不智乎？相秦而顯其君於天下，可傳於後世，不賢而能之乎？自鬻以成其君，鄉黨自好者不為，而謂賢者為之乎？」

• 趙良：「夫五羖大夫，荊之鄙人也。聞秦繆公之賢而原望見，行而無資，自粥於秦客，被褐食牛。期年，繆公知之，舉之牛口之下，而加之百姓之上，秦國莫敢望焉。相秦六七年，而東伐鄭，三置晉國之君，一救荊國之禍。發教封內，而巴人致貢；施德諸侯，而八戎來服。由余聞之，款關請見。五羖大夫之相秦也，勞不坐乘，暑不張蓋，行於國中，不從車乘，不操幹戈，功名藏於府庫，德行施於後世。五羖大夫死，秦國男女流涕，童子不歌謠，舂者不相杵。此五羖大夫之德也。」

• 成海應：「史記及他書, 皆言百里奚治秦之功. 而考之左氏傳, 則只言子桑孟明之倫, 而顧百里則不詳, 只晉人乞糴也, 穆公謂百里與諸乎, 對曰, 天災流行, 國家代有. 救災恤隣道也. 行道有福. 時秦人方怒晉之背約, 豈欲與之糴乎. 然百里之言如此, 真大臣為國之道也. 其治秦而用是道, 秦之競, 不亦宜乎. 夫背約, 卽晉之罪, 己何與焉. 有災則斯救之而已. 且古之大臣, 未嘗赫赫然震耀其事功者, 為所當為而止. 是故, 觀其國治, 可以考其跡也.」（『硏經齋全集續集』 10冊, 史論, 百里奚）

影響

百里奚個人品質高尚，其高尚品質和愛民思想對中國傳統士人的人格形成有很大影響。唐宋以前，南陽城西就有百里奚的墓塚（七星塚）並有石麒麟，麒麟崗由此而得名。唐代時候，敬仰百里奚的大詩人李白，多次來南陽遊覽，感于百里奚偉業，熱血沸騰，慨然留下了「秦穆五羊皮，買死百里奚。」和「陶朱與五羖，名播天壤間。」的佳句。

到宋代時候，黃庭堅路過百里奚塚，看到的是斷垣和殘碑，感慨系之，寫的下了《過百里奚大夫塚》：

:客行感時節，況複思古人。

:何年一丘土，不見石麒麟。

:斷碑略可讀，大夫身霸秦。

:虞侯納垂棘，將軍西問津。

:安知五羊皮，自鬻千金身。

:末世工媒孽，浮言垢道真。

:幸逢孟軻賞，不愧微子魂。