The Qin First Emperor was the son of Qin King Zhuang Xiang. Once holding hostages in Zhao State, King Zhuang Xiang pretended to be King Zhao of Qin’s grandson. After falling madly in love with Lu Buwei’s concubine there, he wed her and became the first emperor’s father. In the forty-eighth year of King Qin Zhao (259 BC), Qin Shihuang was born at Handan. He was given the name Zheng and the surname Zhao at birth. King Zhuang Xiang died when Zheng was thirteen years old, and Zheng took the throne and became King of Qin. By now Qin had taken over Shangjun’s east, taken over Shujun and Hanzhong, crossed Wanxian, seized Chu’s Ying (ypng, shadow) capital, and founded Nanjun. It had also taken over Hedong. , Taiyuan and Shangdang County; proceeded east to Xingyang, overthrew the Eastern and Western Zhou Dynasties, and founded Sanchuan County. As the nation’s prime minister, Lu Buwei was awarded 100,000 houses. It was Marquis Wenxin. Seeking to annex the globe, he contacted visitors and guests. Li Si offers up herself. The generals were Meng Ao, Wang Jue, Hegong and others. The youthful and recently anointed King of Qin gave his ministers charge of state matters.In Jinyang there was an uprising. General Meng Ao went on a campaign to put down the uprising in the first year of the First Emperor (246 BC). Duke He assaulted Juan (quān, circle) in the second year of the Common Era (245 BC) and slaughtered thirty thousand people. Meng Ao invaded and seized thirteen cities in South Korea in three years (before 244). Dead is Wang Ye. There was a deception involved when General Meng Ao attacked the state of Wei (chàng, Chang). This year there was a really bad famine. In the fourth year, or 243 BC, he took Yougui. The March was called off. The Prince of Zhao State also returned to Zhao State from Qin State, together with the captives of Qin State. October Gengyin Day saw locusts soar from the east that they engulfed the sun and the sky. As word of the disease spread over the nation. Following their donation of a thousand grain stones, the common people received first-class titles. Attacking the Wei State in the fifth year (242 BC), General Meng Ao pacified the cities of Suanzao, Yanyi, Xuyi, Changping, Yongqiu, and Shanyang. They took twenty cities in all. Get East County setup first. This winter did see thunder. Wei, Zhao, Chu, and Wei of South Korea fought Qin united in the sixth year (241 BC) and took Shouling City. With the dispatch of troops by Qin, the five nations halted their march. The Qin State surrounded Wei State and made their way to Dongjun. Moving his kin to Yewang, Wei Junjiao counted on the perilous mountains to preserve Wei’s Hanoi. After seven years (240 BC), the comet first appeared in the east, then in the north, and in May, once more in the west. After General Meng Ao was killed attacking Long, Gu, and Qingdu, the Qin army retreated to assault Jixian. For a further sixteen days, the comet showed in the west. Death of Queen Mother Xia.
Chang’an Juncheng (jiāo, conceit), the younger brother of the Qin King, commanded an army to attack Zhao in the eighth year (239 BC). Tunliu saw a rebellion. As a result, the people there were relocated to Lintao (táo, escape) and all of his commanders were executed. In ). The soldiers known as Pu Hao (hè, crane) were left in the camp when the general who had come to fight Cheng perished. Once more rebelling, he lost his life in combat. He was flogged to death. People drove carriages east in search of food as huge numbers of Yellow River fish raced to the shore.
With the title of Marquis of Changxin, Lao Ai (làoƎi, 涝小) was given Shanyang as his homeplace. In Lao Ai’s will were left palaces, carriages, horses, clothing, gardens, and hunting grounds. Big or little, Lao Ai decides everything. He converted Taiyuan County in Hexi Province into a Lao Ai feudal state as well.
The comet reappeared nine years later, in 238 BC, occasionally speeding across the heavens. Attack Wei State’s Pu Yang Yi and Yuan Yi. The fourth month saw King Qin remain at Yongdi. The Qin ruler carried a sword and had a crowning ceremony on Jiyou day to demonstrate that he had become adult. It was found that Changxin Hou Lao Ai had rebelled. He took the Queen Mother’s and the King of Qin’s seals and organized the capital’s guards, official cavalry, Rongdi chiefs, and retainers to try and storm the Qinian Palace and start a revolution. .Following his discovery of it, the First Emperor gave the Prime Ministers Changping Jun and Changwen Jun instructions to dispatch forces to assault Lao’ai. Following the slaughter at Xianyang, the King of Qin bestowed upon them all aristocratic titles. Additionally granted first-level titles were the eunuchs who took part in the fight. Defeated, Lao Ai and others escaped. An order was immediately issued to the entire nation: 500,000 will be awarded to anyone who kills Lao Ai and one million to anyone who captures him alive. Lao Ai was apprehended, along with others. Twenty persons received the xiao (xiāo, Xiao) penalty, which involves having their heads chopped off and hanging from a wooden pole. These victims included Wei Wei Jie, Nei Shi Si, Zuo Ge Jie, and Zhong Da Fu Ling Qi. Lao Ai’s family was decimated and he was punished by being quartered on a chariot drawn by five horses in public. Regarding his retainers, those that committed small-time offenses were penalized with ghost wages, meaning they had to work hard for three years gathering firewood for the ancestral shrine. Over four thousand families were forced to leave Shu County and relocate to Fangling County after losing their formal titles. Though it is Mengxia month, it is extremely chilly and several individuals freeze to death. Attacking Yanshi was Yang Duanhe. The comet first appeared in the west then quickly moved north, appearing nonstop for eighty days from the Beidou to the south.
Lao Ai had accused Prime Minister Lu Buwei, who was removed from office in the ninth year (237 BC). Huanjue was promoted general. He was congratulated by envoys from the states of Qi and Zhao who brought wine. Native of Qi State, Mao Jiao convinced the King of Qin that “the Qin State is taking the conquest of the world as a major matter, and the king has the reputation of exiled the Queen Mother. I am afraid that the princes will hear about it and abandon the Qin State.” The King of Qin then returned the Queen Mother to Xianyang from Yongdi and still allowed her to live in Ganquan Palace.
Qin State evacuated foreign diplomats and carried out a thorough search. After Li Si filed a letter of argument, the Qin King revoked the decree to expel visitors. King Qin despatched Li Si to surrender South Korea after Li Si used the occasion to persuade him and proposed to subjugate it first in order to threaten other countries. Fearing this, the Han King conspired with Han Fei to undermine Qin. Wei Liao, a native of Daliang, came to Qin and persuaded the King of Qin: “Since Qin is so powerful, the princes are like the heads of counties. I am only worried that the countries in Shandong will unite and launch surprise attacks. This is what Zhibo and Zhibo did in the past. The reason for the demise of King Fu Chai and Min (mǐn, Min) is that I hope that the king will not be stingy with money and give gifts to the powerful ministers of various countries and use them to disrupt the plans of the princes. In this way, he will only lose 300,000 gold, and the princes can be completely eliminated. Yes.” The king of Qin followed his advice and treated Liao with equal courtesy. He ate and dressed the same as Wei Liao as well. Wei Liao said, “I am a commoner, but he is always so humble when he sees me. He has a high nose, big eyes, the chest of an eagle, and the voice of a jackal. He lacks benevolence, but has the heart of a tiger and a wolf. He dissuaded him, made him the greatest military commander of Qin State, and always followed his plan. Li Si was in charge of state matters. If King Qin’s desire to conquer the world is accomplished, all the people in the world will become slaves.”
Wang Jian, the principal general, Yan (è, evil), and Li (liáo, Liao) Yang left Wang Jian to continue attacking Yeyi after combining the three armies in the eleventh year (236 BC). They did not capture Yeyi but did capture nine cities first.
Wang Jian led the army for eighteen days, and asked the junior officers in the army whose salary was less than a hundred shi to go home, and selected two of the ten to stay in the army. Huanjie captured Yecheng, and Wang Jian ordered him to lead his troops to attack Yueyang. He himself attacked Yanyu and captured them all. In the twelfth year (235 BC), Wenxinhou Lu Buwei died and was secretly buried in Beimang Mountain, Luoyang by his guests. As for his retainers who participated in the mourning, if they were from Jin, they would be driven out of the country; if they were from Qin, officials with a salary of more than 600 shi would be deprived of their titles and moved to Fangling; those with a salary of less than 500 shi but did not participate in the mourning , also moved to Fangling, but did not deprive him of his title. From then on, if someone in charge of state affairs does not follow the right path, like Lao Ai and Lu Buwei, his family members will be registered and confiscated as slaves and will not be allowed to serve as officials. All will be treated accordingly. In autumn, Lao’ai’s retainers who moved to Shu County were exempted from tax and corvee. At this time, there was a severe drought across the country. It started in June and did not rain until August.
In the thirteenth year (234 BC), Huanjie attacked Pingyang City of Zhao State, killed Zhao general Hu (hù, protector) and beheaded 100,000 people. King Qin went to Henan. In the first month of the year, comets appear in the east. In October, Huanjue attacked Zhao. In the fourteenth year (233 BC), he attacked the Zhao army in Pingyang, captured Yi’an, defeated the Zhao army, and killed the Zhao generals. Huanjue pacified Pingyang and Wucheng. Han Fei was sent as an envoy to the State of Qin. The State of Qin adopted Li Si’s plan and detained Han Fei. Han Fei died in Yunyang. The king of Han asked to be a minister of Qin.
In the fifteenth year (before 232), the Qin State sent out a large number of troops, all the way to Ye County, all the way to Taiyuan, and captured Langmeng. This year there was an earthquake. In September of the 16th year (231 BC), he sent troops to take over the land in Nanyang, the former South Korea, and appointed Teng as the acting Nanyang prefect. Men began to be ordered to register their age so that they could be drafted into the army and serve as corvees. Wei State offered land to Qin State. Qin established Liyi. In the seventeenth year (before 230), Neishiteng went to attack South Korea, captured Han Wangan and confiscated all his land. Set that place as county. Named Yingchuan County. There was another earthquake. Queen Mother Huayang passed away. The people suffered from a great famine.
In the eighteenth year (229 BC), Qin mobilized a large number of troops to attack Zhao. Wang Jian led the Shangdi army and captured Jingxing. Yang Duanhe led the Hanoi army, Qiang Yu (huì, Hui), to attack Zhao, and Yang Duanhe surrounded Handan City. In the 19th year (before 228), Wang Jian and Qiang Yu all pacified Dongyang of Zhao State and captured the King of Zhao. They also wanted to lead troops to attack Yan State and stationed themselves in Zhongshan. The King of Qin went to Handan, found those who had enemies with the King of Qin’s mother’s family when he was born in Zhao, and buried them all alive. King Qin returned and returned to the capital via Taiyuan and Shangjun. Qin Shihuang’s mother, the Queen Mother, passed away. Zhao Gongzijia led hundreds of people from his clan to Dai, proclaimed himself king of Dai, and went east to join the army of Yan and stationed in Shanggu County. A great famine occurred this year.
Twenty years ago (227 BC), Prince Dan of Yan was worried that the Qin army would attack Yan. He was very panicked and sent Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin. When the King of Qin found out, he had Jing Ke dismembered as a public demonstration, and then sent Wang Jian and Xin Sheng to attack Yan. The states of Yan and Dai sent troops to attack the Qin army, and the Qin army defeated the Yan army west of Yishui. In the twenty-first year (226 BC), Wang Ben (bēn, Ben) went to attack Chu. The King of Qin sent additional reinforcements to Wang Jian’s army, and finally defeated Prince Yan’s army, captured Jicheng of Yan State, and obtained Prince Yan’s head. King Yan took over the territory of Liaodong County eastward and became king there. Wang Jian said that he was ill and had retired to his hometown. Xinzheng rebelled. Lord Changping was banished to Yingcheng. It snowed heavily this year, with a depth of two feet and five inches.
The city wall of Daliang crumbled, King Wei feigned to call for surrender, and the Qin army captured all of the State of Wei’s territory when Wang Ben attacked the State of Wei in the 22nd year (225 BC) and diverted water from the Bian River to flood Daliang City.
The twenty-third year (224 BC) saw the King of Qin once more ordering Wang Jian to be recruited, forcibly recruited him, and sent him to attack Chu. They captured the land south of Chen County as far as Pingyu County and captured the King of Chu. King Qin then went on a tour to Yingdu and Chen County. Chu general Xiang Yan rebelled against Qin south of the Huaihe River. In the twenty-fourth year (223 BC), Wang Jian and Meng Wu went to attack Chu and routed the Chu army. Lord Changping died, and Xiang Yan committed suicide.
He gathered a big army in the twenty-fifth year (222 BC), dispatched Wang Ben as a general to attack Liaodong County of Yan State and capture Yan King Ji Xi. When he returned, he attacked the state of Dai again and captured Zhao Jia, the king of Dai. Wang Jian then pacified the region south of the Yangtze River in Chu State, surrendered the leaders of the Yue people, and founded Kuaiji County. In May, the State of Qin ordered the entire world to get together for a drink to commemorate the fall of the five kingdoms.
King Tian Jian of Qi sent troops to protect the western border of Qi and cut off communication with Qin in the twenty-sixth year (221 BC). The King of Qin dispatched General Wang Ben to attack the State of Qi in the south via the State of Yan, and captured King Tian Jian of Qi.
Just after unifying the globe, Qin gave the prime minister and censor instructions to state, “The Han king once gave up his territory, showed his seal, and requested to be a minister defending the boundary. He soon betrayed his word and rebelled against Qin with Zhao and Wei, so he dispatched soldiers to capture them. , and overthrew the Korean monarch. This seemed positive to me since it might end the conflict. They returned the commitments they had given here when King Zhao dispatched his prime minister Li Mu to establish a covenant. Quickly, they violated the agreement. After we resisted them in Taiyuan, they dispatched soldiers to assault them and took the Zhao king prisoner. Actually, Prince Jia of Zhao sent troops to overthrow Zhao after declaring himself king. The king of Wei had originally consented to submit to Qin, but he quickly divorced Han. Together, Zhao planned to strike Qin. Officers and troops of Qin proceeded to battle them and eventually routed them. The king of Chu surrendered the area west of Qingyang, but he quickly violated his pledge and attacked our southern county. He dispatched forces to assault and overthrew the king of Chu. , and at last calmed Chu. Confusion gripping King Yan, his prince Dan dispatched Jing Ke as an assassin in secret. In an attack, the officers and warriors of Qin devastated his nation. King Qi carried on the battle with the later-winning tactic. The State of Qin sent envoys that came and went with the intention of causing problems. Going to attack them, the State of Qin’s officials and warriors apprehended the monarch of Qi State and pacified the territory. The nation’s kings have paid a price for their transgressions, and peace reigns there. I cannot display my accomplishments and leave them to next generations if I don’t alter my name right now. Prime Minister Wang Wan (wĎn, bowl), the imperial censor Feng Jie, and the court lieutenant Li Si all stated: “Thousands of kilometers separated the domains of the five emperors, which were further split into marquis and barbarian regions. There were princes who attended court sessions and others who did not. They were beyond control for the emperor. Now You gathered the virtuous army, routed the last traitors in the four directions, calmed the earth, created countless counties across the nation, and harmonized the legislation. The five emperors could not have matched this historical first. There were emperors of heaven, emperors of earth, and emperors of Thailand in ancient times, we politely explained to the doctors. The most pious was the Thai emperor. The king of Qin commanded, “Yes,” after saying, “Remove the word ‘Tai’, leave the word ‘Huang’, use the ancient title of ‘Emperor’, and call it ‘Emperor’, and the rest will be done as you discuss.” We ministers risked their lives to dedicate their honors. The king was called the “Emperor of Thailand.” An edict was called a “book,” and an order was called an edict. The emperor called himself ‘I’. As Supreme Emperor, he chased King Zhuang Xiang. He also gave an order saying, “I heard that in ancient times, there were titles but no posthumous titles. In the Middle Ages, there were titles. After death, a posthumous title was given based on the deeds and deeds during life. Doing this means that the son will talk about his father, and the ministers will talk about the monarch. It is very meaningless. I will not adopt this approach. From now on, the posthumous law will be abolished. I will be called the First Emperor, and the descendants will start from me and be called the second, third, and even the eternity, forever and ever, endless.”
Qin Shihuang reasoned from the idea that the five elements—water, fire, wood, metal, and earth—are cyclically beginning and ending and mutually strengthening and interfering. He thought the Zhou Dynasty had the virtue of fire. The Qin Dynasty needed something that the Zhou Dynasty’s fire virtue could not equal if it were to succeed. Virtue of water. This is the year Shui De began. The start of the year has to be adjusted in order to follow God’s desire. Every minister honors and congrats on October 1st. Black is advocated by the flags, talismans, and clothing decorations. The dharma crown is stipulated to be six inches, the width of the chariot is six feet, six feet is one step, and a chariot is driven by six medical horses because Shui De belongs to Yin and the Yin Yao (yáo, distant) symbol in the “Yi” hexagram is called “Yuan”. Consequently, the number was changed from ten to six. To symbolize the genesis of water virtue, the Yellow River was renamed “Dishui”. Being nasty and avoiding discussing benevolence, kindness, and friendship is in line with the destiny of water as the primary yin among the five virtues. The laws were thus made quite severe, and anybody who disobeyed them would not be pardoned for a very long time.
Prime Minister Wang Wan and others continued, saying, “The princes have just been defeated. Yan, Qi, and Chu are in remote areas. If we don’t set up kings for them, we can’t control them. Please make all the princes kings. I hope the emperor will give you permission.” The First Emperor presented this suggestion to the ministers for discussion, and they all thought it would be beneficial. Tingwei Li Si added, “Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou had many descendants and relatives with the same surname, but their descendants gradually became alienated and attacked each other like enemies.” The princes were fighting one other, and the Zhou emperor could not put an end to it. Now the world is *Countries have been created and the might of your gods unified. Public taxes are much rewarded for the princes and other deserving authorities, making them easier to manage.
If all individuals in the world have good intentions, this is a good approach to bring about peace. No advantage is there in raising princes. I now trust on the gods of my forefathers, as the First Emperor stated, “In the past, people in the world suffered from endless wars for years because of those princes and kings.” It will be equivalent to starting another war in order to achieve peace and quiet if the globe is only stable and vassal states are formed. Surely that would be challenging. I agree with Wei Ting. “
So the world was divided into thirty-six counties. Each county has guards, lieutenants, and supervisors. It was renamed “Qianshou” made by the people. The whole country was ordered to have a drink together to celebrate. Weapons from all over the world were collected and brought to Xianyang, where they were melted and made into a large bell. Twelve bronze figures, each weighing 120,000 kilograms, were placed in the palace. Unify laws and standards of weights and measures. Unify the width between the wheels of the vehicle. The unified official script is used for writing. The territory extends to the sea and Korea in the east, to Lintao and Qiangzhong in the west, to Xianghu in the south, and to the north guarding the Yellow River as the key point. Go eastward along Yinshan Mountain to Liaodong County. 120,000 wealthy families from all over the world migrated to live in Xianyang. For example, the Ancestral Temple, Zhangtai Palace and Shanglin Garden are all on the south bank of the Wei River. Every time the Qin State exterminated a prince, a palace was imitated on the hillside to the north of Xianyang according to the appearance of that country’s palace. The south side was close to the Wei River, from Yongmen to the east to the intersection of the Jing and Wei rivers. There were overpasses and bridges between the palaces and houses. Circular promenades connect each other. The beauties, bells, drums and musical instruments captured from the princes were all put there.
Build a corridor with walls on both sides connecting Xianyang to Lishan Mountain. This year, the first level of knighthood was generally awarded. Build roads leading to all parts of the country for the emperor to patrol. Qin Shihuang went to inspect Longxi and Beidi in the twenty-seventh year (220 BC), passing through Jitou Mountain and returning to the center. Soon, Xin Palace was renamed Ji Temple to symbolize the North Star at the pole of the sky. A road was opened from Ji Temple to Mount Li.
In the twenty-eighth year (219 BC), the First Emperor went to the East to inspect counties and climbed Mount Zouxian (yì, translated). He erected a stone tablet on the mountain and discussed with the Confucian scholars of Lu about carving stones to praise Qin’s virtues. They also discussed matters such as offering sacrifices to the sky on Mount Tai, offering sacrifices to the ground on Mount Liangfu, and offering sacrifices to famous mountains and rivers in distant places. So he climbed Mount Tai, erected stone monuments, built earth altars, and held a grand ceremony to worship heaven. When going down the mountain, there was a sudden heavy rain and wind. The First Emperor rested under a tree, so he named the tree “Five Doctors”. Then he held a ceremony to commemorate the site at Liangfu Mountain and engraved an inscription on the stone tablet. The inscription is:
The emperor ascended the throne, established prosperous laws, and his ministers were upright and cautious. In the twenty-sixth year (222 BC), the world was unified and all directions submitted. Personally inspect the distance, climb Mount Tai, and have a panoramic view of the east. The ministers thought about the great achievements, traced the origin of the cause, and praised the infinite merits. The way to govern the world is implemented, all kinds of industries are suitable, all laws are vigorously promoted, the righteousness is clear and good, and it is passed down to future generations, and it will be inherited forever. The emperor was sage and enlightened, and after having brought peace to the world, he never slackened on state affairs. Get up early and go to bed late every day, build long-term interests, and concentrate on educating and prospering. The people are taught the common way, the people are well-controlled far and near, and the holy will is respected by everyone. The nobility is clearly distinguished, men and women are distinguished according to etiquette, and everyone who serves is pious. Light shines inside and outside, everything is pure and peaceful, and virtuous governance will last for generations to come. The reach of enlightenment is endless, and we must obey the edicts and important warnings forever.
He therefore proceeded east along the Bohai coast, going through the counties of Huangxian and Hexian, climbing to the summit of Chengshan and then Zhifu (fú, floating) mountain. There, he placed a stone inscription extolling Qin’s virtues and then departed.
After that, he traveled south and climbed Mount Langye, where he was ecstatic and stayed for three months. They then relocated 30,000 households to live beneath Langye Tower and freed them from taxes and corvee for a period of twelve years. He constructed Langye Tower and erected stone carvings honoring Qin’s virtues and virtues, expressing his delight at having achieved his goal. The inscription reads,
In the twenty-eighth year (219 BC), the emperor had just ascended the throne. Correct all laws and regulate all things. Clarify the appropriateness of personnel and promote filial piety and kindness from sons to fathers. The emperor is wise, benevolent and righteous, and declares various truths. He personally visited Dongtu to comfort and inspect the soldiers. The great work has been completed, and we are patrolling the coastal areas. The emperor made great achievements and took care of fundamental matters. Emphasis on agriculture and suppression of commerce was implemented in order to make the people rich. The whole world is united and obeys the emperor’s will. Unify the measurement of utensils and unified writing. Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever cars and ships go, everyone obeys the king’s orders, and everyone is satisfied. Acting in accordance with the four seasons, there is an emperor of Qin. To rectify bad customs, we traveled thousands of miles across mountains and rivers. I pity the common people and refuse to rest day and night. Except for those who have doubts and set the law, no one fails to abide by the law. Local governors divide their duties, and government offices at all levels must be managed appropriately and in a fair and orderly manner. The emperor was so wise that he personally inspected all directions. No matter how high or low you are, you should not exceed the rules of the hierarchy. No evil will be tolerated, and we must be loyal and virtuous. No matter how big or small the problem is, we should strive to be the best we can. No matter far or near, just be solemn and dignified. Only by being honest, honest and loyal can your career be long-lasting. The emperor was so kind and benevolent that everyone in the world was appeased. Get rid of troubles and disasters. To benefit the country. Labor does not miss the farming season, and all industries are prosperous. The people live and work in peace and contentment and no longer use force. The six relatives were finally able to protect each other, and the thieves and bandits were eradicated from now on. Accept instruction with joy, and remember the laws and regulations. Within the four directions of heaven and earth is the emperor’s land. It crosses the desert in the west and reaches Beihu in the south. It reaches the East China Sea in the east and crosses Daxia in the north. Wherever people go, they all surrender. His merits surpass those of the Five Emperors, and his favor extends to horses and cattle. No one is immune to his virtue, and every family will be peaceful and harmonious.
The King of Qin took over the world and established himself as the emperor. He personally went to the east to appease the people and arrived at Langye. Liehou Wuchenghou Wangli, Liehou Tongwuhou Wangben, Lunhou Jianchenghou Zhaohai, Lunhou Changwuhoucheng, Lunhou Wuxinhou Feng Wuze, Prime Minister Wei (kuí, Kui) Lin, Prime Minister Wang Wan, Qing Li Si, Qing Wang 5. The fifth doctor Zhao Ying and the fifth doctor Yang Huan (jiū, research) followed him and discussed the emperor’s merits at sea. It is said: “The ancient emperors’ land did not exceed a thousand miles, and the princes each guarded the land they were granted, and they had different opinions on whether to visit the court or not. They carried on their rioting and killing of one another after attacking and invading one another. To boast of themselves, they also fashioned monuments out of stone and gold. The five ancient emperors The legal system is ambiguous, and the three monarchs have diverse education and knowledge. Using the might of gods and ghosts, they subjugate and bully distant people. They won’t last long because they aren’t titled. They were betrayed by the princes, and the present emperor united the nation purely in name. There is stability and tranquilly in the world in counties. There are displays of the ancestors and ancestral shrines, morality and justice are upheld, and the emperor is much respected. His virtues are imprinted in stone and gold, and he is positioned as an everlasting model.
He sent Xu Shi to choose thousands of boys and girls to look for immortals in the sea after the stone carving work was finished. Xu Shi and others from Qidi wrote a letter saying that there were three sacred mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, and immortals lived there. I hope to fast and bathe, and lead boys and girls to seek immortality.
The First Emperor crossed the Huaihe River to the southwest and headed for Hengshan and Nanjun. Take a boat down the river and arrive at Xiangshan Temple. There was a strong wind and it was almost impossible to cross the river. The emperor questioned the doctor: “Who is the god of Xiangjun?The first emperor was so enraged that he sent 3,000 criminals serving jail sentences to kill him. All the trees on Xiangshan Mountain were chopped down, and the mountain turned ocher red because the local soil was red. The emperor returned to the capital from Nanjun via Wuguan. “I heard that he is the daughter of Yao and the wife of Shun, and is buried here.”
The First Emperor went on a tour to the East in the twenty-ninth year (218 BC). He was assassinated by Zhang Liang and a strong man when he arrived at Bolangsha, Yangwu County. The assassin unintentionally struck the passenger car. Fearful and unable to apprehend the assassin, the First Emperor ordered a massive manhunt across the country for ten days.
Following his summit of Mount Zhifu, he carved a stone and built a monument with the following inscription.
In the twenty-ninth year (218 BC), it was mid-spring, and the yang energy in spring was rising. The emperor came east to visit, patrolled and climbed the fu, and watched the vast sea. The ministers admired the scenery and praised the great achievements. The sage established the rule of law, determined the system and regulations, and made clear the principles and disciplines. Educate the princes abroad, extend rituals, music and kindness, and promote justice and justice. The kings of the six kingdoms were evil, greedy for profit and never satisfied, and they continued to torture and kill like crazy. The emperor felt pity for the people and sent troops to conquer the country, which greatly promoted military virtue. His reputation spread widely throughout the country when he fought righteously and kept his word, and everyone in the country submitted to him. Completely eliminate violence, strive to save all people, and achieve peace in all directions. The clear law is universally implemented, the world is governed stably, and there is no law and no rules. How great! Heaven and earth, Chi County, China, follow the holy will together. The ministers praised his merits and requested that they be engraved on stone tablets to set an example that would never die.
Another inscription inscribed at Dongguan read:
In the twenty-ninth year (218 BC), the emperor went on a spring trip and patrolled to distant places. Fortunately, we are on the coast of the East China Sea, and we can climb Zhifu Mountain to watch the rising sun. Looking at the vastness and splendor in the distance, all the ministers are thinking about it, and the holy way is brilliant and brilliant. The holy law has just been implemented to clean up bad habits internally and punish violence externally. The military power spread far and wide, shocking all directions, and finally destroyed the six kings. Develop and unify the world, eliminate all kinds of disasters, and collect weapons forever. The emperor cultivates holy virtues, manages and governs the world, and is tireless in seeing and listening. Establish a clear purpose and set up various utensils, all with grade marks. The ministers abide by their duties, all know their own affairs, and there is no suspicion in everything. The people changed their customs, unified the laws far and near, and abided by the laws throughout their lives. The regular duties have been determined, and future generations will follow the legacy and inherit the holy rule forever. The ministers praise the great virtues and praise the great achievements of the saints, and please engrave it on the eternal will.
The First Emperor soon traveled to Langye and crossed Shangdang to get back to the capital.
Nothing did happen for thirty years (217 BC).
The First Emperor changed the name of the twelfth lunar month to “Jiaping” in December of the thirty-first year (216 BC) because he had the desire to seek immortality and because a folk song said, “If the emperor learns from the (immortal) Lajiaping”. Each li (one hundred households) was given six stones of rice and two sheep. The First Emperor traveled in civilian clothes in Xianyang. Together with four warriors, they met bandits in Lanchi at night. The situation was critical. The warriors killed the bandits and carried out a thorough search in Guanzhong for twenty days. Rice costs one thousand six hundred yuan each stone.
After the First Emperor visited Jieshi in the thirty-second year (215 BC) and dispatched Yan State native Lu Sheng to see the alchemists Xianmen and Gao Shi, a stone monument was carved and placed at the gate of Jieshi Mountain. The city walls were demolished and the embankments were excavated. The inscription reads as follows:
The emperor raised troops to kill the unruly king and put down the rebellion. The thugs were eliminated by force, good people were rehabilitated in accordance with the law, and the people’s hearts were completely surrendered. He rewarded all ministers based on their merits and gave benefits to cattle and horses. The emperor’s favor spread all over the country. The emperor inspired his divine power and annexed the princes with virtue, and the world was unified and peaceful. The old city of Guandong was demolished, river embankments were dug, and all dangerous obstacles were leveled. Now that the land has been leveled and all the people have stopped doing corvées, the whole world will be at ease. Men are happy to farm, women are cultivating women’s flowers, and everything is in order. The emperor’s favor covers all industries, and they work together to cultivate the fields diligently, and everyone is happy to work and live in peace. The ministers pay tribute to the great deeds, and please engrave this stone to leave a model and rule forever.
The First Emperor sent Han Zhong, Hou Gong, and Shi Sheng to find the elixir of immortality. He then inspected the northern border and returned to the capital via Shangjun. Lu Sheng, a native of Yan State, was sent to the sea to seek immortality and returned. He wrote a book of illustrations promoting fortune telling, which said, “It was Hu who destroyed the Qin Dynasty.” It is said that the word “Hu” refers to Hu Hai, but the First Emperor did not understand, so he dispatched General Meng Tian with 300,000 troops to attack the Hu people in the north and seize the territory south of the Yellow River.
Thirty-three years ago (214 BC), those prisoners who had escaped were levied and pawned to the rich as slaves, and the masters gave wives to married people, as well as traders, to seize the Luliang area, and established Guilin, Xiangjun, and Nanhai. Wait for the county and send the people who have been demoted to defend. He also drove out the Xiongnu in the northwest. From Yuzhong along the Yellow River eastward to Yinshan Mountain, it is divided into forty-four counties. Build walls and set up fortresses along the river. He also sent Meng Tian across the Yellow River to seize Gaoque, Yangshan, and Beijia areas and build fortresses to drive away Rong Di. Relocate the relegated people and let them enrich the newly established counties. A ban was issued prohibiting sacrifices to the spiritual star that was responsible for farming. The comet appears in the west. In the thirty-fourth year (before 213), he relegated judges who were not enforcing the law to build the Great Wall and guard South Vietnam.
Seventy physicians came up to present wine and celebrate Qin Shihuang’s birthday at a feast hosted in Xianyang Palace. Pushe (yè, night) Zhou Qingchen applauded, saying, “In the past, the realm of Qin was only a thousand miles distant. By depending on the gods and saints of your majesty, you drove the barbarians out and calmed the earth. The vassal states have become counties and counties; everyone can live and work in peace and contentment; there was no one who did not surrender wherever the sun and moon shone. Your accomplishments can be passed down to future generations; your might and virtue are unmatched since ancient times. The First Emperor was very happy. Dr. Chun Yuyue, a native of Qi, stepped forward and said: “I heard that the Yin and Zhou dynasties ruled the world for more than a thousand years, and ennobled their descendants to serve as assistants. Now your Majesty owns the world, but your descendants are common people. Once there are ministers like Tian Chang of Qi State and Six Ministers of Jin State who murder the monarch, who will rescue them? I have never heard of anyone who can live long without following the example of the ancients. Just now, Zhou Qingchen flattered the emperor in person, which made it worse. Your Majesty’s fault, this is not a loyal minister.” The First Emperor submitted their opinions to the ministers for discussion. Prime Minister Li Si said: “The systems of the Five Emperors were not repeated from generation to generation, nor were the systems of Xia, Shang, and Zhou inherited from one generation to another, but they were all governed according to their own systems. This was not because they deliberately wanted to be contrary to each other, but because of the times. Things have changed, the situation is different. Now your Majesty has created great achievements and established immortal achievements. This is beyond the comprehension of ignorant Confucian scholars. Moreover, Chun Yuyue is talking about the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. Is it worth taking the law? In the past, when the feudal lords were fighting together, they recruited a large number of lobbyists. Now that the world is peaceful and the laws come from His Majesty, the people should devote themselves to agricultural and industrial production at home, and scholars should not learn the laws and punishments of today. But they want to imitate the ancients in order to slander the current world and confuse the people’s hearts. Prime Minister Li Si risked his death and said: In ancient times, the world was scattered and no one could unify it. , people only appreciate the knowledge they have learned in private and criticize the system established by the imperial court. Today, the emperor has unified the world and distinguishes right from wrong. Everything is decided by the supreme emperor. However, private schools criticize the law and educate people as soon as they hear that there is an order. , everyone will discuss based on what they have learned. When entering the court, they will criticize in their hearts. When leaving the court, they will go to the streets to discuss. They will show off themselves in front of the monarch in order to gain fame and fortune. They will pursue strange sayings to promote themselves. They will take the lead in creating slander among the people. If this is not prohibited, the power of the monarch above will be reduced, and the power of cliques will be formed below. I think it is appropriate to ban these. Apart from those who are in charge, anyone in the world who dares to collect “Poems”, “Books” and the works of various schools of thought will be sent to the local magistrates to be burned together. Those who dare to discuss “Poems” and “Books” together. The penalty was to be executed in public, and the whole family was executed according to the ancient and non-modern practice. If an official knew about it and did not report it, he would be punished with the same crime. If he still did not burn the book after being ordered to do so for thirty days, he would be punished with a tattoo on his face and be sentenced to four years in prison. , distribute the border, guard against bandits during the day, and build the city at night. What is not banned is medicine, divination, planting and other books. If anyone wants to learn the law, he should use the officials as his teachers. “Qin Shihuang issued an edict: “Yes.”
Road building started in the thirty-fifth year (212 BC), going via Jiuyuan and ending in Yunyang. It was a straight line since the valleys were filled up and the peaks were excavated. The first emperor assumed at this point that Xianyang was a big city and that the palaces of the earlier monarchs were modest. He heard that King Wu founded his capital at Hao (hào, no.) and King Wen of Zhou at Feng. The capital of the emperor was located between Feng and Hao. So the imperial palace was built in Shanglin Garden south of the Wei River. First, build the front hall in Epang (ēpáng, Yinpinge, beside), which is five hundred steps long from east to west and fifty feet wide from north to south. The palace can host ten thousand people, and a five-foot-high flag can be placed below. There are overpasses around it for strolling, which lead from under the palace to Nanshan. A gate was built on the top of Nanshan Mountain as a symbol. An flyover was also erected across the Wei River from Epang to connect it with Xianyang.
Symbolizing the North Star and Gedao Star in the sky, they cross the Milky Way and arrive at the Camp Star. Epang Palace is still under construction; a suitable name will be decided upon after it is finished. They named this palace Afang Palace since it was constructed in Afang. Afang Palace was built with the help of over 700,000 castrated and imprisoned people; some of them also worked on Lishan Mountain construction. Timber was moved from Shu and Jing, and rocks were extracted from Beishan. In all, 400 palaces were constructed outside the Guan and 300 in Guanzhong. As the eastern entrance of the Qin Dynasty’s boundary, a huge stone was so placed on Qu (qú, qu) mountain along the East China Sea. For this reason, 50,000 families went to Yunyang and 30,000 families to Liyi, where they were free from corvee and taxes for ten years.
Lu Sheng persuaded the First Emperor: “We looked for Ganoderma lucidum, miraculous medicine and immortals, but could not find them. It seemed that something had harmed them. We thought that the emperor would often travel secretly to drive away evil spirits, but the evil spirits avoided them. , the immortals will come. If the emperor’s residence is known to the ministers, it will harm the gods. The immortals will not get wet when entering water, and will not be burned when entering fire. They can travel on the clouds and live as long as the heaven and earth. . Now the emperor is ruling the world in peace and tranquility. I hope that the palace where the emperor lives will not be known to others. In this way, the elixir of immortality may be obtained. “Then the first emperor said: “I envy the immortal immortal, and I am called him. ‘Zhenren’ can no longer be called ‘I’.” So he ordered 270 palaces and temples within 200 miles of Xianyang to be connected with each other by overpasses and corridors; curtains, bells, drums, and beauties were placed inside. , none of them can be transferred in accordance with the registered place. If someone revealed where the emperor went, they would face death sentences. Once the monarch had the good fortune to tour the Liangshan Palace. He disapproved of the prime minister’s entourage, which included numerous carriages and horses, that he had seen from the hills. When the prime minister learned about this from one of the eunuchs, he trimmed the number of horses and chariots. After questioning, no one confessed, so the first emperor enacted an order and said, “Someone in the palace leaked my words.” The persons trailing him were apprehended and put to death. Nobody knew where the emperor was from then on. In managing things, the ministers were given directives, which they followed at Xianyang Palace.
Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng discussed together and said: “The First Emperor was a man with a rough and fierce nature, and he was self-righteous. He was born in a prince, annexed the world, did everything he wanted, and did whatever he wanted. He thought that no one could compare with him from ancient times to the present. He specially appointed prison officials. The officials and jailers were all close to and favored. Although there were seventy doctors, they were just fake personnel. The prime minister and ministers only accepted the orders and relied on the emperor to do things. The officials were afraid of being punished and wanted to keep their positions, so no one dared to be truly loyal. The emperor could not hear his faults, so his ministers became more and more arrogant day by day, and devoted themselves to deception and submission. Qin law stipulates that an alchemist cannot have two kinds of alchemy. If the alchemy cannot be fulfilled, he will be executed. However, there are as many as three hundred people who predict good and bad luck by predicting the stars and clouds. They are all good people. However, because of fear of being punished, He had to avoid flattery and did not dare to tell the emperor’s faults honestly. All affairs in the world were decided by the emperor, no matter how big or small. The emperor even used a scale to weigh the bamboo slips and wooden slips of various written documents. There were quotas day and night, and the reading could not be reached. If you don’t have a quota, you can’t rest. He is so greedy for power that we can’t find the magic medicine for him.” So he ran away. When the First Emperor heard that the two men had escaped, he was very angry and said: “I have previously collected all the unsuitable books in the world and burned them. I have recruited a large number of knowledgeable people and alchemists with various skills, and I want to use them In order to revitalize peace, these alchemists wanted to refine elixirs and find magic medicine. Today I heard that Han Zhong escaped and would not pay back. Xu Shi and others spent tens of thousands of dollars, but in the end they did not find the magic medicine, but they made illegal profits. The news of mutual denunciation reached my ears. I respected Lu Sheng and others and rewarded them very generously. Now they are slandering me in an attempt to aggravate my unscrupulousness. I sent people to check on these people in Xianyang. Some people actually deceived the public with their evil words and disturbed the people’s hearts.” So he sent the imperial officials to examine them one by one. One by one these individuals were reported, and one by one they made confessions. They were taken off of the list by the first emperor personally. Over 460 persons in all were present. Buried alive in Xianyang, inform the world to punish next generations. More exiles should be recruited to watch the borders. Furious, the First Emperor dispatched Fusu to Shangjun in the north to oversee Meng Tian’s army. Fusu Jin, the eldest son of the First Emperor, retorted, “The world has just been peaceful, and the people in distant places have not yet surrendered. Confucian scholars are reciting poems and imitating Confucius. Now the emperor will punish them with heavy laws. I am worried that the world will be unstable. I hope The emperor is aware of this.”
Mars invaded the heart (xiù, display) in the thirty-sixth year (211 BC). For the monarch, this heavenly occurrence represented catastrophe. Dongjun saw the fall of a meteorite, which after impacting the earth changed to marble. The First Emperor dispatched his censor to investigate every house after learning that some of the people had carved “the land will be divided after the death of the First Emperor,” but no one confessed. Thus they torched the meteorite and captured and slaughtered every person who lived around the stone. Unhappy, the First Emperor requested the doctor to write a “Poetry of Immortals”. Everywhere he traveled, he gave musicians orders to play and sing. The envoy was walking Huayin Pingshu Road at night in the autumn from Guandong. Giving it to Mr. Pou (hào, Hao) Chi for me, someone stopped the emissary with a jade. By the way, he said, “Zulong died this year.” The man laid down the genuine jade and abruptly vanished for some reason. Returning the jade to the King of Qin, the ambassador reported his experiences. With a long pause, the First Emperor declared, “The ghosts in the mountains can only predict the events of a year.” It was already autumn, and the First Emperor added that there were not many days left in the year, thus this might not come to pass. “The death of Zulong” naturally had nothing to do with him since he purposefully understood “zu” as ancestor, and ancestors are dead people, when he declared, “Zulong is the ancestor of people,” when he retired from the court. Upon asking the Imperial Palace to examine the jade fragment, the First Emperor discovered that it was the same piece that had fallen into the water during his 28th-year inspection excursion across the river. The First Emperor therefore performed divination for this purpose, and the outcome was that migration would be fortunate. Every one of the thirty thousand households who were relocated to the Beihe and Yuzhong areas received a first-level title.
On Guichou Day in October of the thirty-seventh year (210 BC), the First Emperor set off on a journey. Following was Prime Minister Li Si on the left, while Prime Minister Feng Quji on the right remained in the capital. When the young son Hu Hai asked to accompany him on a tour, the emperor gave in. Walking to Yunmeng in November, I worshipped Yu Shun at Jiuyi Mountain in the distance. After then, take a boat down the Yangtze River, see Jike, cross Haizhu (zhĔ, cook), go via Danyang, and go to Qiantang. We went 120 km westward and over the small section of the river when we reached the edge of Zhejiang since the water was unsafe. Climb Mount Kuaiji for a view of the South China Sea and to make sacrifices to Dayu. Monuments were built and carved stones praised the virtues of the Qin Dynasty. The writing says:
Great were the emperor’s accomplishments; he united and calmed the globe; and his virtues were deep and durable. I personally travelled the globe and saw far-off places in the thirty-seventh year. Climbing Kuaiji’s peaks to see traditional practices, the locals looked up to and respected him. All the ministers acknowledged his virtues, inferred the emperor’s actions, and followed his power and judgment. Ascending to the throne, the Holy King of the Qin Dynasty gave the criminal code its name and expanded upon the previous rules. Clearly assign duties, set up just rules, and institute long-term penalties. The six-kingdom king is a despot who depends on his numbers to be strong and is avaricious and brutal. He was conceited, resorted to force, uncontrolled and despotic, and he went to war often. He brought the six nations together to behave evilly and covertly set up spies. They cause catastrophe when they breach our boundaries outside and lie and are crafty inside. At last, the rebels were vanquished, the violent and rebellious people were exterminated, and the mighty and upright were punished. There is no place on earth that is not graced with holy virtue, which is deep and wide. The globe was brought together by the emperor, who also had single authority over everything. He brought everything close and far clear and brilliant. Assume overall management of all operations, look into and confirm information, and note their names. No one can hide the truth; everyone can communicate with one another and express good or bad right away. Governmental morality is overdone, and there is a husband who betrays his son by marrying him and being unfaithful and callous. Properly divide personal and professional matters, forbid sexual pleasure, and expect men and women to be sincere and clean. Killing the husband is not wrong if they are having sex outside. The guy needs to play by the regulations. A son has to be reformed to be honest if his mother runs away from marriage and abandons her husband, and the son does not acknowledge her as his mother. All people get education, bad customs are eliminated by governance, and a new trend sweeps over the globe. Everybody follows the guidelines, gives each other harmonious encouragement, and follows instructions. To maintain world peace, the people are all willing to follow the law and are kindly and clean. Next generations will revere the Holy Dharma, there will be great prosperity and peace, and cars and boats won’t capsize. The ministers asked for an inscription to be carved on stone to spread the light throughout the ages and commended the accomplishments.
Retiring, the First Emperor crossed the river by county after passing through Wu country. Traverse the coast north to Langye. The alchemist Xu Shi and others went into the sea to look for the elixir, but could not find it for several years. They spent a lot of money and were afraid of being punished, so they deceived and said: “The elixir can be found in Penglai, but it is often troubled by big sharks, so it cannot be reached. I hope the emperor can send good people to it.” The archers go together, and when they encounter a big shark, they shoot it with a crossbow equipped with a mechanism that can be fired continuously. “The First Emperor dreamed of fighting with the sea god, who looked like a human being. Ask the dream divination doctor to help you realize the dream. The doctor said: “The water god cannot be seen originally. He uses the big fish and dragon as a detective. Now the emperor is thoughtful and respectful in offering sacrifices, but this kind of evil god appears. He should be removed, and then the true good will be done.” Then God can find it.” So he instructed the people who entered the water to bring tools to catch big fish, and personally took the bow and crossbow with mechanism to wait for the big fish to come out so that he could shoot it. From Langye to the north to Rongcheng Mountain, I have never seen it. When he arrived at Zhifu, he met a giant fish and shot one to death. Then they traveled west along the coast.
Qin Shihuang fell ill when he landed in Pingyuanjin. The First Emperor hated to say the word “death”, and none of his ministers dared to talk about death. The emperor’s illness became worse, so he sent a letter with the royal seal to Prince Fusu, saying: “Come back to Xianyang to attend the funeral and be buried in Xianyang.” The letter was sealed and put in the seal of Zhao Gao, the official of the Middle East Prefecture. The office of the affairs was not given up to the messenger. On Bingyin day of July, the First Emperor passed away on the sand dune platform. Prime Minister Li Si felt that the emperor died in another area, and he was frightened that the princes and other places would take the opportunity to foment problems, so he kept the matter a strict secret and did not publish any news about the funeral. The coffin was placed in a cool car that was airtight and aired, and the eunuchs who had been favored by the First Emperor in the past were allowed to join them. Every time they traveled to the appropriate spot, they gave meals to the emperor, and the officials reported to the emperor as usual. thing. The eunuch handed down the edict and approved it in the carriage. The emperor’s death was known only to Hu Hai, Zhao Gao, and perhaps five or six favored eunuchs. Hu Hai liked Zhao Gao in secret, and he used to teach him writing, prison laws, and other subjects. Zhao Gao discussed in secret opening the sealed letter that the First Emperor had handed Prince Fusu with Prince Hu Hai and Prime Minister Li Si. He said falsely that Li Si had appointed Hu Hai as the crown prince and received the First Emperor’s imperial proclamation among the sand dunes. In a letter he also sent to the young masters Fusu and Mengtian, he listed their transgressions and gave them suicide orders. Every one of these is mentioned in “The Biography of Li Si”. Going on, we leave Jingxing and arrive in Jiuyuan. The emperor gave the officials instructions to load a stone of fishy pickled fish inside the wagon on a hot day so that people would not be able to distinguish between the smell of the corpse and the fish.
A funeral notification was made and marchers marched back from the straight path to Xianyang. Ascending to the throne, the crown prince becomes the second emperor. September saw the First Emperor’s burial at Mount Li. Once he ascended to the throne, the First Emperor tamed and surveyed Li Mountain. Following the unification of the universe, he dispatched over 700,000 servants nationwide to excavate up to three springs, fill the spaces, and put the outer coffin. Along with building palaces and temples, he also placed rare utensils, riches, odd rocks, etc., and adjusted the posts of hundreds of officials. Give the craftsmen instructions to create mechanisms-controlled bows and arrows so that someone who digs a grave and comes near can be shot to death. There were hundreds of mercury rivers and seas, poured and moved by machinery. Geographic figures were positioned below and astronomical photographs were mounted on the upper wall. Make a torch out of huge salamander fat; it won’t burn out for a very long time. “It is not appropriate to let the concubines of the late emperor and harem have no children. It is not appropriate to let them go,” the Second Emperor declared, and many of them were buried. Several said that the machinery was constructed by the craftsmen after the burial. Everybody knew what riches were kept in the tomb. Leaking of the many and precious items was unavoidable. The outermost tomb door was lowered and the middle door of the tomb corridor closed after the great funeral ceremony and the hiding of all the valuables. Nobody emerged from the confined chamber a second time. The mausoleum, from the outside like a mountain, is covered with trees and plants.
As Lang Zhongling, Zhao Gao oversaw the court in the first year of Emperor II (209 BC), when Emperor II was twenty-one years old. The second emperor gave an order to raise the number of animals offered at the Shihuang Temple and to improve the manners surrounding the different sacrifices made in rivers and mountains. Let the ministers talk about keeping the First Emperor’s temple name. The ministers all kowtowed and said: “In ancient times, there were seven ancestral temples for the emperor to worship the ancestors of the seven generations. There were five temples for the princes and three temples for the officials. Now the temple of the First Emperor is supreme and cannot be destroyed even after eternity. Everyone in the world It is necessary to contribute sacrifices and taxes, increase the number of animals used for sacrifices, and the etiquette is complete. There cannot be any higher than this. Some temples of the Xianwang are in Xiyong, and some are in Xianyang. The high-quality wine (zhoù, Zhou) was sacrificed to the Temple of the First Emperor. A total of seven temples were built below Xianggong, and the ministers worshiped the Emperor in accordance with the ceremony. Still calling myself ‘I’.”
After conferring with Zhao Gao, the second emperor declared, “I am young and have just ascended the throne, but the people are still not obedient. The late emperor visited various counties and counties to show his strength and power to conquer the whole country. Now I live in the palace safely and do not go out on tours. It makes people think that I am incompetent and unable to rule the world.” Li Si followed II eastward to inspect the counties in the spring. Once at Jieshi Mountain, they proceeded south down the coast to Kuaiji. To emphasize the accomplishments and qualities of the late emperor, they etched inscriptions on the stone tablets that the First Emperor had erected and the names of the ministers who had succeeded him beside the stones.
The emperor said: “All the inscriptions on the inscriptions and stone inscriptions were built by the First Emperor. Now I have inherited the title of emperor, but the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions and on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the inscriptions on the stone and inscriptions are not titled as the First Emperor. ” Prime Minister Li Si, Chen Feng Quji, and Yushi Dafu Chen De said: “We request that the edict be engraved on the stone tablet, so that we can understand the request.” The written reply said: ” Can.”
After then, we went back to Liaodong.
Qin II at this point enacted the law as Zhao Gao had suggested. He secretly planned with Zhao Gao and said: “The ministers are not obedient, the officials are still very powerful, and the princes must fight for power with me. What should I do about this?” Zhao Gao said: “These words are what I have said. I want to say it but I dare not say it. The ministers during the reign of the late Emperor were all famous nobles for many generations, and their achievements have been passed down from generation to generation for a long time. Now I am a minister, Zhao Gao, who has been honored by your majesty. He is in a high position and manages palace affairs. The ministers are not satisfied, and they only obey on the surface, but in fact they are dissatisfied. Now that the emperor is on tour, why not take this opportunity to investigate the guilty among the county guards and kill them, so that in the future, You can make the emperor’s majesty shock the world, and you can get rid of those who are always dissatisfied with the emperor. At present, we cannot follow the rule of law but rely on force. I hope that your majesty can adapt to the current situation and never hesitate, then the ministers will have no time to make plans. The wise monarch collects and promotes those who have been abandoned, makes the humble noble, makes the poor rich, and makes the alienated close, so that the country can be united and stabilized.” The second son said: “Okay. !” Then he killed the ministers and princes, and arrested the ministers Zhonglang, Wailang, and Sanlang on charges. Six princes lost their lives in Du County; nobody was spared. The prince talked over the accusations against the three Lu brothers while they were detained in the inner palace. Jiang Lu declared, “I never dare not to obey the court etiquette, Binzan, who is in charge of the ceremony; the imperial court I never dare to be impolite in my position; I never dare to say the wrong thing when asked to answer questions.” The second emperor of the Qin Dynasty dispatched an envoy to command General Lu, saying: “If you do not fulfill your duties as ministers, you will be punished by death, and the officials will execute you according to the law.”
Looking up to the sky, Jiang Lu yelled loudly, “I can’t participate in the plan, I just follow orders.” What about Tao? I hope I can die after learning the crime. “Oh my God! I am not guilty!” he cried out multiple times. The three brothers then pulled their swords and killed themselves. Startled and alarmed was the royal family. The reproaches of the ministers were regarded as slander. To maintain their jobs, the high-ranking officials gave in to flattery, shocking and frightening the populace.
In April, the Second Emperor returned to Xianyang and said: “The late emperor built Epang Palace because the imperial court in Xianyang was small. The palace hall had not yet been completed. When the first emperor passed away, he had to stop the builders and transfer them to Mount Li to repair the tomb. The work of repairing the tomb in Lishan has been completed. If the Epang Palace is now put down without completing it, it means that the late emperor made a mistake. “The construction of the Epang Palace has begun again.” To appease foreigners from all over the world, following the First Emperor’s strategy, he recruited 50,000 strong soldiers to guard Xianyang. He ordered archery lessons and also raised dogs, horses, and beasts for the palace to enjoy. The soldiers, dogs, horses, and beasts needed a lot of food. It was estimated that the food in the Xianyang warehouse was not enough, so they recruited and transported food and feed from the counties below to allow the transfer personnel to have enough food. Bring your own dry food. You are not allowed to eat these food within 400 miles of Xianyang. Spellcasting is even harsher.
In July, Xu soldiers Chen Sheng and others rebelled in the land of the original Chu country. The country was named “Zhang Chu”, which means Zhang Da Chu Kingdom. Chen Sheng established himself as King of Chu, lived in Chen County, and sent generals to seize the land. In the counties and counties in Shandong east of Hangu Pass in Mount Wei, the young people had suffered so much at the hands of the officials of the Qin Dynasty that they all killed their county guards, county lieutenants, county magistrates, and county magistrates, and rebelled in response to Chen Sheng, and Princes and lords were established in various places one after another, and they joined forces to attack westward. Under the banner of crusade against the Qin Dynasty, the number of people was too large to be counted. The envoy who was in charge of conveying the report came back from his mission to Shandong and reported the situation of the rebellion in Shandong to II. The Second Emperor was very angry and handed the visitor over to the officials in charge. When the envoy from behind came back, the emperor asked him, and he replied: “They are just a group of bandits. They are under pursuit by the lieutenants and county guards. Everyone of them has been apprehended now. Wu Chen crowned himself King of Zhao, Wei Jiu as King of Wei, Tian Dan (dām, Dan) as King of Qi, Duke Pei insurrectioned in Pei County, and Xiang Liang gathered forces in Kuaiji County. The emperor was content.
When Chen Sheng dispatched Zhou Zhang and other generals with hundreds of thousands of soldiers westward to Xishui in the winter of the second year (208 BC), the Second Emperor was startled and asked his ministers, “What should we do?The youthful governor, Zhang Han, declared, “The bandits have already arrived. They are so strong and numerous that recruiting soldiers from neighboring counties is too late. Slave laborers abound on Lishan Mountain. , please pardon them and grant them weapons to fight against the rebels.” The Second Emperor sent additional commanders Sima Xin and Dong Yi (yì, righteousness) to help Zhang Han attack the rebels. They killed Chen Sheng in Chengfu, Xiang Liang in Dingtao, and Wei Jiu in Linji. The famous generals of the Chu rebel army had been killed, so Zhang Han crossed the Yellow River to the north and went to Julu to attack Zhao Wang Zhao Xie and others.
Zhao Gao won over the Second Emperor by saying, “The ministers dare not do anything wrong or express heresy because the late Emperor had ruled the world for a long period. Given his youth and recent throne ascent, how can Your Majesty communicate significant issues with the court’s ministers?”The second generation frequently lives in Shen,” the emperor remarked, “as I meant it to be a symbol. If there is anything wrong, the ministers will perceive their own weakness. Just Zhao Gao makes decisions in the palace on a variety of issues. Ministers seldom ever got the chance to see the emperor after it, and more people rebelled in different regions. To fight the insurgents, the Guanzhong army was enlisted in the East. Prime Minister Feng Quji on the right, Prime Minister Li Si on the left, and General Feng Jiejin remonstrated and said: “Thieves from all over the Guandong region have risen one after another. The imperial court sent troops to punish them. Many people were killed, but they could not be calmed down. Most of the thieves were because of Xu. The border, transportation, and labor are too hard, and the taxes are too heavy. We request that the construction of Afang Palace be suspended and the border military service and transportation corvee be reduced.” The second generation said: “I heard Han Zi say: ‘Yao and Shun used oak trees. The rafters are not cut and processed, the roof is made of reeds and thatch is not trimmed, and earthen bowls are used for eating and earthen pots are used for drinking water. Even if it is the gatekeeper’s contribution, it will not be more frugal than this. In Daxia, he diverted the stagnant water of the Yellow River and diverted the water into the sea. He personally held the pestle and spade, and the hair on his calves was polished off. Even if it was a slave’s labor, it would not be more powerful than this. ‘The reason why people value it. The purpose of enjoying the world is to be able to indulge in sexual desires and enjoy it to the fullest. The most important thing to be a monarch is to establish a clear legal system. In this way, the ministers will not dare to do bad things and can rule the world. The monarchs of Yu and Xia had a noble status and became the emperor. Living in poverty and making sacrifices for the people, what else is there to learn from? The world is called the Lord of Ten Thousand Chariots (shèng, victory). In fact, I will build thousands of chariots and establish thousands of disciples, so that the reality will match my name. Besides, the late emperor was born among the princes and annexed the world. The world has been pacified, and foreigners from all directions have been excluded to stabilize the borders. You have all seen that the late emperor’s achievements have been completed by building a palace inside to show your pride. But now, two years after I ascended the throne, thieves have arisen. You cannot stop it, and you want to stop what the late emperor wanted to do. “You can’t repay the late emperor, and you haven’t done your best for me. Why do you have such a high position still?After that, Feng Quji, Li Si, and Feng Jie were sent over to the jailer to be questioned about more offenses. Feng Quji and Feng Jie committed suicide, while Li Si was detained and subjected to torture.
Zhang Han and others led his troops to surround Julu in the third year of the Second Emperor’s reign (207 BC). General Xiang Yu of Chu led the Chu troops to rescue Julu. In the winter, Zhao Gao became prime minister and finally decided to kill Li Si. In the summer, Zhang Han and others were defeated many times in battles. The Second Emperor sent people to condemn Zhang Han. Zhang Han was afraid, so he sent Chief Shi Simaxin back to Beijing to report the situation and ask for instructions. Zhao Gao neither received him nor trusted him. Sima Xin was frightened and fled quickly. Zhao Gao sent people to chase him but failed. Sima Xin saw Zhang Han and said: “Zhao Gao is in power in the court. At this point, Xiang Yu intensified his assault on the Qin army and captured Wang Li. Zhang Han and others led the troops in surrendering to the princes. On August 11, Zhao Gao wanted to rebel, but he first devised a scheme to test it. He brought a deer to the second generation and said, “This is a horse.” The second generation laughed and he said, “The prime minister was wrong.” When I asked the ministers on the left and right, some were silent, some purposefully catered to Zhao Gao and said it was a horse, and some said it was a deer. Zhao Gao was covertly using the law to frame him. Those who said it was a deer made all the ministers fear Zhao Gao.
Zhao Gao said many times before: “The thieves in Guandong can’t make a fortune.” Later, Xiang Yu captured Wang Li and others under Julu City and continued to advance. Zhang Han and others’ armies retreated many times and wrote to the Yan State for reinforcements. , Zhao, Qi, Chu, Han, and Wei all proclaimed themselves kings. From Hangu Pass to the east, most of them betrayed the officials of the Qin Dynasty and responded to the princes. The princes all led their troops to march westward. Peigong led tens of thousands of people to massacre Wuguan and sent people to secretly contact Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao was afraid that the second emperor would be angry and kill him, so he lied about being ill and refused to go to the emperor. The second generation dreamed that a white tiger bit the galloping horse he was driving. He killed the white tiger, but felt unhappy and felt strange, so he went to ask the dream interpreter. The dream interpreter got a hexagram saying: “The Jingshui Water God is causing trouble.” The second generation fasted in Wangyi Palace, and wanted to sacrifice the Jingshui Water God, so he sank four white horses into the Jingshui River. The Second Emperor sent someone to condemn Zhao Gao for the uprising’s increasing approach. Zhao Gao was frightened and uneasy, so he secretly discussed with his son-in-law Yan Le, the magistrate of Xianyang County, and his brother Zhao Cheng: “The emperor did not listen to the advice. Now that things are really bad, he tries to put our family to the blame. The emperor renamed himself Prince Ying, was amiable and modest, and the populace backed his statements. He asked Lang Zhongling to serve as an internal agent, making up the existence of a major thief, and gave Yan Le instructions to call for officials to dispatch troops to find him. In the residence, he also took Yan Le’s mother. While a prisoner in Zhao Gao’s estate. The guards retorted, “There are guards guarding the guard posts around the palace., It’s very strict, how dare thieves enter the palace?” Yan Le killed the guards and hurried in with his officers and soldiers, shooting arrows as they went. He sent Yan Le to lead more than a thousand officers and soldiers in front of Wangyi Palace. He tied up the guards and ordered Pu She. It startled the eunuchs much. There were those who fled, those who fought, and those who died. Dead, scores of people perished. Shotting the second son’s curtain with arrows, Lang Zhongling and Yan Le dashed in together. The left and right were in a state of terror and dared not to act, but the second generation was furious and summoned them. Next to him was a eunuch serving the emperor, and he dared not move. “You killed them all, how can you live to this day?” the second generation questioned the eunuch, who replied, “I dare not tell you, so I was able to save my life. If I had told you earlier, we people would have been killed earlier.””You are arrogant, indulgent, wanton and unreasonable, and everyone in the world has betrayed you, why?” Yan Le remarked, enumerating the atrocities of the second generation. Contemplate it for yourself!Could I visit the prime minister, the second son asked?”I am following the Prime Minister’s order to kill you for the sake of the world,” Yan Le said, “I am willing to live with my wife and children as ordinary people, just like other princes.” The second son said, “I hope to be a king.” Yan Le refused. Then he said, “I hope to be a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.” Yan Le refused again. I don’t dare to repay you, no matter how much you say,” he says, directing the soldiers to advance, as the second one ends his own life.
After Yan Le returned to report to Zhao Gao, the latter called a meeting of all the ministers and princes to discuss the second son’s murder and declared, “The State of Qin was originally a vassal state.” We dubbed the First Emperor the emperor because he dominated the entire globe. Every one of the six nations has now installed a monarch. State of Qin territory is shrinking all the time. For what reason is it still called the emperor? False. That’s fit. “Prime Minister Zhao Gao killed the second generation in Wangyi Palace,” Ziying told his two sons after five days of fasting, before burying the second generation in Dunan Yichun Garden and receiving the king’s seal. He feigned to make me king in accordance with morals as he was frightened the ministers would kill him. Zhao Gao did, I’ve heard, really have an affair with Chu. He would become king of Guanzhong, the state decided, once the Qin clan was vanquished. He now urged that I go to the ancestral temple and fast. He wanted me dead while I was in the temple. I claimed I was unwell and could not go. Unquestionably, the prime minister would visit in person. Zhao Gao went to invite Ziying personally and said, “Why doesn’t the king go to the national affairs? He sent people to invite him, but he didn’t leave.”” Ziying then killed Zhao Gao in Zhai Palace, killed the three members of Zhao Gao’s family, and showed them to the public in Xianyang. Ziying was king of Qin for forty-six days. The Chu general Pei Gong defeated the Qin army and entered Wuguan. Then he went to Bashang and sent people to recruit Ziying to surrender. Ziying tied a ribbon around his neck, drove a white chariot and a white horse, held the emperor’s seal and talisman, and surrendered beside the Zhidao Pavilion. Peigong then entered Xianyang, sealed the palace and treasury, and returned to his army to station in Bashang. More than a month later, the armies of various princes also arrived. Xiang Yu was the leader of the alliance and killed Ziying and everyone in the Qin Gongzi clan. Then he massacred Xianyang, burned the palaces, captured the maids, confiscated the treasures and property of the Qin Palace, and divided them with the princes. After the Qin Dynasty was destroyed, the original territory of Qin was divided into three kings, namely King Yong, King Sai, and King Zhai, known as the Three Qins. Xiang Yu became the overlord of Western Chu, presiding over the division of the world and granting titles to princes and kings. The Qin Dynasty finally perished. In the next five years, the world was unified under the Han Dynasty.
Tai Shigong said: Boyi, the ancestor of the Qin Dynasty, had made great achievements during the reign of Yao and Shun of Tang Dynasty, and was granted land and given the surname Ying. It declined during the Xia and Shang dynasties. When the Zhou Dynasty declined, the Qin State emerged and built cities on the western border. Since Duke Mu ascended the throne, he has gradually encroached on the princes and finally became the first emperor. The First Emperor thought that his achievements were greater than those of the Five Emperors and his territory was broader than those of the Three Kings, so he considered it a shame to compare with the Five Emperors and Three Kings. How well-spoken Jia Sheng’s comments are! He said:
The Qin Dynasty annexed the princes, and there were more than thirty counties in Shandong. They built ferry passes, occupied dangerous terrain, repaired weapons, and guarded these places. However, with hundreds of scattered soldiers, Chen She raised his arms and shouted. They did not use bows, arrows, spears, halberds and other weapons, and only had hoe handles and wooden sticks. Although they had no provisions, they could eat as long as they saw a house with people living in it. Galloping across the world, invincible. The dangerous places of the Qin Dynasty cannot be defended, checkpoint bridges cannot be sealed, halberds cannot be stabbed, and powerful crossbows cannot be fired. The Chu army quickly penetrated deep into the territory. During the battle at Hongmen, they did not encounter even a fence-like obstruction. There was great chaos in Shandong, the princes revolted one after another, and heroes established kings one after another. The King of Qin sent Zhang Han to lead an army to march eastward. Zhang Han got this opportunity and relied on the large number of troops in the three armies to meet with the princes outside, make deals, and plot against his lord. Ministers cannot be trusted, as can be seen from this incident. Ziying came to the throne, but he never realized it in the end. Even if Ziying had the talents of an ordinary monarch and only received middle-level assistants, although the Shandong area was in chaos, Qin’s territory could still be preserved, and the sacrifices in the ancestral temple would not be interrupted.
The terrain of Qin is blocked by high mountains and surrounded by rivers, forming a solid defense. It is a country with dangerous fortresses on all sides. From Duke Mu to Qin Shihuang, more than twenty monarchs often dominated the lords. Are generations wise? This is caused by status and situation! Besides, all the countries in the world once worked together to attack Qin. At this time, wise men and women gathered together, good generals commanded the armies of various countries, and wise ministers communicated with each other’s plans. However, they were trapped by dangers and could not move forward. Qin State lured the princes into Qin State’s territory to fight and opened the gate for them. As a result, Shandong Millions of troops fled and collapsed. Is it because courage, strength and wisdom are not enough? It’s because the terrain is unfavorable and the terrain is inconvenient. The Qin State merged Xiaoyi into a large city, garrisoned troops at dangerous fortresses, built high forts so as not to easily fight the enemy, closed the doors tightly and guarded the dangerous fortresses, carrying spears and halberds on their shoulders. The princes were of commoner origin, and they united for the sake of their own interests, and did not possess the virtues of those who were highly respected but did not occupy the throne. Their interactions are not intimate, their subordinates are not affectionate. In name, he was talking about destroying the Qin Dynasty, but in fact, he was seeking his own personal gain. When they saw that the land of Qin was too dangerous to invade, they would definitely retreat. If they can stabilize the homeland, allow the people to recuperate, wait for the decline of Qin, accommodate the weak, and support the tired, then with a monarch who can issue orders to big countries, they will not have to worry about not being able to realize their wishes in the world. However, they were noble as the emperor, rich and owned the world, but they themselves were captured. This was because their strategy to save the country from defeat was wrong.
The King of Qin was satisfied with his own merits, did not ask for advice from others, and never changed after making a mistake. The second generation inherited his father’s faults and did not change his ways. He was cruel and cruel, which aggravated the disaster. Ziying was isolated and had no relatives, and was in danger, but he was weak and had no help. The three monarchs were confused and unawakened all their lives. Isn’t it right for the Qin Dynasty to perish? At this time, there were people in the world who were far-sighted and understood the changes in the situation. However, the reason why they did not dare to be loyal and correct the faults of their superiors was because the customs of the Qin Dynasty were full of taboos and prohibitions. Before they could finish speaking their loyalty, they themselves were Killed. Therefore, all the people in the world can only listen with their ears bent, stand with their feet on top of each other, and close their mouths without daring to speak. Therefore, the three monarchs lost their way, but the loyal ministers did not dare to give advice, the wise men did not dare to give advice, the world was in chaos, and the emperor did not know it. Isn’t it sad? The late kings knew that blockage would harm the country, so they appointed ministers, officials, and scholars to regulate laws and establish punishments, so the world was governed. When it is strong, it is forbidden to brutally punish rebellion, and the world obeys; when it is weak, the five hegemons conquer for the emperor, and the princes also obey; the land is When cutting, they can defend themselves on the inside and have relatives on the outside, so that the country can be preserved. Therefore, when the Qin Dynasty was strong and powerful, the world was shocked by its complicated laws and severe punishments; when it was weak, the people were resentful and the world was betrayed. The five titles of duke, marquis, uncle, son, and male in the Zhou Dynasty were in line with the fundamental principles, so they were passed down to the country for more than a thousand years. The Qin Dynasty lost both the root and the bottom, so it could not last long. From this point of view, the distance between stability and danger is too far! As the saying goes, ‘If you don’t forget the past, you will be the teacher of the future.’ (If you don’t forget the lessons of the past, you can learn from them in the future.) Therefore, when a gentleman governs the country, he must examine ancient history, verify the contemporary situation, and test it through human affairs, so as to understand the laws of prosperity and decline, know in detail whether strategies and situations are appropriate, make choices in an orderly manner, and make changes in a timely manner, so it lasts over time. In the long run, the country will be stable.
Qin Xiaogong occupied the dangerous terrain of Miaoshan and Hangu Pass, and owned the land of Yongzhou. The monarchs and ministers firmly defended it. He watched the Zhou royal family in an attempt to seize power. He had the intention of sweeping the world and encompassing the universe. Ambition. At that time, Shang Jun assisted him, established legal systems internally, devoted himself to farming and weaving, repaired defensive and offensive equipment, implemented external balances, and provoked fights among the princes. As a result, the people of Qin achieved victory with just a little effort. The land beyond Xihe.
After Xiaogong’s death, King Hui and King Wu inherited the original foundation and followed the strategy left by Xiaogong. They annexed Hanzhong to the south, captured Ba and Shu to the west, cut fertile land to the east, and occupied strategic counties. . The princes were afraid and held an alliance to discuss weakening the Qin. They did not spare the rare utensils, precious treasures, and fertile land, so that they could invite the wise men from the world to unite, make treaties, and unite as one. At this time, the state of Qi had Lord Mengchang, the state of Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, the state of Chu had Lord Chunshen, and the state of Wei had Lord Xinling. These four gentlemen were all wise and loyal, tolerant and loving, respected the wise, and valued capable people. They formed alliances, broke up alliances, and brought together Han, Wei, Yan, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Song, Wei, Zhongshan and other countries. of numerous armies. At this time, the counselors of the Six Kingdoms included Ning Yue, Xu Shang, Su Qin, and Du He who were planning for them, and Qi Ming, Zhou Zui, Chen Zhen, Zhao Hua, Lou Su, Zhai Jing, Su Li, and Le Yi were working for them. To communicate the opinions of various countries, Wu Qi, Sun Bin, Dai Tuo, Ni Liang, Wang Liao, Tian Ji, Lian Po, and Zhao She led the army for them. They once used millions of troops to attack Hangu Pass and attack Qin with a land ten times that of Qin. Qin opened the door and let the enemy in to fight, but the armies of the nine countries retreated and fled, not daring to advance. Qin did not lose an arrow or an arrow, and the princes of the various countries were already exhausted. Therefore, Hezong was separated, the alliance was dissolved, and they competed to cede territory to serve Qin. This gave Qin enough power to take advantage of the fatigue of other countries to subdue them, pursue the fleeing enemies, kill millions, and leave corpses everywhere; blood flowed into rivers and shields could be floated. Taking advantage of the favorable situation, the Qin State controlled the world and cut off the lands of the princes, causing the strong countries to request submission and the weak countries to worship Qin. The throne passed to King Xiaowen and King Zhuang Xiang. Their reign was short and there were no major events in the country.
When Qin Shihuang arrived, he inherited the achievements left by his ancestors of six generations. He raised a long whip to control the countries, annexed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty, destroyed the princes, ascended to the throne of emperor, unified the entire world, brutally ruled the country with punishments, and his prestige shocked the world. He also seized the land of Baiyue in the south and changed it into Guilin and Xiangjun. The leader of Baiyue lowered his head, tied his neck, and handed over his life to the officials of Qin. So Meng Tian was sent to build the Great Wall in the north to guard the border, and drove the Huns back more than 700 miles. The Huns did not dare to go south to herd horses, and the people of the six countries did not dare to raise their bows to take revenge. So he abandoned the way of governing the country by the previous kings, burned the books and works of hundreds of schools, and implemented the policy of obscuring the people. Destroy famous cities, kill heroes, collect the weapons of the world, gather in Xianyang, destroy weapons, melt musical instruments, and use them to make twelve bronze figures to weaken the resistance of the people. Then guard Huashan Mountain as a city wall, rely on the Yellow River as a trench, use the high city above as a strong barrier, and the bottomless trench below as a solid barrier. There are excellent generals and powerful crossbows guarding the dangerous fortress, there are loyal ministers, and there are elite troops armed with sharp weapons. Who can do anything to me? The world is at peace. Qin Shihuang’s mentality was that Guanzhong was as solid as a thousand-mile-long copper city wall, and was the foundation for his descendants to be emperors for eternity.
After the death of the First Emperor, his remaining power still shocked remote areas with different customs. Chen She was just a son of a poor family who used broken urns to make windows and ropes to tie door hinges. He was a farmhand and a soldier who was drafted into the army. , not as wealthy as Tao Zhu and Yidun, came from the ranks of soldiers, and started in the fields and villages. With tired and scattered soldiers and hundreds of followers, they turned around and attacked the Qin Dynasty. He cut branches as weapons and raised bamboo poles as flags. People from all over the world gathered in groups like clouds, responding to the uprising like an echo, carrying rations on their backs and following him as if they were inseparable. The heroes and warriors in Shandong rose up to punish him at the same time. Destroyed the Qin Dynasty royal family.
Besides, the Qin Dynasty’s world has not become smaller and weaker. The land of Yongzhou, Miao Mountain and Hangu Pass are still as strong as before. Chen She’s status was not as noble as that of the kings of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan. His hoe handle and wooden stick were not as sharp as halberds and spears. He was exiled to guard The disciples on the border are not as good as the armies of the Nine Kingdoms; their foresight and military strategy are not as good as those of the previous six kingdoms. However, success and failure are different, and achievements are completely opposite. If the countries in Shandong were asked to compare their strengths and weaknesses with Chen She, and measure their power and strength, they would not be the same. However, Qin State relied on the small territory of Yongzhou and the power of the princes with thousands of chariots to capture the eight states and control the world. It took more than a hundred years for the princes of the six countries with the same status and level to worship and surrender. However, later Qin unified the world, took the world as its home, and used Miao Mountain and Hanguguan as its palaces. Who would have thought that an ordinary person would lead the trouble, causing the ancestral temple of Qin to be destroyed, the country to perish, and the princes and grandsons to die in the hands of others. People all over the world are laughing at you, why is this? This is because without benevolence and righteousness, the situation of seizing the world will be different from that of defending the world!
Qin unified the world, annexed the princes, proclaimed himself emperor, and supported the world. Scholars in the world obeyed and admired the wind. Why is it like this? The answer is: There has been no emperor to unify the world for a long time in modern times. The power of the Zhou royal family was weak. After the five hegemons died one after another, the emperor’s orders could not be passed through the world. Therefore, the princes used force to conquer each other. The strong invaded the weak, and the many bullied the few. The war continued and the army and the people were exhausted. Now Emperor Qin proclaims himself emperor and rules the world. This means that there is an emperor above. In this way, the poor people all hope to support him to live and work in peace, and no one does not sincerely admire the emperor. At this time, the authority should be preserved and the achievements should be stable, whether it is stability or danger, this is the key.
The King of Qin was greedy and despicable, and only wanted to use his personal wisdom. He did not trust the heroes and did not get close to the people. He abandoned the benevolent rule and established personal authority. He banned poems, books and ancient books, implemented harsh punishments, and put deceit and power first. Leaving benevolence and faith behind, cruelty and cruelty are the prerequisite for governing the world. To implement annexation, we must pay attention to deceit and strength; to stabilize the country, we must pay attention to timely changes: This means that we cannot use the same method to win the world and protect the world. Qin went through the Warring States Period to unify the world, its route has not changed, its decrees have not changed, this is the method it uses to conquer the world and protect the world are no different. King Qin had no help but owned the world, so his demise came soon. If the King of Qin could consider the ancient situation and follow the path of Shang and Zhou to formulate and implement his own policies, then even if there are arrogant and extravagant monarchs in future generations, there will be no danger of overthrow and danger. Therefore, Yu of Xia, Tang of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou established countries with outstanding names and long-lasting achievements.
Now that Qin II is on the throne, everyone in the world is craning their necks to see his policies. A cold person feels good when he puts on a coarse cloth jacket, and a hungry person feels good when eating chaff. The people all over the world are moaning and groaning, which is what the new emperor relies on to enforce justice. This means that working people are more likely to accept benevolent governance. If the second generation has the virtues of an ordinary monarch, he appoints loyal and capable people, the monarch and his ministers are united, and is worried about the suffering of the world. During the period of mourning, he will correct the mistakes of the previous emperor, divide the land and the people, reward the descendants of the meritorious officials, make the country a king, and treat the world’s wise men. Treat each other with courtesy, release prisoners from prison, avoid executions, abolish complex punishments such as confiscating the wives and children of criminals as official slaves, and let the sentenced people return to their hometowns. Open warehouses and distribute money to provide relief to lonely and poor scholars; reduce taxes and labor to help the people relieve their urgent difficulties; simplify laws and reduce penalties to give criminals opportunities to seize the future, so that everyone in the world can rehabilitate themselves. Change your moral integrity, cultivate your character, treat yourself with caution; satisfy the wishes of all people, treat the people of the world with prestige and benevolence, and the people of the world will follow you. If everyone in the world is happy and living in peace and contentment, without fear of chaos, then even if there are deceitful people, and the people have no intention of betraying the Lord, the ministers with evil intentions will not be able to conceal their deceit, and the conspiracy of rebellion can be stopped. . The second generation did not implement this method, but was more cruel and unjust than the first emperor. He rebuilt the Epang Palace, made the punishments more numerous, and the killings more severe. The officials were harsh and cruel, rewards and punishments were inappropriate, taxes and plunders were unlimited, and the country had too many affairs. , the officials could not manage it; the people were extremely poor, but the monarch did not provide any shelter or relief. As a result, dangers and deceptions occurred one after another, the superiors and the inferiors deceived each other, many people were punished, and people were killed one after another on the road, one after another, and everyone in the world fell into misery. From the emperor down to the common people, everyone feels insecure. They are in a poor situation and cannot find peace anywhere, so they are prone to unrest. Therefore, Chen She did not rely on the virtuousness of King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou, nor the dignity of a prince, to raise his arms in Daze Township and the world responded. The reason was that the people were in danger. Therefore, the ancient sage kings could discern the changes in the beginning and the end, and knew the key to survival and destruction. Therefore, the way to rule the people was to concentrate on making them stable. In this way, even if there are rebellious ministers in the world, no one will respond and there will be no help. The so-called “people in a stable state can do benevolence and righteousness together, but people in crisis are prone to do bad things together” refers to this situation. He is so noble that he becomes the emperor, and he is so rich that he owns the world, but he cannot avoid being killed because the method of saving the overturned situation is wrong. This was II’s mistake.
Wen Gong was born; Duke Xiang came to power and ruled for twelve years. Work on the Western Border (zhí, mole) started. Wen Gong was buried in Xicui.
After becoming the throne, Duke Wen resided in Xicui Palace and died fifty years later, interred there. Jinggong was born.
Born before Duke Jing could take the throne was Xian Gong.
Lived in Xixinyi, Duke Xian ruled for twelve years before being buried in Yaxian County. He was the father of Duke Wu, Duke De, and Chuzi.
After Chuzi’s six-year reign in Xiling, the three concubines, Fuji, Wei Lei, and Shenfu, organized killers to kill Chuzi at Biyan and bury him in Yaxian County. Duke Wu succeeded to the throne.
Living in Feng Palace, Pingyang, Duke Wu ruled for twenty years. He is buried in Judongnan, Xuanyang. The three concubine chiefs received the punishment they deserved. The Duke of Virtue came to the throne.
De Gong was buried at Yangdi, reigned for two years, lived in Dazheng Palace, Yongyi, and started regulating the dog days to fend off heat, poison, and evil.
Twelve years as king, living in Yang Palace, buried in Yangdi, begin recording leap months.
Lived in the Yongyi palace, buried in Yangdi, Chenggong ruled for four years during which Qi fought Shanrong and Guzhu.
Duke Mu ruled for thirty-nine years. Kang Gong was born. Emperor Zhou praised him for his power. Duke Mu was buried in Yongyi.
Twelve years of reign, living in Gaobei, Yongyi, buried in the 竘 (qĔ, Shangshengqu) Society, birth of a father-in-law.
The Duke lived in Gaobei, Yongyi, ruled for five years, was buried south of Kang Gong, and was the father of Duke Huan.
Duke Huan lived in Taibi, Yongyi, ruled for twenty-seven years, and was buried on the north side of Yiliqiu. Jinggong was born.
40-year reigning Jinggong lived in Gaobei, Yongyi, was buried south of Qiuli, and gave birth to Bi Gong.
Thirty-six years of reign by Bi Gong, buried north of the automobile, Yi Gong was born.
Duke Yi was born in the left palace and was buried there after his death. He did not succeed to the throne.
Ten years of reign by Duke Hui, buried in a chariot; birth of Gao Gong.
Build the city wall at Yongyi, and Gong Gong was born. Duke Yu ruled for fifteen years and was buried west of Xi Gong.
Buried inside, Gong Gong reigned for twenty-four years, giving birth to Cao Gong and Huai Gong. A comet emerged in the ninth year.
Lived in bed, Duke Cao ruled for fourteen years and was buried south of Mourning Palace. A comet came in the first year of Cao AD.
Returning from Jin, Duke Huai reigned for four years, was buried in Yueyu (yē, language), gave birth to Ling Gong, and committed suicide with the ministers around him.
Son of Zhaozi, Duke Suling served ten years in office, was buried west of Duke Mourning, and gave birth to Duke Jian. He resides in Jingyang.
After returning from Jin, Duke Jian ruled for fifteen years. He was buried west of Xi Gong. Hui Gong was born. All officials started carrying swords in the sixth year.
Born in the mausoleum, Duke Hui ruled for thirteen years before his burial.
Two-year reigning Chugong committed suicide while on a business trip and was buried at Yongyi.
Born in Xiaoyu, Duke Xian ruled for twenty-three years before being buried there.
King Huiwen was born to Duke Xiao, who ruled for twenty-four years and was buried in Diyu. Xianyang was made the capital in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Born in Gongling, King Huiwen ruled for twenty-seven years before being buried there.
Four-year reigning King Wu was buried in Yongling.
Reigning for fifty-six years, King Zhaoxiang is buried in Zhiyang and father of King Xiaowen.
One year of reign, buried in Shouling, King Xiaowen gave birth to King Zhuang Xiang.
Buried at Zhiyang, King Zhuang Xiang ruled for three years before Lu Buwei was named Prime Minister following the birth of the First Emperor.
A market was established in the seventh year following Xiangong’s accession to the throne (378 BC), and the household register was registered in the tenth year (prior to 375), when five homes were linked to form one group.
Winter blossoms of peach and plum trees appeared in the sixteenth year of Duke Xiao’s reign (346 BC).
The usage of coins started in the second year after King Huiwen’s ascent to the throne (336 BC), when a newborn baby declared, “Qin will be king.”
Nineteen years old when he ascended to the throne, King Wu witnessed the Wei River become crimson for three days in the third year of his rule (309 BC).
Nineteen years old when he came to power, King Zhaoxiang started opening up fields under the well-field system in the fourth year of his reign (304 BC).
Fivety-three years old, King Xiaowen came to power.
King Zhuang Xiang ascended the throne at the age of thirty-two. In the second year after taking the throne (248 BC), he captured the Taiyuan area. In the first year of King Zhuang Xiang (249 BC), he announced a general amnesty, commended the heroes of the previous king, extended favors, treated his relatives kindly, and benefited the people. The Eastern Zhou Dynasty united the princes to plan to attack Qin, and the Qin State sent Prime Minister Lu Buwei to conquer it, and all the Eastern Zhou Dynasties were incorporated into the Qin State. The State of Qin did not continue the sacrifices of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, but gave the Yangren Gathering to the Lord of Zhou to offer sacrifices to his ancestors.
Following his thirty-seven-year reign, the First Emperor was buried in Liyi and a second emperor was born. The First Emperor came to power at the age of thirteen.
The second emperor, who was buried in Yichun Garden and appointed prime minister, became the Marquis of Anwu when he was twelve years old.
It was six hundred and ten years between King Qin Xiang and Qin II.
Yichou Day, October 15, 17th year of Emperor Xiaoming’s reign in the Han Dynasty (AD 74), was when Emperor Xiaoming questioned Ban Gu about the successes and losses of Jia Yi and Sima Qian’s overthrow of Qin II. Ban Gu replied:
The fate of the Zhou Dynasty has passed. Zhou belongs to the virtue of wood, and Han has the virtue of fire. Wood produces fire, which means that Zhou is the mother of Han, and the son does not take the place of mother. Therefore, the benevolence of the Han Dynasty cannot directly replace the Zhou Dynasty. And the Qin Dynasty was catching up with the emperor’s position between Mu De and Huo De. The First Emperor Yingzheng was cruel and tyrannical. However, he became the king of vassals at the age of thirteen, and later annexed the world, indulged in reckless behavior, but also raised family members. For thirty-seven years, he used troops everywhere, formulated laws and regulations, and passed them on to future generations of emperors. This is probably due to After gaining the divine power of a saint, the River God granted him a river map that symbolized the emperor’s mandate. With the energy of the wolf star and fox star in the main bow, and the energy of the ginseng star and the cutting star in the main beheading, he helped Yingzheng eliminate the princes of the world until Called himself the First Emperor.
After the death of Qin Shihuang, Hu Hai was extremely stupid. Before the Lishan project was completed, he rebuilt the Afang Palace to realize the plan of the late king. He also said, “For those who dominate the world, the most valuable thing is to do whatever they want, but the ministers actually want to give up what the ancestors wanted to do.” He killed Li Si and Feng Quji and appointed Zhao Gao. How heartbreaking these words from the second generation are! He has the head of a human but makes a sound like an animal. If he did not show off his power, people would not attack his crimes; if his crimes were not serious, the country would not be destroyed. Until the throne could no longer be maintained, cruelty and tyranny accelerated his demise. Although he occupied a country with favorable terrain, he still could not survive forever.
Ziying inherited the throne out of order, put on a crown with jade ornaments hanging down, and a royal seal tied with a gorgeous ribbon. He rode in the king’s yellow carriage and led hundreds of officials to worship the seven temples. When a small person ascends to a high position that does not belong to him, he is always frightened and uneasy. He has no control over his heart and lives in peace every day. But Ziying was able to think long-term, eliminate worries, weigh plans with his son, capture Zhao Gao in a room, and finally kill the imperial ministers and punish the rebels for the late king. After Zhao Gao died, before Ziying had time to comfort the guests and relatives one by one, before he had time to swallow his food, before he had time to touch his lips with wine, the Chu army had already slaughtered Guanzhong, and the real emperor had already flown to Ba Shang, so he had to drive a white horse and a white chariot. , with a ribbon tied around his neck and holding the imperial seal in his hand, dedicated to the person who should be crowned emperor. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the King of Chuzhuang invaded Zheng. Bo Zheng took the sacrificial vessels Mao Jing and Luan Dao and made the King of Chuzhuang retreat thirty miles. However, the mouth of the Yellow River cannot be blocked again, and the fish cannot be restored after rotting. Jia Yi and Sima Qian said: “If Ziying has the talents of an ordinary monarch and only has middle-level assistants, although the Shandong region is in chaos, Qin’s territory can still be preserved, and the sacrifices in the ancestral temple will not be interrupted.” The decline of the Qin Dynasty It has been a long time, and the world has fallen apart. Even if he has the talent of Zhou Gongdan, he cannot use his good strategies. It is really wrong for Jia Yi and Sima Qian to blame Ziying, who has only been in power for a few days, for the demise of the Qin Dynasty. ! According to folklore, it was Qin Shihuang who caused the evil, and Hu Hai pushed it to the top. This is true. Jia Yi and Sima Qian also accused Ziying, saying that the original Qin State’s land could be preserved, but it was because they did not understand the changes in the current situation. In order to preserve the ancestral temple, Ji Ji had no choice but to dedicate the city of 酅 (Xī, 西) to the State of Qi. His name was not mentioned in the “Spring and Autumn Annals” in order to commend his virtue. When I read “The Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin” and read about Zi Ying’s chariot breaking up with Zhao Gao, I felt that he showed his ability and ambition in such a decisive manner. Ziying’s attitude towards the righteousness of life and death is already perfect.
Phoenix Lee https://chinese-tradition.com/qin-dynasty-the-reign-of-qin-shi-huang.html
