Zi Zhi Tong Jian

Chapter 9 Qin Ji: Strange Goods to Live in (1)
[Original text]

The 58th year of King Zhou Nan

The concubine of Prince Qin is Mrs. Huayang, who has no children; Xia Ji has a son of a different person.Another hostage was held in Zhao; Qin counted and attacked Zhao, but the Zhao people were rude to him.The foreigner treats the feudal grandchildren as hostages to the princes, and the car is not forgiving, and the house is difficult and uncomfortable.

Lu Buwei, the great merchant of Yangzhai, was in Handan. When he saw it, he said: "This strange thing can live in!" Then he went to see the stranger and said, "I can go to the door of the eldest son." Buwei said: "I don't know, my door is as big as the door of my door." The stranger knows the so-called, but leads and sits, and speaks deeply.Buwei said: "The king of Qin is old. The crown prince loves Mrs. Huayang, but she has no children. There are more than [-] brothers of the son. The son has the business of the Qin state, and the Shicang assists him. The son is in the middle, not very lucky. When the crown prince ascends the throne, the son will not be able to compete for the heir." The stranger said: "But what can we do?" Buwei said: "The one who can establish a suitable heir is the ear of Mrs. Huayang alone. Although Buwei is poor, please use a thousand gold as your son to travel west. Set up a son as an heir." The stranger said: "It must be like the king's policy, please share the Qin kingdom with the king."

Buwei used five hundred gold to make a guest with a foreigner.Then I bought strange things with five hundred gold to play well, and I offered them to the west. I saw Mrs. Huayang's sister, and I presented the strange things to my wife. : "The stranger also regards his wife as his heaven!" The lady was overjoyed.

【Translation】

The 58th year of King Zhou Nan (257 BC)
The concubine of the prince of Qin is called Mrs. Huayang, and she has no son; the prince has another wife, Xia Ji, who has a son called Yiren.Yiren was later sent to Zhao as a hostage. Because Qin attacked Zhao many times, the people of Zhao were not friendly to him.And because Yiren is the concubine's grandson of the King of Qin, he is a hostage in the vassal states, so there are not enough chariots, horses and daily supplies, life is very embarrassing, and he is depressed all day long.

A big businessman named Lu Buwei in Yangzhai happened to be in Handan. When he heard about Yiren, he said, "This is a rare commodity that can be hoarded and sold for a good price!" So he went to meet Yiren, and said: "I can help you improve your family status!" Yiren said with a smile: "You can improve your family status first!" Lu Buwei said: "You don't know, my family status depends on your family status to improve." !” The stranger heard what he meant, so he invited him to sit down and have a deep talk.Lu Buwei said: "The king of Qin is old. The crown prince loves Mrs. Huayang, but Mrs. Huayang has no son. Among the twenty or so brothers, Zixi is the eldest son, who has the conditions to succeed the king of Qin, and Shicang assists him. You are in the middle of the list, you are not valued by others, and you have been a hostage for a long time. If the crown prince ascends the throne and becomes the King of Qin, it will be very difficult for you to win the position of heir." The other man said: "Then what should I do?" Lu Buwei said: "Madam Huayang is the only one who can establish the heir of the first son. Although I, Lu Buwei, are not considered rich, I am willing to spend thousands of dollars to lobby for you in the west, so that she can make you the heir." As I said, I am willing to share the state of Qin and share the country with you."

Lu Buwei then gave five hundred gold to the stranger, asking him to make friends with guests from all over the world.He also asked him to buy rare treasures and playthings with five hundred gold, and he took them to Qin State.Lu Buwei met Mrs. Huayang's sister first, and dedicated the treasure to Mrs. Huayang through her. He took the opportunity to praise Yiren for being very virtuous. The guests were all over the world. They often cried and missed the prince and Mrs. Huayang day and night, and said: I have already regarded Madam as my God!" Madam Huayang was overjoyed after hearing this.

[Original text]

Buwei asked his sister to say to his wife: "If a husband treats others with sex, he loves to run when his color declines. Today, my wife loves but has no children. She doesn't use the prosperous times to make herself a virtuous and filial person among the sons. She thinks it is appropriate. Even if you want to say something, you can still get it! Today, the son is different from others, but I know that the neutron is not suitable. Madam sincerely pulls it out at this time. This is the son who has no country but has a country. Madam has no sons but has sons, so she will be favored by Qin for the rest of her life." The madam thought so, and said to the prince: "The son is unique and worthy, and everyone who comes and goes praises him." Because of crying, he said: "Unfortunately, there is no concubine. My son, I wish to have a son and another person to make him my son, so I can entrust my concubine myself!" The prince promised him that he would engrave a jade talisman with his wife as an heir, and because he gave a generous gift to the other person, he asked Lu Buwei to help him.The reputation of foreign people is better than that of princes.

Lu Buwei married the most beautiful concubine from Handan and lived with her. Knowing that she was pregnant, the stranger would never drink Wei.In the siege of Handan, the Zhao people wanted to kill him, and the other people and Buwei Xingjin gave six hundred catties of gold to the defenders, escaped and went to the Qin army, and then returned.A stranger from Chufu came to Mrs. Huayang, and the lady said: "I am also from Chu, so I should be my son." Because he changed his name to Chu.

【Translation】

Lu Buwei persuaded Mrs. Huayang through Mrs. Huayang's sister: "Serving others by virtue of beauty will weaken the love when you are old and fading. Now, although Mrs. Qin is favored by the King of Qin but has no sons, it is better to take advantage of the prime of life. Some choose a virtuous and filial son among the sons, and elect him as the first son. Otherwise, when the appearance is no longer and the love is indifferent, even if you want to say a word, you will not be able to do it! Now that the stranger is virtuous and enlightened, and he knows the ranking If the wife promotes him at this time, the stranger will change from having no country to having a country, and the wife will also change from being childless to having a son, and he will be favored by the Qin State for life." Mrs. Huayang Thinking that what my sister said was right, she took a chance and said to the prince: "My son is extremely wise and talented, and people from all over the world are full of praise for him." Mrs. Huayang cried as she said, "I unfortunately did not have a baby. As a son, I want to make Yiren his own son, so that I will have a trust for the rest of my life!" The prince agreed to her, and also carved a jade talisman with Mrs. Huayang, agreeing to make Yiren his heir, and then gave Yiren a rich fortune , and asked Lu Buwei to assist him.Since then, Yiren's reputation has been widely spread in various vassal states.

Lu Buwei married the most beautiful woman in Handan and lived with her. After knowing that she was pregnant, a stranger drank with Lu Buwei. When he saw this woman, he wanted to take it for himself.Lu Buwei pretended to be angry, but not long after, he dedicated her to another man. The woman gave birth to a son after almost a year of pregnancy, named Ying Zheng, and the other man made her his wife.Later, Handan was besieged by Qin soldiers, Zhao Guoren wanted to kill Yiren, Yiren and Lu Buwei bought the guards with [-] gold, escaped and fled to the Qin army, so they were able to return home.Yiren wore the costume of Chu State and went to see Mrs. Huayang. The lady said: "I am from Chu! I regard you as my own son." Therefore, Yiren's name was changed to Chu.

[Original text]

The first year of King Qin Xiaowen.His son Chuli was King Zhuangxiang.Mrs. Zun Huayang is the Empress Dowager Huayang, and Xia Ji is the Empress Dowager Xia.In the first year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin Dynasty, Lu Buwei was the prime minister.With [-] households in Henan and Luoyang, Buwei, the prime minister, was named Wenxinhou.

King Zhuangxiang of Qin three years.In May, Bingwu, Wang Xi.The crown prince has been in government for 13 years, and all state affairs are entrusted to Wen Xinhou, known as Zhongfu.

The ninth year of Qin Shihuang.At the beginning, the king came to the throne, young, and had an affair with Wen Xinhou as the queen mother.Wang Yizhuang and Wen Xinhou were afraid that the incident would harm him, so he deceived his wife, Lai Ai, as an eunuch, and entered the empress dowager.Fortunately, the queen mother gave birth to two sons, named Ai the Marquis of Changxin, and regarded Taiyuan as the country of Ai, and all political affairs were decided by Ai;Around the king, there were those who argued with Ai, and they told Ai that he was not an eunuch, and the officials under the king ruled Ai.Frightened, Wang Yuxi sent troops to attack Qinian Palace and cause chaos.The king envoys Xiangguo Changping Lord and Chang Wenjun sent soldiers to attack Ai, fought in Xianyang, and beheaded hundreds of them; Ai was defeated and captured.In autumn and September, the three tribes of Yi and Ai;Moved the Empress Dowager to Yongyang Palace and killed her second son.The order said: "Those who dare to remonstrate with the Empress Dowager, kill them, cut off their four branches, and accumulate them under the gate!" 27 people died.

【Translation】

The first year of King Qin Xiaowen (250 BC).Zi Chu succeeded to the throne as King Zhuangxiang of Qin.King Zhuang Xiang respected his aunt, Mrs. Huayang, as the Queen Mother Huayang, and his biological mother Xia Ji as the Queen Mother Xia.In the first year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin Dynasty (249 BC), Lu Buwei, the prime minister, was honored as Marquis of Wenxin, and [-] households in Luoyang, Henan Province were granted his fiefdom.

The third year of King Qin Zhuangxiang (247 BC).In May, King Zhuang Xiang died, and Prince Yingzheng succeeded him.Yingzheng was only 13 years old at the time, so all major national affairs were decided by Wenxin Hou Lu Buwei, and he was honored as "Zhong Father".

The ninth year of Qin Shihuang (238 BC).At the beginning, Yingzheng was still young when he came to the throne, and the queen mother Zhao Ji often had an affair with Wenxinhou Lu Buwei.Later, when Yingzheng grew up, Lu Buwei was worried that if the incident was revealed, it would bring disaster to himself, so he pretended to be an eunuch with his family friend, Lai Ai, and presented it to the Queen Mother.The queen mother was very fond of Lai Ai, and gave birth to two sons for him, and named him Changxinhou, and made Taiyuan the country of Lai Ai, and all major government affairs were decided by Lai Ai; therefore, the guests asked to be Lai Ai's housekeeper There are more and more people.Someone close to Yingzheng had had a dispute with him, so they reported that he was not a castrated eunuch.Ying Zheng then ordered that Lao Ai be handed over to the judicial officials for punishment.Lai Ai was terrified, so she stole the imperial seal and dispatched troops under the guise of King Qin's orders to attack Qinian Palace, where Yingzheng lived, and create a rebellion.Yingzheng then sent Xiangguo Changping Lord and Chang Wenjun to lead the army to crusade against Lao Ai. The two sides fought in Xianyang. Hundreds of rebels were beheaded and killed.Entering autumn, in September, Yingzheng ordered the three families of Lai Ai's father, mother, and wife to be killed, and all of Lai Ai's cronies were punished by chariots, and the clans of these cronies were killed; More than 4000 people were exiled to Shu for relatively minor crimes.At the same time, the queen mother was moved to the Yang Palace in Yongcheng and imprisoned, and the two sons born to her and Lao Ai were killed.Ying Zheng also ordered: "Anyone who dares to advise me on behalf of the Queen Mother will be beheaded, his limbs will be cut off, and he will be piled up under the palace!" 27 people died in this incident.

[Original text]

Qi Ke Mao Jiao asked for advice.The king's envoy said: "If you don't see the evil under the Fuji Tower?" Confrontation: "I heard that there are 28 mansions in the sky, and 27 people have died today. I will definitely want to fill my ears with my arrival. I am not afraid of death!" The messenger walked into Baizhi.Maojiaoyizi and the eater fled with all his clothes.The king said angrily: "It's a human being, so I came to attack me, and I called a wok to cook it. It's An Deji Que!"The envoy called him in, and Mao Jiao walked to the front, and then paid homage to him, saying: "I heard that those who are alive do not hide death, and those who have a country do not hide death; those who hide the dead cannot live, and those who hide the dead cannot live. To live and die, What the Holy Master wants to hear urgently, does Your Majesty want to hear it?" Wang said: "What do you mean?" Mao Jiao said: "Your Majesty has acted rebelliously, and you don't know the evil? The car cracked the fake father, and the second brother was moved. Mother Yu Yong killed the admonishers cruelly, and Jie and Zhou's deeds would not be undone! If the world hears about it, it will be completely disintegrated, and those who have no way to Qin, I will steal it and endanger it for your Majesty! The minister's words are over!" .The king went down to the palace, took his hands and said: "Sir, I will take the clothes from now on, and I am willing to take care of you!"Wang drove himself to the left, went to meet the Queen Mother, and returned to Xianyang, where he was mother and child again.

【Translation】

Mao Jiao, a guest official from Qi State, came to see the King of Qin by name and wanted to persuade him.Qin Wang Yingzheng sent someone to tell him: "Didn't you see the corpses piled up under the palace?" Mao Jiao replied: "I heard that there are 28 stars in the sky, and now 27 people have died. This time I came here to make up the 28-digit number. I am not the kind of person who is greedy for life and afraid of death!" The messenger then ran back to report Mao Jiao's words to Ying Zheng.For fear of being implicated, the fellow villagers who lived with Mao Jiao scattered and fled with their clothes and family property on their backs.Ying Zheng was furious after hearing the envoy's report, and said: "This guy, how dare you deliberately offend me, quickly take a cauldron and boil him to death, and see how he piled up corpses in the palace to make up 28 constellations." Under!" Ying Zheng sat there angrily with his sword in his hand, saliva splashing from his mouth.Immediately ask the envoy to call Mao Jiao to see him.Mao Jiao walked up to Yingzheng slowly, prostrated himself on the ground, bowed again and again, then got up, and said sharply: "I heard that people with life are not afraid to talk about death, and people with a country are not afraid to talk about subjugation; A dead person cannot maintain life, and a person who is taboo against subjugation cannot guarantee the country's long-term existence. The truth about life and death is something that a wise monarch is eager to understand. Do you want to hear it, Your Majesty?" Ying Zheng said: "You What are you going to say?" Mao Jiao said: "Your Majesty has acted arrogantly and unreasonably, don't you realize it yourself? Car tore apart the false father, put the two younger brothers in pouches and tortured to death, moved the mother and imprisoned him Yongcheng even slaughtered the ministers who dared to persuade. Even the actions of tyrants like Xia Jie and King Zhou of Shang would not be so cruel! Now as long as the people in the world hear about these atrocities, the hearts of the people will all be scattered and disintegrated , I’m afraid no one will yearn for Qin anymore, I’m really worried for Your Majesty in private! I’ve finished my words!” After speaking, he untied his clothes and leaned on the torture apparatus, waiting to be tortured.After hearing this, Yingzheng came to his senses, hurried down to the palace, supported him with his hands and said, "Please get up and get dressed, I am willing to listen to your advice now!" So he was awarded the title of Shangqing.Immediately, Ying Zheng drove the car himself, vacated the honor seat on the left, and went to Yongcheng to welcome the Queen Mother back to the capital Xianyang, and the relationship between mother and child was reconciled as before.

[Original text]

Wang Yiwen believed that Hou Fengxian had great achievements and could not bear to be punished.

Ten years of Qin Shihuang.In winter, in October, Marquis Wenxin Mianxiang, went out to the country.

The 11th year of Qin Shihuang.Marquis Wenxin was over the age of his country, and the guests and envoys of the princes looked at each other on the road, please.The king was afraid that it would change, so he gave Wen Xinhou a letter saying: "What is the contribution of the king to Qin, the title of the king of Henan, and the food of [-] households? Who was born in Qin and called Zhongfu? He and his family moved to Shu!" Wen Xinhou knew himself A little invasion, fear of death.

In the 12th year of Emperor Qin Shihuang, Wen Xinhou died of drinking poison and was buried secretly.Those who give up their homes will move away one by one.And he said: "Since now, those who conduct state affairs inappropriately like Lai Ai and those who are not Wei, come to their door, and look at this!"

【Translation】

Yingzheng couldn't bear to execute Lu Buwei because of his outstanding service to the former king.Ten years of Qin Shihuang (237 BC).In October, Lu Buwei was dismissed from the post of Xiangguo and was forced to leave the capital and go to his fief Luoyang.

In the 11th year of Qin Shihuang (236 BC), Lu Buwei returned to the fief for more than a year.During this period, guests and envoys from various vassal states came to invite him one after another. For a while, there was an endless stream of carriages and horses, and they looked at each other head to tail on the road.Yingzheng was afraid that something would happen to Lu Buwei, so he sent someone to send him a letter saying, "What contribution do you have to Qin? Qin granted you a salary of [-] households in Henan? What do you have with Qin?" You are not close, but you should be called 'Father Zhong'? You should move to Shu with your family!" Lu Buwei himself knew that he was gradually being abused and persecuted, and he was afraid of being killed.

In the 13th year of Qin Shihuang (235 BC), Lu Buwei committed suicide by drinking poisoned wine.His family buried him secretly.Yingzheng ordered that all members of Lu Buwei's family who participated in the mourning will be expelled and relocated out of the country. He also said: "From now on, those who control the country's political affairs who are as promiscuous and immoral as Lai Ai and Lu Buwei will be punished. All the property of was confiscated into the treasury, and it will be executed accordingly!"

[Comment and Analysis]

Lu Buwei's business is really big, and he even takes the fate of the country and the throne of the emperor as his own business.What is admirable is that he succeeded in the end. What he earned was not only countless gold and silver jewels, but also unparalleled power and status.His illegitimate son became the emperor of the Qin Dynasty. He became the first emperor of China and owned the whole world.

(End of this chapter)