Records of Qin, Vol. 2
From the year jia xu to the year ren xu, a total of nineteen years.
The First Emperor, Part Two
The First Emperor, twentieth year (jia xu, 227 BCE)
1 Jing Ke arrived at Xianyang and, through the favor of the King of Qin's favored minister, Meng Jia, requested an audience with humble words. The King of Qin was greatly pleased, put on his court robes, and set up the ceremony of the Nine Bin to receive him. Jing Ke, holding a map, presented it to the King of Qin. When the map was unrolled to the end, a dagger was revealed. Jing Ke took the opportunity to seize the King of Qin's sleeve and stab at him. He did not strike his body. The King of Qin, startled, rose and tore his sleeve free. Jing Ke pursued the King of Qin, who fled around a pillar. All the ministers were stunned because the event happened so suddenly, completely unexpectedly, and they all lost their composure. According to the laws of the state of Qin, the ministers who attended in the hall could not carry any weapons. Therefore, the attendants on the left and right fought Jing Ke with their bare hands and shouted, "Your Majesty, carry the sword on your back!" After carrying the sword on his back, the King of Qin then drew his sword and struck Jing Ke, cutting off his left leg. Jing Ke, now disabled, raised his dagger and threw it at the King of Qin, hitting the bronze pillar. Knowing his plot could not succeed, Jing Ke cursed, saying, "The reason the plot did not succeed is that I wanted to capture you alive and was determined to obtain a contract for the return of your lands to repay the Crown Prince!" Then Jing Ke was dismembered and exposed to public view. The King of Qin was extremely angry over this, increased the troops sent to Zhao, joined them with Wang Jian's army to attack Yan, engaged the Yan army and the Dai army on the western bank of the Yi River, and thoroughly defeated them.
The First Emperor, twenty-first year (yi hai, 226 BCE)
1 Winter, tenth month. Wang Jian captured the city of Ji. The King of Yan and the Crown Prince led their elite troops eastward to defend Liaodong. Li Xin pursued them closely. King Jia of Dai sent a letter to the King of Yan, ordering him to kill Crown Prince Dan and present him to Qin. Crown Prince Dan hid in the Yan River region. The King of Yan sent an envoy to kill Crown Prince Dan, intending to present him to the King of Qin. The King of Qin then advanced and attacked Yan again.
2 Wang Ben attacked Chu and captured more than ten cities. The King of Qin asked General Li Xin, "I wish to take Chu. In your opinion, how many men would be enough?" Li Xin said, "No more than two hundred thousand." The King of Qin asked Wang Jian the same question. Wang Jian said, "No fewer than six hundred thousand are necessary." The King of Qin said, "General Wang is old. How can he be so timid!" So he sent Li Xin and Meng Tian with two hundred thousand men to attack Chu. Wang Jian then claimed illness and resigned, returning to Pinyang.
The First Emperor, twenty-second year (bing zi, 225 BCE)
1 Wang Ben attacked Wei. He dug a channel from the Yellow River to flood the city of Daliang. Spring, third month. The city walls were damaged by water. King Jia of Wei surrendered. The Qin army killed him, and thus Wei was destroyed.
The King of Qin sent an envoy to the Lord of Anling, saying, "I wish to exchange Anling for five hundred li of land." The Lord of Anling said, "Your Majesty bestows a great favor, exchanging a large territory for a small one; it is a great honor. Even so, I received this land from the former king of Wei. I hope to guard it to the end and dare not exchange it." The King of Qin considered him very righteous and agreed to his request.
2 Li Xin attacked Pingyu. Meng Tian attacked Qin Qiu. They thoroughly defeated the Chu army. Li Xin then attacked Yan Ying and captured it. He then led his army westward to join Meng Tian at Chengfu. The Chu army followed behind them, not stopping for three days and three nights. They thoroughly defeated Li Xin, entered the two camps, and killed seven Commandants. Li Xin fled back to Qin.
When the King of Qin heard this, he was extremely angry. He rode personally to Pinyang, met Wang Jian, and apologized, saying, "I did not use your plan. Li Xin has indeed brought shame upon the Qin army. Now I hear that the Chu army is advancing westward every day. General, although you are ill, can you bear to abandon me?" Wang Jian declined, saying he was ill and could not command the army. The King of Qin said, "Enough! Say no more!" Wang Jian said, "If Your Majesty is forced to use me, then six hundred thousand men are indispensable!" The King of Qin said, "I will follow your plan." So Wang Jian led six hundred thousand men to attack Chu. The King of Qin saw him off at Bashang. Wang Jian requested a great many good fields and residences as rewards. The King of Qin said, "General, you are setting out. Why worry about poverty?" Wang Jian said, "As a general for Your Majesty, even with merit, I cannot finally be enfeoffed as a marquis. So, while Your Majesty still values me, I request fields and residences as property for my descendants." The King of Qin laughed loudly. After Wang Jian set out and reached Hangu Pass, he sent five successive messengers back to request more good fields. Someone said, "Is the general's request not excessive?" Wang Jian said, "It is not so. The king is harsh in his nature and does not trust people. Now he has emptied the entire military strength of the state and entrusted it solely to me. If I do not request many fields and residences as property for my descendants to secure my position, it would instead cause the king to sit and suspect me."
The First Emperor, twenty-third year (ding chou, 224 BCE)
1 Wang Jian captured the region from Chen southward to Pingyu. The people of Chu, hearing that Wang Jian had increased his army and was coming, mobilized their entire national forces to resist him. Wang Jian fortified his camp and did not engage the Chu army. The Chu army challenged him many times, but the Qin army never came out. Wang Jian daily let the soldiers rest and bathe, improved their food, and comforted and encouraged them. He personally ate together with the soldiers. After a long time, Wang Jian sent someone to inquire, "Are the troops in the camp playing games?" The reply was, "They are throwing stones and jumping for distance." Wang Jian said, "They can be used now!" Since the Chu army could not force a battle, they then withdrew eastward. Wang Jian pursued them, ordered his elite troops to attack, thoroughly defeated the Chu army, chased them as far as the area south of Qi County, and killed their general, Xiang Yan. The Chu army then collapsed and fled. Wang Jian took advantage of this victory to pacify and occupy the various cities and towns.
The First Emperor, twenty-fourth year (wu yin, 223 BCE)
1 Wang Jian and Meng Wu captured King Fuchu of Chu and established the Chu Commandery in his territory.
The First Emperor, twenty-fifth year (ji mao, 222 BCE)
1 A large-scale expedition was launched. Wang Ben was sent to attack Liaodong. He captured King Xi of Yan.
Your servant Sima Guang says: Crown Prince Dan of Yan could not restrain a moment's anger and offended against a state as fierce as a tiger or wolf. His thinking was frivolous, his plans were short-sighted, he invited resentment, and hastened disaster, causing the ancestral temple of the Duke of Shao to suddenly have no one to make offerings. Could there be a greater crime than this? Yet some commentators still consider him worthy! Is this not excessive?
Those who govern a state appoint officials according to their ability, establish government decrees according to ritual propriety, pacify the people with benevolence, and treat neighboring states with good faith. Thus, officials can be suited to their positions, decrees can maintain proper measure, the people can feel his virtue, and neighboring states can be close to his righteousness. In this way, the state will be as stable as a rock and as blazing as a fire. Those who touch it will be crushed, those who invade it will be scorched. Even if there are violent states, what is there to fear? Crown Prince Dan abandoned these things and did not do them. Instead, relying on a great state with ten thousand war chariots, he vented the momentary anger of a common man, employed the schemes of a robber, destroyed his achievement, was himself killed, and his altars of soil and grain turned to ruins. Is this not lamentable?
That kind of posture of walking on one's knees and crawling on one's belly is not respect. Repeating words and keeping promises is not good faith. Spending gold and scattering jade is not kindness. Cutting one's throat and opening one's belly is not courage. In summary, his plans were not far-reaching, and his actions were not righteous. He was probably of the same type as Bai Gong Sheng of Chu!
Jing Ke harbored a private motive of being supported, did not consider the safety of his seven generations of clansmen, and wanted to use a one-foot-eight-inch dagger to forceably make Yan strong and Qin weak. Is this not also foolish! Therefore, Yang Xiong, commenting on this matter, considered Yao Li to be a small man among spiders and borers, Nie Zheng to be a small man among stalwart men, and Jing Ke to be a small man among assassins. None of them could be called righteous. He also said, "Jing Ke was a thief among gentlemen!" Well said!
2 Wang Ben attacked Dai and captured King Jia of Dai.
3 Wang Jian completely pacified the region south of the Yangtze River in Chu, subdued the rulers of the Hundred Yue, and established the Kuaiji Commandery.
4 Summer, fifth month. There was a great drinking festival throughout the empire.
5. In the beginning, the Queen Dowager of Qi was very virtuous. She treated Qin with caution and maintained trust in her interactions with the other feudal lords. Qi also faced the sea to the east. Qin attacked Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Chu day and night, and the five states each had to defend themselves. Therefore, King Jian of Qi reigned for more than forty years without experiencing warfare. When the Queen Dowager was about to die, she admonished King Jian of Qi, saying: “Among the ministers, the one who can be employed is So-and-so.” King Jian said: “Please write it down.” The Queen Dowager said: “Good!” King Jian took a brush and a wooden slip to record it, but the Queen Dowager said: “This old woman has already forgotten it.” After the Queen Dowager died, Hou Sheng became the chancellor of Qi and extensively accepted money from Qin’s spies. When guests went to Qin, Qin also gave them large amounts of money. These guests all in turn became spies for Qin, persuading the King of Qi to pay court to Qin, not to repair defenses for war, and not to help the five states attack Qin. Because of this, Qin was able to destroy the five states.
The King of Qi was about to go to Qin for an audience. The Sima of the Yong Gate, holding a halberd horizontally, blocked his horse and said: “The reason a king is established is for the sake of the state, or for the sake of the king himself?” The King of Qi said: “For the sake of the state.” The Sima said: “Since the king is established for the sake of the state, why does the Great King leave the state to go to Qin?” The King of Qi turned his chariot around and returned.
When the Grand Master of Jimo heard of this, he went to see the King of Qi and said: “The territory of Qi is several thousand li square, and there are several hundred thousand armored soldiers. The grand masters of the Three Jin are all unwilling to serve Qin, and those who dwell between A and Juan cities number in the hundreds. If the Great King accepts them and entrusts them with an army of one hundred thousand men to recover the old lands of the Three Jin, then the Linjin Pass can be entered. The grand masters of Yanying are unwilling to serve Qin, and those who dwell south of the city number in the hundreds. If the Great King accepts them and entrusts them with an army of one hundred thousand men to recover the old lands of Chu, then the Wu Pass can be entered. In this way, the majesty of Qi can be established, and Qin can be destroyed—how could it be merely preserving one’s own state!” The King of Qi did not listen.
The twenty-sixth year of the First Emperor (Gengchen, 221 BCE)
1. Wang Ben attacked Qi from Yan to the south and suddenly entered Linzi. None of the people dared to resist. Qin sent someone to entice the King of Qi, promising to grant him five hundred li of land as a fief. The King of Qi then surrendered. Qin moved him to Gongcheng, placed him among pines and cypresses, and he ultimately died of starvation. The people of Qi resented that King Jian of Qi had not formed an alliance with the other states earlier, had listened to treacherous men and guests, and had caused the state’s ruin. They sang: “It is the pines! It is the cypresses! What made King Jian dwell in Gongcheng were the guests!” This was lamenting that King Jian employed guests but could not see through their treachery.
Your servant Sima Guang says: Although the theories of vertical and horizontal alliances were endlessly shifting and complex, in summary, vertical alliances were in the interest of the six states. In ancient times, the former kings established ten thousand states, drawing close to the feudal lords, making them interact through court visits and diplomatic missions, delighting them through banquets, and binding them through meetings and covenants. There was no other reason than wishing them to unite their efforts to preserve their states. If the six states had been able to treat each other with trust and righteousness, then even if Qin were violent and strong, how could it have destroyed them! The Three Jin were the shields of Qi and Chu; Qi and Chu were the roots of the Three Jin. The situation was one of mutual support, with the exterior and interior depending on each other. Thus, using the Three Jin to attack Qi and Chu was cutting off one’s own roots; using Qi and Chu to attack the Three Jin was removing one’s own shield. How could there be a principle of removing one’s own shield to please a thief, and then saying, “The thief will love me and not attack me”? Is this not absurd!
2. The King of Qin had just unified the world, considering his virtue to surpass that of the Three Sovereigns and his achievements to surpass those of the Five Emperors. Therefore, he changed his title to “Emperor,” called his commands “Edicts,” called his instructions “Decrees,” and referred to himself as “We.” He posthumously honored his father, King Zhuangxiang, as the Supreme August One. He also issued an edict saying: “After death, posthumous titles are determined based on conduct. This is sons judging fathers and ministers judging rulers—it is truly meaningless. From now on, abolish the system of posthumous titles. We are the First Emperor. Later generations will be counted by numbers: the Second, the Third, and so on until ten thousand generations, passed down forever.”
3. Initially, during the reigns of King Wei of Qi and King Xuan of Qi, Zou Yan wrote a treatise on the theory of the cycle of the Five Virtues. When the First Emperor unified the world, someone from Qi presented this theory to him. The First Emperor adopted this theory, believing that the Zhou dynasty belonged to the virtue of fire, and since the Qin dynasty replaced the Zhou, it must take a virtue that the Zhou could not overcome, so he designated it as the virtue of water. He then began to change the calendar year, with court audiences starting from the first day of the tenth month. Clothing, banners, and pennants all honored black, and numbers were standardized with six as the base.
4. Chancellor Wang Wan and others memorialized, saying: “The states of Yan, Qi, and Chu are distant. If we do not establish kings and marquises, there will be no way to secure them. We request that the various imperial princes be enfeoffed.” The First Emperor submitted this matter to the assembled ministers for discussion. Tingwei Li Si said: “King Wen and King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed many of their same-surname younger brothers and sons. But later, as kinship ties became distant, they attacked each other like enemies, and the Son of Heaven of Zhou could not stop them. Now, with the sea within relying on Your Majesty’s divine power united, all areas have been made into commanderies and counties. The imperial princes and meritorious ministers can be richly rewarded with public revenues and taxes. They are easy to control, and the world has no two minds—this is the way to stability. Establishing feudal lords is disadvantageous.” The First Emperor said: “The world has long suffered together from endless warfare precisely because of the feudal lords. Relying on the blessings of our ancestors, the world has just been pacified. If we again establish feudal states, this will plant the seeds of war. To seek peace and tranquility—would that not be very difficult! The opinion of the Tingwei is correct.”
Thus, the world was divided into thirty-six commanderies. Each commandery had a governor, a commandery commandant, and an imperial inspector.
All weapons from the world were gathered and brought to Xianyang, melted down, and cast into large bells and twelve bronze human figures, each weighing one thousand shi, and placed in the palaces. The laws, weights and measures, chariot axles, and writing systems were unified. The wealthy and powerful families of the world were moved to Xianyang, totaling one hundred twenty thousand households.
The various ancestral temples, as well as the Zhangtai Palace and the Shanglin Park, were all south of the Wei River. Whenever a feudal state was conquered, they imitated the style of its palaces and built them on the northern slopes of Xianyang, facing south toward the Wei River, from the Yong Gate eastward to the Jing and Wei Rivers. Palaces, covered walkways, and winding corridors were connected. The beautiful women, bells, and musical instruments captured from the feudal states were all placed within them.
The twenty-seventh year of the First Emperor (Xinsi, 220 BCE)
1. The First Emperor toured Longxi and Beidi, reached Jitou Mountain, and passed through Huizhong Palace.
2. He built the Xin Palace south of the Wei River. After its completion, it was renamed the Ji Temple. From the Ji Temple, a road was built to Mount Li. He constructed the front hall of the Ganquan Palace, built a covered road connecting Xianyang to the Ganquan Palace, and built imperial highways throughout the world.
The twenty-eighth year of the First Emperor (Renwu, 219 BCE)
1. The First Emperor toured the commanderies to the east, ascended Mount Yi in Zou, and erected a stone stele to praise his achievements. He then summoned seventy Confucian scholars from Lu to the foot of Mount Tai to discuss the Feng and Shan sacrifices. Some Confucian scholars said: “In ancient times, for the Feng sacrifice, they wrapped the chariot wheels with rushes to avoid harming the mountain’s soil, stones, and plants; they swept the ground to perform the sacrifice, using straw mats.” The discussions varied. The First Emperor considered their proposals difficult to implement and therefore dismissed the Confucian scholars. He then ordered the construction of a carriage road from the southern side of Mount Tai to the summit, erected a stone stele to praise his virtue and merit, and descended from the northern side of Mount Tai, performing the Shan sacrifice at Mount Liangfu. The ritual generally followed the ceremonies used by the Grand Supplicant for sacrificing to the Supreme God at Yong, but the contents of the sealed offerings were kept secret, and no one in the world could learn of the records.
Then the First Emperor traveled east to the sea, performed rituals to honor the famous mountains and great rivers, as well as the Eight Spirits. The First Emperor traveled south and ascended Mount Langya, greatly enjoying it. He stayed there for three months, built the Langya Terrace, erected a stone stele to praise his virtue and merit, and expressed his complete satisfaction and contentment.
In the beginning, men of Yan like Song Wuji and Xianmen Zigao claimed to possess the arts of immortals, the techniques of bodily dissolution and flight to transcendence. The eccentric and bizarre scholars of Yan and Qi all vied to propagate and study these teachings. From King Wei of Qi, King Xuan, and King Zhao of Yan, all believed their words and sent men into the sea to seek out Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, saying that these three divine mountains were within the Bohai Sea, not far from people. They feared that just as they were about to reach them, a great wind would blow the boats away. Some had once arrived there, where all the immortals and the elixir of immortality existed. By the time the First Emperor of Qin reached the sea, various fangshi, including the man of Qi, Xu Shi, vied to submit memorials discussing this matter, requesting permission to undergo purification and then lead boys and girls to search. Thereupon the First Emperor of Qin dispatched Xu Shi to conscript several thousand boys and girls and enter the sea to search. When the boats reached the middle of the sea, they all returned due to wind and waves, saying: “We could not reach it; we only saw it from afar.”
The First Emperor of Qin returned, passing through Pengcheng. He purified himself, prayed, and made offerings, wishing to retrieve the nine tripods of the Zhou dynasty from the Si River. He sent a thousand men to dive and search, but they did not find them. Then he crossed the Huai River to the southwest and went to Mount Heng and Nanjun. He took a boat and traveled down the river to the Xiang Mountain Shrine, encountering a great wind, nearly unable to cross. The First Emperor of Qin asked the Erudite: “What god is the Lord of Xiang?” The Erudite replied: “I have heard: He is the daughter of Yao, the wife of Shun, buried here.” The First Emperor of Qin was greatly angered. He sent three thousand convicts to cut down all the trees on Xiang Mountain, dyeing the mountain reddish-brown. Then he returned from Nanjun via the Wu Pass.
2 In the beginning, Zhang Liang of Han, whose father, grandfather, and five generations before him had all served as chancellors of Han. When Han was destroyed, Zhang Liang scattered his entire fortune of a thousand gold pieces, wishing to take revenge for Han.
The twenty-ninth year of the First Emperor (Guiwei, 218 BCE)
1 The First Emperor of Qin traveled east, reaching the Bosha Embankment in Yangwu County. Zhang Liang sent a strongman wielding an iron mallet to ambush the First Emperor of Qin, but mistakenly struck the secondary carriage. The First Emperor of Qin was startled and issued an order to search, but they did not catch him; thereupon he ordered a massive search throughout the empire for ten days.
2 The First Emperor of Qin then ascended Mount Zhifu, carved stone, and erected a stele; immediately afterward, he returned, went to Langya, and took the route through Shangdang to return.
The thirty-first year of the First Emperor (Yiyou, 216 BCE)
1 He ordered the people to declare their land amounts themselves.
The thirty-second year of the First Emperor (Bingxu, 215 BCE)
1 The First Emperor of Qin went to Jieshi, sent the man of Yan, Lu Sheng, to search for Xianmen, and carved stone and erected a stele at the Jieshi Gate. He demolished city walls and dug through dikes. The First Emperor of Qin inspected the northern border and returned from Shangjun. Lu Sheng returned from the sea and took the opportunity to present the “Recorded Charts” saying: “The one who destroys Qin is the Hu.” The First Emperor of Qin thereupon sent General Meng Tian to conscript three hundred thousand troops and attack the Xiongnu to the north.
The thirty-third year of the First Emperor (Dinghai, 214 BCE)
1 He conscripted all those who had previously fled, sons-in-law who entered the family, and merchants into military service, seized the Luliang region of Nanyue, and established Guilin Commandery, Nanhai Commandery, and Xiang Commandery; he sent five hundred thousand exiled and relocated commoners to garrison the Five Ridges, living mixed with the Yue people.
2 Meng Tian expelled the Xiongnu, recovered the region south of the Yellow River, and established forty-four counties. He built the Great Wall, relying on the terrain, to control the strategic passes. From Lintao all the way to Liaodong, it stretched over ten thousand li. Then he crossed the Yellow River, occupied Yang Mountain, and wound northward. The army remained exposed in the field for over ten years. Meng Tian often garrisoned Shangjun to command this army, overawing the Xiongnu.
The thirty-fourth year of the First Emperor (Wuzi, 213 BCE)
1 Judicial officials who had judged cases unjustly or, during review, intentionally or negligently misjudged crimes, were sent to build the Great Wall or settled in the Nanyue region.
Chancellor Li Si submitted a memorial, saying: “In the past, the feudal lords contended, using generous treatment to attract wandering scholars. Now that the empire is pacified, laws and decrees issue from a single source. The common people at home should diligently engage in agriculture and crafts, and scholars should study the laws and decrees. Now these Confucians do not study the present laws but emulate antiquity, using it to criticize the present age, deluding the common people, and mutually criticizing the laws and teachings. When people hear an order issued, they each use their own doctrines to discuss it, in the court inwardly criticizing it, in the streets murmuring endlessly, boasting of the ruler to gain fame, setting up strange doctrines to show superiority, and leading their subordinates to create slander. If this is not prohibited, then the ruler’s authority will decline above, and cliques will form below. To prohibit them is advantageous! I request that the historiographers burn all records except those of Qin. Unless they are the responsibility of the Erudites, if anyone in the empire possesses the Odes, Documents, or the works of the Hundred Schools, they should all be delivered to the commandery governors and commandery commandants to be burned together. If anyone dares to privately discuss the Odes and Documents in pairs, they shall be executed and exposed in the marketplace. Those who use antiquity to criticize the present shall have their clans exterminated. Officials who know of such acts but do not report them shall be punished with the same crime. Thirty days after the order is issued, if anyone has not burned their books, they shall be tattooed and sentenced to wall-building. What shall not be destroyed are books on medicine, divination, and agriculture. If anyone wishes to study laws and decrees, they shall take officials as their teachers.” The First Emperor of Qin issued an edict saying: “Approved.”
Chen Yu of Wei said to Kong Fu: “Qin is about to destroy the classics of the former kings, and you are the keeper of the books—this is too dangerous!” Kong Fu said: “I study useless learning; only my friends understand me. Qin is not my friend; what danger is there for me? I will hide these books and await those who seek them; when those who seek them come, there will be no worry.”
The thirty-fifth year of the First Emperor (Jichou, 212 BCE)
1 He sent Meng Tian to build the Straight Road, from Jiuyuan directly to Yunyang, cutting through mountains and filling valleys for eighteen hundred li; it was not completed for many years.
2 The First Emperor of Qin considered the population of Xianyang too large and the palaces of the former kings too small, so he began to build a court palace in the Shanglin Park south of the Wei River. First, he constructed the front hall, the Epang Palace, five hundred paces wide from east to west, fifty zhang long from north to south; above, it could seat ten thousand people; below, it could erect a banner five zhang high. Around it, he built elevated passageways as covered walkways, from the palace down to Zhongnan Mountain, making the peak of Zhongnan Mountain the palace gate. He built a double-way elevated road, from the Epang Palace across the Wei River, connecting to Xianyang, to symbolize the Celestial Bridge crossing the Milky Way to reach the Camp Mansion. Over seven hundred thousand convicts from the Hidden Palace and penal labor were sent to build the Epang Palace or the mausoleum at Mount Li. They quarried stone from the northern mountains for outer coffins and transported timber from Shu and Jing, all of which arrived. Within the Pass, there were three hundred palaces; outside the Pass, over four hundred. Thereupon, he erected a stone at the border of Qu County by the Eastern Sea, as the eastern gate of Qin. Consequently, he moved thirty thousand households to Liyi and fifty thousand households to Yunyang, exempting them from taxes and corvée for ten years.
Lu Sheng advised the First Emperor of Qin, saying: “Among the techniques of the fangshi, there is a saying: The ruler should often travel in secret to avoid evil spirits. When evil spirits are avoided, the true man will arrive. I wish that Your Majesty’s residence and palaces not be known to outsiders, so that the elixir of immortality may perhaps be obtained.” The First Emperor of Qin said: “I admire the true man.” Thereupon he called himself the “True Man,” and no longer used the title “Zhen.” He ordered that the two hundred seventy palaces within a radius of two hundred li around Xianyang all be connected by elevated roads and covered passageways. Curtains, bells and drums, and beauties filled them, each placed according to their assigned station, and they were not to be moved. Wherever the First Emperor of Qin traveled, if anyone spoke of his location, they were sentenced to death. The First Emperor of Qin once went to Liangshan Palace. From the mountain, he saw the numerous carriages and riders of Chancellor Li Si and was displeased. Someone in the palace told the chancellor, who later reduced his carriages and riders. The First Emperor of Qin was greatly angered and said: “This is someone in the palace leaking my words!” After interrogation, no one confessed, so he arrested all those present at the time and had them all executed. From then on, no one knew the emperor’s whereabouts. When the assembled officials received decisions on affairs, they did so at the Xianyang Palace.
Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng together mocked and criticized the First Emperor of Qin, then fled. When the First Emperor heard of this, he was furious and said: “Lu Sheng and his like—I honored and rewarded them most generously, yet now they dare to slander me! As for those Confucian scholars in Xianyang, I have sent people to investigate them, and some have been spreading seditious talk to stir up the people.” Thereupon he ordered the imperial censors to interrogate all the Confucian scholars. The scholars implicated one another in their confessions, and thus over four hundred and sixty of them admitted to violating the prohibitions; all were buried alive in Xianyang, so that the whole realm might know of this and be warned for the future. He also increased the number of exiles sent to guard the frontiers. The First Emperor’s eldest son, Fusu, remonstrated, saying: “The Confucian scholars all recite the Odes and Documents and emulate Confucius. Now Your Majesty punishes them all with severe laws—I fear the realm will be unsettled.” The First Emperor was enraged and sent Fusu to Shang Commandery to oversee Meng Tian’s army.
In the thirty-sixth year of the First Emperor (Gengyin, 211 BCE):
1. A meteorite fell in Dong Commandery. Someone carved an inscription on the stone: “After the First Emperor dies, the land will be divided.” The First Emperor sent the imperial censors to investigate, but no one confessed; so he executed all the people living near the stone and burned the stone.
2. Thirty thousand households from the Yuzhong region north of the Yellow River were relocated; each household was granted one rank of nobility.
In the thirty-seventh year of the First Emperor (Xinmao, 210 BCE):
1. Winter, tenth month, on the Guichou day, the First Emperor set out on a journey; the Left Chancellor Li Si accompanied him, while the Right Chancellor Feng Quji remained in the capital. The First Emperor had more than twenty sons. His youngest son, Huhai, was the most favored and requested to go along; the Emperor consented.
2. In the eleventh month, the procession reached Yunmeng, where they made a distant sacrifice to Yu Shun at Mount Jiuyi. Then they traveled by boat down the Yangzi River, viewing Jike, crossing Haizhu, passing Danyang, and arriving at Qiantang, coming to the Zhe River. Because the current was swift, they went west for a hundred and twenty li and crossed the river at a narrow point. They ascended Mount Guiji, sacrificed to Yu the Great, and gazed out over the South Sea; they erected a stone stele, inscribing it to extol his virtues. On the return journey, they passed through Wu, crossing the river from Jiangcheng. They followed the coast northward, reaching Langya and Mount Fushan. There they saw a large fish and shot it dead with an arrow. Then they followed the coast westward, and when they reached the ford of Pingyuan, the First Emperor fell ill.
The First Emperor detested talk of death, and none of his ministers dared mention it. As his illness grew more severe, he ordered Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Chariot and Stables, who also managed the imperial seals, to write a letter to Fusu, saying: “Handle the funeral rites and meet in Xianyang for the burial.” The letter was sealed and placed with Zhao Gao, but had not yet been sent to the messenger. In autumn, the seventh month, on the Bingyin day, the First Emperor died at the Terrace of Sand Dunes (Shaqiu). Chancellor Li Si, fearing that with the Emperor’s death outside the capital, the various princes and the realm might face upheaval, concealed the news and did not announce the funeral. The coffin was placed in a covered, cool carriage (wenliang che), with favored eunuchs accompanying it. At each stop, food was presented and the officials reported affairs as usual, and the eunuch inside the carriage approved the reports. Only Huhai, Zhao Gao, and five or six favored eunuchs knew the truth.
Initially, the First Emperor had honored and favored the Meng brothers, trusting them deeply. Meng Tian served as a general in the field, while Meng Yi often participated in court deliberations; both were known for their loyalty and trustworthiness, so even the various generals and chancellors dared not contend with them for power. As for Zhao Gao, he was born a eunuch. The First Emperor, hearing of his competence and his mastery of legal statutes, promoted him to Chief of the Chariot and Stables and had him teach Huhai judicial matters; Huhai greatly favored him. Zhao Gao committed a crime, and the First Emperor sent Meng Yi to judge him; Meng Yi sentenced Zhao Gao to death according to law. The First Emperor, considering Zhao Gao quick-witted, pardoned him and restored his office. Zhao Gao, always favored by Huhai and resentful of the Meng clan, then urged Huhai to forge an imperial decree to kill Fusu and make Huhai heir apparent. Huhai agreed to his plan. Zhao Gao said: “Without conspiring with the Chancellor, the matter will likely not succeed.” So he went to see Chancellor Li Si and said: “The Emperor’s letter to the eldest son and the imperial seals are all with Huhai. The appointment of the heir depends on a word from you and me, Zhao Gao. What shall we do about this?” Li Si said: “How can you utter such ruinous words! This is not something for a subject to discuss!” Zhao Gao replied: “How do you compare with Meng Tian in five respects—ability, strategy, merit, popularity, and the trust of the eldest son?” Li Si said: “I am inferior to him.” Zhao Gao said: “If so, when the eldest son ascends the throne, he will surely appoint Meng Tian as Chancellor, and you will never return to your hometown clutching your Marquis’s seal—this is perfectly clear! Huhai is benevolent and generous; he can be established as successor. I hope you will consider and decide carefully!” Chancellor Li Si, finding this correct, conspired with him, falsely claiming to have received the First Emperor’s edict to establish Huhai as heir apparent. They also forged a letter to Fusu, reprimanding him for failing to expand territory and establish merit, causing excessive casualties among the troops, repeatedly submitting slanderous remonstrances, and constantly harboring resentment for not being able to return to the capital as heir; it also blamed General Meng Tian for not correcting Fusu, knowing of his plots, and ordered both to commit suicide, handing over the army to Vice General Wang Li.
When Fusu opened the letter, he wept and went into an inner chamber, intending to kill himself. Meng Tian said: “The Emperor is abroad and has not yet established an heir. He placed me in command of three hundred thousand troops to guard the frontier, and you, sir, as overseer—this is a heavy responsibility for the realm. Now a single messenger arrives, and you kill yourself—how do you know this is not a deception! It would not be too late to request confirmation and then die.” The messenger repeatedly urged him. Fusu said to Meng Tian: “When a father orders his son to die, what is there to request?” Then he killed himself. Meng Tian refused to die, so the messenger handed him over to the jailers and imprisoned him in Yangzhou. The Chancellor’s retainer was appointed as protector of the army, and they then returned to report. When Huhai heard that Fusu was dead, he wanted to release Meng Tian. Just then, Meng Yi returned after offering sacrifices to the mountains and rivers on behalf of the First Emperor. Zhao Gao said to Huhai: “The late Emperor had long wished to select a worthy man as heir, but Meng Yi dissuaded him, considering it inadvisable—better to kill him!” So Meng Yi was imprisoned in Dai Commandery. The procession then went from Jingxing to Jiuyuan. At the time, it was hot summer, and the covered carriage emitted a foul odor; so an edict was issued to the attending officials, ordering each carriage to carry a dan (about 60 kg) of salted fish to confuse the smell. Only after returning to Xianyang via the straight road was the funeral announced. Crown Prince Huhai succeeded to the throne.
In the ninth month, the First Emperor was buried at Mount Li. They dug down until they reached the third layer of underground springs; rare and precious treasures were all transported to fill the tomb. Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbow mechanisms that would automatically shoot anyone approaching. Mercury was used to create a hundred rivers, the Yangzi and Yellow Rivers, and the sea, which were made to flow and circulate by machinery. The ceiling was adorned with heavenly constellations, and the floor was laid out with geographical features. Consorts without children were ordered to accompany him in death. After the burial, someone said that the craftsmen who made the mechanisms knew the tomb’s interior and that the buried treasures might be leaked. Once the affair was completed, all of them were sealed inside the tomb.
3. The Second Emperor of Qin wanted to kill Meng Tian and his brother. The son of the Second Emperor’s elder brother, Ziying, remonstrated, saying: “King Qian of Zhao killed Li Mu and employed Yan Ju; King Jian of Qi killed his former loyal ministers and employed Hou Sheng; both lost their states. The Meng clan are the great ministers and strategists of Qin, yet Your Majesty wishes to cast them aside at once. Killing loyal ministers and promoting those without integrity will cause the ministers at court to distrust one another and the soldiers in the field to lose their morale.” The Second Emperor did not listen and had Meng Yi and the Inner Scribe Meng Tian killed. Meng Tian said: “From my ancestors to my descendants, we have rendered service and been trusted in Qin for three generations. Now I command over three hundred thousand troops; though imprisoned, my power is sufficient to rebel. Yet I know I must die but hold fast to righteousness—because I dare not disgrace my forefathers’ teachings and do not forget the late Emperor’s kindness.” Then he took poison and died.
Yang Xiong’s Model Sayings says: Someone asked: “Meng Tian was loyal yet executed—what is the use of loyalty?” The reply: “He cut through mountains and filled valleys, from Lintao to the Liao River; his strength was insufficient, but the corpses were more than enough—such loyalty is not worth praising.”
Your servant Sima Guang says: At the time when the First Emperor was poisoning the realm, Meng Tian served as his instrument—Meng Tian was neither benevolent nor wise. Yet Meng Tian understood the duty of a subject; even when unjustly put to death, he remained steadfast unto death—this too is worthy of praise.
The Second Emperor, Part One
First year of the Second Emperor (Renchen, 209 BCE)
In winter, the tenth month, on the day wuyin, a general amnesty was granted to the empire.
In spring, the Second Emperor made an inspection tour eastward through the commanderies and counties, with Li Si accompanying him. They reached Jieshi, then traveled south along the coast to Guiji. They added inscriptions to all the stone stelae erected by the First Emperor, recording the names of the attending ministers alongside, to manifest the accomplishments and grand virtue of the former emperor, after which they returned.
In summer, the fourth month, the Second Emperor returned to Xianyang and said to Zhao Gao: "Life in this world is as fleeting as a team of six fine horses galloping past a crevice. Since I have already become the sovereign of all under Heaven, I wish to satisfy to the fullest the pleasures of my ears and eyes, and exhaust the delights of my mind and will, thereby spending my remaining years—is this permissible?" Zhao Gao said: "This is what a worthy and enlightened ruler can achieve, but what a benighted and chaotic ruler prohibits. Even so, there are obstacles. Allow me to explain: The secret plot at Shaqiu is suspected by all the princes and high ministers. Moreover, the princes are all elder brothers of Your Majesty, and the ministers were all appointed by the former emperor. Now that Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, these men are all discontented and unwilling to submit, fearing that upheaval may arise. I tremble with fear, unable even to ensure a good end—how can Your Majesty enjoy such pleasures?" The Second Emperor asked: "What then should be done?" Zhao Gao replied: "Your Majesty should implement harsh laws and severe punishments, causing the guilty to implicate each other, and execute the high ministers and the imperial clan. Then gather and promote those who have been cast aside, make the poor wealthy, and make the lowly noble. Completely remove the former emperor's old officials and replace them with those whom Your Majesty trusts and favors. In this way, grace will be attributed to Your Majesty, calamities will be eliminated, treacherous schemes will be blocked, and none among the officials will fail to receive your favor and be bathed in your generous virtue. Then Your Majesty can rest at ease, indulge in pleasures, and there is no better plan than this." The Second Emperor deemed it correct. Thereupon he revised the laws, making them more harsh and severe. Whenever any minister or prince was deemed guilty, they were handed over to Zhao Gao for interrogation and punishment. Consequently, twelve princes were executed in the marketplaces of Xianyang, ten princesses were torn apart by chariots at Du County, their property was confiscated by the government, and countless others were implicated and arrested.
Prince Jianglu and his two brothers were imprisoned in the inner palace, set aside for last judgment. The Second Emperor sent an envoy to command Jianglu: "You, the prince, have not observed the duties of a subject; your crime merits death! The officials are about to carry out the law." Jianglu said: "At court ceremonies, I dared not fail to follow the usher's guidance; at the ancestral temple's rituals, I dared not neglect propriety; when receiving orders and responding, I dared not speak wrongly—on what grounds do you say I have not observed the duties of a subject? I wish to know my crime before I die!" The envoy said: "I am not qualified to participate in the deliberations; I merely carry out orders." Jianglu then looked up to heaven and cried out "Heaven!" three times, saying: "I am innocent!" All three brothers wept, then drew their swords and committed suicide. The imperial clan was shocked and terrified. Prince Gao wanted to flee but feared his entire clan would be exterminated, so he submitted a memorial saying: "When the former emperor was alive, entering the palace I was granted food, and leaving I was given a carriage; the inner treasury's garments were bestowed upon me, and the fine horses from the imperial stables were also granted to me. I ought to have followed the former emperor in death but failed to do so—as a son, unfilial; as a subject, disloyal. One who is unfilial and disloyal has no face to live in this world. I beg to follow the former emperor in death, and hope to be buried at the foot of Mount Li. I implore Your Majesty to take pity on me!" When the memorial was presented, the Second Emperor was greatly pleased. He summoned Zhao Gao, showed it to him, and said: "Could this be called being at the end of one's rope?" Zhao Gao said: "When a subject is so anxious about death that he has no time to spare, how could he plot rebellion!" The Second Emperor approved his memorial and granted him one hundred thousand cash for burial expenses.
He also resumed construction of the Epang Palace. He conscripted all fifty thousand skilled warriors to garrison Xianyang as guards, ordering them to practice archery. The need to feed dogs, horses, birds, and beasts was great, and estimating that grain supplies were insufficient, he ordered commanderies and counties to transport beans, grains, and fodder, all to be carried by the conscripts themselves; those within three hundred li of Xianyang were not allowed to consume their own grain.
In autumn, the seventh month, Chen Sheng of Yangcheng and Wu Guang of Yangxia raised troops in Qi County. At this time, the commoners from the left side of the lanes were being conscripted to garrison Yuyang; nine hundred men were stationed at Daze Township, with Chen Sheng and Wu Guang both serving as squad leaders. It happened that a great rain fell, blocking the roads, and they estimated they had already missed the deadline. Missing the deadline meant, by law, execution. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, taking advantage of the people's widespread suffering and resentment, killed the commanding officers, then gathered and rallied their men, saying: "You have all missed the deadline and deserve death. Even if you are not executed, six or seven out of ten will die from garrison duty anyway. Moreover, a brave man does not die for nothing—if he dies, he must leave a great name! Kings, nobles, generals, and ministers—are they born with special seeds?" The crowd all followed them. Thereupon they falsely claimed to be Prince Fusu and Xiang Yan, built an altar, swore an oath, and called themselves the Great Chu. Chen Sheng made himself general, and Wu Guang became commandant. They attacked Daze Township and captured it. After gathering forces, they attacked Qi County, which fell. They then ordered Fu Li ren Ge Ying to lead troops to seize the area east of Qi County, attacking Zhi, Zan, Ku, Zhe, and Qiao counties, all of which were taken. Along the way, they gathered recruits, so that by the time they reached Chen County, they had six or seven hundred chariots, over a thousand cavalry, and several tens of thousands of infantry. They attacked Chen County, but the governor and commandant were absent; only the deputy defender fought at the gate tower, and he was defeated and killed. Chen Sheng then entered and occupied Chen County.
Earlier, two men from Daliang, Zhang Er and Chen Yu, had sworn a pact of life-and-death friendship. After Qin destroyed the state of Wei, hearing that they were famous scholars of Wei, a heavy reward was offered for their capture. Zhang Er and Chen Yu therefore changed their names and fled together to Chen County, where they worked as gatekeepers in the lanes to make a living. Once, a local petty official beat Chen Yu for some fault, and Chen Yu was about to resist, but Zhang Er stepped on his foot, signaling him to accept the beating. After the official left, Zhang Er pulled Chen Yu under a mulberry tree and rebuked him: "What did I tell you before? Now you would throw your life away over a small insult from a minor functionary?" Chen Yu apologized. When Chen She entered Chen County, Zhang Er and Chen Yu went to his gate to seek an audience. Chen She had long heard of their worth and was greatly pleased. The local elite and elders of Chen County requested that Chen She be made King of Chu, and Chen She asked Zhang Er and Chen Yu about it. The two replied: "Qin is tyrannical and unjust, destroying other states and harming the people. General, at the risk of ten thousand deaths, you have come to remove harm from the world. Now, having just arrived in Chen County, to claim the title of king would show the world your selfish ambition. We hope you will not declare yourself king yet, but hurry to lead your troops westward. Send men to set up the descendants of the six states, build up your own party, and increase Qin's enemies. With many enemies, their strength will be divided; by uniting with many, your own strength will be great. Then there will be no opposing armies in the field, and no strength to hold the cities. You can destroy cruel Qin, occupy Xianyang, and then command the feudal lords. When the ruined states are restored, you will win them over with kindness, and thus the great enterprise of an emperor will be achieved. If you merely declare yourself king here in Chen County, I fear the world will lose heart." Chen She did not listen, but declared himself king, with the state title "Zhang Chu."
At this time, all commanderies and counties, suffering under Qin's harsh laws, vied with each other to kill their officials in response to Chen She. A palace attendant (yezhe) returning from the east reported the rebellions to the Second Emperor. The Second Emperor grew angry and handed him over to the officials for punishment. Later, when another envoy arrived, the Second Emperor asked him, and he replied: "It is merely a band of thieves, petty pilferers—the governors and commandants are pursuing them, and they have all been captured; there is no cause for concern." The Second Emperor was pleased.
King Chen appointed Wu Guang as acting king, supervising the generals in their westward attack on Xingyang.
Zhang Er and Chen Yu again urged King Chen to send a detachment north to seize the lands of Zhao. King Chen therefore appointed his former friend, Chen native Wu Chen, as general, Shao Sao as protector of the army, and Zhang Er and Chen Yu as left and right colonels, assigning them three thousand soldiers to seize the territory of Zhao.
King Chen also ordered Ru Yin native Deng Zong to attack Jiujiang Commandery. At this time, in the land of Chu, groups of several thousand men gathered together were too numerous to count.
Ge Ying reached Dongcheng and set up Xiang Qiang as King of Chu. Hearing that King Chen had already declared himself king, he killed Xiang Qiang and returned to report. King Chen executed Ge Ying.
King Chen ordered Wei native Zhou Shi to march north and seize the lands of Wei. He appointed Shangcai native Fangjun Cai Ci as Supreme Pillar of State.
King Chen, hearing that Zhou Wen was a worthy man of Chen County and familiar with military affairs, gave him the general's seal and sent him westward to attack Qin.
Wu Chen and his followers crossed the Yellow River at Baima Ford and arrived at the various counties, where they persuaded the local heroes and elites, all of whom responded to them. They then marched and gathered troops, obtaining several tens of thousands of men. Wu Chen was proclaimed Wu Xin Jun. They captured more than ten cities in the Zhao region, while the rest held out and fortified their positions. Thus they led the army northeast to attack Fanyang. A man of Fanyang, Kuai Che, advised Wu Xin Jun: "You insist on defeating the enemy before seizing territory, and on storming cities before occupying them—I privately think this is mistaken. If you can truly follow my plan, you may subdue cities without attacking, seize land without fighting, and pacify a thousand li by issuing proclamations. Is this acceptable?" Wu Xin Jun said: "How so?" Kuai Che replied: "The magistrate of Fanyang, Xu Gong, is both fearful of death and greedy, and wishes to be the first to surrender. If you treat him as a Qin-appointed official and execute him, as you did with the previous ten cities, then all the cities on the border will become as impregnable as metal walls and boiling moats, and you will be unable to take them. If you grant me a marquis's seal and give it to the magistrate of Fanyang, letting him ride in a carriage with red wheels and ornate hubs, galloping through the outskirts of Yan and Zhao, then the cities of Yan and Zhao can be surrendered without battle." Wu Xin Jun said: "Excellent!" He used one hundred chariots, two hundred cavalry, and a marquis's seal to welcome Xu Gong. When the people of Yan and Zhao heard of this, more than thirty cities surrendered without a fight.
After King Chen dispatched Zhou Zhang, he believed that Qin’s governance was chaotic and showed contempt for Qin, ceasing to take precautions. The scholar Kong Fu admonished him, saying: "I have heard that the Art of War says: 'Do not rely on the enemy not attacking me, but rely on my being unassailable.' Now Your Majesty relies on the enemy and not on yourself—if you stumble, you will not be able to rise again, and regret will be too late." King Chen said: "My army is nothing for you to worry about."
Zhou Wen gathered troops all the way to Hangu Pass, with a thousand war chariots and several hundred thousand soldiers, reaching the Xi River and encamping there. The Second Emperor was greatly alarmed and consulted with his ministers, saying: "What is to be done?" The Junior Treasurer Zhang Han said: "The bandits have already arrived and are numerous. Now it is too late to conscript troops from the nearby counties. There are many convicts at Mount Li—please pardon them and issue them weapons to attack." The Second Emperor then issued a general amnesty, and sent Zhang Han to pardon the convicts of Mount Li and the sons of household slaves, conscripting them all to attack the Chu army, inflicting a great defeat upon them. Zhou Wen fled.
Zhang Er and Chen Yu arrived at Handan, and hearing that Zhou Zhang had retreated, and also that many of the generals who had returned from seizing land for King Chen had been executed due to slander and false accusations, they advised Wu Xin Jun to declare himself king. In the eighth month, Wu Xin Jun proclaimed himself King of Zhao, appointing Chen Yu as Grand General, Zhang Er as Right Chancellor, and Shao Sao as Left Chancellor. They sent a messenger to report to King Chen. King Chen was enraged and wanted to exterminate the families of Wu Xin Jun and his followers and send troops to attack Zhao. The Chancellor Fang Jun admonished him, saying: "If you exterminate the families of Wu Xin Jun and the others before Qin is destroyed, you will be creating another Qin. It would be better to take advantage of the situation to congratulate them and urge them to quickly lead their army westward to attack Qin." King Chen thought this correct and followed his plan, moving the families of Wu Xin Jun and his followers into the palace under house arrest, enfeoffing Zhang Er's son Zhang Ao as the Lord of Chengdu, sending envoys to congratulate Zhao, and urging them to dispatch troops westward into Hangu Pass. Zhang Er and Chen Yu advised the King of Zhao: "Your Majesty’s kingship in Zhao was not the original intention of Chu; it was merely a tactic to congratulate you. If Chu destroys Qin, it will certainly turn its army against Zhao. We hope Your Majesty will not send troops westward, but instead seize Yan and Dai to the north, and take Henei to the south, to expand your own territory. Zhao will hold the Yellow River to the south, and have Yan and Dai to the north. Even if Chu defeats Qin, it will not dare to control Zhao; if it cannot defeat Qin, it will surely value Zhao. Zhao can take advantage of the mutual exhaustion of Qin and Chu to achieve its ambitions in the world." The King of Zhao thought this correct, and thus did not send troops westward, but instead sent Han Guang to seize Yan, Li Liang to seize Changshan, and Zhang Yan to seize Shangdang.
In the ninth month, Liu Bang of Pei County raised an army in Pei, Xiang Liang of Xiaxiang raised an army in Wu, and Tian Dan of Di County raised an army in Qi.
Liu Bang, styled Ji, had a high nose and a dragon-like forehead, with seventy-two black moles on his left thigh. He was benevolent, generous, and open-minded. He always had great ambitions and did not engage in household production or labor. He initially served as the Tingzhang of Sishui. Shanfu Lü Gong of Danfu was skilled in physiognomy; seeing Liu Ji’s unusual appearance, he married his daughter to him.
Later, Liu Ji, in his capacity as Tingzhang, escorted convicts to Mount Li for the county. Many of the convicts escaped along the way. He estimated that by the time they arrived, they would all be gone. At the Zezhong Pavilion west of Feng County, he stopped to drink wine. At night, he released the convicts he was escorting, saying: "All of you go, and I too will flee from this!" Among the convicts, more than ten strong men were willing to follow him.
Drunk, Liu Ji took a shortcut through a marsh at night. A large snake blocked the path, and Liu Ji drew his sword and killed it. An old woman wept, saying: "My son is the son of the White Emperor, who turned into a snake and blocked the path. Now the son of the Red Emperor has killed him!" After speaking, she suddenly vanished. Liu Ji fled and hid among the mountains, marshes, and rocks of Mang and Dang, where many strange events occurred. The young men of Pei County, hearing of this, mostly wished to join him.
When Chen She rose in rebellion against Qin, the magistrate of Pei County intended to lead Pei County in response to Chen She. The Chief Clerk Xiao He and the Jailer Cao Can said: "You, sir, are a Qin official. Now, if you wish to rebel against Qin and lead the sons and brothers of Pei County in an uprising, I fear they will not obey your command. We hope you will summon those who have fled into exile; you can obtain several hundred men, and by this means coerce the people, so that they will not dare to disobey." The magistrate then sent Fan Kuai to summon Liu Ji. By this time, Liu Ji’s followers already numbered several tens to over a hundred. The magistrate of Pei County later regretted it, fearing that Liu Ji would cause trouble, and so closed the city gates to defend it, intending to kill Xiao He and Cao Can. Xiao He and Cao Can were terrified and climbed over the city wall to join Liu Ji. Liu Ji then wrote a letter on silk and shot it onto the city wall, sending it to the elders and people of Pei County, explaining the advantages and disadvantages. The elders then led the sons and brothers together to kill the magistrate of Pei County, opened the city gates to welcome Liu Ji, and established him as the Duke of Pei. Xiao He, Cao Can, and others recruited the sons and brothers of Pei County for Liu Ji, obtaining two to three thousand men, and with this they responded to the various feudal lords.
Xiang Liang was the son of Xiang Yan, a general of Chu. He had once, because of a murder, fled with his nephew Xiang Ji to Wu to avoid enemies. The worthies and scholars of Wu were all inferior to Xiang Liang in ability. When Xiang Ji was young, he studied writing but did not master it and gave up. He then studied swordsmanship, but again did not master it. Xiang Liang was very angry with him. Xiang Ji said: "Writing is only enough to record names! Swordsmanship can only oppose one man—it is not worth learning. I want to learn the art of opposing ten thousand men!" Xiang Liang then taught Xiang Ji the art of war. Xiang Ji was very pleased, but after a rough understanding of the essentials, he refused to learn it thoroughly. Xiang Ji was over eight feet tall, strong enough to lift a tripod, and his talent and capacity surpassed ordinary men. Yin Tong, the Governor of Kuaiji, hearing of Chen She’s uprising, wanted to raise troops in response to Chen She, and intended to appoint Xiang Liang and Huan Chu as generals. At that time, Huan Chu was fleeing in the marshes. Xiang Liang said: "Huan Chu is in hiding; no one knows where he is. Only Xiang Ji knows his whereabouts." Xiang Liang then instructed Xiang Ji to wait outside with his sword, while he himself went back inside and sat with the governor, saying: "Allow me to summon Xiang Ji in, so that he may receive orders to recall Huan Chu." The governor said: "Good." Xiang Liang called Xiang Ji in. After a while, Xiang Liang signaled to Xiang Ji with his eyes, saying: "It can be done!" Xiang Ji then drew his sword and cut off the governor’s head. Xiang Liang took the governor’s head and affixed the governor’s seal to himself. The governor’s followers were greatly alarmed and thrown into chaos. Xiang Ji struck down several tens to a hundred men, and all in the governor’s office fell prostrate on the ground, none daring to rise. Xiang Liang then summoned the influential officials he had previously known, explained to them the reasons for the great undertaking, and then conscripted the soldiers of Wu, also sending men to recruit troops from the subordinate counties, obtaining eight thousand elite soldiers. Xiang Liang became the Governor of Kuaiji, and Xiang Ji became the Deputy General, patrolling the subordinate counties. Xiang Ji was then twenty-four years old.
Tian Dan was a member of the original royal clan of the state of Qi. Tian Dan's cousin Tian Rong, and Tian Rong's younger brother Tian Heng, were all bold and strong, with powerful clan influence, capable of winning people's hearts. Zhou Shi, while on campaign, reached Di County, but the county closed its gates and held fast. Tian Dan pretended to tie up one of his household slaves, leading a group of young men to the county office, seeking an audience with the magistrate to request permission to execute the slave. Upon meeting the magistrate of Di County, he seized the opportunity to kill him. Then, summoning the local strongmen, officials, and gentry, he said: "The feudal lords have all revolted against Qin and established themselves. Qi is a state founded in ancient times; I, Tian Dan, am a member of the Tian clan and should be king!" Thereupon, he declared himself King of Qi and raised troops to attack Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi's army withdrew and left. Tian Dan led his troops eastward, conquering and pacifying the land of Qi. Han Guang led his troops northward to conquer the land of Yan. The bold men of Yan wished to jointly establish Han Guang as King of Yan. Han Guang said: "My mother is in the land of Zhao; I cannot do this!" The men of Yan replied: "Zhao is currently worried about Qin to the west and Chu to the south; its strength cannot restrain us. Moreover, as powerful as Chu is, it still dares not harm the families of the Zhao king and his generals. Would Zhao dare to harm your general's family?" Han Guang then declared himself King of Yan. After a few months, Zhao returned the mother and family of the King of Yan to Yan.
The King of Zhao, together with Zhang Er and Chen Yu, marched north to conquer territory within the borders of Yan. The King of Zhao, taking advantage of a moment of leisure to go out, was captured by Yan troops. Yan imprisoned him, seeking to extort territory in exchange. Zhao sent envoys to request his release, but Yan always killed the envoys. A cook in the Zhao army ran to the Yan camp and, upon seeing the Yan general, said: "Do you know what Zhang Er and Chen Yu truly want?" The Yan general replied: "They want to get their King of Zhao back." The Zhao cook laughed and said: "You do not understand what these two men desire. That Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu, without using a single soldier, captured several dozen cities of Zhao. In truth, they all wished to face south and call themselves kings. Would they be content to remain generals and ministers for life? It is only that they feared the situation had just stabilized and dared not divide the realm into three and each declare themselves king. For the time being, they established Wu Chen as king according to age, to maintain the hearts of the Zhao people. Now that the land of Zhao has submitted, these two men also wish to divide Zhao and each become king, but the time is not yet ripe. Now you have imprisoned the King of Zhao. These two men outwardly say they want to rescue him, but in reality, they want Yan to kill him, so that they can then divide Zhao and establish themselves as kings. With the full strength of Zhao, it is easy to deal with Yan, especially with two worthy kings supporting each other, coming to punish Yan under the charge of murdering the King of Zhao. Destroying Yan would be an easy matter!" The Yan general then released the King of Zhao, and the cook drove the king's chariot back.
Zhou Shi returned from Di County and reached the land of Wei, wishing to establish the former Wei prince, the Lord of Ningling, Wei Jiu, as king. Wei Jiu was then in Chen and could not come to Wei. Wei had already been pacified, and the feudal lords all wished to establish Zhou Shi as King of Wei. Zhou Shi said: "When the world is in chaos, loyal ministers become apparent. Now that the world is jointly rebelling against Qin, it is only right to establish a descendant of the King of Wei." The feudal lords insisted on requesting Zhou Shi to be king, but Zhou Shi ultimately declined and did not accept. He went to Chen to welcome Wei Jiu, making five trips back and forth, until the King of Chen finally allowed Wei Jiu to return. He established Wei Jiu as King of Wei, with Zhou Shi serving as Wei's prime minister.
In this year, the Second Emperor of Qin deposed the ruler of the state of Wei, Wei Jiao, reducing him to commoner status, and the sacrifices of the state of Wei were cut off.