Moreover, the Qin Dynasty was not small or weak at that time. The land of Yongzhou, the ruggedness of Mount Xiao and the fortification of Hangu Pass were the same as before. Chen She's status was not more noble than that of the kings of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Song, Wei, Zhongshan and other countries at that time; the hoes and wooden sticks they held were not as sharp as the hooks, halberds and spears; these soldiers guarding the border could not be compared with the armies of the six countries; their foresight and ability to march and fight were not as good as those of the wise men of the six countries at that time. However, the situation of success and failure has changed dramatically, and the achievements created are also completely opposite. Between the power and the strength of the six states in Shandong, and that of Chen She, there is no comparison. The Qin State, with its small territory and the power of a thousand chariots, attracted subjects from all over the world and eventually made princes of various countries, who was of the same status , come to pay homage. This took more than a hundred years. And after that, the Qin State regarded the four directions of heaven and earth as private property, and built Mount Xiao and Hangu Pass as palaces. Then one person rose up and destroyed seven ancestral temples, and Qin died in the hands of others, being ridiculed by the world. Why? Because the Qin State did not practice benevolence and justice, and the situation of being offensive or defensive had changed.
The Qin State unified the world, annexed the princes, proclaimed itself emperor facing south, and governed the entire country. People from all over the world came to submit to it. Why was this so? The answer is this. Because there has been no emperor unifying the world for a long time since ancient times. The Zhou Dynasty gradually declined, the Five Hegemons had passed away, and the emperor's decrees could not be passed on to the world, so the princes fought against foreign countries by force, the strong invaded the weak, the majority bullied the minority, and the wars continued, and the people were exhausted. Now the King of Qin is facing the south to govern the world, which means there is an emperor above. All living beings hope to live and work in peace, and no one does not humbly respect the emperor. At this time, maintaining power and consolidating the foundation is the key to the safety of the country.
The King of Qin had a greedy and mean heart, he was self-righteous, did not trust meritorious officials, did not get close to scholars and common people, abandoned the laws of the previous kings, established personal authority, banned books and implemented harsh laws, put tactics and force before benevolence and morality, and used cruelty as the prelude to rule the world. Those who annex the world advocate tactics and force, while those who stabilize the world advocate adapting to the situation. This means that the methods of taking the world and keeping the world are opposite. Qin ended the Warring States Period and became the king of the world, but the way of governance did not change, and the government orders did not change. This means that his methods of taking the world and keeping the world are not different. The King of Qin occupied the world alone, so his demise was not far away. If the King of Qin could refer to the ancient events and the history of the Shang and Zhou dynasties to formulate policies for governing the country, even if there were arrogant and extravagant monarchs in later generations, there would be no disasters of danger and destruction. Therefore, the three kings created the world, their names were famous for goodness and beauty, and their achievements were passed down for a long time.
且夫天下非小弱也，雍州之地，殽函之固自若也。陈涉之位，非尊于齐、楚、燕、赵、韩、魏、宋、卫、中山之君；鉏耰棘矜，非錟于句戟长铩也；適戍之众，非抗于九国之师；深谋远虑，行军用兵之道，非及乡时之士也。然而成败异变，功业相反也。试使山东之国与陈涉度长絜大，比权量力，则不可同年而语矣。然秦以区区之地，千乘之权，招八州而朝同列，百有余年矣。然后以六合为家，殽函为宫，一夫作难而七庙堕，身死人手，为天下笑者，何也？仁义不施而攻守之势异也。
秦并海内，兼诸侯，南面称帝，以养四海，天下之士斐然乡风，若是者何也？曰：近古之无王者久矣。周室卑微，五霸既殁，令不行于天下，是以诸侯力政，强侵弱，众暴寡，兵革不休，士民罢敝。今秦南面而王天下，是上有天子也。既元元之民冀得安其性命，莫不虚心而仰上，当此之时，守威定功，安危之本在于此矣。
秦王怀贪鄙之心，行自奋之智，不信功臣，不亲士民，废王道，立私权，禁文书而酷刑法，先诈力而后仁义，以暴虐为天下始。夫并兼者高诈力，安定者贵顺权，此言取与守不同术也。秦离战国而王天下，其道不易，其政不改，是其所以取之守之者无异也。孤独而有之，故其亡可立而待。借使秦王计上世之事，并殷周之迹，以制御其政，后虽有淫骄之主而未有倾危之患也。故三王之建天下，名号显美，功业长久。
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