135 Feast Under Heaven

A6.10|11|12|13

In the 22nd year (225 BC), Wang Ben attacked the State of Wei and diverted the water of the Yellow River to flood the city of Daliang. The city wall of Daliang was destroyed by the water. The King of Wei requested to surrender, and the State of Qin completely occupied the land of Wei. 

In the 23rd year (224 BC), the King of Qin summoned Wang Jian again and insisted on employing him and sending him to attack the State of Chu. The Qin army seized the land south of Chen County and all the way to Pingyu, and captured the King of Chu. The King of Qin went on a tour of Yingchen. The Chu general Xiang Yan made Lord Changping as the King of Chu and resisted the Qin army south of the Huai River. In the 24th year (223 BC), Wang Jian and Meng Wu attacked the State of Chu, defeated the Chu army, Lord Changping died, and Xiang Yan then committed suicide. 

In the 25th year (222 BC), Qin State sent a large army, led by Wang Ben, to attack Liaodong of Yan State and captured King Xi of Yan. The Qin army turned around and attacked Dai State and captured King Jia of Dai. Wang Jian finally pacified the Jiangnan region of Chu State, subdued the King of Yue, and established Kuaiji County. In May, the King of Qin ordered the whole country to gather for a feast. 

In the 26th year (221 BC), King Jian of Qi and his Prime Minister Hou Sheng mobilized soldiers to defend the western border of Qi and stopped communicating with Qin. The King of Qin sent General Wang Ben to attack Qi from the south of Yan and captured King Jian of Qi. 

二十二年，王贲攻魏，引河沟灌大梁，大梁城坏，其王请降，尽取其地。

二十三年，秦王复召王翦，强起之，使将击荆。取陈以南至平舆，虏荆王。秦王游至郢陈。荆将项燕立昌平君为荆王，反秦于淮南。二十四年，王翦、蒙武攻荆，破荆军，昌平君死，项燕遂自杀。

二十五年，大兴兵，使王贲将，攻燕辽东，得燕王喜。还攻代，虏代王嘉。王翦遂定荆江南地；降越君，置会稽郡。五月，天下大酺。

二十六年，齐王建与其相后胜发兵守其西界，不通秦。秦使将军王贲从燕南攻齐，得齐王建。

134 Jing Ke

A6.6|7|8|9

In the 13th year (234 BC), Huan Yi attacked Pingyang of Zhao State, killed general Hu Zhe of Zhao, and beheaded 100,000. The King of Qin went to the south of the Yellow River. In the first month, a comet appeared in the east. In October, Huan Yi attacked Zhao State. In the 14th year (233 BC), he attacked the Zhao army in Pingyang, captured Yi'an, defeated the enemy army, and killed the enemy's general. Huan Yi pacified Pingyang and Wucheng. Han Fei was sent as an envoy to Qin State. The King of Qin adopted Li Si's strategy and detained Han Fei. Han Fei died in Yunyang. The King of Han requested to become a vassal of Qin State. 

In the 15th year (232 BC), Qin sent a large army, one army came to Ye County, another army came to Taiyuan, and captured Langmeng. There was an earthquake. In September of the 16th year (231 BC), Qin sent troops to take over the Nanyang area of Han and appointed Teng as the acting governor. Qin began to order all men in the country to register their age. Wei ceded land to Qin. Qin established Liyi. In the 17th year (230 BC), Court Bookkeeper Teng led army to attack Han and captured An the King of Han, and all his territory. Qin made Han as a county and named it Yingchuan. Another earthquake. Queen Mother Huayang died. Severe famine among the people. 

In the 18th year (229 BC), Qin State launched a large-scale attack on Zhao State. Wang Jian led the army of Shangjun and captured Jingxing. Yang Duanhe led the army of Henei and Qiang Wei attacked Zhao State. Yang Duanhe surrounded Handan. In the 19th year (228 BC), Wang Jian and Qiang Wei completely pacified and captured Dongyang of Zhao State and captured the King of Zhao. Wang Jian led his troops to attack Yan State and stationed in Zhongshan. The King of Qin came to Handan, and all those who had grudges against his mother's family when he was born in Zhao State were pitted and killed. The King of Qin returned to the capital via Taiyuan and Shangjun. The Queen Mother of the First Emperor passed away. Prince Jia of Zhao State led hundreds of his clansmen to Dai County and established himself as the King of Dai. He joined forces with the army of Yan State to the east and stationed in Shanggu. A serious famine occurred in Qin State. 

In the 20th year (227 BC), Prince Dan of Yan was worried that the Qin army would attack his country, so he was very scared and sent Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin. When the King of Qin found out, he dismembered Jing Ke and showed him to the public, and sent Wang Jian and Xin Sheng to attack Yan. Yan and Dai sent troops to meet the Qin army, and the Qin army defeated the Yan army west of Yishui. In the 21st year (226 BC), Wang Ben attacked Chu. The King of Qin then sent more troops to support Wang Jian's army, and eventually defeated the army of Prince Dan of Yan, captured Yan's capital Jicheng, and obtained Prince Dan's head. The King of Yan went east to gather the remnants of Liaodong and proclaimed himself king there. Wang Jian returned home on the pretext of illness. Xinzheng rebelled. Lord Changping was moved to Ying. Heavy snow fell, and the snow was two feet and five inches deep.

十三年，桓齮攻赵平阳，杀赵将扈辄，斩首十万。王之河南。正月，彗星见东方。十月，桓齮攻赵。十四年，攻赵军于平阳，取宜安，破之，杀其将军。桓齮定平阳、武城。韩非使秦，秦用李斯谋，留非，非死云阳。韩王请为臣。

十五年，大兴兵，一军至邺，一军至太原，取狼孟。地动。十六年九月，发卒受地韩南阳假守腾。初令男子书年。魏献地于秦。秦置丽邑。十七年，内史腾攻韩，得韩王安，尽纳其地，以其地为郡，命曰颍川。地动。华阳太后卒。民大饥。

十八年，大兴兵攻赵，王翦将上地，下井陉，端和将河内，羌瘣伐赵，端和围邯郸城。十九年，王翦、羌瘣尽定取赵地东阳，得赵王。引兵欲攻燕，屯中山。秦王之邯郸，诸尝与王生赵时母家有仇怨，皆阬之。秦王还，从太原、上郡归。始皇帝母太后崩。赵公子嘉率其宗数百人之代，自立为代王，东与燕合兵，军上谷。大饥。

二十年，燕太子丹患秦兵至国，恐，使荆轲刺秦王。秦王觉之，体解轲以徇，而使王翦、辛胜攻燕。燕、代发兵击秦军，秦军破燕易水之西。二十一年，王贲攻荆。乃益发卒诣王翦军，遂破燕太子军，取燕蓟城，得太子丹之首。燕王东收辽东而王之。王翦谢病老归。新郑反。昌平君徙于郢。大雨雪，深二尺五寸。

133 Heart of Tiger or Wolf

6.4|5 

Qin launched a large-scale search and expelled guests. Li Si wrote a letter to persuade the King to abolish the order to expel guests. Li Si took the opportunity to persuade the King of Qin to attack Han first to deter other countries. So the King of Qin sent Li Si to force Han to surrender. The King of Han was very worried about this matter and discussed with Han Fei how to weaken Qin. Wei Liao, a native of Daliang, came to Qin and advised the king, "With the strength of Qin, the princes are like the governors of counties. I am only worried that the princes will unite and attack secretly and unexpectedly. This is the reason why Zhi Bo, Fu Chai, and King Min were defeated. I hope the king will not be stingy with money and use it to bribe powerful ministers of various countries to disrupt their plans. This will only cost 300,000 gold, but will completely eliminate the princes." The King of Qin followed Wei Liao's advice and treated him with equal courtesy every time they met, dressing and eating the same as him. Wei Liao said: "The King of Qin has a high nose bridge, sleeky eyes, a chest like a fierce bird, a voice like a jackal, little kindness but a heart like a tiger or wolf. When he is poor, it is not difficult for him to be inferior to others, and when he is successful, he can easily devour others. I am a commoner, but he always places himself below me when he meets me. If the King of Qin can unify the world as he wishes, then all the people in the world will become his captives. We cannot live with him for long. " Wei Liao then fled. When the King of Qin found out, he insisted on keeping him and appointed him as the state commander of Qin army. He eventually adopted Wei Liao's advice. At that time, Li Si was in power in the court. 

In the 11th year (236 BC), Wang Jian, Huan Yi, and Yang Duanhe attacked Ye County and captured nine cities. Wang Jian attacked Yanyu and Laoyang and merged all the soldiers into one army. Wang Jian led the army for eighteen days, sent back those with less than a dou of food, and selected two out of every ten to stay in the army. Huan Yi led his army to capture Ye and Anyang. In the twelfth year, Marquis Wenxin Lu Buwei died and his family buried him privately. Of all the guests of Lu Buwei, who came to express their condolences to him, those from the Three Jins were expelled from the country; those of Qin officials with a salary of more than 600 dan were stripped of their titles and exiled; those of Qin officials with a salary of less than 500 dan who did not come to express their condolences were only exiled without being stripped of their titles. From now on, those who run the country in an unjust way like Lao Ai and Lu Buwei will have their entire family confiscated and be dealt with like this. In the autumn, the family members of Lao Ai exiled to Shu were pardoned. At that time, a severe drought occurred throughout the country, and it did not rain until it was between June to August.

大索，逐客，李斯上书说，乃止逐客令。李斯因说秦王，请先取韩以恐他国，于是使斯下韩。韩王患之。与韩非谋弱秦。大梁人尉缭来，说秦王曰：“以秦之强，诸侯譬如郡县之君，臣但恐诸侯合从，翕而出不意，此乃智伯、夫差、湣王之所以亡也。愿大王毋爱财物，赂其豪臣，以乱其谋，不过亡三十万金，则诸侯可尽。”秦王从其计，见尉缭亢礼，衣服食饮与缭同。缭曰：“秦王为人，蜂准，长目，挚鸟膺，豺声，少恩而虎狼心，居约易出人下，得志亦轻食人。我布衣，然见我常身自下我。诚使秦王得志于天下，天下皆为虏矣。不可与久游。”乃亡去。秦王觉，固止，以为秦国尉，卒用其计策。而李斯用事。

十一年，王翦、桓齮、杨端和攻邺，取九城。王翦攻阏与、橑杨，皆并为一军。翦将十八日，军归斗食以下，什推二人从军。取邺安阳，桓齮将。十二年，文信侯不韦死，窃葬。其舍人临者，晋人也逐出之；秦人六百石以上夺爵，迁；五百石以下不临，迁，勿夺爵。自今以来，操国事不道如嫪毐、不韦者籍其门，视此。秋，复嫪毐舍人迁蜀者。当是之时，天下大旱，六月至八月乃雨。

132 Lao Ai

A6.3 

Lao Ai was titled Marquis Changxin, and the land of Shanyang was granted to him as his residence. The palaces of Qin, the carriages, the clothes, the gardens, and the hunting grounds, were all enjoyable at Lao Ai's will. The decisions of the state affairs, no matter how big or small, all went through him. The Hexi and Taiyuan counties were made into Lao Ai's fiefdoms. In the ninth year, a comet appeared and streaked across the sky. The Qin State attacked Yuanyi and Puyang of the Wei State. In April, the king lived in Yongdi. In the year of Jiyou, the ceremony was held to crown the king, who began to wear a sword. When his plan to rebel was discovered, Lao Ai the Marquis Changxin stole the seals of the King and of the Queen Mother, mobilized the infantry and cavalry in the county, and the leaders of the Rongdi tribe, and his own servants, preparing to attack the Qinian Palace and launch a rebellion. The king found out and sent the Prime Ministers, Lord Changping, and Lord Changwen, to mobilize the soldiers to crack down on Lao Ai. The two sides fought in Xianyang, and the Qin army had hundreds of killings. Those who had military merit were all rewarded with titles, and the eunuchs who participated in the battle were also granted a higher level of titles. Lao Ai was defeated and fled. Then the king issued an order to the whole country: "Anyone who captures Lao Ai alive will be rewarded with one million coins; Anyone who kills Lao Ai will be rewarded with five hundred thousand coins." Lao Ai and others were all apprehended. Guardian Jie, court bookkeeper Si, chauffeur Jie, minister Qi, and twenty others were all beheaded and displayed to the public. Lao Ai was chariot-torn and displayed to the public, and his entire clan was wiped out. Even Lao Ai's guests were punished with forced labor in the ancestral temple if their crimes were minor. More than 4,000 families were implicated and stripped off of their titles and exiled to Shu, and to live in Fangling. This month, the weather was very cold and there were people frozen to death. Yang Duanhe attacked the Yan clan of Wei. A comet appeared in the west and then in the north, following the Big Dipper to the south for eighty days. In the tenth year (237 BC), Prime Minister Lü Buwei was dismissed from his position for his Implication with Lao Ai. Huan Yi was appointed as a general. The envoys from Qi and Zhao came, and the King of Qin hosted a banquet. Mao Jiao of Qi advised the King of Qin: "Qin aims to unify the world, but the king has a bad reputation for exiling his mother, the Queen Mother. I am afraid that the princes will betray Qin after hearing about this." The King of Qin then welcomed the Queen Mother back from Yong County to Xianyang and let her live in Ganquan Palace again.

嫪毐封为长信侯。予之山阳地，令毐居之。宫室车马衣服苑囿驰猎恣毐。事无小大皆决于毐。又以河西太原郡更为毐国。九年，彗星见，或竟天。攻魏垣、蒲阳。四月，上宿雍。己酉，王冠，带剑。长信侯毐作乱而觉，矫王御玺及太后玺以发县卒及卫卒、官骑、戎翟君公、舍人，将欲攻蕲年宫为乱。王知之，令相国昌平君、昌文君发卒攻毐。战咸阳，斩首数百，皆拜爵，及宦者皆在战中，亦拜爵一级。毐等败走。即令国中：有生得毐，赐钱百万；杀之，五十万。尽得毐等。卫尉竭、内史肆、佐弋竭、中大夫令齐等二十人皆枭首。车裂以徇，灭其宗。及其舍人，轻者为鬼薪。及夺爵迁蜀四千余家，家房陵。是月寒冻，有死者。杨端和攻衍氏。彗星见西方，又见北方，从斗以南八十日。十年，相国吕不韦坐嫪毐免。桓齮为将军。齐、赵来置酒。齐人茅焦说秦王曰：“秦方以天下为事，而大王有迁母太后之名，恐诸侯闻之，由此倍秦也。”秦王乃迎太后于雍而入咸阳，复居甘泉宫。

131 Comet

A6.2

Jinyang rebelled. In the first year (246 BC), General Meng Ao went to quell the rebellion. In the second year (245 BC), Duke Biao led his soldiers to attack Juanyi and beheaded 30,000 people. In the third year (244 BC), Meng Ao attacked Han and captured 13 cities. Wang Xi died. In October, General Meng Ao attacked Wei's Yiyi and Yougui. That year, there was a famine. In the fourth year (243 BC), Meng Ao captured Yiyi and Yougui. In March, Meng Ao withdrew his troops. Qin's hostage returned from Zhao, and Zhao's crown prince left Qin and returned to his country. On the Gengyin day of October, locusts flew from the east and covered the sky. Plague raged throughout the world. People could be granted a first-class title if they paid 1,000 dan of millet. In the fifth year (242 BC), General Meng Ao attacked Wei, pacified Suanzao, Yanyi, Xuyi, Changping, Yongqiu, and Shanyang, and captured all of them, seizing 20 cities. Qin began to set up Dongjun. Thunder sounded in winter. In the sixth year (241 BC), Han, Wei (魏), Zhao, Wei (卫), and Chu jointly attacked Qin and seized Shouling. Qin sent troops and the five-nation coalition retreated. Qin conquered Wei and approached Dongjun. Lord Jiao of Wei led his relatives to move to Yewang, relying on the dangers of the mountains to protect Wei's Henei area. In the seventh year (240 BC), the comet first appeared in the east, then in the north, and in the west in May. General Meng Ao led his army to attack Longdi, Gudi and Qingdu. When he led his troops back to attack Jidi, he unfortunately died in battle. The comet appeared in the west again and lasted for sixteen days. Queen Mother Xia died. In the eighth year (239 BC), the king’s younger brother, Lord Chang'an, general Cheng Jiao led his army to attack Zhao State and rebelled in Tunliu. As a result, Cheng Jiao and his officers were killed, and the people there were all relocated to Lintao. The general Bi who came to attack Chengjiao died, and Pu Ying, a soldier from Tunliu, rebelled again and died in battle. His body was whipped and mutilated after his death. The fish in the Yellow River flooded to the shore, and people drove their carriages to the east to find food.

晋阳反，元年，将军蒙骜击定之。二年，麃公将卒攻卷，斩首三万。三年，蒙骜攻韩，取十三城。王齮死。十月，将军蒙骜攻魏氏畼、有诡。岁大饥。四年，拔畼、有诡。三月，军罢。秦质子归自赵，赵太子出归国。十月庚寅，蝗虫从东方来，蔽天。天下疫。百姓内粟千石，拜爵一级。五年，将军骜攻魏，定酸枣、燕、虚、长平、雍丘、山阳城，皆拔之，取二十城。初置东郡。冬雷。六年，韩、魏、赵、卫、楚共击秦，取寿陵。秦出兵，五国兵罢。拔卫，迫东郡，其君角率其支属徙居野王，阻其山以保魏之河内。七年，彗星先出东方，见北方，五月见西方。将军骜死。以攻龙、孤、庆都，还兵攻汲。彗星复见西方十六日。夏太后死。八年，王弟长安君成蟜将军击赵，反，死屯留，军吏皆斩死，迁其民于临洮。将军壁死，卒屯留、蒲鶮反，戮其尸。河鱼大上，轻车重马东就食。