154 Mount Li

A6.47

They returned to Xianyang via the expressway and then announced the death of Qin Emperor the First. In September, the Emperor  was buried in Mount Li. When he ascended the throne, Qin Emperor the First had Mount Li dug to build his mausoleum. When he had annexed the world, he conscripted more than 700,000 prisoners from all over the country, dug the ground to the depth of three springs, and poured melted liquid copper into the ground to make an outer coffin. The interior of the mausoleum was filled with palaces, government offices, rare and exotic treasures. And he ordered craftsmen to make mechanisms with bows and crossbows, that anyone who dug up the mausoleum and approached the tomb would be shot. Mercury was used to make rivers, lakes and seas in the tomb, and mechanisms were used to make them flow into and out of each other. There were the sun, moon and stars above and mountains and rivers below. There were candles made from mermaid fat estimated to last for a long time. Emperor the Second said, "It is not appropriate to release the concubines in the late emperor's harem who have no sons." He ordered them to be buried with the First Emperor, and a lot of them died. After the burial, some said that the craftsmen had built a mechanism and knew clearly what treasures were hidden inside, and the news of the treasures might leak out. So after the funeral was completed, the burial objects were sealed in the tomb chamber, and the middle door of the mausoleum was closed, and then the outer door was closed, and all the craftsmen and people who carried the burial objects were locked in the mausoleum, and no one escaped. They also planted grass and trees on the tomb mound to make it look like a hill.

行从直道至咸阳，发丧。太子胡亥袭位，为二世皇帝。九月，葬始皇郦山。始皇初即位，穿治郦山，及并天下，天下徒送诣七十余万人，穿三泉，下铜而致椁，宫观百官奇器珍怪徙臧满之。令匠作机弩矢，有所穿近者辄射之。以水银为百川江河大海，机相灌输，上具天文，下具地理。以人鱼膏为烛，度不灭者久之。二世曰：“先帝后宫非有子者，出焉不宜。”皆令从死，死者甚众。葬既已下，或言工匠为机，臧皆知之，臧重即泄。大事毕，已臧，闭中羡，下外羡门，尽闭工匠臧者，无复出者。树草木以象山。

153 Abalone’s Stench

A6.46

When he arrived at the Ferry Ping Yuan, he fell ill. The First Emperor hated to talk about death, and so none of his ministers dared to talk about it. But his illness became more serious, so he wrote an imperial edict with the imperial seal and sent it to Prince Fusu, saying: "Come back quickly to attend the funeral and bury me in Xianyang." The edict was sealed and was placed with the Imperial Chariot Officer Zhao Gao, but did not handed over to the messenger. On the Bingyin day of the seventh month, the First Emperor died on the Shaqiu, the Dunes, platform. Prime Minister Li Si was afraid that the news of the Emperor's death outside the palace would cause disturbances among the princes and the whole country, so he kept it secret and made no announcement. The coffin was on a conditioned carriage, and the eunuchs who had been favored before stayed to accompany it, and the food were delivered to the carriage as usual. All officials reported their affairs as usual, and the eunuchs approved their reports from the carriage. At that time, only his son Hu Hai, and Zhao Gao and five or six favored eunuchs knew that the emperor was dead. Zhao Gao had taught Hu Hai calligraphy and prison laws and legal affairs, so Hu Hai favored him privately. Gao, Prince Hu Hai, and Prime Minister Si conspired to destroy the seal given to Prince Fusu by the First Emperor, and falsely claimed that Prime Minister Si received the Emperor's will in Shaqiu and made his son Hu Hai the crown prince. He also sent a letter to Prince Fusu and Meng Tian, ​​accusing them of crimes and granting them death. The details are in the biography of Li Si. They then traveled from Jingxing to Jiuyuan. It was hot summer days, and the carriage gave off a foul smell, so Zhao Gao ordered the accompanying officials to load one dan (approximately 30 kg) of abalone into their carriages to cover up the stench of the corpse. 

至平原津而病。始皇恶言死，群臣莫敢言死事。上病益甚，乃为玺书赐公子扶苏曰：“与丧会咸阳而葬。”书已封，在中车府令赵高行符玺事所，未授使者。七月丙寅，始皇崩于沙丘平台。丞相斯为上崩在外，恐诸公子及天下有变，乃秘之，不发丧。棺载辒凉车中，故幸宦者参乘，所至上食。百官奏事如故，宦者辄从辒凉车中可其奏事。独子胡亥、赵高及所幸宦者五六人知上死。赵高故尝教胡亥书及狱律令法事，胡亥私幸之。高乃与公子胡亥、丞相斯阴谋破去始皇所封书赐公子扶苏者，而更诈为丞相斯受始皇遗诏沙丘，立子胡亥为太子。更为书赐公子扶苏、蒙恬，数以罪，赐死。语具在李斯传中。行，遂从井陉抵九原。会暑，上辒车臭，乃诏从官令车载一石鲍鱼，以乱其臭。

152 Giant Fish

A6.45

On his way back, the First Emperor passed through Wu County and crossed the Yangtze River by boat. He went up the coast and headed north to Langye. The Taoist Xu Fu and others went to the sea to look for the magic medicine. After many years, they still couldn't find it. Their expenses were too high and were afraid of being punished . So they lied to the First Emperor, "The magic medicine in Penglai can be found, but I am always troubled by big mackerel, so I can't go to Penglai. I hope some people who are good at archery to accompany me. When I see a big fish, I will shoot it with a crossbow." The First Emperor fought with a human-figured sea god in his dream. The First Emperor asked someone to divine this dream. The doctor said, "The water god is invisible. He uses big fish and Jiaolong as signs. Now your majesty prays and worships devoutly, but such an evil god still comes. It should be getting rid, and then the good god will appear." So the First Emperor ordered the people on the sea to carry tools to catch and kill big fish, and he brought a crossbow to wait for the giant fish to appear and shoot to kill. He went north from Langye to Rongcheng Mountain, but he didn't encounter any. When he reached Zhifu Mountain, he finally saw giant fishes and shot one dead. Then the First Emperor sailed west along the coast.

还过吴，从江乘渡。并海上，北至琅邪。方士徐巿等入海求神药，数岁不得，费多，恐谴，乃诈曰：“蓬莱药可得，然常为大鲛鱼所苦，故不得至，愿请善射与俱，见则以连弩射之。”始皇梦与海神战，如人状。问占梦，博士曰：“水神不可见，以大鱼蛟龙为候。今上祷祠备谨，而有此恶神，当除去，而善神可致。”乃令入海者赍捕巨鱼具，而自以连弩候大鱼出射之。自琅邪北至荣成山，弗见。至之罘，见巨鱼，射杀一鱼。遂并海西。

151 Stone Tablet Engraved

A6.43|44

In the thirty-seventh year, on the Guichou day of the 10th month, the First Emperor went on a trip. The left prime minister Li Si accompanied him on the trip, while the right prime minister Feng Quji stayed behind in the capital. The youngest son of the First Emperor, Hu Hai, was very envious and asked to accompany him, and the First Emperor agreed. In November, the First Emperor and his entourage went to Yunmengze, the Cloud Dream Lake, and offered sacrifices to Yu Shun in the direction of Jiuyi Mountain. They sailed downstream on the Yangtze River, visited Ji Ke, and crossed Jiangzhu. They passed Danyang and arrived in Qiantang. Facing Zhejiang, the waves were turbulent, so they traveled 120 miles west and crossed through a narrow place. The First Emperor climbed Mount Kuaiji, offered sacrifices to Great Yu, looked at the South China Sea, and erected a stone tablet on the mountain to praise the merits of the Qin Dynasty. The inscription said: 

The emperor made great achievements and unified the country, and his benevolence was long-lasting. In the thirty-seventh year, the emperor personally toured the country and traveled all over the country. He climbed up Mount Kuaiji and observed the customs and habits of the people, all of whom were very respectful. The officials praised the merits of the Qin dynasty, reviewed its achievements, and recalled the emperor's wise decisions. The Sage of Qin governed the country, established the criminal law system, and promoted the old rules. For the first time, laws and regulations were established, the duties of various officials were clarified, and a long-lasting system was established. The six kings were tyrannical and absurd, greedy and violent, arrogant and cruel, and they took advantage of their power to dominate. They were tyrannical and presumptuous, and they became more and more arrogant by relying on their military force, and they launched wars many times. They also secretly sent envoys to each other and united to resist the State of Qin. Their behavior was despicable. They plotted treacherous conspiracies at home and invaded the borders of Qin abroad, thus causing disaster. The Qin State upheld justice, sent troops to suppress the rebellion, and eliminated the rebels. The holy virtue spreads far and wide, and everyone in heaven and earth, in all directions, enjoys endless blessings. The emperor unified the country and handled all affairs in an orderly manner. and peace prevailed far and wide. He planned and managed all things, examined the nature of things, and established each person's status. No matter whether one is high or low, good or bad, one can give advice to the emperor without hiding anything. Covering up one's own mistakes, boasting about one's righteousness, remarrying after having a son, and betraying one's dead husband are all acts of infidelity. Isolate the inside and the outside, prohibit promiscuity and debauchery, and require men and women to observe etiquette and maintain purity and integrity. If a husband has an affair with someone else, killing him is not a crime, and this is how men will abide by moral standards. If a wife runs away and remarries, her son cannot acknowledge her as his mother, and this way the customs will be honest and upright. We will make great efforts to rectify social customs, create a good social atmosphere, and bring peace to the world. People all abide by the laws, live in harmony and happiness, are honest and diligent, and all obey the laws of the country. The people value pure character, are willing to abide by unified laws, and jointly protect a peaceful and harmonious country. Future generations should respectfully abide by the common laws, so that the country can enjoy long-term stability and avoid the worry of overthrow. The ministers who followed him sang praises of his merits and requested that a stone tablet be engraved to glorify him for eternity.

三十七年十月癸丑，始皇出游。左丞相斯从，右丞相去疾守。少子胡亥爱慕请从，上许之。十一月，行至云梦，望祀虞舜于九疑山。浮江下，观籍柯，渡海渚。过丹阳，至钱唐。临浙江，水波恶，乃西百二十里从狭中渡。上会稽，祭大禹，望于南海，而立石刻颂秦德。其文曰：

皇帝休烈，平一宇内，德惠脩长。三十有七年，亲巡天下，周览远方。遂登会稽，宣省习俗，黔首斋庄。群臣诵功，本原事迹，追首高明。秦圣临国，始定刑名，显陈旧章。初平法式，审别职任，以立恒常。六王专倍，贪戾傲猛，率众自强。暴虐恣行，负力而骄，数动甲兵。阴通间使，以事合从，行为辟方。内饰诈谋，外来侵边，遂起祸殃。义威诛之，殄熄暴悖，乱贼灭亡。圣德广密，六合之中，被泽无疆。皇帝并宇，兼听万事，远近毕清。运理群物，考验事实，各载其名。贵贱并通，善否陈前，靡有隐情。饰省宣义，有子而嫁，倍死不贞。防隔内外，禁止淫泆，男女絜诚。夫为寄豭，杀之无罪，男秉义程。妻为逃嫁，子不得母，咸化廉清。大治濯俗，天下承风，蒙被休经。皆遵度轨，和安敦勉，莫不顺令。黔首脩絜，人乐同则，嘉保太平。后敬奉法，常治无极，舆舟不倾。从臣诵烈，请刻此石，光垂休铭。

150 Mars in Heart

A6.42

In the thirty-sixth year (211 BC), Mars moved to the position of the Heart Constellation ( Shiji error, it happened in the next year). A meteor fell in Dongjun county and turned into a rock on the ground. Someone carved on it saying that "After the death of the First Emperor, the world will be divided." When the First Emperor heard about it, he sent imperial censors to question about it, but no one admitted it. He killed them all whoever lived close by the rock and burned the rock. The First Emperor was unhappy, so he asked the doctors to write poems about immortals and true masters , and ordered musicians to sing and play the poems when he traveled around the world. In autumn, an envoy passed through Pingshu expressway in Huayin from Guandong at night. Someone held a jade and stopped the envoy, and said: “Send it to the Lord of Haochi for me." He also took the opportunity to say, "Zulong the dragon ancestor will die this year." The envoy asked why, but he disappeared and left the jade. The envoy presented the jade and reported it. The First Emperor was silent for a long time and said, "The mountain ghost can only know the events of one year." He retreated and said, "Zulong is the ancestor of human beings." He asked the imperial librarian to look at the jade, and it was identified as the jade sunk during crossing the river in the 28th year. So the First Emperor divined, and the hexagram showed that it was auspicious to travel. 30,000 households were made move to Yuzhong in Beihe, and their titles of nobility were promoted by one level.

三十六年，荧惑守心。有坠星下东郡，至地为石，黔首或刻其石曰“始皇帝死而地分”。始皇闻之，遣御史逐问，莫服，尽取石旁居人诛之，因燔销其石。始皇不乐，使博士为仙真人诗，及行所游天下，传令乐人歌弦之。秋，使者从关东夜过华阴平舒道，有人持璧遮使者曰：“为吾遗滈池君。”因言曰：“今年祖龙死。”使者问其故，因忽不见，置其璧去。使者奉璧具以闻。始皇默然良久，曰：“山鬼固不过知一岁事也。”退言曰：“祖龙者，人之先也。”使御府视璧，乃二十八年行渡江所沈璧也。于是始皇卜之，卦得游徙吉。迁北河榆中三万家。拜爵一级。

149 Alchemist

A6.41

Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng discussed together and said, "The First Emperor was a man of strong and stubborn character. He raised up the princes and unified the world. He thought that no one in ancient times could match him. He only trusted the prison guards, and the prison guards were favored by him. Although there were seventy doctors, they were specially reserved and not used. The prime minister and other ministers were all entrusted with tasks and relied on him for their opinions. The Emperor enjoyed using punishment and killing to intimidate people. People under the emperor were afraid of crime and wanted to keep their salaries, so no one dared to be loyal to him. The Emperor did not hear of his mistakes and became more arrogant, while the people were frightened and deceiving him to gain his favor. The Qin Dynasty's laws prohibited the use of two kinds of magic at the same time, and those who failed to get the results would be sentenced to death. However, there were more than 300 people who were fortune-telling the stars and clouds, all of them good people. They were afraid of the taboo and all were flattering the emperor in a tactful way, no one dared to point out his mistakes. All matters in the world, big or small, were decided by the emperor. The emperor even used scales to measure books, and made reports day and night. He could not rest if his reports were not up to standard. He is so obsessed with power that we cannot find an elixir for him." So they fled. When the First Emperor heard of his escape, he was furious and said, "I had previously collected all the books in the world and removed all the useless ones. I summoned many scholars of literature and alchemy to bring peace to the country. The alchemists wanted to practice to find a miraculous medicine. Now I heard that Han Zhong left without reporting, and Xu Fu and others spent millions of dollars but still could not find the medicine. Every day, only some villains report to me for their own benefit. I have given Lu Sheng and others great honors and gifts, but now they slander me and emphasize my lack of virtue. I have sent people to investigate all the students in Xianyang. Some of them made false statements to confuse the people." So he sent the imperial censors to investigate all the students. The students reported to each other and removed themselves. More than 460 people who violated the ban were all killed in Xianyang to let the world know and punish them in the future. More people were exiled to the border. The eldest son of the First Emperor, Fusu, advised, "The world has just been settled, and the people in distant places have not yet gathered. All the students recite Confucius. Now the emperor has severely punished them. I am afraid that the world will be in turmoil. I hope the emperor will investigate it." The First Emperor was angry and sent Fusu to the north to supervise Meng Tian in Shangjun.

侯生卢生相与谋曰：“始皇为人，天性刚戾自用，起诸侯，并天下，意得欲从，以为自古莫及己。专任狱吏，狱吏得亲幸。博士虽七十人，特备员弗用。丞相诸大臣皆受成事，倚辨于上。上乐以刑杀为威，天下畏罪持禄，莫敢尽忠。上不闻过而日骄，下慑伏谩欺以取容。秦法，不得兼方不验，辄死。然候星气者至三百人，皆良士，畏忌讳谀，不敢端言其过。天下之事无小大皆决于上，上至以衡石量书，日夜有呈，不中呈不得休息。贪于权势至如此，未可为求仙药。”于是乃亡去。始皇闻亡，乃大怒曰：“吾前收天下书不中用者尽去之。悉召文学方术士甚众，欲以兴太平，方士欲练以求奇药。今闻韩众去不报，徐巿等费以巨万计，终不得药，徒奸利相告日闻。卢生等吾尊赐之甚厚，今乃诽谤我，以重吾不德也。诸生在咸阳者，吾使人廉问，或为訞言以乱黔首。”于是使御史悉案问诸生，诸生传相告引，乃自除。犯禁者四百六十余人，皆阬之咸阳，使天下知之，以惩后。益发谪徙边。始皇长子扶苏谏曰：“天下初定，远方黔首未集，诸生皆诵法孔子，今上皆重法绳之，臣恐天下不安。唯上察之。”始皇怒，使扶苏北监蒙恬于上郡。