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。 

148 True Master

A6.40

Lu Sheng advised the First Emperor: "We have not found the magic medicine of Lingzhi and the immortals, it seems that some force is stopping us. The immortal recipe says that the monarch should always hide his whereabouts to avoid evil spirits. Only by avoiding the evil spirits will the true master descend. If the ministers knew where the monarch lived, it would hinder the arrival of the true master. True master will not get wet when they enter water, and will not be burned when they enter fire. They can ride on clouds and mist, and their lifespan is as long as the heaven and earth. Today, His Majesty is unable to keep his mind clear and free from desires when governing the country. Therefore, I suggest that Your Majesty's place of residence should not be known to others, so that the elixir of immortality can be found." The First Emperor said: "I admire the True Master, so from now on I will call myself 'True Master' instead of 'Zhen myself ." He then ordered that all 270 palaces within 200 miles of Xianyang be connected by plank roads, and that curtains, bells, drums, and beauties be placed inside them, and any changes to the layout were prohibited. Anyone who leaked the information about where the First Emperor had arrived would be put to death. Once, Qin Shihuang came to Liangshan Palace and saw from the mountain that the prime minister had a large number of carriages and entourage, which made him dissatisfied. Someone in the palace told the prime minister about this, and the prime minister then reduced the number of carriages and horses that accompanied him. The First Emperor was so angry that he said, "Someone in the palace actually leaked my words!" He then questioned the people around him, but no one admitted it. The First Emperor then ordered the arrest of all those present and had them all killed. From then on, no one knew the whereabouts of him. The First Emperor listened to reports from his ministers, and his ministers received orders and made decisions in the Xianyang Palace. 

卢生说始皇曰：“臣等求芝奇药仙者常弗遇，类物有害之者。方中，人主时为微行以辟恶鬼，恶鬼辟，真人至。人主所居而人臣知之，则害于神。真人者，入水不濡，入火不爇，陵云气，与天地久长。今上治天下，未能恬倓。愿上所居宫毋令人知，然后不死之药殆可得也。”于是始皇曰：“吾慕真人，自谓‘真人’，不称‘朕’。”乃令咸阳之旁二百里内宫观二百七十复道甬道相连，帷帐钟鼓美人充之，各案署不移徙。行所幸，有言其处者，罪死。始皇帝幸梁山宫，从山上见丞相车骑众，弗善也。中人或告丞相，丞相后损车骑。始皇怒曰：“此中人泄吾语。”案问莫服。当是时，诏捕诸时在旁者，皆杀之。自是后莫知行之所在。听事，群臣受决事，悉于咸阳宫。

147 Afang Palace

A6.39

In the thirty-fifth year, clean up the roads, a new road was built from Jiuyuan to Yunyang, and mountains were dug through and valleys were filled to make the road accessible. The Emperor thought there were too many people in Xianyang, and the palaces of the previous kings were too small. And he heard that King Wen of Zhou had his capital in Feng, and King Wu of Zhou had his capital in Hao. Then the area between Feng and Hao should be the capital of the emperor. So he built the imperial palace in Shanglin Garden in Weinan. First, he built a grand hall up in front, Afang, which was 500 steps from east to west and more than 500 ft from north to south. It could accommodate 10,000 people on the top and a Wuzhang Banner with 50 ft tall pole on the bottom. A gallery corridor was built around it, from the bottom of the hall to Nanshan. The top of Nanshan was marked as a gate. A double-story road was built, crossing the Wei River from Afang and connecting to Xianyang, to symbolize the sky pole, with a gallery road across the Han River and reaching the camp. Afang Palace was not completed yet; when it was completed, he wanted to choose a name more famous. The palace was built in Afang, so the world called it Afang Palace. There were more than 700,000 prisoners in the hidden palace, so they were divided into Afang Palace or Lishan. Stone coffins were taken from the northern mountains, and materials from Shu and Jing were all brought in. There were 300 palaces in Guanzhong and more than 400 outside the pass. So a stone in the middle of Qujie on the east sea was built to serve as the east gate of Qin. 30,000 households were moved to Liyi and 50,000 households were moved to Yunyang, and they would all get ten years of tax relief.

三十五年，除道，道九原抵云阳，堑山堙谷，直通之。于是始皇以为咸阳人多，先王之宫廷小，吾闻周文王都丰，武王都镐，丰镐之间，帝王之都也。乃营作朝宫渭南上林苑中。先作前殿阿房，东西五百步，南北五十丈，上可以坐万人，下可以建五丈旗。周驰为阁道，自殿下直抵南山。表南山之颠以为阙。为复道，自阿房渡渭，属之咸阳，以象天极阁道绝汉抵营室也。阿房宫未成；成，欲更择令名名之。作宫阿房，故天下谓之阿房宫。隐宫徒刑者七十余万人，乃分作阿房宫，或作丽山。发北山石椁，乃写蜀、荆地材皆至。关中计宫三百，关外四百余。于是立石东海上朐界中，以为秦东门。因徙三万家丽邑，五万家云阳，皆复不事十岁。

146 Book Burning

A6.38

The First Emperor held a banquet at the Xianyang Palace and seventy doctors came to celebrate his birthday. The martial minister Zhou Qingchen sang a eulogy: "In the past, the Qin territory was only a thousand miles, but thanks to Your Majesty's divine wisdom, you pacified the country and exiled the barbarians. Wherever the sun and the moon shine, everyone is submissive. The princes are divided into counties, and everyone is happy and peaceful, without the danger of war, and it will be passed down for tens of thousands of generations. Since ancient times, no one has ever come close to Your Majesty's power and virtue." The First Emperor was pleased. Doctor Chunyu Yue from Qi said: "I heard that the kings of Yin and Zhou lived for more than a thousand years, and they granted their sons and nephews meritorious officials and made themselves branches and assistants. Now Your Majesty has the whole country, but your sons and nephews are ordinary people. Finally, you have ministers like Tian Chang and the six ministers, but no one to help you. How can you save each other? It is unheard of that things can last long without learning from the ancients. Now Qingchen is flattering you to make Your Majesty's mistakes more serious. He is not a loyal minister." The First Emperor agreed to his proposal. Prime Minister Li Si said: "The Five Emperors did not repeat each other, and the Three Dynasties did not succeed one another. Each ruled in its way. They were not contradictory, but the times changed. Now Your Majesty has created a great cause and established a merit that will last for tens of thousands of generations. This is beyond the knowledge of foolish scholars. Moreover, what Chunyu Yue said was the affairs of the Three Dynasties, why should we follow it? In other times, the princes fought each other and invited scholars to travel over. Today, the world has been settled down and the laws have been issued. While the common people are devoted to agriculture and handicrafts at home, scholars should learn the laws and prohibitions well. Now if the students do not learn from the present but learn from the past, they would criticize the present and confuse the people. Prime Minister Li Si said without hesitation: In ancient times, the world was scattered and chaotic, and could not be unified.  Therefore, the princes fought together, and all talked about the past to harm the present and embellish the truth with false words. People were good at what they learned privately to criticize what the emperor had established. Now the emperor has unified the world and made clear what is black and what is white, and all were set with one supreme standard. If private schools teach illegally, when people hear the order, they will discuss it with their own knowledge. If they go in, they will disagree with it in their hearts, and if they go out, they will gossip about it. They will boast of their master for fame, and take different things as superiority, and lead the subordinates to slander. If such behavior is not prohibited, it will undermine the authority of the monarch and cause the cliques below to collude with each other. It is convenient to prohibit it. I ask the historians to burn all the records that are not from the Qin Dynasty. If anyone in the world dares to keep poems, books, and the words of the hundred schools of thought that are not the duties of the doctoral officials, they should all be taken to the governor and the lieutenant to be burned. Anyone who dares to talk about poems and books even occasionally will be executed. Anyone who compares the past with the present will get his own clan wiped out. Officials who know about it but do not report it will be punished with the same crime. Anyone who failed to burn the books within thirty days of the order would be tattooed and sent to build the Great Wall. The books that are not removed are books on medicine, divination, and tree planting. If you want to learn the law, take the officials as your teachers. " The first emperor Qin Shi Huang issued an edict saying, "Yes."

始皇置酒咸阳宫，博士七十人前为寿。仆射周青臣进颂曰：“他时秦地不过千里，赖陛下神灵明圣，平定海内，放逐蛮夷，日月所照，莫不宾服。以诸侯为郡县，人人自安乐，无战争之患，传之万世。自上古不及陛下威德。”始皇悦。博士齐人淳于越进曰：“臣闻殷周之王千余岁，封子弟功臣，自为枝辅。今陛下有海内，而子弟为匹夫，卒有田常、六卿之臣，无辅拂，何以相救哉？事不师古而能长久者，非所闻也。今青臣又面谀以重陛下之过，非忠臣。”始皇下其议。丞相李斯曰：“五帝不相复，三代不相袭，各以治，非其相反，时变异也。今陛下创大业，建万世之功，固非愚儒所知。且越言乃三代之事，何足法也？异时诸侯并争，厚招游学。今天下已定，法令出一，百姓当家则力农工，士则学习法令辟禁。今诸生不师今而学古，以非当世，惑乱黔首。丞相臣斯昧死言：古者天下散乱，莫之能一，是以诸侯并作，语皆道古以害今，饰虚言以乱实，人善其所私学，以非上之所建立。今皇帝并有天下，别黑白而定一尊。私学而相与非法教，人闻令下，则各以其学议之，入则心非，出则巷议，夸主以为名，异取以为高，率群下以造谤。如此弗禁，则主势降乎上，党与成乎下。禁之便。臣请史官非秦记皆烧之。非博士官所职，天下敢有藏诗、书、百家语者，悉诣守、尉杂烧之。有敢偶语诗书者弃市。以古非今者族。吏见知不举者与同罪。令下三十日不烧，黥为城旦。所不去者，医药卜筮种树之书。若欲有学法令，以吏为师。”制曰：“可。”

145 Jiaping the La Festival

A6.33|34|35|36|37

In December of the 31st year (216 BC), the La Festival was renamed "Jiaping". Six dan of rice and two sheep were given to the people of every li. The First Emperor went out incognito to inspect Xianyang. He was accompanied by four warriors. At night, he encountered thieves in Lanchi. The situation was dangerous. The warriors killed the thieves, so a large-scale search lasted for 20 days in Guanzhong. The price of rice reached 1,600 coins per dan.

In the 32nd year (215 BC), the First Emperor went to Jieshi Mountain and sent Lu Sheng, a man from Yan, to look for the two immortals Xianmen and Gaoshi. He engraved words on the Jieshi Gate. The First Emperor ordered the destruction of the city walls and the dikes to be dug through. The inscription said: 

The emperor dispatched troops and generals to punish the unjust and eliminate the rebels. He used force to eradicate the brutal rebels and used virtue to protect the innocent good people, which was what the people wanted. He rewarded those who had made contributions, and his grace extended to the livestock and nourished the land within the borders. The emperor exerted his prestige and annexed the princes with virtue, and for the first time achieved the unification and stability of the world. He destroyed the city walls, dug through the dikes, and leveled the dangerous obstacles. The terrain has been determined, the people have no worries, and the whole world is pacified. Men enjoy their fields, women cultivate their careers, and everything is in order. The emperor's grace spread to every industry, and people who had been wandering for a long time returned to their hometowns to farm and live and work in peace and contentment. All the ministers praise his heroic deeds and ask that this stone be engraved to set an example.

The First Emperor then sent Han Zhong, Hou Gong, and Shi Sheng to search for the immortal elixir. The First Emperor went to the northern border for inspection and returned to the capital via Shangjun. Lu Sheng, a man from Yan, returned from the sea and told stories about gods and ghosts. He took the opportunity to present a book he had copied, which said "the one who will destroy Qin is Hu." The First Emprior then sent General Meng Tian to mobilize 300,000 soldiers to attack the Hu people in the north and capture the land of Henan. In the thirty-third year (214 BC), the Emperor recruited fugitive criminals, sons-in-law, and merchants to conquer the Luliang area, where Guilin, Xiang, and Nanhai counties were established, and then recruits were sent to guard. The Xiongnu were driven out of the northwest. From Yuzhong along the Yellow River to the east, all the way to Yinshan, forty-four counties were established there, and cities were built on the banks of the Yellow River as fortresses. The First Emperor also sent Meng Tian to cross the Yellow River to occupy Gaoque, Yangshan, and Beijiazhong, and built fortresses to drive out the Rong people. The exiled prisoners were moved to fill the newly created counties. Civil sacrifices were prohibited. A comet appeared in the west. In the thirty-fourth year (213 BC), officials who made unfair judgments were sent to build the Great Wall or guard the Nanyue area.

三十一年十二月，更名腊曰“嘉平”。赐黔首里六石米，二羊。始皇为微行咸阳，与武士四人俱，夜出逢盗兰池，见窘，武士击杀盗，关中大索二十日。米石千六百。

三十二年，始皇之碣石，使燕人卢生求羡门、高誓。刻碣石门。坏城郭，决通隄防。其辞曰：

遂兴师旅，诛戮无道，为逆灭息。武殄暴逆，文复无罪，庶心咸服。惠论功劳，赏及牛马，恩肥土域。皇帝奋威，德并诸侯，初一泰平。堕坏城郭，决通川防，夷去险阻。地势既定，黎庶无繇，天下咸抚。男乐其畴，女修其业，事各有序。惠被诸产，久并来田，莫不安所。群臣诵烈，请刻此石，垂著仪矩。

因使韩终、侯公、石生求仙人不死之药。始皇巡北边，从上郡入。燕人卢生使入海还，以鬼神事，因奏录图书，曰“亡秦者胡也”。始皇乃使将军蒙恬发兵三十万人北击胡，略取河南地。

三十三年，发诸尝逋亡人、赘婿、贾人略取陆梁地，为桂林、象郡、南海，以適遣戍。西北斥逐匈奴。自榆中并河以东，属之阴山，以为四十四县，城河上为塞。又使蒙恬渡河取高阙、阳山、北假中，筑亭障以逐戎人。徙谪，实之初县。禁不得祠。明星出西方。三十四年，適治狱吏不直者，筑长城及南越地。