| | 吕不韦列... : |
吕不韦者，阳翟大贾人也。往来贩贱卖贵，家累千金。 |
| | Lü Buwei was a wealthy merchant from Yangzhi. He traveled back and forth, buying cheaply and selling dearly, accumulating wealth in the thousands of gold pieces.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
秦昭王四十年，太子死。其四十二年，以其次子安国君为太子。安国君有子二十馀人。安国君有所甚爱姬，立以为正夫人，号曰华阳夫人。华阳夫人无子。安国君中男名子楚，子楚母曰夏姬，毋爱。子楚为秦质子于赵。秦数攻赵，赵不甚礼子楚。 |
| | In the fortieth year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin (267 BC), the crown prince died. In his forty-second year (265 BC), he appointed his second son, An Guojun, as crown prince. An Guojun had more than twenty sons. An Guojun had a concubine he greatly loved; he elevated her to the position of principal wife, and she was given the title Huayang Fu Ren. Huayang Fu Ren had no children. An Guojun's middle son was named Zi Chu; Zi Chu's mother was Xia Ji, who was not loved. Zi Chu served as a Qin envoy hostage in Zhao. Qin frequently attacked Zhao, and therefore Zhao did not treat Zi Chu with great courtesy.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
子楚，秦诸庶孽孙，质于诸侯，车乘进用不饶，居处困，不得意。吕不韦贾邯郸，见而怜之，曰“此奇货可居”。乃往见子楚，说曰：“吾能大子之门。”子楚笑曰：“且自大君之门，而乃大吾门！”吕不韦曰：“子不知也，吾门待子门而大。”子楚心知所谓，乃引与坐，深语。吕不韦曰：“秦王老矣，安国君得为太子。窃闻安国君爱幸华阳夫人，华阳夫人无子，能立适嗣者独华阳夫人耳。今子兄弟二十馀人，子又居中，不甚见幸，久质诸侯。即大王薨，安国君立为王，则子毋几得与长子及诸子旦暮在前者争为太子矣。”子楚曰：“然。为之柰何？”吕不韦曰：“子贫，客于此，非有以奉献于亲及结宾客也。不韦虽贫，请以千金为子西游，事安国君及华阳夫人，立子为适嗣。”子楚乃顿首曰：“必如君策，请得分秦国与君共之。” |
| | Zi Chu was a collateral descendant of the Qin royal family, serving as an envoy hostage among the feudal lords. His means for carriages and supplies were limited, his living conditions difficult, and he was discontented. Lü Buwei, who was doing business in Handan, saw him and felt pity for him, saying, "This is a rare commodity worth investing in." He then went to visit Zi Chu and said, "I can greatly enhance your family's status." Zi Chu laughed and said, "You should first elevate your own lord's household before you can elevate mine!" Lü Buwei replied, "You do not understand; my family's status depends on elevating your family to become great." Zi Chu realized what was meant and thus invited him to sit, engaging in a deep conversation. Lü Buwei said, "King Zhaoxiang is old now; An Guojun will become crown prince. I have heard that An Guojun greatly favors Huayang Fu Ren, who has no children. The only one capable of establishing a legitimate heir is Huayang Fu Ren alone. Now you have more than twenty brothers, and you are in the middle of them; you are not particularly favored, and have been a hostage among the feudal lords for a long time. Even if King Zhaoxiang passes away and An Guojun becomes king, you will have little chance of competing with the eldest son and other sons who are favored day and night for the position of crown prince." Zi Chu said, "Indeed. What can be done about it?" Lü Buwei said, "You are poor and a guest here; you have no means to offer gifts to your parents or to cultivate relationships with guests. Although I am poor, I will use a thousand gold pieces to travel west on your behalf and cultivate relationships with An Guojun and Huayang Fu Ren in order to establish you as the legitimate heir." Zi Chu then kowtowed and said, "If your plan succeeds, I will certainly share the state of Qin with you."
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
吕不韦乃以五百金与子楚，为进用，结宾客；而复以五百金买奇物玩好，自奉而西游秦，求见华阳夫人姊，而皆以其物献华阳夫人。因言子楚贤智，结诸侯宾客遍天下，常曰“楚也以夫人为天，日夜泣思太子及夫人”。夫人大喜。不韦因使其姊说夫人曰：“吾闻之，以色事人者，色衰而爱弛。今夫人事太子，甚爱而无子，不以此时蚤自结于诸子中贤孝者，举立以为适而子之，夫在则重尊，夫百岁之后，所子者为王，终不失势，此所谓一言而万世之利也。不以繁华时树本，即色衰爱弛后，虽欲开一语，尚可得乎？今子楚贤，而自知中男也，次不得为适，其母又不得幸，自附夫人，夫人诚以此时拔以为适，夫人则竟世有宠于秦矣。”华阳夫人以为然，承太子闲，从容言子楚质于赵者绝贤，来往者皆称誉之。乃因涕泣曰：“妾幸得充后宫，不幸无子，愿得子楚立以为适嗣，以托妾身。”安国君许之，乃与夫人刻玉符，约以为适嗣。安国君及夫人因厚馈遗子楚，而请吕不韦傅之，子楚以此名誉益盛于诸侯。 |
| | Lü Buwei then gave five hundred gold pieces to Zi Chu for expenses and to cultivate relationships with guests; and used another five hundred gold pieces to buy rare objects and luxuries, which he presented himself while traveling west to Qin in order to seek an audience with Huayang Fu Ren's sister, giving all these items as gifts to Huayang Fu Ren. He also spoke highly of Zi Chu, praising his virtue and intelligence, and mentioned that he had cultivated relationships with guests from all over the world among the feudal lords. He often said, "Chu regards Lady Huayang as heaven; day and night he weeps and longs for Crown Prince An Guojun and Lady Huayang." Huayang Fu Ren was greatly pleased. Lü Buwei then had his sister persuade the lady, saying, "I have heard that those who serve others through their beauty will find love wane when their looks fade. Now, you serve the crown prince and are greatly loved but have no children. If you do not take this opportunity to cultivate a relationship with one of his sons who is virtuous and filial among them, elevate him as your legitimate son, then while he lives you will be held in great esteem; after he passes away, the child you raise will become king, ensuring that you never lose power. This is what is called gaining benefits for generations through a single word." If you do not plant the roots of influence while in your prime, once your beauty fades and love wanes, even if you wish to speak a single word, will it still be possible? Now, Zi Chu is virtuous and knows he is the middle son; by birth order, he cannot become the legitimate heir. His mother is also not favored. He has attached himself to you, Lady Huayang. If you truly take this opportunity to elevate him as your adopted son now, then you will enjoy lifelong favor in Qin." Huayang Fu Ren found this reasoning convincing. Taking advantage of a quiet moment with the crown prince, she casually mentioned that Zi Chu, who was held as a hostage in Zhao, was exceptionally virtuous; those who came and went all spoke highly of him. She then wept and said, "I have been fortunate to be among the palace ladies, but unfortunately I have no children. I wish for Zi Chu to be established as my adopted son so that he may become the legitimate heir, thus securing my future." An Guojun agreed. He then carved a jade token with his wife and made an agreement to establish Zi Chu as the legitimate heir. An Guojun and his wife then gave generous gifts to Zi Chu, and requested Lü Buwei to serve as his tutor. As a result, Zi Chu's reputation grew even more among the feudal lords.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
吕不韦取邯郸诸姬绝好善舞者与居，知有身。子楚从不韦饮，见而说之，因起为寿，请之。吕不韦怒，念业已破家为子楚，欲以钓奇，乃遂献其姬。姬自匿有身，至大期时，生子政。子楚遂立姬为夫人。 |
| | Lü Buwei took a very beautiful and graceful dancer from Handan as his concubine, and she became pregnant. Zi Chu was drinking with Lü Buwei when he saw her and was delighted. He then rose to offer a toast in her honor, requesting that she be given to him. Lü Buwei was angry but, thinking of the great expense he had already incurred for Zi Chu and wishing to gain an extraordinary advantage through this arrangement, decided to give his concubine to him. The woman concealed her pregnancy and, at the full term of twelve months, gave birth to a son named Zheng. Zi Chu then established this woman as his wife.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
秦昭王五十年，使王齮围邯郸，急，赵欲杀子楚。子楚与吕不韦谋，行金六百斤予守者吏，得脱，亡赴秦军，遂以得归。赵欲杀子楚妻子，子楚夫人赵豪家女也，得匿，以故母子竟得活。秦昭王五十六年，薨，太子安国君立为王，华阳夫人为王后，子楚为太子。赵亦奉子楚夫人及子政归秦。 |
| | In the fiftieth year of King Zhaoxiang's reign (257 BC), Wang Yi was sent to besiege Handan. The situation became dire, and Zhao wanted to execute Zi Chu. Zi Chu and Lü Buwei plotted together, bribing the guards with six hundred gold pieces, enabling him to escape. He fled to join the Qin forces and thus managed to return home. Zhao wanted to kill Zi Chu's wife and children. However, since Zi Chu's wife was the daughter of a powerful family in Zhao, she managed to hide, and thus mother and child ultimately survived. In the fifty-sixth year of King Zhaoxiang (251 BC), he died. Crown Prince An Guojun ascended to the throne as king, Huayang Fu Ren became queen, and Zi Chu was appointed crown prince. Zhao also sent Zi Chu's wife and their son Zheng back to Qin.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
秦王立一年，薨，谥为孝文王。太子子楚代立，是为庄襄王。庄襄王所母华阳后为华阳太后，真母夏姬尊以为夏太后。庄襄王元年，以吕不韦为丞相，封为文信侯，食河南雒阳十万户。 |
| | One year after ascending the throne, King An Guojun died and was posthumously honored as King Xiaowen. Crown Prince Zi Chu succeeded to the throne in his place; he became known as King Zhuangxiang. Zhuangxiang Wang's stepmother, Huayang Hou, was honored as Huayang Taihou; his biological mother, Xia Ji, was elevated to the title of Xia Taihou. In the first year of King Zhuangxiang's reign, Lü Buwei was appointed as chancellor and enfeoffed as Marquis Wenxin, with a fief of ten thousand households in Luoyang, Henan.
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| | 吕不韦列... : |
庄襄王即位三年，薨，太子政立为王，尊吕不韦为相国，号称“仲父”。秦王年少，太后时时窃私通吕不韦。不韦家僮万人。 |
| | Three years after King Zhuangxiang ascended the throne, he died. Crown Prince Zheng succeeded as king and honored Lü Buwei as Prime Minister, bestowing on him the title "Zhongfu." King Qin was young, and the Empress Dowager often secretly had an affair with Lü Buwei. Lü Buwei had ten thousand household attendants.
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当是时，魏有信陵君，楚有春申君，赵有平原君，齐有孟尝君，皆下士喜宾客以相倾。吕不韦以秦之强，羞不如，亦招致士，厚遇之，至食客三千人。是时诸侯多辩士，如荀卿之徒，著书布天下。吕不韦乃使其客人人著所闻，集论以为八览、六论、十二纪，二十馀万言。以为备天地万物古今之事，号曰吕氏春秋。布咸阳市门，悬千金其上，延诸侯游士宾客有能增损一字者予千金。 |
| | At that time, the State of Wei had Xinning Jun, the State of Chu had Chunshen Jun, the State of Zhao had Pingyuan Jun, and the State of Qi had Mengchang Jun. All were men who valued scholars and welcomed guests in order to outshine one another. Lü Buwei, ashamed that the State of Qin was not as illustrious despite its strength, also sought out scholars and treated them generously, eventually providing for three thousand guests. At that time, many eloquent men were active among the feudal lords; figures like Xun Qing and others wrote books which spread throughout the world. Lü Buwei then instructed each of his guests to write down what they had learned, compiling their discussions into the "Ba Lan," "Liu Lun," and "Shi Er Ji," totaling over two hundred thousand characters. He considered it a comprehensive record of all things under heaven, from the past to the present, and named it "Lüshi Chunqiu." He posted copies of the work at the gates of Xianyang market, hanging a thousand gold pieces above them and offering a reward of one thousand gold to any scholar or guest from among the feudal lords who could add or remove even a single character.
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始皇帝益壮，太后淫不止。吕不韦恐觉祸及己，乃私求大阴人嫪毐以为舍人，时纵倡乐，使毐以其阴关桐轮而行，令太后闻之，以啗太后。太后闻，果欲私得之。吕不韦乃进嫪毐，诈令人以腐罪告之。不韦又阴谓太后曰：“可事诈腐，则得给事中。”太后乃阴厚赐主腐者吏，诈论之，拔其须眉为宦者，遂得侍太后。太后私与通，绝爱之。有身，太后恐人知之，诈卜当避时，徙宫居雍。嫪毐常从，赏赐甚厚，事皆决于嫪毐。嫪毐家僮数千人，诸客求宦为嫪毐舍人千馀人。 |
| | As Emperor Qin Shi Huang grew stronger, the Empress Dowager continued her immoral conduct without restraint. Lü Buwei feared that if his affair were discovered, the punishment would reach him. Therefore, he secretly sought out a eunuch named Lao Ai and made him a household servant. He allowed Lao Ai to indulge in music and entertainment, having him use his private parts to turn a wooden wheel for amusement, so that the Empress Dowager could hear of it and be tempted by him. The Empress Dowager heard about this and indeed desired to have an affair with him in secret. Lü Buwei then presented Lao Ai, falsely having someone report that he had committed a crime punishable by castration. Lü Buwei also secretly told the Empress Dowager, "He can pretend to have been castrated and thus be allowed to serve in the palace." The Empress Dowager then secretly gave generous gifts to the officials responsible for castration, who falsely carried out the punishment and shaved off Lao Ai's beard and eyebrows to make him appear like an eunuch. Thus he was allowed to serve the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager secretly had relations with Lao Ai, loving him dearly. When she became pregnant, the Empress Dowager feared that others would discover it and falsely claimed a divination advised her to avoid danger. She moved to reside in Yong Palace. Lao Ai often accompanied her, receiving very generous rewards and gifts; all matters were decided by Lao Ai. Lao Ai had thousands of household attendants, and more than a thousand guests sought official positions to serve as Lao Ai's household servants.
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始皇七年，庄襄王母夏太后薨。孝文王后曰华阳太后，与孝文王会葬寿陵。夏太后子庄襄王葬芷阳，故夏太后独别葬杜东，曰“东望吾子，西望吾夫。后百年，旁当有万家邑”。 |
| | In the seventh year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign (240 BC), Xia Taihou, the mother of King Zhuangxiang, died. The widow of King Xiaowen, Huayang Taihou, was buried together with King Xiaowen at Shouling. Xia Taihou's son, King Zhuangxiang, was buried in Zhiyang; therefore, Xia Taihou alone was separately buried to the east of Du, with the inscription: "Looking east toward my son and west toward my husband." After a hundred years, there will be a town of ten thousand households nearby."
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始皇九年，有告嫪毐实非宦者，常与太后私乱，生子二人，皆匿之。与太后谋曰“王即薨，以子为后”。于是秦王下吏治，具得情实，事连相国吕不韦。九月，夷嫪毐三族，杀太后所生两子，而遂迁太后于雍。诸嫪毐舍人皆没其家而迁之蜀。王欲诛相国，为其奉先王功大，及宾客辩士为游说者众，王不忍致法。 |
| | In the ninth year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign (238 BC), someone reported that Lao Ai was in fact not a eunuch and had been having an illicit relationship with the Empress Dowager, fathering two sons who were being hidden. They had plotted together with the Empress Doweger saying, "If the king passes away, we will make our son the heir." As a result, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered officials to investigate and fully uncovered the truth; the matter was connected to Chancellor Lü Buwei. In September, Lao Ai's three clans were exterminated and the two sons born by the Empress Dowager were killed. The Empress Dowager was then exiled to Yong. All of Lao Ai's former household servants had their families confiscated and were relocated to Shu. The king wanted to punish the chancellor, but because of his great contributions to the late king and due to the large number of eloquent guests and scholars who lobbied on his behalf, he could not bring himself to apply legal punishment.
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秦王十年十月，免相国吕不韦。及齐人茅焦说秦王，秦王乃迎太后于雍，归复咸阳，而出文信侯就国河南。 |
| | In October of the tenth year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (237 BC), Chancellor Lü Buwei was dismissed from office. Later, when the Qi native Mao Jiao advised Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the emperor welcomed the Empress Dowager back from Yong and returned her to Xianyang. At the same time, he ordered Marquis Wenxin to leave the capital and return to his fief in Henan.
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岁馀，诸侯宾客使者相望于道，请文信侯。秦王恐其为变，乃赐文信侯书曰：“君何功于秦？秦封君河南，食十万户。君何亲于秦？号称仲父。其与家属徙处蜀！”吕不韦自度稍侵，恐诛，乃饮酖而死。秦王所加怒吕不韦、嫪毐皆已死，乃皆复归嫪毐舍人迁蜀者。 |
| | After more than a year, envoys, guests, and messengers from the feudal lords were constantly seen on the roads requesting an audience with Marquis Wenxin. Emperor Qin Shi Huang feared that he might incite rebellion, so he sent a letter to Marquis Wenxin saying, "What merit do you have for the state of Qin? I have enfeoffed you in Henan with ten thousand households as your fief. What kinship do you share with the state of Qin? You have been honored as "Zhongfu." Therefore, you and your family must be relocated to Shu!" Lü Buwei realized that his power was gradually being eroded and feared punishment, so he drank poison and died. After Emperor Qin Shi Huang had vented his anger against Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, both of whom were already dead, he ordered the return of all former household servants of Lao Ai who had been relocated to Shu.
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始皇十九年，太后薨，谥为帝太后，与庄襄王会葬茝阳。 |
| | In the nineteenth year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's rule (228 BC), the Empress Dowager died and was posthumously titled "Daitaihou," being buried together with King Zhuangxiang at Chaiyang.
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太史公曰：不韦及嫪毐贵，封号文信侯。人之告嫪毐，毐闻之。秦王验左右，未发。上之雍郊，毐恐祸起，乃与党谋，矫太后玺发卒以反蕲年宫。发吏攻毐，毐败亡走，追斩之好畤，遂灭其宗。而吕不韦由此绌矣。孔子之所谓“闻”者，其吕子乎？ |
| | Grand Historian said: Lü Buwei and Lao Ai both attained great power, with the title of Marquis Wenxin bestowed upon them. When someone reported on Lao Ai, Lao Ai heard about it. Emperor Qin Shi Huang investigated his attendants but had not yet acted. When the emperor went to Yong for a sacrificial ceremony, Lao Ai feared that disaster would strike and thus plotted with his accomplices. He forged the Empress Dowager's seal to mobilize troops and staged a rebellion at Qiniangong Palace. The officials were dispatched to attack Lao Ai, who was defeated and fled. He was pursued and beheaded in Haozhi, and his entire clan was exterminated. Lü Buwei thus fell from power as a result. Is this not the kind of "renowned" person Confucius referred to—was it not Lü Buwei?
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