Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Qin Book 1 Scroll 6 (continued)
The 9th year of the First Emperor(238 B.C. continued)
King Kaolie of Chu did not have a son, which worried Lord Chunshen. He selected many women to bear a son for the king, but to no avail. A man named Li Yuan from the kingdom of Zhao took his younger sister to the kingdom of Chu, hoping to present her to the king. Upon hearing that the king had difficulties fathering a son, Li Yuan changed his plan. He knew his sister would fall out of favor if she couldn’t bear a son for the king. He applied to be an attendant to Lord Chunshen and was employed. He took leave to go home and intentionally returned later than the preset date.
When Lord Chunshen asked about his late return, Li Yuan said, “The king of Qi sent an envoy to marry my younger sister. I dined with the envoy and got drunk. That’s why I was late returning.” Lord Chunshen, interested, asked, “Have they engaged yet?” Li Yuan replied, “Not yet.” Lord Chunshen then took the woman to be his concubine, and she became pregnant.
Li Yuan instructed his younger sister to influence Lord Chunshen: “The king favors you and relies on you more than he does his own brothers. You have been the prime minister of Chu for twenty years, and the king still does not have a son. When the king passes away, his brother will succeed him. His brothers all have their own favorites and will promote them instead. How can you maintain your influence? Not only that, you have been in power for a long time and have offended the king’s brothers at times. If one of them becomes the king, you would be in big trouble. Now I am pregnant, but nobody knows. If you present me to the king, he will accept me out of respect for you. If I bear a son, he could become the future king. Then the whole kingdom of Chu would be yours. Compared to the uncertain future of his brother becoming king, which option is better?”
Lord Chunshen loved the idea. He moved Li Yuan’s sister to a well-protected residence and recommended her to the king. The king of Chu summoned her, and they consummated their relationship. Soon she gave birth to a son, who was designated the crown prince.
Li Yuan’s sister became the queen, and Li Yuan was elevated to royal status, gaining significant power. Fearing that Lord Chunshen might reveal their plot, Li Yuan secretly hired assassins to silence him permanently. However, many people in the country were aware of what he was doing.
When the king of Chu fell ill, Zhu Ying went to speak with Lord Chunshen: “There are unexpected felicities; there are also unexpected disasters. You are living in an unpredictable world and serving an unpredictable lord. How could you be without an unexpected helper?”
Lord Chunshen asked, “What do you mean by unexpected felicities?”
Zhu Ying answered, “You have been the Chancellor of the kingdom for more than twenty years. Your position is the Chancellor, but you essentially act as the king. The king is sick and could pass away at any time. You would be the regent for a young king and in charge of the kingdom. As the king grows up, you can return power to him. Otherwise, you may take the throne yourself. That’s what I mean by unexpected felicities.”
Lord Chunshen followed up, “What do you mean by unexpected disasters?”
Zhu Ying continued, “Li Yuan does not manage the government, yet he sees you as his antagonist. He does not manage military affairs, yet he has hired assassins. When the king passes away, Li Yuan will usurp power and kill you to execute his plot. That’s what I mean by unexpected disasters.”
Lord Chunshen kept asking, “What do you mean by an unexpected helper?”
Zhu Ying replied, “You should appoint me as the king’s guard. When the king passes away, Li Yuan will be the first to enter the court. I will take him out first. That’s what I mean by an unexpected helper.”
Lord Chunshen said, “Leave this to me. Li Yuan is a wimpy person. I have treated him well. Why would he do this to me?”
Fearing for his life, Zhu Ying ran away as he saw that Lord Chunshen did not heed his advice. Seventeen days later, the king died. As expected, Li Yuan was the first to enter the court. He had hidden assassins inside the palace gate. When Lord Chunshen arrived, he was stabbed to death, and his head was thrown outside the palace gate. Li Yuan then ordered the arrest and execution of Lord Chunshen‘s entire family. The crown prince, whose name was Han, was installed as King You of Chu.
Yang Xiong commented in his book Exemplary Figures: “Someone asked, ‘Lord Xinling, Lord Pingyuan, Lord Mengchang, and Lord Chunshen, were they beneficial for their states?’ The answer is, ‘The monarch mishandled his government, and the treacherous court officials usurped the power of the state. What benefits did they bring to their states?’”
The king of Qin could not bear the idea of killing Marquis Wenxin because of his merits in helping his father ascend to the throne.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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