Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Qin Book 1 Scroll 6 (continued)
The 10th year of the First Emperor(237 B.C.)
In October, during the winter, Marquis Wenxin was dismissed from his position as Chancellor and left for his fief town.
The imperial clans and court officials proposed: “All the foreigners from other kingdoms who came to our state for employment are agents lobbying or spying for their lords. Please deport all of them from our country.” The king promulgated a decree for a broad search and deportation of all foreigners. An official named Li Si, hailed from the kingdom of Chu, was on the list to be deported. On his way out, he submitted a plea to the king:
“When Duke Mu of Qin sought talents, he acquired You Yu from Tribe Rong in the west. From the east, he recruited Baili Xi from Wan, a city in the kingdom of Chu. He welcomed Jian Shu from the state of Song and invited Pi Bao and Gongsun Zhi from the kingdom of Jin. These talents enabled the kingdom of Qin to annex around twenty states and dominate the western frontier. Duke Xiao of Qin adopted the laws proposed by Shang Yang, causing other monarchs to bow down to the kingdom of Qin. King Hui of Qin utilized the strategy of Zhang Yi to dismantle the vertical alliance of six kingdoms, making them concede to Qin. King Zhaoxiang of Qin strengthened the power of the Royal Court and weakened private enterprises. These achievements were made possible with the help of these four foreigners. From this perspective, what harm has been done by these guest workers?”
“Beautiful women, music, pearls, and jade that are not produced in the kingdom of Qin, did not prevent them being collected and enjoyed by Your Majesty. Guest workers are treated differently. People are deported simply because they are foreigners, regardless of their qualifications and character. This policy prioritizes the appeal of beauty, music, pearls, and jade over men. I have learned that Mount Tai becomes great because it does not reject any soil; the Yellow River and oceans become deep because they do not reject any trickle. A lord demonstrates his kindness by not rejecting ordinary people. That is why the three Sovereigns and five Emperors in history were unmatched. Now, Your Majesty abandons immigrants to enemy kingdoms and repels guest workers to other monarchs. This amounts to providing supply for invaders and gifting grain to burglars.”
The king called Li Si back, reinstated him as a top official, and rescinded the deportation decree. Li Si had already traveled to the town of Liyi and returned to the capital. Eventually, the king adopted Li Si’s proposal. He sent orators carrying gold and jade to lobby other monarchs. Those nobles who accepted the bribes were bought off, and those elites who declined the bribes were assassinated. Sowing discord among the lords and their ministers, followed by armed invasions led by generals with excellent records, led the king of Qin to unify the country within a few years.
The 11th year of the First Emperor(236 B.C.)
The army of Zhao attacked the kingdom of Yan and captured the cities of Li and Yangcheng. Before the war concluded, the army of Qin, led by generals Wang Jian, Huan Yi, and Yang Duanhe, raided the kingdom of Zhao. They attacked the city of Ye and seized nine towns. Specifically, Wang Jian captured the cities of Yuyu and Liaoyang, while Huan Yi took the cities of Ye and Anyang.
King Daoxiang of Zhao died, and his son Zhao Qian succeeded him as King Youmiu of Zhao. His mother, a prostitute, had bewitched King Daoxiang of Zhao, leading him to install Zhao Qian as the crown prince, replacing his eldest son Zhao Jia. Prince Zhao Qian had a poor reputation for his misconduct in the kingdom.
Marquis Wenxin had been in his fiefdom for about a year. Envoys and admirers from other monarchs tripped over each other on visiting him, all inviting him to their states. The king of Qin feared potential unrest and wrote a letter to Marquis Wenxin: “What achievements did you accomplish for the kingdom of Qin to justify a fief of one hundred thousand households and being the lord of Henan city? What lineage do you have to the court to deserve the appellation of The Uncle? Take your family to Shu!”
Marquis Wenxin realized his fate was doomed and was terrified of his impending execution.
The 12th year of the First Emperor(235 B.C.)
Marquis Wenxin committed suicide by drinking a toxic potion, and his family buried him quietly. His minions who had participated in the funeral were driven into exile. The king declared, “From now on, the possessions of ministers who commit indecency, such as Lao Ai and Lü Buwei, will be confiscated. This sets the precedent.”
Yang Xiong commented in his book “Exemplary Figures”: Someone asked, ‘Was Lü Buwei wise, as he traded people like merchandise?’ The answer was, ‘Who said Lü Buwei was a wise man? He traded his family’s life for a fiefdom. A burglar like Lü Buwei is merely a master gopher. I have seen a gopher get away with a hundred kilograms of grain, but I have never seen a gopher steal a city like Luoyang.’
There was no rainfall from June to August in the kingdom of Qin.
The king of Qin mobilized the armed forces from four commanderies to aid the kingdom of Wei in a raid against Chu.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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