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Tag: Qin Er Shi

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 64): The Implosion of Zhang-Chu

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang

    Annals of Qin Book 3 Scroll 8

    Duration of 2 years

    The Rise of Zhang-Chu

    The 2nd year of the Second Emperor(208 B.C.)

    In October of that winter, the inspector general of the Sichuan commandery, named Ping, led an armed force to surround the Duke of Pei in Feng county. The Duke of Pei emerged from the city and defeated Ping’s troops. He then assigned Yong Chi to defend Feng county. In November, the Duke of Pei led his forces toward Xue county. The governor of the Sichuan commandery, named Zhuang, came out to engage the Duke of Pei in a battle but was routed. Zhuang fled to Qi County, where he was captured and killed by the Left Major of the Duke of Pei’s forces.

    General Zhou Wen fled from the Hangu Pass and halted at Caoyang post. About two months later, General Zhang Han pursued him and defeated his troops again. Zhou Wen retreated to Mianchi county, where Zhang Han attacked him again after a dozen days. This time, Zhou Wen’s troops were decisively crushed. Zhou Wen slit his throat, and his troops ceased fighting.

    The Deputy King of Zhang-Chu, Wu Guang, led the siege of Xingyang. Li You, the governor of the Sanchuan commandery, commanded the defense of the city, successfully thwarting Wu Guang’s efforts. A general of Zhang-Chu named Tian Zang conspired with his confidants: “The army of Zhou Wen has collapsed, and the Qin army could arrive any day now. We cannot breach Xingyang, and we will be defeated when the Qin forces come. It would be better to leave a small contingent to continue the siege of Xingyang and concentrate our finest troops to face the incoming Qin army head-on. However, the Deputy King Wu Guang is arrogant and ignorant of military strategy. Discussing this plan with him would be pointless and could make matters worse.” They plotted to forge a decree from Chen Sheng, ordering Wu Guang‘s execution. They beheaded Wu Guang and delivered his head to Chen Sheng. In response, Chen Sheng sent an envoy to Tian Zang, granting him the seal of Prime Minister of Zhang-Chu and appointing him as the top general.

    Tian Zang left General Li Gui and several other generals to maintain the siege of Xingyang. He then led his core forces westward to confront the Qin army at the town of Aocang. In the ensuing battle, Tian Zang was killed, and his troops were slaughtered. General Zhang Han advanced to Xingyang and broke the siege. General Li Gui and the other generals were killed.

    General Deng Shui of Zhang-Chu from Yangcheng County had his troops camped at Jia county, but a lieutenant under Zhang Han routed them. General Wu Feng from Zhi County led his troops to the town Xu, where Zhang Han‘s army crushed them. Both Zhang-Chu forces collapsed, and their commanders fled back to their king. Enraged, Chen Sheng had Deng Shui executed.

    The Second Emperor lampooned Chancellor Li Si several times: “You hold the highest ministerial position in the court; why do you allow bandits and thieves to be so rampant?” Li Si was frightened. He greatly valued his high rank and rewards but did not know how to address the issue. 

    Seeking to please the emperor, he drafted a proposal: “A wise ruler must master the art of surveillance and supervision. When Mr. Shen Buhai said, ‘When one owns the world and does not do whatever he wants, it can be said that he lets the world be a shackle on himself,’ he meant that a ruler who fails to surveil and supervise properly, like Emperors Yao and Yu who served all the people with their own labor, effectively shackles himself. If a ruler does not practice the wise arts developed by Mr. Shen Buhai and Mr. Han Fei, and instead burdens himself with the distress of ordinary people, making himself haggard, he is merely devoting himself to serving the people. This is the labor of a commoner, not the duty of a lord of the world. What is noble about that? Therefore, a wise monarch should enhance the surveillance of his subordinates and make all decisions himself to prevent power from falling into the hands of his subjects. Furthermore, he should stop the practice of benevolence and block all counsel and debate. The lord should do whatever he pleases, and no one would dare to resist. This way, officials and the people will be too busy correcting their own mistakes to plot any insurgency.”

    The Second Emperor was pleased with this proposal. He began scrutinizing officials more strictly, equating the brightest officers with those who taxed the people most severely and the loyalists with those who killed the most. Half of the people on the streets had criminal records, and dead bodies piled up in public squares daily. The people of Qin were terrified and yearned for insurgence.

    General Li Liang of Zhao had just subdued the chaos in Changshan commandery and reported back to the King of Zhao. The king then sent him to capture the city of Taiyuan. However, Li Liang‘s troops were halted at the town of Shiyi when the Qin army blocked the Jingjing Pass. The Qin commander forged a letter from the Second Emperor, attempting to persuade General Li Liang to change his allegiance. After reading the letter, Li Liang was not convinced and returned to Handan to request reinforcements. His request had not yet been answered when the king’s older sister went out on a drinking spree. Seeing her entourage of about a hundred people, Li Liang mistakenly thought it was the king himself and prostrated himself by the roadside to pay homage. The king’s sister, drunk and unaware of who was there, merely sent a cavalier to acknowledge him.

    General Li Liang, from an aristocratic background, felt humiliated in front of his troops. One of his officers stepped forward and said, “The people across the empire are revolting against Qin. Whoever has the might will come out on top. The King of Zhao used to rank below you, General. Yet this woman did not even get off her carriage to greet you. Allow me to catch and kill her.” Having received the letter from Qin, Li Liang was already wavering about his loyalty to the King of Zhao. Infuriated by the insult, he sent his man to catch up with the king’s sister and kill her. Li Liang then led his troops to attack the capital, Handan. The city was caught off guard. Li Liang killed the King of Zhao and Vice Prime Minister Shao Sao. Zhang Er and Chen Yu managed to escape, as they had many informants throughout the state.

    Qin Jia from Ling and Zhu Jishi from Fuli county raised an armed force and surrounded the governor of Donghai commandery in Tan county. When King Chen Sheng heard about it, he sent General Xin, titled Lord Wuping, to oversee the troops besieging Tan. Qin Jia, unwilling to accept Lord Wuping’s authority, declared himself Grand Marshal.  He hated being under General Xin’s command. He told his fellow officers, “Lord Wuping is too young and knows nothing about military matters. Do not listen to him!” Claiming he had received an order from Chen Sheng, Qin Jia then killed Lord Wuping(General Xin).

    The Second Emperor sent the court chief of staff, Sima Xin, and commandant Dong Yi to assist General Zhang Han in suppressing the “bandits and burglars.” Zhang Han had already defeated Wu Feng and proceeded to attack the top general of Zhang-Chu, Lord Fang, killing him. He then moved on to attack the troops of Zhang He, located west of Chen county. Chen Sheng himself came out to oversee the battle, but Zhang He was killed.

    In December, while returning from Ruyin county, Chen Sheng was assassinated by his chauffeur, Zhuang Jia, in a village called Xiachengfu. Zhuang Jia subsequently defected to Qin.

    In the early days when Chen Sheng became king, his fellow countrymen came to visit him, including his father-in-law. Chen Sheng treated him like any other visitor—he saluted him but did not kneel. His father-in-law was furious, saying, “You are a rioter and a title-grabber. You disrespect your elders; you won’t last long!” He turned around and left. Chen Sheng knelt and apologized, but his father-in-law did not look back. Encouraged by this, Chen Sheng‘s childhood friends began recounting old stories from their youth. Someone advised Chen Sheng, “These guests of yours are uneducated and boorish. Their talk is careless and out of control; it will bring dishonor to your name.” In response, Chen Sheng beheaded a few of the loose talkers. His chums deserted him afterward.

    Chen Sheng appointed Zhu Fang as chief examiner and Hu Wu as inquisitor. These two supervised all his officers and generals. When generals returned from conquering cities, they were often punished as criminals if their actions were deemed inappropriate. Zhu Fang and Hu Wu equated harshness with loyalty; if they found any mistakes, they either issued punishments themselves or handed them over to prosecutors. Because of this, the generals distanced themselves from King Chen Sheng. This alienation contributed to Chen Sheng’s downfall.

    General Lü Chen, a former housekeeper of King Chen Sheng, formed an armed force in Xinyang County, known as the Black-Head Army, as all the soldiers wore black headscarves. They broke into Chen county and killed Zhuang Jia, reinstating the Kingdom of Chu there. They buried King Chen Sheng in Dang county and gave him the posthumous title of King Yin of Chu.

    Chen Sheng had sent Song Liu from Zhi county to lead troops to capture the city of Nanyang and breach Wu Pass. Song Liu had already occupied Nanyang when he learned of Chen Sheng’s death. The Qin army retook Nanyang, and Song Liu surrendered. The Second Emperor ordered Song Liu to be quartered in public.

    Zhou Fu of Wei led troops to seize lands in Feng county and Pei county. He sent envoys to persuade Yong Chi to change allegiances. Yong Chi, who had previously been aloof and reluctant to report to the Duke of Pei, surrendered Feng county to the Kingdom of Wei. The Duke of Pei launched an attack on Feng county but was thwarted.

    Zhang Er and Chen Yu of Zhao reassembled an armed force from the remnants of their collapsed troops. They led tens of thousands of soldiers to attack Li Liang, defeating him.  As a result, Li Liang fled to surrender to General Zhang Han of Qin. An attendant of Zhang Er and Chen Yu advised them, “You are not natives of the Kingdom of Zhao, just mere travelers here, so you cannot claim kingship on your own. You need to find a descendant of the King of Zhao and help him become king. Then you may achieve your goals.” Following this advice, Zhang Er and Chen Yu found Zhao Xie. In January, during the spring, they installed Zhao Xie as the new King of Zhao and established Xindu county as its capital.

    The rebels in Dongyang county, led by Ning Jun and Qin Jia, learned that Chen Sheng’s troops had been defeated. They installed Jing Ju as the King of Chu and led their troops to Fangyu county, planning an attack on the Qin army at Dingtao. They sent Gongsun Qing as an envoy to the Kingdom of Qi, requesting that the Qi army join forces with them to confront the Qin army. The King of Qi, Tian Dan, rebuked the envoy: “King Chen Sheng was defeated. We do not know if he is dead or alive. Why did you install a new king without consulting us?” Gongsun Qing retorted, “The Kingdom of Qi installed its king without consulting the Kingdom of Chu. Why should the Kingdom of Chu consult with the Kingdom of Qi before installing its king?” In response, Tian Dan had Gongsun Qing executed.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 62): Two Sworn Friends

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang

    Annals of Qin Book 2 Scroll 7 (continued)

    A Temple in Zhoukou, Henan Province (f.m.a. Chen County)

    The 1st year of the Second Emperor(209 B.C. continued)

    Two friends from Daliang, the capital of the Kingdom of Wei, named Zhang Er and Chen Yu, shared a bond akin to that of Damon and Pythius. When the Kingdom of Wei was annexed, the King of Qin sought to hire them, offering monetary rewards for their good reputation. However, the two friends changed their names and fled to Chen County, where they took jobs as guards at a neighborhood gate to survive. On one occasion, the community officer paddled Chen Yu for a minor offense. Chen Yu was ready to fight back, but Zhang Er discreetly signaled him with a foot tap to accept the punishment. After the officer left, Zhang Er took Chen Yu aside under a mulberry tree and rebuked him: “What did I tell you? Were you really going to fight to the death over such a trivial insult from a lackey?” Chen Yu apologized for his reaction.

    When Chen Sheng entered Chen county, Zhang Er and Chen Yu visited him at his residence. Chen Sheng was delighted, as he was aware of their good reputation. The local elites in Chen county advocated for installing Chen Sheng as the King of Chu. Chen Sheng consulted Zhang Er and Chen Yu, who advised: “The Kingdom of Qin has been evil, annexing other kingdoms and oppressing the people. You rose against Qin at the risk of certain death, bringing relief to those across the empire. However, if you claim the title of king immediately after taking Chen county, it will appear as if you seek personal gain. We suggest postponing the proclamation and leading your forces westward instead. You should send envoys to install the descendants of the six former kingdoms as kings. These new monarchs would become your allies and enemies of Qin. Qin’s military would then be divided, facing many foes, while your forces would grow stronger with more allies. In doing so, you won’t need to battle Qin’s army in the battlefields or defend the ramparts within the city. You can bring down the wicked Qin empire, capture Xianyang, and call upon all the monarchs to follow your lead. Having regained their lost reigns, they would gladly answer your call. This would allow you to achieve your imperial ambitions through virtue. Claiming kingship in Chen county now would only cause the movement to lose momentum.” Despite their counsel, Chen Sheng did not heed their advice. He proclaimed himself King of Zhang-Chu.

    At that time, the people could no longer bear the draconian laws of Qin. They eagerly rose up to kill their local commandery or county officers in response to Chen Sheng‘s call. A messenger returning from a mission in the east reported on the rebellions to the Qin court. The Second Emperor, enraged by the news, had the messenger referred to prosecutors. After that, whenever envoys returned from their missions, the Emperor would ask about the rebels. They all gave the same response: “They are merely petty thieves and bandits. The local officers have dealt with them thoroughly. There is nothing to worry about.” The Emperor was pleased with these assurances.

    Chen Sheng appointed Wu Guang as deputy king, tasking him with supervising the generals in their campaign to attack the county of Xingyang in the west.

    Zhang Er and Chen Yu went to see Chen Sheng again, requesting a detachment for a surprise attack on the territory of the Kingdom of Zhao. Chen Sheng appointed his close associate, Wu Chen from Chen County, as the commander, and Shao Sao as the supervisor. Zhang Er was made the left-wing colonel, and Chen Yu the right-wing colonel. The detachment, consisting of three thousand soldiers, then marched toward the Kingdom of Zhao.

    Chen Sheng also directed Deng Zong from Ruyin county to lead a campaign to capture the Jiujiang Commandery. By this time, the number of rebel mobs throughout the Kingdom of Chu, each with several thousand members, had become innumerable.

    Ge Ying took control of Dongcheng county and installed Xiang Qiang, a descendant of the King of Chu, as the new King of Chu. However, upon learning that Chen Sheng had already declared himself King of Chu, Ge Ying quickly killed Xiang Qiang and reported back to Chen Sheng. Despite Ge Ying’s quick reversal, Chen Sheng still had him executed.

    Chen Sheng then ordered Zhou Fu from the Kingdom of Wei to take over the lands of Wei in the north, appointing Cai Ci from Shangcai county, known by the title Lord Fang, as the grand general of this force.

    Chen Sheng also heard that Zhou Wen, a local celebrity from Chen county, was knowledgeable in warfare. He granted Zhou Wen the commander’s seal and sent him to lead the attack on the Kingdom of Qin to the west.

    Wu Chen and his cohorts crossed the Yellow River at the town of Baima. They reached the counties belonging to the Kingdom of Zhao and rallied the local gentry, who responded favorably to their call. As they began enrolling local conscripts, their ranks swelled to tens of thousands. They proclaimed Wu Chen as Lord Wuxin and seized more than ten counties. However, other cities resisted them. Wu Chen then led an attack on Fanyang County.

    A resident of Fanyang, Kuai Che, approached Wu Chen and said, “You believe you must defeat resistance on the battlefield to take land and break through fortifications to capture cities. In my opinion, that’s a misconception. If you follow my plan, you can take a city without besieging it, seize land without fighting for it, and quash resistance across thousands of miles by merely sending out proclamations. What do you think?”

    Intrigued, Lord Wuxin asked, “What is your plan?”

    Kuai Che explained, “The Magistrate of Fanyang, Mr. Xu, is a greedy coward who wants to be the first in the country to surrender. If you kill him, as you did with the Qin-appointed officers in the other ten cities, the rest of the cities in the land of Zhao would become impregnable citadels. But if you allow me to bestow the Marquis’ seal upon this county chief, along with pompous wagons for him to parade around the lands of Yan and Zhao, all the cities would capitulate without a fight.”

    Lord Wuxin replied, “A great idea!” He provided Kuai Che with a hundred wagons and two hundred cavalry guards of honor to court the Magistrate of Fanyang, Mr. Xu. More than thirty cities across the Kingdoms of Yan and Zhao surrendered without a battle after receiving the leaflets and witnessing the horse parade.

    After Chen Sheng sent out Zhou Wen, he became complacent and underestimated the Qin Empire. He neglected to prepare for defense. The renowned scholar Kong Fu pleaded with him, saying, “I have learned from the books on the art of war: ‘Do not rely on the enemy not attacking; rely on your own defenses.’ Currently, you are counting on the enemy’s inability to attack us rather than strengthening our own defenses. If we stumble and fail to recover, it will be too late to regret it!” Chen Sheng dismissed the warning, saying, “Warfare is my concern. Don’t trouble yourself, Professor.”

    Meanwhile, Zhou Wen recruited followers along his march. By the time he reached Hangu Pass, his forces had grown into an enormous army with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of chariots. They set up camp at the town of Xi. The Second Emperor was terrified and summoned his ministers, asking, “What are we going to do?” Privy Treasurer, Zhang Han, proposed, “The bandits are already at our door. It is too late to mobilize all the commanderies and counties. The forced laborers at Lishan Mausoleum are numerous. Please issue an amnesty to these laborers and arm them to fight off the bandits.”

    The Second Emperor declared a national amnesty, allowing Zhang Han to conscript from the forced laborers at Lishan as well as from the sons of house slaves and maids who had previously been disqualified from military service. Zhang Han led his newly assembled army against the forces of Zhang-Chu, delivering them a crushing defeat. Zhou Wen fled.

    Zhang Er and Chen Yu arrived in Handan, the capital of the Kingdom of Zhao. Upon hearing of Zhou Wen‘s downfall and the fates of Chen Sheng’s generals—who had been executed on trumped-up charges after conquering lands for him—they persuaded Wu Chen to proclaim himself king of Zhao. In August, Wu Chen declared himself king and appointed Chen Yu as Grand General, Zhang Er as Prime Minister, and Shao Sao as Vice Prime Minister. He sent a messenger to inform Chen Sheng of the news. Enraged, Chen Sheng planned to kill Wu Chen’s kith and kin and sent troops to attack Zhao. However, his Prime Minister, Lord Fang, intervened: “When the Qin Empire was still alive, you killed Lord Wuxin’s clan and others’ families, effectively creating another Qin Empire. It would be wiser to congratulate him on his self-promotion and urge him to attack the Qin to the west immediately.” Chen Sheng heeded his advice, moving Wu Chen’s family and followers into palace house arrest. He granted the title of Lord Chengdu to Zhang Er’s son, Zhang Ao, and sent an envoy to Zhao to congratulate Wu Chen, urging him to march westward and invade the Hangu Pass.

    Zhang Er and Chen Yu then advised Wu Chen: “The King of Zhang-Chu’s congratulations are insincere and merely political expediency. Once Zhang-Chu defeats Qin, they will likely turn against Zhao. We suggest you refrain from sending troops westward; instead, direct your forces north to capture lands from Yan and Dai, then move south to take Henei, expanding Zhao’s territory. With the Yellow River as a natural defense and Yan and Dai as your backing, Zhang-Chu will not dare challenge Zhao even if they defeat Qin. Should Zhang-Chu fail against Qin, they will rely on Zhao even more, placing Zhao in a powerful position to exploit both the exhausted Qin and Zhang-Chu.” The King of Zhao agreed and did not send his army westward. He dispatched General Han Guang to invade Yan, General Li Liang to Changshan commandery, and General Zhao Yan to Shangdang commandery.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 60): Conspiracy at Shaqiu Palace

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang

    Annals of Qin Book 2 Scroll 7 (continued)

    Terracotta Warriors in Mausoleum of the First Emperor

    The 36th year of the First Emperor(211 B.C.)

    A meteor fell in Dongjun Commandery, and someone engraved on the meteor rock: “The First Emperor dies and his land is divided.” The First Emperor ordered his justice minister to launch an inquisition around the stone’s landing place, but no one confessed. In response, the First Emperor decreed the execution of all the people who lived in the neighborhood. The rock was then incinerated.

    In response to an augury, the First Emperor relocated thirty thousand households to the regions of Yuzhong to the North of Yellow River. Each head of the household was promoted by one rank.

    The 37th year of the First Emperor(210 B.C.)

    The First Emperor was traveling in October of the winter.  He was accompanied by the Chancellor Li Si.  Vice Chancellor Feng Quji stayed behind in the capital.  Among the twenty or so sons, the First Emperor favored the youngest son Huhai.  Huhai pleaded to travel with the Emperor and his wish was granted.

    The First Emperor arrived in Yunmeng county in November. There, he held a rite to worship Emperor Shun while looking towards Jiuyi Mountains. Then he sailed down the Yangtze River, sightseeing at the town of Jike, watching an islet in the river, passing through Danyang county, and finally reaching Qiantang county. The waves were high and treacherous at the Zhe River. They traveled two hundred and twenty li westward to cross the river at a narrow point.

    The First Emperor ascended Mount Kuaiji and held a ritual in honor of Emperor Yu the Great, looking towards the South Sea. The First Emperor installed another tablet with inscriptions praising his virtue. On the way home, the First Emperor passed through the State of Wu, crossed the Yangtze River at Jiangsheng County, and sailed north on the East Ocean, reaching Mount Langya and Mount Zhifu. There, they saw a huge fish in the sea, and the First Emperor shot the fish with a crossbow. They sailed west along the coast and reached a crossing called Pingyuanjin, where the First Emperor fell ill.

    The First Emperor hated the word “death,” and none of the ministers dared to mention the subject. As his illness worsened, he ordered his chief dispatcher of central command, Zhao Gao, who was in charge of the royal seal, to write a letter to his eldest son Fusu: “Come to my funeral, come to Xianyang for my entombment.” The letter was sealed and held by Zhao Gao, but had not been given to a messenger yet.

    In July of the autumn, the First Emperor died at the Palace of Shaqiu in the village of Pingtai. Chancellor Li Si, fearing possible power wrangling among the princes with the Emperor dying away from the capital, kept the news of his death a secret. The Emperor’s coffin was insulated in his wagon to keep the temperature low, and the same favorite eunuchs drove and escorted the wagon. Whenever they traveled to a new place, food and local officials were brought to the wagon as usual. The eunuchs processed the reports and dealt out decrees as before. Only Huhai, Zhao Gao, and five or six of the most trusted eunuchs knew of the Emperor’s death.

    The First Emperor was fond of the Meng clan and trusted them deeply. Meng Tian, the top general, was stationed on the frontier as the army commander, while Meng Yi served in the court as chief of staff, holding the title “The Faithful.” Other ministers and generals dared not challenge their dominance.

    Zhao Gao was castrated at birth. The First Emperor, hearing that Zhao Gao was a capable administrator and knowledgeable about criminal laws, appointed him as the court dispatcher and asked him to teach Huhai how to judge legal cases. Huhai developed a predilection for Zhao Gao. Once, Zhao Gao committed an offense that Meng Yi deemed punishable by death. However, the First Emperor pardoned Zhao Gao because of his administrative efficiency and reinstated him to his position. Zhao Gao, having Huhai’s favor, harbored ill feelings toward the Meng family.

    Zhao Gao advised Huhai to kill Prince Fusu and install himself as crown prince using a forged will of the First Emperor. Huhai approved the plot. Zhao Gao then told Huhai, “I am afraid this plot won’t work without the consent of the Chancellor.” He approached Chancellor Li Si, saying, “His Majesty had a letter for his eldest son. The letter and the royal seal are both in the possession of Huhai. Who the crown prince will be is a matter of what Your Excellency and I decide.”

    Li Si was startled and responded, “Why do you talk about a topic that could jeopardize the fate of this empire? It is not a subject that servants like you and me are supposed to discuss!” Zhao Gao reasoned with him, “In terms of capability, strategic thinking, military achievements, popularity, and trust from the eldest son of the emperor, how do you compare to Meng Tian?” Li Si conceded, “I am not as good as Meng Tian in all aspects.”

    Zhao Gao continued, “If the eldest son succeeded his father as emperor, he certainly would appoint Meng Tian as his Chancellor. It is obvious that Your Excellency would not retire to your hometown with the seal of Marquis Tong. Huhai is a kind and magnanimous person and a good successor to the emperor. I wish Your Excellency could think long and hard to make the decision.” Li Si yielded under pressure.

    They colluded to forge an edict from the First Emperor, designating Huhai as the crown prince. They also fabricated a letter from the First Emperor to Prince Fusu. The letter reprimanded Fusu for not expanding the frontier enough, yet causing significant attrition of soldiers. It listed several instances where Fusu wrote to his father, rudely criticizing the Emperor and constantly bickering about not being able to return home and become the crown prince. The letter accused General Meng Tian of not rectifying Fusu’s behavior and being a co-conspirator. It granted the death penalty to both Fusu and Meng Tian, ordering them to pass command of the army to Meng Tian’s lieutenant, General Wang Li.

    Fusu opened the letter and burst into sobs. He went into his bedroom, preparing to commit suicide. Meng Tian stopped him, saying, “His Majesty is away from home. The position of crown prince has not been designated. His Majesty entrusted me with commanding three hundred thousand troops on the frontier and appointed you as the supervisor. That is a tremendous responsibility to the country. Now a messenger arrives, and you are going to kill yourself! Do you know whether this is not trickery? Let’s submit a memorandum to the throne for verification first; then it won’t be too late to die.”

    The envoy pressed Prince Fusu several times. Fusu said to Meng Tian, “A father grants his son death; what else do we have to verify!” He then killed himself. Meng Tian refused to comply. The envoy handed him over to the local wardens and imprisoned him in the town of Yangzhou. The envoy appointed a minion of Li Si as the supervisor of the army and went back to report to Zhao Gao and Li Si.

    Huhai learned that Prince Fusu had died and intended to set Meng Tian free. Meng Yi happened to come to debrief the Emperor after performing sacrificial ceremonies for mountains and rivers on the First Emperor’s behalf. Zhao Gao spoke to Huhai, “The late emperor had long meant to pick the best and make you the crown prince, but Meng Yi advised against it. It would be better to get rid of Meng Yi.” Meng Yi was then incarcerated in Dai commandery.

    The cortege arrived at Jiuyuan Commandery from Jingjing County during the intense heat of mid-summer. The wagon began to emit a terrible stench. To cover up the smell, they forged another edict to obtain one picul of abalone for the emperor. Eventually, they got on the thoroughfare and reached Xianyang, where they announced the funeral and Huhai usurped the throne.

    In September, the First Emperor was sepulchered at the Lishan Mausoleum. Three layers of aquifers were blocked around the tomb. It was filled with treasures and rare stones transported from all over the country. Booby-trapped crossbows were installed to shoot any trespassers. Mercury was injected into the tomb to symbolize rivers and seas. The ceiling of the tomb was decorated with celestial bodies, while the base was laid with geographical models. The concubines who had not yet borne children were ordered to die with the emperor in the tomb. When someone reminded the authorities that the technicians who made the mechanisms knew the key to the treasure and could leak the secret, all the technicians were shut in the tomb when the burial was completed.

    The Second emperor wanted to execute Meng Tian and his brother. The son of his elder brother, Ziying, advised against it: “King Qian of Zhao killed General Li Mu and promoted Yan Ju; King Jian of Qi killed his father’s loyal servant and replaced him with Hou Sheng. Both lost their kingdoms in the end. The Meng family has contributed elite ministers and strategists to the kingdom of Qin for generations, yet Your Majesty would discard them at once. Executing loyal ministers and replacing them with someone lacking character would cause ministers to lose faith within the court and dishearten warriors outside the court.”

    The Second Emperor disregarded this advice. He ordered the execution of Meng Yi and pursued Meng Tian, who was the interior minister. Meng Tian said, “From my grandfather onward, the Meng family has served the kingdom of Qin for three generations. Though I am in jail today, my influence over the three hundred thousand soldiers under my command would be enough to incite a mutiny. I keep my faith knowing I will die for this, because I do not want to tarnish my ancestors’ reputation and I have not forgotten the trust of the late emperor.” He then committed suicide by taking poison.

    Yang Xiong commented in his book Exemplary Figures: “Someone asks, ‘Meng Tian was loyal and was killed, what is the benefit of being loyal?’ The answer is: ‘From Lintao county to Liao River, he flattened mountains and filled ravines. He did not make the empire more prosperous yet left many cadavers behind. Being loyal is not good enough to be a prime minister.’”

    Sima Guang‘s comments: When the First Emperor was ravaging the country, Meng Tian was his enabler. Meng Tian was not a benevolent and wise person. However, Meng Tian maintained his loyalty to his lord and would rather die than rebel despite being innocent. This act is commendable.