Businessman and politician Lu Buwei
As for how to view Lu Buwei, a historical figure, many people in society today have negative opinions, while not many give positive opinions. Most people think that he is just a speculative businessman who relied on speculation to win a new life in politics and thus prospered. Some even think that he is just a person who uses women to gain political status.
In fact, judging from his person, his deeds, his studies, and his books, Lu Buwei is still a figure worthy of recognition. At least it was much greater than the achievements of Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, etc. in the Tang Dynasty in the future. I quite agree with Mr. Guo Moruo's view: "Lü Buwei should be one of the greatest politicians in Chinese history (see "Lü Buwei and the Criticism of the Qin Dynasty" in Guo Moruo's "Ten Critiques"). It seems that although Mr. Guo also wrote criticisms of Lu Buwei, he generally agrees with Lu Buwei. After all, not everyone can wear the title of politician. In the Zhejiang People's Publishing House, the book "Chinese Wisdom" edited by Gu Xiaoming lists 99 kinds of wisdom of Lu Buwei, believing that Lu Buwei is a politician with rich wisdom.
Lu Buwei is not valued by people today, and there are very few words of praise for him. This may have something to do with the era in which he grew up and the specific social relations and conflicts at that time. Lu Buwei's proud period was before the Qin State unified the six kingdoms, and the princes were still fighting for hegemony and fighting for years; in terms of ideology, it was still a hundred schools of thought contending, with various representative ideas fighting each other, and the debaters joined forces vertically and horizontally to interact with each other. You don’t obey me, I don’t obey you. It is not uncommon to see vicious attacks on each other in pursuit of personal and group interests. In such an atmosphere, it is normal for a person's political achievements or social status to wax and wane. Because of conflicts of interest, it is too easy to discredit someone. It was in such an era that Lu Buwei first started doing business, and then became prominent in court affairs. In the end, he was not willing to be lonely. He recruited thousands of followers and relatives, and wrote articles all over the world. He integrated the thoughts of various schools of thought into "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals", which inevitably offended some people. Of course, when he was in power, others would be angry but dare not speak out. Once he loses power, it will be difficult for everyone to speak out. When Shang Yang and Wu Qi were in power, they also carried out vigorous reforms. Once they lost power, they hardly had a place to die. Under such circumstances, there are many people who seek their own interests by slandering Lu Buwei. As a result, there will naturally be fewer people who objectively evaluate Lu Buwei. This is just one of them.
In addition, Lu Buwei, in desperation, ended his life by suicide (this point seems to be similar in various historical records), which aroused even more suspicions, so the attack There will be more people. Coupled with the attacks of some political opponents, the conflict of interests, and the urgent need for the Qin Dynasty to eliminate the influence of Lu Buwei when he was in power, establish his authority, order counselors or some counselors to act according to the prevailing situation, spread rumors to destroy his image, and cover up his political achievements, it is also possible that of. Didn't Qin Wangzheng also issue an edict: "What contribution did you make to Qin? Qin made him the king of Henan, and fed one hundred thousand households. Why did you get close to Qin? He was known as Zhongfu. He and his family moved to Shu!" Based on this edict! , good people can confuse right and wrong.
Another reason is that Lu Buwei was a businessman. At that time, businessmen did not have much status. They "emphasized agriculture and suppressed business". Some scholar-bureaucrats looked down on Lu Buwei's background and despised him. It’s okay to resist. In this way, as Mr. Guo said: "It is difficult for Lu Buwei to have a suitable public opinion today more than two thousand years later for the distortions and false rumors of a dynasty (Guo Moruo's "Ten Criticisms"" Lu Buwei and the King of Qin" Criticism of politics') ”
Judging from historical records, there are not many records of Lu Buwei’s deeds. Only "Historical Records", "Warring States Policy", "Zizhi Tongjian" and so on have records, and There is not much space to write about Lu Buwei, scattered among various historical events. Later, Feng Menglong of the Ming Dynasty compiled a book "Records of the Kingdoms of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty", which also described Lu Buwei. However, the book seemed to focus more on the compilation of stories, with too much sentimentality and a bit of suspense. To this day, there are also some novels describing Lu Buwei, but most of them are a collection of stories shaped and processed by rumors. Although they are attractive, they are not enough to serve as a basis. On the contrary, in the current TV series "Lü Buwei, the Hero of Troubled Times", he said a lot of good things for Lu Buwei.
As for how to evaluate Lu Buwei, all walks of life have always had mixed opinions. Recently, when a reporter from the Legal Daily interviewed Sun Dazhou, a professor of the History Department of Renmin University, Sun Dazhou expressed his opinion: "His person and his actions are negotiable, his contributions are indispensable, and his studies and books cannot be discarded." This is a pertinent statement. Word.
Lu Buwei deserves recognition for at least a few points: First, Lu Buwei knows how to study the market and is good at doing business. In today's terms, he is at least a well-known big entrepreneur. Lu Buwei, who was originally from Puyang, worked hard and became a wealthy businessman in Yangzhai. It can be seen that he was an emerging wealthy class at that time. He did business between Handan, the capital of Zhao State, and Xianyang, the capital of Qin State. The scope of his economic activities spanned the current provinces of Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Under the circumstances of inconvenient transportation at that time, this person did not have certain business and economic capabilities. It was impossible to support it, but Lu Buwei did it. Of course, I don’t know what kind of business Lu Buwei is doing specifically, but it’s probably farming, jewelry, or both.
However, with Lu Buwei's economic activity ability, he can really be called an international trade businessman.
Secondly, Lu Buwei has a very strategic vision, which means he is very far-sighted. He saw that doing business would not allow him to achieve a high political status, but on the contrary, he would suffer discrimination from others. So, he kept thinking about how to get out of this situation until he met Qin Wang Sun Yiren. He immediately came up with the idea of ??"a rare thing to live in". Then he firmly grasped the chess piece of Yiren, started with Yiren, abandoned business and entered politics. This was easy to say and do. It was difficult, but Lu Buwei successfully did it. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a strategist.
Third, Lu Buwei is a politician. Not to mention anything else, during the three years when Zhuang Xiang was Prince Chu, and the nine years before the Qin Dynasty officially took charge, Lu Buwei actually controlled the government, and all matters of the court were determined by his hands. If Lu Buwei was just an economic speculator with no ideas, no knowledge and no skills, how could the Qin State prosper, have strong soldiers and horses, achieve great achievements in diplomacy, military affairs, and economic development, and lay a good foundation for the Qin Dynasty to unify the world? Foreshadowing. Therefore, Lu Buwei had special contributions to the development of the Qin State and was very important to the unification of the Qin State.
Fourthly, Lu Buwei is a master, or a miscellaneous family. Lu Buwei understands a truth well. If you want to spread your thoughts, you must use the carrier of an idea or a book to prevent yourself from becoming a passing cloud. Therefore, he recruited followers and specialized in writing books and compositions. Finally, he compiled them uniformly, thus creating the "Lu Spring and Autumn Annals" that has been passed down to this day. Of course, this book was not written by Lu Buwei alone, but after his planning and selection, it must be in line with his thoughts. Therefore, we might as well regard "Lu's Spring and Autumn" as a reflection of Lu Buwei's thoughts. This book is all-encompassing and integrates hundreds of schools of thought. It is by no means a mere pretext for fame. Although Qin Wangzheng disapproved of it, he did not handle it as mentioned above and blindly advocated Legalism. But what is certain is that Qin Wangzheng must have read the book. With Qin Wangzheng's practical thinking, as long as it can help him unify the six countries, he will still refer to it rationally. However, in order to eliminate Lu Buwei's influence and establish his authority, it is possible that he would deny "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" to the outside world. But there is no doubt that "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" is a good book that has been handed down. Even now, some of its ideas are still valuable for us to learn from. In the "Preface" written by the famous scholar Wang Li in June 1984 for the Jilin Literature and History Edition of "Lü's Spring and Autumn Translations and Annotations", he said: "The book "Lü's Spring and Autumn" can be said to be a masterpiece of Confucianism and Mohism."
The fifth is Lu Buwei’s ability to tackle key problems. In order to make Yiren the prince and emperor, and to realize his desire to enter politics, he traveled between Zhao and Qin, lobbying among Qin's senior figures, and he was able to do so with ease. In the end, he not only fulfilled his promise to Yiren , and finally realized his political ambitions, which is really commendable.
The most difficult thing about evaluating Lu Buwei is that Lu Buwei was covered up by some unfounded deeds after his death. There are not many places that can be verified about Lu Buwei's detailed life. Usually it is based on "Historical Records" and "Warring States Policy". "Gu Wen Qi Tan· Brief Notes" records: Tai Shiqian was familiar with "Guo Policy" (i.e. Warring States Policy), and then there was a "Historical Records". From this point of view, "Warring States Policy" should be the first-hand material for studying Lu Buwei. As for the discrepancies in the records of "Historical Records" and "Warring States Policy", it is probably because Sima Qian thought it was necessary to supplement after research, or he had different opinions. Let's just record it and leave it to future generations. As for "Zizhi Tongjian", it also combines the opinions of the two books. It seems that Sima Guang also believed that the records of the two books have their own merits.
Lü Buwei’s birth year is unknown, but he died in 235 BC. Carrying on his father's business. By the time Lu Buwei met the stranger in Handan, Zhao State, he should have been upright and high-spirited, full of ambition. He has achieved some success in business and has a certain reputation in the local area, at least quite prestigious in the local area. Otherwise, even though the foreigner is just a troubled grandson who has no aspirations and is "unfortunate to ride in a car and uncomfortable to live in," he will still put on airs. If Lu Buwei was just a commoner and had no influence in the local area, Yiren would not have met Lu Buwei and believed what he said. After all, there were still hierarchical concepts in that era, especially as a grandson of a prince, there was no need for Yiren to care about some unknown people. generation.
When Lu Buwei saw the foreigner, he thought that "a strange thing could be lived in". It can be seen that Lu Buwei not only knew the situation of the foreigner very well, but also knew the situation of the entire Qin State. From his lobbying of the Qin State, Lu Buwei It can be seen in what people at the top say. At the same time, it can also be seen that the young Lu Buwei has considerable ambitions, otherwise he would not think that a rare commodity is worth living. Only before that time, Lu Buwei was unwilling to be a businessman who was looked down upon by others, and had been looking for opportunities to change this situation, and had already understood the world situation, was it possible for him to feel like seeing a stranger. As for Lu Buwei seeing strange people and thinking that strange things could be lived in, various historical records are mostly the same, and there is no difference.
In fact, Lu Buwei does have the mind of a politician. As soon as he sees a foreigner, he already has a map in his heart. He believed that foreigners were the entry point for him to give up business and enter politics. When he discovered that he could not only change his family but also gain political status by using foreigners, he started his own plan.
Lü Buwei’s thoughts at this time proved that he was very aware of the situation in Qin at that time.
Therefore, whether he met a stranger or went to Qin to lobby the prince's favor, he was always in the active position. He first used foreigners as hostages in Zhao. Qin often attacked Zhao, which made life difficult for foreigners in Zhao. He acted generously and solved urgent problems for foreigners to gain their trust. He also used foreigners to want to return to the country. I want to enjoy the treatment of kings and grandsons, but I have some inferiority complex. Then he went to see the foreigner and said, "I can make a big family!" Although the foreigner wanted to make his family bigger, of course he wouldn't just believe what he said when he saw a businessman with a low social status for the first time. And he also showed his contempt for businessmen like Lu Buwei, so he said sarcastically: "Come from the gate of the Maharaja!" In other words, you should become rich first. Lu Buwei looked very calm and persistent, and said: "I don't know, my family will be big for you." It means that my prosperity depends on yours. One sentence touched the stranger. The stranger knows what is said, so he leads him to sit down and talk deeply. Start listening to Lu Buwei's ideas. Lu Buwei's eloquence began to show.
Buwei said: "The King of Qin is old. The prince loves Mrs. Huayang, but she has no children. There are more than twenty brothers of the son. The son is responsible for inheriting the country, and Shicang also assists him. The son is in the middle, It's not a good thing, and the princes have been in trouble for a long time. The prince has ascended the throne, and the son can't fight for the heir." The stranger was moved and asked quickly: "What can I do?" Lu Buwei said, "The only one who can establish a direct heir is Mrs. Huayang. Although Buwei is poor, please use your daughter as your son to travel to the west and establish your son as his heir." The stranger was overjoyed when he heard this, and quickly promised: "I will follow your plan, and I will marry you." Lu Buwei is waiting for me. In this sentence, businessmen can never do business at a loss. Lu Buwei took out five hundred gold and a stranger to invite guests (Volume 5 of Zizhi Tongjian).
At this point in the story, you should have some opinions on Lu Buwei. Lu Buwei was born a businessman, but he was by no means an ordinary businessman. Since ancient times, agriculture had always been emphasized over business, and his social status was not high. Lu Buwei has been thinking about it. How to change yourself. After Lu Buwei saw the stranger, he suddenly became enlightened and thought that he had found a treasure that could give him what he wanted. It can be said that Lu Buwei had actually been planning for a long time and wanted to seize Yiren's thread. Otherwise, he would not have been able to analyze Qin's situation so clearly and thoroughly that Yiren would believe it was right. Obviously, Lu Buwei came to the conclusion through careful preparation, research and analysis. He already knew these in his heart, and he was just waiting for the time to do everything he could to realize his revenge. Sure enough, the appearance of the foreigner allowed Lu Buwei to seize the opportunity. The conversation between Lu Buwei and the foreigner was probably only one aspect of his ambition, and it was not enough to reflect his entire ambition.
What Lu Buwei said was not complicated, and it was easy to understand. He hit the nail on the head and talked about things that others would think but dare not think of. He said: "The current King of Qin is old. The current prince An Guojun loves Mrs. Huayang, but Mrs. Huayang has no sons. You (the stranger) have more than 20 brothers. Once An Guojun becomes the king of Qin, his son Xi will Maybe after inheriting the Qin State, you are not the eldest son, and you are not favored by Zhao. After An Guojun ascends the throne, you cannot be the heir to the throne." Of course, Yiren also knew this situation and asked quickly: "What should I do? "What?" Lu Buwei saw that Yiren had taken the bait and said, "If you want to become the heir, you can only rely on Mrs. Huayang. Although I am very poor, I am willing to spend thousands of gold to lobby for you to be the heir to the throne." When people heard this, they were too late to be happy, and hurriedly said: "If it can be done, I will be the Queen of Qin, and we will enjoy the glory and wealth together."
If you think that Lu Buwei just took the road of politics for speculation, it is just In order to seek high-ranking officials and generous salaries and win countless wealth, it would be too underestimated for Lu Buwei. Judging from Lu Buwei's family wealth when he met Yiren, it was enough to last a lifetime. There was no need to abolish Zhou Zhang and let Yiren return to the country and take the throne. Besides, Lu Buwei already has his own business, and money alone doesn't interest Lu Buwei at all.
Having already made friends with the foreigner, the rest depends on whether you can make the foreigner the prince. This matter is not easy, because Lu Buwei knows that the current prince has more than 20 sons, and Yiren is not the eldest son, and he has not stayed in Qin for a long time. If he wants Yiren to be favored by the prince (An Guojun) Being an heir is easier said than done.
How to make Qin’s decision-makers listen to you. Lu Buwei's social skills began to be fully demonstrated, and he grasped the subtle conflicts of interest between people in Qin. Grasp the word "wealth", because no one wants to enjoy a high official position and a generous salary forever, and his children and grandchildren will enjoy the benefits. It is the subtlety of wealth that makes the upper class of Qin State be led by Lu Buwei.
You might as well take a look at the wonderful dialogue. "Historical Records" and "Warring States Policy" have different characters regarding this process. According to Mr. Guo Moruo's intention, one may be recorded in each, but both can show Lu Buwei's observations. Ability and social skills.
(Lu Buwei) bought rare things with five hundred gold to play with, and then traveled westward to Qin Dynasty as a gift. He asked to see Mrs. Huayang's sister, and all of them offered their things to Mrs. Huayang. Because of the virtuous and wise son of Chu, he made friends with the princes and invited guests all over the world. He often said, "Chu also regards his wife as his heaven, and he weeps and thinks of the prince and his wife day and night." The lady was overjoyed. Buwei asked his sister to say to his wife: "I heard that those who treat others with sex will lose their lust and love. Now that my wife is serving the prince, she loves the prince very much but has no children. Don't take this as a flea to marry the wise among the princes." Those who are filial should raise their sons as if they are suitable, and respect their husbands when they are alive. After the husband is a hundred years old, his son will be a king, and he will never lose power. This is what is called a benefit for all generations.
If the tree is not as old as when it is prosperous, but after the beauty fades and the love fades, even if you want to speak a word, can you still get it? Today's son, Chu Xian, knows that he is a middle-aged man, so it is not suitable for him. His mother is unlucky and has a wife. She sincerely thinks that it is suitable for her to be married at this time, and she is the most favored by Qin in the world. "Mrs. Huayang thought so. She inherited Prince Xian and calmly said that Zi Chu was the most virtuous person in Zhao, and everyone who came and went praised him. Because of her tears, she said: "I am lucky to be in the harem, but unfortunately I have no children. I would like to have my son Chu. Thinking that he was a suitable heir, he entrusted him with his concubine. "The king of An Guo promised him, and he and his wife carved a jade charm to make an appointment as a suitable heir. Because the king of An Guo and his wife gave generous gifts to their surviving son Chu, they asked Lu Buwei to teach him, and Zi Chu's reputation became more and more prosperous among the princes. (Historical Records, Biography of Lu Buwei) )
Lü Buwei came to Qin and met the sister of Mrs. Huayang, who was favored by the prince at that time. In the name of a foreigner, he gave the rare treasures he bought to his wife and praised the foreigner's virtue. He also said that the foreigner missed the prince and his wife, and said that the foreigner regarded the wife as a heavenly being. The wife was really very happy. Lu Buwei started to get to the point. The reason why the wife is favored now is because she is young and beautiful. If she has no son now. If you don't choose a virtuous and filial person as your son, he will be relegated to the cold palace once he becomes old and slender. Now, Yiren is very virtuous and filial, and knows that he cannot be his future heir. If Madam can help him now, then Yiren will be in trouble. If you can turn things around and become the emperor, you will naturally not forget your kindness. You can also have your own son and enjoy wealth and wealth for the rest of your life. She really thought it was true, so she told Prince An Guojun that the situation was right. The foreigner is in an advantage.
But Yang Quanjun, the younger brother of the Queen of Qin, said: "Do you know that your crime will lead to death?" The king's disciples all hold high positions of honor, and the prince's disciples have no nobles. Your palace is filled with pearls and jade, your horses fill the stables, and beauties fill your backyard. When the king's spring and autumn were high, one day the mountains collapsed, and the prince was busy with his affairs. The king was in danger and his eggs were exhausted, and he did not live long enough to live in the court. It is said that everything can be done to make you rich and noble for thousands of years. If you think peacefully on Mount Tai, there will be no danger or death. "Mr. Yangquan has withdrawn from the banquet, please listen to what he said. Buwei said: "The king is old, his son has been established, and the military warehouse is used for work. There must be basil growing at the queen's door. The son is a stranger and a talented person. He was abandoned in Zhao and has no mother in him. He leads the way to the west and hopes to find him again. The queen sincerely requested to establish it. This is because a foreigner has a country without a son, and the queen has a son without a son. "Yangquan Jun said: "Yes. "When he came to talk about the queen, the queen invited Zhao and returned. (Warring States Policy·Qin Ce)
The two are very similar, and they state their interests as soon as they speak. Your sin is enough to cause death, do you know, you All of your subordinates are in high positions, and there is no rich person among your disciples. Your house has countless pearls and gems, there are so many horses that there is no place to keep them, and there are countless beauties. One day, when the King of Qin is old, and Zixi comes to the throne after his death, you will. It is as dangerous as a tired egg. Now there is only one way to keep your wealth forever. When Yangquan Jun heard this, he also fell into the trap. He is a hostage to Zhao, has no mother, and wants to come back very much. As long as the queen recognizes him as his son and makes him his heir, he can keep his wealth and glory.
Here, Lu Buwei's defense skills can be used. His performance was so vivid that he seemed to be no worse than Zhang Yi, Su Qin, Su Dai, etc.
Lu Buwei's lobbying was very effective and he had completed his mission in the primary stage of Qin. How did the foreigner return to Qin? Regarding this process, the records in "Historical Records" and "Zi Zhi Tongjian" are similar.
"Historical Records". It is recorded in the book: In the fiftieth year of King Zhao of Qin, Wang Jun was encircling Handan. In a hurry, Zhao wanted to kill Zi Chu. Zi Chu and Lu Buwei conspired to give 600 kilograms of gold to the defenders, but they escaped and fled to the Qin army. Return. Zhao wanted to kill Zi Chu's wife, and Zi Chu's wife, Zhao Hao's daughter, was hidden, so the mother and son survived. In the fifty-sixth year of King Qin Zhao's death, Prince An Guojun became the king, and Mrs. Huayang became the queen. As the crown prince. Zhao also asked Mrs. Chu and Zizheng to return to Qin.
What is described here is that Lu Buwei bribed the stranger to return to Qin, and then returned to Qin and became the crown prince.
"Warring States Policy" says: When Zhao Wei was sent, Bu Wei said to Zhao: "The son is a stranger, the favored son of Qin has no mother, and the queen wants to take him. To make Qin want to massacre Zhao, and to spare a son without caring about it, is to hold an empty position. If the son of a foreigner comes back and is established, Zhao Hou will send him away, but he will not dare to do more than his virtue, but he will do it for his own sake. The King of Qin is old, and even though he has a son and a stranger, it is not enough to marry Qin. "Zhao Nai sent him. What this says is that Lu Buwei used his eloquence to state the power of retaining foreigners and releasing foreigners, so that Zhao was willing to let foreigners return to the country.
The two records are quite different. , it seems that Sima Qian did not record them as recorded in "Warring States Policy". From the perspective of that era, both possibilities could have happened, but from today's perspective, the records in "Historical Records" should be more convincing. People are convinced. Because since Yiren is hostage to Zhao, it is a weight for Zhao to influence Qin when necessary. Although judging from some historical facts, Qin does not care much about Yiren's situation in Zhao. It is not possible to use Yiren's life to threaten Qin's attack, but it can still make Qin have some concerns. Under such circumstances, how can it easily let him return to the country, especially if it is based on what "Warring States Policy" said. : The State of Zhao already knows that Yiren is considered a favorite and has the hope of inheriting the country, and will use this to threaten Qin, and will not easily send Yiren back to the country. Moreover, Lu Buwei will not take the risk of establishing Yiren as his son. The news about the beloved son was told to Zhao Guo.
Moreover, the Qin State is still attacking the Zhao State. Once the Zhao State becomes angry and kills the stranger, Lu Buwei will lose all his previous efforts.
Of course, when the stranger returned to Qin to meet Mrs. Huayang and Lord An, there was another detail, which showed that Lu Buwei was very thoughtful and scheming. Mrs. Huayang was from Chu. When Yiren met Mrs. Huayang, Lu Buwei asked Yiren to wear Chu clothes to win Mrs. Huayang's favor. Sure enough, Mrs. Huayang was very happy and changed Yiren's name to Zi Chu.
In the midst of Lu Buwei spending all his family resources and putting in a lot of efforts to get the stranger to return to Qin, there is also a piece of tidbits similar to those written by a novelist, which is the most controversial one. The topic is whether Qin Wangzheng is Lu Buwei's son. "Historical Records" records: Lu Buwei took the concubines from Handan, who were very good at dancing and lived there, and knew that he was pregnant. Zichu never drank from Wei, but when he saw it, he said it, because he wanted to live long, so he asked for it. Lu Buwei was angry, thinking that the family had been destroyed and became Zichu. He wanted to catch a strange woman, so he sacrificed his concubine. Ji concealed her pregnancy, and when she was in her third trimester, she gave birth to a son named Zheng. Zichu then made Ji his wife.
According to this statement, Guo Moruo raised questions. First, this content is only contained in "Historical Records" and not in "Warring States Policy". Moreover, "Historical Records" says that there are contradictions in the foreigner's wife. If it is as described, then the foreigner's wife is a singer. And later in the "Historical Records", it is said that Mrs. Zichu, the daughter of Zhao Hao's family, is obviously different. Moreover, Mr. Guo also put forward a unique opinion. This legend was made by the Lu family, such as Lu Chan and Lu Lu, after the story of Chun Shen Jun and Nu Huan in the early Western Han Dynasty when Empress Lu was proclaimed. Its purpose was to It is to find the historical origins of seizing the country. Mr. Guo finally asserted that the fact that Qin Shihuang was Lu Buwei's son was purely false (Guo Moruo's "Ten Criticisms" "Criticism of Lu Buwei and the Qin King's Politics").
I have also talked about this issue with some historians, but there is no conclusion: there are probably three meanings: First, according to Mr. Guo, this matter is purely done by good people, for their own benefit. And made it up.
In addition, there is a contradiction in the records of "Historical Records", that is, whether the wife of Yiren was a singer or a daughter of a wealthy family. In fact, there is no contradiction. There are similarities between the two. If Yiren falls in love with Lu Buwei's concubine, that is, the singer, it will undoubtedly provide Lu Buwei with another opportunity. That is, once Yiren returns and takes the throne, he and the child in the singer's belly may become the emperor. This idea It is in line with Lu Buwei's ambition. Lu Buwei is a calm person, he is good at handling relationships in all aspects, and he also knows how to make use of this relationship. He could think that the stranger had fallen in love with the singer, and he also thought that the child in the singer's belly could have Chengguo's hope. Of course, he will do everything he can to conceal the singer's true identity, for example, to create a good family background for the singer, that is, as recorded in "Historical Records", she is "the daughter of Zhao Hao's family." In addition, after all, Yiren is a grandson of a prince. Whether he marries a wife or takes a concubine, there must be a certain amount of pomp. Otherwise, he will definitely be in disgrace, and how can he be famous among the princes? In this case, the singer will also be required to have a certain degree. The background, as to how it was fabricated, is unknown.
Furthermore, both "Historical Records" and "Warring States Policy" record that after Qin Wangzheng ascended the throne, Lu Buwei had an affair with the Queen Mother. If Lu Buwei had no relationship with the Queen Mother before, Lu Buwei would definitely cherish his political life and would not have an affair with the Queen Mother. Only if Lu Buwei has something to rely on (including Lu Buwei thinking that Qin Wangzheng is his son), or if he has had an affair with the Queen Mother for a long time, will he take the risk of having an affair with the Queen Mother. Otherwise, a prime minister with a cloud of beauties in the back court, if he doesn't have something to hide, How he could have an affair with the Queen Mother is difficult to understand. Of course, this is just an episode for Lu Buwei and does not affect Lu Buwei's political achievements throughout his life, so I will not go into details.
Lu Buwei held power for twelve years, which was the three years during the reign of King Qin Zhuangxiang and the first nine years before King Qin took charge.
After Zichu became the emperor, he lived up to his preamble and made Lu Buwei the prime minister. He was inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. In addition, with the support of the Queen Mother, even after Zi Chu died and Qin Shihuang ascended the throne, Lu Buwei was still the prime minister for the first nine years and held the most respected position. But in this way, Lu Buwei became the prime minister, but he definitely did things for the Qin State. His contribution was much greater than that of the previous prime ministers such as Cai Ze and Li Si.
You might as well look at the following records in "Zizhi Tongjian":
In the first year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Lu Buwei was the prime minister, and the king of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty planned to attack Qin for the princes; the king sent the prime minister to lead his troops to attack Qin. Then, the king of Zhou moved to the east and gathered in Yangren. Meng Ao attacked Han, captured Chenggao and Xingyang, and initially established Sanchuan County.
In the second year, Meng Ao attacked Zhao and settled in Taiyuan, taking thirty-seven cities including Yuci and Langmeng.
In the third year, Wang Jue attacked the Shangdang cities, captured them all, and initially established Taiyuan County. When the prince was established, all state affairs were entrusted to Marquis Wenxin (i.e. Lu Buwei), who was known as Zhongfu.
In the first year of Qin Shihuang, Meng Ao defeated him. Han wanted to tire out the Qin people and prevent them from attacking eastward. Instead, he sent the hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to intervene between Qin and the Jing River. When he was in trouble, he realized that the Qin people wanted to kill him. ... He sent soldiers to do it, and Guanzhong became richer and richer.
In three years, Meng Ao attacked Han and captured twelve cities.
In four years, Meng Ao attacked Wei.
In the fifth year, Meng Ao attacked Wei, captured twenty cities, and initially established Dongjun. The princes are constantly troubled by Qin's attacks.
In the sixth year, Qin defeated Wei Chaoge and defended Puyang.
In the seventh year, he defeated Wei and took advantage of it.
In the ninth year, he attacked Wei and captured Yuan and Pu.
As can be seen from the above, when Lu Buwei took power, he fought almost continuously for many years, and most of them achieved success. He destroyed the Eastern and Western Zhou Dynasties and caused panic in other countries. In addition, at home, the Qin State is becoming increasingly powerful, with strong soldiers and horses, and it has become a place where talents from all over the world flock to. Although it is not due to Lu Buwei alone, it also has a certain relationship with Lu Buwei's decision-making. Moreover, the establishment of Sanchuan County, Taiyuan County, Dongjun, etc. are all places with military foundations. In particular, Sanchuan County is a battleground for military strategists. The establishment of these bases laid the foundation for Qin Shihuang's unification of China. Of course, Qin Shihuang was also concerned about Lu Buwei's achievements. In the ninth year of Qin Shihuang, after Lao Ai was defeated, although Lu Buwei was implicated, Wang Yiwen believed that Hou Fengxian Wang had made great contributions and could not bear to punish him.
However, for the sake of his own authority and the interests of the Qin State, he had to be cruel and issued an edict, that is, "What contribution did you make to Qin? Qin made the king of Henan, and fed 100,000 households. Who is your relative?" With Qin? Known as Zhongfu. He and his family moved to Shu!" Lu Buwei also knew that he could not compete with Qin Shihuang and committed suicide.
As for Lu Buwei's death, "Historical Records" and "Warring States Policy" have records that it was because Lao Ai's exposure implicated Lu Buwei. Of course, it is unknown whether someone framed Lu Buwei or whether it was true. But there is no research on whether Lao Ai was remonstrated by Lu Buwei. Maybe it was Lu Buwei's misunderstanding, or someone framed the blame, but after all, it was the political discord between Lu Buwei and Qin Shihuang that led to his fall from favor and the political disgrace of the King of Qin. Lu Buwei will be killed. The incident of Lao Ai is just a hook at best. I don’t think Qin Shihuang killed Lu Buwei because of Lao Ai. Even if there was no Lao Ai, Qin Shihuang would still find another excuse to kill Lu Buwei, because this is how Qin Shihuang established his authority. inevitable result.
Of course, this does not affect Lu Buwei's achievements. After Lu Buwei was dismissed as prime minister, other princes still asked him to serve as prime minister, which shows that his majesty and his achievements even affected other princes who were hostile to Qin. The country also appreciates it very much.
When Guo Moruo discussed the issue of the unification of Qin, he believed that the conflict between Qin Shihuang and Lu Buwei caused Qin Shihuang to take another path to unify China. If he followed Lu Buwei's route, Qin would still want to to unify China, and it will definitely not collapse completely in just fifteen years after unification (see "Lü Buwei and the Criticism of Qin Wangzheng" in Guo Moruo's "Ten Critiques"). It can be seen that Lu Buwei's thoughts not only laid the foundation for the unification of Qin in the early stage, but his thoughts later were still able to unify Qin and were conducive to the long-term peace and stability of Qin.
Another great contribution of Lu Buwei is the "Lu Spring and Autumn Annals" which has been handed down to this day. Regarding this book, the words of Mr. Guo can be summarized as follows: However, this book contains great political significance and also contains extremely high value in cultural history; scholars who want to come here seem to have not fully understood it (Guo Moruo's "Ten Criticisms" ""Lü Buwei and the Criticism of the Qin Dynasty". The book "Lü Buwei's Spring and Autumn Annals" "combines Confucianism and Mohism, combines names and laws, knows the nature of the country, and sees the rule of the king." It is definitely not Lu Buwei's intention to compete with the four princes of other countries. It is written in the vain name of "Strong Victory", otherwise it would be too small to underestimate Lu Buwei. Regarding the detailed views on "Lu Shi Chun Qiu", I have included my article "Looking at the Qin State in Lu Buwei's Thoughts from "Lu Shi Chun Qiu"". This is where I stop writing.
Looking at the Qin State in Lu Buwei’s Thoughts from "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" (Part 2)
As for the reasons and process of writing "Lu Shi Chun Qiu", "Historical Records" "There is a record:
At that time, there was Lord Xinling in Wei, Lord Chunshen in Chu, Lord Pingyuan in Zhao, and Lord Mengchang in Qi. They were all corporal officials who liked the guests and loved each other. Lu Buwei was ashamed of Qin's strength. , also attracted scholars, treated them favorably, and had 3,000 guests. In the twelfth century, there were more than 200,000 words. It was called Lu's Spring and Autumn Period. It was posted on the gate of Xianyang City, and a thousand gold coins were hung on it. Anyone who could gain or lose a word from the princes and tourists was given a thousand gold coins. Historical Records: Biography of Lu Buwei)
However, this statement is worthy of scrutiny.
According to Tai Shiqian, the reason why Lu Buwei wanted to compile "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" was purely out of vanity. He wanted to compare himself to the world-famous Four Young Masters, so he made a big show of it