I heard that the officials were discussing expelling the guests from other countries, and I thought it was a mistake. This sentence comes from the "Book of Remonstrance and Chasing Guests", which is a memorial written by Li Si, a minister and writer of the Qin Dynasty, to King Yingzheng of Qin. The whole text was full of logic and eloquent, which impressed King Yingzheng of Qin, so that he withdrew his order to expel guests and restored Li Si's official position.
Original text of "Book of Remonstrance and Expulsion of Guests"
I heard that the officials discussed expelling guests, and I thought it was too much. In the past, Duke Mu asked for scholars, and he took Yu Yurong from the west, Xi Yuwan from the east, and welcomed Uncle Jian from the Song Dynasty, and Pibao and Gongsun came to support the Jin Dynasty. These five sons were not born in Qin, but Mu Gong used them, merged the country with twenty, and then dominated Xirong. Xiao Gong used the method of commercial martingale to change customs, the people prospered in Yin, the country became prosperous and strong, the people enjoyed using it, the princes personally obeyed, and won the masters of Chu and Wei.
King Hui used Zhang Yi's plan to conquer the land of Sanchuan, merge with Bashu in the west, capture Shangjun in the north, capture Hanzhong in the south, encircle Jiuyi, control Yanying, seize the danger of Chenggao in the east, and cut off the fertile soil. , then dispersed the followers of the six kingdoms, and sent them to the west to serve Qin, and their achievements have been carried out to this day. The Zhao King captured Fan Ju, deposed Ranghou, drove out Huayang, strengthened the public houses, eliminated private houses, cannibalized the princes, and made Qin an emperor. These four kings all benefit from the guest. From this point of view, why should Qin be a guest? To keep the four kings away and not to come in, to sparse scholars but not to use them, is to make the country not rich and profitable, and Qin has no reputation for being strong.
The jade that your Majesty has sent to Kunshan today includes the treasure of easygoingness, the pearl of hanging the bright moon, the sword of Tai'a, the horse of slenderness, the flag of green phoenix, and the drum of tree spirit. Qin did not give birth to any of these treasures, and why did your Majesty say so? The children of Qin must be born later, but they are just luminous jade, not for decorating the court; rhinoceros and elephant utensils are not for fun; the daughters of Zheng and Wei are not for the harem, and the Junliang and Liang are not for the outer stables, and the gold and tin of Jiangnan are not For use, the paintings of Xishu are not for harvesting.
Therefore, those who decorate the harem, fill the palace, entertain the mind, and speak to the ears and eyes must come from the Qin Dynasty. Then the hairpin of Wanzhu, the er of Fuji, the clothes of Ajin, and the ornaments of brocade are not allowed to enter. In front of her, she followed the customs and became refined, graceful and graceful, and Zhao Nu did not stand on her side. When the husband hits the urn, percussion on the fou, plays the zither, and beats the harp, and the songs whine and whine, it is the sound of the real Qin; those of Zheng, Wei, Sangjian, Shao, Yu, and Wuxiang are the joy of a foreign country.
Now, if we give up beating the urn and knock on the fou, we will go to Zheng and Wei, and if we withdraw from playing the zither, we will go to Shao and Yu. What if this is the case? The present pleasure is just a matter of observation. This is not the case with people today. No matter whether it is okay or not, regardless of the merits, those who are not Qin will go, and those who are guests will be driven away. However, the most important thing is about sex, music, pearls and jade, while the least important thing is about the people. This is not the art of crossing the sea and controlling the princes.
I have heard that a vast territory means more millet, a large country means a large number of people, and a strong army means brave soldiers. This is because Taishan Mountain does not allow soil, so it can become big; rivers and seas do not allow small streams, so it can be deep; the king does not exclude the common people, so he can understand his virtue. This is why the five emperors and three kings are invincible because the land has no four directions, the people have no foreign countries, the four seasons are perfect, and ghosts and gods bring blessings. Today, the head of Guizhou is abandoned to capitalize on the enemy's country, but guests are invited to join the feudal lords, so that the people of the world will retreat and dare not go westward, and will not be able to enter the Qin Dynasty. This is what is called "borrowing the invaders to steal grain".
If a man’s possessions were not produced in Qin, there would be many treasures; if a scholar was not produced in Qin, there would be many who would be loyal. Today, we are driving away guests to benefit the enemy's country, harming the people in order to benefit, and we are vain internally and causing resentment to the princes externally. If we seek to ensure that the country is not in danger, we will not gain it. Notes on "The Book of Remonstrance and Chasing Guests"
1. Officials: officials.
2. Plagiarism: in private.
3. Think: think.
4. produce: give birth to.
5. After annexing the country of twenty, he dominated Xirong: The "twenty" here should be an approximation. To annex, to annex.
6. Duke Xiao: That is Duke Xiao of Qin. Shang Yang: Gongsun of the Wei Kingdom, also known as Gongsun Yang. He was initially a retainer of Wei Xianggong's uncle Cuo. After his death, Gongshu Cuo entered the Qin Dynasty and was highly regarded by Qin Xiaogong. He was appointed as Zuo Shuchang and Daliang Zao, and was granted the title of Shang (Shang Dynasty) due to his meritorious service ( Southeast of today's Shangzhou, Shaanxi Province) fifteen cities, known as Shangjun.
7. Yin Sheng: refers to the large number of people and their prosperity. Yin, many, numerous.
8. Wei: The name of the country. The first king was Wei Wenhou, who was a descendant of Biwan, the official of the Jin State. In 403 BC, he joined forces with Han Jinghou and Zhao Liehou to carve up the Jin State. He was made a prince by King Weilie of Zhou and was founded. Duanyi (now northwest of Xia County, Shanxi Province).
9. King Hui: King Hui of Qin, named Si.
10. The land of three rivers: refers to the land of the three rivers of the Yellow River, Luoshui River and Yishui River, located in the Luoshui and Yishui basins south of the Yellow River in northwest Henan today. King Xuan of Han established Sanchuan County here. In 308 BC, King Wu of Qin sent troops to capture Yiyang, a large county in Sanchuan (now west of Yiyang County, Henan Province).
In 249 BC, the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, acquired the entire Han Sanchuan County, and reestablished Sanchuan County.
11. Ba: The name of the country. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty, he was granted the title of a sub-state, called Bazi Kingdom, located in the eastern Sichuan and western Hubei areas today.
12. Shangjun: The name of the county, originally Wei, now Yulin, Shaanxi. It was established during the reign of Marquis Wen of Wei, and its jurisdiction included the area east of Luohe River in present-day Shaanxi Province, west of Yellow River, and in the northeast to Zichang County and Yan'an City. In 328 BC, Wei ceded fifteen counties of Shangjun to Qin. In 312 BC, the entire Shangjun was surrendered to Qin. The Qin State established Shangjun here in 304 BC.
13. Hanzhong: the name of the county, today's Hanzhong, Shaanxi. It was established during the reign of King Huai of Chu, and its jurisdiction included the Han River Basin in southeastern Shaanxi and northwest Hubei. In 312 BC, it was captured by Qin general Wei Zhang, and Qin resettled Hanzhong County here.
14. Bao: There is a meaning of annexation here. Jiuyi: This refers to the minority tribes in the northwest of the Chu State, at the junction of the three provinces of Shaanxi, Hubei, and Sichuan today.
15. Yan (yān): The capital of Chu State, located in the southeast of Yicheng County, Hubei Province today. During the Spring and Autumn Period, King Hui of Chu was based here. Ying (yǐng): the capital of Chu State, located in Ji Nancheng, northwest of present-day Jiangling City, Hubei Province. In 279 BC, Qin general Bai Qi captured Yan, and the following year he captured Ying.
16. Chenggao: The name of the city. It is located in Bishui Town, Xingyang County, Henan Province. The terrain is dangerous and it is a famous military center. In the Spring and Autumn Period, it belonged to the state of Zheng and was called Hulao. In 375 BC, South Korea destroyed Zheng and belonged to Han. In 249 BC, it was captured by the Qin army.
17. Zong of the Six Nations (zòng): the alliance of the six nations. The Six Kingdoms refer to the six kingdoms of Han, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Qi and Chu. Cong, Tong "vertical".
18. Shi (yì): spread, continue.
Translation of "Book of Remonstrance and Expulsion of Guests"
I heard that officials were talking about expelling lobbyists from other countries to join the Qin Dynasty, and privately thought that this was wrong. In the past, Duke Mu visited the wise men, and he got Yuyu from Xirong in the west, Bailixi from Wandi in the east, Uncle Jian from the Song Dynasty, and Pibao and Gongsunzhi from the Jin Dynasty. These five people were not born in Qin, but Duke Mu used them to annex twenty princely states, and then dominated Xirong.
Xiao Gong adopted Shang Yang’s decree and changed customs. The people became rich and prosperous, the country became rich and powerful, and the people were willing to serve. The princes were close and obedient, captured the Chu and Wei armies, and captured thousands of miles of land. The country is now stable and strong. King Hui used Zhang Yi's strategy to conquer the land of Sanchuan, annex Bashu to the west, take over Shangjun to the north, capture Hanzhong lightly to the south, control the land of Jiuyi, control Yanying of Chu, occupy the danger of Chenggao to the east, and seize the fertile land. The alliance of the Six Nations gave up and forced Xi Lai to serve Qin, and his achievements continue to this day.
King Zhao obtained Fan Ju, abolished Ranghou, exiled Huayang Lord, strengthened the power of the state, eliminated the gates of powerful people, cannibalized the princes and states, and made Qin an emperor. These four kings all relied on the merits of their guest ministers. From this point of view, what can Ke Qing do to Qin? If the four kings reject guests rather than accept them, alienate the wise men and fail to use them in important ways, this will make Qin lose its wealth and reputation.
Now His Majesty has obtained the beautiful jade from the Kunlun Mountains, possesses treasures such as the Suihou Pearl and the Heshi Bi, hangs a pearl that shines like the bright moon at night, wears the Tai'a sword, rides on a Xianli horse, and immediately A flag decorated with green feathers woven into the shape of a phoenix was set up, and a drum made of Lingsha skin was set up. These treasures are not produced by Qin State, but Your Majesty likes them. Why?
Only things produced in Qin can be used, so luminous jade cannot decorate the court; utensils made of rhinoceros horns and ivory cannot become objects of appreciation; women from Zheng and Wei cannot fill the harem; horses Donkeys and mules will not fill the outer stable; gold and tin utensils from Jiangnan will not be used, and paintings from Xishu will not be used as paint for paintings.
Therefore, the things that decorate the harem, fill the hall, entertain the mood, and sound good and look good must be produced in Qin, such as hairpins decorated with Wandi pearls, earrings with pearls, and Dong'a silk The finished clothes and brocade and embroidered ornaments will not be presented to you; and the serene and beautiful Zhao women who have transformed vulgarity into elegance will not stand by your side. The music that beats the pottery, plays the zither, slaps the thighs and sings and shouts sweetly is the real music of the Qin Dynasty.
Music such as "Zheng", "Wei", "Sangjian", "Shaoyu" and "Wuxiang" are all music from other countries.
Nowadays, we have abandoned the hammering of pottery vessels and accepted the sounds of "Zheng" and "Wei". We have given up playing the zither and pursued the "Shao and Yu". Why do we do this? It’s just suitable for viewing for the sake of comfort and satisfaction. Nowadays, it is not the case when selecting talents. Regardless of whether they can be used or not, regardless of their merits, all who are not Qin people must leave, and all guests who are guests must be expelled.
From this point of view, what is valued is beauty, music, pearls, and jade, but what is despised is the people. This is not a strategy used to occupy the world and control the princes.
I have heard that a vast territory means abundant food, a vast country means a large population, and a strong army means brave soldiers. Therefore, Mount Tai does not reject the soil, which is why it is tall; rivers and seas do not pick up small streams, so it is deep and wide; the emperor does not reject many people, so his merits are outstanding.
Therefore, regardless of the region, whether it is east, west, north, or south, or whether the people are in foreign countries, the four seasons of the year are full and beautiful, and ghosts and gods give blessings. This is the reason why the Five Emperors and Three Kings are invincible. Now, the people are abandoned to help the enemy, and the guests are not allowed to contribute to the feudal lords. The wise men in the world retreat and do not dare to come west, and are unable to advance into Qin. This is the so-called "lend weapons to the enemy and give food to the thieves."
Things are not produced in Qin, but there are many precious things; wise men are not born in Qin, but there are many who are willing to be loyal. Nowadays, expelling guests and ministers to help the enemy country, reducing the number of people and benefiting the enemy, making oneself empty internally and externally enmity with the princes, it is impossible to think that the country is not in danger. Appreciation of "Book of Remonstrance and Chasing Guests"
Li Si's "Book of Remonstrance and Chasing Guests" is not only a good article, but also a good strategy. Its social and historical value goes far beyond changing the "expulsion of guests", and it also laid a strategic foundation for the Qin Dynasty to unify the world.
This article first narrates the history of the Qin State, which has relied on guests to become strong since Qin Mugong, and explains the reason why the Qin State may not be strong without the help of guests; then it lists various female music pearls and jade that are not produced in Qin. The comparison with the fact that he was loved shows that King Qin should not attach importance to things and despise people. The article has a profound intention, always focusing on the goal of "great unification", making arguments from the perspective of King Qin's unification of the world, making positive and negative arguments, focusing on both pros and cons, and explaining the importance of using Keqing to strengthen the country.
The whole text is full of logic and eloquent, which impressed King Yingzheng of Qin, so that he took back his order to expel guests and restored Li Si's official position.
When this article demonstrates the errors and harms of Qin’s expulsion of guests, it does not discuss the specific issue of expelling guests, nor does it involve its own personal entry and exit. Instead, it stands from the perspective of "crossing the sea, "Control the princes" and achieve the great cause of unifying the world, to analyze and clarify the pros and cons of expelling guests, which reflects Li Si's outstanding insights and embodies his progressive political opinions and employment lines that conform to the historical trend. The idea of ????appointing people on their own merits regardless of boundaries, as shown in the article, still has certain reference significance in modern times.
The creative background of "Book of Remonstrance and Expulsion"
According to Sima Qian's "Historical Records: Biography of Li Si", South Korea sent hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to lobby Qin King Ying Zheng (later Qin Shihuang) to advocate They dug canals to irrigate the fields in an attempt to waste Qin's manpower and prevent them from attacking Han, in order to implement the "Plan to Wear Qin". When the matter was discovered, King Yingzheng of Qin listened to the advice of the clan ministers and believed that most of the guests who came to Qin wanted to visit Qin, so he ordered the expulsion of the guests. Li Si was also expelled. Although he was frightened and uneasy, he wrote the "Book of Remonstrance and Expulsion" on the way out. Introduction to the author of "Book of Remonstrance and Chasing Guests"
Li Si was a native of Shangcai (now Shangcai County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province) in the Chu State at the end of the Warring States Period. A famous politician, writer and calligrapher in the Qin Dynasty.
After Qin Shihuang unified the country in the twenty-sixth year (221 BC), as a court lieutenant, he was ordered to discuss the title of "emperor" with Prime Minister Wang Wan, Yushi doctor Feng Jie and others. He later served as prime minister and accompanied the First Emperor on many tours. He opposed Chunyu Yue's proposal to enfeoff his children, and advocated the ban on private learning and the abolition of "Poems", "Books", Historical Records of the Six Kingdoms and "Hundred Schools of Language". He also used Xiaozhuan as a standard to organize the text and wrote "Cangjie Pian" as a model essay.
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