About the author of Qin Zhuan, the most widely circulated record so far is: "Prime Minister Lisi wrote Cang Xie, Zhongche Mansion ordered Zhao Gao to write Curie, and Grandmaster Hu Wujing wrote Bo Xue, all of which were based on the historical book Da Zhuan, or more precisely, they were preserved, so-called Xiao Zhuan writers." Since all three are famous, why only mention "Reese"?
It is understood that Reese is "honest" and persecuted by Zhao Gao. Later generations hated Zhao Gao and sympathized with Lisi, saying that Qin Zhuan was made by Lisi, which increased Qin Zhuan's "sympathy score" and diverted people's attention to Qin Zhuan.
Li Sizhi's "Cang Xie Pian" seems to be dominated by "calligraphy", but the words used are not Qin Zhuan, but "ancient Chinese characters". Its content is quoted from the Tang Dynasty's "All Classics, Sounds and Meanings" and other documents. Here are some paragraphs:
"Use, even." "All classics, sound and meaning. Seven is quoted from Cang Xie.
"Ge, also." (beside "teacher" and "eye") all classics, sounds and meanings. Thirteen Cang Xie films.
"Show, now also." "Hua Yan is silent. On "quoted from Cang Xie.
"Leather, quit." Selected works. Preface to the praise of the famous ministers of the Three Kingdoms. Shan Li quoted Cang Xie.
It can be seen that the content of Cang Xie has nothing to do with the emergence of Qin Zhuan, just as Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi has nothing to do with word-making, which is a truth. According to Hanshu? Yi Wenzhi records: "Cang Xie has many ancient Chinese characters, but the vulgar teacher lost reading." In the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty planned to resume the use of Qin Zhuan. The "ancient Chinese characters" that don't even know the "vulgar teacher" obviously don't refer to Qin Zhuan. And Wen Xin Diao Long? "Lianzi" records: "Cang Xie" was compiled by Li Sizhi, which is a legacy of birds and sand. "All these show that there is no direct relationship between Cang Xie and Qin Zhuan. Although Cang Xie was compiled by Li Sizhi, it is not evidence that Li Sizhi wrote seal script.
Qin Zhuan's standard script, found in Qin Zhaoben handed down from ancient times, was promulgated in the 26th year of Qin Shihuang (22 1 BC), the first year of the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. It can be seen that Qin Zhuan was made on the eve of the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. At that time, Li Si's identity and position were called "Keqing Emperor" and "Tingwei", and he was in charge of the prison. His position as "prime minister" was not obtained until around the thirty-fourth year of Qin Shihuang. On the issue of building Qin Zhuan, then Prime Minister Wang Wanhe and Vice Premier Yu Shibao seemed more qualified to be the project host. It can be seen that as the project host, the formulation of "Prime Minister Li Si is the seal" is not established. In other words, the formulation of Biography of Li Zuosi is inconsistent not only in time, but also in position.
Judging from his personality, Reese is not the right person to make Qin Zhuan himself. Li Siqi was greedy and selfish by nature, but he was timid and prudent, but his words and deeds were straightforward and he didn't hide it. For example, Historical Records? "Biography of Li Si" said, "When you enter the warehouse, you will see hamsters, eat millet, and live under the guard, and you will not see the worries of people and dogs." This is a portrayal of timidity and self-protection. It's selfish and greedy to betray Chu and go to Qin, abuse him, and even falsely harm his classmate Han Fei. Knowing that suggesting "burning books to bury Confucianism" to Qin Shihuang would be reviled by future generations, he did it naked, straightforward and not so hidden. Besides, according to Hanshu? Xiao He's Biography of Cao Can said: "It is said that Li Si was the emperor of Qin, and good for good and good for bad." "Thus, although Reese's words and deeds caused irreparable damage to later generations' ideology and culture, his guilt was inescapable, but judging from his work style and personality characteristics, he was obviously not the" master "who made Qin Zhuan. At the beginning of the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, when clothes blocked the road and made him enter the city, Ting Wei, who was in charge of the criminal justice, faced with a mountain of cases, even if Li Si intended to "make a seal", I'm afraid he couldn't leave.
It is not difficult to see that Reese is not the first choice to be Qin Zhuan, no matter from time, location or personal factors. It is obviously a lie to say that "Li Si is a seal".
People who know it may realize that the characters of Qin seal script are characterized by "evil melody", "deceit", "expansion" and "conceit", and only those who have corresponding personality, background, professional skills and relevant knowledge can produce them. And this person, must belong to Zhao Gao.
It is not surprising that Zhao Gao is the direct producer of Qin Zhuan. From the aspects of identity, occupation, specialty, personality, background, etc., its basis is much more sufficient than that of Li Si. First, Zhao Gao was born as a "knife and pen official" and worked in "Qin Gong" for more than 20 years. In the history of China, those who were born as "knife and pen officials" were considered as "generalists" because they were not only good at writing, but also familiar with the knowledge of law and history. Because of these advantages, Zhao Gao won the appreciation and trust of Qin Shihuang. From being convicted and pardoned, he was appointed as a full-time teacher in Hu Hai (later Qin Ershi), teaching seal script and law. , to take charge of the emperor's seals and documents, can be said to be all the way up, enough to show that has been spoiled far above Reese. The favorable factors such as background, skills, knowledge, position, time and trust undoubtedly provided the possibility for the imperial edict to formulate Qin Zhuan. Secondly, Zhao Gao's character is low, his mind is not right, his personality is distorted, his intentions are sinister and his means are despicable, which is consistent with the basic characteristics of Qin Zhuan. For example, it is an evil thought for Zhao Gao to "correct" the waste prince Fu Su and steal the column; Zhao Gao's "calling a deer a horse" is a distorted personality. The plan of "killing ministers and keeping flesh and blood" came from Zhao Gao; Killed Reese and his son by mistake and calculated Zhao Gao; Hu Hai's murder of Qin Ershi was also Zhao Gao's calculation. So unscrupulous, insidious, Zhao Gao dare not? All these symbolize the personality characteristics of "evil", "deception", "inflation" and "conceit", which are completely consistent with Qin Zhuan's personality characteristics. Third, according to the old version of Shuo Wen Jie Zi? "Xu" records: "Zhao Gao wrote a calendar, the so-called Xiao Zhuan." (Kangxi dictionary? Stop ") This is more about uploading relevant information from document records, which deserves attention. In other words, although since the Tang Dynasty, popular sayings have a keynote, that is, "Li Si, the prime minister of Qin Dynasty, ordered Zhao Gao to make a calendar, and Grandmaster Hu Wujing to make a study, so-called Xiao Zhuan also." Or "Li Si Alien Seal". But the writers of Kangxi Dictionary are all learned scholars in Qing Dynasty. Although mistakes will inevitably occur in the writing process, they will not be so blatantly taken out of context, which will lead to ambiguous quotation errors and keep mainstream sentences out of the dictionary. This shows that it is based on other old versions of Shuo Wen Jie Zi. If this record is true, then Zhao Gao's Li Li Pian is a monograph on the origin, motivation and process of seal script, which was published much earlier than Li Si's Cang Xie Pian.
Thus, the factors, conditions and opportunities of seal cutting in Zhao Gao are much greater than those in Lisi. Later generations only said "Lisi made seals", the purpose of which was nothing more than to divert people's attention from Qin Zhuan, increase people's sympathy for Qin Zhuan, and fabricate "orthodox" and "legal" basis for the emergence and development of "calligraphy".