ExclusiveThe truth about Qin Shi Huang's burning of books and burying of scholars. #qinshihuang

Many people associate Qin Shi Huang with the burning of books and the burying of scholars, and take it as evidence of Qin Shi Huang's cruelty and destruction of history and culture. However, it is not the truth. The direct cause of the burning was a debate on whether feudalism or county system was better. After raising the issue at a court meeting, Qin Shi Huang continued to discuss the matter with his advisers. The Prime Minister Li Si, who had always advocated for the implementation of the county system, emphasized the importance of valuing the present over the past and proposed burning books as a solution to prevent scholars from clinging to ancient knowledge and opposing government policies. Qin Shi Huang accepted Li Si's suggestion and issued a decree to execute The burning of books was a political event of great significance in the history of the Qin dynasty, which was thoroughly discussed and eventually implemented as a major law. Qin Shi Huang burned the chaff among the hundred schools of thought to protect the orthodox culture. From 221 BC, when he united the six states, to 213 BC, when the so-called burning of books occurred, Qin Shi Huang had collected a large number of classical documents from the policies and the people of the six states. He had recruited more than 70 scholars and had appointed them as doctoral officials. He had also gathered more than 2,000 students and the doctoral officials to sort out the classical documents, eliminating the false and retaining the true. All books were including those that were ordered to be burned. Later, when Liu Bang attacked Xianyang, Xiao He moved a batch of books out of the state library of Qin. Later on, Xiang Yu came, and he set fire to the city of Xianyang, burning all the books in the state library to ashes. Qin Shi Huang was told from a young age by his parents that he was born with extraordinary signs, such as a flock of birds hovering above his house and his unique physical traits like having double pupils, teeth at birth, and dragon scales on his back. His father told him about the royal lineage of the Qin dynasty, believing that Qin would have a powerful leader to unify the country, thus instilling in him a strong belief and reverence in the heavens and deities, and in his divine destiny to unify China. He firmly believed in the five-element theory and replaced the fire element of the Zhou dynasty with the water element. As black symbolized the water, he adopted black as the dominant color of the Qin dynasty for flags, clothing, and insignia. In the Eight Trigrams of the Bagua, water corresponds to the sixth position, kan, so the Qin dynasty used six as a significant number in their administrative system, with everything measured in multiples of six. From road construction to cut tracks, the phrase liu liu da shun, meaning all is well, originates from this numerical system. Qin Shi Huang also conducted a significant ceremony called the feng shan sacrifice, which was a ritual for emperors to show gratitude to heaven and earth. To perform this ceremony, the emperor must have made great contributions to the country's stability and prosperity. In the 28th year of his reign, he led his courtiers, including scholars, to Taishan to hold a grand feng shan sacrifice. He was fascinated by the concept of immortals, always yelling to find immortals and learn about the path to eternal life. Because of this, Qin Shi Huang respected feng shi, or alchemists. In ancient China, those who practiced longevity and searched for immortality were called feng shi. Over 300 feng shi were summoned to his side. Among them, the most famous were Hou Shen an alchemist from the state of Qi, and Lu Shen, an alchemist from the state of Yan. They were highly rewarded by Qin Shi Huang and were sent all over to find the elixir of immortality. But where could the elixir be found? Thus, Lu Shen, Hou Shen, and a group of alchemists conspired together and fled. This sparked the so-called persecution of scholars. The annals of Qin Shi Huang, in the records of the grand historian, recalls the events that were set off by these scholars. Qin Shi Huang heard of their escape and became extremely angry, saying, I have collected books from all over the country, removing those that were of no use. I have also summoned many scholars and alchemists, hoping to create peace and stability. The alchemists are supposed to be practicing seeking miracle medicines. Now I hear that Han Zhong has gone missing without reporting, and that Xu Shi and others have spent millions but still have not found any elixir. All I hear is that they are spreading false rumors to swindle money. I have honored and rewarded Lu Shen and others, but now they are slandering me, which is an offense to my virtue. I sent people to investigate the scholars in Xianyang, and some of them are spreading false rumors to confuse the people. He then sent officials to investigate the scholars. The scholars accused each other, and more than 460 people were buried alive in Xianyang to serve as a warning to others. The above account is the first textual record of the incident, and various stories and discussions about this event in the past millennia all stem from this account. However, all the specific names mentioned in the incident were alchemists. They had been lurking around Qin Shi Huang for many years, fooling him. When Qin Shi Huang became furious, the object of condemnation shifted from alchemists to scholars. There are no specific individual names mentioned here. In Annals of Qin Shi Huang, immediately following the account of the Confucian scholars being buried alive, there is a story about Prince Fu Su advising Qin Shi Huang not to punish the Confucian scholars too severely. The original text of this account is as follows. Qin Shi Huang's eldest son Fu Su demonstrated, saying, the realm has only just been pacified, and the people in distant lands have yet to be fully incorporated. The scholars all study the laws and teachings of Confucius. Now, your majesty is using strict laws to punish them, and I fear that the realm will not be at peace. I implore your majesty to take this into consideration. Qin Shi Huang was enraged and ordered Fu Su to go to the northern garrison at Shang Jun to serve as a military supervisor under Meng Tian. It is very clear that this account was added as an important supplement to the story of the Confucian scholars being buried alive. According to common sense, the origins of the events lie with alchemists, so it is strange that Fu Su did not mention them, but instead suddenly brought up the scholars, and furthermore made it very clear that he was referring to Confucians who studied and emulated Confucius. It is evident that Fu Su's statement was intentionally added to omit the role of the alchemists and emphasize the Confucian scholars. If this explanation had not been added, the idea that Qin Shi Huang buried Confucian scholars alive would not hold up. Looks like there is a hidden hand behind the text that skillfully altered the historical content. According to the Qin's legal system, Confucian scholars would have been handed over to the imperial censors for punishment and subject to a strict legal trial. Based on what we have learned about Qin and Han law, especially the large number of legal documents unearthed in recent years, there are no legal texts or cases of execution by burying alive. In the history of Qin and Han, burying alive was only used in cruel wars, and it was often recorded as a condemned atrocity. For example, the Qin general Bai Qi buried alive 400,000 Zhao prisoners of war, and Xiang Yu buried alive 200,000 Qin-surrounding soldiers. Around 300 alchemists were active around Qin Shi Huang, among whom five were known by name, Han Zhong, Hou Shen, Lu Shen, Shi Shen, and Xu Fu. They were all rebullied and honored by Qin Shi Huang for their active search for immortals and elixirs. In the so-called burying of the scholars incident, alchemists Lu Shen, Han Zhong, and Hou Shen fled and were not punished by the law. Their whereabouts became unknown. Xu Fu was directly named and blamed by Qin Shi Huang, making him the most guilty of the accused in the incident. Strangely, Xu Fu was not affected by the incident. He did not flee, nor was he pursued by the law, and he continued to live happily on Langya Terrace, actively searching for the elixir for Qin Shi Huang. According to the annals of Qin Shi Huang in the records of the grand historian, in the second year after the burying incident, Qin Shi Huang undertook his fifth tour of the country and visited the Langya Terrace again. There, he met with Xu Fu once more. Qin Shi Huang not only did not punish Xu Fu, but also once again believed his sweet words and went on a boat to shoot a giant fish, personally removing any obstacles that might hinder the appearance of immortals and elixirs. Xu Fu, left with thousands of young boys and girls and treasures of gold and silver, never returned. According to the Liexianzuan biographies of immortals, when Qin Shi Huang was searching for the elixir of immortality in the East, he met Qian Shuiwen An Qisheng at Mount Lao. An Qisheng was a disciple of He Shanggong. They talked for three days and three nights about the ways of cultivating health and longevity. An Qisheng also left a book for Qin Shi Huang and said that in a thousand years he could find him at Mount Penlai. Based on previous literature before the records of the grand historian, there is no mention of the story of Qin Shi Huang killing the scholars. However, there is a story in the Shuo Yuan from the early Western Han period that is somewhat similar. In this story, Hou Shen was captured by Qin Shi Huang and was about to be executed by being torn apart by horses. But at that moment, he gave a long speech that moved the emperor so much that he released him instead. It is possible that Sima Qian added the story to make it more interesting. Who knows? Whether the story of Qin Shi Huang burying scholars is historical or just a rumor, each of us can judge for themselves based on the available evidence. In our next episode, I will talk about Qin Shi Huang's underground army, the Terracotta Warriors. Sarah's History of China. See you soon!