708:
would hear about it to entice her. The queen dowager did hear about it and consequently secretly desired to obtain him. Lü Buwei thereupon introduced Lao Ai to her. Deviously ordering someone to accuse Lao Ai of a crime punishable by castration, Lü also privately told the queen dowager, "If we can fake the castration, we can make him a servant in the harem." The queen dowager therewith covertly gave a generous bribe to the officer charged with castrations to falsely sentence him and to pluck out his eyebrows and beard to make him appear a eunuch. As a result, he was made a servant of the queen dowager.
758:
statesman and wise counsellor, a kind of Medici prince who influenced not merely
Florence and Italy, but all of European civilization. But in China the facts of Lü's life, together with the fact that he was from the despised merchant class, condemned Lü in the eyes of the Han literati. They considered Qin and its unification of China an unmitigated evil. So Lü was in their eyes a parvenu and a fraud whose schemes had made possible Qin's evil. He was a baleful figure, richly deserving of condemnation and eminently worthy of ridicule and calumny.
473:
31:
791:. In the series, Ying Zheng is Lü Buwei's biological son, but the revelation is that Ying Zheng had already died in his youth. A young man called Zhao Pan takes on Ying Zheng's identity and, with the help of Xiang Shaolong (a 21st-century Hong Kong policeman who travelled back in time), knocks Lü Buwei out of power. Zhao Pan reveals his true identity to a shocked Lü Buwei later and kills him.
840:. Also, his creation of Lushi Chunqiu was seen too, challenging commoners to change anything on that collection, in exchange of rewards. And he is known to be too rich, he even threw a lavish banquet, including elephants that Lu himself described as a "drop in the bucket". His motive for abandoning Ying for a campaign is for
598:"Now if I devoted my energies to labouring in the fields, I would hardly get enough to clothe and feed myself; yet if I secure a state and establish its lord, the benefits can be passed on to future generations. I propose to go serve Prince Yiren of Qin who is a hostage in Zhao and resides in the city of Jiao."
732:
was not really a eunuch, and had plotted with the Queen
Dowager to make their illegitimate son become successor. In 238 BCE, Lao Ai launched a revolt in an attempt to seize power from Ying Zheng, but the rebellion was crushed and Lao Ai was executed along with three generations of his relatives. Ying
757:
Lü engineered the succession of a minor prince to the throne of Qin; and when that prince died after a few months on the throne, Lü became regent for his young son, the future First
Emperor of Qin. In the West, we would regard Lü as a merchant-prince, a patron of culture and literature, an eminent
707:
fearing that discovery would cause disaster to befall him, secretly sought a man with a large penis, Lao Ai , whom he made his retainer. Sometimes he would have music performed and order Lao Ai to put his penis through a wheel of paulownia wood and walk about, making certain that the queen dowager
723:
Lao Ai had sole power over the affairs of state and grew increasingly arrogant and extravagant. The high officials and honoured ministers of government all drank and gambled with him. Once when he got drunk, he began to speak belligerently. In a provocative fashion, eyes glaring with anger, he
848:'s rebellion, stripped of everything he has and exiled to Shu. He committed "suicide", but a mysterious carriage leaves the area he was exiled in with dialogue indicating its occupant wished to observe the world that Ying would create as the latter seeks to unify China.
733:
Zheng stripped his mother of her position as the Queen
Dowager and ordered the two sons she secretly had with Lao Ai to be put into sacks and beaten to death. Lü Buwei was implicated in the incident and was stripped of his posts and titles and banished to the remote
737:
region in the south of Qin. Lü Buwei feared eventual execution so he committed suicide in 235 BCE by consuming poison. As a result of the Lao Ai affair, Ying Zheng removed power from most of Lü Buwei's retainers and followers (one notable exception being
628:, in his household, with whom Zichu became so infatuated that he asked for her. Lü Buwei reluctantly presented Lady Zhao to Zichu, and they returned to Handan. In 259 BCE, Lady Zhao gave birth to a son, Ying Zheng, who eventually unified China under the
602:
Using bribes and machinations, Lü Buwei arranged for Yiren to return to Qin and successfully persuaded Lady
Huayang to adopt Yiren as her son, thereby making Yiren the heir apparent to Lord Anguo. Lady Huayang renamed Yiren to "Zichu"
669:. While in office, Lü Buwei oversaw Qin's military campaigns against neighboring states. When King Zhuangxiang died in 247 BCE, a 13-year-old Ying Zheng succeeded him, while Lü Buwei continued serving as a chancellor (
530:, some alleged stories (for example, Lü's private thoughts and conversations) can be discounted. Note that some of the following English translations come from John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riegel's scholarly study of the
404:. Through bribes and machinations, Lü Buwei succeeded in helping King Zhuangxiang become the heir apparent to the Qin throne. In 249 BCE, after King Zhuangxiang ascended the throne following the death of his father,
640:
in 251 BCE, Lord Anguo was enthroned and became historically known as "King
Xiaowen", but he died three days after his coronation in 250 BCE. Zichu succeeded his father and became historically known as
832:. The manga and its anime adoption does not deviate heavily from the classical historical portrayal of Lü Buwei, depicting him as a malevolent schemer who aligns himself with his former lover, the
724:
bellowed, "I am the stepfather of the emperor. How dare some wretch oppose me!" One of those with whom he had quarrelled ran to report this to the emperor , who was outraged.
712:
The Queen
Dowager fell in love with Lao Ai and had him enfeoffed as the "Marquis Changxin". After she became pregnant, he recklessly took control of the Qin government.
541:
mentioned that he was from the Wey state and he became a successful travelling merchant earning "thousands of measures of gold". In 267 BCE, the first son of
428:). After King Zhuangxiang's death in 247 BCE, Lü Buwei became the chancellor and regent to King Zhuangxiang's young son, Ying Zheng, who later became
1089:
703:
says that Lady Zhao (who became the Queen
Dowager after Ying Zheng ascended the throne) pursued many illicit sexual activities, and Lü Buwei,
678:
As the chancellor and regent, Lü Buwei dominated the Qin government and military. He invited famous scholars from all over China to
349:
1013:
807:
1044:
586:
On returning home, he said to his father, "What is the profit on investment that one can expect from plowing fields?"
575:, the capital of Zhao, he met Yiren and said, "This is a rare piece of merchandise that should be saved for later."
1079:
1039:
823:
as a character that mentions that the quality of the music is directly related to the sense of life that one has.
990:
490:
276:
164:
328:
186:
1064:
1049:
805:
The story of Lü Buwei is retold in graphic form, partly framed as a romance comic, in the second volume of
770:
778:. The true nature of the relationship between the Emperor and Lü Buwei is a major plot point in the story.
357:
1084:
563:), who was childless, to the status of his primary spouse. Lord Anguo had over twenty sons. Among them,
1054:
693:
461:
1074:
1059:
753:
Knoblock and Riegel describe the
Western and Chinese historical perspectives of Lü Buwei as follows:
594:"And the return on investment from establishing a ruler and securing the state would be how much?"
844:
to usurp the throne and eliminate him when the time comes. This failed, and he was implicated in
642:
564:
397:
71:
1069:
1034:
1029:
637:
542:
383:
870:
783:
8:
973:
853:
819:
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recorded a story about Lü Buwei deciding to switch his career from business to politics.
550:
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405:
833:
646:
625:
440:
409:
312:
304:
42:
1009:
799:
788:
451:
in the south of Qin. While in exile, Lü Buwei committed suicide by consuming poison.
260:
252:
480:
The primary sources of information about Lü Buwei date from the first century BCE:
217:
684:
456:
828:
742:) and restored it to the hereditary Qin aristocracy. After Lü Buwei's death, the
137:
142:
841:
447:, Lü Buwei was stripped of his posts and titles and was banished to the remote
238:
472:
30:
1023:
1004:
826:
Lü Buwei is a character and one of primary antagonists in the
Japanese manga
814:
775:
633:
553:, as his new heir apparent. Lord Anguo promoted his concubine, Lady Huayang (
429:
75:
568:
454:
Apart from his political career, Lü Buwei is also known for sponsoring the
401:
321:
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133:
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387:
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342:
46:
781:
Lü Buwei is played by Kwok Fung in the 2001 Hong Kong television series
858:
837:
746:
fell out of favour with the Qin government, but was resurrected by the
774:, which focuses on the events just before the unification of China by
567:, who ranked somewhere in the middle in terms of age, was sent to the
199:
196:
193:
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171:
985:
656:
481:
269:
865:
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290:
898:
Sellman, James D. "The Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Lu", in
836:, in order to usurp the throne of Qin, under the guise of helping
666:
845:
729:
590:"And the return on investment in pearls and jades is how much?"
572:
444:
439:
In 235 BCE, after being implicated in a scandal involving the
16:
Chinese merchant and politician of the Qin state (291–235 BCE)
794:
Lü Buwei is a major character in the historical novel series
739:
333:
87:
378:(291–235 BCE) was a Chinese merchant and politician of the
571:
to serve as a royal hostage. When Lü Buwei was trading in
400:, who was then a minor prince serving as a hostage in the
354:
309:
295:
281:
60:
913:
The Annals of Lü Buwei: A Complete Translation and Study
624:
mentioned that Lü Buwei had a beautiful "dancing girl",
768:
Lü Buwei is a major character in the 1999 Chinese film
902:, Ian McGreal, ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1995:39.
665:) with a taxable fief covering 100,000 households in
257:
243:
229:
851:Lü Buwei appears in the Chinese television series
692:), an encyclopedic compendium of the ideas of the
460:, an encyclopaedic compendium of the ideas of the
1021:
588:"Ten times the investment," replied his father.
645:". King Zhuangxiang appointed Lü Buwei as his
549:died, so King Zhaoxiang named his second son,
386:. Originally an influential merchant from the
670:
660:
650:
636:" (First Emperor of Qin). After the death of
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556:
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526:texts openly criticise both Lü Buwei and the
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423:
415:
413:
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1008:. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A.
915:. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 2000.
443:(Ying Zheng's mother) and her illicit lover
682:, the Qin capital, where they compiled the
610:
1003:Wars With The Xiongnu, A Translation from
933:109, 7.272, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:4
29:
951:9.280, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:23-4.
924:85.2506, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:4.
471:
422:) and ennobled him as "Marquis Wenxin" (
613:"son of Chu") because she was from the
1022:
311:
259:
1090:Suicides in the Warring States period
762:
396:) state, Lü Buwei met and befriended
911:Knoblock, John and Jeffrey Riegel.
900:Great Thinkers of the Eastern World
808:The Cartoon History of the Universe
13:
632:and became historically known as "
14:
1101:
942:Tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:21.
675:) and regent to the young king.
506:Strategies of the Warring States
787:, which is based on a novel by
464:that was published in 239 BCE.
408:, he appointed Lü Buwei as his
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991:Records of the Grand Historian
954:
945:
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817:mentions Lü Buwei in his book
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491:Records of the Grand Historian
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1:
967:
885:
771:The Emperor and the Assassin
537:Lü Buwei's biography in the
7:
960:Knoblock and Riegel, 2000:2
881:in Qin Dynasty Epic (2020).
596:"It would be incalculable."
10:
1106:
694:Hundred Schools of Thought
462:Hundred Schools of Thought
131:
1045:Businesspeople from Henan
877:Lü Buwei is portrayed by
864:Lü Buwei is portrayed by
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659:him as "Marquis Wenxin" (
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165:Traditional Chinese
1080:Politicians from Puyang
1001:Yap, Joseph P. (2009).
728:Ying Zheng learnt that
690:Lü's Spring and Autumn
467:
398:King Zhuangxiang of Qin
187:Simplified Chinese
72:King Zhuangxiang of Qin
1040:Ancient businesspeople
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600:
477:
432:(First Emperor of the
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705:
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522:). Since these three
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384:Warring States period
871:The Legend of Haolan
857:as a true father of
784:A Step into the Past
350:Baxter–Sagart (2014)
122:Merchant, politician
114:235 BCE (aged 55–56)
1065:Generals from Henan
1050:Chinese chancellors
820:The Glass Bead Game
63: – 235 BCE
1085:Suicides by poison
763:In popular culture
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441:Queen Dowager Zhao
1055:Chinese merchants
1014:978-1-4490-0604-4
520:Garden of Stories
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218:Standard Mandarin
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592:"A hundredfold."
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322:Southern Min
297:Leoi Bat-wai
225:Hanyu Pinyin
153:
141:
134:Chinese name
83:Succeeded by
54:
998:), vol. 85.
979:Zhan Guo Ce
879:Duan Yihong
748:Han dynasty
719:mentioned:
630:Qin dynasty
580:Zhan Guo Ce
528:Qin dynasty
524:Han dynasty
501:Zhan Guo Ce
434:Qin dynasty
382:during the
343:Old Chinese
138:family name
1024:Categories
986:Sima, Qian
974:Liu, Xiang
968:References
859:Ying Zheng
838:Ying Zheng
647:chancellor
569:Zhao state
551:Lord Anguo
449:Shu region
410:chancellor
402:Zhao state
239:Wade–Giles
119:Occupation
76:Ying Zheng
43:Chancellor
886:Footnotes
657:enfeoffed
626:Lady Zhao
615:Chu state
547:Qin state
496:Liu Xiang
482:Sima Qian
380:Qin state
335:Lī Put-uî
245:Lü Pu-wei
55:In office
866:Nie Yuan
789:Huang Yi
717:Shuoyuan
680:Xianyang
510:Shuoyuan
476:Lü Buwei
376:Lü Buwei
291:Jyutping
231:Lǚ Bùwéi
154:Lü Buwei
132:In this
68:Monarchs
23:Lü Buwei
874:(2019).
829:Kingdom
750:later.
667:Luoyang
545:of the
494:), and
106:291 BCE
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730:Lao Ai
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1010:ISBN
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699:The
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111:Died
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976:.
696:.
672:相國
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