Qin Shi Huang wrote a letter to Lü Buwei, just asking him to move to Shu, why was he so frightened that he committed suicide?

In the long history of the Qin state, Lü Buwei was a controversial figure. When Qin Shi Huang wrote a letter asking him to move to Shudi, why didn't he follow the order, but chose to kill himself by drinking doves? This question has been haunting future generations. In the official history, he was a genius who wandered between politics and commerce, and was an important figure in promoting the development of the Qin state; But in folklore and some film and television works, he has become a villain who is skilled in scheming and morally corrupt. This fragmentation of the image makes us full of curiosity about his real life. Today, we will restore the misunderstood real life of Lü Buwei through historical analysis.

In 267 BC, the crown prince of Qin died, An Guojun was made crown prince, and his son Zichu was sent to Handan, Zhao State, as a hostage. At this time, Zichu was in a difficult situation in Zhao State, the carriages and horses were very shabby, and his life was very embarrassing. In the market of Handan, people come and go, and the sound of selling and cars and horses is endless. As a successful businessman, Lü Buwei shuttled through the bazaar, and his keen eyes soon noticed Zichu. He saw that although Zi Chu was dressed in shabby clothes, there was still a sense of nobility in his demeanor, and his eyes revealed unwillingness and longing. Lü Buwei's heart moved, realizing that this could be an opportunity to change his fate.

When he came to the place where Zichu lived, he saw that it was a simple courtyard, with many cracks in the walls and a somewhat dilapidated door. Walking into the house, the light is dim and the furnishings are simple. Lü Buwei talked with Zichu and found that although Zichu was in a difficult situation, he had his own opinions on the situation and politics of the Qin State. Lü Buwei was secretly happy, he knew that he had found a "potential stock" worth investing in.

So, Lü Buwei began to fund Zichu, providing him with money, carriages, horses, and clothing, so that he could have a decent life in Handan. At the same time, Lü Buwei used his business connections and connections to pave the way for Zichu in the political arena of the Qin state. He traveled to the State of Qin and met Lady Huayang through the younger brother of Lady Huayang, the favorite concubine of An Guojun. Although Mrs. Huayang was favored, she had no son, so Lü Buwei persuaded Mrs. Huayang to recognize her son Chu as her adopted son. Mrs. Huayang considered her future and agreed to Lü Buwei's suggestion.

Under Lü Buwei's operation, Zichu returned to Qin and became the heir of An Guojun. Later, An Guojun succeeded to the throne as King Qin Xiaowen, and Zichu became the crown prince. King Qin Xiaowen reigned for a short time, and died soon after, Zichu succeeded to the throne as King Xiang of Qin Zhuang, and Lü Buwei was also appointed as Xiangguo, Fengwen Xinhou, and 100,000 households.

It is recorded in "Historical Records: The Biography of Lü Buwei": "Lü Buwei took the good dancers of Handan Zhuji and lived with them, and knew that they had bodies. Zichu never drank well, and said when he saw it, because it was longevity, please do it. Lü Buwei was angry, he had broken his family and became a son, and he wanted to fish for curiosity, so he offered his concubine. Ji hid himself, and when he was older, he gave birth to a son. Zi Chu then made Ji his wife. Although this account is controversial, it is undeniable that Lü Buwei played an important role in the politics of the Qin state.

During his tenure as prime minister, he made important contributions to the development of the Qin state. Militarily, he sent generals such as Meng Wei to attack Zhao, Wei and other countries, expanding the territory of Qin. Politically, he implemented a series of reforms that strengthened the centralization of power in the Qin state and improved the administrative efficiency of the government. He also paid attention to the selection and appointment of talents, attracted a large number of guests, and provided talent support for the development of the Qin State.

In some film and television dramas and novels, Lü Buwei is portrayed as a person who has an improper relationship with Zhao Ji and tries to rebel. For example, in "The Great Qin Fu", in order to increase the drama of the plot, the deep emotional entanglement between Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji is fictionalized, as well as the plot of Lü Buwei's attempt to maintain his power by controlling Zhao Ji and Qin Shi Huang.

But in the official history, the relationship between Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji is not so complicated. Zhao Ji was originally Lü Buwei's concubine, but was later offered to Zichu and became Zichu's wife. As the prime minister, Lü Buwei mainly focused on the governance and military expansion of the country, and did not participate too much in the battle of the harem. Those fictional plots, to a large extent, are to cater to the audience's tastes, and distort the true image of Lü Buwei.

Lü Buwei advocated lenient governance, believing that after years of war, the people of Qin needed to recuperate, and should adopt a moderate policy to govern the country. He presided over the compilation of the "Spring and Autumn Period of the Lü Family", which integrated the ideas of various schools, emphasized "rule by virtue" and "benevolent government", and hoped to guide the people through moral education.

Qin Shi Huang, on the other hand, had a strong idea of centralization, and he aspired to establish a highly centralized state, which was governed by strict laws and institutions. As Qin Shi Huang grew up and became pro-government, he and Lü Buwei became more and more different in terms of statecraft. Qin Shi Huang believed that Lü Buwei's loose policies were not conducive to the unity and stability of the country, while Lü Buwei believed that Qin Shi Huang's centralized policies were too harsh and might cause dissatisfaction among the common people.

This difference in political strategy has led to the deepening of the contradictions between the two. Qin Shi Huang began to gradually weaken Lü Buwei's power, taking some important government affairs under his own control, and no longer relying on Lü Buwei.

In addition to the contradictions with Qin Shi Huang, there were also interpersonal conflicts between Lü Buwei and Li Si. Li Si was an important advisor to Qin Shi Huang, who advocated Legalist thought, emphasizing the rule of law and maintaining social order through strict punishment.

There are fundamental differences between Lü Buwei and Li Si on the concept of governance. Lü Buwei paid attention to the synthesis of various thoughts, while Li Si respected the Legalists alone. The two often argued over policy-making at the imperial court, and their relationship became strained.

From historical sources, it can be seen that there are some flaws in Lü Buwei's character, such as his overconfidence, believing that his own concept of governing the country is correct, and unwilling to listen to the opinions of others. At the same time, he was not decisive enough in the power struggle and did not take timely measures to maintain his power.

In the regime of the Qin state, there were different factions. Lü Buwei, as a prime minister, had a huge power and formed the Lü Buwei group headed by him. After Qin Shi Huang came into power, he gradually cultivated his own cronies, such as Li Si and Meng Tian, forming a group of Qin Shi Huang's cronies.

The struggle between the two factions intensified, with the Lü Buwei clique trying to maintain its power and position, while the clique of Qin Shi Huang's cronies wanted to concentrate power in Qin Shi Huang's hands. In this case, Lü Buwei became the focus of the power game, and his every move was watched by both sides.

When Qin Shi Huang wrote a letter asking Lü Buwei to move to Shu, Lü Buwei knew exactly what that meant. If he obeys the order and goes to Shu, he may be further weakened by Qin Shi Huang, and may even encounter accidents. And if he resisted, with his power at that time, he would not be able to compete with Qin Shi Huang at all, and would only bring more bloodshed and sacrifice.

After careful consideration, Lü Buwei decided to commit suicide by drinking doves. On the one hand, he committed suicide to preserve his dignity and was unwilling to spend the rest of his life in exile; On the other hand, it is also to avoid further escalation of the struggle between his own group and Qin Shi Huang's cronies and reduce more casualties. Although his deathbed layout could not change his fate, it alleviated the political contradictions of Qin to a certain extent.

Lü Buwei sent Chang Yu to Zhao Ji, which was a key event in his life. With Zhao Ji's favor, Chang Yu gradually grasped a certain amount of power and formed the Chang Yu Group. Chang Yu was ambitious and tried to rebel, but was eventually pacified by Qin Shi Huang.

This incident had a huge impact on Lü Buwei. Qin Shi Huang believed that Lü Buwei was responsible for Chang Yu's indulgence and began to become dissatisfied with Lü Buwei. Because of this incident, Lü Buwei's prestige in the court was greatly reduced, and he became the target of public criticism. It can be said that sending Chang Yu to Zhao Ji was a major mistake in Lü Buwei's life, which triggered a series of chain reactions and eventually led to his tragic ending.

Lü Buwei's life has both merit and history. In the development of the Qin state, he made important contributions, promoted the military expansion and political reform of the Qin state, and laid the foundation for Qin Shi Huang to unify the six kingdoms. But he also made some mistakes in the power struggle, such as sending Chang Yu to Zhao Ji, which led to political chaos.

We should look at Lü Buwei's merits from a neutral perspective, and we should neither ignore his faults because of his merits, nor deny his merits because of his faults. His life is a complex polyhedron that reflects the complexity of Qin politics and the brutality of power struggles at that time.

From Lü Buwei's life, we can get some practical inspiration. In the workplace, we must be like Lu Buwei, have a keen eye and decisive decision-making, seize the opportunity, and achieve our career goals. But at the same time, we should also pay attention to the relationship with superiors and colleagues, so as to avoid affecting our career development due to differences in ideas and interpersonal conflicts.

When faced with power games, we need to learn to weigh the pros and cons and make the right choices. Sometimes, giving up some power and interests may avoid greater losses. At the same time, we should also pay attention to our own moral cultivation, and do not use unscrupulous means in pursuit of power and interests, and end up in trouble.

If Lü Buwei could turn back time and choose again, how would he handle his relationship with Qin Shi Huang? Will he be able to avoid the tragic end of suicide? These questions are worth pondering. History has no assumptions, but we can learn from Lü Buwei's life and make our lives more exciting.

Lü Buwei's life is a life full of controversy, but also a life full of legends. He counterattacked from a merchant to become the prime minister of Qin, but in the end he committed suicide by drinking doves. Through the analysis of his life, we can better understand the history of the Qin State, and we can also get some enlightenment about life and the workplace.

His story is like a mirror, reflecting the cruelty of power struggles and the complexity of human nature, allowing us to think more about our own lives while feeling emotional.