Xin Shu (新書) · Volume 1

秦孝公據崤函之固，擁雍州之地，君臣固守，以窺周室，有席捲天下，包舉宇內，囊括四海之意，幷吞八荒之心。當是時也，商君佐之，內立法度，務耕織，修守戰之具：外連衡而鬥諸侯，於是秦人拱手而取西河之外。

Duke Xiao of Qin held the strong defenses of the Xiao Mountains and Hangu Pass and possessed the land of Yongzhou; ruler and ministers held it firmly, watching for an opening against the house of Zhou, with the intention of rolling up the world, taking in the whole universe, and bagging the four seas, and the heart to swallow the eight wildernesses. At that time Lord Shang assisted him, establishing laws inside, devoting effort to farming and weaving, and repairing the implements of attack and defense; outside he used the horizontal alliance to set the feudal lords against one another, and so the people of Qin took the land beyond the Western River with folded hands.

孝公既沒，惠文武昭襄王，蒙故業，因遺策，南取漢中，西舉巴蜀，東割膏腴之地，北收要害之郡。諸侯恐懼，同盟而謀弱秦，不愛珍器重寶肥饒之地，以致天下之士，合從締交，相與為一。當此之時，齊有孟嘗，趙有平原，楚有春申，魏有信陵。此四君者，皆明智而忠信，寬厚而愛人，尊賢重士。約從離衡，兼韓。魏。燕。趙。宋。衛。中山之眾。於是六國之士，有甯越。徐尚。蘇秦。杜赫之屬為之謀主，齊明。周最。陳軫。召滑。樓緩。翟景。蘇厲。樂毅之徒通其意，吳起。孫臏。帶佗。倪良。王廖。田忌。廉頗。趙奢之朋制其兵。嘗以什倍之地。百萬之眾，仰關而攻秦。秦人開關延敵，九國之師逡遁而不敢進。秦無亡矢遺鏃之費，而天下諸侯已困矣。於是從散約解，爭割地而賂秦。秦有餘力而制其弊，追亡逐北，伏屍百萬，流血漂櫓，因利乘便，宰割天下，分請山河，強國裂伏，弱國入朝。

After Duke Xiao died, King Huiwen, King Wu, and King Zhaoxiang received the old work and followed the bequeathed plans; to the south they took Hanzhong, to the west they seized Ba and Shu, to the east they cut off fertile land, and to the north they gathered commanderies at strategic points. The feudal lords were afraid, allied and planned to weaken Qin, not sparing rare vessels, precious treasures, and fertile land in order to draw in the scholars of the world, and joined the vertical alliance, binding themselves together as one body. At that time Qi had Lord Mengchang, Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, Chu had Lord Chunshen, and Wei had Lord Xinling. These four lords were all wise, loyal, and trustworthy, generous and loving of people, honoring the worthy and valuing scholars. They pledged to unite the vertical alliance and break up the horizontal, and brought together the forces of Han, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan. Then among the scholars of the six states, men such as Ning Yue, Xu Shang, Su Qin, and Du He acted as planners, men such as Qi Ming, Zhou Zui, Chen Zhen, Shao Hua, Lou Huan, Zhai Jing, Su Li, and Yue Yi conveyed intentions, and men such as Wu Qi, Sun Bin, Dai Tuo, Ni Liang, Wang Liao, Tian Ji, Lian Po, and Zhao She commanded the armies. They once used ten times the land and a million troops to attack Qin by assaulting the passes. The people of Qin opened the pass and took in the enemy, and the armies of the nine states hesitated and drew back and did not dare advance. Qin had not lost the cost of a single arrow or arrowhead, and the feudal lords of the world were already in distress. Thereupon the vertical alliance dissolved and the covenant broke, and they competed to cede land to bribe Qin. Qin, with strength to spare, took control of their weaknesses, pursued the fleeing, and the fallen corpses numbered a million, blood flowing so that shields floated; taking advantage of the opportunity, it carved up the world and divided mountains and rivers (the base text has a variant here, probably a miswriting of “divided”), strong states were split and submitted, and weak states came to court.

施及孝文王。莊襄王，享國日淺，國家無事。及至始皇，奮六世之餘烈，振長策而御宇內，吞二週而亡諸侯，履至尊而制六合，執搞樸以鞭笞天下，威振四海，南取百粵之地，以為桂林象郡。百粵之君，俛首繫頸，委命下吏，乃使蒙恬北築長城而守藩籬，卻匈奴七百餘里。胡人不敢南下而牧馬，士不敢彎弓而報怨。於是廢先王之道，燔百家之言，以愚黔首。墮名城，殺豪俊，收天下之兵，聚之咸陽。銷鋒鍉，鑄以為金人十二，以弱天下之民。然後踐華為城，因河為池，據億丈之高，臨百尺之淵以為固。良將勁弩，守要害之處：信臣精卒，陳利兵而誰何。天下已定，始皇之心，自以為關中之固，金城千里，子孫帝王萬世之業也。

Continuing to King Xiaowen and King Zhuangxiang, their time on the throne was short and the state had no affairs. When it came to the First Emperor, he rose with the leftover achievements of six generations, swung a long whip to drive the universe, swallowed up the two Zhou and destroyed the feudal lords, ascended to the supreme honor and controlled the six directions, took up the staff and whip to flog the world, and his awe shook the four seas; to the south he took the land of the Hundred Yue and set up Guilin and Xiang commanderies. The lords of the Hundred Yue bowed their heads, put halters on their necks, and handed their lives to the lower officials. Then he sent Meng Tian to build the Great Wall in the north to guard the fence, driving the Xiongnu back more than seven hundred li. The Hu dared not come south to graze their horses, and their warriors dared not draw bows to avenge themselves. Then he abolished the Way of the former kings and burned the books of the hundred schools in order to make fools of the black-headed people. He destroyed famous cities, killed the outstanding and talented, collected the weapons of the world and gathered them at Xianyang. He melted down the blades and arrowheads and cast twelve metal men to weaken the people of the world. Then he took Mount Hua as the city wall and the Yellow River as the moat, relying on a height of a hundred million feet, looking down on a deep abyss of a hundred feet as a stronghold. Good generals and strong crossbows guarded the strategic places; trusted ministers and fine soldiers lined up sharp weapons and challenged those passing. The world was already settled, and the First Emperor's heart considered that the strong defenses within the passes, a metal city a thousand li wide, were the foundation of his descendants' imperial rule for ten thousand generations.

始皇既沒，餘威振於殊俗。然而陳涉，甕牖繩樞之子，氓隸之人，而遷徙之徒也。材能不及中人，非有仲尼。墨翟之賢，陶朱。猗頓之富，躡足行伍之閒，俛起阡陌之中，率疲弊之卒，將數百之眾，轉而攻秦。斬木為兵，揭竿為旗，天下雲合響應，贏糧而景從。山東豪傑並起，而亡秦族矣。

After the First Emperor had died, his remaining awe still shook distant lands with strange customs. Yet Chen She was the son of a household with a jar for a window and a rope for a door hinge, a kind of hired slave, and also a conscripted laborer who had been transferred. His talent did not reach that of an average person; he had neither the worth of Confucius and Mozi nor the wealth of Tao Zhu and Yi Dun; he set foot among the ranks of the army and rose bending from the footpaths between the fields, leading weary soldiers, commanding a few hundred men, and turned to attack Qin. They cut trees to make weapons and raised bamboo poles as banners, and the world gathered and responded like clouds, carrying provisions and following like shadows. The heroes of Shandong rose together, and the house of Qin was destroyed.

且夫天下非小弱也，雍州之地，崤函之固，自若也。陳涉之位，非尊於齊。楚。燕。趙。韓。魏。宋。衛。中山之君也：鉏耰棘矜，不敵於鉤戟長鎩也：謫戍之眾，非抗九國之師也：深謀遠慮，行軍用兵之道，非及曩時之士也：然而成敗異變，功業相反也。試使山東之國，與陳涉度長絜大，比權量力，則不可同年而語矣。然秦以區區之地，致萬乘之勢，序八州而朝同列，百有餘年矣。然後以六合為家，崤函為宮，一夫作難而七廟墮，身死人手，為天下笑者，何也？仁心不施，而攻守之勢異也。

Moreover, the world had not become smaller or weaker; the land of Yongzhou and the strong defenses of Xiao and Han were as before. Chen She's position was not more honored than the rulers of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan; hoes, harrows, thorn staves, and spear shafts were no match for hooked halberds and long lances; the forces of conscripted garrison troops could not stand against the armies of the nine states; and in deep planning, far thinking, and the way of marching and using troops he was not equal to the earlier scholars; yet success and failure changed, and the achievements were the opposite. If one let the states of Shandong be measured against Chen She in length and size and compared in power and strength, they could not be spoken of in the same year. Yet Qin, with its small stretch of land, reached the power of ten thousand chariots, ordering the eight provinces and making equal states come to court, for more than a hundred years. Afterward, taking the six directions as his home and Xiao and Han as his palace, one man made trouble and the seven ancestral temples were destroyed, and he himself died at the hands of another and was laughed at by the world; why? Because benevolence was not applied, and the situation of attack and defense was no longer the same.

秦滅周祀，幷海內，兼諸侯，南面稱帝，以四海養。天下之士，斐然向風，若是何也？曰：近古之無王者久矣，周室卑微，五霸既滅，令不行於天下，是以諸侯力政。強凌弱，眾暴寡，兵革不休，士民罷弊。今秦南面而王天下，是上有天子也。即元元之民，冀得安其性命，莫不虛心而仰上。當此之時，專威定功，安危之本，在於此矣。

Qin extinguished the sacrifices of Zhou, swallowed everything within the seas, annexed the feudal lords, faced south and called himself emperor, and was supported by the four seas. The scholars of the world eagerly looked toward his civilizing influence; why was this? It is said: for a long time in recent antiquity there had been no king; the house of Zhou was feeble, the Five Hegemons had perished, commands could not be carried out in the world, and so the feudal lords campaigned against one another by force. The strong bullied the weak, the many oppressed the few, weapons and armor never rested, and the scholars and people were worn out. Now Qin faced south and became king of the world, which meant there was a Son of Heaven above. Then the multitude of common people hoped to have their lives secured, and none failed to look up humbly toward the top. At that time, to concentrate authority and fix achievements, the root of safety and danger was right here.

秦王懷貪鄙之心，行自奮之智，不信功臣，不親士民。廢王道而立私愛，焚文書而酷刑法，先詐力而後仁義，以暴虐為天下始。夫幷兼者高詐力，安危者貴順權。推此言之，取與攻守不同術也。秦雖離戰國而王天下，其道不易，其政不改，是其所以取之也，孤獨而有之，故其亡可立而待也。借使秦王論上世之事，並殷周之跡，以制御其政，後雖有淫驕之主，猶未有傾危之患也。故三王之建天下，名號顯美，功業長久。

The King of Qin held a greedy and mean heart and used his own wisdom of having risen by his own effort, did not trust meritorious ministers, and did not draw close to scholars and people. He abolished the Way of kings and established private favor, burned documents and made punishments harsh, put fraud and force first and benevolence and righteousness after, and began the world with cruelty. Those who annex value fraud and force, and those who settle danger value adapting to the times and expediency. Reasoning from this, taking and defending are not the same set of methods. Although Qin left the Warring States period and became king of the world, it did not change that way and did not change that government; this was the method by which it took power, and holding it alone, ruin could be awaited at once. If the King of Qin had discussed matters of earlier ages and compared them with the deeds of Yin and Zhou to govern his government, then even later when there were licentious and arrogant rulers, there would still not have been the disaster of collapse. So the Three Kings established the world with illustrious and fine names and long-lasting achievements.

今秦二世立，天下莫不引領而觀其亡。夫寒者利裋褐，而飢者甘糟糠：天下囂囂，新主之資也，此言勞民之易為仁也。向使二世有庸主之行，而任忠賢，臣主一心，而憂海內之患，縞素而正先帝之過：裂地分民，以封功臣之後：建國立君，以禮天下。虛囹圄而免刑戮，去收孥汙穢之罪，使各反其鄉里。發倉廩，散財幣，以振孤獨窮困之士。輕賦少事，以佐百姓之急，約法省刑，以持其後。使天下之人，皆得自新，更節循行，各慎其身。塞萬民之望，而以盛德與天下息矣。即四海之內，皆歡然各自安樂其處，惟恐有變。雖有狡害之民，無離上之心，則不軌之臣，無以飾其智，而暴亂之奸弭矣。二世不行此術，而重以無道，壞宗廟，與民更始作阿房之宮，繁刑嚴誅，吏治刻深，賞罰不當，賦斂無度。天下多事，吏不能紀，百姓困窮，而主不收恤。然後奸偽並起，而上下相遁，蒙罪者眾，刑僇相望於道，而天下苦之。自群卿以下，至於眾庶，人懷自危之心，親處窮苦之實，鹹不安其位，故易動也。是以陳涉不用湯武之賢，不借公侯之尊，奮於大澤，而天下響應者，其民危也。

Now when the Second Emperor of Qin ascended the throne, there was no one in the world who did not stretch his neck to see him fall. A person who is cold takes short coarse cloth as profit, and a person who is hungry finds chaff and dregs sweet: the clamor of the world is the new ruler's capital, which means that it is easy to practice benevolence toward the toiling people. If the Second Emperor had had the conduct of an ordinary ruler and employed the loyal and worthy, with ruler and ministers of one mind, worried about the troubles within the seas, and wearing plain white mourning corrected the late emperor's faults; divided land and people to enfeoff the descendants of meritorious ministers; established states and set up rulers and treated the world with ritual. Emptied the prisons and spared executions, removed the filthy crimes such as confiscation of families, letting them each return to their villages. Opened the granaries, distributed wealth and money to relieve the lonely and poor scholars. Lightened taxes and reduced labor to help the people's urgent troubles, simplified the laws and reduced punishments to sustain what came after. Let the people of the world renew themselves, change their conduct to follow what is good, and each be careful of their own persons. Satisfy the hopes of the myriad people and rest together with the world through great virtue. Then within the four seas, all would be happy and each at peace in their place, fearing only that something might change. Even if there were deceitful people who did harm, they would have no heart to turn against those above, and so ministers who broke the rules could not dress up their cleverness and violent traitors would stop. The Second Emperor did not carry out this method and added to the lawlessness, destroyed the ancestral temples, and, at a new start with the people, went and built the Epang Palace, with heavy punishments and severe executions, harsh and severe officials, improper rewards and punishments, and levies without limit. The world was full of affairs, the officials could not manage them, the common people were in distress, and the ruler did not take pity. Then treachery and falsehood arose together, those above and below avoided one another, many were found guilty, those executed could be seen all along the road, and the world was in anguish. From the ministers down to the common people, everyone cherished a heart of self-endangerment, being personally in the reality of poverty and suffering, and none were secure in their place, so it was easy to stir them. Therefore Chen She, without the virtue of Tang and Wu and without borrowing the honor of dukes and marquises, rose from the great marsh and the world responded, because the people were in distress.

故先王者，見終始之變，知存亡之由，是以牧之以道，務在安之而已矣。下雖有逆行之臣，必無響應之助。故曰："安民可與為義，而危民易與為非。"此之謂也。貴為天子，富有四海，身在於戮者，正之非也，是二世之過也。

Therefore the former kings, seeing the changes of beginning and end and knowing the causes of survival and ruin, used the Way to shepherd the people and strove only to settle them. Even if there were ministers below who went against them, there would surely be no supporting force responding to them. So it is said: “A settled people can do right together, while a people in distress easily do wrong together.” That is what this refers to. To be honored as Son of Heaven, rich in all within the four seas, and to be brought personally to execution was due to using the wrong method of correction; this was the fault of the Second Emperor.

秦兼諸侯山東三十餘郡，循津關，據嶮塞，繕甲兵而守之。然陳涉率散亂之眾數百，奮臂大呼，不用弓戟之兵，鉏耰白梃，望屋而食，橫行天下。秦人阻嶮不守，關梁不閉，長戟不刺，強弩不射，楚沛深入，戰於鴻門，曾無藩籬之難。於是山東諸侯並起，豪俊相立，秦使章邯將而東征。章邯因其三軍之眾，要市於外，以謀其二。群臣之不相信，可見於此矣。

Qin annexed the feudal lords and more than thirty commanderies of Shandong, patrolled and guarded the fords and passes, held the strategic strongholds, and repaired armor and weapons to defend. Yet Chen She, leading a scattered force of a few hundred men, raised his arm and shouted aloud, without weapons of bow or halberd, with hoes, harrows, and white wooden sticks, and, seeing a house, went to eat in it, and swept across the world. The people of Qin could not hold the narrow defiles, the passes and bridges could not be closed, the long halberds did not stab, the strong crossbows did not shoot, and the people of Chu and Pei went deep in and fought at Hongmen, not meeting any hedge or barrier. Then the feudal lords of Shandong all rose together, the heroes each set up their own affairs, and Qin sent Zhang Han to lead troops east. Zhang Han, relying on the force of the three armies, outside demanded terms and sought a bargain, to plot against his own ruler. That the ministers did not trust one another can be seen from this.

子嬰立，遂不悟。借使子嬰有庸主之材，而僅得中佐，山東雖亂，三秦之地可全而有，宗廟之祀宜未絕也。秦地被山帶河以為固，四塞之國也。自繆公以來，至於秦王，二十餘君，常為諸侯雄。此豈世賢哉，其勢居然也。且天下嘗同心幷力攻秦矣，然困於嶮岨而不能進者，豈勇力智能不足哉，形不利，勢不便。秦雖小邑，伐幷大城，得阨塞而守之。諸侯起於匹夫，以利會，非有素王之行也。其交未親，其名未附，名曰亡秦，其實利之也。彼見秦阻之難犯，必退師，案土息民，以待其弊。承解誅罷，以令國君，不患不得意於海內。貴為天子，富有四海，而身為禽者，捄敗非也。

When Ziying ascended the throne he still did not wake up. Suppose Ziying had had the ability of an ordinary ruler and had obtained only middling assistants; though Shandong was in disorder, the territory of the Three Qin could still have been preserved and held, and the sacrifices of the ancestral temple should not yet have been cut off. The land of Qin, with mountains for a mantle and the river for a belt, was the strong defense of a state sealed on four sides. From Duke Mu until the King of Qin, more than twenty rulers, it was constantly the chief among the feudal lords. Was this because they were worthy generation after generation? It was because the situation lay there. Moreover, the world once joined hearts and forces to attack Qin but was held up by the defiles and could not advance; was it because their courage, strength, and wisdom were insufficient? It was because the terrain was unfavorable and the situation inconvenient. Even Qin, a small town, attacked and annexed large cities and obtained narrow passes to defend. The feudal lords rose from common men, gathering because of profit, and had not the virtue of an uncrowned king. Their friendship was not yet close, their reputation was not yet attached, and in name they were destroying Qin but in fact were seeking profit. Seeing that Qin's defiles were hard to attack, they would surely have withdrawn their forces, settled the land and let the people rest, and awaited Qin's decay. Taking advantage of its slackness and wiping out its exhaustion, to give orders to rulers, they would not have worried about being unable to attain their ambition within the seas. To be honored as Son of Heaven, rich in all within the four seas, and yet be captured personally, was due to using the wrong method of salvaging a failing situation.

秦王足己而不問，遂過而不變。二世受之，因而不改，暴虐以重禍。子嬰孤立無親，危弱無輔。三主之惑，終身不悟，亡不亦宜乎！當此時也，世非無深謀遠慮知化之士也，然所以不敢盡忠拂過者，秦俗多忌諱之禁也，忠言未卒於口，而身糜沒矣。故使天下之士傾耳而聽，重足而立，闔口而不言。是以三主失道，而忠臣不諫，智士不謀也。天下已亂，奸臣不上聞，豈不悲哉！先王知壅蔽之傷國也，故置公。卿。大夫。士，以飾法設刑，而天下治。其強也，禁暴誅亂而天下服：其弱也，五霸徵而諸侯從：其削也，內守外附而社稷存。故秦之盛也，繁法嚴刑而天下震。及其衰也，百姓怨而海內叛矣。故周王序得其道，千餘載不絕，秦本末並失，故不能長。由是觀之，安危之統，相去遠矣。

The King of Qin was self-satisfied and did not ask questions, made mistakes and did not change. The Second Emperor accepted it, followed without changing, and made disasters worse with cruelty. Ziying was isolated with no confidants, in danger and weak with no assistants. With the delusion of three rulers, not waking up to the end of their lives, was ruin not as it should be! At that time, it was not that the world lacked scholars who thought deeply, looked far, and knew change, but the reason they dared not be fully loyal and correct the faults was that Qin custom had many forbidden taboos, and before loyal words were finished, the speaker's own body had already been ruined and destroyed. So scholars of the world tilted their ears to listen, stood with feet together, and shut their mouths and did not speak. And so the three rulers lost the Way, loyal ministers did not remonstrate, and wise scholars did not plan. When the world was already in disorder, treacherous ministers did not report upward; was that not sad! The former kings knew that blockage harms the state, and so established dukes, ministers, high officials, and scholars to put laws in order and set up punishments, and the world was governed. When strong, they forbade violence and punished rebels and the world obeyed; when weak, the Five Hegemons campaigned and the feudal lords followed; when diminished, they guarded within and allied outside and the altars of soil and grain remained. So when Qin was strong, its many laws and severe punishments shook the world. When it declined, the people resented it and all within the seas turned against it. So the kings of Zhou arranged the order in accord with the Way, and it did not end for more than a thousand years, while Qin lost both root and branch and so could not last long. Seen from this, the lineages of safety and danger are very far apart.

鄙諺曰："前事之不忘，後之師也。"是以君子為國，觀之上古，驗之當世，參之人事。察盛衰之理，審權勢之宜，去就有序，變化因時，故曠日長久，而社稷安矣。

A common proverb says: “Not forgetting the past is the teacher of what comes after.” So the gentleman, in governing a state, looks to remote antiquity, verifies with the present age, and checks against human affairs. Examining the principles of flourishing and decline, weighing the suitability of power and circumstance, going and staying in order, changing with the times, the days are long and the altars of soil and grain are secure.

今或親弟謀為東帝，親兄之子西向而擊，今吳又見告矣。天子春秋鼎盛，行義未過，德澤有加焉，猶尚若此，況莫大諸侯，權勢十此者乎！

Now there are those whose own younger brother plans to be Emperor of the East, and whose elder brother's son is advancing west, and now Wu has been denounced again. The Son of Heaven is in the prime of life, his conduct of righteousness has no fault, and his virtue and kindness have been increasing, and yet it is like this; how much more with larger feudal lords whose power is ten times as great!

然而天下少安者，何也？大國之王，幼在懷衽，漢所置傅相，方握其事。數年之後，諸侯王大抵皆冠，血氣方剛。漢之所置傅，歸休而不肯住，漢所置相，稱病而賜罷。彼自丞尉以上，偏置其私人，如此有異淮南。濟北之為耶！此時而乃欲為治安，雖堯舜不能。

Yet the world has settled down slightly; why? The kings of the great states are still young, still in swaddling clothes, and the tutors and chancellors that the Han appointed are in charge of government. A few years later, the feudal kings will mostly have come of age and be capped, with blood and spirit at their height. The tutors appointed by Han go home to rest and refuse to stay, and the chancellors appointed by Han claim illness and are granted dismissal. From the level of deputy and commandant upward, they place their own men everywhere, so how are they different from Huainan and Jibei! At that time, to want to seek order and peace would be impossible even for Yao and Shun.

黃帝曰："日中必，操刀必割。"今令此道順而全安甚易，弗肯早為已，乃墮骨肉之屬而抗剄之，豈有異秦之季世乎！夫以天子之位，用天下之力，乘今之時，因天之助，尚憚以危為安，以亂為治。假設陛下居齊桓之處，將不合諸侯匡天下乎！

The Yellow Emperor said: “When the sun is at midday one must dry things in it; when holding a knife one must cut.” Now to let this principle proceed and preserve safety would be easy, but they will not act early; they would rather harm the flesh and blood relatives and have them executed, and how is that different from the end of Qin? With the position of the Son of Heaven, using the strength of the world, taking the present opportunity, and relying on Heaven's help, one still fears being unable to turn danger into safety and disorder into order. Suppose Your Majesty were in the position of Duke Huan of Qi; would you not convene the feudal lords and set the world right!

臣竊惟事勢，可痛惜者一，可為流涕者二，可為長大息者六。若其它倍理而傷道者，難遍以疏舉。進言者皆曰："天下已安矣。"臣獨曰："未安。"或者曰："天下已治矣。"臣獨曰："未治。"恐逆意觸死罪，雖然，誠不安，誠不治。故不敢顧身，敢不昧死以聞。夫曰天下安且治者，非至愚無知，固諛者耳，皆非事實，知治亂之體者也。夫抱火措之積薪之下，而寢其上，火未及？，因謂之安，偷安者也。方今之勢，何以異此？夫本末舛逆，首尾橫決，國制搶攘，非有紀也，胡可謂治？陛下何不一令臣得熟數之於前，因陳治安之策，陛下試擇焉。

I privately consider the situation of affairs: there is one matter to lament, two matters to weep over, and six matters to sigh over at length. As for the others that go against reason and harm the Way, it is hard to list them one by one. Those who speak to you all say: “The world is already settled.” I alone say: “It is not settled.” Some say: “The world is already well governed.” I alone say: “It is not governed.” I fear going against your wishes and committing a capital crime; even so, it truly is not settled and truly is not governed. So I dare not spare myself and dare to report at the risk of death. Those who say the world is settled and governed are either the utterly foolish and ignorant or flatterers, and none of them are those who know the facts and know the essentials of order and disorder. To put fire under a pile of firewood and sleep on top of it, when the fire has not yet reached it (the base text is missing a character here) and call it safe, is the way of those who steal ease. How is the present situation different from this? Root and branch are upside down, head and tail are severed, the state system is in disorder and has no guiding rules; how can this be called order? Why will Your Majesty not let me explain in detail before you, and therefore set out the plan for governance and stability, and Your Majesty may try choosing from it.

射獵之娛，與安危之機，孰急也？臣聞之：自禹已下五百歲而湯起，自湯已下五百餘年而武王起，故聖王之起，大以五百為紀。自武王已下，過五百歲矣，聖王不起，何慅矣。及秦始皇帝，似是而卒非也，終於無狀。及今天下集於陛下，臣觀寬大知通，竊曰：是以摻亂業，握危勢，若今之賢也，明通以足天紀，又當天宜，請陛下為之矣。然又未也者，又將誰須也？使為治，勞知慮，苦身體，乏馳騁鐘鼓之樂，勿為可也，樂與今同耳。因加以常安，四望無患，因諸侯附親軌道，致忠而信上耳：因上不疑其臣，無族罪，兵革不動，民長保首領耳：因德窮至遠，近者匈奴，遠者四荒，苟人跡之所能及，皆鄉風慕義，樂為臣子耳：因天下富足，資財有餘，人及十年之食耳：因民素樸，順而樂從令耳：因官事甚約，獄訟盜賊可令？有耳。大數既得，則天下順治，海內之氣，清和鹹理，則萬生遂茂。晏子曰："唯以政順乎神為可以益壽。"發子曰："至治之極，父無死子，兄無死弟，塗無襁褓之葬，各以其順終。穀食之法，固百以是，則至尊之壽，輕百年耳，古者五帝，皆踰百歲。"以此言信之，因生為明帝，沒則為明神，名譽之美，垂無窮耳。禮：祖有功，宗有德，始取天下為功，始治天下為德。因觀成之廟，為天下太宗，承太祖，與天下漢長亡極耳。因卑不疑尊，賤不踰貴，尊卑貴賤，明若白黑，則天下之眾不疑眩耳。因經紀本於天地，政法倚於四時，後世無變故，無易常，襲跡而長久耳。臣竊以為建久安之勢，成長治之業，以承祖廟，以奉六親，至孝也：以宰天下，以治群生，神民鹹億，社稷久饗，至仁也：立經陳紀，輕重周得，後可以為萬世法，以後雖有愚幼不肖之嗣，猶得蒙業而安，至明也。壽並五帝，澤施至遠，於陛下何損哉！

Compare the pleasure of hunting with the pivot of safety and danger: which is more urgent? I have heard that five hundred years after Yu, Tang arose, and more than five hundred years after Tang, King Wu arose, so the rising of sage kings is generally reckoned in periods of five hundred years. Since King Wu more than five hundred years have passed, and no sage king has arisen; how unsettling that is. As for Qin's First Emperor, he seemed to be one but in the end was not, and ended up without a good outcome. Now the world is gathered in Your Majesty; I see that you are broad-minded and open, and privately say: this is enough to put in order the disordered work and grasp the endangered situation; with such wisdom as you have today, your clear understanding is enough to accord with Heaven's order above, and you also meet the time's fitness; I ask Your Majesty to act. Yet if you do not act, whom will you wait for? Suppose that to govern one must labor and spend thought and bitterly tax the body, lacking the pleasure of galloping and bells and drums; it would be acceptable not to do it, since the pleasure would be the same as now. And besides, if long peace is added, with no troubles on the four sides, then the feudal lords will draw close and follow the track, be loyal and trust their superiors; then the ruler above will not suspect his subordinates, there will be no crime of wiping out a clan, weapons and armor will not move, and the people will long keep their heads; then virtue will reach the farthest places, so that the Xiongnu near and the four wildernesses far, everywhere human tracks can reach, will all yearn for his influence and admire his righteousness and be glad to be his subjects; then the world will be rich with wealth to spare and each person will have ten years of grain; then the people will be simple, compliant, and glad to obey orders; then official business will be very simple, and lawsuits and robbers may be made almost nonexistent (the base text is missing a character here). When the great number has been obtained, the world will be orderly, the breath within the seas will be clear, harmonious, and all in order, and the myriad kinds will grow and flourish. Yanzi said: “Only by using government to accord with the spirit can one increase one's life.” Some say: “At the utmost of perfect order, no father dies before his son, no elder brother dies before his younger brother, there are no burials of infants in swaddling clothes on the roads, and each ends by their own proper course. By the law of grain and food, this is originally taken as a hundred, and so the lifespan of the most honored regards a hundred years lightly; the Five Emperors of ancient times all exceeded a hundred.” Trusting these words, he lives as an enlightened emperor and after death becomes a bright spirit, with fine fame handed down without end. According to ritual: the ancestor has merit and the ancestor-kin has virtue; to first obtain the world is merit, and to first govern the world is virtue. Therefore, looking on the completed temple, one becomes the Grand Ancestor of the world, continuing the Grand Founder above, and forever endures with the Han dynasty of the world without end. In this way the humble do not doubt the honored, the lowly do not overstep the noble, and the high and low, honored and lowly are as clear as black and white, and the people of the world are not confused or dazzled. In this way the framework takes heaven and earth as its root, and government and law rely on the four seasons, and later generations have no upheaval and do not change the constant rules, following the traces for a long time. I privately think that to establish a situation of long-lasting peace and complete the work of long-lasting order, in order to serve the ancestral temple and support the six kinds of kin, is the utmost filial piety; to govern the world and order all living beings so that spirits and people are all at peace and the altars of soil and grain enjoy sacrifice for long, is the utmost benevolence; to establish constant, displayed guiding rules, with light and heavy all complete and fitting, so that afterward they may serve as a standard for ten thousand generations, and later, even if there are foolish, young, or unworthy heirs, they can still inherit the foundation and be at peace, is the utmost clarity. Your lifespan will stand alongside the Five Emperors and your kindness will reach the farthest places; what loss is this to Your Majesty!

以陛下之明通，因使少知治體者，得佐下風，致此治非有難也，陛下何不一為之？其具可素陳於前，願幸無忽。臣謹稽之天地，驗之往古，案之當時之務，日夜念此至孰也，雖使禹舜生而為陛下計，無以易此。

With Your Majesty's enlightened understanding, let those who know a little of the body of government assist from below the wind, and reaching such order will present no difficulty; why does Your Majesty not try it once? The detailed items can be kept laid out before you at ordinary times, and I hope you will not neglect them. I have carefully examined heaven and earth, tested the past, checked present affairs, and thought on it day and night until it is fully ripe; even if Yu and Shun were alive and planned for Your Majesty, they could not change these things.

夫樹國必審相疑之勢，下數被其殃，上數爽其憂，兇飢數動，彼必將有怪者生焉。禍之所罹，豈可豫知？故甚非所以安主上，非所以活大臣者也，甚非所以全愛子者也。

In establishing fiefs one must examine the situation of mutual suspicion: below, calamities are suffered again and again; above, worries are borne again and again; when famine and disaster strike again and again, strange things are bound to happen there. Where the calamity will spread, how can one know in advance? So it is very much not a way to bring peace to the ruler, not a way to preserve great ministers, and very much not a way to preserve beloved sons.

既已令之為藩臣矣，為人臣下矣，而厚其力，重其權，使有驕心而難服從也，何異於善砥鏌？而予射子，自禍必矣。愛之，故使飽粱肉之味，玩金石之聲，臣民之眾，土地之博，足以奉養宿衛其身。然而權力不足以徼倖，勢不足以行逆，故無驕心，無邪行，奉法畏令，聽從必順，長生安樂，而無上下相疑之禍。活大臣，全愛子，孰精於此？

Having already made them vassals and subjects, yet adding to their strength and weight to their power, so that they have proud hearts and are hard to obey, how is this different from sharpening a Moye sword well and handing it to a son who can shoot arrows? Bringing calamity on oneself is certain. To love them, one lets them have their fill of the flavor of fine grain and meat, and enjoy the sound of bells and chimes, with many subjects and broad lands, enough to support their own guards and attendants. Yet their power is not enough to hope for luck, and their strength is not enough to rebel, so they have no proud hearts and no wicked conduct, they follow the law and fear commands, obey and surely comply, live long in peace and joy, and there is no calamity of mutual suspicion between above and below. To preserve great ministers and preserve beloved sons, is there anything more apt than this?

且藩國與制力非獨少也。制令：其有子，以國其子：未有子者，建分以須之。子生而立，其身以子，夫將何失？於實無喪，而葆國無患，子孫世世，與漢相須，皆如長沙，可以久矣。所謂生死而肉骨，何以厚此？

Moreover, the institutions and strengths of the vassal states and the court are not simply little. Make the law: if he has a son, give the state to his son; if he does not yet have a son, establish an enfeoffment to wait for one. A son is installed as soon as he is born, and the father passes it to the son, so what is lost? In reality nothing is lost, and preserving the fiefs brings no calamity; the descendants for generations, living together with Han, all like Changsha, can last long. What is called bringing the dead to life and putting flesh on white bones, is there anything more generous than this?

竊跡前事，大抵強者先反。淮陰王楚最強，則最先反：韓王信倚胡，則又反：貫高因趙資，則又反：陳豨兵精強，則又反：彭越用梁，則又反：黥布用淮南，則又反：盧綰國比最弱，則最後反。長沙乃才二萬五千戶耳，力不足以行逆，則功少而最完，埶疏而最忠，全骨肉。時長沙無故者，非獨性異人也，其形勢然矣。

In private I have examined the traces of earlier events, and for the most part the strong rebelled first. The Marquis of Huaiyin was strongest in Chu, and so rebelled first; Han Wang Xin relied on the Hu, and so rebelled again; Guan Gao relied on the resources of Zhao, and so rebelled again; Chen Xi's troops were elite and strong, and so rebelled again; Peng Yue used Liang, and so rebelled again; Ying Bu used Huainan, and so rebelled again; Lu Wan's state was comparatively weakest, and so rebelled last. Changsha had only twenty-five thousand households, and its strength was not enough to rebel, so its merit was small yet it remained the most intact, its situation was distant yet it was the most loyal, and it preserved its kin. At that time Changsha had no upheaval, not because its nature alone was different from others, but because of the circumstances.

曩令樊。酈。絳。灌據數十城而王，今雖以殘亡可也。令韓信黥布彭越之倫，列為徹侯而居，雖至今存可也。然則天下大計可知已。欲諸王皆忠附，則莫若令如長沙：欲勿令葅醢，則莫若令如樊。酈。絳。灌：欲天下之治安，天子之無憂，莫如眾建諸侯而少其力。力少則易使以義，國小則無邪心。

If in the past Fan Kuai, Li Shang, the Marquis of Jiang and Guan Ying had been made kings occupying dozens of cities, then even if they had perished and fallen by now it would be acceptable. If men like Han Xin, Ying Bu and Peng Yue had been ranked as full marquises and lived as such, then even if they were still alive today it would be acceptable. Then the great plan of the world can be known. If one wants all the kings to be loyal and close, it is better to let them be like Changsha; if one wants to keep them from being chopped into mincemeat, it is better to let them be like Fan Kuai, Li Shang, the Marquis of Jiang and Guan Ying; if one wants the world to be in order and the Son of Heaven to have no worry, it is better to establish many lords and reduce their strength. When strength is small it is easy to command with righteousness, and when the state is small there is no wicked heart.

昔楚靈王問範無宇曰："我欲大城陳。蔡。葉與不羹，賦車各千乘焉，亦足以當晉矣，又加之以楚，諸侯其來朝乎？"範無宇曰："不可。臣聞：大都疑國，大臣疑主，亂之媒也：都疑則交爭，臣疑則並令，禍之深者也。今大城陳。蔡。葉與不羹，或不充，不足以威晉。若充之以資財，實之以重祿之臣，是輕本而重末也。臣聞尾大不掉，末大必折，此豈不施威諸侯之心哉？然終為楚國大患者，必此四城也。靈王弗聽，果城陳。蔡。葉與不羹，實之以兵車，充之以大臣。是歲也，諸侯果朝。居數年，陳。蔡。葉與不羹，或奉公子棄疾內作難，楚國雲亂，王遂死於乾溪芊尹申亥之井。為計若此，豈不可痛也哉！悲夫！本細末大，弛必至心。時乎！時乎！可痛惜者此也。

In the past King Ling of Chu asked Fan Wuyu: "I want to build up the walls of Chen, Cai, Ye and Bugeng at great expense, each supplying a thousand war chariots, which would also be enough to resist Jin, and with Chu added, would the feudal lords come to court?" Fan Wuyu said: "It will not do. I have heard: when a large town rivals the state, and a great minister rivals the ruler, these are the matchmakers of disorder; when towns rival one another they struggle for each other's possessions, and when ministers rival one another they issue orders together, which is the deepest source of calamity. Now to build up Chen, Cai, Ye and Bugeng at great expense, some of them will not be filled, and will not be enough to overawe Jin. If they are filled with resources and with ministers of heavy salary, that treats the root lightly and values the branches. I have heard that when a tail is large it cannot be wagged, and when the tip is large it will surely break; is this not the mind that wishes to apply awe on the feudal lords? Yet in the end what becomes a great calamity for the state of Chu will surely be these four cities." King Ling did not listen, and indeed built up Chen, Cai, Ye and Bugeng, filled them with war chariots and with great ministers. That year the feudal lords did come to court. After a few years, some in Chen, Cai, Ye and Bugeng served Prince Qiji in causing trouble from within, Chu fell into great disorder, and the king in the end died in a well belonging to Shen Hai, the Qian Yin, at Ganxi. To plan like this, is it not painful! How sad! When the root is thin and the branches large, the slackness will surely reach the heart and belly. The opportunity! The opportunity! What is to be lamented is just this.

天下之勢，方病大尰，一脛之大幾如要，一指之大幾如股，惡病也，平居不可屈信，一二指搐，身固無聊也。失今弗治，必為錮疾，後雖有扁鵲，弗能為已。此所以竊為陛下患也。病非徒尰也，又苦？盭。元王之子，帝之從弟也。今之王者，從弟之子也。惠王之子，親兄之子也。今之王者，兄子之子也。親者或無分地，以安天下：疏者或專大權，以偪天子。臣故曰："非徒病尰也，又苦？盭。"可痛哭者，此病是也。

The situation of the world is suffering from a severe swelling of the feet: one shin is almost as large as a waist, one finger almost as large as a thigh; it is a foul illness, which normally can neither bend nor stretch, and with one or two fingers convulsing, the body naturally has nothing to rely on. If we miss the chance to treat it now, it will surely become a chronic disease, and even if a Bian Que came later, he could not cure it. This is what I privately worry about for Your Majesty. The illness is not only a swelling of the feet but also a twisting of the soles (a character is missing in the base text). The son of King Yuan is the emperor's cousin. The present king is the cousin's son. The son of King Hui is the nephew of the emperor's own brother. The present king is the son of the brother's son. Among the close, some have no land to bring peace to the world; among the distant, some monopolize great power and press upon the Son of Heaven. This is why I say: "It is not only a swelling of the feet, but also a twisting of the soles." What deserves to be wept over is this illness.

諸侯王所在之宮，衛織履蹲夷，以皇帝在所宮法論之。郎中謁者受謁取告，以官皇帝之法予之。事諸侯王或不廉潔平端，以事皇帝之法罪之。曰一用漢法事諸侯王，乃事皇帝也。是則諸侯王乃埒至尊也。然則天子之與諸侯，臣之與下，宜撰然齊等若是乎？

In the palaces where the kings of the feudal states live, if the guards weave sandals and squat, they are judged by the law of the palace where the emperor lives. If the gentlemen attendants and receptionists accept audiences and requests for leave, they are given according to the officials' law for treating the emperor. If those serving the kings are not honest and upright, they are punished by the law for serving the emperor. It is said that serving the kings of the feudal states, all by Han law, is serving the emperor. In this way the kings are made equal to the most honored. Then should the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords, ministers and their subordinates, be absolutely equal like this?

天子之相，號為丞相，黃金之印：諸侯之相，號為丞相，黃金之印，而尊無異等，秩加二千石之上。天子列卿秩二千石，諸侯列卿秩二千石，則臣已同矣。人主登臣而尊，今臣既同，則法惡得不齊？天子衛御，號為大僕，銀印，秩二千石：諸侯之御，號曰大僕，銀印，秩二千石，則御已齊矣。御既已齊，則車飾具惡得不齊？天子親號雲太后，諸侯親號雲太后：天子妃號曰後，諸侯妃號曰後。然則諸侯何損，而天子何加焉？妻既已同，則夫何以異？天子宮門曰司馬，闌入者為城旦：諸侯宮門曰司馬，闌入者為城旦。殿門俱為殿門，闌入之罪亦俱棄市，宮牆門衛同名，其嚴一等，罪已鈞矣。天子之言曰令，令甲令乙是也：諸侯之言曰令，令儀令言是也。天子卑號皆稱陛下，諸侯卑號皆稱陛下。天子車曰乘輿，諸侯車曰乘輿，乘輿等也。然則所謂主者安居，臣者安在？

The chancellor of the Son of Heaven is called Chancellor, with a gold seal; the chancellor of the feudal lords is called Chancellor, with a gold seal, with no difference in rank of honor, and his salary is above two thousand shi. The ministers of the Son of Heaven have a salary of two thousand shi, and the ministers of the feudal lords have a salary of two thousand shi, so the ministers are already the same. The ruler is honored by relying on ministers; now that the ministers are already the same, how can the laws not be equal? The Son of Heaven's guard and driver is called Grand Coachman, with a silver seal and a salary of two thousand shi; the feudal lords' driver is called Grand Coachman, with a silver seal and a salary of two thousand shi, and so the drivers are already equal. If the drivers are already equal, how can carriage ornaments and utensils not be equal? The Son of Heaven's mother is called Empress Dowager, and the feudal lords' mother is called Empress Dowager; the Son of Heaven's consort is called Empress, and the feudal lords' consort is called Empress. Then what have the feudal lords lost, and what has the Son of Heaven gained? Since the wives are the same, on what basis are the husbands different? The gate of the Son of Heaven's palace is called Sima, and one who enters without permission is punished with city-wall building; the gate of the feudal lords' palace is called Sima, and one who enters without permission is punished with city-wall building. The gates of the halls are all hall gates, and the crime of entering without permission is in both cases execution in the market; the palace walls and gate guards have the same names, and the strictness is of one grade, so the penalties are already equal. The words of the Son of Heaven are called edicts, like Edict Jia and Edict Yi; the words of the feudal lords are called edicts, like Edict Yi and Edict Yan. The humble title for the Son of Heaven is Your Majesty at the Steps, and the humble title for the feudal lords is Your Majesty at the Steps. The carriage of the Son of Heaven is called the imperial carriage, and the carriage of the feudal lords is called the imperial carriage, and the imperial carriages are equal. Then where is the one called ruler, and where is the one called subject?

人之情不異，面目狀貌同類，貴賤之別，非天根著於形容也。所持以別貴賤明尊卑者，等級。勢力。衣服。號令也。亂且不息，滑曼無紀，天理則同，人事無別。然則所謂臣主者，非有相臨之具，尊卑之經也，特面形而異之耳。近習乎形貌然後能識，則疏遠無所放，眾庶無以期，則下惡能不疑其上？君臣同倫，異等同服，則上惡能不眩其下？孔子曰："長民者衣服不貳，從容有常，以齊其民，則民德一。"詩云："彼都人士，狐裘黃裳，行歸於周，萬民之望。"孔子曰："為上可望而知也，為下可類而志也。"則君不疑於其臣，而臣不惑於其君。而此之不行，沐瀆無界，可為長大息者此也。

People's natures are no different, their faces and appearances are of one kind, and the distinction of noble and base is not something that Heaven attaches to the form and features. What is used to distinguish noble from base and to mark honored from lowly are rank, power, clothing, and commands. Disorder has not yet ceased, things are loose and without discipline, the principle of Heaven is the same, and in human affairs there is no distinction. Then the so-called ruler and subject have no instruments for presiding over each other and no constant mark of high and low, and are only distinguished by looking at appearance face to face. Those close and familiar with the appearance can then recognize it, while those who are distant have nothing to rely on, the multitude have nothing to look forward to, and how can those below not doubt those above? Ruler and subject are of the same category, not of equal rank yet dressed alike, and how can those above not bewilder those below? Confucius said: "One who governs the people has clothing of no two kinds, is at ease and has constant rules, so as to bring his people into order, and the people's virtue is single." The Book of Songs, Lesser Elegantiae, "Du Ren Shi," says: "That man of the capital, in fox fur and yellow lower garment, walking to turn toward Zhou, is what the ten thousand people look up to." Confucius said: "What is above can be known by looking up to it, and what is below can be remembered by analogy." Then the ruler does not doubt his subjects, and the subjects are not confused about their ruler. Yet this cannot be put into practice, and the gradual seeping has no boundary; what deserves a long sigh is this.

衣服疑者，是謂爭先：澤厚疑者，是謂爭賞：權力疑者，是謂爭強：等級無限，是謂爭尊。彼人者，近則冀幸，疑則比爭。是以等級分明，則下不得疑：權力絕尤，則臣無冀志。故天子之於其下也，加五等，已往則以為臣：臣之於下也，加五等，已往則以為僕。僕亦臣禮也。然稱僕不敢稱臣者，尊天子。避嫌疑也。

When clothing rivals, this is called struggling for precedence; when the generosity of favors rivals, this is called struggling for rewards; when power rivals, this is called struggling for strength; when ranks have no limit, this is called struggling for honor. Such people, when near, hope for luck, and when rivaling, contend side by side. Therefore when ranks are clear, those below cannot doubt; when power is especially cut off, subjects have no ambition to covet. So the Son of Heaven, with respect to his subordinates, adds five ranks, and below that regards them as ministers; a minister, with respect to his subordinates, adds five ranks, and below that regards them as servants. A servant also follows the rites of a minister. Yet calling oneself servant and not daring to call oneself minister is out of respect for the Son of Heaven, avoiding suspicion.

制服之道，取至適至和以予民，至美至神進之帝。奇服文章，以等上下而差貴賤。是以高下異，則名號異，則權力異，則事勢異，則旗章異，則符瑞異，則禮寵異，則秩祿異，則冠履異，則衣帶異，則環佩異，則車馬異，則妻妾異，則澤厚異，則宮室異，則床蓆異，則器皿異，則飲食異，則祭祀異，則死喪異。故高則此品周高，下則此品周下。加人者品此臨之，埤人者品此承之。遷則品此者進，絀則品此者損。貴周豐，賤周謙，貴賤有級，服位有等，等級既設，各處其檢，人循其度，擅退則讓，上僭則誅。建法以習之，設官以牧之，是以天下見其服而知貴賤，望其章而知其勢。使人定其心，各著其目，故眾多而天下不眩，傳遠而天下識只。卑尊已著，上下已分，則人倫法矣。於是主之與臣，若日之與星。臣不幾可以疑主，賤不幾可以冒貴。下不凌等，則上位尊：臣不踰級，則主位安：謹守倫紀，則亂無由生。

The way of establishing dress regulations is to take what is most suitable and harmonious for the people, and offer what is finest and most divine to the emperor. Strange clothing and patterns are used to distinguish above and below and grade noble and base. Therefore as high and low differ, the names differ, the powers differ, the situations differ, the banners and insignia differ, the tallies and auspicious tokens differ, the ritual favors differ, the salaries differ, the caps and shoes differ, the robes and belts differ, the rings and pendants differ, the carriages and horses differ, the wives and concubines differ, the generosity of favors differs, the palaces differ, the beds and mats differ, the vessels differ, the food and drink differ, the sacrifices differ, and the funerals differ. So when high, all these categories are high; when low, all these categories are low. What is applied to others is applied with these categories, and what is lower than others receives with these categories. When promoted, these categories rise; when demoted, these categories fall. The noble is wholly abundant, the lowly wholly modest, noble and lowly have grades, dress and position have ranks, and once the ranks are established each is held within restraint, people follow his rules, and stepping back without permission is reprimanded, and overstepping upward is punished. Laws are set up to train them, and officials are appointed to shepherd them, so that the world, seeing a person's dress, knows noble or base, and seeing his insignia knows his power. This lets people settle their hearts and each have clear eyes, and so the people are many yet the world is not bewildered, and it is passed to distant places and the world recognizes it. When the humble and honored are already clear and above and below distinguished, the law of human relations is established. Then ruler and subject are like the sun and stars. Subjects can hardly doubt the ruler, and the lowly can hardly pass for the noble. When those below do not trample the ranks, the position above is honored; when subjects do not cross the grades, the ruler's position is secure; if one carefully holds fast to the order of relations, disorder has nowhere to arise.

陛下即不為千載之治安，知今之勢，豈過一傳再傳哉。諸侯猶且人恣而不制，豪橫而大強也，至其相與，特以縱橫之約相親耳。漢法令不可得行矣。今淮陽之比大諸侯，懃過黑子之比於面耳，豈足以為楚御哉？而陛下所恃以為藩捍者，以代淮陽耳。代北邊與強匈奴為鄰，懃自完足矣。唯皇太子之所恃者，亦以之二國耳。今淮陽之所有，適足以餌大國耳。方今制在陛下，制國命子，適足以餌大國，豈可謂工哉？

Even if Your Majesty did not plan for peace and order for a thousand years, knowing the present situation, could it last beyond one or two successions? The feudal lords are each already wanton and cannot be restrained, domineering and too strong, and as for their forming ties with one another, they are only drawing close by vertical and horizontal alliances. Then the laws of Han could not be put into effect. Now Huaiyang compared to the great lords is merely like a black mole on a face, how could it suffice to be a defense against Chu? And what Your Majesty relies on as a screen and bulwark is only Dai and Huaiyang. Dai on its north borders the strong Xiongnu, and it is enough for it just to preserve itself. What the Crown Prince relies on is also only these two states. What Huaiyang now has is precisely enough to be bait for the great states. Today the system rests with Your Majesty, dividing up fiefs and appointing sons, which is precisely enough to be bait for the great states; can this be called skillful?

人主之行異布。衣布衣者，飾小行，競小廉，以自托於鄉黨邑里。人主者，天下安社稷固不耳。故黃帝者，炎帝之兄也，炎帝無道，黃帝伐之涿鹿之野，血流漂杵，誅炎帝而兼其地，天下乃治。高皇帝瓜分天下，以王功臣，反者如蝟毛而起，高皇帝以為不可，剽去不義諸侯，空其國，擇良日，立諸子洛陽上東門之外，諸子畢王而天下乃安。故大人者，不怵小廉，不牽小行，故立大便以成大功。

The conduct of a ruler is different from that of a commoner. A commoner polishes small conduct and competes in petty integrity, to commend himself to his village and neighbors. A ruler seeks only the peace of the world and the firmness of the altars of the state. So the Yellow Emperor, who was the elder brother of the Flame Emperor, when the Flame Emperor was without the Way, attacked him in the wilds of Zhuolu, and the blood flowed so that pestles floated, and he destroyed the Flame Emperor and annexed his lands, and only then was the world in order. Emperor Gao divided up the world to enfeoff meritorious ministers as kings, and rebels rose like the quills of a hedgehog; Emperor Gao thought it would not do, and cut down the unrighteous lords, emptied their states, chose an auspicious day, and installed his sons outside the Upper East Gate at Luoyang, and all the sons became kings and the world was only then at peace. So a great man is not frightened by petty integrity or dragged by petty conduct, and so establishes great advantage and achieves great merit.

今淮南地遠者或數千裡，越兩諸侯而縣屬於漢，其苦之甚矣。其欲有卒也，類良有所至逋走而歸諸侯，殆不少矣。此終非可久以為奉地也。陛下豈如蚤便其勢，且令他人守郡，豈如令子。臣之愚計，願陛下舉淮南之地以益淮陽。梁即有後，割淮陽北邊二三列城與東郡以益梁，即無後患，代可徙而都睢陽。梁起新鄭以北著之河，淮陽包陳以南揵之江，則大諸侯之有異心者破膽而不敢謀。今所恃者，代。淮陽二國耳，皇太子亦恃之。如臣計，梁足以捍齊。趙，淮陽足以禁吳。楚，則陛下高枕而臥，終無山東之憂矣。臣竊以為此二世之利也。若使淮南久縣屬漢，特以資奸人耳，惟陛下幸少留意。

Now the lands of Huainan in some places lie several thousand li away, cross over two feudal states and belong to Han like a county, and they suffer greatly. They want to have an end to it, and probably some truly flee back to the feudal lords, and there may be not a few. In the end this cannot be long maintained as a place of tribute. How can Your Majesty compare to moving early to take advantage of that situation; moreover, how can letting others guard a commandery compare to letting one's son do so? In my foolish plan, I wish Your Majesty would take the land of Huainan and add it to Huaiyang. If Liang has an heir, cut two or three walled towns north of Huaiyang and the Dong Commandery to add to Liang, and there will be no later trouble, and Dai can be moved and its capital set at Suiyang. Liang would extend north from Xinzheng to the river, and Huaiyang would enclose the south of Chen and join the Yangtze, so that great lords with different ideas would have their courage broken and not dare to plot. What is relied on now is only the two states of Dai and Huaiyang, and the Crown Prince also relies on them. By my calculation, Liang is enough to hold off Qi and Zhao, and Huaiyang is enough to hold off Wu and Chu, and Your Majesty can sleep with a high pillow and in the end have no worry from east of the mountains. I privately think this is a benefit for both generations. If Huainan were made to belong to Han like a county for long, it would only aid the wicked; I wish Your Majesty would give it a little thought.

諸侯勢足以專制，力足以行逆，雖令冠處女，勿謂無敢。勢不足以專制，力不足以行逆，雖生夏育，有仇讎之怨，猶之無傷也。然天下當今恬然者，遇諸侯之俱少也。後不至數歲，諸侯偕冠，陛下且見之矣。豈不苦哉！力當能為而不為，畜亂宿禍，高拱而不憂，其紛也宜也，甚可謂不知且不仁。

If the feudal lords' power is enough to monopolize rule and their strength is enough to rebel, even a maiden put in an adult's cap would find none who dared say otherwise. If their power is not enough to monopolize rule and their strength is not enough to rebel, even if a Xia Yu were born, with the grudge of an enemy, there would still be no harm. Yet the world is now calm because it has met feudal lords who are all young. Not many years from now, the lords will all come of age together, and Your Majesty will see it. Is it not painful! The strength is just enough to do it and yet it is not done, one stores up disorder and keeps calamity, folds one's hands high and does not worry; disorder is what is to be expected, and this can truly be called ignorant and also unkind.

夫秦日夜深惟，苦心竭力，以除六國之憂。今陛下力制天下，頤指如意而，故成六國之禍，難以言知矣。苟身常無意，但為禍未，在所制也。亂媒日長，孰視而不定，萬年之後，傳之老母弱子，使曹勃不寧制，可謂仁乎？

Qin thought deeply day and night, strained its mind and exhausted its strength to remove the troubles of the six states. Now Your Majesty has used force to subdue the world and points the chin and gets what you want, yet on the contrary is producing calamity like that of the six states, and it is hard to call this wise. If one's own person is always without mishap, it is only that calamity has not yet arrived, which depends on what is restrained. The matchmakers of disorder grow day by day, and looking at them closely and not deciding, ten thousand years hence, passing it to an old mother and weak son, so that Cao Can and Zhou Bo cannot keep it settled and restrained, can this be called kind?

海內之勢，如身之使臂，臂之使指，莫不從制。諸侯之君，敢自殺，不敢反，心知必葅醢耳。不敢有異心，輻湊並進，而歸命天子。天子無可以徼倖之權，無起禍召亂之業，雖在細民，且知其安，故天下鹹知陛下之明。

The situation within the seas is like the body commanding the arm and the arm commanding the finger, with nothing that does not obey control. The lords of the feudal states dare to kill themselves but dare not rebel, knowing in their hearts that they will be chopped into mincemeat. They dare not have different ideas, and like spokes converging on the hub they are all put to use together and surrender their lives to the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven has no power to hope for luck, no enterprise that gives rise to calamity and brings disorder, and even among the common people they know peace, and so the whole world knows Your Majesty's wisdom.

割地定製，齊為若干國，趙楚為若干國，制既各有理矣，於是齊悼惠王之子孫王之分地盡而止，趙幽王。楚元王之子孫亦各以次受其祖之分地，燕。吳。淮南他國皆然。其分地眾而子孫少者，建以為國，空而置之，須其子孫生者，舉使君之。諸侯之地，其削頗入漢者，為徙其侯國及封其子孫於彼也，所以數償之。故一寸之地，一人之眾，天子無所利焉，誠以定治而已，故天下鹹知陛下之廉。

If the land is divided and the institutions fixed, Qi divided into some number of states, Zhao and Chu divided into some number of states, and the institutions already each in order, then the descendants of King Daohui of Qi will be kings until the divided land is used up, and the descendants of King You of Zhao and King Yuan of Chu will each in turn receive the land divided from their ancestors, and Yan, Wu, Huainan and the other states are all like this. Where the divided land is large and the descendants few, they are established as a state, kept empty in the setting, awaiting the birth of their descendants, all of whom will be made lords. Where the lands of the feudal lords have been cut and many have returned to Han, move their fiefs for them and enfeoff their descendants there, repaying them by number. So not one inch of land and not one person is taken by the Son of Heaven for profit; it is truly only for the sake of bringing peace and order, and so the whole world knows Your Majesty's integrity.

地制一定，宗室子孫，慮莫不王。制定之後，下無背叛之心，上無誅伐之志，上下歡親，諸侯順附，故天下鹹知陛下之仁。

Once the system of land is fixed, among the descendants of the imperial clan, I imagine there will be none who are not kings. After the system is settled, those below have no heart of rebellion, those above have no intention of punishing, above and below are glad and close, and the feudal lords obey and attach themselves, and so the whole world knows Your Majesty's benevolence.

地制一定，則帝道還明，而臣心還正，法立而不犯，令行而不逆：貫高利幾之謀不生，機奇啟章之計不萌。細民鄉善，大臣效順，上使然也，故天下鹹知陛下之義。

Once the system of land is fixed, the Way of the emperor will return to brightness, the hearts of ministers will return to uprightness, laws will be established and not violated, commands will be carried out and not disobeyed: the plots of Guan Gao and Li Ji will not occur, and the schemes of Ji Qi and Qi Zhang will not sprout. The common people turn to the good and great ministers follow in obedience, because those above have made them so, and so the whole world knows Your Majesty's righteousness.

地制一定，臥赤子天下之上而安，待遺腹，朝委裘，而天下不亂，社稷長安，宗廟久尊，傳之後世，不知其所窮。故當時大治，後世誦聖，一動而五美附，陛下誰憚而久不為此？五美。

Once the system of land is fixed, even an infant placed over the world will be at peace, one can wait for a posthumous child, and even pay court to a discarded fur robe, and the world will still not fall into disorder, the altars of the state will long be at peace, the ancestral temple will long be honored, and passing to later ages, no one will know an end. So at that time there will be great order, later generations will praise your sagacity, one act will bring together five goods, and whom does Your Majesty fear that he has not done this for so long?

炎帝者，黃帝同父母弟也，各有天下之半。黃帝行道，而炎帝不聽，故戰涿鹿之野，血流漂杵。夫地制不得，自黃帝而以困。

The Flame Emperor was the younger brother of the Yellow Emperor by the same father and mother, and each held half of the world. When the Yellow Emperor practiced the Way, the Flame Emperor did not listen, and so they fought in the wilds of Zhuolu, and blood flowed so that pestles floated. The land system was not proper, and from the time of the Yellow Emperor it was already a problem.

以高皇帝之明聖威武也，既撫天下，即天子之位，而大臣為逆者乃幾十發。以帝之勢，身勞於兵閒，紛然幾無天下者數矣。淮陰侯。韓王信。陳豨。彭越。黥布及盧綰皆功臣也，所嘗愛信也，所愛化而為仇，所信反而為寇，可不怪也。地裡蚤定，豈有此變？

With the clear sagacity and martial power of Emperor Gao, he had already pacified the world and taken the throne as Son of Heaven, yet great ministers rebelled dozens of times. With the Emperor's power, he toiled among the armies in person, and disorder nearly cost him the world several times. The Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Wang Xin, Chen Xi, Peng Yue, Ying Bu and Lu Wan were all meritorious ministers, those who had once been loved and trusted; those loved turned into enemies and those trusted turned into bandits, can this not be strange? If the geography had been settled early, how could these upheavals have occurred?