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Lü Buwei (291–235 BCE) was a Chinese merchant and politician of the
Qin state Qin () was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Traditionally dated to 897 BC, it took its origin in a reconquest of western lands previously lost to the Rong; its position at the western edge of Chinese civilization permitted ex ...
during the
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
. Originally an influential merchant from the Wei () state, Lü Buwei met and befriended
King Zhuangxiang of Qin King Zhuangxiang of Qin (281– 6 July 247 BCEVolume 05 of ''Records of the Grand Historian'' indicated that King Zhuangxiang died on the ''bingwu'' day of the 5th month of the 4th year of his reign. Using the ''Zhuanxu'' calendar, the date corre ...
, who was then a minor prince serving as a hostage in the Zhao state. 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, King Xiaowen, he appointed Lü Buwei as his
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
() and ennobled him as "Marquis Wenxin" (). 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
Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...
(First Emperor of the
Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
). In 235 BCE, after being implicated in a scandal involving the
Queen Dowager Zhao Zhao Ji (;Ji (Zhou dynasty ancestral surname), Ji 姬 was an Chinese surname#Xing, ancestral name of the Zhou dynasty, Zhou royal family, which later evolved to generally mean "lady" in successive eras. But there are no more detailed mentions on ...
(Ying Zheng's mother) and her illicit lover
Lao Ai Lao Ai (; died 238 BCE) was an imposter eunuch and official of the State of Qin during the late Warring States period. Allegedly falsifying his castration in order to gain entry into the court of Qin, he became the favorite of Queen Dowager Zhao, t ...
, Lü Buwei was stripped of his posts and titles and was banished to the remote Shu region in the south of Qin. While in exile, Lü Buwei committed suicide by consuming poison. Apart from his political career, Lü Buwei is also known for sponsoring the ''
Lüshi Chunqiu The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'', also known in English as ''Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals'', is an encyclopedic Chinese classic text compiled around 239 BC under the patronage of the Qin Dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. In the evaluation of Michae ...
'', an encyclopaedic compendium of the ideas of the
Hundred Schools of Thought The Hundred Schools of Thought () were philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China. An era of substantial discrimination in China, ...
that was published in 239 BCE.


Life

The primary sources of information about Lü Buwei date from the first century BCE:
Sima Qian Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years b ...
's ''Shiji'' (''
Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
''), and Liu Xiang's ''
Zhan Guo Ce The ''Zhan Guo Ce'', ( W-G: Chan-kuo T'se) also known in English as the ''Strategies of the Warring States'' or ''Annals of the Warring States'', is an ancient Chinese text that contains anecdotes of political manipulation and warfare during the ...
'' (''Strategies of the Warring States'') and ''Shuoyuan'' (, ''Garden of Stories''). Since these three
Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
texts openly criticise both Lü Buwei and the
Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
, 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 ''Lüshi Chunqiu''. Lü Buwei's biography in the ''Shiji'' mentioned that he was from the Wei state and he became a successful travelling merchant earning "thousands of measures of gold". In 267 BCE, the first son of King Zhaoxiang of the
Qin state Qin () was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Traditionally dated to 897 BC, it took its origin in a reconquest of western lands previously lost to the Rong; its position at the western edge of Chinese civilization permitted ex ...
died, so King Zhaoxiang named his second son, Lord Anguo, as his new heir apparent. Lord Anguo promoted his concubine, Lady Huayang (), who was childless, to the status of his primary spouse. Lord Anguo had over twenty sons. Among them, Yiren, who ranked somewhere in the middle in terms of age, was sent to the Zhao state to serve as a royal hostage. When Lü Buwei was trading in
Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
, the capital of Zhao, he met Yiren and said, "This is a rare piece of merchandise that should be saved for later."85.2506, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:4. The ''Zhan Guo Ce'' recorded a story about Lü Buwei deciding to switch his career from business to politics. 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" (; "son of Chu") because she was from the
Chu state Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou he ...
. The ''Shiji'' mentioned that Lü Buwei had a beautiful "dancing girl",
Lady Zhao Zhao Ji (; Ji 姬 was an ancestral name of the Zhou royal family, which later evolved to generally mean "lady" in successive eras. But there are no more detailed mentions on her family at Zhao (which was a Boyi-descent state and shared origins ...
, 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
Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
and became historically known as "
Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...
" (First Emperor of Qin). After the death of King Zhaoxiang 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 "
King Zhuangxiang King Zhuangxiang of Qin (281– 6 July 247 BCEVolume 05 of ''Records of the Grand Historian'' indicated that King Zhuangxiang died on the ''bingwu'' day of the 5th month of the 4th year of his reign. Using the ''Zhuanxu'' calendar, the date corre ...
". King Zhuangxiang appointed Lü Buwei as his
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
(; or prime minister) and
enfeoffed In the Middle Ages, especially under the European feudal system, feoffment or enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of ti ...
him as "Marquis Wenxin" () with a taxable fief covering 100,000 households in
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. 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 () and regent to the young king. As the chancellor and regent, Lü Buwei dominated the Qin government and military. He invited famous scholars from all over China to
Xianyang Xianyang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now integrated into the Xi'an metrop ...
, the Qin capital, where they compiled the ''
Lüshi Chunqiu The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'', also known in English as ''Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals'', is an encyclopedic Chinese classic text compiled around 239 BC under the patronage of the Qin Dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. In the evaluation of Michae ...
'' (''Lü's Spring and Autumn nnals'), an encyclopedic compendium of the ideas of the
Hundred Schools of Thought The Hundred Schools of Thought () were philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China. An era of substantial discrimination in China, ...
. The ''Shiji'' says that Lady Zhao (who became the Queen Dowager after Ying Zheng ascended the throne) pursued many illicit sexual activities, and Lü Buwei, 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. The ''Shuoyuan'' mentioned: Ying Zheng learnt that
Lao Ai Lao Ai (; died 238 BCE) was an imposter eunuch and official of the State of Qin during the late Warring States period. Allegedly falsifying his castration in order to gain entry into the court of Qin, he became the favorite of Queen Dowager Zhao, t ...
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 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 Shu 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
Li Si Li Si (Mandarin: ; BCSeptember or October 208 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and calligrapher of the Qin dynasty. He served as Chancellor (or Prime Minister) from 246 to 208 BC under two rulers: Qin Shi Huang, the king of the Qin ...
) and restored it to the hereditary Qin aristocracy. After Lü Buwei's death, the ''Lüshi Chunqiu'' fell out of favour with the Qin government, but was resurrected by the
Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
later. Knoblock and Riegel describe the Western and Chinese historical perspectives of Lü Buwei as follows:


In popular culture

* Lü Buwei is a major character in the 1999 Chinese film ''
The Emperor and the Assassin ''The Emperor and the Assassin'', also known as ''The First Emperor'', is a 1998 - 1999 Chinese historical romance film based primarily on Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin, as described in Sima Qian's ''Records of the Grand Histo ...
'', which focuses on the events just before the unification of China by
Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...
. The true nature of the relationship between the Emperor and Lü Buwei is a major plot point in the story. * Lü Buwei is played by Kwok Fung in the 2001 Hong Kong television series ''
A Step into the Past ''A Step into the Past'' is a 2001 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB and based on Huang Yi's novel of the same Chinese title. The series tells the story of a 21st-century Hong Kong VIPPU officer who travels back in time to the Warring ...
'', which is based on a novel by Huang Yi. 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. * Lü Buwei is a major character in the historical novel series ''The Jade Disk'' by
José Frèches José Frèches (born 25 June 1950, in Dax, Landes) is a French historical novelist with novels set in China. His first trilogy ''The Jade Disk'' is a story, set during the Warring States period in disunited China. It tells the story of the char ...
. * The story of Lü Buwei is retold in graphic form, partly framed as a romance comic, in the second volume of ''
The Cartoon History of the Universe ''The Cartoon History of the Universe'' is a book series about the history of the world. It is written and illustrated by American cartoonist, professor, and mathematician Larry Gonick, who started the project in 1978. Each book in the series ex ...
''. *
Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...
mentions Lü Buwei in his book ''
The Glass Bead Game ''The Glass Bead Game'' (german: link=no, Das Glasperlenspiel, ) is the last full-length novel by the German author Hermann Hesse. It was begun in 1931 in Switzerland, where it was published in 1943 after being rejected for publication in German ...
'' as a character that mentions that the quality of the music is directly related to the sense of life that one has. * Lü Buwei is a character and one of primary antagonists in the Japanese manga ''
Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
''. 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 Queen Dowager, in order to usurp the throne of Qin, under the guise of helping
Ying Zheng Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first Emperor of China, emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "Chinese king, king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang dynasty, Shang an ...
. His motive for abandoning Ying for a campaign is for
Zhao Chengjiao Chengjiao (; 256–239 BC), titled Lord of Chang'an (), (Sima Qian). 'Records of the Grand Historian''">Records_of_the_Grand_Historian.html" ;"title="'Records of the Grand Historian">'Records of the Grand Historian''
ol. 43 OL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Orphaned Land, an Israeli progressive metal band * Old Lace (comics) a telepathically linked dinosaur hero Businesses and organizations * OLT Express Germany (IATA code: OL), a scheduled and charter airl ...
. was the so ...
to usurp the throne and eliminate him when the time comes. This failed, and he was implicated in
Lao Ai Lao Ai (; died 238 BCE) was an imposter eunuch and official of the State of Qin during the late Warring States period. Allegedly falsifying his castration in order to gain entry into the court of Qin, he became the favorite of Queen Dowager Zhao, t ...
's rebellion, stripped of everything he has and exiled to Shu. 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". He committed "suicide", but a mysterious carriage leaves the area he was exiled in. * Lü Buwei appears in the Chinese television series ''
The King's Woman ''The King's Woman'' () is a 2017 Chinese television series starring Dilraba Dilmurat and Vin Zhang. It is adapted from the novel ''The Legend of Qin: Li Ji Story'' (秦时明月之丽姬传). The series aired on Zhejiang TV every Monday to Wedne ...
'' as a true father of
Ying Zheng Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first Emperor of China, emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "Chinese king, king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang dynasty, Shang an ...
. * Lü Buwei is portrayed by
Nie Yuan Nie Yuan (born 17 March 1978) is a Chinese actor best known for his numerous television performances, some of his more notable roles include: Hu Fei in '' Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain'' (2006); Li Ke in ''Carol of Zhenguan'' (2007); Zhao ...
in ''
The Legend of Haolan ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (2019). * Lü Buwei is portrayed by
Duan Yihong Duan Yihong (; born May 16, 1973) is a Chinese actor best known for his role as Yuan Lang in '' Soldiers Sortie'' (2006), Long Wenzhang in '' My Chief and My Regiment'' (2009), and Hei Wa in '' White Deer Plain'' (2011). Biography Duan Yihon ...
in Qin Empire Epic (2020).


Footnotes


References

* Liu, Xiang. ''
Zhan Guo Ce The ''Zhan Guo Ce'', ( W-G: Chan-kuo T'se) also known in English as the ''Strategies of the Warring States'' or ''Annals of the Warring States'', is an ancient Chinese text that contains anecdotes of political manipulation and warfare during the ...
''. * Sima, Qian. ''
Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
'' (''Shiji''), vol. 85. * Yap, Joseph P. (2009). ''Wars With The Xiongnu, A Translation from
Zizhi tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
''. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Buwei 291 BC births 235 BC deaths Ancient businesspeople Businesspeople from Henan Chinese chancellors Chinese merchants Chinese nobility Generals from Henan Qin Shi Huang Qin state people Politicians from Puyang Suicides by poison Suicides in China Ancient people who committed suicide