Mr. He's jade or ''Heshibi'' was a sacred ceremonial '' bi (璧, "jade-disk with a round hole in center")'' used as regalia, which had an important role in

Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

. First appearing during the mid-8th century BCE, it was cut into a ritual ''bi'' and recognized as an imperial treasure. The Heshibi became the object of contention among the

Warring States The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

, stolen from Chu circa 4th century BCE, acquired by the

Zhao Zhao may refer to: * Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname ** commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions ** Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation ** Cho (Korean surname), represent the Hanja 趙 (Chine ...

, and temporarily traded to Qin in 283 BCE. When 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 dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

was founded in 221 BCE, the Heshibi was carved into the

Heirloom Seal of the Realm The Heirloom Seal of the Realm (), also known in English as the Imperial Seal of China, was a Chinese jade seal carved out of Heshibi, a sacred piece of jade.The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Beijing 30: Imperial Seal ...

, symbol of the

Mandate of Heaven The Mandate of Heaven () is a Chinese political philosophy that was used in ancient and imperial China to legitimize the rule of the King or Emperor of China. According to this doctrine, heaven (天, '' Tian'') – which embodies the nat ...

, and subsequently transferred through successive

Chinese dynasties Dynasties in Chinese history, or Chinese dynasties, were hereditary monarchical regimes that ruled over China during much of its history. From the legendary inauguration of dynastic rule by Yu the Great circa 2070 BC to the abdication of t ...

until it was lost during the 10th century. The early historicity of the stone is uncertain, though its great antiquity seems clear. The earliest mention of it is from the 3rd century BCE. The story of its finding is likely apocryphal. Whether it was turned into the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is also a matter of dispute. If it was turned into the seal, it was certainly lost by the time of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. It has been used as a metaphor for a precious object since its earliest mentions.

Terminology

''Héshìbì'' (和氏璧, "Clan He's jade-disk") or ''Héshìzhībì'' (和氏之璧) using the

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...

grammatical

possessive affix In linguistics, a possessive affix (from la, affixum possessivum) is an affix (usually suffix or prefix) attached to a noun to indicate its possessor, much in the manner of possessive adjectives. Possessive affixes are found in many language ...

''zhī'' ( 之) was a '' Bì'' (璧, "carved jade-disk with a round hole in center") or ceremonial jade disk. ''Bi'' artifacts are dating back to the

Liangzhu culture The Liangzhu culture (; 3300–2300 BC) was the last Neolithic jade culture in the Yangtze River Delta of China. The culture was highly stratified, as jade, silk, ivory and lacquer artifacts were found exclusively in elite burials, while pottery ...

(3400–2250 BCE). ''Bi'' signified heavenly kingship in Zhou times, and were often used ceremonially as symbolic of a covenant or guarantee. The word can also be used to refer to jade in general. The Heshibi is named after Bian He, the person who first discovered the jade stone. Bian He (卞和) is a

Chinese name Chinese names or Chinese personal names are names used by individuals from Greater China and other parts of the Chinese-speaking world throughout East and Southeast Asia (ESEA). In addition, many names used in Japan, Korea and Vietnam are ofte ...

, '' Biàn'' ( 卞) is the

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

(e.g., Bian Lan) and ''Hé'' ( 和) is the

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

. However, ''He'' is also an uncommon surname (e.g., He Qia) and early texts refer to Bian He as both ''Bianshi'' (卞氏, "of Bian clan") and ''Heshi'' (和氏, "of He clan"), with the word ''shì'' (氏, "

Chinese clan A Chinese kin, lineage or sometimes rendered as clan, is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral home. Description Chinese kinship tend to ...

; family"). Some alternate names are ''Heshi'' (龢氏, with the ancient variant character ''Hé''), ''Heshi'' (咼氏, with the unique variant ''Guō'' ( 咼) only pronounced ''He'' in this name), and ''Jing He'' (荊和, "He from

Jingzhou Jingzhou () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the 2020 census, 1,068,291 of whom resided in the built-up (''or metro' ...

"). Most scholars translate ''Heshi'' as "Mr. He" with suffixed ''shi'', some as "Master He", and a few literally interpret ''shi'' and translate ''Heshi'' as "He Clan" or "He family".

Legends

The Chinese story of Mr. He's jade-disk has been retold and developed for over two millennia.

''Hanfeizi''

The earliest extant account is the ''Heshi'' (和氏, "Mr. He") chapter of the classic '' Hanfeizi'', attributed to Han Fei (c. 280-233 BC). The ''Hanfeizi'' version involves Mr. He presenting his jade to the first three "kings" of Chu state: "King Li of Chu" (楚厲王) posthumously refers to Viscount Fenmao (r. 757-741 BCE), his brother King Wu of Chu (楚武王, r. 740-690 BCE) who was the first to style himself "king", and his son

King Wen of Chu King Wen of Chu (, died 677 BC) was from 689 to 677 BC king of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Zi () and King Wen was his posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given m ...

(楚文王, r. 689-677 BCE). Several ''Hanfeizi'' commentaries say these three 8th-century BCE Chu rulers of Bian He should be three

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

rulers:

King Wu of Zhou King Wu of Zhou () was the first king of the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. The chronology of his reign is disputed but is generally thought to have begun around 1046 BC and ended three years later in 1043 BC. King Wu's ancestral name was ...

(周武王, r. c. 1050-1043 BCE), his father

King Wen of Zhou King Wen of Zhou (; 1152–1050 BC, the Cultured King) was Count of Zhou during the late Shang dynasty in ancient China. Although frequently confused with his fourth son Duke of Zhou, also known as "Lord Zhou", they are different historical perso ...

(周文王, r. 1100–1050), and

King Cheng of Zhou King Cheng of Zhou (), personal name Ji Song (姬誦), was the second king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042–1021 BCE or 1042/35–1006 BCE. His parents were King Wu of Zhou and Queen Yi Jiang (邑姜). King Cheng w ...

(周成王, r. 1042-1021 BCE).

Once a man of Ch'u, named Pien Ho, came by an uncut jade in the Ch'u Hills. He brought it home and submitted it as a present to King Wu. Thereupon King Wu had a jeweller give an opinion of it. "It is an ordinary stone," said the jeweller. The King, regarding Ho as a liar, had his left foot cut off. Upon King Wu's death, King Wên ascended the throne, when Ho again submitted it as a present to King Wên. King Wên also had a jeweller give an opinion of it. Again he said, "It is an ordinary stone." The King, also regarding Ho as a liar, had his right foot cut off. When King Wên died and King Ch'êng ascended the throne, Ho, carrying the uncut jade in his arms, cried at the foot of the Ching Hills. After three days and three nights his tears were all exhausted and blood flowed out. At this news the King sent men out to ask him the reason, saying, "Throughout All-under-Heaven men whose feet were cut off are many. Why should you be crying so bitterly?" "I am lamenting not the loss of my feet," said Ho in reply, "but for the calling a precious gem an ordinary stone and for their dubbing an honest man a liar. This is the reason why I am lamenting." Meanwhile, the King had a jeweller polish up the jade and got the treasure out at last. So it was designated "the Jade of Pien Ho" ��氏之璧

The subsequent ''Hanfeizi'' context criticizes contemporary rulers and recommends that a wise person who hopes to avoid punishment should not present a ruler any "uncut jewels of wisdom and statecraft". Joseph P. Yap translates the ''Hanfeizi'' story with the three Chu kings Li, Wu, and Wen.

At around 8th century BCE, Bian He a jeweller from the kingdom of Chu discovered a piece of stone; he knew from experience that it was a piece of priceless jade. He presented the piece of stone to King Li of Chu, (757-741 BCE). The king thought the jeweller was trying to deceive him and had his left foot chopped off as a punishment. When the next king, King Wu of Chu (r. 740-691 BCE) ascended to the throne, Bian He again presented the piece of stone to the new king; this time, the king had his right foot chopped off as he also maintained that the jeweller was trying to deceive him. Bian He embracing his piece of stone cried for three days and three nights at the foothills of Jingshan Mountain. Much later, when
King Wen of Chu King Wen of Chu (, died 677 BC) was from 689 to 677 BC king of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Zi () and King Wen was his posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given m ...
(r. 690-675 BCE) ascended the throne the king sent someone to ask the jeweller why he was so adamant about his belief. He answered, 'This is a piece of priceless jade, and the two former kings regarded it as a useless piece of stone. I am not saddened by the loss of my feet, but I am distressed by the fact that a patriot is misconstrued as being wicked and evil." he kingthen asked a jade expert to cut open the stone, and it transpired that it was indeed a piece of priceless jade. Legend has it that it was pure white and flawless. The king of Chu named it ''Heshibi'', Master He's jade.

Gao's ''Huainanzi'' commentary

The next significant version of Pian He's story is found in

Gao You Gao You (–212) was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician during the Eastern Han dynasty under its last emperor and the warlord Cao Cao. Life Gao You was born in Zhuo Commandery ''Zhuōjùn''; present-day Zhuozhou, Hebei). around ...

's 212 CE '' Huainanzi'' commentary for the passage (below) that compares the Way of Heaven with the Marquis of Sui's pearl and Mr. He's jade-disk. Gao changes the original three Chu kings state to the three Zhou kings.

A man from Ch'u named Pien Ho found a piece of unpolished jade at the foot of the Ching Mountains. He offered it as tribute to King Wu f the Chou dynasty King Wu had it inspected by a jade expert, who declared it to be ordinary stone. ien Hohad his left leg cut off
s punishment S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. Histor ...
When King Wen came to the throne, ien Hoonce more presented the jade. King Wen took it to be ordinary stone, and ien Hohad his right leg cut off. Pien Ho wrapped the jade carefully and wept tears of blood. When King Ch'eng ascended the throne, Pien Ho once again presented the jade. King Ch'eng said: 'Dear sir, you disregard having your legs cut off, as long as you can have your jade piece cut up for examination.' As soon as the stone was cut, it appeared that it was truly fine jade, and it was made into a jade disk (''pi'').

History

Beginning with the ''Zhanguo ce'' and ''Shiji'', many Chinese histories have discussed Mr. He's jade-disk but the early historicity remains uncertain.

''Zhanguo ce''

The 3rd-century BCE ''

Zhanguo 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 th ...

'' (Strategies of the Warring States), which is a compendium of political and military anecdotes dating from 490 to 221 BCE, relates that Mr. He's jade-disk was a national treasure of Chu, stolen from the Prime Minister, and eventually obtained by Zhao state.

King Wei of Chu King Wei of Chu (, died 329 BC) was the king of the state of Chu from 339 to 329 BC, during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Shang () and King Wei was his posthumous title. King Wei succeeded his father King Xuan o ...

(r. 339-329 BCE) bestowed the priceless jade upon

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Zhao Yang (昭陽) in gratitude for his defeat of the Yue kingdom in 333 BCE. On one occasion, Zhao Yang displayed the jade for his guests at a banquet when someone started a commotion, and in the midst of the confusion, the jade-disk disappeared. The

School of Diplomacy The School of Diplomacy (), or the School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances was a political and diplomatic clique during the Warring States period of Chinese history (476-220 BCE). According to the ''Book of Han'', the school was one of the Ni ...

political strategist Zhang Yi (fl. 328-309 BCE) was accused as the thief, and Zhao Yang had him questioned under torture before he was released. After this incident, the whereabouts of the jade was lost until it resurfaced at Zhao. Chapter 250 of the ''Zhanguo ce'' records how another School of Diplomacy strategist Su Qin (380-284 BCE) persuaded Li Dui (李兌), the Chancellor of

, to provide Mr. He's jade-disk in order to acquire funding for the Vertical Alliance of six states against Qin. During their first audience, Su Qin convincingly explained his Vertical Alliance strategies to Li Dui and said, "You killed your ruler, .e.,_King_Wuling_of_Zhao.html" ;"title="King_Wuling_of_Zhao.html" ;"title=".e., King Wuling of Zhao">.e., King Wuling of Zhao">King_Wuling_of_Zhao.html" ;"title=".e., King Wuling of Zhao">.e., King Wuling of Zhao and you extirpated his kin, and find your position in the empire as perilous as though you were perched atop a pile of eggs. If you heed my plans you will live; if you heed them not you will die." After Li told Su to return on the next day for an audience, one of his attendants said Su's "arguments and their scope are beyond you. Will you be able to do as he advises?" Li replied that he could not and followed the attendant's suggestion that he plug up his ears in order to avoid listening to Su's rhetoric. Su Qin persuasively spoke for the entire day during the second audience with Li. When the attendant escorted him out, Su asked "A day ago I spoke only crudely and your ruler was moved. Today I spoke in detail and he was not. Why?" "Your plans are great and their scope is lofty, sir", replied the attendant. "My lord cannot use them, so I asked him firmly to stop both his ears so that he would not heed what was said. However, come again on the morrow and I will ask that the Master be well rewarded." During the final audience, Li Dui gave Su Qin "a moon pearl [秦明月之珠], the Jade of Ho ��氏之璧 a black sable coat and a hundred pieces of pure gold." Thus, Su got the wealth he needed in order to go westward into Qin state.

''Shiji''

The Han dynasty historiographer

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 be ...

's c. 94 BCE ''

Shiji ''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 his ...

'' (Records of the Grand Historian) relates the history and background of Hr. He's jade-disk in two biographies.

Lin Xiangru

The ''Shiji'' "Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru" section records a famous story. In 283 BCE,

King Zhaoxiang of Qin King Zhaoxiang of Qin (; 325–251 BC), or King Zhao of Qin (秦昭王), born Ying Ji (, was the king of Qin from 306 BC to 251 BC. He was the son of King Huiwen and younger brother of King Wu. King Zhaoxiang reigned as the King of Qin for 5 ...

(r. 306–251 BCE) schemed to obtain Mr. He's ''bi'' disk – this is the first recorded usage of modern term ''Heshibi'' 和氏璧 without classical ''zhi'' 之—from King Huiwen of Zhao (r. 298–266 BCE) – and deceitfully offered to trade away a large portion of Qin territory for the jade. However, when Xiangru discovered that Zhaoxiang never intended to give away Qin land, he tricked the king and managed to return the jade-disk back to Zhao. "During the time of King Huiwen, Zhao ��acquired Chu's Jade of the Ho Clan ��和氏璧 King Zhao ��of Qin heard of this and sent a messenger to deliver a letter to the King of Zhao, saying that he wished to offer fifteen

walled cities A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

in exchange for the jade-disk ��以十五城請易璧" The King of Zhao was distrustful and told his advisors "If we give it to Qin, we most likely will not obtain Qin’s cities, but will only be cheated. If we do not give it, then we must fear the arrival of Qin’s soldiers." The king sought the opinion of Lin Xiangru, who said, "Qin is mighty and Zhao is weak, you must grant his request." The king replied, "If he takes my jade, but gives us no cities, what then?" Lin said, "If Qin seeks the jade with its cities and Zhao does not accede, the fault lies with Zhao. If Zhao gives Qin the jade and Qin does not give Zhao the cities, the fault lies with Qin. In weighing these two measures, it would be better to accede, and lay the fault on Qin." Xiangru agreed to undertake the mission to Qin, and promised the king, "If the cities are granted to Zhao, the jade will remain in Qin; if the cities are not granted, allow your servant to return to Zhao with the jade intact." When Lin Xiangru arrived in the Qin capital, he respectfully presented the jade to King Zhaoxiang with both hands. The king was delighted and "passed it around to his Beauties and courtiers, who all shouted 'Long live the King!'" When Xiangru realized that the King of Qin had no intention of honoring the agreement, he came forward and said, "The jade has a flaw. Allow me to show it to Your Majesty." The king handed him the jade, and Xiangru retreated and stood with his back to a pillar. With his "hair bristling against his hat in rage," he threatened to destroy the jade. "It seems to me that Your Majesty has no intention of giving the King of Zhao the cities owed him. Thus I have reclaimed the jade. If you must press me, Great King, my head and the jade will both shatter against this pillar!" Since the King of Qin feared the jade would be demolished, he apologized and said, "The fifteen cities from here on will be given to Zhao." Concluding that Zhao would never acquire the Qin cities, Xiangru then told the king, "The jade of the Ho Clan ��氏璧is a treasure that the entire world has transmitted with reverence." He then falsely said that before the King of Zhao sent off the jade, he fasted and purified himself for five days, and convinced the King of Qin that he too needed to fast for five days, after which, "your servant would dare to offer up the jade." The king agreed, and while he was fasting, Xiangru arranged for his retainer to disguise himself as a commoner, conceal the jade, and safely smuggle it back to Zhao. After the King of Qin had finished fasting and purification, he held a ritual ceremony in his court. When Lin Xiangru arrived, he confessed having secretly sent the jade back to Zhao and then insulted the king's ancestors: "Out of the twenty odd lords of Qin since Duke Mu 穆 (r. 659-621 B.C.), not one has honored his agreements and oaths. Your servant truly feared he would be cheated by Your Majesty and thus betray Zhao." Xiangru told the enraged king that he would willingly accept the Qin death penalty for deceiving a king, and requested the ''pēng'' ( 烹, " death by boiling")

punishment Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular ac ...

. Although some of the courtiers wanted to boil Xiangru immediately, the King of Qin said, "If We kill Xiangru now, We still cannot acquire the jade, and it would ruin the good relations between Qin and Zhao. It would be better to treat him with great civility instead, then send him back to Zhao." After Xiangru had returned, the King of Zhao praised the skillful diplomacy of his mission to Qin, and appointed him Senior Grand Master. (Chapter 81) This story is the source of the Chinese idioms ''jiàzhíliánchéng'' (價值連城, lit. "as valuable as multiple cites") meaning "invaluable; priceless" and ''wánbìguīzhào'' (完璧歸趙, lit. "return the whole jade-disk to Zhao") meaning "to return something intact to its rightful owner".

Li Si

The ''Shiji'' biography of

Grand chancellor

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 ...

(c. 280-208 BCE) collectively mentions ''Sui He zhi bao'' (隨和之寶, "treasures of arquisSui and r.He") in a letter advising Emperor

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 Empero ...

not to follow

Zheng Guo Zheng Guo (fl. third century BCE) was a Chinese hydraulic engineer who lived towards the end of the Warring States period. He is best known for designing the Zhengguo Canal, which was named after him. Life Zheng Guo was from the Han state. I ...

's advice to expel all foreigners from Qin.

Now Your Majesty imports jade from the Kun Mountains and possesses the treasures of Sui and He ��和之寶 Dangling moon-bright pearls ��月之珠 you buckle on the sword Taia, are drawn by fine steeds like Xianli, set up phoenix banners blazoned with kingfisher feathers, and employ drums of sacred lizard skin. Not one of these various precious things is a product native to Qin, and yet Your Majesty takes joy in them. Why? If something must be a product of Qin before it can be acceptable, then no night-shining jewels ��光之璧would adorn the court chambers, no vessels of rhinoceros horn or elephant tusk would amuse and delight you, no women of Zheng and Wey would throng the harem, and no fine horses and spirited thoroughbreds would fill your stables. The gold and tin from south of the Yangtze could not be utilized, the vermilion and blue of Shu could not be used for pigment. (Chapter 87)

Imperial seal of China

ln 228 BCE, Qin overwhelmed the kingdom of Zhao and seized Mr. He's jade-disk from King Dai of Zhao. In 221 BCE, the Qin kingdom had conquered all six Warring States and

Qin Shi Huangdi 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 ( ...

founded the Qin dynasty. The emperor ordered that the ''Heshibi'' jade-disk be carved into his imperial jade

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

that read, "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may (the emperor) lead a long and prosperous life." ( 受命於

天 ''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, " ...

, 既壽永昌). The Qin Chancellor

wrote this inscription in

Seal script Seal script, also sigillary script () is an ancient style of writing Chinese characters that was common throughout the latter half of the 1st millennium BC. It evolved organically out of the Zhou dynasty bronze script. The Qin variant of se ...

characters and Sun Shou (孫壽) carved them into the jade. This Qin dynasty jade seal came to symbolize the

, and beginning when the last Qin ruler Ziying handed it over to

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

in 206 BCE, it was successively passed on to later dynastic emperors signifying the right to govern the

Chinese world Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

. The Heirloom Seal of the Realm was lost sometime between the

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...

and Ming dynasties. Another version of the legend claims that it was interred in the burial crypt of the first Emperor of Qin Shi Huangdi and the jade seal which was passed on for over one thousand years was another piece of jade from Lantian. The

China Daily ''China Daily'' () is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Overview ''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in China. ...

writes that the ''Heshibi'' and the Heirloom seal have been conflated, and considers the ''Heshibi'' to be a legend.

Literature

The jade-disk of Mr. He was mentioned in numerous classical Chinese texts, and present day

Sinophone Sinophone, which means "Chinese-speaking", typically refers to an individual who speaks at least one variety of the Chinese language. Academic writers often use the term Sinophone in two definitions: either specifically "Chinese-speaking populat ...

s know the story from traditional ''

chengyu ''Chengyu'' () are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, most of which consist of four characters. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language ...

'' idioms, such as ''wánbìguīzhào'' (完璧歸趙, lit. "return the whole jade-disk to Zhao") means "to return something intact to its rightful owner". The following literary examples are divided between using Mr. He's jade-disk as a trope for something valuable or using it with other legendary treasures such as the

Marquis of Sui's pearl The Marquis of Sui's pearl or Chinese (, ) was a famous gemstone in a Warring States period (475-221 BCE) folktale about a ruler of Sui state who was given an amazing luminous pearl by a grateful snake whose life he had saved. In the history of ...

''Heshibi'' as a single treasure

The c. 239 BCE '' Lüshi Chunqiu'' (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals) is an encyclopedic text compiled under the patronage of the

Chancellor

Lü Buwei Lü Buwei (291–235 BCE) was a Chinese merchant and politician of the Qin state during the Warring States period. Originally an influential merchant from the Wei () state, Lü Buwei met and befriended King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who was then a ...

. The ''Mengdong'' (孟冬, "Almanac for the First Month of Winter") writes Mr. He ( 龢氏) with an early variant character.

Now, if one were to show a child a hundred pieces of gold and a ball of glutinous millet, the child would surely take the millet. If one were to show an ignorant person the jade disc of the He family ��氏之璧and a hundred pieces of gold, the ignorant man would surely take the gold. If one were to show a worthy man a jade disk of the He family and the most perfect teachings concerning the Dao and its Power, the worthy man would surely take the teachings. The more refined one's knowledge, the more refined one's choices. The cruder one's knowledge, the cruder one's choices. (Chapter 10)

The preceding ''Lüshi Chunqiu'' story similarly concerns "A rustic from

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

found a jade while plowing and presented it to the Director of the City Walls, ho refused it and explained"You regard jade as a treasure, but I regard not accepting it as a treasure." The c. 3rd-1st century BCE ''

Chuci The ''Chu ci'', variously translated as ''Verses of Chu,'' ''Songs of Chu'', or ''Elegies of Chu'', is an ancient anthology of Chinese poetry including works traditionally attributed mainly to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period ...

'' (Songs of Chu) poetry

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...

mentions the story of Bian He several times. " Disgust with the World" includes him in a context of rulers who rejected loyal people, "And I grieve, too, for Bian He, the man of Chu ��楚人之和氏兮/ The jade he presented was judged worthless stone ��寶玉以為石/ Both King Li and King Wu refused to examine it / And he ended with both his feet cut off for his pains." "Reckless Remonstrance" says, "Bian He clasps his block of jade and weeps tears of blood ��抱璞而泣血兮/ Where can he find a craftsman good enough to shape it?" " Lament for the Worthy" includes Jing He in a list of loyal retainers who were mistreated, "Or Shen Sheng of Jin who met a hapless end / Or Jing He who wept tears of blood ��和氏之泣血/ Or Shen Xu of Wu who had his eyes gouged out." Two contexts in the c. 139 BCE ''Huananzi'' (quoted above) refer to Mr. Bian's (卞氏) jade-disk and to Mr. He (和氏) crying bloody tears. "If you understand the proper sequence of things, you will be calm. Now when it came to giving away Mr. Bian's jade disk ��氏之璧 when he had not yet obtained it, r. Bianwas ahead. When he pleaded to present it and would not give up despite his indignation, he was behind." (Chapter 14.56) "Thus when your iewstally with what is essential, you will value what is true and iveequal onsideration tothe present and the ancient. If you do not have the means to heed persuasions, then you will value what has come down from the past,

imply Implication may refer to: Logic * Logical consequence (also entailment or logical implication), the relationship between statements that holds true when one logically "follows from" one or more others * Material conditional (also material conseq ...

because it is remote. This is why ianHe ��氏cried so hard that he bled at the foot of Mount Jing." (Chapter 19.7).

''Heshibi'' with other treasures

The

is commonly used with Mr. He's jade-disk, for example, the ''Shiji'' lists "the treasures of Sui and He ��和之寶among Qin Shi Huangdi's imported valuables. The c. 4th-2nd centuries BCE ''

Mozi Mozi (; ; Latinized as Micius ; – ), original name Mo Di (), was a Chinese philosopher who founded the school of Mohism during the Hundred Schools of Thought period (the early portion of the Warring States period, –221 BCE). The ancie ...

'' ( ayings of

) mentions them with the legendary

Nine Tripod Cauldrons The Nine Tripod Cauldrons () were a collection of ding cast by the legendary Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty of ancient China. They were viewed as symbols of the authority given to the ruler by the mandate of heaven. At the time of the Shang dyna ...

, namely, a set of Chinese ritual bronze ''

ding Ding may refer to: Bronze and ceramics * Ding (vessel), a bronze or ceramic cauldron used in ancient and early imperial China * Ding ware, ceramics produced in Dingzhou in medieval China People * Ding (surname) (丁), a Chinese surname and lis ...

'' "tripod cauldrons", said to have been cast by mythical

Yu the Great Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures promine ...

after controlling the

Great Flood A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primaeval ...

. In response to criticism from his disciple Wu Mazi (巫馬子) that "To leave contemporaries alone and to praise the early kings is to praise rotten bones", Mozi (c. 470-391 BCE) explains how a state's '' yi'' ("righteousness; justice") is more important than the ritual "efficacy" (''lì'', 利 "benefit; profit") of its treasures.

The jade of Ho ��氏之璧 the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine tings—these are what the feudal lords value as excellent treasures. Can they enrich the country, multiply the people, put the government in order, and place the state in safety? Of course they cannot. Excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now since the jade of Ho, the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine tings cannot benefit men, then they are not the excellent treasures in the world. On the other hand, if righteousness is employed in the government of the state the population will be increased, the government will be in order, and the state will be secure. The excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now righteousness can benefit men. So then righteousness is the excellent treasure of the world. (Chapger 11)

The 3rd-century ''Hanfeizi'' ''Jie Lao'' (解老, "Explanations of ''

Laozi Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...

''") chapter uses He's jade-disk and Sui's pearl in order to differentiate between '' lǐ'' ( 禮, "ritual; ceremony; good form; propriety") and ''wén'' ( 文, "ornamentation; embellishment; elaboration; cultured").

Propriety is the mode expressive of feelings. Embellishment is the decoration of qualities. Indeed, the superior man takes the inner feelings but leaves the outer looks, likes the inner qualities but hates the outer decorations. Who judges inner feelings by outer looks, finds the feelings bad. Who judges inner qualities by outer decorations, finds the inner qualities rotten. How can I prove this? The jade of Pien Ho was not decorated with the five bright colours ��氏之璧不飾以五采 The bead of Marquis Sui was not decorated with yellow gold. Their qualities are so good that nothing is fit to decorate them. Verily, anything that functions only after being decorated must have poor qualities. For this reason, between father and son propriety is simple and not brilliant. Hence the saying: “Propriety is superficial semblance only.”

The c. 3rd-1st century BCE ''Chuci'' anthology collectively refers to Marquis Sui's pearl and Bian He's jade-disk as ''Sui He'' (隨和), and with the Tai'e sword. The "Quenching the Light" poem says, "Shards and stones are prized as jewels / Sui and He rejected ��棄隨和/ The leaden knife is praised for sharpness / Tai E discarded as blunt." King

Liu An Liú Ān (, c. 179–122 BC) was a Han dynasty Chinese prince, ruling the Huainan Kingdom, and an advisor to his nephew, Emperor Wu of Han (武帝). He is best known for editing the (139 BC) '' Huainanzi'' compendium of Daoist, Confucianist, a ...

's c. 139 BCE '' Huainanzi'' (Philosophers of Huainan) philosophical compendium has five occurrences of Mr. He's jade-disk, three with the Marquis of Sui's pearl, and one with the Xiahou clan's jade. The "Surveying Obscurities" chapter figuratively uses these legendary gems as a simile for someone who has attained the ''Tiandao'' ( 天道, Way of Heaven), "It is like the pearl of Marquis Sui ��侯之珠/ or the jade disk of Mr. He ��氏之璧/ Those who achieved it became rich / those who lost it became poor." (Chapter 6.3). "A Mountain of Persuasions" chapter mentions the treasures of Mr. He and Marquis Sui twice. The former explains the philosophical essence of

Chinese jade Chinese jade refers to the jade mined or carved in China from the Neolithic onward. It is the primary hardstone of Chinese sculpture. Although deep and bright green jadeite is better known in Europe, for most of China's history, jade has com ...

When a piece of jade is moistened, it looks bright. hen struck its sound is slow and harmonious. How expansive are its aspects! With no interior or exterior, it does not conceal its flaws or imperfections. Close up, it looks glossy; from a distance, it shines brightly. It reflects like a mirror revealing the pupil of your eye. Subtly it picks up the tip of an autumn hair. It brightly illuminates the dark and obscure. Thus the jade disk of Mr. He ��氏之璧and the pearl of the marquis of Sui ��侯之珠emerged from the essence of a mountain and a spring. When the Superior Man wears them, he complies with their purity and secures his repose. When lords and kings treasure them, they rectify the world. (Chapter 16.19)

The latter compares true understanding with wealth, "Acquiring an army of ten thousand men does not compare to hearing one word that is apposite / acquiring the pearl of the marquis of Sui ��侯之珠does not compare to understanding from whence events arise / Acquiring the jade disk of Mr. Gua ��氏之璧does not compare to understanding where events will lead." (Chapter 16.105) The ''Huainanzi'' mentions Mr. He's jade-disk along with the Xiahou clan's semi-circular jade. "As for itual emblems likethe jade disk of Mr. He ��氏之璧and the jade half-disk of the Xiahou clan ��后之璜" if ourtiersbow courteously and advance with them, they create harmony and amity. utat night because of thieves, they create resentment. Such is the difference between the right time and the wrong time." (Chapter 16.90)

Other regalia

Many

Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confuci ...

refer to Bian He's jade-disk in context with other legendary gems, jades, and swords constituting the ceremonial

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...

of ancient Chinese states. The most common example is

, a legendary glow-in-the-dark gemstone given to the marquis by a grateful snake whose life he saved. Other luminous gemstones frequently mentioned with Mr. He's jade-disk are the ''Yeguangzhibi'' (夜光之璧, "night-shining jade-disk") and the ''Míngyuèzhīzhū'' (明月之珠, "bright-/luminous-moon pearl"). These ancient Chinese names were sufficiently well known to have been applied to foreign gemstones in the earliest accounts of Daqin (the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

). "The Kingdom of Daqin" section of the 5th-century ''

Book of the Later Han The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Lat ...

'', which was largely based on Ban Yong's report presented to Emperor An of Han in around 125, lists precious Roman trade goods including "luminous jade ��光璧 and "bright moon pearls ��月珠. Mr. He's jade-disk is mentioned in the Huainanzi with the Xiahou clan's semi-circular jade pendant: ''Xiahoushi zhi huang'' (夏后氏之璜), which was a jewel supposedly included in the ducal regalia of Lu state. '' Xiàhòu'' ( 夏后) is a

Chinese compound surname A Chinese compound surname is a Chinese surname using more than one character. Many of these compound surnames derive from Zhou dynasty Chinese noble and official titles, professions, place names and other areas, to serve a purpose. Some are origi ...

from the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

(771-476 BCE), and the '' huáng'' ( 璜, "semi-circular jade pendant") was anciently used for ritual purposes or as a belt ornament. Tai'e or Tai'a (太阿) is the name of a famous Spring and Autumn period iron sword that is usually considered one of the ten legendary swords of China. The legendary bladesmith

Ou Yezi Ou Yezi () was a legendary master of sword-making in the Spring and Autumn period. According to '' Yuejueshu'', he forged five treasured swords for Gan Jiang and King Zhao of Chu, named, respectively, ''Zhanlu'' (湛卢), ''Juque'' (巨阙), ''Sh ...

made three swords for King Goujian of Yue, named Tài'ē (泰阿), Lóngyuān (龍渊), and Gōngbù (工布).

Notes

References

External links

The Difficulty of Pien Ho
Liao 1939 translation.
A Tale of Two Treasures
Adventures in translation, 3 April 2012.

People's Daily Online, 4 June 2014. {{Qin dynasty topics Chinese legends Chu (state) History of China Jade