Lü Buwei
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Lü Buwei (Simplified Chinese: 吕不韦; Traditional Chinese: 呂不韋; pinyin: Lǚ Bùwéi, c. 291–235 BCE) was Chancellor of China from 251-246 BCE. He began as a merchant fron Yangzhai, the capital of the State of Han. He worked his way into the royalty of the neighboring State of Qin, serving as tutor to King Zhuangxiang (ruled 250-247 BCE), and promoted to prime minister upon the ascension of his successor, Ying Zheng (贏政), who became the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.[1]
According to Chinese tradition, he was the real father of Qin Shi Huang. The story came about because Qin Shi Huang's mother, the queen, was originally a concubine of Lü Buwei given to Qin Shi Huang's father. Some believe he killed Zhuangxiang in order to promote his actual son to the throne.
There is a folktale about why Lü Buwei wanted to meddle in the affairs of the royal family. One day, he asked his father, "How much profit can I gain when I farm and the harvest is good?"
His father said, "Ten times the farm's worth." Buwei then asked, "What about if I sell pearls?" "A hundred." "What about helping a king ascend to the throne, and taking control of a country's affairs?"[2] Buwei asked again.
His father smiled. "A thousand, even ten thousand. It can't be calculated."[3]
Thus Buwei went and tried to find someone who would make a suitable king. The mother of Qin Shi Huang went with him.
Lü Buwei then presented her to Zichu (子楚), a prince of the State of Qin, a kingdom during the Warring States Period, who was then serving as a hostage in the State of Zhao, another kingdom in the Warring States era. When this prince eventually became king of Qin, he appointed Lü Buwei as prime minister. When he died, Lü Buwei became the regent over the young Qin Shi Huang, son of the queen and the king, or at least officially.
While serving at the court of Qin, Lü organized a text named the Lüshichunqiu (吕氏春秋, The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Lü), which attempted to collect and organise various Chinese philosophical systems of the time. The purpose of the text was to encompass all the philosophical knowledge of the Qin Empire, as well as create state philosophy.
When Qin Shi Huang came of age and became officially empowered, he first ordered Buwei's position as Prime Minister taken from him, then ordered Buwei to move to Sichuan, which was an implied an order of death to Lü Buwei. As he drank poisoned wine, he was said to have laughed to Heaven, and uttered, "If he does not kill me, then he is not fit to be my son." When Qin Shi Huang came to his grave a few years later, he ordered his son to pay respects to Lü Buwei.
After his death, the Lüshichunqiu fell out of favor with the Qin government, but was resurrected by the Qin's long-lived successor, the Han Dynasty.
[edit] Lü Buwei in fiction
Lü Buwei is a major character in the 1999 movie The Emperor and the Assassin which focuses on the events just before the unification of China by Qin Shi Huang. The true nature of the relationship between the future Emperor and Lü Buwei is a major factor to the story. He also appeared in the Cantonese TVB series A Step Into The Past, where he plotted to have his 'son' gain the throne
