白起王翦列传 — Shiji

Bai Qi was a native of Mei. Skilled in warfare, he served King Zhaoxiang of Qin. In the thirteenth year of the king's reign, Bai Qi was appointed Left Superintendent of the Household and led an attack on Xincheng of Han. That same year, Marquis Rang became Prime Minister of Qin and recommended Ren Bi to be the Governor of Hanzhong. The following year, Bai Qi was promoted to Left General and attacked Han and Wei at Yique, killing twenty-four thousand enemy troops and capturing their general Gongsun Xi, as well as seizing five cities. Bai Qi was then promoted to Director of the Capital. He crossed the Yellow River and captured territory east of Anyi, reaching the Gan River. The following year, Bai Qi was promoted to Grand General. He attacked Wei and captured it, taking sixty-one cities of varying sizes. The following year, Bai Qi and the visiting official Cuo attacked Yancheng and captured it. Five years later, Bai Qi attacked Zhao and captured Guanglangcheng. Seven years later, Bai Qi attacked Chu, taking Yan and five cities of Deng. The following year, he attacked Chu again, captured Ying, burned the Yiling mausoleum, then advanced east to Jingling. King Chu fled Ying and moved east to Chen. Qin established Ying as its Southern Commandery. Bai Qi was promoted to Lord of Wu'an. He then conquered Chu, securing the Wuyu and Qianzhong commanderies. In the thirty-fourth year of King Zhaoxiang's reign, Bai Qi attacked Wei at Huayang, defeating Mangmao and capturing three Jin generals while killing thirteen thousand troops. He then engaged Zhao's General Jia Yan, drowning twenty thousand of his soldiers in the Yellow River. In the forty-third year, Bai Qi attacked Xingcheng of Han and captured five cities, killing fifty thousand troops. In the forty-fourth year, he attacked Nanyang's Taihang Road and severed it. In the forty-fifth year, he invaded Yewang of Han. Yewang surrendered to Qin, cutting off the road to Shangdang. Its guardian Feng Ting discussed with the people, saying: 'The road to Zheng is already cut off. Han certainly cannot protect us. Qin's armies advance daily, and Han cannot hold out. It would be better to submit to Zhao. If Zhao accepts us, Qin will be enraged and is certain to attack Zhao. When Zhao is under attack, it will surely draw close to Han. If Han and Zhao become one, together they can resist Qin.' He accordingly sent messengers to inform Zhao. King Xiaocheng of Zhao consulted with the Lord of Pingyang and the Lord of Pingyuan. The Lord of Pingyang said: 'It would be better not to accept. The trouble we would receive far exceeds what we would gain.' The Lord of Pingyuan said: 'We are receiving a whole commandery out of the blue—accepting is advantageous.' Zhao accepted, and Feng Ting was enfeoffed as Lord of Huayang. In the forty-sixth year, Qin attacked Gou Shi and Lin of Han and captured them. In the forty-seventh year, Qin dispatched the Left Senior Official Wang Can to attack Han and take Shangdang. The people of Shangdang fled to Zhao. Zhao's army stationed itself at Changping to protect and settle the Shangdang people. In the fourth month, Wang Can attacked Zhao. Zhao sent Lian Po to command. Zhao's soldiers engaged Qin's scouts, and Qin's scouts killed the Zhao vice-general Jia. In the sixth month, they broke through Zhao's forces, seizing two fortifications and capturing four officers. In the seventh month, Zhao's army built defensive walls and held their position. Qin attacked their fortifications again, capturing two officers, breaking their formation, and taking the western fort. Lian Po firmly held his walls awaiting Qin's attack, and though Qin challenged him repeatedly, Zhao's troops would not come out. The King of Zhao repeatedly reproached Lian Po for this. Meanwhile, Qin's Prime Minister Fan Sui sent agents with a thousand pieces of gold to Zhao to spread disinformation: 'What Qin truly dreads is only Lord Ma Fu's son Zhao Kuo taking command. Lian Po is easy to deal with, and moreover, he is ready to surrender.' The King of Zhao, enraged that Lian Po's forces had suffered many losses and repeated defeats, and seeing him cling to his walls refusing to fight, heard Qin's disinformation and accordingly sent Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po. When Qin heard that the son of Lord Ma Fu was commanding, it secretly appointed the Lord of Wu'an Bai Qi as supreme commander, with Wang Can as lieutenant general, and ordered that any man who revealed the Lord of Wu'an's appointment would be beheaded. When Zhao Kuo arrived, he led his troops out to attack Qin's army. Qin's forces feigned defeat and retreated, deploying two concealed units to strike from the flanks. Zhao's army pressed the pursuit, seeking to reach the Qin walls. The walls were firmly defended and could not be breached. Qin's twenty-five thousand hidden troops cut off Zhao's rear, while another five thousand cavalry sealed the gap between Zhao's forces, splitting Zhao's army in two and severing the grain supply. Qin then sent light forces to attack. Zhao fought badly and built walls to defend, awaiting relief. The King of Qin, hearing that Zhao's supply road was cut, personally went to Henei, granted commoners one rank each, and called out all men over fifteen to proceed to Changping, blocking any Zhao relief and food supplies. By the ninth month, Zhao's soldiers had received no food for forty-six days. They began secretly killing and eating each other. They launched attacks on Qin's fortifications, trying to break out, forming four columns and attempting assaults four or five times but could not escape. Their general Zhao Kuo led his elite troops forward in personal combat, and Qin's armies shot and killed Zhao Kuo. Zhao Kuo's army was defeated, and four hundred thousand men surrendered to the Lord of Wu'an. Bai Qi considered: 'Previously, when Qin captured Shangdang, its people were unwilling to submit to Qin and went instead to Zhao. Zhao's soldiers are treacherous and unreliable. If they are not all killed, they are certain to cause trouble.' He accordingly employed deception and butchered them all, sending only about two hundred forty of the youngest back to Zhao. In all, he beheaded or captured four hundred fifty thousand men. The people of Zhao were greatly shaken. In the forty-eighth year, tenth month, Qin again pacified the Shangdang commandery. Qin divided its forces: Wang Can attacked Pilao and captured it; Sima Geng pacified Taiyuan. Han and Zhao, alarmed, sent Su Dai with rich bribes to persuade Qin's Prime Minister Fan Sui: 'Did the Lord of Wu'an capture the son of Lord Ma Fu?' Fan Sui replied that he had. Su Dai continued: 'Did he then lay siege to Handan?' He answered yes. Su Dai pressed: 'If Zhao is destroyed, the King of Qin will become hegemon of the realm, and the Lord of Wu'an will become one of the Three Excellencies. The Lord of Wu'an's achievements for Qin—his victories and conquests—exceed seventy cities, pacifying Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong in the south, and capturing Zhao Kuo's army in the north. Even the accomplishments of the Dukes of Zhou and Shao or Lü Wang could add nothing to this. Now if Zhao is destroyed and the King of Qin becomes hegemon, the Lord of Wu'an will certainly become a Three Excellency. Can you bear to serve under him? Even if you did not wish to be subordinate, you would have no choice. Qin once attacked Han, surrounding Xingqiu and besieging Shangdang, and the people of Shangdang all turned instead to Zhao. The realm has long been unwilling to become Qin's subjects. If Zhao is destroyed, its territories will flow to Yan in the north, to Qi in the east, and to Han and Wei in the south—then the people under your control will be almost nothing. It would be better therefore to take the territory by demanding it now, rather than leave the credit to the Lord of Wu'an.' Thereupon Fan Sui spoke to the King of Qin: 'Qin's forces are exhausted. I beg that you permit Han and Zhao to cede territory for peace, and allow the soldiers to rest.' The king agreed, ceding Yanyong of Han and six cities of Zhao for peace. In the first month, all armies stood down. When the Lord of Wu'an heard of this, a breach opened between him and Fan Sui. That September, Qin again mobilized its forces, dispatching the Fifth Great Official Wang Ling to attack Zhao's capital of Handan. At this time the Lord of Wu'an was ill and could not travel. In the first month of the forty-ninth year, Wang Ling attacked Handan but gained little advantage. Qin sent additional forces to reinforce him. Wang Ling lost five units. When the Lord of Wu'an recovered from his illness, the King of Qin wished to have him replace Wang Ling as commander. The Lord of Wu'an said: 'Handan is truly not easy to attack. Moreover, relief from the vassals will arrive daily—the vassals have resented Qin for a long time. Now although Qin has defeated Zhao's forces at Changping, our own dead number more than half our army, and the state is empty. To cross rivers and mountains to contest another's capital, with Zhao responding from within and the vassals attacking from without, we are certain to be defeated. We cannot do it.' The King of Qin insisted, but the Lord of Wu'an would not go; he was sent to ask Fan Sui to intercede, but still he refused, saying he was ill. Thereupon the King of Qin demoted the Lord of Wu'an to common soldier status and exiled him to Yinmi. The Lord of Wu'an was ill and could not travel. Three months passed, and the vassals' armies pressed Qin's forces urgently while Qin's forces suffered repeated defeats, with messengers arriving daily. The King of Qin then sent someone to dismiss Bai Qi, not allowing him to remain in the capital. The Lord of Wu'an departed, leaving the western gate of Xianyang and traveling ten li to Duyou. King Zhaoxiang discussed with his ministers: 'Bai Qi's exile—he is clearly resentful and unsubmissive, and he has complaints to make.' The King of Qin sent an envoy to grant him a sword. Bai Qi took the sword and was about to cut his own throat, saying: 'What crime have I committed against Heaven to deserve this?' After a long pause, he said: 'I certainly deserve death. In the Battle of Changping, the tens of thousands of Zhao soldiers who surrendered—I deceived them and butchered them all. This alone is enough to warrant death.' He then killed himself. The Lord of Wu'an died in the eleventh month of the fiftieth year of King Zhaoxiang's reign. His death was not deserved, and the people of Qin pitied him; everywhere in the countryside they offered sacrifices to his memory.

The following year, Bai Qi was appointed Da Liangzao. He attacked Wei, captured it, and took sixty-one cities, large and small. The following year, Bai Qi and the visiting official Cuo attacked Yancheng and captured it. Five years later, Bai Qi attacked Zhao and captured Guanglangcheng. Seven years later, Bai Qi attacked Chu, capturing Yan, Deng, and three other cities—five cities in total. The next year, he attacked Chu again, captured Ying, burned the Yiling mausoleum, and advanced east to Jingling. The King of Chu fled Ying and moved east to Chen. Qin established Ying as its Southern Commandery. Bai Qi was promoted to Lord of Wu'an. He then conquered Chu, securing the Wu and Qianzhong commanderies.

Bai Qi was a native of Mei. Skilled in warfare, he served King Zhaoxiang of Qin. In the thirteenth year of the king's reign, Bai Qi was appointed Left Superintendent of the Household and led an attack on Xincheng of Han. That same year, Lord Rangniao became Prime Minister of Qin and recommended Ren Bi to be the Governor of Hanzhong. The following year, Bai Qi was promoted to Left General and attacked Han and Wei at Yique, killing twenty-four thousand enemy troops and capturing their general Gongsun Xi, as well as seizing five cities. Bai Qi was then promoted to Director of the Capital. He crossed the Yellow River and captured territory east of Anyi, reaching the Gan River. The following year, Bai Qi was promoted to Grand General. He attacked Wei and captured it, taking sixty-one cities of varying sizes. The following year, Bai Qi and the visiting official Cuo attacked Yancheng and captured it. Five years later, Bai Qi attacked Zhao and captured Guanglangcheng. Seven years later, Bai Qi attacked Chu, taking Yan and five cities of Deng. The following year, he attacked Chu again, captured Ying, burned the Yiling mausoleum, then advanced east to Jingling. King Chu fled Ying and moved east to Chen. Qin established Ying as its Southern Commandery. Bai Qi was promoted to Lord of Wu'an. He then conquered Chu, securing the Wuyu and Qianzhong commanderies. In the thirty-fourth year of King Zhaoxiang's reign, Bai Qi attacked Wei at Huayang, defeating Mangmao and capturing three Jin generals while killing one hundred thirty thousand troops. He then engaged Zhao's General Jia Yan, drowning twenty thousand of his soldiers in the Yellow River. In the forty-third year, Bai Qi attacked Xingcheng of Han and captured five cities, killing fifty thousand troops. In the forty-fourth year, he attacked Nanyang's Taihang Road and severed it. In the forty-fifth year, he invaded Yewang of Han. Yewang surrendered to Qin, cutting off the road to Shangdang. Its guardian Feng Ting discussed with the people, saying: "The road to Zheng is already cut off. Han certainly cannot protect us. Qin's armies advance daily, and Han cannot hold out. It would be better to submit to Zhao. If Zhao accepts us, Qin will be enraged and is certain to attack Zhao. When Zhao is under attack, it will surely draw close to Han. If Han and Zhao become one, together they can resist Qin." He accordingly sent messengers to inform Zhao. King Xiaocheng of Zhao consulted with the Lord of Pingyang and the Lord of Pingyuan. The Lord of Pingyang said: "It would be better not to accept. The trouble we would receive far exceeds what we would gain." The Lord of Pingyuan said: "We are receiving a whole commandery out of the blue—accepting is advantageous." Zhao accepted, and Feng Ting was enfeoffed as Lord of Huayang. In the forty-sixth year, Qin attacked Gou Shi and Lin of Han and captured them. In the forty-seventh year, Qin dispatched the Left Senior Official Wang Can to attack Han and take Shangdang. The people of Shangdang fled to Zhao. Zhao's army stationed itself at Changping to protect and settle the Shangdang people. In the fourth month, Wang Can attacked Zhao. Zhao sent Lian Po to command. Zhao's soldiers engaged Qin's scouts, and Qin's scouts killed the Zhao vice-general Jia. In the sixth month, they broke through Zhao's forces, seizing two fortifications and capturing four officers. In the seventh month, Zhao's army built defensive walls and held their position. Qin attacked their fortifications again, capturing two officers, breaking their formation, and taking the western fort. Lian Po firmly held his walls awaiting Qin's attack, and though Qin challenged him repeatedly, Zhao's troops would not come out. The King of Zhao repeatedly reproached Lian Po for this. Meanwhile, Qin's Prime Minister Fan Sui sent agents with a thousand pieces of gold to Zhao to spread disinformation: "What Qin truly dreads is only Lord Ma Fu's son Zhao Kuo taking command. Lian Po is easy to deal with, and moreover, he is ready to surrender." The King of Zhao, enraged that Lian Po's forces had suffered many losses and repeated defeats, and seeing him cling to his walls refusing to fight, heard Qin's disinformation and accordingly sent Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po. When Qin heard that the son of Lord Ma Fu was commanding, it secretly appointed the Lord of Wu'an Bai Qi as supreme commander, with Wang Can as lieutenant general, and ordered that any man who revealed the Lord of Wu'an's appointment would be beheaded. When Zhao Kuo arrived, he led his troops out to attack Qin's army. Qin's forces feigned defeat and retreated, deploying two concealed units to strike from the flanks. Zhao's army pressed the pursuit, seeking to reach the Qin walls. The walls were firmly defended and could not be breached. Qin's twenty-five thousand hidden troops cut off Zhao's rear, while another five thousand cavalry sealed the gap between Zhao's forces, splitting Zhao's army in two and severing the grain supply. Qin then sent light forces to attack. Zhao fought badly and built walls to defend, awaiting relief. The King of Qin, hearing that Zhao's supply road was cut, personally went to Henei, granted commoners one rank each, and called out all men over fifteen to proceed to Changping, blocking any Zhao relief and food supplies. By the ninth month, Zhao's soldiers had received no food for forty-six days. They began secretly killing and eating each other. They launched attacks on Qin's fortifications, trying to break out, forming four columns and attempting assaults four or five times but could not escape. Their general Zhao Kuo led his elite troops forward in personal combat, and Qin's armies shot and killed Zhao Kuo. Zhao Kuo's army was defeated, and four hundred thousand men surrendered to the Lord of Wu'an. Bai Qi considered: "Previously, when Qin captured Shangdang, its people were unwilling to submit to Qin and went instead to Zhao. Zhao's soldiers are treacherous and unreliable. If they are not all killed, they are certain to cause trouble." He accordingly employed deception and butchered them all, sending only about two hundred forty of the youngest back to Zhao. In all, he beheaded or captured four hundred fifty thousand men. The people of Zhao were greatly shaken. In the forty-eighth year, tenth month, Qin again pacified the Shangdang commandery. Qin divided its forces: Wang Can attacked Pilao and captured it; Sima Geng pacified Taiyuan. Han and Zhao, alarmed, sent Su Dai with rich bribes to persuade Qin's Prime Minister Fan Sui: "Did the Lord of Wu'an capture the son of Lord Ma Fu?" Fan Sui replied that he had. Su Dai continued: "Did he then lay siege to Handan?" He answered yes. Su Dai pressed: "If Zhao is destroyed, the King of Qin will become hegemon of the realm, and the Lord of Wu'an will become one of the Three Excellencies. The Lord of Wu'an's achievements for Qin—his victories and conquests—exceed seventy cities, pacifying Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong in the south, and capturing Zhao Kuo's army in the north. Even the accomplishments of the Dukes of Zhou and Shao or Lü Wang could add nothing to this. Now if Zhao is destroyed and the King of Qin becomes hegemon, the Lord of Wu'an will certainly become a Three Excellency. Can you bear to serve under him? Even if you did not wish to be subordinate, you would have no choice. Qin once attacked Han, surrounding Xingqiu and besieging Shangdang, and the people of Shangdang all turned instead to Zhao. The realm has long been unwilling to become Qin's subjects. If Zhao is destroyed, its territories will flow to Yan in the north, to Qi in the east, and to Han and Wei in the south—then the people under your control will be almost nothing. It would be better therefore to take the territory by demanding it now, rather than leave the credit to the Lord of Wu'an." Thereupon Fan Sui spoke to the King of Qin: "Qin's forces are exhausted. I beg that you permit Han and Zhao to cede territory for peace, and allow the soldiers to rest." The king agreed, ceding Yanyong of Han and six cities of Zhao for peace. In the first month, all armies stood down. When the Lord of Wu'an heard of this, a breach opened between him and Fan Sui. That September, Qin again mobilized its forces, dispatching the Fifth Great Official Wang Ling to attack Zhao's capital of Handan. At this time the Lord of Wu'an was ill and could not travel. In the first month of the forty-ninth year, Wang Ling attacked Handan but gained little advantage. Qin sent additional forces to reinforce him. Wang Ling lost five units. When the Lord of Wu'an recovered from his illness, the King of Qin wished to have him replace Wang Ling as commander. The Lord of Wu'an said: "Handan is truly not easy to attack. Moreover, relief from the vassals will arrive daily—the vassals have resented Qin for a long time. Now although Qin has defeated Zhao's forces at Changping, our own dead number more than half our army, and the state is empty. To cross rivers and mountains to contest another's capital, with Zhao responding from within and the vassals attacking from without, we are certain to be defeated. We cannot do it." The King of Qin insisted, but the Lord of Wu'an would not go; he was sent to ask Fan Sui to intercede, but still he refused, saying he was ill. Thereupon the King of Qin demoted the Lord of Wu'an to common soldier status and exiled him to Yinmi. The Lord of Wu'an was ill and could not travel. Three months passed, and the vassals' armies pressed Qin's forces urgently while Qin's forces suffered repeated defeats, with messengers arriving daily. The King of Qin then sent someone to dismiss Bai Qi, not allowing him to remain in the capital. The Lord of Wu'an departed, leaving the western gate of Xianyang and traveling ten li to Duyou. King Zhaoxiang discussed with his ministers: "Bai Qi's exile—he is clearly resentful and defiant, and he has complaints to make." The King of Qin sent an envoy to grant him a sword. Bai Qi took the sword and was about to cut his own throat, saying: "What crime have I committed against Heaven to deserve this?" After a long pause, he said: "I certainly deserve death. In the Battle of Changping, the tens of thousands of Zhao soldiers who surrendered—I deceived them and butchered them all. This alone is enough to warrant death." He then killed himself. The Lord of Wu'an died in the eleventh month of the fiftieth year of King Zhaoxiang's reign. His death was not deserved, and the people of Qin pitied him; everywhere in the countryside they offered sacrifices to his memory.

Wang Jian was a native of Pinyang East. From youth he loved military affairs and served Qin Shi Huang. In the eleventh year of the First Emperor's reign, Wang Jian attacked and captured nine cities in the Zhao territory of E'yu. In the eighteenth year, he led an attack on Zhao. More than a year later, he captured Zhao, and the King of Zhao surrendered; all of Zhao's territory was established as commanderies. The following year, when Yan sent Jing Ke as an assassin to Qin, the First Emperor dispatched Wang Jian to attack Yan. The King Yan Xi fled to Liaodong, and Wang Jian pacified Yan and Ji, returning with his army. The First Emperor then had Wang Jian's son Wang Ben attack Jing Ke; Jing Ke's forces were defeated. Wang Ben turned and attacked Wei, and the King of Wei surrendered, so all of Wei's territory was pacified.

In the forty-sixth year, Qin attacked Han’s towns of Goushi and Lin and captured them. In the forty-seventh year, Qin dispatched the Left Chief of the Multitude, Wang He, to attack Han, and he seized Shangdang. The people of Shangdang fled to Zhao. The Zhao army stationed at Changping to receive and settle the Shangdang people. In the fourth month, Wang He thereupon attacked Zhao. Zhao sent Lian Po as general. Zhao soldiers clashed with Qin scouts, and the Qin scouts killed the Zhao deputy general Jia. In the sixth month, the Qin forces broke through the Zhao army, capturing two strongholds and four commandants. In the seventh month, the Zhao army built ramparts and fortifications to hold their defensive lines.

Qin again attacked their ramparts, capturing two commandants, routing their formation, and seizing the western rampart. Lian Po held his fortifications to confront Qin; Qin repeatedly challenged, but Zhao soldiers refused to emerge. The King of Zhao repeatedly reproached Lian Po for this. Meanwhile, Qin's Chancellor Ying Hou sent men with a thousand gold to Zhao to create discord, saying: 'What Qin fears is only that Ma Fu’s son Zhao Kuo will be made general; Lian Po is easy to handle and will soon surrender.' The King of Zhao, already angered by Lian Po's many losses and defeats, and that he instead strengthened his defenses without daring to fight, and now hearing the Qin divisive talk, therefore sent Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po as commander to strike the Qin army.

When Qin heard that the son of Mafu was to take command, they secretly appointed Wu'an Jun Bai Qi as supreme general, with Wang He as deputy general, and issued an order that anyone in the army who dared leak the news that Wu'an Jun was the commander would be executed. After Zhao Kuo arrived, he led his troops out to attack the Qin army. The Qin forces feigned defeat and retreated, while laying out two ambush detachments to strike. The Zhao army pressed their advantage and pursued all the way to the Qin fortifications. The ramparts were stoutly defended and could not be breached; meanwhile, a Qin ambush force of twenty-five thousand men cut off the Zhao rear, and another force of five thousand cavalry severed the links between the Zhao camps. The Zhao army was split in two, and their supply route was completely cut off. Then Qin sent out light troops to attack them. The Zhao troops fought at a disadvantage, so they built defensive walls and held firm, waiting for relief to arrive. When the King of Qin heard that the Zhao food route was severed, he went in person to Henei, granting the common people one step in rank each, and conscripted all males aged fifteen and above to go to Changping, to intercept Zhao reinforcements and supplies.

The Emperor, greatly angered, personally rode to Pinyang, went to Wang Jian, and apologized: "I did not employ your strategy, General Li, and he has indeed brought disgrace to Qin's army. Now I hear that Chu's forces advance westward daily. Can you, though ill, abandon me?" Wang Jian demurred: "Your servant is exhausted and confused with illness; please, Your Majesty, choose another capable general." The Emperor replied: "Enough, General—speak no more of it!" Wang Jian said: "If Your Majesty is absolutely compelled to use your servant, six hundred thousand men are essential." The Emperor said: "I follow your plan."

Wang Jian then commanded six hundred thousand men. The Emperor personally saw him off at Baxia. En route, Wang Jian requested fine farmland, orchards, and ponds in great quantities. The Emperor said: "Go ahead, General—why worry about poverty?" Wang Jian replied: "As Your Majesty's general, I may achieve merit but will never be enfeoffed as a marquis. So I take advantage of Your Majesty's presence to request these estates for my descendants' livelihood." The Emperor laughed aloud.

The Grand Historian remarks: The common saying goes, "A foot may prove short, an inch may prove long." Bai Qi could assess the enemy and adapt ingeniously, deploying stratagems without limit, his fame shaking all under heaven—yet he could not save himself from Fan Sui.

Wang Jian served as a Qin general, bringing about the destruction of the six warring states. In that era, Wang Jian was a veteran commander, and the First Emperor treated him as a mentor. Yet Wang Jian could not help Qin cultivate virtue and strengthen its foundations; instead, he merely went along with things to secure his own position, until at last he brought ruin upon himself. When his grandson Wang Li was captured by Xiang Yu, was this not fitting? Each of them had his own failings.

Bai Qi and Wang Jian were both masters of military strategy. They took turns serving as Qin generals, conquering Qi and striking at Chu. Zhao's reliance on the Marquis of Mare led to the soldiers being buried alive at Changping. Chu trapped General Li Xin, and at Ba Shang the army finally met its end. Wang Ben and Wang Li followed in their footsteps, but across three generations none achieved lasting fame.

When Chen Sheng rebelled against Qin, Qin sent Wang Jian's grandson Wang Li to attack Zhao, besieging the King of Zhao and Zhang Er in Julu city. Someone said: "Wang Li is a famous general of Qin. Now leading the strong Qin army to attack the newly established Zhao, taking it is certain." Another person said: "Not so. A family that has produced generals for three generations is bound to fail. Why is it bound to fail? It is because they have killed and slaughtered too many, and their descendants will suffer misfortune. Now Wang Li is already a third-generation general."