"Qin Shi Huang, an image that was once regarded as a tyrant, has been frozen in people's hearts for more than two thousand years. But what is the truth of history?
A batch of Qin dynasty Yunmeng Qin Jian unearthed in the Sleeping Tiger Cemetery in Hubei Province has brought a new interpretation to the historical image of this controversial figure. That year, historical secrets began to be slowly revealed in Qin Jian.
Qin Shi Huang
In 2015, nearly 200,000 Qin Dynasty bamboo tablets were excavated in an ancient tomb in Hubei. Surprisingly, these bamboo tablets were recorded by a low-level official named Xi who provided a window into the internal world of the Qin Dynasty. Can you imagine the shock and disbelief that archaeologists felt when they first saw these bamboo tablets? Because the content revealed in it greatly subverted people's established impression of the Qin Dynasty and even Qin Shi Huang.
There is a passage in the bamboo brief about the regulations of the Qin Dynasty army: If you delay by three to five days during service, you will be verbally criticized; Six to ten days, a fine is required for the value of a shield; After ten days, the fine will reach the value of a set of armor. But most importantly, in case of bad weather, such as rain or fog, all penalties are exempt. How humane and just this is! This is in stark contrast to the well-known rule that Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were executed for delaying time due to rain, and their subsequent uprising at the death knell.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The conscription regulations in the Qin Jian even show the benevolence of the Qin Dynasty: if you are less than one meter three, you will be exempted from conscription; Each family must leave a male to take care of the family and the elderly; Even in February every year, it is forbidden to cut down trees and hunt animals. When we explore the deeper life of the Qin Dynasty, you will find that the breadth and depth of what is recorded in the Qin Jian is enough to make people stunned.
However, over the years, the image of Qin Shi Huang has been smeared and misunderstood in many ways. For example, in the book burning incident, he was accused of burning a large number of books and suppressing ideology and culture, but in fact, many medical and agricultural books have been preserved intact. Qin Shi Huang was accused of killing thousands of Confucianists, but the truth is that he only executed more than 400 people who were considered warlocks in that era.
Let's look at a common misconception: the story of Meng Jiangnu crying on the Great Wall. The original version of this story comes from the Spring and Autumn Warring States period "Zuo Chuan", which tells the story of a great general's wife crying over her husband's death, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty that the story was shaped into the magnificent legend of Meng Jiangnu crying down the Great Wall in order to mourn her dead husband.
However, the discovery of Qin Jian in Sleeping Tiger Land reveals us a more real and diverse Qin Shi Huang. This record shows exactly what the Qin Dynasty was called labor treatment. On the contrary, contrary to our common understanding, the laborers who built the Great Wall did not work for free in miserable conditions, but their labor was paid. The bamboo note states: "Resumption of work money" indicates that every worker will be paid according to the days worked. This is in stark contrast to our previous perception that the laborers who built the Great Wall lived in poverty and exploitation. A day's salary was eight yuan, which in the Qin Dynasty at that time, was completely enough for one person to support his family, and it could even be said that the treatment was rich.
Qin Shi Huang probably never imagined in his dreams that he would be vilified after his death, and this slander lasted for more than two thousand years. In any case, however, history is objective. The person who once unified weights and measures, unified the written word, and successfully realized the unification of the six countries, that huge historical symbol, there is only one - Qin Shi Huang. His life was full of controversy and complexity, but his greatness and the changes he brought to China could not be denied by anyone.
Perhaps, it is precisely because of this that we should face history with a rational attitude, to understand and reveal the truth of history, rather than just staying in legends and prejudices. Only then can we truly learn from history and truly understand and appreciate the historical figures and events that have changed our lives.
So, should we re-evaluate Qin Shi Huang and his historical position? This does not mean that we should blindly praise everything about Him, nor does it mean that we should ignore His mistakes. However, if we look at him as a historical figure, we can see his complexity, his humanity, and his place in history. He was not a simple tyrant, nor was he a ruthless ruler. He is a man with feelings and righteousness, ideals, pursuits, mistakes, and greatness.
It should not be forgotten that Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor in Chinese history to truly achieve unification. The centralized system he created had a profound impact on later generations. He implemented a series of reforms such as unified weights and measures, unified currency, unified writing, etc., making China a truly unified power. His Great Wall, which still stands today, has become a symbol of China. And his terracotta army has attracted tourists from all over the world and has become a business card of Chinese culture.
Of course, there were also atrocities and mistakes under his rule, such as book burning and Confucianism. However, we cannot completely deny his greatness and contribution because of his mistakes. As the great historian Sima Qian said: "Although the first emperor burned books and burnt bricks, Qin and the world were not able to double the merits." "His faults should be included in his overall evaluation, not as a reason for us to deny him."
In summary, the discovery of Qin Jian in Sleeping Tiger Land not only reveals a more real Qin Shi Huang for us, but also provides us with a new perspective for understanding and recognizing this complex historical figure. This discovery also reminds us that we should look at history with a more just and comprehensive attitude, to reveal the truth of history, rather than being bound by a certain point of view or prejudice. In this way, we can truly draw wisdom from history, and truly understand and appreciate the historical figures and events that have changed us.