Lü Buwei facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lü Buwei
Chancellor of Qin
In office 251 BCE – 235 BCE
Monarch	King Zhuangxiang of Qin Ying Zheng
Succeeded by	Li Si
Personal details
Born	291 BCE
Died	235 BCE (aged 55–56)
Occupation	Merchant, politician

Lü Buwei (born 291 BCE, died 235 BCE) was a very smart Chinese merchant and politician. He lived during the Warring States period, a time when different states in China were often fighting. Lü Buwei was from the Wey state and became very rich as a traveling merchant.

He became friends with King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who was then a prince held hostage in the Zhao state. Lü Buwei used his cleverness and money to help Prince Zhuangxiang become the next king of the Qin state. When Zhuangxiang became king in 249 BCE, he made Lü Buwei his top advisor, called a chancellor. He also gave him the special title "Marquis Wenxin."

After King Zhuangxiang died in 247 BCE, Lü Buwei became the chancellor and a special guardian (called a regent) for the young new king, Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng later became Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. Lü Buwei was also known for creating a huge book called the Lüshi Chunqiu. This book collected many different ideas from scholars of his time.

Later, in 235 BCE, Lü Buwei faced trouble. He was removed from his important jobs and sent away to a faraway place. Fearing what might happen next, he chose to end his own life.

Who Was Lü Buwei?

Lü Buwei

We learn about Lü Buwei from old Chinese books written a long time ago. The most important ones are Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian and Zhan Guo Ce (Strategies of the Warring States) by Liu Xiang. These books were written during the Han Dynasty, which came after the Qin Dynasty. They tell us a lot about Lü Buwei's life and how he became so powerful.

From Merchant to Politician

Lü Buwei started as a very successful merchant. He traveled a lot and earned a huge amount of money. In 267 BCE, the king of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, chose his second son, Lord Anguo, to be the next king. Lord Anguo had many sons, and one of them was named Yiren. Yiren was sent to the Zhao state as a hostage, which meant he lived there to ensure peace between the two states.

Lü Buwei met Prince Yiren in the city of Handan, the capital of Zhao. Lü Buwei saw Yiren as a special opportunity, like a rare and valuable item to invest in. He believed that helping Yiren could bring him great success.

The Zhan Guo Ce tells a story about Lü Buwei's decision to change his career. He asked his father, "How much profit can you make from farming?" His father replied, "Ten times your investment." Then Lü Buwei asked, "And from selling jewels?" His father said, "A hundred times." Finally, Lü Buwei asked, "What about helping someone become a ruler and making a state strong?" His father answered, "That profit would be too big to count!" Lü Buwei then decided to help Prince Yiren.

Helping Prince Yiren Become King

Lü Buwei used his money and smart plans to help Prince Yiren. He arranged for Yiren to return to Qin. He also convinced Lady Huayang, who was Lord Anguo's main wife and had no children, to adopt Yiren as her own son. This made Yiren the official heir to Lord Anguo. Lady Huayang renamed Yiren to "Zichu," which meant "son of Chu," because she was from the Chu state.

Lü Buwei had a beautiful dancer in his household. Prince Zichu saw her and wanted her. Lü Buwei gave the dancer, Lady Zhao, to Zichu. In 259 BCE, Lady Zhao gave birth to a son named Ying Zheng. This son later became the famous Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China.

In 251 BCE, King Zhaoxiang died. Lord Anguo became King Xiaowen, but he died very quickly, just three days after becoming king. So, Zichu became King Zhuangxiang. King Zhuangxiang immediately made Lü Buwei his chancellor, the most powerful official. He also gave Lü Buwei the title "Marquis Wenxin" and a large area of land with 100,000 families in Luoyang, from which he could collect taxes.

While in office, Lü Buwei was in charge of Qin's armies and led campaigns against other states. When King Zhuangxiang died in 247 BCE, his son Ying Zheng was only 13 years old. Lü Buwei continued to serve as chancellor and became the young king's regent, meaning he ruled the country until Ying Zheng was old enough.

Lü Buwei's Influence and Downfall

As chancellor and regent, Lü Buwei had a lot of power in the Qin government and military. He invited many famous scholars from all over China to Xianyang, the capital city of Qin. Together, these scholars created the Lüshi Chunqiu. This huge book was like an encyclopedia, collecting many different ideas and thoughts from the "Hundred Schools of Thought" – various philosophies and schools of thinking from that time.

The Scandal and Exile

The Shiji tells us that Lady Zhao, who was now the Queen Dowager (King Ying Zheng's mother), became involved with a man named Lao Ai. Lao Ai gained too much power in the Qin government.

In 238 BCE, Lao Ai tried to take control from King Ying Zheng. But his rebellion failed. Lao Ai was captured and executed along with his family. Lü Buwei was linked to this event. As a result, he lost his important jobs and titles. He was sent away to the faraway Shu region in the south of Qin.

Lü Buwei worried that he might be executed later. So, in 235 BCE, he chose to take his own life by drinking poison. After Lü Buwei's death, King Ying Zheng took power away from most of Lü Buwei's followers. The Lüshi Chunqiu book was not popular with the Qin government for a while, but it became important again later during the Han Dynasty.

Different Views of Lü Buwei

Historians have different opinions about Lü Buwei. In Western countries, people might see Lü Buwei as a powerful merchant who became a great leader. He was a supporter of culture and learning, like some famous leaders in European history. He helped a prince become king and then guided a young future emperor.

However, in ancient China, especially during the Han Dynasty, some scholars saw Lü Buwei differently. They didn't like that he came from the merchant class, which was not highly respected. They also disliked the Qin Dynasty itself. So, they saw Lü Buwei as someone who used tricks to gain power and helped create what they considered an "evil" Qin state. They often wrote about him in a negative way.

Images for kids

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  Lü Buwei in a traditional Chinese painting.