In 213 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang hosted a grand banquet to celebrate his victory over the Xiongnu
After three rounds of wine, the imperial advisor Zhou Qingchen raised his cup to praise the First Emperor of Qin: "In the past, our Qin state was merely a thousand li in territory, but thanks to Your Majesty's divine wisdom and sagely virtue, we have pacified the entire realm. Everywhere the sun and moon shine, the feudal lords pay tribute and come to court on time, showing their submission. Since ancient times, no one's power and virtue have ever matched Your Majesty's."
The First Emperor of Qin was delighted. Then the scholar Chunyu Yue, who had come from the state of Qi, pressed, "The Yin and Zhou dynasties each lasted over a thousand years because they enfeoffed their sons, younger brothers, and meritorious ministers, relying on the support of feudal lords from all regions. Now Your Majesty has unified the realm, yet the imperial clan members remain commoners. If trouble arises, who will come to the rescue? I have never heard of any affair that endured long without modeling itself on antiquity. Just now, Zhou Qingchen flattered Your Majesty to your face, intending only to magnify your faults!"
The smile vanished from the First Emperor of Qin's face. Chancellor Li Si then added, "The Five Emperors did not repeat each other's methods, and the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties did not cling to old ways—that is why they prospered. They weren't deliberately opposing their predecessors; times changed, and they had to adapt. Now Your Majesty has founded a great empire and established a legacy for ten thousand generations—why imitate the practices of the Three Dynasties? The realm is at peace, laws are unified, and the people should focus on trade and farming, while scholars must study and obey the statutes. Yet some scholars reject the present and cling to the past, spreading rumors among the people, stirring chaos, and criticizing the court to show off their cleverness. If this is not stopped, Your Majesty's authority will decline from above, and factions will form below."
Li Si paused, then his voice grew firm: "That is why I have petitioned Your Majesty to issue a decree: all historical records not from Qin shall be burned; all books not held by the Erudites—including the *Book of Songs*, the *Book of Documents*, and the writings of the Hundred Schools—shall be collected by officials and burned together. Anyone who discusses the *Book of Songs* or the *Book of Documents* in groups shall be executed; anyone who cites ancient texts to criticize the present government shall have their entire clan executed. Officials who know of such offenses but fail to report them shall be punished as the offenders themselves. Thirty days after the decree, anyone who has not surrendered these books for burning shall be branded on the face and sentenced to four years of hard labor. Books on medicine, divination, and agriculture are exempt."
Emperor Qin Shi Huang fully agreed with Li Si's proposal and immediately ordered him to draft a decree, which was soon issued as an imperial command—this became the infamous "Burning of the Books" in history.
At that time, Qin Shi Huang was desperately searching for the legendary elixir of immortality, spending vast sums of money without success. Later, he trusted the superstitious alchemists Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng, ordering them to find the magical potion. Knowing it was impossible, the two secretly plotted: "The First Emperor is arrogant and self-righteous. Rising from a feudal lord to conquer all under heaven, he believes no one in history can match him. He relies on harsh punishments and executions to establish authority, so everyone fears offending him, merely clinging to their positions without daring to offer honest advice. Qin law forbids anyone from mastering more than two skills; if a technique fails, the practitioner is often executed. The 300 astrologers observing celestial signs are all learned scholars, but they flatter him constantly, afraid to speak of his faults..."
After much deliberation, they decided to flee. When Qin Shi Huang learned of this, he erupted in fury, declaring, "I burned all useless books and summoned scholars and alchemists to bring peace and seek the elixir of immortality. I spent fortunes on their quests, yet daily reports exposed their fraud and greed. I honored men like Lu Sheng with lavish gifts, and now they slander me and run away. As for the many scholars in Xianyang, my spies reveal they spread wicked rumors to confuse the people—how detestable!"
Emperor Qin Shi Huang then ordered the imperial censor to interrogate all the scholars and had them inform on one another. He personally marked 460 scholars who had violated the prohibitions and had them all buried alive in Xianyang, making a public example to warn future generations. This became the infamous "Pit of Scholars" incident in history.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eldest son, Fusu, disagreed with this approach. He advised his father, "The realm has just been stabilized, and the distant people have not yet submitted to us. The scholars all recite and study Confucius's teachings, yet now you use harsh laws to restrain them. I fear this will cause unrest in the empire. Please reconsider."
The First Emperor of Qin flew into a rage and ordered him to leave Xianyang, sending him to the northern frontier to serve as the supervising officer for General Meng Tian.
Later, people used the idiom "Burning Books and Burying Scholars" to describe cultural tyranny that persecutes intellectuals, or using barbaric methods to destroy ancient culture and oppress cultural figures.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Basic Annals of Qin Shi Huang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "焚书坑儒" came to describe cultural tyranny that persecutes intellectuals, or using barbaric methods to destroy ancient culture and oppress cultural figures.