In 213 BC, to celebrate his birthday, Qin Shi Huang hosted a grand banquet at Xianyang Palace for all civil and military officials. When the feast began, the imperial advisor Zhou Qingchen congratulated the First Emperor, saying:
“In the past, the land of Qin stretched no more than a thousand li, yet thanks to Your Majesty’s brilliant wisdom and greatness, you conquered the six kingdoms and unified the entire realm,” the court official declared before the First Emperor. “Now, wherever the sun and moon shine, all bow in submission. The people live in peace and contentment, and Your Majesty’s achievements will be passed down for ten thousand generations. Your virtue and grace are unmatched from ancient times to the present.”
The First Emperor of Qin, upon hearing this, was greatly pleased. The erudite scholar Chunyu Yue stepped forward and said:
“Your Majesty,” the official warned, “the Shang and Zhou dynasties each ruled for over a thousand years by enfeoffing their meritorious ministers and royal kin as loyal allies. Yet now, though you hold the empire, your own sons and brothers remain commoners. If trouble arises, who will come to your rescue? Just now, Zhou Qingchen flattered you to your face—I urge Your Majesty to see through his words.”
Emperor Qin Shi Huang, buoyed by wine, called for a debate on their differing views.
Prime Minister Li Si offered his opinion:
During the Qin Dynasty, the Chancellor Li Si addressed the First Emperor: "The Five Emperors did not copy each other's systems, nor did the Xia, Shang, or Zhou dynasties repeat the same laws. Why? Because times changed and circumstances differed—each ruler created laws suited to their own era. Now that Your Majesty has unified the realm and established our Qin laws, the people should focus on production, and scholars must study the current statutes. Yet these Confucian scholars refuse to learn today's laws; instead, they cling to ancient texts, using the past to criticize the present and stir up public unrest. Therefore, I request that Your Majesty order the burning of all books except those of Qin. Anyone who dares to discuss the *Book of Songs* or *Book of Documents* in groups should be executed; anyone who uses ancient examples to attack the current regime should have their entire family put to death; and officials who know of such offenses but fail to report them shall be punished alongside the guilty."
Emperor Qin Shi Huang, greatly approving of Li Si's proposal, immediately ordered its execution, which led to the tragic event of book burning and burying scholars alive in Qin dynasty history.
Later, the idiom "Using the Past to Denigrate the Present" describes attacking and denying today's reality with ancient people and events.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Basic Annals of Qin Shi Huang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "以古非今" came to describe attacking and denying today's reality with ancient people and events.