Lu Buwei, who appears in the anime KINGDOM, is a real person.Although he is portrayed as the mastermind behind the Rouai Rebellion, in historical fact, isn’t it unlikely that Lu Buwei and Rouai colluded?It is also considered.The truth is known only to those in question.
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picture revealing character
Lü Buwei was an indispensable key figure in the birth of Qin Shihuang from Qin Dynasty.
According to Shiji, he was from Han and was a merchant.In “Sengokusaku” he is said to be from Ei.
When Lü Buwei was a boy, he wondered why merchants hunched their backs and approached customers in a subservient manner.Lü Buwei felt that the reason for this was that “merchants do not look up to the sky,” and he thought to himself, “I will live my life to my fullest.To do that, I must become great!”
It must have been frustrating to see his parents humbled by others, and to see him become like that himself.I feel like I understand a little bit.He must have been an intelligent and ambitious boy.
Taking advantage of the Warring States period, they acquired military supplies from their bases in Han, Zhao, and Wei, and sold them at high prices to countries that needed them, amassing great wealth.
Encounter with Qin Shihuang’s father
In 265 BC, Lü Buwei took possession of a prince brought from Qin as a hostage of Zhao in Handan, Zhao.The prince is the child of Ankoku-kun, the crown prince of Qin.
As soon as Lü Buwei took one look at the prince, he said, “Kikaokubeshi.” (This means you should buy it because it is a rare product)I thought that if I kept it, it would be useful eventually.
Using his wealth, he succeeded in forcing the prince of Qin to escape from Zhao, and had him change his name to Zichu.Lü Buwei approaches Lady Huayang, the legal wife of Prince Anguo, and asks her to adopt Zichu, the child of Anguo and another consort.
Mrs. Huayang was unable to have children and thought that her position would be in jeopardy if things continued as they were, so she decided to accept Lü Buwei’s proposal and adopted Zi Chu.King Anguo also agreed to this, and Zichu became his successor.
When his father, King Anguo, ascended the throne as King Kobun, he became the crown prince, and when King Kobun passed away, as Lü Buwei had planned, he became the king of Qin, King of Zhuangxiang.
In 249 BC, Lü Buwei assumed the post of Xiangbang, the most powerful civil official of the Qin dynasty.
When King Zhuangxiang passed away, his son Zhao Zheng succeeded to the throne, and later became the First Emperor.At this time, Lu Buwei was given the title of “Zhuho” in addition to the status of “Sangbang”.In terms of how great he was, his power was comparable to that of the king’s father.
Lu Buwei’s name is engraved on a weapon called a halberd that was discovered in the Terracotta Warriors Pit No. 1.Weapon manufacturing was a national project, and this shows that Lü Buwei held the highest position in the country’s politics.
Lu Buwei, who became the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty and became a powerful man, had as many as 10,000 servants and 3,000 diners flocked to him.Shokuhaku are servants who show obedience to their masters in exchange for the bare minimum of food, clothing, and shelter.
In 239 BC, he gathered many intellectuals and completed an encyclopedia-like book called “Lu Shi Chunqiu.”Lu Buwei, who was pleased with the quality of the book, placed it in the center of the city so that everyone could see it, and said:
“If there is anyone who can subtract or add even one letter from this book, I will give him a thousand gold.”
This event became the origin of the four-character idiom “ichiji senkin.”It means that each character is so fine that it is worth a fortune.
The end of Lu Buwei
Lu Buwei was ordered to retire as the mastermind behind the Rouai Rebellion, but his title and territory remained the same.Because his accomplishments were so great, it seems difficult to punish him publicly.
Lü Buwei’s influence never waned as he was constantly visited by people.Fearing that Lu Buwei might start a rebellion with the enemy, the Qin king Zheng ordered Lu Buwei to move to Shu, a remote area in the west.
Realizing that he would eventually be disposed of by the Qin king, Lü Buwei did not go to Shu and committed suicide by poisoning himself.
