The Legend of Lü Buwei, Master of Rare Goods

Lü Buwei (date of birth unknown–235 BCE) was a native of Puyang in the State of Wei during the late Warring States period. Originally a wealthy merchant from Yangdi, he met Yiren, a Qin hostage prince, in Handan. Using the strategy of “investing in a rare commodity,” he committed his entire fortune to supporting Yiren and helped him return to Qin and ascend the throne as King Zhuangxiang. Lü Buwei was appointed chancellor and ennobled as a marquis, with a fief of 100,000 households in Luoyang. After King Zhuangxiang died, he assisted the young ruler Ying Zheng and was honored as “Second Father,” holding the reins of government for more than a decade. During his rule, he conquered Eastern Zhou, established Sanchuan Commandery, and expanded Qin’s territory. He pursued a policy that balanced benevolent governance with military force, laying the groundwork for unification. He gathered three thousand retainers to compile the Annals of Lü Buwei, blending the ideas of the Confucian, Daoist, Mohist, Legalist, and other schools. He pioneered the eclectic school of thought and displayed the book at the gates of Xianyang, promising a thousand gold pieces to anyone who could add or remove a single character, a feat unmatched through the ages. Eventually implicated in the Rebellion of Lao Ai, he was dismissed as chancellor and exiled to Shu, where he died by drinking poison. A man who used commerce to shape the state and culture to govern the world, his life was a legend of the Warring States period.