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| 1. | The prime minister Wáng Wǎn 王绾 and some others said, “The states are newly conquered and unless we set up princes in such remote regions as Yān 燕, Qí 齐 and Jīng 荆 (= Chǔ 楚), how are we to control them? We beg your permission to make your sons princes there.” | 丞相绾等言: “诸侯初破，燕、齐、荆地远，不为置王，毋以填之。 请立诸子，唯上幸许。” Chéngxiàng Wǎn děng yán: “Zhūhóu chū pò, Yān、Qí、Jīng dì yuǎn, bù wéi zhì wáng, wú yǐ tián zhī. Qǐng lì zhūzǐ, wéi shàng xìng xǔ.” 丞相綰等言: “諸侯初破，燕、齊、荊地遠，不為置王，毋以填之。 請立諸子，唯上幸許。” |
| 2. | The First Emperor laid this proposal before his ministers. All approved except the chief justice Lǐ Sī 李斯, who said, | 始皇下其议于群臣，群臣皆以为便。 廷尉李斯议曰: Shǐhuáng xià qí yì yú qún chén, qúnchén jiē yǐwéi biàn. Tíng wèi Lǐ Sī yì yuē: 始皇下其議於群臣，群臣皆以為便。 廷尉李斯議曰: |
| 3. | “King Wén 文 and King Wǔ 武 of Zhōu 周 gave fiefs to their sons, younger brothers, and many other members of their clan, but later their descendants fell out and finally set on each other. And when the states fought together, the king of Zhōu was powerless to stop them. | “周文武所封子弟同姓甚众，然后属疏远，相攻击如仇雠，诸侯更相诛伐，周天子弗能禁止。 “Zhōu Wén Wǔ suǒ fēngzi dì tóngxìng shén zhòng, ránhòu shǔ shūyuǎn, xiāng gōngjī rú chóuchóu, zhūhóu gèng xiāng zhūfá, Zhōu tiān zi fú néng jìnzhǐ. “周文武所封子弟同姓甚眾，然後屬疏遠，相攻擊如仇讎，諸侯更相誅伐，周天子弗能禁止。 |
| 4. | Now thanks to Your Majesty’s divine might, all lands within the Four Seas have become your provinces and counties. If you give the princes and men who have served you well public revenues and rich rewards [but not fiefs], they will be easy to control and there will be no dissension throughout the land. This is the way to secure peace, not by setting up princes [with their own domains].” | 今海内赖陛下神灵一统，皆为郡县，诸子功臣以公赋税重赏赐之，甚足易制。 天下无异意，则安宁之术也。 置诸侯不便。” Jīn hǎinèi lài bìxià shénlíng yītǒng, jiē wéi jùn-xiàn, zhūzǐ gōngchén yǐ gōng fùshuì zhòngshǎng cì zhī, shén zú yì zhì. Tiānxià wúyì yì, zé ānníng zhī shù yě. Zhì zhūhóu bùbiàn.” 今海內賴陛下神靈一統，皆為郡縣，諸子功臣以公賦稅重賞賜之，甚足易制。 天下無異意，則安寧之術也。 置諸侯不便。” |
| 5. | The emperor said, “The world has had no respite from warfare because of the states. Now thanks to the divine might of our ancestors, we have pacified all under heaven. Setting up new states would mean establishing armies, and peace and quiet would be hard to secure. The chief justice is right.” |
始皇曰: “天下共苦战斗不休，以有侯王。 赖宗庙，天下初定，又复立国，是树兵也，而求其宁息，岂不难哉！廷尉议是。” Shǐhuáng yuē: “Tiānxià gòng kǔ zhàn dòu bùxiū, yǐ yǒu hóu wáng. Lài zōngmiào, tiānxià chū dìng, yòu fù lìguó, shì shù bīng yě, ér qiú qí níng xī, qǐbù nán zāi! Tíng wèi yì shì.” 始皇曰: “天下共苦戰鬬不休，以有侯王。 賴宗廟，天下初定，又復立國，是樹兵也，而求其寧息，豈不難哉！廷尉議是。” |
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