Regarding the memorial submitted by the Han envoy [Han Fei], which argues that the State of Han ought not to be conquered, and ordered me, Li Si, to deliberate on it. I, Li Si, firmly hold the opposite view.
Han’s presence beside Qin is like a fatal illness lurking in one’s heart and vitals. Even in peaceful times it brings lingering unease, like dwelling in damp marshland where affliction clings and cannot be removed; once one hurries and strains, the sickness will break out at once.
Though Han has submitted as a vassal to Qin, it has never ceased being a hidden malady to Qin. Should sudden emergency arise, Han can never be trusted.
Qin is now in confrontation with Zhao. The envoy Jing Su has been sent to Qi, yet the outcome remains unknown. In my judgment, the alliance between Qi and Zhao will hardly be broken by Jing Su. If their bond remains intact, Zhao will mobilize its full strength to align with these two major powerful states against Qin.
Han does not yield to Qin out of righteousness, but only out of fear of Qin’s military strength. If Qin concentrates all its forces against Qi and Zhao, Han’s hidden peril in Qin’s heart will surely erupt.
Once Han conspires secretly with Chu, and the other feudal lords respond to their plot, Qin will inevitably face the same peril at the Xiao Pass as in former times.
Note
The background of this passage is as follows: Han Fei, as a prince of the state of Han, was sent as an envoy to the state of Qin and submitted a memorial to King Ying Zheng of Qin, suggesting that Qin should attack Zhao first and temporarily preserve Han (i.e., “preserve Han”). The King of Qin showed Han Fei’s letter to Li Si, who immediately wrote this refutation.
Li Si’s core argument is very clear: Han is a grave threat to Qin’s heartland and cannot be left alone.
Li Si
Chief minister of the Qin Dynasty, a representative of Legalism. He advocated eliminating rival states one by one, regarded Han as a permanent hidden threat, and urged the Qin ruler not to indulge Han’s superficial submission.
Li Si a fellow student of Han Fei. While Han Fei was a theorist, Li Si was a ruthless pragmatist. He argued that for Qin to unify China, it must be ruthless and eliminate threats immediately. He is the one who eventually persuaded the King to imprison Han Fei. In 233 BC, Han Fei was forced to commit suicide by poison sent by Li Si’s agents in the prison of the Qin state.
Han Envoy
It refers to Han Wei, diplomatic official from the State of Han, who pleaded that Qin should not launch an attack on Han, trying to maintain Han’s survival as a vassal state.
He is the author of the book Han Feizi and the greatest theorist of Legalism.
Jing Su
During the standoff between Qin and Zhao, the King of Qin sent Jing Su as an envoy to the state of Qi, attempting to persuade Qi to break off diplomatic relations with Zhao in order to undermine the alliance of the six states.
Interstate Diplomatic Game
Envoys were frequently dispatched to adjust alliances; the breakup or maintenance of Qi–Zhao alliance directly affected Qin’s overall strategic security.
Vassal Submission
In the Warring States period, weak states often formally submitted to powerful ones as nominal vassals, while secretly retaining independent strategies and joining anti-Qin alliances.
Heart-and-Vitality Metaphor
A classic Chinese political metaphor: a neighboring weak state that appears docile but hides ulterior motives is likened to an internal chronic illness, dangerous once external conflict breaks out.
A lingering illness in the heart and vitals
It has become a classic political idiom, describing a hidden, close-by threat that seems harmless in peacetime but will break out and bring disaster once crisis comes.
Xiao Pass Peril
This refers to the Battle of Xiao (627 BC). Centuries before this text was written, the State of Qin tried to attack a distant state but was ambushed and annihilated by the State of Jin (which later split into Han, Zhao, and Wei) at the Xiao Pass. Li Si uses this historical trauma to warn the King: “Don’t trust Han; they are the descendants of those who destroyed our army before.”
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