1
蒙恬者，其先齊人也。 恬大父蒙驁，自齊事秦昭王，官至上卿。 秦莊襄王元年，蒙驁為秦將，伐韓，取成皋、滎陽，作置三川郡。 二年，蒙驁攻趙，取三十七城。 始皇三年，蒙驁攻韓，取十三城。 五年，蒙驁攻魏，取二十城，作置東郡。 始皇七年，蒙驁卒。 驁子曰武，武子曰恬。 恬嘗書獄典文學。 始皇二十三年，蒙武為秦裨將軍，與王翦攻楚，大破之，殺項燕。 二十四年，蒙武攻楚，虜楚王。 蒙恬弟毅。
Meng Tian's ancestors were originally from the state of Qi. Tian's grandfather Meng Ao left Qi to serve King Zhao of Qin and rose to the rank of High Minister. In the first year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Meng Ao served as a Qin general, attacked the state of Han, seized Chenggao and Yingyang, and established Sanchuan Commandery. In the second year, Meng Ao attacked the state of Zhao and captured thirty-seven cities. In the third year of the First Emperor's reign, Meng Ao attacked Han and captured thirteen cities. In the fifth year, Meng Ao attacked the state of Wei, captured twenty cities, and established Dong Commandery. In the seventh year of the First Emperor's reign, Meng Ao died. Ao's son was named Wu, and Wu's son was named Tian. Tian studied the penal codes and the classics in his youth. In the twenty-third year of the First Emperor's reign, Meng Wu served as a deputy general of Qin and joined Wang Jian in an attack on the state of Chu, inflicting a devastating defeat and killing the Chu general Xiang Yan. In the twenty-fourth year, Meng Wu attacked Chu again and captured the King of Chu. Meng Tian had a younger brother named Yi.
2
始皇二十六年，蒙恬因家世得為秦將，攻齊，大破之，拜為內史。 秦已并天下，乃使蒙恬將三十萬眾北逐戎狄，收河南。 筑長城，因地形，用制險塞，起臨洮，至遼東，延袤萬餘里。 於是渡河，據陽山，逶蛇而北。 暴師於外十餘年，居上郡。 是時蒙恬威振匈奴。 始皇甚尊寵蒙氏，信任賢之。 而親近蒙毅，位至上卿，出則參乘，入則御前。 恬任外事而毅常為內謀，名為忠信，故雖諸將相莫敢與之爭焉。
In the twenty-sixth year of the First Emperor's reign, Meng Tian secured a generalship in Qin on the strength of his family's reputation, led the campaign against the state of Qi, crushed its forces, and was appointed Interior Minister. After Qin had unified the realm, the Emperor dispatched Meng Tian at the head of three hundred thousand troops to drive the northern barbarians from the frontier and reclaim the lands south of the Yellow River. He built the Great Wall, following the contours of the terrain and exploiting natural barriers and strategic passes. The wall stretched from Lintao in the west to Liaodong in the east, spanning more than ten thousand li. He then crossed the Yellow River, occupied the Yang Mountains, and pushed northward in a winding course. He kept his army encamped on the frontier for more than ten years, with his headquarters in Shang Commandery. At that time, Meng Tian's reputation struck terror into the Xiongnu. The First Emperor held the Meng clan in the highest esteem, trusting them implicitly and valuing their counsel. He was particularly close to Meng Yi, who rose to the rank of High Minister. When the Emperor traveled abroad, Yi rode beside him in the imperial chariot; at court, he attended at the Emperor's side. Tian oversaw military affairs abroad while Yi served as the Emperor's confidential adviser at court. The brothers were renowned for their loyalty, and not a single general or minister dared challenge their position.
3
趙高者，諸趙疏遠屬也。 趙高昆弟數人，皆生隱宮，其母被刑僇，世世卑賤。 秦王聞高彊力，通於獄法，舉以為中車府令。 高既私事公子胡亥，喻之決獄。 高有大罪，秦王令蒙毅法治之。 毅不敢阿法，當高罪死，除其宦籍。 帝以高之敦於事也，赦之，復其官爵。
Zhao Gao was a distant kinsman of the Zhao royal house. Zhao Gao and his several brothers were all born in obscurity. Their mother had been condemned as a criminal, and the family had been of the lowest standing for generations. When the King of Qin learned of Gao's physical prowess and his mastery of the legal codes, he appointed him Commander of the Central Chariot Bureau. Gao had privately attached himself to Prince Hu Hai and tutored him in the adjudication of legal cases. When Gao committed a serious offense, the King of Qin ordered Meng Yi to try him according to the law. Yi refused to bend the law. He sentenced Gao to death and had his name struck from the palace register. But the Emperor, appreciating Gao's diligence in his duties, pardoned him and restored his rank and office.
4
始皇欲游天下，道九原，直抵甘泉，乃使蒙恬通道，自九原抵甘泉，塹山堙谷，千八百里。 道未就。
The First Emperor wished to tour his realm by way of Jiuyuan, proceeding directly to the Ganquan Palace. He therefore ordered Meng Tian to build a highway from Jiuyuan to Ganquan, cutting through mountains and filling in valleys over a distance of eighteen hundred li. The road was never finished.
5
始皇三十七年冬，行出游會稽，并海上，北走瑯邪。 道病，使蒙毅還禱山川，未反。
In the winter of the thirty-seventh year of his reign, the First Emperor set out on a tour to Kuaiji, traveled northward along the coast, and made for Langye. Along the way the Emperor fell ill and dispatched Meng Yi to offer prayers at the sacred mountains and rivers. Yi had not yet returned.
6
始皇至沙丘崩，祕之，群臣莫知。 是時丞相李斯、公子胡亥、中車府令趙高常從。 高雅得幸於胡亥，欲立之，又怨蒙毅法治之而不為己也。 因有賊心，乃與丞相李斯、公子胡亥陰謀，立胡亥為太子。 太子已立，遣使者以罪賜公子扶蘇、蒙恬死。 扶蘇已死，蒙恬疑而復請之。 使者以蒙恬屬吏，更置。 胡亥以李斯舍人為護軍。 使者還報，胡亥已聞扶蘇死，即欲釋蒙恬。 趙高恐蒙氏復貴而用事，怨之。
When the First Emperor reached Shaqiu, he died. His death was kept secret, and none of the ministers were informed. At the time, only Chancellor Li Si, Prince Hu Hai, and Zhao Gao, the Commander of the Central Chariot Bureau, were in constant attendance. Zhao Gao had long enjoyed the favor of Hu Hai and wished to place him on the throne. He also harbored a grudge against Meng Yi, who had once prosecuted him strictly by the law without any regard for personal considerations. Driven by these treacherous ambitions, he conspired with Chancellor Li Si and Prince Hu Hai to install Hu Hai as the heir apparent. Once the succession was settled, they sent an envoy bearing a forged decree that charged Prince Fusu and Meng Tian with crimes and commanded them to take their own lives. Fusu obeyed and took his own life, but Meng Tian grew suspicious and appealed for a review of the decree. The envoy handed Meng Tian over to the local officials and replaced him with a new commander. Hu Hai appointed a retainer of Li Si's as Protector General to take command of the army. When the envoy returned with his report, Hu Hai, having learned of Fusu's death, was inclined to release Meng Tian. But Zhao Gao feared that the Meng clan would regain its former power and influence, and he bore them a deep enmity.
7
毅還至，趙高因為胡亥忠計，欲以滅蒙氏，乃言曰：「臣聞先帝欲舉賢立太子久矣，而毅諫曰『不可』。 若知賢而俞弗立，則是不忠而惑主也。 以臣愚意，不若誅之。」 胡亥聽而系蒙毅於代。 前已囚蒙恬於陽周。 喪至咸陽，已葬，太子立為二世皇帝，而趙高親近，日夜毀惡蒙氏，求其罪過，舉劾之。
When Meng Yi returned from his mission, Zhao Gao, under the pretense of offering loyal counsel to Hu Hai while seeking to destroy the Meng clan, addressed the new Emperor: "Your servant has heard that the late Emperor long wished to choose a worthy heir and install a Crown Prince, but Yi remonstrated against it, saying, 'It must not be done.'" If he recognized who was worthy yet repeatedly blocked his installation, then he was disloyal and sought to mislead the sovereign. In your servant's humble opinion, it would be best to execute him." Hu Hai heeded Zhao Gao's counsel and had Meng Yi imprisoned at Dai. Meng Tian had already been imprisoned at Yangzhou. When the funeral cortege reached Xianyang and the burial was complete, the Crown Prince was installed as the Second Emperor. Zhao Gao insinuated himself ever closer to the throne, slandering the Meng clan day and night, dredging up any pretext for charges, and filing formal impeachments against them.
8
子嬰進諫曰：「臣聞故趙王遷殺其良臣李牧而用顏聚，燕王喜陰用荊軻之謀而倍秦之約，齊王建殺其故世忠臣而用后勝之議。 此三君者，皆各以變古者失其國而殃及其身。 今蒙氏，秦之大臣謀士也，而主欲一旦棄去之，臣竊以為不可。 臣聞輕慮者不可以治國，獨智者不可以存君。 誅殺忠臣而立無節行之人，是內使群臣不相信而外使鬬士之意離也，臣竊以為不可。」
Ziying came forward to remonstrate: "Your servant has heard that King Qian of Zhao executed his able minister Li Mu and relied instead on the mediocre Yan Ju; that King Xi of Yan secretly adopted Jing Ke's assassination plot and thereby violated his treaty with Qin; and that King Jian of Qi executed his loyal ministers of many generations and followed the counsel of the treacherous Hou Sheng. Each of these three rulers abandoned the proven ways of the past, and in doing so lost his state and brought ruin upon himself. The Meng clan are among the greatest ministers and strategists Qin has ever known. Yet now the sovereign wishes to cast them aside overnight. Your servant humbly submits that this must not be done. Your servant has heard it said that those who deliberate carelessly cannot govern a state, and those who rely on their own judgment alone cannot safeguard their sovereign. To execute loyal ministers and elevate men without integrity would sow distrust among the officials at court and disillusion the soldiers in the field. Your servant humbly submits that this must not be done."
9
胡亥不聽。 而遣御史曲宮乘傳之代，令蒙毅曰：「先主欲立太子而卿難之。 今丞相以卿為不忠，罪及其宗。 朕不忍，乃賜卿死，亦甚幸矣。 卿其圖之！」 毅對曰：「以臣不能得先主之意，則臣少宦，順幸沒世。 可謂知意矣。 以臣不知太子之能，則太子獨從，周旋天下，去諸公子絕遠，臣無所疑矣。 夫先主之舉用太子，數年之積也，臣乃何言之敢諫，何慮之敢謀！ 非敢飾辭以避死也，為羞累先主之名，願大夫為慮焉，使臣得死情實。 且夫順成全者，道之所貴也； 刑殺者，道之所卒也。 昔者秦穆公殺三良而死，罪百里奚而非其罪也，故立號曰『繆』。 昭襄王殺武安君白起。 楚平王殺伍奢。 吳王夫差殺伍子胥。 此四君者，皆為大失，而天下非之，以其君為不明，以是籍於諸侯。 故曰『用道治者不殺無罪，而罰不加於無辜』。 唯大夫留心！」 使者知胡亥之意，不聽蒙毅之言，遂殺之。
But Hu Hai would not listen. Instead, he dispatched the Imperial Secretary Qu Gong by relay post to Dai with a message for Meng Yi: "The late sovereign wished to install a Crown Prince, but you opposed it. The Chancellor has found you guilty of disloyalty, and the punishment extends to your entire clan. I cannot bear to see your whole clan punished, so I grant you death alone, which is already a great mercy. Consider this well!" Meng Yi replied: "If you claim that your servant failed to discern the late sovereign's intentions, consider that I entered the imperial service as a young man and was honored to serve faithfully throughout his entire reign. Surely this shows that I understood his will. If you claim your servant failed to recognize the Crown Prince's abilities, consider that the Crown Prince alone accompanied the late sovereign on his tours throughout the realm and stood far above all the other princes. Your servant had no cause for doubt. The late sovereign's choice of heir was the fruit of years of deliberation. What words would your servant have dared speak in remonstrance? What counsel would he have presumed to offer? I do not embellish my words to escape death, for I would be ashamed to tarnish the late sovereign's name. I only ask that you, sir, consider the matter carefully, so that your servant may die with the truth made clear. To nurture and bring all things to completion is what the Way holds most precious. Punishment and killing are where the Way reaches its end. Long ago, Duke Mu of Qin had three worthy ministers buried alive to accompany him in death and unjustly accused Baili Xi of offenses not his own. For these acts he received the posthumous epithet 'Mu,' signifying a flawed reign. King Zhaoxiang put to death his own general, Bai Qi, the Lord of Wu'an. King Ping of Chu executed Wu She. King Fuchai of Wu forced Wu Zixu to take his own life. Each of these four rulers committed a grave error, and the world condemned them for it. They were regarded as unenlightened sovereigns, and their infamy spread among all the feudal lords. Therefore it is said: 'He who governs by the Way does not execute the guiltless, nor does he punish the innocent.' I beg you, sir, to take these words to heart!" But the envoy already knew Hu Hai's true intentions. He refused to heed Meng Yi's words and put him to death.
10
二世又遣使者之陽周，令蒙恬曰：「君之過多矣，而卿弟毅有大罪，法及內史。」 恬曰：「自吾先人，及至子孫，積功信於秦三世矣。 今臣將兵三十餘萬，身雖囚系，其勢足以倍畔，然自知必死而守義者，不敢辱先人之教，以不忘先主也。 昔周成王初立，未離襁緥周公旦負王以朝，卒定天下。 及成王有病甚殆，公旦自揃其爪以沈於河，曰：『王未有識，是旦執事。 有罪殃，旦受其不祥。』 乃書而藏之記府，可謂信矣。 及王能治國，有賊臣言：『周公旦欲為亂久矣，王若不備，必有大事。』 王乃大怒，周公旦走而奔於楚。 成王觀於記府，得周公旦沈書，乃流涕曰：『孰謂周公旦欲為亂乎！』 殺言之者而反周公旦。 故《周書》曰『必參而伍之』。 今恬之宗，世無二心，而事卒如此，是必孽臣逆亂，內陵之道也。 夫成王失而復振則卒昌； 桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干而不悔，身死則國亡。 臣故曰過可振而諫可覺也。 察於參伍，上聖之法也。 凡臣之言，非以求免於咎也，將以諫而死，願陛下為萬民思從道也。」 使者曰：「臣受詔行法於將軍，不敢以將軍言聞於上也。」 蒙恬喟然太息曰：「我何罪於天，無過而死乎？」 良久，徐曰：「恬罪固當死矣。 起臨洮屬之遼東，城塹萬餘里，此其中不能無絕地脈哉？ 此乃恬之罪也。」 乃吞藥自殺。
The Second Emperor then dispatched another envoy to Yangzhou with a message for Meng Tian: "Your offenses have been many, and your younger brother Yi stands guilty of grave crimes. By law, the sentence extends to you as well." Meng Tian replied: "From my grandfather's generation down to my own, our family has served Qin faithfully for three generations, building a record of merit and trust. I now command more than three hundred thousand soldiers. Though I am imprisoned, my forces are more than sufficient to rebel. Yet I know I must die, and I choose to hold fast to righteousness. I would not dare disgrace the teachings of my forefathers, nor forget the trust the late sovereign placed in me. Long ago, when King Cheng of Zhou first came to the throne, he was still an infant in swaddling clothes. The Duke of Zhou carried the young king in his arms to hold court and ultimately brought peace to the realm. When King Cheng fell gravely ill, the Duke of Zhou cut his own fingernails and sank them in the river as an offering to the spirits, praying: 'The King is still too young to know right from wrong. It is I, Dan, who have governed in his stead. If there be any guilt or divine displeasure, let it fall upon Dan alone.' He wrote down these words and stored them in the royal archives. This may truly be called devotion. When the King came of age and assumed power, a treacherous minister whispered: 'The Duke of Zhou has long plotted rebellion. If Your Majesty does not act, disaster will surely follow.' The King flew into a rage, and the Duke of Zhou was forced to flee to the state of Chu. But when King Cheng later examined the royal archives and discovered the Duke of Zhou's prayer, he wept and said: 'Who dared claim that the Duke of Zhou wished to rebel!' He had the slanderer executed and summoned the Duke of Zhou home. Thus the Documents of Zhou teaches: 'One must cross-examine and verify before passing judgment.' Now my clan has served with undivided loyalty for generations, yet matters have come to this pass. This can only be the work of treacherous ministers sowing rebellion and undermining the throne from within. King Cheng erred but corrected his course, and his dynasty ultimately flourished. The tyrant Jie killed the loyal Guan Longfeng, and the tyrant Zhou killed Prince Bigan without remorse. Both perished, and their kingdoms fell with them. This is why your servant says that errors can still be corrected, and honest counsel can still awaken a ruler to the truth. To investigate through cross-examination and verification is the method of the wisest sages. Everything your servant has said is not to escape punishment. I am prepared to speak the truth and die for it. I only wish that Your Majesty, for the sake of all the people under heaven, would follow the Way." The envoy replied: "I have received an imperial decree to carry out the sentence upon the General. I dare not relay the General's words to the throne." Meng Tian heaved a deep sigh and said: "What crime have I committed against Heaven, that I should die without fault?" After a long silence, he spoke slowly: "There is, in truth, a crime for which Tian deserves to die. I built walls and dug trenches stretching from Lintao to Liaodong, more than ten thousand li. Over such a vast distance, how could I have avoided severing the veins of the earth? That is Tian's true crime." He swallowed poison and took his own life.
11
太史公曰：吾適北邊，自直道歸，行觀蒙恬所為秦筑長城亭障，塹山堙谷，通直道，固輕百姓力矣。 夫秦之初滅諸侯，天下之心未定，痍傷者未瘳，而恬為名將，不以此時彊諫，振百姓之急，養老存孤，務修眾庶之和，而阿意興功，此其兄弟遇誅，不亦宜乎！ 何乃罪地脈哉？
The Grand Historian remarks: I once traveled to the northern frontier and returned by the Straight Road. Along the way I observed the Great Wall, with its watchtowers and fortifications, that Meng Tian had built for Qin — the mountains he carved through, the valleys he filled in, the highway he drove across the land. He was prodigal indeed with the labor of the common people. When Qin first conquered the feudal lords, the hearts of the people were not yet at ease, and the wounds of war had not yet healed. Meng Tian was a renowned general, yet he did not use his position to remonstrate forcefully with the Emperor, to relieve the people's suffering, to care for the aged, or to shelter the orphaned. He did not strive to restore harmony among the common people. Instead, he catered to the Emperor's ambitions and pursued grand construction projects. That both brothers met their deaths by execution — was this not fitting! Why blame it on severing the veins of the earth?