Xiang Yu is the chief culprit of "burning books". Have we all misunderstood Qin Shihuang?

Qin Shihuang did burn books, but Xiang Yu was the culprit. Burning books is a terrible cultural catastrophe, but we should pay attention to two points. Burning books is the embodiment of legalist thought. From Shang Yang, the Qin Dynasty emphasized burning books, not just Qin Shihuang. Second, Qin Shihuang did not allow folk books to be collected when he burned books, but the government could still collect books.

But Xiang Yu burned down the palace of Qin Shihuang, and all the libraries in the country were burned down. Therefore, Qin Shihuang is not so much the chief culprit of Xiang Yu's book burning as the eternal sinner of cultural catastrophe.

Burning books and burying Confucianism are two different things. In the thirty-fourth year of Qin Shihuang, Li Sisi appeared in the eyes of many people, which was very unfavorable to the rule. From this, he put forward the suggestion of burning books. People in society can only learn law if they want to learn, and they can't confuse people with other theories.

Reese said that if other theories are not banned, the authority of imperial power will decline, and many people will collude for personal gain, and that will be over. Except books on medical divination and agriculture, other books are not allowed to be collected by the people. Books in which a hundred schools of thought contend are not allowed. Whoever dares to say the Book of Songs will be executed. In the past, genocide was a very severe punishment, so Qin Shihuang adopted Li Si's suggestion, that is, burning books.

Pit Confucianism was caused by Qin Shihuang's cultivation of immortals in his later years. Qin Shihuang in his later years was particularly afraid of death. In order to pursue immortality, he raised a large number of magicians and asked these people to seek medical advice for themselves everywhere in order to pursue immortality. But these people can't find a way to live forever. These people also know that if they don't live in harmony, it will lead to great disaster sooner or later, so these people privately scold Qin Shihuang. Qin Shihuang was very angry when he learned that. He flew into a rage and ordered these people to be severely punished. This is the background of burying Confucianism in the book.