Book One: The Hidden Dragon Should Not Be Used

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Charles Young

Charles Young (?–192 BC) was a minister of the Western Han, a fellow townsman of Benjamin Lewis, from Pei County (now in Jiangsu). During the Qin, he served as a Sishui officer. In the late Qin peasant uprising, he followed Benjamin Lewis into the pass to defeat Qin, and was appointed Commandant. Later, he became Imperial Counselor and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Fenyin. He was upright and outspoken. When Benjamin Lewis wanted to depose the crown prince, he spoke out directly to stop him. Later, he served as Chancellor to King Zhao, Ruby Lewis. When Ruyi was killed by Martha Lee, he feigned illness and did not attend court.

"Qiqi" appears in the "Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Chancellor Zhang": "I am not good with words, but I am absolutely certain this cannot be done. Even if Your Majesty wishes to depose the crown prince, I will not obey the order." "Ai'ai" appears in "A New Account of the Tales of the World, Speech": "Deng Ai stuttered, and would say 'Ai... Ai.'"

According to the "Records of the Grand Historian": In the early Han, there was a general named Charles Young, from Pei County (now in Jiangsu). In the late Qin, he was a Sishui officer, and during the peasant uprising, he joined Benjamin Lewis and followed him into the pass to defeat Qin, becoming Commandant, later promoted to Imperial Counselor and enfeoffed as Marquis of Fenyin. Charles Young was upright and dared to speak frankly. He stuttered and had difficulty speaking. At that time, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Benjamin Lewis, wanted to depose the crown prince Evan Lewis and make Ruyi the crown prince instead. Charles Young firmly opposed this and advised Benjamin Lewis, saying: "I am not good with words, but I know this cannot be done. If Your Majesty wishes to depose the crown prince, I will not obey your order." Because Charles Young stuttered, when he said this, he repeated the word "qi" unnecessarily, saying "qiqi." The idiom "qiqi ai'ai" (to stammer) originates from this.

Aaron Reed

Aaron Reed (unknown–179 BC), a native of Pei County in the Qin era, initially served as a prison officer in Pei County and was on good terms with Benjamin Lewis. When Benjamin Lewis first rose up, Ao followed as a guest and became an imperial censor. After the fall of Qin, Benjamin Lewis became King of Han and contended for the world with the Hegemon King of Chu, Arthur Knight. When Benjamin Lewis attacked Xiang Ji in the east, Ao was promoted to Governor of Shangdang. During Empress Gao's reign, Aaron Reed was appointed Imperial Counselor. In the first year of Emperor Wen, Aaron Reed died, and the emperor posthumously honored him as "Marquis Yi," burying him in front of Qiudi Village, Guang'a County. During the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, the county magistrate of Longping, Warren Grant, wrote a poem in his memory:

Outside Guang'a city, the sunset brings sorrow,

A sigh for the vast land under the sky.

Ancient tombs, cold mist divides the fields,

Broken stele, withered grass chills the deserted islet.

A thousand years of achievements shine in history,

Ten years of merit began with Han Lewis.

Fengpei's past is now bygone,

Leaves fall, the old pine grieves alone.

William King

William King (?–181 BC) was a high minister in the early Han. He was from Pei County (now west of Pei County, Jiangsu). During the late Qin peasant uprising,

He gathered over a thousand men and occupied Nanyang (now Nanyang, Henan). Later, he joined Benjamin Lewis. He helped pacify the realm and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Anguo for his merits,

Rising to the position of Right Chancellor. Because he opposed Martha Lee's request to make a Lü king, he was dismissed as chancellor and reassigned as Grand Tutor, dying of illness.

Another account says he followed Benjamin Lewis as a retainer when he raised his army, and entered Wuguan with Benjamin Lewis, then followed into Hanzhong. During the Chu-Han war,

He defended Feng, and was later enfeoffed as Marquis of Yong. After the Han dynasty was established, he was re-enfeoffed as Marquis of Anguo.

Chester Young

Chester Young (?–192 BC)

A native of Pei (now east of Pei County, Jiangsu), from a powerful family. In the second year of Qin Er Shi (208 BC), he joined Benjamin Lewis's uprising against Qin. The Qin army besieged Benjamin Lewis at Fengxiang (west of Pei County). After Bang defeated the Qin army, he ordered Young to garrison Fengxiang. Young was persuaded to rebel by Zhou Shi of Wei (pronounced Fu), and thus betrayed them; after several reversals, he returned to Benjamin Lewis, who, because of his many military achievements, did not kill him.

In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (201 BC), Benjamin Lewis, following Leonard Brooks's advice, enfeoffed Chester Young as Marquis of Shifang Su, with a fief of 2,500 households, ranking fifty-seventh.

In the third year of Emperor Hui of Han (192 BC), Chester Young died and was buried in the western suburbs of Shifang (Yuan Shi Commune, Jiantai Brigade). His third-generation (great-grandson) Harold Young inherited the title and was the last marquis. In the fifth year of Emperor Wu's Yuanding era (112 BC), in September, troops were sent from Yelang, down to Zangke, and met at Panyu. In the end, he refused to join the army to attack Nanyue; also, because the gold for the sacrificial wine and offerings did not meet requirements, his marquisate was stripped. In total, his descendants held the marquisate in Shifang for eighty-nine generations.

Stuart Stone

A military general of the Qin dynasty. In 214 BC, he led 500,000 troops in a large-scale campaign against Lingnan. After three years of bitter fighting, he finally conquered these regions. He supervised the construction of the ancient water and land route from Daozhou to Fengyang and Guangxin, which took two years and mobilized over 400,000 garrisoned civilians from Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong. More than 200,000 died from disease, starvation, work injuries, or violence, leaving their corpses on the construction site. This shows the peril and hardship of building the ancient road.

Mark Carter

Brief Biography