The He Shi Bi

Name: The He Shi Bi
ISBN: 9787516200339

Wu WeiChina Democracy and Legal System Publishing House · ChinaJan 2026

3.5

Word count: 229K words
Chapters: 16
ISBN: 9787516200339

Report an error Find this book

Summary

The He Shi Bi was the treasure of the state of Chu, handed down from generation to generation. During the reign of King Wei of Chu, it was bestowed upon Zhao Yang, the chancellor who had earned merit in the attack on Wei. One day, while feasting his guests, Zhao Yang brought the jade out for all to see, only for it to vanish under mysterious circumstances. His retainer Zhang Yi was blamed for the loss and forced to flee to Qin, where he unexpectedly rose to become Qin's chancellor, championing the horizontal alliance to make Qin supreme. Fifty years after the jade disappeared, it suddenly reappeared in the state of Zhao, giving rise to the timeless tale of the jade being returned intact to Zhao.

Editor's review

Tracing the circulation and disappearance of the He Shi Bi jade, this book links such historical episodes as the Chu state treasure, Zhang Yi's entry into Qin, and the return of the jade intact to Zhao, weaving its narrative between official histories and legend. The author, Wu Wei, is known for historical writing, and here continues a method of using an object to tell history and events to introduce people, laying out clearly the political struggles and personal fates behind a single jade disc. Readers can see the diplomatic maneuvering among the Warring States, the risks of the retainer system, and how an object came to carry political symbolism beyond itself. Suitable for leisurely reading by those interested in Warring States history and pre-Qin lore, and as supplementary background on the story of returning the jade intact to Zhao. The narrative balances storytelling with historical sources and is also accessible to young history enthusiasts.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Warring States history and pre-Qin lore
Middle school and young readers wanting background on the return of the jade intact to Zhao
Readers who enjoy histories linked through a single object
Teachers and content creators needing historical story material

Not a good fit for

Pre-Qin historians expecting rigorous scholarly verification and primary-source analysis
Readers preferring fictional plots and psychological character portrayal
Young children who find the many ancient names of people and states and dense threads difficult

Reading tips

First read the historical records concerning Zhang Yi and Lin Xiangru, then compare them with this book's narrative to appreciate the difference between source and story.
While reading, sketch a timeline of the He Shi Bi's movements to clarify the connections among Chu, Qin, and Zhao.
Read alongside the relevant biographies in the Records of the Grand Historian, focusing on how the author handles the gaps between legend and official history.
Save the section on returning the jade intact to Zhao until after the earlier chapters, as its causes and consequences are then easier to understand.

About the publisher

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House focuses on professional legal publishing. Its output covers working materials for state organs of power, compilations of laws and regulations, legal popularization readers for the public, law textbooks and documentation on people's congress work, with law, politics and social sciences as common categories. Representative titles in the catalog include the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China, alongside practice- and research-oriented works such as Legislators Explaining the Law: Li Yuan's Reports on Legal Interpretation and On Record Review and Constitutional Review. Its authors include Li Yuan, Qin Qianhong, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and editorial teams. The press emphasizes accuracy in legal texts and the organization of practical people's congress materials, while also serving public legal education.

版权信息
内容简介
引子
第一章有女同行，颜如舜英
第二章南山之下，殷殷其雷
第三章心之忧矣，如匪浣衣
第四章泛彼柏舟，亦泛其流
第五章为此春酒，以介眉寿
第六章夜如何其，夜色未央
第七章日居月诸，胡迭而微
第八章北风其凉，雨雪其雱
第九章岂曰无衣，与子同袍
第十章振振君子，归哉归哉
尾声
附篇风风雨雨和氏璧
后记

FAQ

Is this book a historical novel or a history book?

From the description, it narrates Warring States events through the disappearance and reappearance of the He Shi Bi, covering such episodes as the loss of the jade at Zhaoyang's banquet, Zhang Yi's disgrace and entry into Qin, and the return of the jade intact to Zhao. It is popular history built on historical events, not a strictly academic work nor a fully fictional novel. For the exact genre, consult the preface or table of contents.

Can I understand it without a background in Warring States history?

Yes. The book is organized around a single object, the He Shi Bi, and its main thread is relatively focused, so readers unfamiliar with the overall Warring States situation can follow the events. For smoother reading, first learn briefly the geographical relations of Chu, Qin, and Zhao and the basic identities of Zhang Yi and Lin Xiangru.

What is the relationship between the He Shi Bi in the title and the return of the jade intact to Zhao?

The He Shi Bi was a Chu treasure that, according to the description, mysteriously disappeared at Zhaoyang's banquet and reappeared fifty years later, leading to the story of returning the jade intact to Zhao. The book links the loss and return of the jade, showing how the same treasure produced different political consequences at different stages.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Wu Wei Author · Chinese

Wu Wei is a contemporary Chinese writer. A woman whose ancestral home is Hubei, she graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology and once worked in the IT industry before turning to writing. Fond of literature and history, she describes herself as "making a living among old papers," and her works are largely drawn from ancient Chinese history and celebrated legal cases, spanning documentary literature, biography, historical reading, and social fiction; 33 of her works are held in the collection. She has created series such as "Explorations of Great Cases in Ancient China" and "Great Histories of the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming," with representative works including An Cang Sha Ji, Snow Fills the Bow (Parts 1 and 2), Xuanji Tu, Yuchang Sword, The Ganlu Incident (Parts 1 and 2), and Bao Qingtian. She has also participated in the screenwriting of several television dramas. Her writing emphasizes the organization of historical sources and the development of plot, blending suspense and detective elements into popular historical narrative. Because public information is limited, details of her life remain unclear.