One word was worth a thousand taels of gold

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

   One word was worth a thousand taels of gold

   At the end of the Warring States Period (453BC to 221BC) Lu Bu Wei, 
a very rich business tycoon , helped Ying Zheng to become the King of 
Qin (present day Feng Xiang county in Shaanxi province). Since the King 
was only a young boy of thirteen years old Lu Bu Wei was appointed by 
the Qin Court as the Regent cum Prime Minister. He was also the godfather
of the young King. (Years later Lu was forced out of office by the young
King who proclaimed himself the First Emperor of Qin and built the Great
Wall of China. Lu committed suicide by taking poison).
 
   While Lu Bu Wei was the Prime Minister he established his own private
court. He employed more than three thousand people as his think tank. 
They helped him by fair means or foul to stay in power. They were the
experts of all professions. Among them were the specialists in politics,
current affairs, history, financial, story and fable story writers. 
Their livelihoods depended on Lu Bu Wei.

   Putting their brains together they compiled a book of more than two 
hundred thousand words. The book was called,

  "Lu Shi Chun Qiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr Lu)"

This book was the sum total of all human knowledge at that time. He used 
this book as his guide to conquer other States and unite this vast land 
into one big empire. He also wanted every citizen in Qin to read this book. 
So he hang up the pages of this book on the walls in the capital. He 
proclaimed that if anyone could erase or change a word in the book he 
promised that he would reward that person with a thousand taels of gold 
for each word he erased or changed.
 
    It was a perfect book. Not a single word was required to be changed 
or deleted.

"Yi Zi3 Qian Jin".
Qin2 Shi3 (History of Qin2)

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.    chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au