第15部分(第4/7 页)

　it　to　two　Chu　kings；　but　he　was　sentenced　to　amputation　of　both　feet　because　the　stone　was　thought　as　fake。　When　a　new　king　took　the　throne；　Bian　He　tried　once　more；　and　this　time　the　stone　was　recognized　as　the　purest　kind　of　jade。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Li　Si　（BC　280…208）　was　the　statesman　who　was　responsible　for　most　of　the　radical　political　and　cutural　innovations　made　in　Qin　after　BC　221。　。。。。。

Cheng　Pu　said；　〃This　seal　has　a　history。　In　olden　days　Bian　He*　saw　a　phoenix　sitting　on　a　certain　stone　at　the　foot　of　the　Jing　Mountains。　He　offered　the　stone　at　court。　The　King　of　Chu　split　open　the　stone　and　found　a　piece　of　jade。　In　the　twenty…sixth　year　of　Qin　Dynasty　（BC　221）；　a　jade　cutter　made　a　seal　from　it；　and　Li　Si*；　the　First　Emperor's　Prime　Minister；　engraved　the　characters。　Two　years　later；　while　the　First　Emperor　was　sailing　in　Dongting　Lake；　a　terrific　storm　arrived。　The　Emperor　threw　the　seal　to　the　water　as　a　propitiatory　offering；　and　the　storm　immediately　ceased。　Ten　years　later　again；　when　the　First　Emperor　was　making　a　progress　and　had　reached　Huaying；　an　old　man　by　the　road　side　handed　a　seal　to　one　of　the　attendants　saying；　'This　is　now　restored　to　the　ancestral　dragon！'　and　had　then　disappeared。　Thus　the　jewel　returned　to　Qin。

〃The　next　year　the　First　Emperor　died。　Later　Zi　Ying；　the　last　Emperor　of　Qin　and　grandson　of　the　First　Emperor；　presented　the　seal　to　Liu　Bang　the　Supreme　Ancestor；　the　founder　of　Han　Dynasty。　Two　hundred　years　later；　in　Wang　Mang's　rebellion；　the　Emperor's　mother；　Lady　Yuan；　struck　two　of　the　rebels；　Wang　Xun　and　Su　Xian；　with　the　seal　and　broke　off　a　corner；　which　was　repaired　with　gold。　Liu　Xiu　the　Latter　Han　Founder　got　possession　of　it　at　Yiyang；　and　it　has　been　regularly　bequeathed　hereafter。

＇e＇　The　Ya