汉纪·汉纪一 Records of the Han Dynasty · Volume 1
起旃蒙协洽，尽柔兆涒滩，凡二年。It covers the period from the year of Zhānméng Xiéqià to the year of Róuzhào Tūn tān, a total of two years.
太祖高皇帝上之上元年（乙未，公元前二零六年）The First Year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (the year of Yǐwèi, 206 BC)
冬，十月，沛公至霸上。秦王子婴素车、白马，系颈以组，封皇帝玺、符、节，降轵道旁。In winter, in the tenth month, Liu Bang (the Duke of Pei) arrived at Bashang. Ziying, the prince of Qin, rode in a plain carriage drawn by white horses, with a rope around his neck. He sealed up the imperial seal, tally, and credentials, and surrendered beside the Zhǐdào Road.
诸将或言诛秦王。沛公曰：“始怀王遣我，固以能宽容。且人已降，杀之不祥。”乃以属吏。Some of the generals suggested executing the Prince of Qin. Liu Bang said, "When King Huai initially sent me, it was precisely because I was capable of being lenient. Moreover, since the man has already surrendered, it would be inauspicious to kill him." So he handed the prince over to the officials.
贾谊论曰：“秦以区区之地致万乘之权，招八州而朝同列，百有馀年，然后以六合为家，殽、函为宫。Jia Yi commented: "Starting from a small territory, Qin acquired the power of a mighty state, subjugated the eight regions and made its peers pay homage to it. After more than a hundred years, it then took the whole world as its home and used the passes of Xiáo and Hán as its palaces.
一夫作难而七庙堕，身死人手，为天下笑者，何也？仁义不施而攻守之势异也。”However, when one man rose in revolt, the ancestral temples of the seven generations of the Qin royal family were destroyed, and the rulers themselves died at the hands of others, becoming the laughingstock of the world. Why was this? It was because they did not practice benevolence and righteousness, and the situation of offense and defense had changed."
沛公西入咸阳，诸将皆争走金帛财物之府分之。When Liu Bang entered Xianyang in the west, all the generals rushed to divide up the treasuries filled with gold, silk, and other valuables.
萧何独先入收秦丞相府图籍藏之，以此沛公得具知天下厄塞、户口多少、强弱之处。Only Xiao He was the first to enter and collect the maps and records in the Chancellor's Office of Qin and store them. Thanks to this, Liu Bang was able to fully understand the strategic passes, the number of households, and the strong and weak points of the whole country.
沛公见秦宫室、帷帐、狗马、重宝、妇女以千数，意欲留居之。When Liu Bang saw the palaces, curtains, dogs, horses, precious treasures, and thousands of women in Qin, he intended to stay and live there.
樊哙谏曰：“沛公欲有天下耶，将为富家翁耶？凡此奢丽之物，皆秦所以亡也，沛公何用焉！愿急还霸上，无留宫中！”沛公不听。Fan Kuai remonstrated, "Does the Duke of Pei want to possess the whole world, or does he want to be a wealthy old man? All these luxurious things are the reasons for the fall of Qin. What use does the Duke of Pei have for them! Wish you would return to Bashang quickly and not stay in the palace!" Liu Bang didn't listen.
张良曰：“秦为无道，故沛公得至此。夫为天下除残贼，宜缟素为资。Zhang Liang said: "Qin was tyrannical, so the Duke of Pei was able to come here. To rid the world of the cruel and evil, one should take simplicity and frugality as the foundation.
今始入秦，即安其乐，此所谓‘助桀为虐’。且忠言逆耳利于行，良药苦口利于病，愿沛公听樊哙言！”Now that you have just entered Qin, if you immediately enjoy its pleasures, this is what is called 'helping a tyrant to do evil'. Moreover, honest advice is hard to hear but beneficial for actions, and bitter medicine is hard to swallow but beneficial for illness. Wish the Duke of Pei would listen to Fan Kuai's words!"
沛公乃还军霸上。So Liu Bang led his troops back to Bashang.
十一月，沛公悉召诸县父老、豪杰，谓曰：In November, Liu Bang summoned all the elders and heroes from the various counties and said:
“父老苦秦苛法久矣！吾与诸侯约，先入关者王之，吾当王关中。"Elders, you have suffered from the harsh laws of Qin for a long time! I have made an agreement with the feudal lords that whoever enters the Pass first will be crowned king, I should be the king of Guanzhong.
与父老约法三章耳：杀人者死，伤人及盗抵罪。I will make only three laws with you elders: those who kill will be put to death, those who injure others or steal will be punished according to the crime.
馀悉除去秦法，诸吏民皆案堵如故。All the other Qin laws will be abolished, and all the officials and common people will remain as they were before.
凡吾所以来，为父老除害，非有所侵暴，无恐。All that I have come here for is to rid the elders of the harm, not to invade or oppress you. There is no need to be afraid.
且吾所以还军霸上，待诸侯至而定约束耳。”Moreover, the reason why I have led my troops back to Bashang is to wait for the feudal lords to arrive and then set the regulations."
乃使人与秦吏行县、乡、邑，告谕之。秦民大喜。争持牛、羊、酒食献飨军士。Then he sent people together with the Qin officials to travel through the counties, townships, and villages to announce and inform them. The people of Qin were very happy. They vied with each other to offer cattle, sheep, wine, and food to the soldiers.
沛公又让不受，曰：“仓粟多，非乏，不欲费民。”民又益喜，唯恐沛公不为秦王。Liu Bang declined again, saying, "There is plenty of grain in the granary, not lacking. I don't want to burden the people." The people were even more pleased, fearing only that Liu Bang would not become the king of Qin.
