初，中丞相赵高欲专秦权，恐群臣不听，乃先设验，持鹿献于二世曰：“马也。”At the beginning, Zhao Gao, the Chief Minister of the Central Government, desired to monopolize the power of Qin. Fearing that the ministers would not obey him, he first set up a test. He held a deer and presented it to the Second Emperor, saying, "This is a horse."
二世笑曰：“丞相误邪，谓鹿为马！”The Second Emperor laughed and said, "Is the Chief Minister mistaken? He calls a deer a horse!"
问左右，左右或默，或言马以阿顺赵高，或言鹿者。He then asked those around him. Some of them remained silent, some said it was a horse to flatter Zhao Gao, and some said it was a deer.
高因阴中诸言鹿者以法。后群臣皆畏高，莫敢言其过。Zhao Gao secretly punished those who said it was a deer according to the law. After that, all the ministers were afraid of Zhao Gao and none dared to speak of his faults.
高前数言“关东盗无能为也”，及项羽虏王离等，而章邯等军数败，上书请益助。Zhao Gao had previously said many times that "the bandits in Guandong are incapable of doing anything." But when Xiang Yu captured Wang Li and others, and Zhang Han's army suffered several defeats, Zhang Han sent a memorial asking for more reinforcements.
自关以东，大抵尽畔秦吏，应诸侯，诸侯咸率其众西乡。East of Hangu Pass, almost all the people had rebelled against the Qin officials and responded to the feudal lords. The feudal lords all led their troops westward.
八月，沛公将数万人攻武关，屠之。In August, Liu Bang, the Duke of Pei, led tens of thousands of troops to attack Wuguan and massacred the defenders there.
高恐二世怒，诛及其身，乃谢病，不朝见。Zhao Gao was afraid that the Second Emperor would be angry and execute him, so he pleaded illness and did not attend court audiences.
二世梦白虎啮其左骖马，杀之，心不乐，怪问占梦。The Second Emperor dreamed of a white tiger biting and killing his left horse, which left him upset and puzzled. He then inquired about the dream from a fortune-teller.
卜曰：“泾水为祟。”The divination said, "The Jing River is causing trouble."
二世乃斋于望夷宫，欲祠泾水，沈四白马。使使责让高以盗贼事。The Second Emperor then fasted in Wangyi Palace, intending to offer sacrifices to the Jing River and sink four white horses into it. He also sent an envoy to reprimand Zhao Gao about the matter of the thieves.
高惧，乃阴与其婿咸阳令阎乐及弟赵成谋曰：Zhao Gao was afraid. So he secretly plotted with his son-in-law Yan Le, the Magistrate of Xianyang, and his younger brother Zhao Cheng, saying:
“上不听谏。今事急，欲归祸于吾。吾欲易置上，更立子婴。子婴仁俭，百姓皆载其言。”"The Emperor does not listen to remonstrance. Now the situation is urgent and he wants to shift the blame onto me. I want to replace the Emperor and make Ziying the new emperor. Ziying is benevolent and thrifty, and the people all praise his words."
乃使郎中令为内应，诈为有大贼，令乐召吏发兵追，劫乐母置高舍。He then made the Chief of the Imperial Guards an inside accomplice. Pretending that there was a big bandit, he ordered Yan Le to summon the officials to dispatch troops to pursue the bandit and kidnapped Yan Le's mother and placed her in his own house.
遣乐将吏卒千馀人至望夷宫殿门，缚卫令仆射，曰：“贼入此，何不止？”He sent Yan Le to lead more than a thousand soldiers and officials to the gate of Wangyi Palace. They bound the Captain of the Palace Guards and said, "The bandits have entered here. Why didn't you stop them?"
卫令曰：“周庐设卒甚谨，安得贼敢入宫！”The Captain of the Palace Guards said, "The guards are stationed very carefully in the surrounding barracks. How could there be bandits daring to enter the palace?"
乐遂斩卫令，直将吏入，行射郎、宦者。郎、宦者大惊，或走，或格。Yan Le then beheaded the Captain of the Palace Guards and directly led the soldiers and officials in, shooting at the imperial attendants and eunuchs. The imperial attendants and eunuchs were greatly shocked. Some ran away, some resisted.
格者辄死，死者数十人。郎中令与乐俱入，射上幄坐帏。Those who resisted were immediately killed. Dozens of people died. The Chief of the Imperial Guards and Yan Le both entered and shot at the imperial canopy where the Emperor was sitting.
二世怒，召左右，左右皆惶扰不斗。旁有宦者一人侍，不敢去。The Second Emperor was angry and summoned those around him. But those around him were all in a panic and did not fight. There was an eunuch standing beside him, not daring to leave.
二世入内，谓曰：“公何不早告我，乃至于此！”The Second Emperor entered the inner chamber and said to him, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? It has come to this!"
宦者曰：“臣不敢言，故得全。使臣早言，皆已诛，安得至今！”The eunuch said, "I didn't dare to speak, so I could survive. If I had spoken earlier, I would have been executed long ago. How could I have survived until now?"
阎乐前即二世，数曰：“足下骄恣，诛杀无道，天下共畔足下。足下其自为计！”Yan Le then stepped forward to the Second Emperor and counted his faults, saying, "Your Highness is arrogant and overbearing, killing people without reason. The whole world has rebelled against Your Highness. You should make your own plans!"
二世曰：“丞相可得见否？”The Second Emperor said, "Can I see the Chief Minister?"
乐曰：“不可！”Yan Le said, "No!"
二世曰：“吾愿得一郡为王。”弗许。The Second Emperor said, "I wish to be a king of a prefecture." But it was not allowed.
又曰：“愿为万户侯。”弗许。He then said, "I wish to be a marquis with ten thousand households." But it was not allowed.
曰：“愿与妻子为黔首，比诸公子。”He said, "I wish to become a commoner with my wife and children, like the other princes."
阎乐曰：“臣受命于丞相，为天下诛足下。足下虽多言，臣不敢报！”Yan Le said, "I have received orders from the Chief Minister to execute Your Highness for the sake of the world. Although Your Highness says a lot, I don't dare to report it!"
麾其兵进。二世自杀。阎乐归报赵高。Then he waved his troops to advance. The Second Emperor committed suicide. Yan Le returned to report to Zhao Gao.
赵高乃悉召诸大臣、公子，告以诛二世之状，曰：Zhao Gao then summoned all the ministers and princes and told them about the execution of the Second Emperor, saying:
“秦故王国，始皇君天下，故称帝。"Qin was originally a kingdom. Emperor Shihuang ruled the whole world, so he was called the Emperor.
今六国复自立，秦地益小，乃以空名为帝，不可。Now the six kingdoms have re-established themselves and the territory of Qin has become smaller. It is not appropriate to hold the empty title of Emperor.
宜为王如故，便。”It is better to be a king as before. It is convenient."
乃立子婴为秦王。以黔首葬二世社南宜春苑中。So he made Ziying the King of Qin. The Second Emperor was buried as a commoner in the Yichun Garden south of the Altar of the Earth.
九月，赵高令子婴斋戒，当庙见，受玉玺。斋五日。In September, Zhao Gao ordered Ziying to fast and purify himself. When he was to enter the ancestral temple to receive the imperial jade seal, he fasted for five days.
子婴与其子二人谋曰：Ziying plotted with his two sons, saying:
“丞相高杀二世望夷宫，恐群臣诛之，乃佯以义立我。"Zhao Gao killed the Second Emperor in Wangyi Palace. Fearing that the ministers would execute him, he pretended to establish me out of righteousness.
我闻赵高乃与楚约，灭秦宗室而分王关中。I heard that Zhao Gao has made an agreement with Chu to destroy the imperial clan of Qin and divide the kingdoms in Guanzhong.
今使我斋、见庙，此欲因庙中杀我。Now he makes me fast and enter the ancestral temple. He wants to kill me in the ancestral temple.
我称病不行，丞相必自来，来则杀之。” I will plead illness and not go. Zhao Gao will surely come by himself. When he comes, I will kill him."
高使人请子婴数辈，子婴不行。Zhao Gao sent several people to invite Ziying, but Ziying did not go.
高果自往，曰：“宗庙重事，王奈何不行？”Zhao Gao did indeed go by himself, saying, "The affairs of the ancestral temple are important. Why doesn't the King go?"
子婴遂刺杀高于斋宫，三族高家以徇。Ziying then stabbed Zhao Gao to death in the fasting palace and executed Zhao Gao's three clans to set an example.
遣将兵距峣关，沛公欲击之。Ziying sent troops to defend Yaoguan. Liu Bang, the Duke of Pei, wanted to attack them.
张良曰：“秦兵尚强，未可轻。愿先遣人益张旗帜于山上为疑兵，使郦食其、陆贾往说秦将，啖以利。”Zhang Liang said, "The Qin army is still strong and should not be underestimated. I hope to first send people to plant more banners on the mountains to create a feint army. Then send Li Yiji and Lu Jia to persuade the Qin generals and tempt them with benefits."
秦将果欲连和，沛公欲许之。The Qin generals indeed wanted to form an alliance. Liu Bang wanted to agree.
张良曰：“此独其将欲叛，恐其士卒不从；不如因其懈怠击之。”Zhang Liang said, "Only the generals want to rebel. I'm afraid their soldiers will not follow. It is better to attack them when they are slack."
沛公引兵绕峣关，逾蒉山，击秦军，大破之蓝田南。Liu Bang led his troops to bypass Yaoguan, cross Kuishan, attack the Qin army and thoroughly defeated them south of Lantian.
遂至蓝田，又战其北，秦兵大败。Then they reached Lantian and fought again in the north. The Qin army was completely defeated.
