(Translated by A.F.P. Hulsewe )

Trnalator's Note: The texts belonging to the first group of strips，called by the editors “Ch’in lv shih-pa chung” ( Eighteen kinds of Ch’in statutes，秦律十八种 ), consist of 110 articles in the division adopted in Wenwu 1976／7 and followed here．The 202 strips of this group have a length of C．27 cm．or 1 ft．2 in．Ch’in - Han measure．They were held together by three sets of strings：at the top，in the middle，and at the bottom，as is clearly apparent from the traces left by the decayed remains．Each article starts on a new strip，with the result that not a few strips are left partly blank．Strips fully covered with writing contain about 35 well-spaced characters．The strips of this group had been placed in the coffin at the right-hand side of the body，along the right thigh.

[A1] Whenever the rain is beneficial and affects the grain in ear a report in writing is to be made concerning the favoured crop and the grain in ear，as well as the number of ch’ing (c.4.6 hectare) of cultivated fields and areas without crops． Whenever it rains when the crop is already fully grown，also the quantity of rain and the number of ch’ing which were affected are to be reported in writing．Likewise，in cases of drought and violent wind or rain，floods，hordes of grasshoppers or other creatures which damage the crops，the number of ch’ing concerned is always to be reported in writing．Nearby prefectures have lightfooted runners deliver the letter，distant prefectures have the courier service deliver it．By the end of the eighth month．(Statutes on Agriculture)

[A2] In the second month of spring one should not venture to cut timber in the forests or block water courses．Except in the months of summer one should not venture to burn weeds to make ashes，to collect [indigo]，Young animals，eggs or fledglings．One should not...poison fish or tortoises or arrange pitfalls and nets．By the seventh month (these prohibition) are lifted．Only when someone has unfortunately died and one fells (wood for) the inner and outer coffins，this is not done according to the seasons.in settlements close to corrals and other forbidden parks，in the season of young animals one should not venture to take dogs to go hunting．When dogs of the common people enter forbidden parks without pursuing and catching animals，one should not venture to kill them：those which pursue as well as catch animals are to be killed．Dogs killed by the wardens are to be completely handed over to the authorities；of those that are killed in other forbidden parks the flesh may be eaten，but the skin is to be handed over.(Statutes on Agriculture)

[A3] The deliver of hay and straw per ch’ing (c.4.6 hectare) is to be done according to the number of fields bestowed．Irrespective of whether the fields are cultivated or uncultivated. the delivery per ch’ing is three bushels of hay (or) two bushels of straw．From a raking of hay or a bundle of whitlow grass upward，everything wilI be received．When delivering hay and straw，substitution of the one for the others is allowed．(Statutes on Agriculture)
 
[A4] Whenever’(from a storehouse for) grain，hay or straw the wood and the (bottom) matting have been removed，the number of bushels is to be reported to the Prefect’S court．Do not use it；cover it again with the matting．(Statutes on Agriculture)
   
[A5] As regards rations for (official) carriage horses and draft oxen，if for more than two months rations have not been issued or forwarded，they are all to be stopped；they must not be issued or forwarded． Those who are given rations by the Main (Office of) Agricuhure without having a permanent record are to be given rations as from the day of the arrival of the certificate；one must not exceed (the stipulations of) the certificate．(Statutes on Agriculture)

[A6] Commoners living in farms should not venture to sell wine．The Agricultural overseers and the Division assistants carefully restrain and stop them．Persons who do not obey the Ordinances will have committed a crime．(Statutes on Agriculture)

[A7] In the 4th，7th，10th and 1st month the oxen used in agriculture are measured；when the year is ended，in the 1st month they are subject to a great valuation. For good results the Overseer of Agriculture is granted a bottle of wine and a bundle of dried meat；the corral keepers are relieved of one turn of duty.and the chief of the cattle men is granted in days three decades．For bad results the Overseer of Agriculture is berated．the corral menials are fined two months．In case the oxen have been used in gricultural work and they have decreased in girth，the person in charge is bastinadoed with ten strokes for each inch．They(viz．the oxen)are also valuated per village．For good results the Village Chief is granted in days one decade；for bad results he is bastinadoed with thirty strokes．(Statutes on Stables and Parks)
    
[A8] When loaned’iron tools that have become worn，spoilt and unusable break，this has to be noted in writing；they are to be taken in without charging．(Statutes on Stables and Parks)
   
[A9] When government horses and cattle are taken out to graze，and horses (or cattlel) die，the prefecture where they have died is to be speedily informed． The prefecture speedily inspects this and collects it (viz．the dead animall．In case this is not done speedily and it becomes spoilt，the Prefect refunds it with the value it had before it was spoilt．

If small bond servants die of sickness, this is to be reported to... concerned．For those who die without having been ill，this is to be reported to the office by means of an investigation report to judge it．

When horses or oxen of the Great Stables，or the Palace Stables are concerned，their sinews，hides and horns as well as their value in cash are to be handed over；the persons concerned take these to the office concerned．When those who use government horses and oxen lose horses (or oxen) … the prefecture where they have died; the prefecture investigates and...sells the meat．It immediately collects the sinews, hides and horns，as well as fully collecting its value in cash．In case the money (collected) is less than (the sum stipulated by) the Statute l，orders are given to the person(s) concerned to make good the deficiency， meanwhile informing the office．The office informs the prefecture (responsible for) the horses or oxen to remove the animals from the register．

Now，as regards the evaluation of oxen officially used by the prefectures and by the general offices l，these will be evaluated once each．If after a full year one third has died of (a number of) ten or more，or, if not fully ten oxen，as well as for those who have received oxen for use three, or more have died after a full year，the officials in charge，the men who fed the oxen，as well and the Prefect and the Assistant Prefect are all guilty． The Ministry of Finance evaluates the prefectures, (whereas) the Great
Granary evaluates the general offices as well as those who had received oxen for use.

[A10] When horses of the courier service are used，they are given one feeding of grain：when they return，they are again given one feeding of grain. Always eight horses are (fed) together．When they are used repeatedly，they should be given one feeding without letting a day go by．When using horses of the prefecture and these have done heavy work，they should again be given one additional feeding of grain.(Statutes on Granaries)

[All] In case commoners wish to borrow (bond)-women who are not yet employed and who are clothed and fed by the government，they are to be loaned：they are to be clothed and fed by them．The officials will in every case stop to make them serve．(Statutes on Granaries)

[A12] As regards bond-servants and bond-women engaged in work for the government，a bond-servant (receives a ration of) two bushels of grain per month，a bond-woman one and a half bushel；to those not engaged in work no rations are given．Small
ch’eng-tan and bond-servants who are working (receive a ration of) one and a half bushel of grain per month；those not yet able to work one bushel of grain per month．Small bond-women and grain-pounderss who are working (receive a ration of) one bushel and two and a half tou (one tenth of a bushel) per month；those not yet able to work one bushel ot grain per month．Infants who have no mother (receive a ration of) half a bushel each；although they have a mother and they are with her while she is assigned to work for the government，they are also given rations：per month half a bushel of grain．

Bond-servants (assigned to) agricultural (work) as from the second month are given a monthly ration of two and a half bushels；at the end of the ninth month the half-bushel is to be stopped．

Grain-pounders (receive a ration of) one and a half bushel per month．

Bond-servants and ch’eng-tan whose height is not fully six feet and five inches (C．1.50 m．)，and bond-women and grain-pounders whose height is not fully six feet and two inches (C．1．43 m． are all considered as“small”． When their height is five feet and two inches (C．1．20 m．) they are all put to work.

[A13] Small bond-servants and bond-women are enrolled in the eighth month as great bond-servants and bond-women．As from the tenth month their rations are increased. (Statutes on Granaries)

[A14] As regards bond-women who perform work in turns of duty l，as soon as there is an emergency，they will be assembled and assigned (their task)，receiveing rations according to the Statutes；if there is no emergency，they are not to be assembled．(Statutes on Granaries)

[A15] Ch’eng-tan engaged in building walls as well as in other tasks where the hardship is equal to that of building walls (will receive a food rationl of half (a tou) in the morning and of one third (of a tou)’in the evening．Those who are present at their assigned place of duty as well as those who perform other work are to be fed with one third (of a tou at both meals)．Those who are ill will be fed in consideration of the circumstances，letting the Officials decide．Grain-pounders，grain-pounder-robber-guards and sifters of white (rice) engaged in construction work will be fed one third (of a tou at both meals)；when they are not engaged in construction work，they are to be fed according to the Statutes．(Statutes on Granaries)

[A16]When feeding ch’eng-tan by the day，at the end of the month one takes the surplus to serve as rations for the later ninth month．For increasing their food when the ch'eng-tan perform easy tasks，the official(s) in charge will be judged according to the Statute on infringing the Ordinances．The issues not fulfilled monthly for the grain-pounders and ch’eng-tan will be deducted.  (Statutes on Granaries)

[A17] When dismissedl bond．servants and bond-women as well as bond-servants and bond-women build walls，as well as a perform other tasks equal to wall building，the men are to be fed with half (a tou)in the morning and one third (of a tou) in the evening；the women (receive) one third (of a tou at both meals)．(Statutes on Granaries)

[A18] For feeding starving incarcerated (convicts)：daily one third a of a tou.    (Statutes on Granaries)