《资治通鉴·汉纪·汉纪四十五》
而且，秦王朝将要灭亡时，直言进谏的人遭到诛杀，阿谀奉承的人得到封赏，规劝的忠言被堵塞，国家的政令，出于奸佞之口，纵容阎乐在京都咸阳横行，任命赵高为中车府令，权力离开自己而不知，威严已经丧失而不顾。
且秦之将亡，正谏者诛，谀进者赏，嘉言结于忠舌，国命出于谗口，擅阎乐于咸阳，授赵高以车府，权去己而不知，威离身而不顾。
"Furthermore, when the Qin dynasty was about to perish, people who spoke out were executed, and those who flattered and fawned were rewarded. Loyal advice was shut out, and the state's policies came from the mouths of treacherous and cunning men. They allowed Yan Le to run wild in the capital of Xianyang and appointed Zhao Gao as the commander of the Palace Guards. They did not realize that their power had been taken away from them, and they did not care that their authority had been lost.