ExclusiveThe Downfall of the Qin Dynasty: A Tale of Ambition, Betrayal and Revolt

The rise of the Qin Dynasty under the rule of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was remarkable, but its fall in the hand of Hu Hai was equally devastating. When the Qin Dynasty collapsed, it was accompanied by immense tragedy. Almost the entire imperial family was killed, and the magnificent Qin Palace was completely burned down. The city of Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, was destroyed, and its inhabitants suffered greatly too. The entire Guanzhong region, where the Xianyang was located, was nearly wiped out. Why did this happen? Let's start with the death of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. In the year 210 BCE, at the age of 49, Emperor Qin Shi Huang fell critically ill and passed away at Shaqiu during his 5th Eastern Expedition. Since Emperor Qin Shi Huang had not designated a successor before his death, Zhao Gao took advantage of the situation to further his own ambitions. He conspired with Hu Hai, the young son of Qin Shi Huang, who was accompanying him on the trip, and Li Si, the prime minister, to keep the deaths a secret. They forged an imperial edict proclaiming that the throne was to be passed to Hu Hai, while executing Crown Prince Fu Shu, who was known for his virtue and integrity, and General Meng Tian, a talented and valiant military leader. This resulted in the loss of a potential heir with both talent and virtue, as well as a skilled and courageous general for the Qin Dynasty. After assuming the title of the emperor, Qin Er Shi, Hu Hai became paranoid about his insecure position. He not only killed his brothers, but also showed no mercy to his sisters, nephews and nieces, who had no claim to the throne. He eliminated them all, leaving no one alive. When the rebellion broke out later, the Qin Dynasty was left with no capable individuals to rely on. Zhao Gao seized complete control over the government, deceiving Emperor Qin Er Shi with his manipulative tactics. He systematically framed and executed all those who had previously accused him, including Prime Minister Li Si. Li Si, who had been involved in rebellion at Sha Qiu, met a gruesome fate, and his entire family was also executed. With Li Si's death, Zhao Gao rose to the position of Prime Minister, allowing him to exercise absolute power and manipulate laws at will. He implemented tyrannical policies, imposed heavy taxes, and enforced brutal punishments. He further instigated Emperor Qin Er Shi to neglect state affairs and indulge in lavish pleasures, leading to a state of decadence and misrule. In the year 209 BC, Emperor Qin Er Shi hastily organized the Grand Tour, seeking to emulate the glory of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and display his own power to the people. Upon returning to Xianyang after the tour, he was still unsatisfied and ordered the recruitment of 50,000 strongmen to be stationed in Xianyang. He also issued a decree for the entire country to search for rare treasures and exotic animals. During the same year, over 900 of the recruited strongmen were on their way to the border when they encountered heavy rain, preventing them from reaching their destination on time to report. According to the laws of the Qin dynasty at that time, this offense was punishable by death. Chen Shen, the leader of the group, had always believed that he was destined for great things and had a sentiment that, how can a sparrow understand the aspirations of a swan? He sought out another leader named Wu Guang to discuss their options. After careful consideration, they decided that instead of facing execution at the border, they would revolt against the Qin dynasty, hoping to find a glimmer of hope for survival. At this time, the common people were already in a state of extreme hardship, and they joined the uprising in large numbers. Within a short month, they managed to capture five county towns. After taking over Chen County, Chen Shen declared himself as the king and established the state of Zhangchu. This marked the first peasant regime in Chinese history. When the rebel army approached the outskirts of Xianyang, about a hundred miles away, Emperor Qin finally woke up from his extravagant lifestyle. He followed the advice of General Zhang Han, who was appointed as the Grand General, and dispatched hundreds of thousands of laborers from Mount Li to confront the rebellion. At this time, internal conflicts within the rebel army led to their defeat at the hands of Zhang Han, and Chen Shen was also killed. However, uprisings continued to emerge in various regions. Xiang Liang, a descendant of a renowned general from the state of Chu, rose up in rebellion alongside his nephew Xiang Yu. Liu Bang also started his uprising in Pei County. At this time, Zhao Gao in the Qin palace was no longer satisfied with being subordinate to Qin Ashi, although superior to all others. He began to convex the throne. In order to test whether the ministers would support him or vehemently oppose him, he devised an extremely absurd method. Zhao Gao brought a deer and during the morning court session, he led the deer onto the Grand Hall. When the Emperor Qin Ashi saw this, he found it very strange and asked, Prime Minister, why did you bring a deer to the court today? Zhao Gao confidently replied, Your Majesty, you are mistaken. This is a horse, not a deer. The Emperor was greatly shocked, but then smiled and said, Prime Minister, you are mistaken. This is a deer, not a horse. Upon seeing that, the tummy was ripe. Zhao Gao smiled and said to Qin Ashi, Your Majesty, if you don't believe me, you can ask the ministers and let them decide whether it is a deer or a horse. Some of the timid and sycophantic ministers immediately said it was a horse, while some righteous ones insisted that it was a deer. The Emperor Qin Ashi looked at one and then another, feeling confused. However, his reliance on Zhao Gao had become too deep. Thus, hesitantly he said, It seems that I made a mistake. Indeed, it is a horse. Zhao Gao couldn't help but inwardly laugh. Afterward, Zhao Gao found ways to eliminate the ministers who opposed him in the court, even sparing none of their family members. Now that the tummy was ripe, Zhao Gao was determined to seize the throne. Since he was capable of orchestrating the rebellion of Sha Qiu, he could launch a second coup against Hu Hai. Hu Hai, who was desperate and had no relatives or loyal ministers left by his side, faced the relentless pressure from Zhao Gao. In the end, he hanged himself, feeling cornered and helpless. Zhao Gao, mistakenly thinking that he could become the Emperor with the imperial seal, was met with complete rejection from the civil and military officials. Helpless, Zhao Gao handed the imperial seal to Zi Yin, intending to manipulate him as the puppet emperor. It is generally believed that Zi Yin was either the nephew or younger uncle who had escaped the slaughter under Emperor Qin Ashi. Unwilling to be controlled by Zhao Gao, Zi Yin plotted to eliminate him. Although the menace of Zhao Gao was removed, uprisings and rebellions erupted throughout the land, and the Qin dynasty was powerless to turn the tide. Emperor Zi Yin, having only reigned for 46 days, faced the invasion of Liu Bang, who later became known as Emperor Gao Zhu of Han. Following that, Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, emerged and set fire to the city of Xianyang. In fact, the universe and all things within it operate according to certain laws. Following a cycle of rise and fall and alternating fortunes, events that are destined to occur in the human world have already been predetermined. The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, records that in the year During the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Lu Sheng, a man from Yan, was sent on a mission to the sea and returned. He performed divination rituals and presented recorded books stating the downfall of Qin will be caused by Hu. Emperor Qin then ordered General Men Tian to lead an army of 300,000 soldiers northward to deal with Hu. They swiftly conquered the territory of Henan. However, Emperor Qin Shi Huang never understood that Hu referred to his own son, Hu Hai, and not the northern Hu people. Sarah's History of China. See you next time!