Introduction:
In the Records of the Historians, there are different accounts of the biological father of Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history. On the one hand, the "Qin Shi Huang Benji" records his father as the king of Qin Zhuang Xiang;On the other hand, "The Biography of Lü Buwei" alludes to the fact that Lü Buwei may have been the biological father of Qin Shi Huang. This contradictory record has sparked widespread controversy and research in the field of history. This article attempts to determine the true identity of Qin Shi Huang's biological father through the study of historical documents and the analysis of archaeological finds.
1. The orthodox bloodline record in the "Qin Shi Huang Benji".
The Records of Qin Shi Huang is a special biography of the life of Qin Shi Huang in the "Records of the Historians". In this biography, Qin Shi Huang is clearly recorded as the son of King Xiang of Qin Zhuang. This account is consistent with the traditional notion of the lineage of the Qin royal family, emphasizing the legitimacy of Yingzheng (i.e., Qin Shi Huang). However, this account has also been questioned by some scholars, who believe that this simple view of descent makes it difficult to explain complex historical phenomena.
2. Hints and controversies in the Biography of Lü Buweilie.
The Biography of Lü Buwei is another biography of Lü Buwei in the "Historical Records". Although the biography does not explicitly state Lü Buwei as the biological father of Qin Shi Huang, it hints at this possibility through some cryptic statements. For example, it is written in the text that Lü Buwei gave his favorite concubine Zhao Ji to Zichu (who later became King Xiang of Qin Zhuang), but Zhao Ji concealed the fact that she was pregnant, and eventually gave birth to Yingzheng. Although this text does not directly identify Lü Buwei as his biological father, it gives the impression of implication. However, this account has also been questioned by other scholars, who believe that this inference is subject to a certain degree of subjective assumption and lacks conclusive evidence to support it.
3. New clues from archaeological discoveries.
In recent years, archaeologists have found clues related to the life of Qin Shi Huang in a number of sites in China. Among them, the excavated burial artifacts provide new information. For example, a tomb believed to be the mother of Qin Shi Huang was found near the terracotta warriors pit, and a number of items related to Zhao Ji were found in the tomb, such as jade pendants and utensils. These findings provide some support for the idea that Qin Shi Huang's possible biological father was Lü Buwei. In addition, there are also documented references to political deals and power struggles between King Xiang of Qin Zhuang and Lü Buwei, which may also be related to the life of Qin Shi Huang.
Conclusion: There is still a great controversy about whether Qin Shi Huang's biological father was King Xiang of Qin Zhuang or Lü Buwei. On the one hand, the orthodox bloodline records in the history books emphasize Yingzheng's royal status;On the other hand, some obscure hints and archaeological finds offer a possibility. The differences in the biographies of Qin Shi Huang's biological father in the Records of the Historians reflect the complexity of historical events and the different views of historians. Future research and archaeological work may be able to shed further light on this mystery. In any case, as an important figure in Chinese history, the mystery of Qin Shi Huang's life undoubtedly adds to his mystery and historical value.