The Qin Dynasty, an ancient empire buried deep in time, is often briefly mentioned in history books. The brief alternation between the two dynasties contains many mysteries and dramatic stories. Among them, the legendary story of Qin III is even more refreshing.
The Qin Dynasty as we know it almost all originates from a single name - Qin Shi Huang. He was an emperor of great talent who drove the course of Chinese history. However, behind him, an even more mysterious figure quietly appeared, and he was what we usually call Prince Qin. However, his origins have been a point of contention among historians.
In Sima Qian's "Historical Records", there are three different theories about Ziying's life experience. First of all, some believe that he was the grandson of Qin Shi Huang, that is, the son of Hu Hai. However, there seem to be all sorts of illogic in this statement. Qin Shi Huang was only forty-nine years old when he died, and if Hu Hai had reached adulthood at the time, then Qin Shi Huang was only twenty-seven years old when he gave birth to him, which was not uncommon in ancient times. However, if Hu Hai is already an adult, then the likelihood that he was manipulated by Zhao Gao is low, which makes the plot of the coup far-fetched. In addition, Hu Hai did not canonize empress when he ascended the throne, indicating that he did not reach the age of majority. Therefore, it is unlikely that Ziying could be the son of Hu Hai.
Another theory holds that Ziying was Hu Hai's brother. However, according to historical records, the ages of Huhai and Fusu do not match, so this statement is also quite controversial. What's more, Zhao Gao has always been on guard against threats within the royal family, if Ziying was really Hu Hai's brother, he would have ceased to exist a long time ago.
Finally, there is a theory that Ziying was the younger brother of Qin Shi Huang, that is, the son of Zichu and the uncle of Hu Hai. This statement seems more plausible. The death of Gongzi Cheng Chan shows that Zichu is still fertile, and the birth age of Ziying corresponds to the childbearing age of Qin Shi Huang. This makes Ziying more likely to be Hu Hai's uncle than someone else.
However, there is also a non-official historical statement: Ziying is the uncle of Qin Shi Huang and the son of King Yingzhu of Qin Xiaowen. There is also some truth in this statement, because King Qin Xiaowen died early, and the possibility of him having children cannot be ignored. However, the ambiguity of the historical record makes this claim difficult to prove.
Regardless of his background, Ziying played an important role in the politics of the Qin Dynasty. He killed Zhao Gao and took power, but the Qin Dynasty under Hu Hai was mired in internal and external troubles. The ** of a large number of generals and members of the imperial family made the Qin Dynasty lose an important support force, and the unscrupulous peace would make the situation even worse. In such a predicament, Ziying may not have the heart of an emperor, but he was pushed to the foreground by history, and finally witnessed the destruction of the Great Qin River.
However, regardless of Ziying's background, he has become a historical mystery and a thought-provoking topic. His story is one of the most wonderful chapters in the history of the Qin Dynasty.