In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang accomplished the feat of shocking the world by unifying the six kingdoms and establishing the first unified empire in Chinese history. Behind this great achievement, however, was the demise of six once-glorious nations and the tragic end of their monarchs. Their fate is an inevitable part of the history of the conquered and an unforgettable memory in ancient Chinese history.
Korea used to be a brilliant country in the Central Plains, but under the iron heel of Qin, King Han An finally chose to surrender. But the surrender did not bring him the peace he expected, but instead filled the rest of his life with humiliation and unease. Qin Shi Huang's treatment of him was not an immediate death sentence, but chose house arrest, allowing him to spend the rest of his life under invisible yoke. At the same time, the old Korean aristocracy organized a rebellion in the old capital in an attempt to restore the country's freedom and independence. However, the rebellion ended in failure, and the Qin state decided to execute King Han An in order to eliminate the potential threat.
Zhao Wangqian, the last monarch of the Zhao state, was eventually exiled to Fangling in the face of strong pressure from the Qin army. In this isolated place, Zhao Wangqian spent the last years of his life, and his nostalgia and sorrow for his homeland turned into affectionate poems. His poems have spread all over the country, become a part of history, and will always be remembered in the hearts of the people.
The fate of the last monarch of the Wei State, King Wei, has become an unsolved mystery in history, and its unclear ending has become a suspicion for future generations. The fate of the monarch of Chu, King Chu, is also full of uncertainties and unknowns, and history has brought its end into silence. Yan Wangxi, the last monarch of the Yan Kingdom, fled to Liaodong but failed to escape the pursuit of the Qin State, and was finally captured, and his fate died like a burning candle. The final fate of Qi Wangjian, the monarch of Qi State, was full of tragedy, and hunger and loneliness ended his life.
The fate of the monarchs of these countries is like a line of handwriting in the history books, recording the glory and tragedy of Qin's unification of the six countries. Their stories tell us that history is full of endless variables and challenges. In this magnificent wave of history, each character has played an indispensable role and left his own unique mark. However, it is worth pondering whether the end of these tragedies could have been avoided. In the process of reunification, how many people have suffered because of this?