Although Qin Shi Huang had been looking for a way to live forever, he also understood that these efforts might be in vain. So, in addition to enjoying his present life, he also began to prepare for his underground life.
Archaeologists have found that the total area of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is 56 square kilometers, which is larger than the current Xi'an city wall. This is the largest emperor cemetery in our country. At present, we have excavated three burial pits of terracotta warriors, of which pit No. 1 is the largest, containing 6,000 terracotta figurines. The terracotta figurines were arranged in an array of armies, with archers in the front three rows and infantry and chariots in the back, in thirty-three columns. The last three rows are the guards. The army was flanked on either side, and the sergeants faced outwards to protect the army in the center. Each terracotta figurine is made according to the proportions of the human body, meticulously carved and lifelike, vividly reproducing the style of the Qin army in those years.
After the Qin State began its unification war, every time it destroyed a country, it built one in Xianyang in imitation of their palace. In 212 B.C., Qin Shi Huang began to build a larger imperial palace in Shanglin Yuan, Weinan, "on a scale of more than 300 li". First built the front hall of the Afang Palace, covering an area of more than 80,000 square meters, the top can accommodate 10,000 people, and the bottom can erect a five-zhang high flag. A pavilion road was built around it, leading all the way to Jungnan Mountain. Qin Shi Huang also built the Afang Palace and the Lishan Tomb at the same time, which cost a very large amount, and the construction of craftsmen and convicts sometimes amounted to 700,000 people. In such a short period of time, Qin Shi Huang fought a large-scale war with the outside world, reformed the system internally, and built on a large scale, which made the politics of the Qin State very quick and brutal. The newly established empire was soon in danger.
In 211 B.C., a meteorite fell to Dongjun, and someone engraved on the meteorite "The First Emperor died and divided", predicting that the Qin Empire would fall apart after the death of Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang was furious and ordered the officials to quickly solve the case, but nothing came of it. Qin Shi Huang then ordered that all the people who lived around him be killed.
In 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang made his fifth tour. This time, he brought his 20-year-old youngest son Hu Hai, Zuo Prime Minister Li Si and CRRC Fu Ling Zhao Gao together. When he walked to the Shandong Plain, Qin Shi Huang, who had been in good health, suddenly fell ill. The condition was very serious, and Qin Shi Huang felt that he might be dying, so he began to arrange for his death. He wrote a letter to Fusu, his eldest son who was overseeing the construction of the Great Wall by Meng Tian's army in Shangjun, and asked him to hurry back to Xianyang to inherit the throne. But the letter was withheld by Zhao Gao, who was in charge of the seal. Zhao Gao used to be Hu Hai's teacher and was very liked by Hu Hai. Although Zhao Gao's official position is not high, he has power in his hands, and he is very ambitious, and he wants to use this opportunity to make Hu Hai emperor and change his fate.
In July 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang died at the age of 50 in Shadune (northwest of present-day Guangzong, Hebei). Li Si feared that news of Qin Shi Huang's death would lead to a rebellion, so he secretly disposed of his remains. It was very hot and the body soon began to decompose. Li Si had someone put a stone of pickled fish in the car, and used the smell of pickled fish to cover up the smell of the corpse. Qin Shi Huang, who once called for wind and rain, may never have imagined that his final outcome would be so unbearable.
Zhao Gao forced Li Si to forge the edict, set up Hu Hai as the crown prince, and killed Fusu and the general Meng Tian. When Hu Hai became the emperor, he was Qin II. In July of the following year, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led 900 soldiers to revolt in Daze Township (Suzhou, Anhui). All parts of the country responded, and the anti-Qin uprising quickly spread throughout the country. In 207 BC, Zhao Gao forced Qin II to commit suicide and made Qin II's nephew Ziying the king of Qin. It didn't take long for Ziying to kill Zhao Gao. In October of the following year, Liu Bang led the rebel army to break through Wuguan (northwest of Shangnan County, Shaanxi), and Prince Ying of Qin surrendered.
The Qin Empire, founded by Qin Shi Huang, disappeared after only 15 years of existence. Few great men in history have there been such great controversies after his death. Some people regard him as "the first emperor of the ages", while others call him a "tyrant". For this, it seems difficult for Westerners to understand. In their eyes, Qin Shi Huang was like Julius Caesar in the East, the greatest conqueror in Chinese history, who ushered in a new era in Chinese history.
Indeed, there is something negative about the evaluation of Qin Shi Huang by later generations. This can be seen from the description of Qin Shi Huang's appearance and personality in the "Historical Records". "Historical Records" described Yingzheng's appearance through the mouth of a minister: "Bee accurate, long eyes, beloved birds, jackals." The meaning of this sentence is that Qin Shi Huang had a high nose, slender eyes, eagle breasts, and a jackal voice. Such a description is so exaggerated that one has to doubt its authenticity.
February**Dynamic Incentive Plan The record of the "Historical Records" is obviously biased, that is, it wants to belittle Qin Shi Huang in order to prove the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty replacing the Qin Dynasty. Although Qin Shi Huang's exploits were very great, few people have been able to reach his achievements. He unified China, resolutely abolished the feudal system, implemented the county system, and established a centralized state polity, all of which brought a huge legacy to China and the world. Moreover, Qin Shi Huang was also a very diligent emperor. According to historical records, he personally handled a large number of pieces and documents every day, and only after completing the required number did he rest. In this respect, he is definitely a dutiful emperor.
Since the Han Dynasty, there have been people studying why Qin perished so quickly, and many people have different opinions. Personally, I think that the main reason why Qin perished so quickly was that Qin Shi Huang did not focus on economic development after unifying the world. Because after hundreds of years of war in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the country's economy has been very backward, and what is most needed at this time is to develop the economy. However, Qin Shi Huang made a serious mistake, he spent a lot of manpower and material resources on building the Great Wall, building straight roads, building galloping roads, and building large palaces. These projects actually consumed 10 to 15 percent of the country's labor force, and if this labor force was used to develop the economy, it could have a double effect, so this was one of the most fundamental reasons for the demise of Qin.
Everyone knows that Qin Shi Huang's political methods were mean and cruel. It took him 17 years to accomplish the great cause of reunification, which was the result that the people wanted. However, the disasters and sufferings caused by war cannot be ignored. People hoped to live a peaceful and happy life after reunification, but Qin Shi Huang did not do this, he did not stop the war, did not let the people rest, but continued to expand the territory. It is estimated that one third of the soldiers recruited at that time were in the prime of life.
Moreover, Qin Shi Huang lived a very luxurious life, and during his reign, he built a lot of construction and held various ceremonies, which put a huge burden on the people. In order to be able to effectively implement his policies, Qin Shi Huang adopted severe punishments. All of this inevitably led to the rapid demise of the Qin Dynasty.
From the perspective of historical development, Qin Shi Huang's unification of China not only laid the foundation for subsequent development in terms of territory, but also forged an unshakable solid foundation for Great China and Great China, a great country in the East, culturally and psychologically. The reunification of the motherland.
1. Since then, national unity has become an inevitable trend in China's historical development.