“In 247 B.C., at the age of 13, Ying Zheng ascended to the throne, already harboring ambitions of unifying the world. His predecessors had laid a strong foundation for him. By then, the state of Qin, having undergone reforms by Shang Yang and the governance of successive Qin rulers, had already surpassed the other six states in overall national strength. However, even though Ying Zheng became the 37th king of Qin, he could not fully exercise the powers of a monarch and realize his grand ambition of uniting the realm.

At that time, state affairs were largely controlled by a man named Lü Buwei, and the young Ying Zheng had to respectfully address him as ‘Zhongfu’ (honorable father).”

Hearing this introduction, Ying Zheng’s fists clenched. Memories he would rather forget resurfaced, bringing a wave of discomfort. He didn’t want to listen any further, but his curiosity about what happened next kept him silent.

“Lü Buwei, a merchant by origin, rose to become a powerful minister with control over the entire nation. His rise was closely linked to the assistance he provided to a fallen Qin prince during the reign of King Zhao of Qin. During a period of intense conflict between Qin and Zhao, the Qin court decided to send a member of the royal family to Zhao as a hostage in an attempt to ease tensions.

Since the Crown Prince of Qin had died early, and there was no suitable candidate among his descendants, Ying Zhu, the second son of the King of Qin, was made Crown Prince. One of his sons, Ying Yiren, born to a concubine of low status, was not favored by the Crown Prince. Consequently, Ying Yiren was chosen, or rather relegated, to serve as a hostage in Zhao.

Though he held the nominal title of a Qin royal, Ying Yiren lived a life of hardship and scorn in Zhao. At this time, Lü Buwei, already a wealthy merchant, turned his attention to Ying Yiren. Not only did he provide him with money and supplies, but he also sent a skilled dancer named Zhao Ji to him. Soon after, Zhao Ji gave birth to a son, who was named Ying Zheng because he was born in the first month of the lunar year.”

The guards standing nearby bowed their heads low, wondering if they should be listening to this.

Yun Tutu scratched her head, realizing that dragging out such unpleasant memories might not be the best idea. Forgetting her previous fear, she leaned toward Ying Zheng and suggested, “We can skip this part and move on to what’s next.”

Ying Zheng remained silent, though his stern expression made it clear that he was not pleased. Reluctantly, he handed the device back to Yun Tutu, signaling her to continue.

Yun Tutu quickly adjusted the timeline, skipping ahead.

“From 230 B.C. to 221 B.C., Ying Zheng successively conquered the six states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, thereby achieving the unification of China. He established the Qin Dynasty and proclaimed himself the ‘First Emperor.’

He centralized power by implementing the Three Lords and Nine Ministers system, abolished the feudal system in favor of a prefecture system, and unified the currency, weights, and measures. He also standardized the width of cart axles, the written script, and the laws and regulations across the empire.

Externally, he fought the Xiongnu in the north, and the Baiyue in the south, built the Great Wall, and constructed the Lingqu Canal, connecting the Yangtze and Pearl River systems.

In his later years, he undertook several massive construction projects, including the Great Wall, the Epang Palace, and his mausoleum at Mount Li. However, in 210 B.C., he died while on a tour of the eastern provinces, at the Shaqiu Platform in Xingtai.

Qin Shi Huang established a political structure that would influence China for over two thousand years and was later praised by the Ming dynasty thinker Li Zhi as the ‘Emperor of the Ages.'”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. There was both good news and bad news: he had indeed unified the six states, but his life would only last seventeen more years? However, he quickly came to terms with it. He had fulfilled the wishes of his ancestors by completing the unification, and the praise he would receive from future generations brought him some solace.

“…As long as my Qin dynasty can last for generations, that is enough…”

“There’s also another video,” Yun Tutu said, summoning her courage as she clicked to play another video.

“Qin Er Shi (230 B.C. – 207 B.C.), born Ying Hu Hai, was the second emperor of the Qin dynasty, ruling after his elder brother, Fusu, and was referred to as the Second Emperor.”

Ying Zheng’s eyes flickered with concern. “And what happened to Fusu? Where was he?”

“Fusu opposed the decision to execute ‘460 scholars’ for violating the law, which angered you, and as a result, he was sent to supervise the military at Shangjun, assisting General Meng Tian in building the Great Wall and defending against the Xiongnu,” Yun Tutu replied, carefully observing Ying Zheng’s reaction. Seeing that he seemed to remain composed, she took a step back, “Before your death, you issued a decree ordering Fusu to succeed you. However, Zhao Gao and Prime Minister Li Si, fearing Fusu’s ascension would be detrimental to them, manipulated the decree and made Hu Hai emperor instead, forging an imperial edict in your name to command Fusu’s suicide.”

“Fusu, believing the decree to be genuine, did not dare defy what he thought were his father’s orders and took his own life,” Yun Tutu added.

“Foolish, utterly foolish…” Ying Zheng muttered, overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions. How could his son be so gullible? And as for Zhao Gao and Li Si, they deserved nothing but death for their treachery.

“And what of Hu Hai? Was the government truly controlled by Zhao Gao?” Ying Zheng demanded.

Yun Tutu could only manage a bitter smile. It seemed that, like all parents, even the First Emperor had a soft spot for his favorite son, initially blaming others for his failures.

In a hesitant voice, Yun Tutu continued, “Zhao Gao was indeed Hu Hai’s mentor, and when Hu Hai ascended the throne, he granted Zhao Gao significant power. Zhao Gao chose Hu Hai precisely because he was an easily manipulated, idle playboy.”

Yun Tutu took a deep breath, unsure of how much more she should reveal. “Under Zhao Gao’s influence, Hu Hai allowed the persecution and execution of many royal family members. In the end, only he remained. The brutality of their actions… it was beyond words.”

Ying Zheng did not press for more details, fearing he could not bear to hear the full extent of it. But he had already made up his mind about Hu Hai.

“Hu Hai lived a life of debauchery, caring only for his own pleasures while Zhao Gao held the reins of power. Hu Hai even sought to emulate your tours across the empire, but wherever he went, he left chaos in his wake. He indiscriminately executed officials on Zhao Gao’s advice, leading to widespread resentment among the people. Their suffering grew so intense that it sparked the uprisings of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and eventually, the resurgence of the former six states. In 207 B.C., Hu Hai was forced to commit suicide by Zhao Gao’s confidant, Yan Le, at the age of 24. With that, the Qin dynasty fell after only two generations.”

Ying Zheng’s expression darkened as he listened. He felt a storm of anger, sadness, and disappointment welling up within him. Everything he had fought to achieve was destroyed by his own son and those who betrayed him.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Yun Tutu quickly pulled out the small seal script dictionary she had brought. “This book explains the small seal script. With it, you can read all the books I’ve brought without any obstacles.”

Ying Zheng watched as Yun Tutu continued to pull more books from the storage compartments, his mind still reeling from the revelations she had shared.