Dynasties of ChinaQin dynastyQin dynasty lineage
Reign 210–207 BCE
Taking advantage of the Sand Dungeon Incident, he took advantage of the imperial edict and ascended the throne. He continued to engage in corvee labor and indiscriminate killing of clan members, which aroused the world's rebellion against Qin. Three years later, he was forced to death by Zhao Gao.
Hu Hai was the youngest son of Qin Shihuang. He studied calligraphy and prison law with Zhao Gao, the magistrate of the CRRC. In 210 BC, he went on a tour with his father. When the First Emperor died of illness in the sand dunes, Zhao Gao persuaded Prime Minister Li Si to forge a will and confer death on his eldest son Fu Su. He established Hu Hai as the Crown Prince. After returning to Xianyang, he succeeded as the Second Emperor. According to "Historical Records: The Benji of Qin Shihuang", he was twenty-one years old (some say twelve years old) when he came to the throne. After taking the throne, he obeyed Zhao Gao and killed Meng Tian, Meng Yi and other princes and princesses. He also continued to build the Epang Palace and levied grain and grass from commanders and counties. The taxes and levies were even heavier than those of the First Emperor.
In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebelled in Daze Township, and the old nobles of the six countries returned to their countries one after another. The Second Emperor initially denounced the rebellion, but later sent Shaofu Zhang Han to lead the Lishan prisoners to attack. In 208 BC, Li Si was framed and executed by Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao was appointed as the prime minister and monopolized power. In 207 BC, the main force of the Qin army was destroyed in the Battle of Julu, and Liu Bang approached Wuguan. Zhao Gao, worried about being convicted, sent his son-in-law Xianyang Ling Yan Le to lead his troops into Wangyi Palace and forced the Second Emperor to commit suicide.
The Second Emperor of Qin came to the throne by extraordinary means. After he ascended the throne, he did not think about trying to calm people's hearts. Instead, he killed the clan's heroes, continued to impose excessive construction projects and corvee labor, and handed over the government to Zhao Gao, causing the Qin dynasty to collapse in just three years. Jia Yi's "On the Passage of Qin" believes that if the Second Emperor could "lightly endow and do few things" to stabilize the world, Qin might not be destroyed. His mismanagement accelerated the Qin dynasty's destruction.
PoliticsJiao Zhao ascended the throne
The First Emperor died in a sand dune. Zhao Gao persuaded Li Si by saying, "The king will decide which one he can compete with Meng Tian." Li Si finally agreed to conspire. The two forged an edict to establish Hu Hai as the Crown Prince, and also granted Fu Su and Meng Tian death. Fu Su committed suicide, Meng Tian was imprisoned, and Hu Hai returned to Xianyang and ascended the throne.
PoliticsKill the clan ministers
Hu Hai asked Zhao Gao how to stabilize the throne. Zhao Gao advocated severe torture and the execution of the former emperor's old officials. According to "Historical Records·Li Si Biography", twelve people of the Prince were killed in Xianyang City, and ten of the Princesses were dismembered in Du. There were countless people implicated, and everyone in the ministers was in danger.
CultureEast tour and additional stone carvings
In the spring, the Second Emperor led Li Si and others on an eastward tour, reaching Jieshi in the north and going south along the coast to Kuaiji. They engraved edicts and the names of the ministers on the stones at various places where the First Emperor had set up to demonstrate the First Emperor's merits. He returned to Xianyang in April.
Lasting legacyThe texts on the remaining Taishan carved stones (collected by the Andai Temple in Taizhou) and the Langyatai carved stones (collected by the National Museum of China) are part of the imperial edict added in the first year of the Second Emperor's reign.
SocietyRestoration of Afang Palace
After returning to Xianyang, he ordered the construction of Epang Palace to continue and recruited 50,000 talented people to garrison Xianyang. In order to support the people and horses, commanders and counties were ordered to transport grain and fodder. The transporters were required to bring their own rations. Local grain was not allowed to be eaten within 300 miles of Xianyang, making the people's burden even heavier.
MilitaryDaze Township Uprising
In July, garrison soldiers Chen Sheng and Wu Guang revolted in Daze Township, and various places responded. The envoys from the east reported the rebellion, and the Second Emperor was furious and had him imprisoned. After that, the newcomers only dared to say that they were "bandits". The place was out of control and the court still didn't know the truth.
MilitaryZhang Han leads the prisoners to attack
Zhou Wen led the rebel army to attack Guanzhong and entered Xianyang, which shocked Xianyang. Zhang Han, the Shaofu, pardoned the Lishan prisoners and issued weapons to fight, and defeated Zhou Wen. After that, he defeated Chen Shengbu and Xiang Liang successively. Xiang Liang died in Dingtao.
PoliticsLi Si cut in half
Right Prime Minister Feng Quji, Left Prime Minister Li Si, and General Feng Jie persuaded them to stop the construction of Afang Palace and reduce taxes and levies. The Second Emperor imprisoned the three of them, and Feng Quji and Feng Jie committed suicide. Zhao Gao interrogated Li Si and tortured him to extract a confession. In July, Li Si was beheaded in Xianyang. The Yi tribe, Zhao Gao succeeded him as the prime minister.
MilitaryBattle of the Giant Deer
Zhang Han and Wang Li besieged Julu, Xiang Yu broke the cauldron and sank the boat, defeated the Qin army in nine battles, and captured Wang Li. Zhang Han was repeatedly jealous of Zhao Gao. In July, he led more than 200,000 Qin troops to surrender to Xiang Yu, and the main force of Qin Dynasty was destroyed.
PoliticsCall a deer a horse
In August, Zhao Gao offered a deer to the Second Emperor and called it a horse to test the officials. The Second Emperor smiled and asked around, some were silent, some echoed that it was a horse, and some said it was a deer. Zhao Gao secretly framed the person who said it was a deer afterwards, and all the officials were afraid of Zhao Gao afterwards.
PoliticsChanges in Wangyi Palace
Liu Bang conquered Wuguan, and Zhao Gao was afraid that the Second Emperor would pursue him, so he sent his son-in-law Yan Le to lead his troops to break into Wangyi Palace. The Second Emperor successively requested to be the king of a county, the marquis of ten thousand households, and a commoner, but was rejected. He was forced to commit suicide and was buried in Dunan Yichun Garden with the rites of a commoner.
Hu Hai's teacher. After supporting Hu Hai, he served as Lang Zhongling, and persuaded him to live in the palace and make decisions on his behalf. He also falsely accused Li Si of killing him, appointed himself the prime minister, and finally forced the Second Emperor to be killed. Later, he was assassinated by Ziying.
In order to keep his power and position, he agreed with Zhao Gao to establish Hu Hai, and wrote the "Book of Supervision and Responsibility" to cater to the Second Emperor's intention of severe punishment. After repeatedly admonishing him, he was framed by Zhao Gao for treason. He wrote a letter in prison stating that he had made great contributions but was not rewarded, and was eventually beheaded.
Together with Li Si, he was the prime minister and once accompanied the Second Emperor on his eastern tour. He was imprisoned for admonishing him to stop the construction of Afang Palace and reduce the number of garrison troops and transfer them to military work. He committed suicide on the grounds that "the general will not disgrace him."
The last famous general in the late Qin Dynasty formed an army with Lishan prisoners and defeated Zhou Wen, Chen Sheng, Xiang Liang and other tribes one after another. After the war, Julu surrendered to Xiang Yu due to Zhao Gao's suspicion and was granted the title of King Yong. Later, he was besieged by the Han army in Feiqiu and committed suicide.
He was a native of Yangcheng, a servant farmer, and the leader of the Daze Township uprising. After capturing Chen County, he proclaimed himself king, nicknamed "Zhang Chu". Anti-Qin forces arose in various places. He was defeated the following year and was killed by Zhuang Jia, a coachman.