24. Who was Qin Shi Huang's eldest son?
From Quiz Chinese Emperor: Qin Shi Huang
Answer:
Fu Su
Qin Shi Huang fathered around 50 children, but most of their names are lost to history.
Fu Su was heir to the Qin throne and the first son of Qin Shi Huang. His mother was from the Zheng State and purportedly liked to sing the Zheng ballad "On the Mountains are Good Trees" which is where Fu Su got his name from, with his name meaning "good trees." Fu Su was said to be a calming influence who regularly counteracted the aggressive whims of his dictatorial father. Fu Su protested the live burials of alchemists and Confucian scholars and attempted to explain to Qin Shi Huang that burying these scholars would surely cause a deep resentment towards the Emperor and his reign. Qin Shi Huang was not impressed what what he perceived as his son's insolence, and sent him effectively into exile to monitor General Meng Tian and his army on the northern border.
Hu Hai (also known as "Qin Er Shi" whilst emperor) was the eighteenth son of Qin Shi Huang. When Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC, Fu Su had become a seasoned army man on the northern bordern with General Meng Tian. However, this would not stop Hu Hai from usurping him. Hu Hai forged Qin Shi Huang's will, littering it false statements that Fu Su was a disgrace, had never helped China and had to die. General Meng Tian objected to the will vehemently, declaring it a forgery. Fu Su likely realised that he would be killed regardless by his brother and those who supported him, and stabbed himself with his sword. General Meng Tian eventually gave in to the pressure and poisoned himself.
Hu Hai was the successor of Qin Shi Huang, but his reign only lasted for three years. He slaughtered his siblings out of paranoid, but it was not them he perhaps should have feared. Zhao Gao, a statesman who had helped him usurp his elder brother, forced him to commit suicide in 207 BC, aged 21-22. He was not given a royal funeral.
Fu Su is considered a tragic and unjustly persecuted character within Chinese history. He was considered to be the one who deserved the throne of Qin after Qin Shi Huang's death. If he had have taken General Meng Tian's advice and fought the fake decree with a 300,000-strong army on his side, Hu Hai would have been easily defeated. Based on his military proficiency, morals and intelligence his reign that never happened would have likely made the Qin Dynasty last longer.