Chinese Emperor: Qin Er Shi Trivia Quiz

Answer: Qin the Second

Qin Er Shi's personal name was Huhai. Despite being known as "Ying Huhai" in modern times, it was not a custom.to combine such names at the time.

Qin Shi Huang was Huhai's father. Who his mother was in not clear, but it has been speculated that she was Princess Hu Ji. As Qin Shi Huang was the first ruler of the Qin Dynasty, his heir is referred to as "Qin Er Shi" that is, "Qin the Second."

Answer: Youngest

Huhai, the boy who would become Qin Er Shi, was the eighteenth son of Qin Shi Huang.

The first Qin Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, was partial to concubines and had around 50 children, 30 sons and 15-20 daughters. Many of their names have been lost to history.

Answer: 19

Qin Er Shi was born in 229 BC, and ascended the throne of China when Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC.

Qin Shi Huang had envisioned a prestigious and lengthy dynasty, with his ancestors reigning over China for centuries. However, thanks to his son's weak ruling, naivety in youth, and being prone to manipulation, this dream would never materialise itself in history. Qin Er Shi made poor choices, such as trusting the eunuch Zhao Gao implicitly and allowing him to take over the government, a power that the Emperor should have reserved for himself.

Answer: Fusu

Fusu (241-210 BC) was Qin Shi Huang's oldest son, the original heir apparent of the First Qin Emperor.

Members of the government, Zhao Gao and Li Si, were worried about what Fusu's connections with their rival, Meng Tian, would mean for them should Fusu assume the throne. Li Si was worried he would steal his post as Prime Minister. Therefore, they conspired to prevent Fusu from becoming the second Qin Emperor, and implemented a plan for young Huhai to become Qin Er Shi instead.

Answer: Forged an edict

Zhao Gao and Li Si were behind a forgery that was disguised as an edict that nominated Huhai as the heir apparent of Qin Shi Huang. Following the reveal of this "edict," Fusu was forced to commit suicide. Zhao Gao, who died 207 BC, was a eunuch who manipulated many of Qin Er Shi's political decisions.

Fusu's death is debated and controversial amongst historians, whereas his life is remembered well. Fusu had been hailed as a humane member of the Qin Dynasty, objecting profusely to his father burying scholars alive during his reign. It was the objection that had led him to General Mian Tiang, having been sent to patrol his border troops after daring to criticise his father's actions.

Once the fake edict was presented to Fusu and Mian Tiang, the general tried to persuade the crown prince to question its authenticity, but Fusu could not be deterred and committed suicide, with Mian Tiang following shortly after. It has been speculated among historians that Fusu was well aware that the edict was a forgery, but recognised that Li Si and Zhao Gao would kill him anyway if he did not obey it.

Given how weak he was as an emperor, the extent of Qin Er Shi's involvement in Fusu's death is also debated.

Answer: Epang Palace

Epang Palace was first constructed during the reign of Qin Er Shi's father, with the building beginning in 212 BC. The remnants of the palace are located in the west of what is now the city of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. It has long been assumed that the palace was burned down during or following the fall of the Qin Dynasty.

To complete the palace's development, Qin Er Shi had to recruit labourers, a common practice for government building projects, roads, city walls, etc, in Imperial China. However, Qin Er Shi abused this privilege, making him a hated figure amongst the Chinese peasants who could no longer tend to their fields as they were too busy toiling to build the young emperor's palace.

In a rare instance of Qin Er Shi not taking the advice of his government officials, he ignored Li Si, who suggested slowing down the construction of the palace.

Answer: Chen Sheng and Wu Gang

Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were at the forefront of the cause against the Qin Dynasty. The revolt was helped by an influence of government workers: Qin law was very strict at the time, passing down sentences of execution to government workers who were late for their jobs, and there had recently been a severe storm, causing delays. Around 900 villagers took part in the Dazexiang Uprising.

Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were afraid of being executed upon not arriving at their posts north to defend Yuyang in time. They led an uprising against the oppressive government knowing they would be executed for their lack of punctuality, regardless. Both were killed in the battle against Qin Er Shi's army.

Answer: "Don't kill the messenger"

Qin Er Shi was known to have messengers who brought him bad news killed for daring to ruin his mood, so much so that envoys reporting to him would make up good news, such as revolts being under control while in reality they were causing a lot of chaos, for example.

The phrase has since evolved into "don't shoot the messenger." This is often hailed as Qin Er Shi's only legacy.

Answer: Jianglu

Jianglu is one of the named siblings of Qin Er Shi, who he had imprisoned, (one of at least six other brothers siblings of his) and executed following the advice of Zhao Gao. Jianglu is said to have screamed at the sky three times that he was innocent before committing suicide.

Zhao Gao had convinced the impressionable young Emperor that his brothers and sisters were a threat to his reign, that some were were secretly plotting against him and the others were guilty of some other imagined crimes.

Answer: That it should never be heard

Son of Heaven, or "Tianzi" was the honorary title for the Chinese Emperor since the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC).

Zhao Gao exploited this title by exclaiming that as the Son of Heaven, Qin Er Shi's voice was too sacred for the commoners to ever hear. This meant that he could keep the Emperor unaware of events of which Zhao Gao wanted him to remain ignorant. It also meant Zhao Gao remained in charge of giving the government orders, supposedly on behalf of the Emperor.

This policy of Qin Er Shi never having his voice heard or showing his face meant that he only consulted with Zhao in private, making the Emperor easy to manipulate.

Answer: Li Si

Li Si (280 BC - 208 BC) had served as Chancellor under Qin Shi Huang, and broke his promise to the Emperor made on his death bed, that he would implement Fusu on the Chinese throne. This was to avoid losing his job in the court to General Mian Tiang, who was close to Fusu.

Li Si was betrayed by the eunuch Zhao Gao, who had him subjected to torture until he admitted to treason. Qin Er Shi trusted Zhao Gao's judgement blindly, and sentenced Li Si to the Five Pains Punishment, which involved amputation, castration, tattooing in some instances, and execution via the chopping of the waist. Li Si's family were also executed.

Li Si's execution took place in a public market. His last words were reportedly to his son: "I wish that you and I could take our brown dog and go out through the eastern gate of Shang Cai to chase the crafty hare. But how could we do that!"

Chancellor Feng Quqi and General Feng Jie did incur the interrogations and accusations of the manipulated Emperor, but they both committed suicide to avoid public execution and humiliating death, such as the grisly fate of Li Si.

Answer: Meng Yi

General Meng Yi was part of Qin Shi Huang's Court during the early days of the Qin Dynasty. Qin Shi Huang found the Meng family trustworthy and honorable, and kept them close in his court. Meng Yi was so close to the first Qin Emperor that he was permitted to ride in his carriage with him. Member of the Qin family, Ziying, strongly objected to the idea of killing the Mengs, but Qin Er Shi refused to listen to him.

Again under the influence of Zhao Gao, Qin Er Shi agreed to have Meng Yi, and the rest of the Meng clan executed. His reasoning was that the Mengs were close to Fusu, particularly Mian Tiang, therefore the entire clan had to be disposed of in case they ever sought revenge for Fusu's death.

An envoy was sent to instruct Meng Yi to commit suicide. Meng Yi refused and tried to talk his way out of the order, prompting the envoy to kill him.

Answer: Zhao Gao

In 207 BC, Zhao Gao decided to play a power game against Qin Er Shi. He presented a deer at the court and insisted it was a horse.

Qin Er Shi was amused by this and remarked, "Is the chancellor perhaps mistaken, calling a deer a horse?" Some court officials nervously agreed with Zhao Gao that it was a horse, which saved their lives, as Zhao Gao had everyone in the court who had disagreed and called it a deer executed. This incident provides the Chinese saying, "Point to a deer and call it a horse," that is, someone has deliberately misrepresented the facts.

Answer: Battle of Julu

The Battle of Julu took place in what is now modern-day Pingxian County, Xingtai, Hebei, China. Qin Er Shi lost most of his men in this battle, with casualties being estimated to be at around 100,000 - 200,000 men.

Qin Er Shi's forces fought against the neighbouring rebel state, Chu. China had only been united for a generation under Qin Er Shi, and there were still states rebelling against Qin rule.

Answer: Zhang Han

Zhang Han (died 205 BC) was a Qin Dynasty military general who at first was successful in quelling the rebellions against Qin Er Shi and his government.

It was Zhang Han who suggested to Qin Er Shi to use convicts to act as an army against rebellions and to become labourers build Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. He attacked Zhao forces in 207 BC, who in turn sought help from Emperor Yi of Chu. Sending aid to Zhao was the catalyst for the Battle of Julu.

Sima Xin was employed by Zhang Han to request reinforcements after battle, but Zhao Gao's treachery meant they were denied this. Zhao Gao facilitated an assassination attempt on Sima Xin following his request for help, but he managed to escape this attempt unscathed.

Sima Xin was able to reach Zhang Han and warn him of Zhao Gao's duplicity and murderous intent. It dawned on Zhang Han that even if he won the Battle of Julu, a feat he would lose regardless, he would be executed be the treacherous eunuch, Zhao Gao upon his return to Qin Er Shi's court. Realising there was no way out, he gave the order for him and his 200,000 troops to surrender.

Answer: Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu (232 BC -also known as Xiang Ji, was sent by Emperor Yi of Chu to rebel against Qin Er Shi, leading to the Battle of Julu. After he was successful in the battle and had the Qin forces under his control, Xiang Yu was designated the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu." Emperor Yi of Chu also designated the title of "Duke of Chu" in 208 BC following the restoration of the Chu State.

Xiang Yu was in the company of Song Yi (died 207 BC), the leader of the Chu army, who wanted to have the army wait and make camp for over 40 days before proceeding to battle. Xiang Yu strongly objected to this plan, so much so that he snuck up on Song Yi and assassinated him.

Following the assassination of Song Yi, Xiang Yu took control of his army as Song Yi's colleagues were too frightened to resist. Xiang Yu informed Emperor Yi of Chu of his actions via a letter, and he approved of Xiang Yu's proclamation that he was commander-in-chief of the Chu army.

Despite being heavily outnumbered by Qin Er Shi's army, the Chu army led by Xiang Yu was victorious in the Battle of Julu.

Answer: Live burial

Xiang Yu felt that he could not trust the captured Qin soldiers. He decided to have them buried alive. This is purported to have been the fate of 200,000 Qin soldiers, however, the authenticity of Sima Qian's figures have been questioned by historians. It is notable that in Mandarin, the term "one thousand" is used to describe a large amount, thus the number 200,000 could simply mean a lot if the remaining soldiers faced live burial.

While the precise meanings and level of authenticity of Sima Qian's, a Han Dynasty historian, records are hotly debated regularly, historians generally agree that they provide a general good idea of what was happening in China at the time, despite the events he recorded start 2,000 years before his lifetime. His numbers are often regarded as exaggerated, so although it is unlikely that 200,000 people were buried alive, there could in reality be many prisoners of war that were subjected to live burial as punishment.

Xiang Yu would die himself years later of suicide in 203 BC, following his defeat in the Battle of Gaixia.

Answer: Zhao Gao

The ever untrustworthy Zhao Gao forced Qin Er Shi to commit suicide just three years into his reign as Emperor. He was 21 - 22 years old.

It had been difficult to control the rebellions occurring under the reign of Qin Er Shi. When Zhao Gao was made aware of the sizeable revolt breaking out east of Hangu Pass, the mountain pass that splits the upper Yellow River and Wei valleys, he was frightened of Qin Er Shi blaming him for losing control of the kingdom. In a preemptive strike to avoid his own demise, he staged a coup against the Emperor who had put so much trust in him, forcing him to kill himself.

Zhao Gao did not hold any reverence for Qin Er Shi's death, and was remorseless for his hand in it. He denied the Second Qin Emperor a royal state burial, and condemned his memory after his death.

Answer: Ziying

Ziying, King of Qin (died 206 BC), was the very short-lived successor of Qin Er Shi, reigning over the broken Qin Empire for just 46 days. The identity of Ziying is disputed in regards to his position on the Qin family tree. Some historians say he was the son of Fusu, some speculate that he was Qin Shi Huang's nephew or cousin, and some say had the same relation with Qin Er Shi.

Despite being implemented on the throne by Zhao Gao, Ziying was understandably suspicious that the eunuch would try to kill him at some point, given his extensive history of having people assassinated.

Ziying pretended to be sick on the day of his coronation, hoping to lure Zhao Gao, who would likely try to persuade him to attend the ceremony, into his quarters. When an unsuspecting Zhao Gao arrived to fetch Ziying, the new Emperor ordered another eunuch, Han Tan, to kill Zhao Gao, which he did. Ziying also had Zhao Gao's entire clan executed following this.

The Qin Dynasty would end with Ziying's surrender to Liu Bang (256 BC - 195 BC), who would later establish the Han Dynasty, reigning from 202 BC - 195 BC.

Ziying was assassinated by Xiang Yu, who had previously led the Battle of Julu against the Qin army.

Answer: Xi'an

Xi'an is the capital city of Shaanxi Province, located on the northern foot of the Qin Mountains in Northwestern China. It has also been.known as "Chang'an" in the past. His tomb is much less extravagant than his father, Qin Shi Huang's tomb, with no terracotta army present. Surrounding the tomb is a modest park, with plain green lawns as opposed to the flower gardens of more beloved Chinese emperor's tombs.

To add to the evidence of Zhao Gao's unceremonious treatment of the deceased Qin Er Shi, the Emperor was also never awarded a posthumous temple name, a name awarded in Chinese tradition to facilitate ancestor worship. His successor, Ziying, however, is sometimes presented as a door god or "menshen" in Taoist and traditional Chinese religions, with the purpose of keeping evil spirits from passing through doors and gates. There is no evidence of Qin Er Shi being revered in this way.

The tomb features an inscription in Chinese that serves as a warning to Chinese parents that roughly translates to, "Spoiled children like Hu Hai who are raised by wealthy parents have little or no moral values. As they have any forms of necessary daily life skills or sense of good judgement, they end up with spoiling the whole family (dynasty)."