Zhao Zheng

Zhao Zheng By M. S. [[intro->Zhao Zheng Intro]] [[Bibliography->Bibliography]]

The construction of the wall begins in the year of 214 BCE. Over the next decade, a wall covering 4,160 miles (6,700 kilometers) was erected. Despite the wall successfully walling out the invaders, thousands of workers fell during the construction of the wall, whether to the invaders trying to slow the wall's construction or to exhaustion. However, the wall is successfully created, and the invader’s numbers come crashing down. With invaders no longer a constant threat, your focus goes towards making improvements within the country such as standardizing the width of roads, weights and measures, laws, coinage, and even the written script. However, Confucian scholars see you as unfit to rule and denounce you. They speak of a golden age in the past and claim that things were better when you were not the emperor. The scholars also dislike the legalist ideology that the lands are told to follow. If they are allowed to continue speaking like this, your people will see you as weak and unwilling to fight back against criticism A question of how to handle the scholars for denouncing your rule arrives. [[Remove Confucianism from China->Confucianism go bye bye]] [[Allow them to exist->Confucianism doesn't go bye bye]] :: Great Wall The construction of the wall begins in the year of 214 BCE. Over the next decade, a wall covering 4,160 miles (6,700 kilometers) was erected. Despite the wall successfully walling out the invaders, thousands of workers fell during the construction of the wall, whether to the invaders trying to slow the wall's construction or to exhaustion. However, the wall is successfully created, and the invader’s numbers come crashing down. With invaders no longer a constant threat, your focus goes towards making improvements within the country such as standardizing the width of roads, weights and measures, laws, coinage, and even the written script. However, Confucian scholars see you as unfit to rule and denounce you. They speak of a golden age in the past and claim that things were better when you were not the emperor. The scholars also dislike the legalist ideology that the lands are told to follow. If they are allowed to continue speaking like this, your people will see you as weak and unwilling to fight back against criticism A question of how to handle the scholars for denouncing your rule arrives. [[Remove Confucianism from China->Confucianism go bye bye]] [[Allow them to exist->Confucianism doesn't go bye bye]]

Troops are deployed to the northern border in the year 214 BCE to reduce the number of invaders. The invaders slowly begin to decrease in numbers. However, casualties are high, and morale quickly falls. The people see this as an impermanent solution to the invaders. Public opinion falls for the new emperor for a less than optimal solution. The people dream of a different timeline where their husbands and children did not die for holding a barrier that did not even work. You need to think of a solution to save face and attempt to salvage your reputation. [[Blame the advisors->Advisors get blame]] [[Manipulate Rumors->Rumor Spreading]]

You are Zhao Zheng, a Qin Prince born in the state of Zhao in 233. You took over the entire country of Qin at the ripe young age of 13. Aided by your advisor Lu Buwei, and his mother, your goal of uniting all the other states under the Qin banner begins. Starting with the Han, you took over Chu, Wei, Yan, and finally, your old home state, Zhao. You took over all the remaining states, gave yourself the title, Emperor of China, and started the Qin Dynasty. You decided that it was time to change your name to Qi Shi Huang Di. With your ascension to the throne, reports arrive of invaders from the North entering China and causing havoc. Your advisors have come up with two ideas and ask for your advice on which to choose. They advise either [[building a wall-> Great Wall]] or [[increasing border patrol->Border Patrol]]. The construction of the wall will take time, money, and likely lives of workers, but the effort will likely pay off in the long term, as the invaders will have a much harder time breaking into the country. The border patrol, however, will be effective immediately, and only the lives of soldiers and their wages will be at stake. The only problem with the army is that some military power will be diverted to the North, making it harder to defend and capture the lands. The army also does not solve the problem of invaders long term, but these problems can be left for another day.

The public is told that your advisors decided to send the army, and this should be held responsible for the poor decision making of the state. To salvage your reputation has mixed results. Some of the public hatred moves towards the advisors, but, the public still dislikes your rule. They say things like "It's the emperor's fault for having poor advisors." "Why weren't they replaced earlier?" Now the public seems to be favoring politicians from the other states opposing your rule. They are threats to your rule. [["Silence" the opposition->Commit a few crimes]]

You tell your palace workers and soldiers to spread rumors that the public that the invasions are slowing down dramatically. People buy into it, though there is still doubt in the public. Despite the public being somewhat satiated, the soldier's morale is dangerously low. They want to go home, see their families and escape the constant fighting. Your advisors again bring up the idea of building a wall to stop the invaders. [[Build the Wall-> Great Wall but less great]]

Chaos ensues after many of the political opposition "go missing." The remaining leaders take up arms. Civil war once again retakes China. Invaders seeing this opportunity once again plague the North. Your goal of keeping the peace in China fails. The total failure of your rule disappoints your subjects. The nobles have turned and send assassins. They come after you, one after another. Day after day, a lucky one sneaks in, and death arrives. With your last breath drawn, a new period of strife takes root in the land and thus, ends your empire.

Construction of the wall starts. With the increased border patrols already on site, the wall's construction starts. The invaders, already concerned with the increase of soldiers, see the wall construction start and increase the ferocity of their attacks. The already low morale of the troops causes the wall's construction to halt. Soldiers have had enough and flee. The wall is not able to be fully constructed. Soldiers deployed to protect the wall slowly begin to desert the wall and tell their tales about the state of the wall. Rumors spread and are not stopped fast enough. The people once again lose faith in the capabilities of the new Emperor. Combined with the failure of the wall and the invader problem becoming even worse, political rivals pounce on your failure. Civil war as groups try to the people are not pleased. Rebel forces begin to arise, and soon civil war takes over the land. With the loss of the land, you take up arms and try to reconquer the lands, but age and general hatred against you and your regime has assassins crawling the lands, aiming for your life. A group of assassins, disguised as merchants sell you poisoned tea and fish, which you have the pleasure of consuming, which in turn consume your life.

To remove Confucian opposition and to further solidify Legalism as a philosophy for your people, you order your soldiers to burn all Confucius' texts, except those written about practical topics such as agriculture, medicine, and divination. The scholars who attempt to protect the scrolls are executed, and the dissenters as well as scholars discovered to be in hiding, are buried alive. Terrified and enraged, your subjects plan assassinations while they live in fear, praying to never end up like those scholars. Despite Legalism now being the dominant ideology within China and many of the Confucian scholars out of the picture, the assassins they send terrify you to no ends. One of your Taoist advisors speaks of a potion of immortality and advises you to [[seek it out->Look for the potion of immortality]], however, the other advisors believe that you should simply [[increase security around the palace->hide in palace]]. Should you find said potion of immortality, you can rule your lands and never have to fear death by assassination, freak accident, or anything of the sort. However, you question whether a man should live forever, and if it even exists in the first place lies in the back of your mind.

The Confucian scholars see your inaction as softness and further denounce your rule. The public sees you take the abuse and take no further action. They reach the same conclusion. The people see you as weak and lose respect for your rule. They want to replace you since you are seen as a pushover. The people publicly show their dismay towards your rule. They are kind enough to break into the palace and simply banish you to a corner of the land. They allow you to live with your family and you live out the rest of your days on a farm, ironically one that directly feeds the soldiers of the wall that your dynasty built. The rebels form a new dynasty known as the Han. Your name is written in history as a man who started an insignificant dynasty, its only accomplishment being building a wall to defend against the invading tribes.

Guards increase in number. Assassination attempts slow down. Your life seems to be safe for now. Your lack of appearance in public shows the people that the assassination attempts, are in fact, something that you fear. The rebels search the lands for an assassin capable of doing the deed, knowing that you fear leaving the palace for too long. They succeed in finding an assassin willing and capable of taking you out. Ironically, the assassin disguises himself as a guard. With the increase in guards, it is not uncommon for guards to not recognize each other, and the assassin easily sneaks into the palace. He does what assassins do and your life is taken. Your advisor is the one who planned your demise and has his son, Qin Er Shi, made the new emperor. Qin Er Shi takes over as emperor, but shortly after, the Qin dynasty are removed completely, as they are replaced by the Han. Your empire ends and your legacy is set in history as a tyrant who silenced the opposition at any cost. The public knows not of how you died but is glad that your reign of tyranny is over.

Bibliography Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. "Qin Shi Huangdi." In Dictators and Tyrants. N.p.: Facts On File, 1994. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11113&itemid=WE49&articleId=238301. Higham, Charles F. w. "Warring States Period." In Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations. N.p.: Facts On File, 2004. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11113&itemid=WE49&articleId=221499. Mark, Joshua J. "Shi Huangdi." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified December 18, 2012. Accessed January 19, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/Shi_Huangdi/#citation_info. Perkins, Dorothy. "Qin Shi Huangdi." In Encyclopedia of China. N.p.: Facts On File, 1998. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11113&itemid=WE49&articleId=223433. "Shi Huangdi Becomes Emperor of a Unified China: 221 Bce." In Global Events: Milestone Events throughout History, edited by Jennifer Stock. Vol. 2. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2014. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/OLZDYE154524310/WHIC?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-WHIC&xid=46f2bb9f. Upshur, Jiu-hwa Lo. "Qin Dynasty." In Encyclopedia of the Ancient World: Prehistory to 600 CE. N.p.: Facts On File, 2016. online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11113&itemid=WE49&articleId=237547.

Officials travel the lands, searching far and wide for the potion of immortality, but are unable to find it. Coming to realize that death will come, you create a grand tomb, protected by thousands of terracotta soldiers to guard you in the afterlife. Separate rooms containing a variety of things were also built within the tomb. One room, for example, contained items for traveling, one for food, and another for goods used in the actual mortuary rituals. Your will states for your son Fu Su to become the next emperor of China. Your trusted advisor, however, has different plans. He doesn't deliver the will and rather changes it to have his son, Qin Er Shi as the new emperor. He also uses your name to trick your son into committing suicide. Qin Er Shi takes over as emperor, but shortly after, the Qin is conquered by the Han. Your empire ends and your legacy is set in history as a tyrant who silenced the opposition at any cost