The Gathering Storm: A Doomed March to the Frontier

In the seventh month of 209 BCE, during the second year of Qin Er Shi’s reign, a military convoy of approximately nine hundred conscripts found themselves stranded in Daze Village, Qi County of Sishui Commandery (modern southeastern Suzhou, Anhui Province). The seasonal rains between summer and autumn had transformed the landscape into an impassable quagmire – rivers overflowed their banks, lakes and marshes swelled beyond recognition, and the earthen roads dissolved into treacherous mud.

This contingent, drafted from various counties in Chen Commandery, had been ordered to reinforce the northern frontier garrison at Yuyang (near present-day Miyun in eastern Beijing). Commanded by two county-level military officers (equivalent to modern county armed forces directors), the group followed the Qin military’s strict hierarchical organization: five soldiers formed a “wu” led by a wuzhang, two wu made a “shi” under a shizhang, five shi became a “tun” commanded by a tunzhang, and so forth up to thousand-man units. Among these ranks served two tunzhang named Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, whose names would soon echo through history.

The Unusual Conscripts: Poverty and Rebellion in the Making

Chen Sheng hailed from Yangcheng County (modern Shangshui, Henan) while Wu Guang came from Yangxia County (modern Taikang, Henan) – both impoverished peasants whose conscription defied Qin norms. The Qin military traditionally drew from propertied middle-class families who could afford personal equipment and had vested interests in maintaining the state. However, decades of relentless campaigns under Qin Shi Huang had exhausted these human resources.

By Emperor Er Shi’s reign, the desperate government began conscripting landless peasants (known as “lüzuo”) – a dangerous precedent that armed society’s most discontented elements. These rootless poor, lacking stake in the system, became tinder for rebellion when organized and armed. Chen Sheng’s background hints at this volatility – a landless laborer who once told fellow farmhands: “If we become rich and noble someday, let’s not forget each other.” When mocked for such ambitions, he famously retorted: “How can sparrows understand the aspirations of swans?”

The Fateful Decision: From Delayed March to Open Rebellion

The convoy’s predicament turned dire as continuous rains made reaching Yuyang by the deadline impossible. Qin military law mandated execution for such “delayed arrival” offenses. Facing certain death whether they proceeded, fled, or remained, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang chose revolution. Their reasoning combined pragmatism with political acumen: “Since we face death regardless, why not die for a grand cause?”

Chen Sheng proposed exploiting popular discontent by invoking two powerful symbols: Fusu (the supposedly wronged eldest son of Qin Shi Huang) and Xiang Yan (a beloved Chu general). This dual appeal cleverly targeted both resentment against Qin tyranny and Chu patriotism in this former Chu territory. Consulting a diviner who cryptically suggested “consulting the spirits,” they staged supernatural omens – a fish containing a silk message reading “Chen Sheng shall be king” and nighttime fox-fire displays proclaiming “Great Chu shall rise, Chen Sheng shall rule.”

The Spark Ignites: Ritual Sacrifice and Revolutionary Rhetoric

The rebellion began during a tense meal when Wu Guang deliberately provoked their commanders. After seizing a sword during the ensuing confrontation, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang killed the officers and rallied the troops with historic words: “We face execution for delay, and probable death even if we reach the frontier. Since brave men must die, let it be for a noble cause! Are kings and nobles born to their status?”

The group established a ceremonial altar, sacrificed the commanders’ heads, and swore oaths with right arms bared – reviving Chu traditions. Their declaration supporting Fusu and Xiang Yan provided ideological cover while appealing to both Qin subjects and Chu patriots.

From Band of Rebels to State Power: The Zhang Chu Kingdom

What began as a mutiny rapidly evolved into an organized rebellion. Following Qin military structures, the rebels expanded their force, capturing Qi County and moving westward through strategic towns. Their ranks swelled to tens of thousands as they approached Chen County (modern Huaiyang, Henan) – a symbolic target as former Chu capital and hotbed of anti-Qin sentiment.

After taking Chen County in late 209 BCE, Chen Sheng convened local elites who urged him to establish a formal government. Thus was born the Zhang Chu (“Expansive Chu”) kingdom, with Chen Sheng as king. This institutionalization transformed a military revolt into a political alternative, attracting Confucius’ descendant Kong Fu, Wei royalty, and Chu nobility to its banner.

The Fire Spreads: Multi-Front War Against Qin

The Zhang Chu government launched coordinated campaigns:
– Wu Guang led the main force toward Xingyang to threaten the Qin heartland
– Song Liu attacked Nanyang to approach the Wu Pass
– Wu Chen headed north to former Yan and Zhao territories
– Zhou Shi moved against former Wei lands
– Other generals struck toward Jiujiang and Guangling

Within months, rebellions erupted across former Chu lands under leaders like Xiang Liang, Liu Bang, and Ying Bu – all nominally supporting Zhang Chu. Though Chen Sheng’s regime would collapse within a year, his uprising fatally weakened Qin, proving that the supposedly invincible empire could be challenged.

Legacy of the Daze Village Uprising

Chen Sheng’s rebellion demonstrated several revolutionary principles that would echo through Chinese history:
1) The power of symbolic leadership – invoking Fusu and Xiang Yan
2) The effectiveness of supernatural propaganda
3) The vulnerability of authoritarian regimes to organized dissent
4) The importance of institutionalizing rebellion into alternative government

Though short-lived, the Zhang Chu kingdom established patterns later rebels would follow. Its multi-pronged military strategy anticipated the Han dynasty’s campaigns, while its blend of political pragmatism and popular appeal became a template for successful revolutions. Most importantly, Chen Sheng proved that imperial authority wasn’t inviolable – a lesson that would resonate through two millennia of Chinese dynastic cycles.

The uprising’s location near modern Suzhou remains commemorated, while Chen Sheng’s defiant question – “Are kings and nobles born to their status?” – continues to challenge hierarchical societies. In six explosive months, a stranded military unit had shaken an empire to its foundations, beginning the process that would end China’s first unified dynasty.