The Fragile Reign of Emperor Qin Er Shi

The death of Qin Shi Huang in 210 BCE marked the end of an era defined by ruthless centralization and monumental projects like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army. His funeral concluded, the throne passed to his youngest son, Hu Hai, crowned as Emperor Qin Er Shi. Unlike his formidable father, the 21-year-old ruler was weak-willed and easily manipulated by two powerful figures: the eunuch Zhao Gao and the chancellor Li Si.

Zhao Gao, a shrewd palace administrator, and Li Si, a Legalist scholar who had helped shape Qin’s authoritarian policies, quickly became locked in a struggle for dominance. While Li Si dismissed Zhao Gao as a mere servant, the eunuch was already plotting his rival’s downfall. Under their influence, the Qin regime grew even more tyrannical. Laws were tightened, taxes increased, and dissent was crushed with unprecedented brutality.

A Dynasty Built on Blood

To secure his position, Qin Er Shi ordered the execution of all potential rivals—his siblings. Twelve princes were publicly beheaded in Xianyang’s market, while ten princesses suffered the gruesome fate of dismemberment. Their families and retainers were slaughtered under collective punishment laws. Meanwhile, the emperor pursued his father’s unfinished ambitions: expanding the Afang Palace, extending the imperial road network, and completing the First Emperor’s colossal tomb.

The burden fell heaviest on the peasants. Conscription drives targeted the poor, while corrupt officials exploited loopholes to exempt the wealthy. Among the dispossessed was Chen Sheng, a day laborer from Yangcheng, whose resentment would soon alter the course of history.

The Tinderbox of Daze Village

In 209 BCE, Chen Sheng and 900 conscripts were ordered to garrison Yuyang (modern-day Beijing). Heavy rains trapped them in Daze Village, making timely arrival impossible. Under Qin’s draconian laws, delay meant execution. Facing certain death, Chen Sheng and his co-leader Wu Guang saw rebellion as their only option.

To rally their men, they staged supernatural omens: a fish with a silk message (“Chen Sheng shall be king”) and eerie fox cries in the night proclaiming, “Great Chu shall rise!” These theatrics, combined with growing anger toward abusive Qin officers, set the stage for revolt. When Wu Guang provoked a drunken commander into attacking him, the conscripts erupted in fury. Seizing the moment, Chen Sheng killed the other officer and delivered a fiery speech:

“Since we face death regardless, why not die for a cause? Are kings and nobles born to rule—or can men like us seize destiny?”

The Fire Spreads

The Daze Village Uprising marked the first major revolt against the Qin. Declaring himself “King of Rising Chu,” Chen Sheng tapped into nostalgia for the pre-Qin Chu state. His forces swelled as desperate peasants and former nobles joined. Though Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were eventually betrayed and killed within a year, their rebellion exposed Qin’s fragility.

Other rebellions erupted, including those led by Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (future founder of the Han Dynasty). By 206 BCE, the Qin collapsed—a testament to how oppression breeds its own downfall.

Legacy: The Peasant Who Shook an Empire

Chen Sheng’s revolt demonstrated the power of collective desperation. His famous cry—”Wanghou jiangxiang ning you zhong hu!” (王侯将相宁有种乎)—challenged the idea of innate nobility, echoing through Chinese history as a symbol of resistance. While his rebellion was short-lived, it ignited the tinderbox that destroyed China’s first unified empire.

Today, Chen Sheng is remembered as a folk hero. His story underscores a timeless lesson: even the mightest dynasties can fall when they forget the people who sustain them. The Qin’s legacy of centralized power endured, but its brutality became a cautionary tale—one that still resonates in discussions of governance and justice.