Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms and established the Qin Dynasty, realizing the long-cherished wish of several generations of previous kings starting from Qin Xiaogong to rule the world. However, the life of Ying Zheng is an unsolved mystery.
There have always been two versions in history describing the life of Huan Zheng, one is that Huan Zheng is the son of Zichu (Prince Xiang of Qin Zhuang) and is an authentic royal bloodline; The other said that Ying Zheng was the illegitimate son born of Qin Xiangguo Lu Buwei and Empress Dowager Zhao Ji!
Statue of Qin Shi Huang
Sima Qian's Victory Administration
Sima Qian is a great Chinese historian, and his Shiji is considered the most objective and wonderful. Sima Qian lived more than 100 years after Qin Shi Huang, not far from the Qin Dynasty. However, there are two versions of his statement about the life of Qin Shi Huang.
In the "History of Qin Benji", it is said that when King Zhuangxiang died, the prince Huanzheng succeeded to the throne and became the later Qin Shi Huang.
However, in the "History of Lü Buwei", he recorded a story that Ying Zheng was the son of Lü Buwei of Qin Xiangguo: Lü Buwei, a merchant of the State of Zhao, had a beautiful woman who could sing and dance well, named Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji is pregnant with Lu Buwei's child. The prince of Qin, who was a hostage in the state of Zhao at that time, was fascinated by Zhao Ji after seeing him, and was seen by Lü Buwei, and Lü Buwei sacrificed Zhao Ji to the Prince of Qin. Later, Zhao Ji gave birth to a child, and Zichu (Prince of Qin) thought it was his son and named him Huan Zheng. With the help of Lü Buwei, Zichu returned to the Qin state and inherited the throne, which he passed to Huan Zheng after his death.
Sima Qian, historian of the Western Han Dynasty
Zhao Ji was Lü Buwei's bargaining chip to gain royal power
"Shiji Lu Buwei Liebiography records: Lu Buwei once found a stunning beauty Zhao Ji in the dancing Ji in Handan City. When Zhuangxiang Prince Chu saw Zhao Ji at Lu Buwei's house, he liked it very much. Lu Buwei was very unhappy, but after thinking about it, now all the family business is used to help Zichu and make his own "political investment", why not use Zhao Ji to make a bargaining chip in exchange for royal benefits, so he sacrificed Zhao Ji to Zichu.
Regarding Zhao Ji's origin, it is recorded in the "History of Lü Buwei Lie" that Qin Shi Huang's mother was a singer of Handan, but it is recorded that when Zhuangxiang Prince Chu returned to the Qin state, he said "Lady Zichu, the daughter of Zhao Hao's family".
In 247 BC, Prince Chu of Zhuangxiang, who had reigned for only three years, died, so the 13-year-old Yingzheng succeeded to the throne. Lü Buwei also reached the pinnacle of his political career, not only replacing the young Ying Zheng in handling state affairs, but also having Ying Zheng honor him call him "Zhong Father". And Zhao Ji, whose mother was noble by virtue of her son, was made the queen mother, and she had a promiscuous life in the harem!
Zhao Ji, the biological mother of Qin Shi Huang, Empress Dowager
Although many people are now willing to believe that Zhao Ji was born in a wealthy family, it is more in line with the marriage of the ancients. But more than two thousand years have passed since the facts, and the life of Qin Shi Huang can still be used as a point of discussion!