According to the account of Lü Buwei Lie in Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Qin Shi Huang is considered to be the son of Lü Buwei. This record is clearly visible in the official history. However, when consulting the "Qin Shi Huang Benji", there is this description: "Qin Shi Huang, the son of King Xiang of Qin Zhuang. When King Zhuangxiang was a proton in Zhao State, he met Lü Buwei's concubine, fell in love with her, married her, and gave birth to the first emperor. The first emperor was born in Handan in the first month of the 48th year of King Qin Zhao. After birth, he was named Zheng and surnamed Zhao. When King Zhuangxiang died, he was only thirteen years old and inherited the throne of Qin. ”
The first information mentions that Lü Buwei dedicated the pregnant Zhao Ji to the stranger. The article mentions: "Ji hid himself, and when he was older, he gave birth to a son." Obviously, this seems to imply that Qin Shi Huang was the son of Lü Buwei. The second source insists that Qin Shi Huang was the son of King Xiang of Qin Zhuang, and the fact that he was "surnamed Zhao" further strengthens the assertion that he was the orthodox of the Qin Dynasty. In the face of such contradictions, how should we interpret them?
The arguments put forward by the positive side include:
1, it is clearly recorded in the "Historical Records": "Lü Buwei took the handan princesses who were excellent dancers and lived together, and knew that they had bodies." Zichu never drank well, and said when he saw it, because it was longevity, please do it. Lü Buwei was angry, he had broken his family and became a son, and he wanted to fish for curiosity, so he offered his concubine. Ji hid himself, and when he was older, he gave birth to a son. ”
2. In the process of offering concubines in Handan, Lü Buwei was obviously engaged in political speculation. Considering Lü Buwei's nationality and the social atmosphere of the Wei State at that time, such an act was reasonable in the context of the time.
3. Lü Buwei's anger may have been disguised, and its real purpose was to cover up his political ambitions.
The counterparty makes the following counterarguments:
1. Zhao Ji can sing and dance, and if she performs dance while pregnant, there will be an extremely high risk. Therefore, it is likely that she was known to Lü Buwei at the beginning of her pregnancy, but this does not determine the sex of the child.
2. In ancient times, it was difficult for people to determine the sex of the fetus in the early stages of pregnancy. Therefore, Lü Buwei could not be sure that the fetus in Zhao Ji's womb must be a boy.
3. The risk of political investment is extremely high, and if the matter is exposed, it may face danger to life. And, if you invest without knowing the sex of the fetus, you may well get nothing.
4. Regarding the interpretation of "the last period, the birth of children", the ancients had two interpretations of "the great period": one is ten months, that is, a complete pregnancy period, and the other is twelve months. According to the ten-month explanation, it is almost medically impossible for Zhao Ji to get pregnant and give birth to a child in a different person, because this is an overdue pregnancy, which is extremely harmful to the fetus and the mother.
5. Regarding the record of Zhao Ji's pregnancy, only the "Lü Family Spring and Autumn Period" and the "Biography of Lü Buweilie" in "Historical Records" mention it, and other historical books such as "Warring States Policy", "Huainanzi", "Qianfu Theory" and so on do not mention this matter. Therefore, this claim lacks sufficient evidence to support it.
Whether Zhao Ji was pregnant before marrying another person is still a mystery to this day. The reason why this rumor has been circulating for thousands of years is probably the result of Lü Buwei and his disciples and some people with ulterior motives in the Six Kingdoms. Their purpose may be to elevate their status or vent their anger. However, the truth remains a mystery to be solved.