At that time, an ambitious young emperor unified China. He forged a great empire, implemented many reforms, and laid the foundation for the long-term stability of the country. But fate gave him an unfair ending. Almost all descendants have had a negative assessment of him, even portraying him as a tyrant. But what is the truth? An ancient recital hidden in the Palace Museum seems to unravel this thousand-year-old mystery for us. It allows us to re-examine the founding emperor of unified China from a whole new perspective. What kind of astonishing sacrifice did he make for the benefit of the entire Chinese nation? Does history owe him an apology?
Founding Achievements: Unifying China and reforming the system
In 221 BC, King Yingzheng of Qin led a large army to conquer Linzi of Qi, completely ending the centuries-long Warring States Period. Prior to this, the Central Plains region had been in a turbulent situation of the Seven Heroes Dispute, and the countries were fighting for each other, and the war was incessant.
Faced with this situation, the young Qin Wang Yingzheng resolutely made up his mind to implement the policy of "enriching the country and strengthening the army". He made heavy metals, reformed agricultural production, and strengthened centralization. After decades of war preparations, the Qin State finally accumulated a strong strength.
In 230 BC, the Qin army began a foreign expedition. In just over 10 years, the Qin army successively captured the six kingdoms of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, completely unifying the Central Plains. This was the first time in China's history that the whole country was reunified in the true sense of the word, ending the situation of division and separation, and establishing centralized power.
During the war, King Yingzheng of Qin personally supervised the battle, took the lead, and repeatedly performed miraculous feats. In 238 BC, in a decisive battle with the state of Chu, he personally charged into battle and almost died. In the end, the state of Chu was destroyed, and King Yingzheng of Qin became the most powerful party in the country.
After seizing power, King Yingzheng of Qin quickly embarked on comprehensive reforms, implementing a series of systems that laid the foundation for the centralization of power in the future. He abolished the feudal system that had lasted for more than 1,600 years and established the county system, which greatly strengthened the central government's control over the localities. At the same time, the Qin Dynasty also unified the system of writing, weights and measures, currency, and rails, which effectively promoted economic and cultural exchanges throughout the country.
With the idea of reform and opening up and strong strength, King Yingzheng of Qin finally ascended the throne and became emperor, and was known as "Qin Shi Huang" by history. During his reign, he personally supervised the battle, the Northern Expedition, and implemented the policy of purging relatives and relocating people, consolidating the frontier. At the same time, he also built a large number of buildings, built the capital Xianyang City, built the Afang Palace and the Afang Palace, and began to build the Great Wall. It can be said that Qin Shi Huang is undoubtedly a wise founding monarch of a generation.
An astonishing ambition: to let the Chinese nation take root in Lingnan
After the Qin Dynasty unified the Central Plains, it did not stop there. In order to further consolidate the frontier, Qin Shi Huang took a series of major measures, the most shocking of which was to send a large army to the Lingnan region and draw up a grand plan.
At that time, the Lingnan region, including the areas of present-day Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, and Jiangxi, was a remote oasis that was inaccessible to people. It is a mountainous area with ravines and ravines, and is inhabited by many ethnic minorities who operate in their own ways and have their own small states and tribal confederations.
In order to unify this remote region, Qin Shi Huang sent a large army led by Wang Jian to conquer it. It can be said that the scale of this expeditionary force and the arduous task are unprecedented. Not only did they have to conquer the local tribes, but they also had to be well prepared to rule the region in the future.
In the long years, Wang Jian led the army to complete the arduous task of unifying Lingnan bit by bit. They conquered many small local countries and eliminated the powerful regimes of Xiwa and Cambodia. More importantly, Wang Jian set out to implement the unification system of the Qin Dynasty in the local area, unifying the language, behavior, habits, etc., laying the foundation for effective control of this area in the future.
Just when Wang Jian was about to fully complete the unification of Lingnan, Qin Shi Huang personally went south to inspect. He saw the fruits of Wang Qian's years of hard work, and also understood the importance of the Lingnan region to the rule of the Qin Dynasty. Once the troops are withdrawn, this area will be divided again, and all the achievements made will be lost.
In order to ensure the Qin Dynasty's sovereignty over Lingnan, Wang Jian made a surprising proposal to Qin Shi Huang: to relocate 300,000 young men and women from Guanzhong to Lingnan and intermarry with the locals, so that the blood of the Chinese people would take root here, thus ensuring that the area would always belong to the territory of the Central Plains Dynasty.
This is indeed an extremely risky and uncertain plan. But Qin Shi Huang was well aware of its importance, and resolutely made concessions and agreed to Wang Qian's suggestion. Soon after, in order to pave the way for this ambition, he secretly summoned Zhao Tuo, the deputy marshal, and gave him the greatest entrustment.
A shocking choice
Qin Shi Huang agreed to Wang Qian's suggestion, which was undoubtedly a shocking decision. Because the situation in Qin at that time had reached a very critical point.
Since the unification of the Six Kingdoms, there are still many remnants of forces dissatisfied with the rule of the Qin Dynasty in various places. They secretly colluded, ready to start a new round of war.
Faced with this situation, the Qin State had to maintain huge military expenditures for a long time, which put a heavy burden on the national strength. To make matters worse, in order to conquer the Lingnan region far south of Xinjiang, most of the main forces of the Qin army were transferred to the remote southern front. In the Guanzhong area, the remaining troops were barely enough to cope with the emergency.
At this juncture, Wang Jian proposed to send 300,000 young immigrants from Guanzhong to Lingnan to ensure the long-term vitality of ruling Lingnan. This undoubtedly basically hollowed out the young and middle-aged labor force in the cities of Guanzhong, posing a great threat to the defense of the Qin State.
Once the remnants of the Six Kingdoms take advantage of the situation and launch an attack, the Qin State may collapse at any time. Qin Shi Huang was certainly aware of the risks, but he made a shocking decision to agree to Wang's proposal, even if it meant sacrificing Qin's core power.
Soon after, the commander of the Qin army, Wang Qian, died of illness. In order to successfully implement this ambition, Qin Shi Huang had to secretly summon Wang Qian's deputy, Zhao Tuo, to personally deliver two important edicts.
The first edict was to formally appoint Zhao Tuo to replace Wang Jian and continue to command the main force of the Qin army, fully conquering and ruling Lingnan. The second edict was a top-secret "will" that set out a shocking decision.
Qin Shi Huang warned Zhao Tuo that even if there was civil strife in the Qin State in the future, he would never allow the main force of the Qin army to evacuate from Lingnan and return to Guanzhong to save his life. Zhao Tuo couldn't understand the significance of this decision for a while, and asked Qin Shi Huang uneasily what the meaning was.
The interests of the nation are above all else
In the face of Zhao Tuo's doubts, Qin Shi Huang bluntly stated his considerations. As a generation of Ming monarchs, he knew that the unified Central Plains was fragile, and only by consolidating the frontier and taking root in the southern Xinjiang could the sustainable development of the Chinese nation be ensured.
Qin Shi Huang told Zhao Tuo that even if the Qin State was not guaranteed in the future, he hoped that Zhao Tuo would stick to Lingnan and never return to Guanzhong. Qin Shi Huang even ordered that if Zhao Tuo disobeyed the edict, he would be punished with death.
One can imagine what a cruel and suffocating decision this was for the king of the dynasty. He did not hesitate to give up Guanzhong, the foundation of the Qin state, and did not care that the Qin state might collapse, just to ensure the right to rule the remote region of Lingnan.
In a way, this is even a great spirit of sacrifice for others. Qin Shi Huang knew that if he did not completely take root in southern Xinjiang, one day Chinese civilization would be just a lonely flower in the Central Plains and could not continue forever. So he resolutely chose to preserve Lingnan, even at the cost of sacrificing the future of the Qin State.
Zhao Tuo witnessed Qin Shi Huang's generous speech and couldn't help but be moved. Only then did he understand that Qin Shi Huang's decision was motivated by national righteousness and for the sustainable inheritance of Chinese civilization. In the face of such broad and profound considerations, Zhao Tuo was speechless, and could only solemnly promise to obey the edict and make every effort to unify Lingnan.
After Qin Shi Huang finished his instructions, he confessed some military secrets, and then let Zhao Tuo leave. When Zhao Tuo left Xianyang City, he glanced back at the imperial city, and his heart was mixed. He knew that he might never see the center of his homeland again in his life.
In this way, Qin Shi Huang secretly instigated this huge "Nandu Movement". In order to preserve the foundation of the Chinese nation, he is willing to do whatever it takes. Behind all this is his great implementation and adherence to the national righteousness.
Forever the same: how important an apology is
Qin Shi Huang made a surprising decision to ensure that the Chinese nation could take root in southern Xinjiang. This decision may seem risky, but it is extremely far-sighted.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before there was turmoil in the Qin state. The remnants of the Six Kingdoms rebelled one after another, resulting in the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty under the double attack of internal and external troubles. In 207 BC, after Zhao Gao killed Qin II, Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, led an army into Xianyang, ending the rule of the tyrannical Qin.
However, at the time of the change of the Xianyang Dynasty, the Lingnan area was still peaceful. This is due to Zhao Tuo's scrupulous adherence to the edict and his unswerving implementation of Qin Shi Huang's legacy. He led the remnants of the Qin army and hundreds of thousands of immigrants, held alone, stubbornly resisted foreign enemies, and finally completely unified Lingnan.
In 196 BC, after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han tried to regain Lingnan and ordered Zhao Tuo to "surrender". But Zhao Tuo was unmoved, and was still unswerving, leading the army and the people to fight to the end. It was not until after his death of old age that Lingnan was completely unified by the Han Dynasty.
This scene made Emperor Wen of Han deeply admired. He knew very well that the reason why Zhao Tuo was so unscrupulous was entirely due to Qin Shi Huang's resolute order back then. It was Qin Shi Huang's generous statement that made Zhao Tuo firmly believe in the great significance of taking root in southern Xinjiang.
In a sense, Qin Shi Huang gave up the heyday after the unification of the Central Plains for the sake of the sustainable inheritance of the Chinese nation. He was willing to let Guanzhong fall, in order to defend the rising star of Lingnan and let Chinese civilization take root here.
It was with this thrilling decision that the foundation of the Han Dynasty to dominate the world was born. Without the remarkable foresight of Qin Shi Huang and Zhao Tuo, the fertile land of Lingnan might have become a paradise for foreign races. At that time, it will be difficult for Chinese civilization to last forever.
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So, when we re-examine this wise founding emperor, should we really say from the bottom of our hearts: "History owes you an apology"?