King Xiang of Qin zhuang reigned for 3 years, died on May 247 BC, and was succeeded to the throne at the age of 13, and The king of Qin officially entered the stage of history. Yin Zheng's life has undergone a transformation from the King of Qin to the First Emperor, and according to this transformation, we have divided his story into the Qin Dynasty and the Qin Shi Huang Period. The history of the Qin dynasty (246-221 BC) can also be divided into two stages with the "Annihilation of the Six Kingdoms of Qin". In this issue, we will briefly introduce the history of the Qin dynasty from the succession to the unification of the Six Kingdoms (246-231 BC).
Stills of the young man
The tired Qin plan turned into a strong Qin plan - Zheng Guoqu
In the first year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (246 BC), Korea, which was adjacent to the Qin state and the weakest of the seven warring states, in order to avoid the fate of the fall of the country, came up with a tired Qin plan to deplete the national strength of the Qin state - to build water conservancy. Under the level of productivity in ancient times, the new construction of water conservancy was a project that consumed a lot of manpower and financial resources, and even if it was rich and strong like the Qin State, it was unable to take into account both the construction of water conservancy and foreign conquest at the same time. In this way, South Korea can continue to survive for a few years. Therefore, South Korea sent water conservancy expert Zheng Guo to the Qin state to carry out the "tired Qin plan", and Zheng Guo persuaded the Qin state to dig an irrigation canal starting from Zhongshan, passing through Jingshui, and going east along beishan to the Zhuluo River. The project is underway, South Korea's intentions are discovered, and the Qin are ready to kill Zheng Guo. Zheng Guo said: "I did extend the life expectancy of Korea for a few years, but once the canal is built, it will also bring benefits to the Qin State." The Qin people thought that he was right, so they asked him to continue to complete this project. The successful excavation of the water canal can divert silt and fertile water to irrigate more than 40,000 hectares of saline land, and the harvest per mu of land can reach more than one hour, making the Guanzhong area more fertile. The State of Qin had two granaries in Bashu and Guanzhong, and its national strength increased greatly. The "tired Qin plan" that originally consumed the national strength of the Qin State turned out to increase the national strength of the Qin State day by day. South Korea survived on this "magic plan" for several years, but in the end it could not escape the fate of extinction.
Schematic map of the location of Zheng Guoqu
In the third year of the Reign of the Qin Dynasty (244 BC), the Qin general Meng Xiao led an army to attack Korea and captured twelve cities.
In the spring of the fourth year of the reign of the Qin dynasty (243 BC), the Qin general Meng Xiao attacked the State of Wei and captured the two cities of Qi and Youwei. It was not until three months later that the troops were withdrawn. The prince who was sent to the State of Zhao as a hostage by the State of Qin returned to the State of Qin, and the Prince of the State of Zhao, who was a hostage in the State of Qin, also returned to the State of Zhao.
In the fifth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (242 BC), the Qin general Meng Xiao attacked the State of Wei, capturing twenty cities such as Sour Jujube, Yan, Xu, Changping, Yongqiu, and Shanyang, and setting up Dong Commandery.
Meng Xiao Wei
The merger failed and the Chu state moved its capital
In the sixth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (241 BC), the State of Chu, the State of Zhao, the State of Wei, the State of Korea, and the State of Wei formed a combined alliance to attack the State of Qin. King Chu Kaolie was elected as the head of the alliance, and Huang Xie, the prince of Chunshen, was in charge of military affairs and captured Shouling. When the Five-Nation Alliance army arrived at Hangu Pass, the Qin army sent troops to meet it, and the Five-Nation Alliance army was defeated and fled. The King of Chu blamed chun shenjun for the defeat, and chun shenjun's relationship with the king of Chu became even more distant. Zhu Ying, a Guanjin man, said to Chun Shenjun: "People think that the Chu state was originally a strong country, but it was only because you took charge of the affairs of the Chu state that it gradually weakened. But I don't think so. When the first king, the State of Qin was friendly to the State of Chu and never attacked the State of Chu for twenty years, why? Because if the State of Qin attacked the State of Chu, it would be very inconvenient to cross the land of the fortress of The Qi, and if it were to borrow the road from Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou, it would not be feasible to attack the State of Chu with its back to Korea and the State of Wei. So now it's different. Sooner or later, the State of Wei would perish, and it would no longer be able to retain its territory Xu and Yanling, and it would inevitably be ceded to the State of Qin, so that the State of Qin was only one hundred and sixty miles away from the capital of the State of Chu, Chen. According to my observation, the Qin and Chu states are in a daily struggle. The State of Chu then left ChenDi and moved the capital to Shouchun, renaming it Ying, and Chun Shenjun was enfeoffed to Wudi, still exercising xiang power.
Stills of King Chu Kao Lie
In the same year, the Qin army occupied the Wei state of Chaoge and the capital of the Wei state, Puyang. Wei Yuanjun led his subordinates to migrate to the Wild King, relying on the dangerous situation of the mountains, so that the Wei state of Hanoi could be saved.
In the seventh year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (240 BC), the Qin army once again attacked the State of Wei and captured Ji. The Qin general Meng Xiao died.
In the ninth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (238 BC), the Qin army attacked the State of Wei and captured the cities of Yuan and Pu. The Qin general Yang Duanhe led an army to attack the State of Wei and occupied the Yan clan.
In the tenth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (237 BC), Lü Buwei, the Marquis of Wenxin, was deposed from the position of Xiangguo and left the capital to return to his fiefdom of Luoyang, Henan.
Stills of Lü Buwei's removal
Li Si on the "Book of Expulsion"
Marquis Changxin plotted against him and was killed, Marquis Lü Buwei of Wenxin was deposed, and The Prince of Qin regained power in one fell swoop. Against this background, the ministers of the Qin state commented: "The people of the various princely states who come to the Qin state as officials are lobbying for their monarchs, provoking the relationship between our monarchs and subjects, causing us to disagree, and asking the king to expel them all." So the King of Qin ordered a nationwide search and issued an eviction order. Li Si, a native of the Chu state of Keqing, was also among those expelled, and when he was about to leave the Qin state, he wrote to the King of Qin: "Once upon a time, The Duke of Qin Mu went everywhere to solicit sages, got Yu Yu from rongdi in the west, baili Xi from wandi in the east, welcomed back Uncle Jian from the Song kingdom, and found Pi Leopard and Gongsun Zhi in the Jin kingdom. As a result, the State of Qin annexed twenty kingdoms and dominated Xi rong. Qin Xiaogong used the Shang martingale to implement the change of law, so that the countries were close to and submissive, so that today the Qin state can become rich, strong and stable. King Hui of Qin adopted Zhang Yi's strategy to break up the alliance of the six eastern kingdoms and make all countries subordinate to the Qin state and serve it. King Zhaoxiang of Qin received Fan Ju, the power of the royal family was strengthened, and the power of the magnates was contained. These four kings all relied on the strength of Keqing to achieve the merits of the Qin kingdom. From this point of view, what places can Keqing not be able to stand up to the Qin Kingdom? Beauty, music, jewels, and jade are not produced in the Qin Kingdom, but you use them a lot, but the Great King does not do so in the selection of talents, regardless of whether it is not right or wrong, all who are not Qin people are not used, and they will be expelled. It can be seen that all you value is beauty, music, jewelry, jade, etc., and it is talent that you despise. I have heard that Tarzan became tall because he did not reject any soil; that the rivers and seas did not choose the streams, that they converged into the abyss; and that the king did not reject any people, so that his kindness was revealed. This is the reason why the Five Emperors and Three Kings are invincible to the world. Now you abandon the people of other nations, let them fund the enemy countries, exclude the guests of the nations, let them make a contribution to the princely states, it is like lending weapons to the enemy who invaded your own country, and giving food to the robbers. So the King of Qin ordered The recall of Li Si, restored his official position, and abolished the order to evict guests. By this time, Li Si had already walked to LiYi and returned after receiving the order. The King of Qin eventually adopted Li Si's strategy, secretly sending eloquent men to carry golden pearls and jade to lobby the princes of various countries. Those who have fame and power in the princely states will be bribed with a large sum of money and befriended by those who can be bribed; those who refuse to be bribed will be sent assassins to assassinate them with sharp swords. Using divisive tactics, provoking relations between the kings and subjects of various countries, and then sending liang generals to lead an army to attack the countries. In this way, within a few years, the Qin state finally annexed the world.
Lees stills
In the eleventh year of the reign of King Zheng of Qin (236 BC), the State of Zhao sent troops to attack the State of Yan and captured Tanyang. Before the war was over, the Qin generals Wang Qi (王翦), Huan Yi (桓齮), and Yang Duanhe (杨端和) led an army to attack the State of Zhao, besieging Yecheng and capturing nine cities. Wang Qi attacked Fu He and Qiyang, and Huan Yi occupied Yecheng and Anyang.
In the twelfth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (235 BC), the State of Qin mobilized the forces of four counties to assist the State of Wei in its crusade against the State of Chu.
In the thirteenth year of the reign of the Qin Dynasty (234 BC), the Qin general Huan Yi led an army to attack the State of Zhao, defeating the troops of the State of Zhao at Pingyang, killing him and beheading 100,000 people. The Zhao monarch appointed Li Mu as a general and fought against the Qin army at Yi'an and Feixia, the Qin army was defeated, and Huan Yi fled back to the Qin state.
In the fourteenth year of the reign of the Qin dynasty (233 BC), the Qin general Huan Yi attacked the State of Zhao and occupied Yi'an, Pingyang, and Wucheng.
Stills of Huan Yi's defeat
Death of Han Fei
The Korean monarch submitted to the Qin state, ceded the land, sacrificed the king's great seal, requested to be a vassal of the Qin state, and sent Han Fei as an emissary to visit the Qin state. Han Fei took this opportunity to write to the Qin emperor Yingzheng and said: "At present, the territory of the Qin state is thousands of miles around, the army claims to be millions, the orders are strict, the rewards and punishments are fair, and no country in the world can compare with it." At the risk of death, I would like to meet with you and tell you about the strategy of breaking through the alliance of nations. If you listen to my propositions, if you cannot break up the Alliance in one fell swoop, the Zhao Kingdom has not been captured, Korea has not perished, the Chu State and the Wei State have not submitted to the Qin State, the Qi State and the Yan State have not been close to you, and the prestige of the Overlord of the Qin State has not been made famous, and the neighboring monarchs around you have not come to worship, then ask the Great King to behead me and show the whole country to the whole country, so as to warn those who cannot be loyal to those who plan for the Great King. After reading this, the King of Qin was very happy, but did not appoint him. Li Si was jealous of Han Fei's talent, so he said to The Prince of Qin, Yingzheng: "Han Fei is a prince of Korea, and now that he wants to annex the various princely states, Han Fei will eventually make plans for Korea and not for the sake of the Qin state. Now you don't need him, stay in the Qin Kingdom for a long time, and then send him back, it is a matter of self-preservation, it is better to kill him according to law. King Yingzheng of Qin thought that Li Si was right, so he ordered the officials to punish Han Fei. Li Si sent someone to send poison to Han Fei to make him commit suicide early. Han Fei wanted to see King Yingzheng of Qin in person to tell his grievances, but he could not see King Qin. Later, when the King of Qin regretted it and sent someone to pardon him, Han Fei was already dead.
Stills of Han Fei's death
In the fifteenth year of The First Emperor of Qin (232 BC), the Qin emperor Yingzheng sent a large-scale army to attack the State of Zhao, all the way to Yecheng, all the way to Taiyuan, occupied Wolf Meng and Fanwu, and only withdrew his army back to China because of the resistance of Li Mu's troops.
At the beginning, Ji Dan, the crown prince of the State of Yan, was once a hostage in the State of Zhao and was friendly with the King of Qin. After Yingzheng took the throne, Ji Dan took hostage in the Qin kingdom. At this time, Yingzheng did not treat him with courtesy, and Ji Dan was furious and fled back to the Yan kingdom.
In the sixteenth year of The First Emperor of Qin (231 BC), Korea offered Nanyang land to the Qin state. In September, the State of Qin sent troops to Korea to take over Nanyang. In this year, the State of Wei also donated land to the State of Qin.
Prince Dan of Yan fled back to yan stills
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