Only after Fusu and Meng Tian were murdered in the palace coup did the court publicly announce Qin Shi Huang’s death. Huhai ascended as the Second Emperor (Qin Er Shi), with Zhao Gao wielding de facto power.
The Tyranny of Qin Er Shi
After Qin Shi Huang’s death, his son Huhai – now Emperor Qin Er Shi – under Zhao Gao’s influence, ordered a grandiose expansion of his father’s mausoleum at Mount Li (near modern Lintong, Shaanxi). Hundreds of thousands of convicts, slaves, and conscripted laborers were mobilized to complete the tomb. Built on a foundation of molten bronze, the underground palace featured rivers of mercury, chambers filled with pearls and gold, and even live palace women buried alive. To protect its secrets, all craftsmen who knew the tomb’s layout were sealed inside after construction ended. The site was then covered with earth and planted with trees, transforming it into an artificial mountain.
Fearful that his usurpation of the throne would be exposed, Er Shi (the Second Emperor) launched a brutal purge. He executed over a dozen of his brothers and sisters, along with loyal ministers who dared whisper dissent. Convinced his rivals were eliminated, he turned to indulgence – ordering the massive expansion of the Epang Palace, originally begun by his father but deemed too small.
This new project, layered atop the already crushing burdens of the Great Wall, southern garrisons, and the imperial tomb, pushed the empire to the brink. Of China’s roughly 20 million people, nearly 2 million were conscripted for state labor or military service. Resentment festered like a wound waiting to burst.
The March to Certain Death
In July 209 BCE, local officials in Yangcheng (southeast of Dengfeng, Henan) received orders to send 900 peasant conscripts to garrison Yuyang (near modern Beijing). As usual, the wealthy bribed their way out; only the poor were seized. Among them were two men chosen as squad leaders (tunzhang): Chen Sheng, a landless farmhand from Yangcheng, and Wu Guang, a destitute farmer from Yangxia (Taikang, Henan).
Chen Sheng had long dreamed of change. Once, while resting in the fields, he told fellow laborers, “If any of us ever rise to wealth and power, don’t forget your old friends!” Mocked for his ambition, he replied, “How can you say that? A man must have aspirations!”
Though strangers at first, Chen and Wu quickly bonded over shared hardship. They pushed the group northward, desperate to arrive on time – knowing Qin law mandated execution for lateness.
Trapped by Rain, Fueled by Fate
At Dazexiang (south of Suzhou, Anhui), torrential rains flooded the roads. With days passing and no end to the downpour, the 900 men faced certain death – whether by delay or desertion.
Chen Sheng confided in Wu Guang: “Even if the rain stops today, we’ll never reach Yuyang in time. Death is certain – but why die uselessly? Better to rise up, overthrow Qin, and carve our own destiny! (Sounds similar? see the story of the Three Kingdoms – Jia Xu’s cunning stratagem and the fall of the Eastern Han.) This land was once Chu. If we rally under the name of General Xiang Yan – the beloved Chu hero – people will join us.”
Wu Guang agreed. To inspire the masses, they devised divine signs. A servant bought fish in town; when gutted, one contained a silk scroll inscribed: “Chen Sheng shall be king.” That night, from a ruined shrine, a voice cried through the darkness: “Great Chu shall rise! Chen Sheng shall be king!” – repeated like an omen. Though it was Wu Guang himself mimicking a fox’s cry, the effect was electric. Superstition turned awe into belief.
Meanwhile, the two drunken, abusive officers ignored everything, leaving discipline to Chen and Wu – who used the moment to win the men’s loyalty.
The First Blow Against Tyranny
One rainy morning, Wu Guang confronted the officers: “We’ll surely miss the deadline. Let us return home to farm!” Enraged, one officer drew his sword. In a flash, Chen Sheng kicked the blade away, seized it, and killed him. Wu Guang disarmed and beheaded the other.
Emerging from the tent, Chen Sheng addressed the crowd: “We’ve killed the officers to save our lives! What now?”
“We follow you!” cried the men.
“We revolt!” others shouted.
Wu Guang climbed a mound: “Go home, and the officials will execute you one by one! Only together can we live!” Others joined – like Ge Ying and Wu Chen – who reminded the peasants of endless corvée labor, crushing taxes, and broken families. The fire of rebellion blazed.
They erected an altar, raised a banner bearing a single character – “Chu” – and swore to avenge General Xiang Yan. Chen Sheng declared himself General, Wu Guang Commandant. Nine hundred farmers became an army.
Raising Staves as Banners
News spread faster than their march. Villagers hailed them as saviors. Young men arrived with hoes, rakes, and poles – “weapons” forged from bamboo and wood. Historians would later immortalize this moment as “jie gan er qi” – “raising staves as banners.”
City after city fell without resistance. Officials fled or surrendered, believing “Chu’s army has returned!” Within weeks, Chen Sheng controlled six counties. At Chen County (Huaiyang, Henan) – a major city – he was proclaimed King of Zhang Chu (“Expanded Chu”), becoming Chen Wang.
His ranks swelled: 700 chariots, over 1,000 cavalry, and tens of thousands of infantry. Disaffected scholars, warriors, and even former nobles of the Six Warring States flocked to his cause.
Cracks in the Rebellion
But victory bred division. Chen Sheng dispatched armies west toward Xianyang (led by Zhou Wen) and north to Xingyang (led by Wu Guang). Yet as rebel forces advanced, regional warlords – descendants of old royal houses – declared themselves kings of Zhao, Qi, Yan, and Wei. They sought not to destroy Qin, but to restore their ancestral thrones. None aided Chen Sheng’s generals.
When Qin general Zhang Han crushed Zhou Wen’s army and Li You held Xingyang against Wu Guang, both rebel leaders perished – abandoned by allies who refused to send aid.
Meanwhile, Chen Sheng grew distant. Old farming friends who called him “Brother Chen” were executed on charges of disrespect. Even his father-in-law left in disgust: “He was once a good farmer. Now he sees me as trash!” Many early comrades departed, disillusioned.
The Martyrdom of a Peasant King
Zhang Han’s army soon besieged Chen County. Outmatched in arms and experience, Chen Sheng retreated eastward. By the time he reached Xiachengfu (southeast of Guoyang, Anhui), his forces had dwindled. His own charioteer, Zhuang Jia, seeing his master’s fall as inevitable, murdered him and defected to Qin.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were dead – but the flame they lit could not be extinguished. Across the land, rebellions erupted anew. Heroes like Xiang Yu and Liu Bang would rise from this chaos, ultimately toppling the Qin dynasty within three years.
Their legacy endured: the first great peasant uprising in Chinese history proved that “the people, though seemingly powerless, hold the mandate to overthrow tyranny.”
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