Heroes

The king of Qin was a fierce and clever leader. He defeated all six other states one by one, uniting China in 221 BCE. He crowned himself Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. From the word Qin (pronounced “Chin”), the name “China” was born!

At first, Qin Shi Huang ruled wisely and built a mighty empire. He made one set of laws, money, writing, and weights for everyone so his empire would be strong and fair.  However, he was infamous for killing people who were educated and sending many people to their deaths to build great wonders.

But as time went on, he became obsessed with living forever. He sent ships full of hundreds of young people out to sea to search for a magic potion of life that would make him immortal. None of them ever returned.

He began to fear death so much that he ordered the building of an enormous underground palace for his tomb. It had rivers of flowing mercury, which he believed were magic and would protect him in the afterlife. Over time, his fear and strictness made him cruel — punishing anyone who disobeyed him.