The Last Journey and the Death of the First Emperor (210 BCE)

On the day guichou in the tenth month of the thirty-seventh year, the First Emperor set out on tour. Li Si, Chancellor of the Left, accompanied him; Feng Quji, Chancellor of the Right, remained to govern. His beloved youngest son Huhai asked to join him, and the emperor agreed. In the eleventh month they reached Yunmeng and sacrificed from afar to Yu Shun at the Nine Doubts Mountains. They sailed down the Yangtze, viewed Jike, and crossed the sea inlet. They passed Danyang and reached Qiantang. At the Zhejiang River the waves were fierce, so they went 120 li west and crossed at a narrow place. The emperor climbed Kuaiji, sacrificed to Great Yu, gazed south toward the sea, and erected a stone with an inscription praising Qin’s virtue. Its text read:

The emperor’s glorious achievements have pacified and united the whole world; his virtue and kindness endure. In the thirty-seventh year he personally tours the realm, surveying distant places. He has climbed Kuaiji to proclaim and examine its customs; the black-haired people are pure and reverent. His ministers celebrate his deeds, trace his achievements to their beginnings, and recall the first days of his lofty brilliance. The sage of Qin took command of the land, first settled the names and laws of punishments, and clearly displayed the established rules. He first made measures uniform, carefully distinguished official responsibilities, and founded enduring order. The six kings willfully broke faith, greedy, violent, proud, and fierce, and led their people to assert their power. They gave free rein to cruelty, grew arrogant in their might, and repeatedly raised arms. Secretly sending envoys to one another, they plotted alliances and acted perversely. Within they contrived deceit; from without they invaded our borders and brought disaster. His righteous might punished them, extinguished their violence and rebellion, and destroyed the rebels. His sacred virtue extends far and close throughout the six directions, bestowing boundless grace. The emperor united the world, heard all matters alike, and brought clarity to both near and far. He managed all things, examined the facts, and recorded each by name. Noble and humble alike can approach him; good and bad are presented before him, nothing concealed. He set matters right, made justice clear: a woman with a son who marries again betrays the dead and lacks fidelity. He established boundaries between inner and outer and forbade sexual excess; men and women are pure and sincere. A husband who behaves like a breeding boar in another’s house may be killed without guilt; men uphold righteous standards. When a wife runs away to remarry, her children no longer acknowledge her as mother; all are transformed to purity and probity. His great government cleanses custom; the realm follows its influence and receives its excellent laws. All observe its measures and rules, live in harmony and peace, and diligently obey its commands. The black-haired people cultivate purity, delight in shared standards, and gladly preserve great peace. Let later generations honor and obey the laws; let enduring government have no limit, let cart and boat never overturn. His attending ministers celebrate his works and ask to carve this stone, so its glorious inscription shines for all time.

On his return he passed through Wu and crossed at Jiangcheng. Following the seacoast, he traveled north to Langya. Xu Shi and the other adepts had sought divine medicine at sea for several years without finding it. Having spent much and fearing punishment, they lied: “The medicine at Penglai is within reach, but great sharks have repeatedly prevented us from reaching it. Send skilled archers with us, we pray, to shoot them with repeating crossbows when they appear.” The First Emperor dreamed he fought a sea god shaped like a man. He asked for a reading of the dream, and an Erudite answered: “The water god cannot be seen, but great fish and sea dragons announce his coming. Though Your Majesty has been meticulous in prayer and sacrifice, this evil spirit must be driven off before the good spirit can arrive.” The emperor ordered those going to sea to carry equipment for catching great fish, while he himself watched for them with a repeating crossbow. From Langya north to Mount Rongcheng he saw none. At Zhifu he saw a great fish and shot it dead. He then went west along the coast.

At Pingyuan Ford he fell ill. The First Emperor hated mention of death, and his ministers dared not speak of it. When his illness worsened, he wrote and sealed a letter to his son Fusu: “Meet the funeral procession at Xianyang and bury me.” The sealed letter remained with Zhao Gao, director of the imperial carriage bureau, who was acting keeper of the seals; it had not yet been given to a messenger. On the day bingyin in the seventh month, the emperor died on the terrace at Shaqiu. Chancellor Li Si feared that news of his death away from the capital would cause unrest among the princes and across the realm, so he kept it secret and did not announce mourning. The coffin was placed in his enclosed cooling carriage. Favored eunuchs rode beside it, and meals were presented for the emperor wherever it went. Officials submitted business as before, and the eunuchs approved it from inside the carriage. Only his son Huhai, Zhao Gao, and five or six favored eunuchs knew he was dead. Zhao Gao had once taught Huhai writing, criminal law, and decrees, and Huhai privately favored him. Zhao Gao, Prince Huhai, and Chancellor Li Si secretly conspired to destroy the First Emperor’s sealed letter to Fusu. They forged a testamentary edict supposedly received by Li Si at Shaqiu, appointing Huhai crown prince. They composed another letter to Fusu and Meng Tian, charging them with crimes and ordering them to die. The full account is in the biography of Li Si. The procession continued through Jingxing to Jiuyuan. It was summer and the imperial carriage began to smell, so an order was issued for accompanying officials to carry a shi of salted fish in their carts to mask the odor.

They traveled along the Straight Road to Xianyang and announced his death. Crown Prince Huhai succeeded as the Second Emperor. In the ninth month they buried the First Emperor at Mount Li. From the beginning of his reign he had excavated the site; after uniting the realm, more than seven hundred thousand convicts from across the country were sent there. They dug through three underground streams, poured in bronze to seal the burial chamber, and filled it with palaces, halls, officials, wondrous vessels, and rare treasures. Artisans made mechanical crossbows to shoot anyone who tunneled near. Mercury formed the hundred streams, the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, and the great seas, mechanically flowing into one another. Above were images of the heavens and below a map of the earth. Lamps were fueled with mermaid oil, calculated to burn a very long time without going out. The Second Emperor said: “It is not fitting for the late emperor’s childless concubines to leave.” He ordered them all to follow him in death; very many died. Once the burial chamber was filled, someone observed that the artisans who had made its devices knew all about the treasures: with such riches, secrets would escape. After the funeral work was done and the treasures laid away, they sealed the inner passage, lowered the outer passage gate, and trapped all the artisans and those who had deposited the treasures inside. None came out. Trees and grass were planted to make the mound look like a mountain.

On the day guichou in the tenth month of the thirty-seventh year, the First Emperor set out on a tour. Li Si, the Left Chancellor, went with him; Quji, the Right Chancellor, stayed behind. His youngest son Huhai loved and admired him and asked to come; the emperor agreed. In the eleventh month they reached Yunmeng and made offerings from a distance to Yu Shun at Mount Jiuyi. They sailed down the Yangtze, looked at Jike, and crossed Haizhu. They passed Danyang and reached Qiantang. At the Zhe River they found rough water, so they went 120 li west and crossed at a narrow place. He climbed Mount Kuaiji, offered a sacrifice to Great Yu, and made offerings toward the Southern Sea. He set up a stone with an inscription praising Qin's achievements. It read:

The emperor's great achievements have pacified and united the whole world, and his kindness will last a long time. In the thirty-seventh year he traveled in person throughout the land and surveyed distant places. He climbed Mount Kuaiji to make his inspection and announce his teachings about local customs, and the common people behaved with solemn care. His ministers praised his achievements, reviewed his deeds from their beginnings, and recalled his brilliant first acts. When Qin's wise ruler took control, he first fixed the names of punishments and made the former statutes clear. He set the laws and standards in order and assigned offices and duties carefully, establishing lasting rules. The six kings acted alone and broke their word. Greedy, harsh, arrogant, and fierce, they relied on their peoples to make themselves strong. They acted cruelly at will and, proud of their power, repeatedly raised armies. They secretly exchanged envoys to form an alliance, and their actions were crooked and improper. At home they planned deceitful schemes; abroad they came to invade the border, starting disaster. The emperor's just power punished them and put an end to their violent rebellion, destroying the troublemakers. His wise power is broad and thorough; his benefits reach without limit throughout the six directions. The emperor has united the world and hears every matter; all is clear, near and far. He governs everything, examines the facts, and gives each thing its proper name. High and low alike have access to him; good and bad are presented openly, and nothing is hidden. He examines and proclaims what is right. If a woman marries while she has a son, she betrays her dead husband and is unfaithful. He keeps men and women apart and forbids sexual misconduct so they live faithfully and honestly. If a husband has sex in another household like a breeding boar, killing him is no crime; men must follow the rules of justice. If a wife runs off and remarries, her son no longer regards her as his mother. All are transformed into honest, pure people. His great government washes away bad customs; the whole world follows his example and benefits from his fine rules. All obey the standards, living in peace and working diligently, and no one disobeys an order. The common people behave properly and take pleasure in sharing one set of rules; they gladly preserve great peace. Later generations will respectfully follow the laws; their rule will last without end, and carriages and boats will not overturn. His accompanying ministers praise his great deeds and ask to carve this stone and leave a brilliant, honored inscription for the future.

On his return he passed through Wu and crossed the river at Jiangcheng. He followed the seacoast north to Langya. Xu Fu and other magicians had gone out to sea to look for the medicine of immortality. Years had passed without success, and they had spent a great deal. Fearing punishment, they lied: “We could obtain the medicine on Penglai, but huge sharks keep troubling us, and we cannot reach it. Please let expert archers come with us to shoot them with repeating crossbows when they appear.” The First Emperor dreamed that he fought a sea spirit in human form. When he asked an Erudite to interpret the dream, the man said: “Water spirits cannot be seen; large fish and dragons are their signs. Your Majesty has been careful in your prayers and sacrifices, but this evil spirit should be driven off. Then good spirits may come.” So he ordered the men going out to sea to bring gear for catching huge fish, while he himself waited with a repeating crossbow to shoot any large fish that appeared. Traveling north from Langya to Mount Rongcheng, he saw none. At Mount Zhifu he saw a huge fish and shot one dead. He continued west along the coast.

He reached Pingyuan Ford and fell ill. The First Emperor disliked talk of death, so none of his ministers dared discuss it. As his illness grew worse, he wrote a sealed letter to his son Fusu: “Come to Xianyang to meet my funeral procession and bury me.” The letter was sealed and kept by Zhao Gao, director of the imperial carriage office, who was serving as keeper of the seals and tallies. It had not yet been given to a messenger. On the day bingyin in the seventh month, the First Emperor died at the Sand Hill Terrace. Chancellor Li Si feared that if the emperor's death became known away from the capital, the princes and the whole country might rise in rebellion. He kept it secret and made no announcement of mourning. The coffin was placed in the emperor's enclosed carriage. The favored eunuchs continued to ride beside it and serve meals at every stop. Officials submitted business as usual, and the eunuchs issued approval from inside the carriage. Only Huhai, Zhao Gao, and five or six favored eunuchs knew the emperor had died. Zhao Gao had earlier taught Huhai writing and the laws and regulations concerning criminal cases, and Huhai privately favored him. Gao then conspired in secret with Huhai and Chancellor Li Si to destroy the First Emperor's sealed letter to Fusu. They instead falsely claimed that Li Si had received a final decree from the emperor at Sand Hill appointing Huhai crown prince. They forged another letter to Fusu and Meng Tian, listing their crimes and ordering them to kill themselves. The details appear in Li Si's biography. The party traveled by way of Jingxing to Jiuyuan. The weather was hot and the emperor's carriage began to smell, so an order was given for the attendants to load a shi of salted fish on each carriage to hide the smell.

They followed the Straight Road to Xianyang, where the death was announced. Crown Prince Huhai took the throne as the Second Emperor. In the ninth month, the First Emperor was buried at Mount Li. When he first took the throne he had begun digging at Mount Li. After he united the world, more than seven hundred thousand laborers were sent there from across the land. They dug down to the third underground spring, poured bronze to enclose the burial chamber, and filled it with copies of palaces, towers, officials, rare utensils, and precious and strange objects. Craftsmen were ordered to make mechanical crossbows that would shoot anyone who broke in and approached. They used mercury to represent the hundred streams, the great rivers, and the sea, with mechanisms to make it flow between them. Above were representations of the heavens, and below a map of the earth. They used oil from sea creatures for lamps, expecting them to burn for a long time. The Second Emperor said: “It would not be right to let the women in the former emperor's harem who have no children leave.” He ordered all of them to die with him; many died. Once the burial was complete, someone said that the craftsmen who had made the mechanisms knew about the buried treasures and might reveal them, since the treasures were so valuable. When the main ceremony was over and the treasures were placed inside, they closed the inner passageway and lowered the outer gate, sealing all the craftsmen inside. None came out again. Trees and grass were planted to make the tomb look like a mountain.