Ziying

Ziying^{[lower-alpha 1]} (died January 206 BC) was the third and last emperor of the Qin dynasty. He ruled over a fragmented Qin Empire for 46 days from mid-October to early December in 207 BC. He is referred to in some sources with the posthumous name Emperor Shang of Qin (秦殤帝), despite the Qin abolishing the practice of posthumous names.

Identity

Ziying is mentioned in historical records as the son of Fusu, the eldest son of Qin Shi Huang. However, the historian Professor Wang Liqun suggested that he was probably one of Qin Shi Huang's brothers. The Records of the Grand Historian does not specify Ziying's age and implies that he had at least two sons, whom he consulted. According to Wang Liqun's analysis, the maximum possible age of Ziying when he assassinated Zhao Gao was 19. Therefore, his sons would have probably been around the ages of 1–2, and hence it was not possible for him to consult them. It seems more likely that Ziying was an uncle of Qin Er Shi (and hence a brother of Qin Shi Huang) instead of Fusu's son. Some historians have also suggested that Ziying might be a son of Chengjiao, Qin Shi Huang's younger half-brother.

Life

Ziying was the only person within the Qin imperial court to defend and try to persuade Qin Er Shi against the wrongful executions of Meng Tian and Meng Yi. He lured Zhao Gao, the regent who assassinated Qin Er Shi, into a trap and killed him. Ziying later surrendered to Liu Bang, the leader of the first group of rebel forces to occupy Xianyang, the Qin capital. He was eventually killed along with his family by another rebel leader, Xiang Yu.

Legacy

Ziying sometimes appears as a door god in Chinese and Taoist temples, usually paired with his successor, Emperor Yi of Chu.

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