1 00:00:01,877 --> 00:00:03,796 {\an7}Narrator: IT’S A STORY OVER 2,000 YEARS OLD, 2 00:00:03,837 --> 00:00:07,549 {\an7}ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHINA’S \hFIRST IMPERIAL DYNASTY. 3 00:00:07,591 --> 00:00:10,052 {\an7}IT WAS A TIME OF CONFLICT... 4 00:00:10,093 --> 00:00:12,387 {\an7}A TIME OF BETRAYAL... 5 00:00:12,429 --> 00:00:14,681 {\an7}AND THE LUST FOR POWER. 6 00:00:19,019 --> 00:00:22,689 {\an7}Man: IT HAS ALL THE MAKINGS \hOF A GREAT NOVEL, REALLY. 7 00:00:22,731 --> 00:00:27,653 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S GOT INTRIGUE. IT’S GOT VIOLENCE, SEX, MYSTERY. 8 00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:30,697 {\an7}Narrator: AT ITS CENTER \h\h\hIS QIN SHI HUANG, 9 00:00:30,739 --> 00:00:33,033 {\an7}THE EMPEROR WHO CREATED \h\h\h\h\h\hA SUPERPOWER 10 00:00:33,075 --> 00:00:34,910 {\an7}OUT OF WARRING FACTIONS-- 11 00:00:34,952 --> 00:00:39,540 {\an7}\h\h\h\hA CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE HISTORIANS VIEWED WITH SCORN. 12 00:00:39,581 --> 00:00:42,876 {\an7}Man: THEY PORTRAY HIM \h\h\h\hAS IRRATIONAL, 13 00:00:42,918 --> 00:00:48,173 {\an7}DEEPLY SUPERSTITIOUS, INCOMPETENT, A TYRANT. 14 00:00:48,215 --> 00:00:50,551 {\an7}Narrator: BUT IS THIS DEPICTION OF QIN SHI HUANG 15 00:00:50,592 --> 00:00:53,470 {\an7}FACT OR FICTION? 16 00:00:53,512 --> 00:00:55,139 {\an7}\hWoman: WHAT WE KNOW COMES FROM THE ACCOUNT 17 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:57,432 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hBY SIMA QIAN, WHO IS ACTUALLY WRITING 18 00:00:57,474 --> 00:01:00,978 {\an7}DURING THE HISTORICAL PERIOD \hFOLLOWING THE QIN DYNASTY. 19 00:01:01,019 --> 00:01:03,188 {\an7}[SPEAKING CHINESE] 20 00:01:03,230 --> 00:01:04,648 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hMan, translated: HIS ACHIEVEMENTS OUTWEIGH 21 00:01:04,690 --> 00:01:07,359 {\an7}ANY OF HIS FAILURES. 22 00:01:07,401 --> 00:01:09,862 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WAS HE AN INCOMPETENT RULER, 23 00:01:09,903 --> 00:01:11,029 {\an7}A BRUTAL TYRANT, 24 00:01:11,071 --> 00:01:12,948 {\an7}OR A GREAT LEADER? 25 00:01:12,990 --> 00:01:17,369 {\an7}NOW IT’S TIME TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT CHINA’S FIRST EMPEROR. 26 00:01:17,411 --> 00:01:25,294 {\an7}♪ 27 00:01:25,335 --> 00:01:27,712 {\an7}♪ 28 00:01:27,754 --> 00:01:30,632 {\an7}246 B.C. 29 00:01:30,674 --> 00:01:37,514 {\an7}\hIN FAR EAST ASIA, WAR HAD BEEN RAGING FOR NEARLY TWO CENTURIES. 30 00:01:37,556 --> 00:01:40,434 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE COLLAPSE OF A 500-YEAR-OLD DYNASTY 31 00:01:40,475 --> 00:01:43,144 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hHAD UNLEASHED A RUTHLESS POWER STRUGGLE 32 00:01:43,186 --> 00:01:45,563 {\an7}BETWEEN SEVEN RIVAL STATES, 33 00:01:45,606 --> 00:01:51,445 {\an7}EACH ONE VYING FOR DOMINANCE, \h\h\h\hEACH BENT ON CONQUEST. 34 00:01:51,486 --> 00:01:55,907 {\an7}WHAT ONCE WAS THE ZHOU EMPIRE \h\hHAD FRACTURED INTO PIECES. 35 00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:59,035 {\an7}THE BATTLEFIELD WAS WHERE \hDISPUTES WERE RESOLVED. 36 00:01:59,077 --> 00:02:04,457 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 37 00:02:04,499 --> 00:02:06,876 {\an7}PLAYING OUT THE AMBITIONS \h\h\h\hOF THEIR LEADERS, 38 00:02:06,918 --> 00:02:10,422 {\an7}THOUSANDS OF WARRIORS ENGAGED \h\h\h\hIN A RITUAL OF COMBAT, 39 00:02:10,464 --> 00:02:14,134 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hWIELDING SWORDS AND FACING THEIR DESTINY. 40 00:02:14,176 --> 00:02:22,226 {\an7}[SHOUTING, WEAPONS CLASHING] 41 00:02:22,267 --> 00:02:32,611 {\an7}♪ 42 00:02:32,653 --> 00:02:35,447 {\an7}\h\h\hIT REMAINED TO BE SEEN WHICH OF THE WARRING STATES 43 00:02:35,489 --> 00:02:37,157 {\an7}WOULD EMERGE VICTORIOUS 44 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:40,786 {\an7}AND BECOME THE NEW POWER \h\h\h\h\hIN THE REGION. 45 00:02:40,827 --> 00:02:45,707 {\an7}♪ 46 00:02:45,749 --> 00:02:48,126 {\an7}DURING THE CHAOS, IN XIANYANG, 47 00:02:48,168 --> 00:02:50,128 {\an7}THE CAPITAL OF QIN STATE 48 00:02:50,170 --> 00:02:53,590 {\an7}\h\hON THE WESTERN BORDER OF THE CRUMBLING DYNASTY, 49 00:02:53,632 --> 00:02:56,635 {\an7}A NEW KING WAS CROWNED. 50 00:02:56,677 --> 00:02:59,597 {\an7}HIS ASCENSION TO THE THRONE \h\h\h\h\h\hWAS UNEXPECTED, 51 00:02:59,638 --> 00:03:05,144 {\an7}AND TO SOME WITHIN THE KINGDOM, REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY. 52 00:03:05,185 --> 00:03:07,854 {\an7}THIS NEW KING WAS 13 YEARS OLD, 53 00:03:07,896 --> 00:03:10,107 {\an7}\h\hILL-EQUIPPED FOR THE RESPONSIBILITIES 54 00:03:10,148 --> 00:03:13,151 {\an7}OF BEING A MONARCH. 55 00:03:13,193 --> 00:03:17,364 {\an7}HE INHERITED A PALACE RIFE WITH INTRIGUE, DECEPTION, 56 00:03:17,406 --> 00:03:19,491 {\an7}AND DUPLICITY. 57 00:03:19,533 --> 00:03:22,786 {\an7}FEW BELIEVED HE COULD GUARANTEE HIS OWN SAFETY-- 58 00:03:22,828 --> 00:03:26,623 {\an7}\h\h\hLET ALONE CONTROL THE FATE OF HIS KINGDOM. 59 00:03:26,665 --> 00:03:29,126 {\an7}BUT THIS SEEMINGLY UNREMARKABLE HEIR 60 00:03:29,167 --> 00:03:32,170 {\an7}WOULD DO WHAT NO RULER \h\hHAD DONE BEFORE-- 61 00:03:32,212 --> 00:03:36,967 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hMAKE ONE NATION FROM THE REMNANTS OF A BROKEN EMPIRE. 62 00:03:37,008 --> 00:03:42,639 {\an7}HIS NAME WAS YING ZHENG, LATER \hTO BE CALLED QIN SHI HUANG. 63 00:03:42,681 --> 00:03:46,143 {\an7}BUT THERE’S LITTLE \hWE KNOW OF HIM. 64 00:03:46,184 --> 00:03:49,854 {\an7}\hAndrew Schonebaum: THE PRIMARY SOURCE FOR QIN SHI HUANG’S LIFE 65 00:03:49,896 --> 00:03:54,109 {\an7}IS THIS HAN DYNASTY TEXT CALLED RECORDS OF THE GRAND HISTORIAN, 66 00:03:54,151 --> 00:03:56,654 {\an7}WRITTEN BY SIMA QIAN. 67 00:03:56,695 --> 00:03:58,447 {\an7}Narrator: WRITTEN, \hAS IT TURNS OUT, 68 00:03:58,488 --> 00:04:02,409 {\an7}\h\h\hMORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER QIN SHI HUANG DIED. 69 00:04:02,451 --> 00:04:05,829 {\an7}Schonebaum: AND IT REALLY IS \h\h\h\hA MAGNIFICENT TEXT. 70 00:04:05,871 --> 00:04:10,626 {\an7}IT’S, IT’S VERY COMPELLING, IT’S FULL OF DETAIL AND DIALOGUE, 71 00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:16,214 {\an7}\h\hAND IT HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF, OF A GREAT NOVEL, REALLY. 72 00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:18,800 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT IS THAT TEXT ACCURATE? 73 00:04:18,842 --> 00:04:22,262 {\an7}\h\hACCORDING TO SIMA QIAN, LIVING WITH THE YOUNG RULER 74 00:04:22,304 --> 00:04:25,390 {\an7}WAS ZHENG’S WIDOWED MOTHER, \h\h\h\hQUEEN DOWAGER ZHAO. 75 00:04:25,432 --> 00:04:30,395 {\an7}♪ 76 00:04:30,437 --> 00:04:34,900 {\an7}\h\h\h\hSHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON THE YOUNG BOY KING COULD TRUST, 77 00:04:34,941 --> 00:04:37,360 {\an7}OR SO IT SEEMED. 78 00:04:37,402 --> 00:04:41,197 {\an7}WHAT HE DIDN’T KNOW WAS BENEATH HIS MOTHER’S SERENE GAZE 79 00:04:41,239 --> 00:04:43,908 {\an7}THERE LURKED A DARK MOTIVE. 80 00:04:43,950 --> 00:04:48,288 {\an7}SHE INSTALLED A PALACE MINISTER TO ACT AS HIS ADVISOR, 81 00:04:48,330 --> 00:04:51,500 {\an7}AN INFLUENTIAL ALLY WHO WOULD \h\h\h\hALLOW THE QUEEN ACCESS 82 00:04:51,541 --> 00:04:54,461 {\an7}TO HER SON’S ROYAL POWER. 83 00:04:54,503 --> 00:04:59,842 {\an7}HIS NAME WAS LU BUWEI, THE MAN WHO HAD INTRODUCED THE QUEEN, 84 00:04:59,883 --> 00:05:04,429 {\an7}WHEN SHE WAS A LOWLY CONCUBINE, TO THE PREVIOUS KING. 85 00:05:04,471 --> 00:05:07,015 {\an7}Michelle Wang: SO WHEN THE YOUNG KING FIRST ASCENDED THE THRONE, 86 00:05:07,057 --> 00:05:09,142 {\an7}HE WAS JUST A TEENAGER. 87 00:05:09,184 --> 00:05:11,478 {\an7}\h\h\hAND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMMON PRACTICE AT THAT TIME 88 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:12,938 {\an7}TO HAVE APPOINTED A REGENT 89 00:05:12,979 --> 00:05:15,523 {\an7}\hFOR RULERS WHO HAD NOT YET COME OF AGE. 90 00:05:17,234 --> 00:05:19,945 {\an7}\h\h\hNarrator: AS REGENT AND ADVISOR TO YING ZHENG, 91 00:05:19,986 --> 00:05:23,948 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hLU BUWEI WAS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MAN IN THE PALACE-- 92 00:05:23,990 --> 00:05:26,075 {\an7}THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE, 93 00:05:26,117 --> 00:05:30,246 {\an7}WHO WOULD RULE THE KINGDOM \h\h\h\hFROM THE SHADOWS. 94 00:05:30,288 --> 00:05:33,625 {\an7}BUT HE HAD A SECRET OF HIS OWN TO HIDE. 95 00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:35,919 {\an7}HE WAS QUEEN ZHAO’S LOVER 96 00:05:35,961 --> 00:05:38,881 {\an7}AND THE LIKELY FATHER \h\hOF THE YOUNG KING. 97 00:05:38,922 --> 00:05:40,799 {\an7}Duan Qingbo, translated: \hLU BUWEI WAS CONCERNED 98 00:05:40,841 --> 00:05:44,303 {\an7}\hTHE YOUNG KING WOULD FIND OUT ABOUT HIS AFFAIR WITH THE QUEEN, 99 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:47,681 {\an7}WHICH HE FEARED WOULD COST HIM \h\hHIS POSITION IN THE COURT. 100 00:05:51,101 --> 00:05:53,812 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TO CONCEAL HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE QUEEN, 101 00:05:53,854 --> 00:05:56,273 {\an7}LU BUWEI LOOKED FOR A MAN \h\hWHO COULD REPLACE HIM 102 00:05:56,314 --> 00:05:59,442 {\an7}IN THE QUEEN’S BEDROOM, 103 00:05:59,484 --> 00:06:04,614 {\an7}\h\h\h\hA MAN HE COULD TRUST AND HIS QUEEN WOULD ACCEPT. 104 00:06:04,656 --> 00:06:07,951 {\an7}Schonebaum: LU BUWEI FOUND \h\h\h\hA WELL-ENDOWED MAN 105 00:06:07,993 --> 00:06:10,204 {\an7}AND PARADED HIM ABOUT 106 00:06:10,245 --> 00:06:16,501 {\an7}\hSO THAT YING ZHENG’S MOTHER’S LASCIVIOUSNESS WOULD BE AROUSED. 107 00:06:16,543 --> 00:06:18,628 {\an7}[SPEAKING CHINESE] 108 00:06:33,518 --> 00:06:36,896 {\an7}Narrator: LU BUWEI’S SCHEME \h\h\h\h\hWORKED...AT FIRST. 109 00:06:36,938 --> 00:06:39,524 {\an7}LAO AI DISGUISED HIMSELF \h\h\h\h\h\hAS A EUNUCH 110 00:06:39,566 --> 00:06:42,944 {\an7}SO HE COULD ENTER THE QUEEN’S \h\hCHAMBER WITHOUT SUSPICION 111 00:06:42,986 --> 00:06:46,323 {\an7}\h\hAND ULTIMATELY CAPTURE HER HEART. 112 00:06:46,364 --> 00:06:51,286 {\an7}♪ 113 00:06:51,328 --> 00:06:55,499 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE QUEEN WAS A WILLING ACCOMPLICE IN LU BUWEI’S PLAN. 114 00:06:55,540 --> 00:06:57,292 {\an7}AWAY FROM PRYING EYES, 115 00:06:57,334 --> 00:07:00,128 {\an7}SHE AND LAO AI BEGAN \h\hA TORRID AFFAIR 116 00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:03,965 {\an7}THAT FUELED A PLOT TO OVERTHROW HER SON, THE KING. 117 00:07:07,761 --> 00:07:10,264 {\an7}BETRAYALS COMING FROM \h\hWITHIN THE PALACE 118 00:07:10,305 --> 00:07:14,976 {\an7}WERE PERILS YOUNG ZHENG \h\h\hHAD TO ANTICIPATE. 119 00:07:15,018 --> 00:07:18,730 {\an7}HE MAY HAVE POSSESSED A KING’S \hPOWER, BUT BEING A TEENAGER, 120 00:07:18,772 --> 00:07:22,150 {\an7}HE WAS TOO INEXPERIENCED \hTO USE IT EFFECTIVELY. 121 00:07:22,192 --> 00:07:26,029 {\an7}AS A RESULT, HE HAD TO RELY \h\h\hON LU BUWEI’S ADVICE, 122 00:07:26,071 --> 00:07:30,075 {\an7}WHICH MAY NOT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN \h\h\h\hIN HIS BEST INTERESTS. 123 00:07:30,116 --> 00:07:32,952 {\an7}DESPITE THE CONSTANT STATE \h\hOF WAR IN THE REGION, 124 00:07:32,994 --> 00:07:35,371 {\an7}\h\h\hYING ZHENG HAD INHERITED A KINGDOM 125 00:07:35,413 --> 00:07:37,373 {\an7}THAT WAS STEADILY GROWING. 126 00:07:37,415 --> 00:07:39,125 {\an7}Schonebaum: THERE WERE \h\hTALENTED GENERALS. 127 00:07:39,167 --> 00:07:42,253 {\an7}THERE WERE WISE MINISTERS \h\h\h\hALREADY IN PLACE. 128 00:07:42,295 --> 00:07:45,298 {\an7}AND LU BUWEI WAS AMONG THEM. 129 00:07:45,340 --> 00:07:48,677 {\an7}SO WHILE YING ZHENG \h\hWAS A TEENAGER, 130 00:07:48,718 --> 00:07:52,513 {\an7}THE QIN STATE CONTINUED TO GROW AND CONSOLIDATE LAND 131 00:07:52,555 --> 00:07:55,933 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND BECOME MORE AND MORE POWERFUL. 132 00:07:55,976 --> 00:07:58,312 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 133 00:07:58,353 --> 00:08:00,438 {\an7}Narrator: BUT THE END \hTO CENTURIES OF WAR 134 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,817 {\an7}WAS STILL OFF IN THE FUTURE. 135 00:08:03,858 --> 00:08:07,653 {\an7}\hRIVAL STATES WERE CONSUMED IN BATTLING EACH OTHER FOR SURVIVAL 136 00:08:07,696 --> 00:08:09,615 {\an7}AND FOR SUPREMACY. 137 00:08:09,656 --> 00:08:15,537 {\an7}♪ 138 00:08:15,578 --> 00:08:18,623 {\an7}IT WOULD TAKE A BOLD LEADER, \h\h\hWITH FEARLESS VISION, 139 00:08:18,665 --> 00:08:23,503 {\an7}\h\h\hTO RISE ABOVE THE FRAY AND SEIZE VICTORY FROM HIS ENEMIES. 140 00:08:23,545 --> 00:08:32,345 {\an7}♪ 141 00:08:32,387 --> 00:08:36,016 {\an7}EIGHT YEARS LATER, 238 B.C. 142 00:08:38,643 --> 00:08:44,107 {\an7}\hTHE AFFAIR BETWEEN THE QUEEN AND HER LOVER HAD FLOURISHED. 143 00:08:44,149 --> 00:08:49,112 {\an7}LAO AI NO LONGER PRETENDED \hTO BE A SERVILE EUNUCH. 144 00:08:49,154 --> 00:08:53,116 {\an7}WITH THE QUEEN’S SUPPORT, HE WAS NOW A POWERFUL MAN, 145 00:08:53,158 --> 00:08:58,121 {\an7}AND THE PAIR SECRETLY HAD TWO SONS TOGETHER. 146 00:08:58,163 --> 00:09:02,334 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT LAO AI WANTED MORE THAN LAVISH PALACE COMFORTS. 147 00:09:02,375 --> 00:09:06,588 {\an7}HE HAD HIS SIGHTS SET \h\hON A BIGGER PRIZE. 148 00:09:06,629 --> 00:09:09,924 {\an7}\h\hDuan: LAO AI HAD 3,000 MEN UNDER HIM 149 00:09:09,966 --> 00:09:12,469 {\an7}AND WAS RECRUITING MORE \h\h\h\h\hALL THE TIME. 150 00:09:12,510 --> 00:09:17,015 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHE WANTED TO SEIZE YING ZHENG’S THRONE FOR HIMSELF. 151 00:09:18,767 --> 00:09:20,435 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT LAO AI UNDERESTIMATED 152 00:09:20,477 --> 00:09:24,564 {\an7}THE NOW 22-YEAR-OLD KING. 153 00:09:24,606 --> 00:09:28,276 {\an7}YING ZHENG GOT WORD OF THE PLANNED COUP. 154 00:09:28,318 --> 00:09:29,736 {\an7}Ying Zheng: LAO AI? 155 00:09:39,037 --> 00:09:43,041 {\an7}Narrator: LU BUWEI’S MATCHMAKING WAS ABOUT TO BACKFIRE, 156 00:09:43,083 --> 00:09:47,546 {\an7}LEAVING HIM EXPOSED TO THE WRATH OF AN OUTRAGED KING. 157 00:09:50,757 --> 00:09:53,218 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN HIS PLOT TO OVERTHROW KING YING ZHENG 158 00:09:53,259 --> 00:09:54,761 {\an7}WAS DISCOVERED, 159 00:09:54,803 --> 00:09:57,431 {\an7}LAO AI DECIDED TO MAKE HIS MOVE. 160 00:09:59,390 --> 00:10:01,434 {\an7}WITHOUT THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, 161 00:10:01,476 --> 00:10:04,020 {\an7}\h\hHE AND HIS FOLLOWERS RODE TOWARD THE PALACE, 162 00:10:04,062 --> 00:10:06,898 {\an7}\h\h\hINTENT ON MAKING A PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE. 163 00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:13,447 {\an7}♪ 164 00:10:13,488 --> 00:10:17,242 {\an7}BUT THE KING WAS NO LONGER \h\h\h\hA NAIVE TEENAGER. 165 00:10:17,283 --> 00:10:21,579 {\an7}\hHE HAD LEARNED FROM HIS PALACE MINISTERS AND MILITARY ADVISORS 166 00:10:21,621 --> 00:10:24,415 {\an7}\hAND HAD CAREFULLY PLANNED A RESPONSE. 167 00:10:27,919 --> 00:10:31,381 {\an7}\hTHE KING SAW HIS CHANCE TO ELIMINATE BOTH LAO AI, 168 00:10:31,422 --> 00:10:33,049 {\an7}WHO WAS AFTER HIS THRONE, 169 00:10:33,091 --> 00:10:37,178 {\an7}AND LU BUWEI, HIS SCHEMING, \h\h\h\hTOO-POWERFUL REGENT. 170 00:10:40,348 --> 00:10:42,851 {\an7}YING ZHENG ANTICIPATED THAT LAO AI WOULD TRY 171 00:10:42,892 --> 00:10:46,562 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTO STORM THE PALACE BY ENTERING THE FRONT GATE. 172 00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:50,984 {\an7}[CREAKING] 173 00:10:51,025 --> 00:10:55,655 {\an7}\hHE SET A TRAP, AND LAO AI AND THE REBELS FELL INTO IT. 174 00:10:58,199 --> 00:11:04,747 {\an7}[ARROWS WHIZZING] 175 00:11:04,789 --> 00:11:09,043 {\an7}\h\h\h\hLAO AI COULD ONLY WONDER WHO HAD ORCHESTRATED THE ATTACK. 176 00:11:09,085 --> 00:11:10,920 {\an7}THEN HE SPOTTED LU BUWEI, 177 00:11:10,962 --> 00:11:13,631 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS RISE IN THE PALACE. 178 00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:15,175 {\an7}[YELLS] 179 00:11:18,845 --> 00:11:24,559 {\an7}\h\hTHE CO-CONSPIRATORS WERE NOW MORTAL ENEMIES. 180 00:11:24,601 --> 00:11:26,770 {\an7}[SPEAKING CHINESE] 181 00:11:26,811 --> 00:11:29,230 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hDuan: LU BUWEI NEVER THOUGHT THAT LAO AI 182 00:11:29,272 --> 00:11:32,901 {\an7}\h\h\hWOULD POSE A THREAT TO HIS POWER IN THE COURT, 183 00:11:32,942 --> 00:11:35,611 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT NOW HE SAW THAT IF HE DIDN’T HELP STOP 184 00:11:35,653 --> 00:11:38,197 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hLAO AI’S PLAN TO OVERTHROW YING ZHENG, 185 00:11:38,239 --> 00:11:41,617 {\an7}HE COULD LOSE EVERYTHING, 186 00:11:41,659 --> 00:11:46,330 {\an7}\hSO THAT’S WHY LU BUWEI SIDED WITH THE KING AGAINST LAO AI. 187 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:50,459 {\an7}IT WAS ALL ABOUT PRESERVING HIS POSITION IN THE KINGDOM. 188 00:11:54,088 --> 00:11:56,132 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TO FAIL IN A PALACE COUP 189 00:11:56,174 --> 00:11:58,927 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS TO INVITE THE MOST SEVERE PUNISHMENT. 190 00:11:58,968 --> 00:12:00,761 {\an7}[HORSES NEIGHING] 191 00:12:00,803 --> 00:12:04,849 {\an7}\h\h\hLAO AI, THE QUEEN’S LOVER, PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE FOR DARING 192 00:12:04,891 --> 00:12:07,102 {\an7}TO PLOT AGAINST THE KING. 193 00:12:11,439 --> 00:12:19,113 {\an7}[HORSES NEIGHING] 194 00:12:19,155 --> 00:12:22,492 {\an7}[ROPE STRETCHING] 195 00:12:25,245 --> 00:12:30,000 {\an7}LAO AI AND 3,000 OF HIS MEN \h\hWERE EXECUTED OR EXILED 196 00:12:30,041 --> 00:12:32,043 {\an7}BY YING ZHENG. 197 00:12:34,337 --> 00:12:37,674 {\an7}\h\hBUT YING ZHENG DIDN’T STOP THERE. 198 00:12:37,715 --> 00:12:40,593 {\an7}HE HAD THE SONS OF LAO AI \h\hAND HIS MOTHER KILLED 199 00:12:40,635 --> 00:12:45,849 {\an7}\hTO KEEP THEM FROM ONE DAY SEEKING REVENGE AGAINST HIM. 200 00:12:45,890 --> 00:12:50,019 {\an7}\h\h\h\hIN A GESTURE OF MERCY, YING ZHENG SPARED HIS MOTHER, 201 00:12:50,061 --> 00:12:53,773 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT PLACED HER UNDER HOUSE ARREST. 202 00:12:53,815 --> 00:12:58,945 {\an7}NOW HE HAD ONE LAST CONSPIRATOR TO DEAL WITH. 203 00:12:58,987 --> 00:13:02,365 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hLU BUWEI--HIS ADVISOR AND THE MASTERMIND OF THE MATCH 204 00:13:02,407 --> 00:13:04,284 {\an7}BETWEEN LAO AI AND THE QUEEN-- 205 00:13:04,325 --> 00:13:06,869 {\an7}WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR HIS BETRAYAL. 206 00:13:06,911 --> 00:13:10,957 {\an7}Duan: YING ZHENG DEALT WITH LU BUWEI AT ONCE. 207 00:13:10,999 --> 00:13:13,960 {\an7}HE SENTENCED HIM TO EXILE \h\h\hIN SICHUAN PROVINCE, 208 00:13:14,002 --> 00:13:15,962 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hWHERE LU BUWEI LATER COMMITTED SUICIDE 209 00:13:16,004 --> 00:13:19,466 {\an7}BY DRINKING A CUP OF POISONED WINE. 210 00:13:19,507 --> 00:13:23,136 {\an7}SO HERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME \h\hSINCE TAKING THE THRONE, 211 00:13:23,177 --> 00:13:26,806 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hYING ZHENG SHOWED HIS WILLINGNESS TO ACT FOR HIMSELF. 212 00:13:28,182 --> 00:13:29,475 {\an7}Narrator: IT WAS A TURNING POINT 213 00:13:29,517 --> 00:13:32,353 {\an7}\h\h\hIN THE GROWTH OF THE YOUNG RULER. 214 00:13:32,395 --> 00:13:34,147 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSchonebaum: THE MOMENT WHEN YING ZHENG 215 00:13:34,188 --> 00:13:39,735 {\an7}BECOMES THE KING OF QIN \hAND THIS POWERFUL MAN 216 00:13:39,777 --> 00:13:43,698 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hIS THE MOMENT AT WHICH LU BUWEI DECIDES 217 00:13:43,740 --> 00:13:46,576 {\an7}\hTO DRINK POISON AND KILL HIMSELF, 218 00:13:46,617 --> 00:13:48,953 {\an7}REALIZING THAT HE HAD ANGERED 219 00:13:48,995 --> 00:13:52,332 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hWHAT HAD NOW BECOME THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL MAN. 220 00:13:54,584 --> 00:13:57,796 {\an7}Narrator: YING ZHENG WENT ON TO UNVEIL AN AMBITIOUS PLAN 221 00:13:57,837 --> 00:14:03,134 {\an7}\h\h\hTO UNIFY THE SEVEN WARRING STATES INTO ONE. 222 00:14:03,176 --> 00:14:06,930 {\an7}\h\hHE BEGAN TO APPOINT MEN OF ABILITY, GUEST OFFICERS, 223 00:14:06,971 --> 00:14:10,641 {\an7}\hREGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN. 224 00:14:10,683 --> 00:14:14,145 {\an7}ONE OF THE FIRST WAS LI SI. 225 00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:18,608 {\an7}ORIGINALLY FROM THE CHU STATE, LI SI HAD A SUPERB LEGAL MIND 226 00:14:18,649 --> 00:14:21,277 {\an7}AND WOULD LATER DRAW UP \h\hTHE RULING IDEOLOGY 227 00:14:21,319 --> 00:14:23,655 {\an7}OF THE QIN EMPIRE. 228 00:14:26,991 --> 00:14:30,119 {\an7}\h\hJeffrey Riegel: HERE WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST EMPEROR 229 00:14:30,161 --> 00:14:34,248 {\an7}ALLOWING SOMEONE WHO CAME \h\h\hFROM AN ENEMY STATE, 230 00:14:34,290 --> 00:14:36,793 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTO SERVE HIM IN A CLOSE POSITION, 231 00:14:36,834 --> 00:14:43,758 {\an7}BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THAT LI SI WAS SOMEONE WHO COULD BE OF USE. 232 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,594 {\an7}Narrator: YING ZHENG PROMOTED \hANOTHER TALENTED FOREIGNER, 233 00:14:46,636 --> 00:14:51,057 {\an7}ZHENG GUO, A HYDRAULIC ENGINEER FROM THE NEARBY HAN STATE. 234 00:14:54,018 --> 00:14:57,855 {\an7}\h\h\h\hRiegel: IN THIS CASE, WHAT THE FIRST EMPEROR WISHED 235 00:14:57,897 --> 00:15:00,691 {\an7}TO HAVE ZHENG GUO BUILD FOR HIM 236 00:15:00,733 --> 00:15:07,114 {\an7}WAS A CANAL THAT COULD BE USED \h\h\hTO TRANSFORM THE AREA-- 237 00:15:07,156 --> 00:15:15,039 {\an7}THE PLAIN AROUND THE CAPITAL OF QIN--INTO A FERTILE AREA. 238 00:15:15,081 --> 00:15:17,792 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: HOWEVER, THE CANAL PROJECT HIT A SNAG 239 00:15:17,834 --> 00:15:20,712 {\an7}FROM THE VERY START. 240 00:15:20,753 --> 00:15:24,799 {\an7}\h\hYING ZHENG LEARNED THAT ZHENG GUO, WHOM HE TRUSTED, 241 00:15:24,841 --> 00:15:27,385 {\an7}WAS ACTUALLY A SPY FROM THE HAN STATE 242 00:15:27,427 --> 00:15:31,681 {\an7}SENT TO DIVERT QIN’S RESOURCES \h\h\h\hTO WASTEFUL PROJECTS. 243 00:15:35,643 --> 00:15:38,271 {\an7}THE KING’S MOST POWERFUL \h\h\hADVISORS URGED HIM 244 00:15:38,312 --> 00:15:43,484 {\an7}TO EXPEL ALL FOREIGN OFFICERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM THE STATE. 245 00:15:43,526 --> 00:15:48,656 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THEN LI SI, FROM THE CHU STATE, WEIGHED IN. 246 00:15:48,698 --> 00:15:51,534 {\an7}\hHE RISKED EXPULSION BY WRITING A PETITION 247 00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:53,953 {\an7}ARGUING THAT FOREIGNERS, \h\h\h\h\hLIKE HIMSELF, 248 00:15:53,995 --> 00:15:57,123 {\an7}WERE NEEDED IF YING ZHENG \hWAS TO ACHIEVE HIS DREAM 249 00:15:57,165 --> 00:15:59,376 {\an7}OF UNIFYING THE STATES. 250 00:16:19,187 --> 00:16:22,315 {\an7}Narrator: LI SI’S PETITION \h\h\h\h\hWAS PERSUASIVE. 251 00:16:22,356 --> 00:16:24,775 {\an7}INSTEAD OF EXPELLING ZHENG GUO, 252 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:28,404 {\an7}THE KING ORDERED HIM TO CONTINUE BUILDING THE CANAL. 253 00:16:30,156 --> 00:16:31,908 {\an7}[SPEAKING JAPANESE] 254 00:16:31,949 --> 00:16:33,951 {\an7}Suruma Kazuyuki, translated: MANY OF THE KING’S ADVISORS 255 00:16:33,993 --> 00:16:36,913 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hURGED HIM TO EXPEL ALL FOREIGNERS, 256 00:16:36,954 --> 00:16:39,373 {\an7}\h\hBUT YING ZHENG REJECTED THE IDEA. 257 00:16:39,415 --> 00:16:41,709 {\an7}HE WAS CONVINCED THAT ACCEPTING THEM IN HIS KINGDOM 258 00:16:41,751 --> 00:16:44,671 {\an7}AND USING THEIR TALENTS WAS OF GREATER BENEFIT. 259 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,593 {\an7}Narrator: YING ZHENG’S DECISION TO WELCOME FOREIGNERS 260 00:16:50,635 --> 00:16:55,223 {\an7}WOULD ALTER THE COURSE \hOF CHINESE HISTORY. 261 00:16:55,264 --> 00:16:57,933 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE CANAL THAT ZHENG GUO COMPLETED 262 00:16:57,975 --> 00:17:02,104 {\an7}MADE THE GUANZHONG PLAIN \h\h\hINTO FERTILE LAND. 263 00:17:02,146 --> 00:17:04,690 {\an7}\hAND, AS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION INCREASED, 264 00:17:04,732 --> 00:17:07,860 {\an7}THE QIN KINGDOM GREW RICHER \h\h\h\h\hTHAN OTHER STATES. 265 00:17:07,902 --> 00:17:12,490 {\an7}♪ 266 00:17:12,532 --> 00:17:15,744 {\an7}WITH HIS TREASURY OVERFLOWING, \h\hYING ZHENG WAS DETERMINED 267 00:17:15,785 --> 00:17:20,373 {\an7}\hTO MAKE HIS DREAM OF UNITING THE WARRING STATES A REALITY. 268 00:17:20,414 --> 00:17:25,002 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 269 00:17:25,044 --> 00:17:28,506 {\an7}\h\h\hHE REPORTEDLY RECRUITED A MILLION MEN TO BECOME SOLDIERS, 270 00:17:28,548 --> 00:17:30,967 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hSUPPLYING THEM WITH THE LATEST WEAPONS 271 00:17:31,008 --> 00:17:34,512 {\an7}AND TRAINING THEM IN THE ART OF WAR. 272 00:17:34,554 --> 00:17:38,099 {\an7}THE RESULT WAS A FORMIDABLE \h\h\h\h\hFIGHTING MACHINE. 273 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:44,313 {\an7}♪ 274 00:17:44,355 --> 00:17:45,898 {\an7}IT WOULD TAKE TIME, 275 00:17:45,940 --> 00:17:51,821 {\an7}BUT YING ZHENG’S WARRIORS \hWERE READY TO MOBILIZE. 276 00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:56,283 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 277 00:17:56,325 --> 00:18:00,079 {\an7}A MILLION MEN STOOD POISED TO SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES, 278 00:18:00,121 --> 00:18:02,373 {\an7}TO FIGHT THEIR ENEMIES \h\hON THE BATTLEFIELD 279 00:18:02,415 --> 00:18:05,585 {\an7}AND BUILD YING ZHENG’S \h\h\h\hMIGHTY EMPIRE. 280 00:18:09,255 --> 00:18:13,468 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN 230 B.C., THE 29-YEAR-OLD KING OF QIN 281 00:18:13,509 --> 00:18:17,221 {\an7}\hEMBARKED ON AN EPIC CAMPAIGN OF CONQUEST. 282 00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:18,973 {\an7}HE WANTED TO CREATE AN EMPIRE 283 00:18:19,015 --> 00:18:22,727 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hOUT OF THE PIECES OF THE CRUMBLING ZHOU DYNASTY, 284 00:18:22,768 --> 00:18:25,980 {\an7}\h\hAND NOW HE HAD THE ARMY TO DO IT. 285 00:18:26,022 --> 00:18:29,067 {\an7}THE KING’S FORCES NUMBERED \h\h\hOVER A MILLION MEN, 286 00:18:29,108 --> 00:18:31,193 {\an7}HAD A VAST ARSENAL OF WEAPONS, 287 00:18:31,235 --> 00:18:35,990 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAND KNEW ONLY ONE BATTLE STRATEGY--TO ATTACK. 288 00:18:36,032 --> 00:18:44,624 {\an7}♪ 289 00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:47,334 {\an7}\h\hTHE FIRST TARGET IN YING ZHENG’S PLAN 290 00:18:47,376 --> 00:18:51,714 {\an7}WAS THE NEIGHBORING STATE \h\h\hOF HAN TO THE EAST. 291 00:18:51,756 --> 00:18:54,592 {\an7}IN THE PAST, THE STATES \h\hOF THE ZHOU DYNASTY 292 00:18:54,634 --> 00:18:57,345 {\an7}CREATED A SERIES OF ALLIANCES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND COALITIONS 293 00:18:57,386 --> 00:19:02,099 {\an7}\hTO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST THE THREAT OF A POWERFUL ENEMY. 294 00:19:02,141 --> 00:19:04,310 {\an7}IT WORKED FOR A WHILE. 295 00:19:04,352 --> 00:19:08,314 {\an7}\h\hBUT THINGS WERE DIFFERENT THIS TIME. 296 00:19:08,356 --> 00:19:12,944 {\an7}\h\hDIPLOMACY PROVED USELESS AGAINST THE QIN WAR MACHINE. 297 00:19:12,985 --> 00:19:16,197 {\an7}\h\hIN LITTLE TIME, THE HAN STATE FELL. 298 00:19:16,238 --> 00:19:19,783 {\an7}♪ 299 00:19:19,825 --> 00:19:26,457 {\an7}THEN, YING ZHENG SET HIS SIGHTS ON ANOTHER NEIGHBOR, ZHAO STATE. 300 00:19:26,499 --> 00:19:31,921 {\an7}BLOOD FLOWED FREELY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. 301 00:19:31,962 --> 00:19:36,300 {\an7}\h\hDuan: THE QIN MILITARY WAS SUCH A POWERFUL FIGHTING FORCE 302 00:19:36,342 --> 00:19:38,135 {\an7}THAT THE OTHER KINGDOMS \h\h\h\h\hGREW DESPERATE 303 00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:42,682 {\an7}TO COME UP WITH STRATEGIES \h\h\hTO COUNTERACT THEM. 304 00:19:42,723 --> 00:19:46,227 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hONE OF THEM WAS THE KINGDOM OF YAN. 305 00:19:48,854 --> 00:19:50,481 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TWO YEARS INTO THE WAR, 306 00:19:50,523 --> 00:19:54,610 {\an7}DIPLOMATS FROM YAN \hARRIVED IN QIN. 307 00:19:54,652 --> 00:19:58,030 {\an7}THEIR DECLARED PURPOSE WAS TO MAKE AMENDS WITH THE QIN STATE 308 00:19:58,072 --> 00:20:01,450 {\an7}AND NEGOTIATE A PEACE. 309 00:20:01,492 --> 00:20:08,499 {\an7}AS PROOF, THE YAN ENVOYS CAME BEARING GIFTS FOR YING ZHENG. 310 00:20:08,541 --> 00:20:11,127 {\an7}THE ENVOY JING KE BROUGHT A BOX 311 00:20:11,168 --> 00:20:13,796 {\an7}CONTAINING THE SEVERED HEAD \h\h\h\h\h\hOF A QIN GENERAL 312 00:20:13,838 --> 00:20:16,507 {\an7}WHO YEARS EARLIER \hHAD FLED TO YAN 313 00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:18,801 {\an7}AFTER BETRAYING THE QIN STATE. 314 00:20:18,843 --> 00:20:30,813 {\an7}♪ 315 00:20:30,855 --> 00:20:33,983 {\an7}\hJING KE ALSO BROUGHT A MAP OF THE YAN LANDS 316 00:20:34,024 --> 00:20:35,776 {\an7}TO BE PRESENTED TO THE RULER 317 00:20:35,818 --> 00:20:39,864 {\an7}\h\hAS A GESTURE SIGNIFYING THE PEACEFUL SURRENDER OF THE STATE. 318 00:20:43,534 --> 00:20:46,787 {\an7}BUT HIDDEN WITHIN THE MAP \h\h\h\h\hWAS A SURPRISE. 319 00:20:46,829 --> 00:20:57,298 {\an7}♪ 320 00:20:57,339 --> 00:21:00,467 {\an7}WHILE YING ZHENG AVOIDED \h\h\hTHE POISON DAGGER, 321 00:21:00,509 --> 00:21:04,930 {\an7}\h\hHE WAS ON HIS OWN AGAINST THE ASSASSIN. 322 00:21:04,972 --> 00:21:07,683 {\an7}Schonebaum: THE KING’S MINISTERS ARE NOT ABLE TO COME TO HIS AID 323 00:21:07,725 --> 00:21:11,646 {\an7}BECAUSE THERE’S A LAW THAT SAYS THEY MUST ASK PERMISSION 324 00:21:11,687 --> 00:21:13,355 {\an7}TO MOVE ABOUT THE THRONE ROOM, 325 00:21:13,397 --> 00:21:17,484 {\an7}AND THEY’RE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY WEAPONS EITHER. 326 00:21:17,526 --> 00:21:21,363 {\an7}Narrator: YING ZHENG \h\hELUDED JING KE. 327 00:21:21,405 --> 00:21:24,450 {\an7}THEN, SWORD IN HAND, \h\h\hHE KILLED HIM. 328 00:21:24,492 --> 00:21:30,248 {\an7}♪ 329 00:21:30,289 --> 00:21:32,291 {\an7}DESPITE ESCAPING UNHARMED, 330 00:21:32,333 --> 00:21:35,837 {\an7}THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT \h\h\hINFURIATED THE KING. 331 00:21:38,881 --> 00:21:42,009 {\an7}ENRAGED, HE ORDERED HIS ARMY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO RETALIATE 332 00:21:42,051 --> 00:21:45,012 {\an7}\hBY SPEEDING UP THE WAR AGAINST HIS ADVERSARIES. 333 00:21:51,602 --> 00:21:53,145 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 334 00:21:53,187 --> 00:21:56,565 {\an7}Narrator: THE SLAUGHTER BEGAN. 335 00:21:56,607 --> 00:22:00,361 {\an7}\h\hTHE NEIGHBORING STATES WERE NO MATCH FOR QIN’S MASSIVE ARMY 336 00:22:00,402 --> 00:22:04,615 {\an7}OF SKILLFULLY TRAINED SOLDIERS. 337 00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:07,243 {\an7}10 YEARS PASSED. 338 00:22:07,284 --> 00:22:09,286 {\an7}ONE BY ONE, THE QIN ARMIES 339 00:22:09,328 --> 00:22:11,455 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCONQUERED THE SIX NEIGHBORING STATES 340 00:22:11,497 --> 00:22:15,459 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT BATTLED FOR THE PAST 200 YEARS. 341 00:22:15,501 --> 00:22:21,465 {\an7}YING ZHENG’S DREAM OF CREATING \hAN EMPIRE BECAME A REALITY. 342 00:22:21,507 --> 00:22:24,593 {\an7}\h\h\hRiegel: PEOPLE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT AN EMPIRE 343 00:22:24,635 --> 00:22:28,889 {\an7}THAT OCCUPIED IN EFFECT \h\h\h\hTHE WHOLE WORLD, 344 00:22:28,931 --> 00:22:32,768 {\an7}\hBUT IT WAS YING ZHENG WHO ACTUALLY CREATED IT. 345 00:22:32,810 --> 00:22:37,148 {\an7}\h\hAND BY DOING SO, HE CREATED AN IDEAL 346 00:22:37,189 --> 00:22:39,817 {\an7}THAT WOULD REMAIN IMPORTANT 347 00:22:39,859 --> 00:22:42,779 {\an7}FOR THE REMAINDER OF CHINESE HISTORY 348 00:22:42,820 --> 00:22:44,655 {\an7}UP UNTIL THE PRESENT DAY. 349 00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:49,785 {\an7}Narrator: 221 B.C. 350 00:22:52,955 --> 00:22:56,041 {\an7}\hA MASSIVE CROWD GATHERED FOR A CORONATION CEREMONY 351 00:22:56,083 --> 00:22:59,628 {\an7}\hIN THE CAPITAL OF QIN, WHERE, AT 38 YEARS OLD, 352 00:22:59,670 --> 00:23:03,465 {\an7}YING ZHENG NAMED HIMSELF \h\h\h\h\hQIN SHI HUANG, 353 00:23:03,507 --> 00:23:06,677 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE FIRST EMPEROR OF A VAST NEW TERRITORY, 354 00:23:06,719 --> 00:23:10,181 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hA TERRITORY WE NOW KNOW AS CHINA. 355 00:23:13,434 --> 00:23:15,269 {\an7}THE TITLE OF EMPEROR MEANT 356 00:23:15,311 --> 00:23:19,065 {\an7}\hTHAT THERE WAS NOW ONE AND ONLY ONE SOVEREIGN-- 357 00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:23,569 {\an7}A DECLARATION THAT THE ENTIRE \hCOUNTRY WAS UNDER HIS RULE. 358 00:23:25,863 --> 00:23:27,782 {\an7}THIS WAS THE BIRTH OF CHINA-- 359 00:23:27,823 --> 00:23:31,327 {\an7}A LAND OF WARRING STATES THAT WAS NOW ONE NATION. 360 00:23:31,368 --> 00:23:34,621 {\an7}[CHANTING] 361 00:23:34,663 --> 00:23:38,709 {\an7}IT WAS THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA. 362 00:23:38,751 --> 00:23:40,461 {\an7}Wang: YING ZHENG’S ASSUMPTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE TITLE, 363 00:23:40,502 --> 00:23:43,380 {\an7}THE AUGUST FIRST EMPEROR OF QIN, OR QIN SHI HUANG, 364 00:23:43,422 --> 00:23:46,008 {\an7}IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS TO US 365 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:50,304 {\an7}THAT HE NO LONGER SAW HIMSELF MERELY AS A TERRESTRIAL KING, 366 00:23:50,346 --> 00:23:53,474 {\an7}BUT RATHER HE SAW HIS ROLE \h\h\h\hAS BEING ELEVATED 367 00:23:53,515 --> 00:23:57,310 {\an7}TO THAT OF THE RULER \h\h\hOF AN EMPIRE, 368 00:23:57,353 --> 00:24:01,482 {\an7}AND A ROLE THAT COULD BE VIEWED PERHAPS ON COSMIC PROPORTIONS. 369 00:24:01,523 --> 00:24:02,899 {\an7}Narrator: BUT AS EMPEROR, 370 00:24:02,942 --> 00:24:07,029 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG STILL FACED \h\h\h\h\hMANY CHALLENGES. 371 00:24:07,071 --> 00:24:09,657 {\an7}AMONG THEM WAS THE NEED TO BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE 372 00:24:09,698 --> 00:24:13,076 {\an7}\h\hFROM DIFFERENT STATES AND CULTURES UNDER A SINGLE SYSTEM 373 00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:16,038 {\an7}TO CONSOLIDATE HIS REALM. 374 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,874 {\an7}Schonebaum: IT’S PRETTY CLEAR \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT HE RECOGNIZED 375 00:24:18,916 --> 00:24:21,877 {\an7}\h\h\hTHAT WHAT HE WAS DOING HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. 376 00:24:21,919 --> 00:24:24,922 {\an7}\hIT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM THAT PEOPLE NOT THINK OF THEMSELVES 377 00:24:24,964 --> 00:24:30,094 {\an7}AS LOYAL TO FORMER KINGDOMS BUT RATHER LOYAL TO THE QIN EMPIRE. 378 00:24:32,805 --> 00:24:34,265 {\an7}Narrator: UNIFICATION BEGAN 379 00:24:34,306 --> 00:24:38,769 {\an7}WITH A CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF GOVERNMENT. 380 00:24:38,811 --> 00:24:41,605 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG ABOLISHED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFEUDALISM, 381 00:24:41,647 --> 00:24:46,110 {\an7}\h\h\hDIVIDING THE EMPIRE INTO 36 PREFECTURES, OR PROVINCES, 382 00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:49,112 {\an7}\h\h\h\hWHICH WERE PLACED UNDER HIS DIRECT CONTROL. 383 00:24:49,154 --> 00:24:53,367 {\an7}THIS CENTRALIZATION OF POWER \h\h\h\h\hWAS UNPRECEDENTED. 384 00:24:53,409 --> 00:24:55,077 {\an7}OFFICIALS WERE APPOINTED \h\h\h\h\h\hTO POSITIONS 385 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,288 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hON THE BASIS OF MERIT AND ABILITY, 386 00:24:57,329 --> 00:25:02,751 {\an7}RATHER THAN ON HEREDITARY RIGHTS OR FAMILY TIES. 387 00:25:02,793 --> 00:25:05,337 {\an7}THIS SYSTEM, KNOWN AS LEGALISM, 388 00:25:05,379 --> 00:25:08,465 {\an7}\h\h\hREPRESENTED A BREAK FROM PREVIOUS TRADITIONS. 389 00:25:12,845 --> 00:25:15,848 {\an7}Schonebaum: THE EARLY LEGALISTS VIEWED HUMANS 390 00:25:15,889 --> 00:25:18,141 {\an7}AS ESSENTIALLY SELFISH, 391 00:25:18,183 --> 00:25:20,769 {\an7}BUT NOT NECESSARILY \h\h\hIN A BAD WAY. 392 00:25:20,811 --> 00:25:24,481 {\an7}\hTHEY THOUGHT THAT THE STATE COULD HARNESS THIS SELFISHNESS 393 00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:27,317 {\an7}AND ALLOW THEIR SUBJECTS 394 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,988 {\an7}TO PURSUE THEIR DESIRES \h\h\h\h\h\hAND PASSIONS 395 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:34,116 {\an7}IN THE SERVICE OF THE STATE. 396 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:37,244 {\an7}\hNarrator: QIN SHI HUANG HAD TO OVERCOME FIERCE OPPOSITION 397 00:25:37,286 --> 00:25:43,000 {\an7}\h\h\h\hFROM POWERFUL MINISTERS FOR HIS REFORMATIONS TO SUCCEED. 398 00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:47,630 {\an7}\hTO DO SO, HE RELIED ON LI SI, WHO SERVED AS HIS PRIME MINISTER 399 00:25:47,671 --> 00:25:52,634 {\an7}\h\hAND WROTE MANY OF QIN’S NEW LAWS. 400 00:25:52,676 --> 00:25:58,307 {\an7}Riegel: QIN DIDN’T EMPHASIZE \h\h\hRITUAL AND TRADITION. 401 00:25:58,348 --> 00:26:04,729 {\an7}BUT INSTEAD, THEY EMPHASIZED LAW AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LAW CODES, 402 00:26:04,772 --> 00:26:08,943 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T VARY OR CHANGE 403 00:26:08,984 --> 00:26:12,821 {\an7}\h\h\h\hACCORDING TO FAMILY OR ACCORDING TO LOCAL PLACE. 404 00:26:12,863 --> 00:26:16,950 {\an7}\h\hTHIS IS SOMETHING INTRODUCED BY THE QIN. 405 00:26:16,992 --> 00:26:18,744 {\an7}Narrator: IN 1975, 406 00:26:18,786 --> 00:26:22,957 {\an7}ARCHAEOLOGISTS GOT A FIRSTHAND \h\hLOOK AT QIN’S LEGAL SYSTEM 407 00:26:22,998 --> 00:26:26,835 {\an7}\hWHEN OVER 1,000 BAMBOO SLIPS WERE FOUND IN A SMALL VILLAGE 408 00:26:26,877 --> 00:26:29,505 {\an7}IN HUNAN PROVINCE. 409 00:26:29,546 --> 00:26:32,007 {\an7}\h\h\h\hANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE LAWS WERE WRITTEN 410 00:26:32,049 --> 00:26:35,928 {\an7}DURING QIN SHI HUANG’S REIGN. 411 00:26:35,969 --> 00:26:39,014 {\an7}THE BAMBOO SLIPS DEMONSTRATE \h\hHOW EXTENSIVE AND STRICT 412 00:26:39,056 --> 00:26:41,058 {\an7}THE LAWS WERE AT THE TIME. 413 00:26:43,644 --> 00:26:46,105 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTHEY REGULATED PEOPLE’S LIVES CLOSELY, 414 00:26:46,146 --> 00:26:49,066 {\an7}AND HARSH PUNISHMENTS WERE \hMETED OUT TO VIOLATORS. 415 00:26:57,199 --> 00:27:01,537 {\an7}THERE WERE ALSO OTHER CHANGES \h\h\hIN STORE FOR THE EMPIRE. 416 00:27:01,578 --> 00:27:06,458 {\an7}LI SI STANDARDIZED WEIGHTS \h\h\h\hAND MEASUREMENTS. 417 00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:09,920 {\an7}\h\hUNITS OF VOLUME, LENGTH, AND WEIGHT WERE MADE UNIFORM 418 00:27:09,962 --> 00:27:13,424 {\an7}\hTO SIMPLIFY TRADE AND TAX COLLECTION. 419 00:27:13,465 --> 00:27:17,094 {\an7}\hQIN SHI HUANG CONTINUED HIS STANDARDIZATION POLICY 420 00:27:17,136 --> 00:27:19,055 {\an7}THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE. 421 00:27:19,096 --> 00:27:23,976 {\an7}♪ 422 00:27:24,017 --> 00:27:27,354 {\an7}THIS IS THE BAN LIANG COIN \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE QIN. 423 00:27:30,482 --> 00:27:33,193 {\an7}AT THE TIME, DIFFERENT REGIONS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE COUNTRY 424 00:27:33,235 --> 00:27:36,864 {\an7}USED DIFFERENT TYPES \h\h\h\hOF CURRENCY. 425 00:27:36,905 --> 00:27:41,576 {\an7}\h\hQIN SHI HUANG UNIFIED THE CURRENCY WITH BAN LIANG COINS, 426 00:27:41,618 --> 00:27:44,955 {\an7}MAKING BUYING AND SELLING \hEASIER THROUGHOUT CHINA. 427 00:27:44,997 --> 00:27:48,584 {\an7}\hBUT THAT WASN’T THE LAST OF THE EMPEROR’S CHANGES. 428 00:27:52,004 --> 00:27:54,673 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hAMONG THE REFORMS THAT QIN SHI HUANG INTRODUCED 429 00:27:54,715 --> 00:27:58,510 {\an7}TO UNIFY CHINA, ONE STOOD \hAS THE MOST CHALLENGING. 430 00:28:08,353 --> 00:28:10,480 {\an7}\h\h\h\hNarrator: EACH STATE IN THE NEWLY CREATED EMPIRE 431 00:28:10,522 --> 00:28:12,232 {\an7}HAD ITS OWN FORM OF WRITING, 432 00:28:12,274 --> 00:28:15,986 {\an7}WHICH MADE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEM DIFFICULT. 433 00:28:16,028 --> 00:28:17,655 {\an7}THIS WAS THE BIGGEST \h\hSTUMBLING BLOCK 434 00:28:17,696 --> 00:28:21,325 {\an7}\h\hTO ENFORCING QIN’S NEW LAWS AND POLICIES. 435 00:28:21,366 --> 00:28:27,831 {\an7}♪ 436 00:28:27,873 --> 00:28:30,376 {\an7}IT WAS IMPORTANT TO UNIFY \h\h\h\hTHE WRITING SYSTEM 437 00:28:30,417 --> 00:28:33,420 {\an7}AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 438 00:28:33,462 --> 00:28:35,965 {\an7}THE EMPEROR SENT SCHOLARS \h\h\h\h\hTO EACH PROVINCE 439 00:28:36,006 --> 00:28:39,885 {\an7}TO TEACH THE QIN SCRIPT. 440 00:28:39,927 --> 00:28:43,222 {\an7}SINCE WRITING SYSTEMS EXPRESS \h\h\h\h\hTHOUGHT AND CULTURE, 441 00:28:43,263 --> 00:28:46,475 {\an7}\hQIN SHI HUANG KNEW THAT WITHOUT A UNIFIED SCRIPT, 442 00:28:46,516 --> 00:28:50,353 {\an7}\h\hHIS EMPIRE COULD DISSOLVE INTO CHAOS. 443 00:28:50,395 --> 00:28:52,439 {\an7}IMPOSING A UNIVERSAL \h\hWRITTEN LANGUAGE 444 00:28:52,481 --> 00:28:58,445 {\an7}MADE FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION \hAND ACCEPTANCE OF POLICIES. 445 00:28:58,487 --> 00:29:00,406 {\an7}THESE CHARACTERS MEAN "HORSE" 446 00:29:00,447 --> 00:29:03,700 {\an7}IN THE VARYING SCRIPTS \h\h\h\hOF EACH STATE. 447 00:29:03,742 --> 00:29:08,413 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG UNIFIED THEM \h\h\hWITH THE QIN SCRIPT. 448 00:29:08,455 --> 00:29:10,207 {\an7}Wang: THE SIGNIFICANCE \h\h\h\hOF INTRODUCING 449 00:29:10,249 --> 00:29:13,502 {\an7}A STANDARDIZED SYSTEM OF WRITING CANNOT BE OVERSTATED 450 00:29:13,543 --> 00:29:17,172 {\an7}BECAUSE IT FACILITATED GREATLY \h\hTHE NEW SYSTEM BUREAUCRACY 451 00:29:17,214 --> 00:29:20,884 {\an7}THAT WAS INTRODUCED UNDER QIN SHI HUANG. 452 00:29:20,926 --> 00:29:23,178 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: MANY OF THE STANDARDIZED CHINESE CHARACTERS 453 00:29:23,220 --> 00:29:25,305 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hESTABLISHED DURING THE QIN DYNASTY 454 00:29:25,347 --> 00:29:28,767 {\an7}\h\h\hHAVE SURVIVED TO THE PRESENT DAY. 455 00:29:28,809 --> 00:29:31,812 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG HAD ACHIEVED \h\hWHAT MANY HAD DREAMED, 456 00:29:31,853 --> 00:29:33,938 {\an7}BUT NO ONE HAD DONE BEFORE-- 457 00:29:33,981 --> 00:29:39,320 {\an7}UNITING THE WARRING STATES \h\hINTO A SINGLE NATION. 458 00:29:39,361 --> 00:29:43,365 {\an7}HE CREATED A NEW SOCIETY BASED \hNOT ON CUSTOM AND TRADITION, 459 00:29:43,407 --> 00:29:49,580 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT ON A POWERFUL CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW. 460 00:29:49,621 --> 00:29:53,291 {\an7}\hYET DESPITE THIS ACHIEVEMENT, QIN SHI HUANG HAS BEEN PORTRAYED 461 00:29:53,333 --> 00:29:55,460 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHROUGHOUT 2,000 YEARS OF HISTORY 462 00:29:55,502 --> 00:29:58,380 {\an7}AS A CRUEL AND BRUTAL TYRANT. 463 00:29:58,422 --> 00:30:04,261 {\an7}♪ 464 00:30:04,303 --> 00:30:05,971 {\an7}SOME ANCIENT RECORDS CLAIM 465 00:30:06,013 --> 00:30:08,098 {\an7}THE EMPEROR ORDERED THE BURNING OF BOOKS 466 00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:13,729 {\an7}THAT HE BELIEVED CRITICIZED HIS RULE OR UNDERMINED HIS POWER. 467 00:30:13,770 --> 00:30:15,647 {\an7}HE WAS ALSO SAID TO HAVE DECREED 468 00:30:15,689 --> 00:30:18,609 {\an7}THAT DISSIDENT SCHOLARS \h\h\h\hBE BURIED ALIVE. 469 00:30:21,903 --> 00:30:23,488 {\an7}THE REASONS FOR BOOK BURNING-- 470 00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:26,408 {\an7}\h\h\h\hESSENTIALLY SUPPRESSING FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND SPEECH-- 471 00:30:26,450 --> 00:30:28,327 {\an7}WERE POLITICAL. 472 00:30:30,329 --> 00:30:33,207 {\an7}THE EMPEROR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPREAD OF IDEAS 473 00:30:33,248 --> 00:30:35,625 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOPPOSING HIS REFORMATION POLICIES 474 00:30:35,667 --> 00:30:39,254 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hAND CHALLENGING THE LEGITIMACY OF HIS RULE. 475 00:30:39,296 --> 00:30:41,423 {\an7}YET HISTORIANS TODAY QUESTION 476 00:30:41,465 --> 00:30:45,260 {\an7}WHETHER WHOLESALE BOOK BURNINGS ACTUALLY OCCURRED. 477 00:30:45,302 --> 00:30:47,137 {\an7}Riegel: WE DOUBT VERY MUCH 478 00:30:47,179 --> 00:30:50,432 {\an7}THAT IF THE BURNING OF THE BOOKS EVER HAPPENED, 479 00:30:50,474 --> 00:30:54,979 {\an7}\h\h\hTHAT IT REALLY REPRESENTED A BURNING OF ALL OF LITERATURE. 480 00:30:55,020 --> 00:30:57,814 {\an7}I THINK WE SHOULD, \hIF IT HAPPENED, 481 00:30:57,856 --> 00:31:01,234 {\an7}WE SHOULD TAKE IT AS AN EXAMPLE 482 00:31:01,276 --> 00:31:07,491 {\an7}OF A GOVERNMENT WANTING TO CONTROL INFORMATION, 483 00:31:07,532 --> 00:31:12,746 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWANTING TO DEFINE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG, 484 00:31:12,788 --> 00:31:16,500 {\an7}TO CREATE A KIND OF ORTHODOXY. 485 00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:22,422 {\an7}AND I THINK THERE’S NOTHING \hESPECIALLY UNIQUE IN THAT. 486 00:31:22,464 --> 00:31:29,304 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hEVERY COUNTRY, EVERY CIVILIZATION WANTS TO BE ABLE 487 00:31:29,346 --> 00:31:35,310 {\an7}TO TELL ITS STORY THE WAY \h\hTHEY WANT TO TELL IT. 488 00:31:35,352 --> 00:31:37,521 {\an7}\h\h\h\hNarrator: ACCORDING TO THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS, 489 00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:42,984 {\an7}THE QIN DYNASTY DID NOT \h\h\hDESTROY ALL BOOKS. 490 00:31:43,026 --> 00:31:45,695 {\an7}SOME COPIES OF FORBIDDEN TEXTS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE PRESERVED 491 00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:49,282 {\an7}\hIN THE EMPEROR’S IMPERIAL ARCHIVES. 492 00:31:49,324 --> 00:31:52,994 {\an7}WRITINGS ON MEDICINE, FARMING, \h\hTECHNOLOGY, AND ASTRONOMY 493 00:31:53,036 --> 00:31:56,081 {\an7}WERE KNOWN TO BE KEPT \h\h\h\hIN THE PALACE. 494 00:31:56,123 --> 00:32:00,628 {\an7}IT’S EVIDENCE THAT QIN SHI HUANG DID VALUE PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE. 495 00:32:02,796 --> 00:32:05,090 {\an7}BUT MORE DISTURBING \hTHAN BOOK BURNINGS 496 00:32:05,132 --> 00:32:07,635 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE ACCOUNTS OF THE EMPEROR’S BRUTALITY, 497 00:32:07,676 --> 00:32:12,639 {\an7}DESIGNED TO ENFORCE OBEDIENCE \h\h\h\hTHROUGH INTIMIDATION. 498 00:32:12,681 --> 00:32:14,766 {\an7}ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS \h\h\h\h\hOF HISTORIANS 499 00:32:14,808 --> 00:32:17,602 {\an7}WRITING AFTER THE FALL \hOF THE QIN DYNASTY, 500 00:32:17,644 --> 00:32:22,065 {\an7}\h\h\hQIN SHI HUANG ORDERED THAT 460 CONFUCIAN SCHOLARS, 501 00:32:22,107 --> 00:32:26,528 {\an7}\hWHO OWNED COPIES OF FORBIDDEN BOOKS, WERE TO BE BURIED ALIVE. 502 00:32:29,698 --> 00:32:31,325 {\an7}BUT THESE ACCOUNTS WERE WRITTEN 503 00:32:31,366 --> 00:32:34,661 {\an7}OVER A CENTURY AFTER THE BURIALS WERE TO HAVE OCCURRED, 504 00:32:34,703 --> 00:32:39,499 {\an7}\hWHICH LEADS HISTORIANS TO DOUBT THEIR VALIDITY. 505 00:32:39,541 --> 00:32:41,543 {\an7}\hWang: AND SINCE IN CHINESE HISTORY 506 00:32:41,585 --> 00:32:45,339 {\an7}\h\h\hTHERE WAS A LONGSTANDING PRACTICE OF DYNASTIC HISTORIES 507 00:32:45,380 --> 00:32:50,176 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBEING WRITTEN BY THE SUCCESSOR DYNASTIES, 508 00:32:50,218 --> 00:32:54,389 {\an7}\h\hTHE VIEW THAT IS PRESENTED OF QIN SHI HUANG BY SIMA QIAN, 509 00:32:54,431 --> 00:32:56,725 {\an7}\h\hWHO IS ACTUALLY WRITING DURING THE HISTORICAL PERIOD 510 00:32:56,766 --> 00:32:59,227 {\an7}FOLLOWING THE QIN DYNASTY, 511 00:32:59,269 --> 00:33:02,773 {\an7}\hPRESENTS A RULER WHO WAS A TYRANT. 512 00:33:02,814 --> 00:33:06,651 {\an7}Riegel: WHENEVER PEOPLE TALKED \h\h\h\h\h\hABOUT BAD RULERS, 513 00:33:06,693 --> 00:33:09,613 {\an7}BAD KINGS IN THE PAST, 514 00:33:09,654 --> 00:33:13,908 {\an7}ONE OF THE THINGS THEY WOULD SAY ABOUT A BAD RULER OR A BAD KING 515 00:33:13,950 --> 00:33:17,871 {\an7}\h\h\hWAS THAT THIS WAS A PERSON WHO HAD NO RESPECT FOR SCHOLARS 516 00:33:17,913 --> 00:33:21,041 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND BURIED THEM OR, OR BURNED DOCUMENTS, 517 00:33:21,082 --> 00:33:23,251 {\an7}AND SO, IN EFFECT, 518 00:33:23,293 --> 00:33:26,963 {\an7}\hWHAT, WHAT WE’RE TOLD ABOUT THE FIRST EMPEROR 519 00:33:27,005 --> 00:33:29,549 {\an7}IS JUST PART OF A TRADITION 520 00:33:29,591 --> 00:33:33,595 {\an7}OF CRITICIZING RULERS \hTHAT YOU DON’T LIKE. 521 00:33:33,637 --> 00:33:35,472 {\an7}AND SO, IN MY VIEW, 522 00:33:35,514 --> 00:33:39,226 {\an7}\hI DON’T THINK WE CAN GIVE VERY MUCH HISTORICAL WEIGHT 523 00:33:39,267 --> 00:33:43,271 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THOSE CLAIMS MADE AGAINST THE FIRST EMPEROR. 524 00:33:46,858 --> 00:33:48,985 {\an7}Narrator: RATHER THAN BEING A CRUEL TYRANT, 525 00:33:49,027 --> 00:33:51,696 {\an7}IT’S LIKELY THAT QIN SHI HUANG \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS A TARGET 526 00:33:51,738 --> 00:33:53,573 {\an7}OF POLITICAL PROPAGANDA 527 00:33:53,615 --> 00:33:59,204 {\an7}CREATED BY THE HAN DYNASTY \h\h\hTHAT SUCCEEDED HIS. 528 00:33:59,246 --> 00:34:03,751 {\an7}ITS PURPOSE WAS TO DISCREDIT THE QIN DYNASTY, AND BY DOING SO, 529 00:34:03,792 --> 00:34:08,130 {\an7}JUSTIFY AND ELEVATE \hITS OWN EXISTENCE. 530 00:34:08,171 --> 00:34:11,049 {\an7}Schonebaum: ALL OF OUR SOURCES \h\h\hFOR QIN DYNASTY HISTORY 531 00:34:11,091 --> 00:34:15,304 {\an7}\hCOME FROM THE SUBSEQUENT DYNASTY, THE HAN DYNASTY. 532 00:34:15,345 --> 00:34:19,808 {\an7}AND SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO SORT OF TAKE THEM WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, 533 00:34:19,849 --> 00:34:24,312 {\an7}CONSIDERING THAT THEY \hCONSISTENTLY PORTRAY 534 00:34:24,354 --> 00:34:28,483 {\an7}\h\hQIN DYNASTY MINISTERS AND QIN SHI HUANG HIMSELF 535 00:34:28,525 --> 00:34:32,779 {\an7}AS SOMEWHAT TYRANNICAL, SOMEWHAT OPPORTUNISTIC, 536 00:34:32,821 --> 00:34:36,158 {\an7}AND ULTIMATELY A FAILURE. 537 00:34:38,201 --> 00:34:41,121 {\an7}Narrator: MANY OF TODAY’S SCHOLARS SEE QIN SHI HUANG 538 00:34:41,162 --> 00:34:44,874 {\an7}IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. 539 00:34:44,916 --> 00:34:47,710 {\an7}Kazuyuki: QIN SHI HUANG \h\h\hIS OFTEN PORTRAYED 540 00:34:47,752 --> 00:34:50,630 {\an7}AS AN EVIL TYRANT, 541 00:34:50,672 --> 00:34:52,549 {\an7}BUT ACTUALLY, HE WAS A KING 542 00:34:52,591 --> 00:34:56,345 {\an7}\h\hWHO WAS MORE FAIR-MINDED THAN HE’S GIVEN CREDIT FOR. 543 00:34:56,386 --> 00:34:58,638 {\an7}HE DIDN’T TOLERATE CORRUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\hFROM BUREAUCRATS, 544 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,391 {\an7}\h\h\hESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PEOPLE. 545 00:35:01,433 --> 00:35:04,144 {\an7}[SPEAKING JAPANESE] 546 00:35:04,185 --> 00:35:07,313 {\an7}I THINK WE SHOULD REEVALUATE \hHOW WE VIEW QIN SHI HUANG. 547 00:35:07,355 --> 00:35:10,108 {\an7}[SPEAKING JAPANESE] 548 00:35:13,028 --> 00:35:15,948 {\an7}\h\h\hNarrator: BY VIRTUE OF HIS MILITARY AND POLITICAL PROWESS, 549 00:35:15,989 --> 00:35:18,867 {\an7}\hQIN SHI HUANG ENDED CENTURIES OF CONFLICT 550 00:35:18,908 --> 00:35:23,913 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAND BROUGHT PEACE TO THE CONSTANTLY WARRING STATES. 551 00:35:23,955 --> 00:35:27,167 {\an7}\hDURING HIS 12-YEAR REIGN, HE JOURNEYED THROUGHOUT HIS REALM 552 00:35:27,208 --> 00:35:32,672 {\an7}\hIN THE COMPANY OF HIS ARMY TO INSPECT THE NATION HE HAD BUILT. 553 00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:34,466 {\an7}\hBUT HE ALSO HAD A PERSONAL REASON 554 00:35:34,507 --> 00:35:37,176 {\an7}FOR UNDERTAKING THESE TOURS. 555 00:35:37,218 --> 00:35:40,054 {\an7}Riegel: HE WANTED TO LIVE \h\h\hAS LONG AS POSSIBLE. 556 00:35:40,096 --> 00:35:43,141 {\an7}HE WANTED TO PROLONG \h\h\hHIS LIFETIME. 557 00:35:43,183 --> 00:35:45,727 {\an7}AND SO, ONE OF THE REASONS 558 00:35:45,769 --> 00:35:52,985 {\an7}\h\h\h\hFOR MAKING THESE, UH, EXPEDITIONS AROUND HIS EMPIRE 559 00:35:53,026 --> 00:35:58,782 {\an7}WAS TO LOOK FOR THE SECRETS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF IMMORTALITY 560 00:35:58,823 --> 00:36:01,117 {\an7}THAT WOULD ENABLE THE FIRST EMPEROR 561 00:36:01,159 --> 00:36:06,122 {\an7}TO EXTEND HIS LIFETIME \hAND EXTEND HIS REIGN 562 00:36:06,164 --> 00:36:11,169 {\an7}SO THAT HE COULD CONTINUE \hTO RULE OVER HIS EMPIRE. 563 00:36:13,046 --> 00:36:14,965 {\an7}Narrator: AS HE TRAVELED \h\hTHROUGH HIS EMPIRE, 564 00:36:15,006 --> 00:36:18,593 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hQIN SHI HUANG HAD STONE MONUMENTS, CALLED STELE, 565 00:36:18,635 --> 00:36:21,221 {\an7}ERECTED TO COMMEMORATE \h\h\h\h\h\hHIS TOURS. 566 00:36:23,139 --> 00:36:25,224 {\an7}ENGRAVED ON THEM ARE HIS DECREES, 567 00:36:25,266 --> 00:36:27,143 {\an7}ACHIEVEMENTS, AND EXPLOITS-- 568 00:36:27,185 --> 00:36:30,021 {\an7}THE ONLY WRITTEN RECORDS \h\h\h\h\hFROM THE TIME. 569 00:36:32,691 --> 00:36:35,402 {\an7}BUT EVEN AFTER FORMING \hA MIGHTY SUPERPOWER, 570 00:36:35,443 --> 00:36:39,989 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG’S REALM WAS NOT \h\hFREE FROM OUTSIDE THREATS. 571 00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:46,746 {\an7}AND IT LED HIM TO UNDERTAKE \hONE OF THE ANCIENT WORLD’S 572 00:36:46,788 --> 00:36:51,126 {\an7}\hMOST EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO DEFEND HIS NATION. 573 00:36:58,758 --> 00:37:02,387 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE GREAT WALL OF CHINA-- ERECTED AS A DEFENSIVE PERIMETER 574 00:37:02,429 --> 00:37:04,890 {\an7}AGAINST ENEMIES ATTACKING \h\h\h\h\hFROM THE NORTH-- 575 00:37:04,931 --> 00:37:09,436 {\an7}HAS BECOME QIN SHI HUANG’S \h\h\hMOST VISIBLE LEGACY. 576 00:37:09,477 --> 00:37:14,732 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTODAY, IT DRAWS SOME 10 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR. 577 00:37:14,774 --> 00:37:17,402 {\an7}PORTIONS OF THE WALL HAD ALREADY EXISTED, 578 00:37:17,444 --> 00:37:21,990 {\an7}BUILT BY RULERS OF THE STATES \hQIN SHI HUANG HAD CONQUERED. 579 00:37:22,031 --> 00:37:24,617 {\an7}THE EMPEROR’S PLAN WAS TO CONNECT THOSE WALLS 580 00:37:24,659 --> 00:37:26,661 {\an7}WITH NEWLY BUILT BARRICADES-- 581 00:37:26,703 --> 00:37:29,915 {\an7}A PROJECT INVOLVING AS MANY AS A MILLION OF HIS SUBJECTS 582 00:37:29,956 --> 00:37:33,251 {\an7}WORKING OVER MANY YEARS. 583 00:37:33,293 --> 00:37:36,254 {\an7}Schonebaum: AND SO HE SET ABOUT CONSOLIDATING 584 00:37:36,296 --> 00:37:40,300 {\an7}THESE PRE-EXISTING WALLS \h\h\hOF OTHER KINGDOMS. 585 00:37:40,341 --> 00:37:44,220 {\an7}THEY WEREN’T THE BRICK AND STONE WALL WE KNOW NOW. 586 00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:48,183 {\an7}THAT WAS PRIMARILY A PROJECT \h\h\h\hOF THE MING DYNASTY. 587 00:37:48,224 --> 00:37:52,353 {\an7}THE QIN DYNASTY WALL \hWAS TAMPED EARTH, 588 00:37:52,395 --> 00:37:55,940 {\an7}ESSENTIALLY SETTING UP \h\hWOODEN FRAMEWORKS 589 00:37:55,982 --> 00:37:59,152 {\an7}AND TAMPING EARTH BETWEEN THEM, 590 00:37:59,194 --> 00:38:02,864 {\an7}AND THEN RAISING THE FRAME \h\hTO THE DESIRED HEIGHT. 591 00:38:05,492 --> 00:38:06,785 {\an7}Narrator: ONCE COMPLETED, 592 00:38:06,826 --> 00:38:09,120 {\an7}THE GREAT WALL FORMED \h\h\hA VAST STRUCTURE 593 00:38:09,162 --> 00:38:11,623 {\an7}RUNNING OVER 5,000 MILES-- 594 00:38:11,664 --> 00:38:13,958 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA MONUMENT TO QIN SHI HUANG’S VISION 595 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,921 {\an7}OF A GREAT CHINESE EMPIRE. 596 00:38:17,962 --> 00:38:20,298 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHIS FINAL GREAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT 597 00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:23,468 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS CREATING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF ROADS. 598 00:38:26,846 --> 00:38:29,974 {\an7}\h\h\h2,000 YEARS LATER, THESE MAGNIFICENT ROADS 599 00:38:30,016 --> 00:38:33,269 {\an7}TESTIFY TO THE SPLENDOR \h\hOF THE QIN DYNASTY. 600 00:38:35,230 --> 00:38:37,983 {\an7}THE EMPEROR PROBABLY TRAVELED \h\h\h\h\h\hALONG THIS ROADWAY 601 00:38:38,024 --> 00:38:40,026 {\an7}ON HIS INSPECTION TOURS. 602 00:38:40,068 --> 00:38:45,448 {\an7}♪ 603 00:38:45,490 --> 00:38:47,909 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE EMPIRE THAT QIN SHI HUANG CREATED 604 00:38:47,951 --> 00:38:50,078 {\an7}WAS CENTERED AROUND \h\hTHE YELLOW RIVER 605 00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:52,455 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAND STRETCHED FROM THE GREAT WALL IN THE NORTH 606 00:38:52,497 --> 00:38:57,293 {\an7}TO THE BORDERS OF VIETNAM \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE SOUTH. 607 00:38:57,335 --> 00:39:00,213 {\an7}HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS \h\hARE STAGGERING. 608 00:39:01,798 --> 00:39:04,301 {\an7}\h\h\h\hIN JUST OVER TWO DECADES OF RULE, 609 00:39:04,342 --> 00:39:06,970 {\an7}\h\h\hQIN SHI HUANG LAID THE FOUNDATION OF CHINA 610 00:39:07,011 --> 00:39:10,389 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WOULD LAST FOR THE NEXT 2,000 YEARS. 611 00:39:14,185 --> 00:39:17,855 {\an7}ONCE A VULNERABLE 13-YEAR-OLD \h\hKING CONTROLLED BY OTHERS, 612 00:39:17,897 --> 00:39:20,733 {\an7}YING ZHENG SURVIVED TREACHERY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE PALACE, 613 00:39:20,775 --> 00:39:25,780 {\an7}\h\h\h\hOUTWITTED HIS ENEMIES, AND BECAME A POWERFUL LEADER. 614 00:39:25,822 --> 00:39:28,700 {\an7}[SHOUTING] 615 00:39:28,741 --> 00:39:30,493 {\an7}AFTER A DECADE-LONG WAR, 616 00:39:30,535 --> 00:39:35,582 {\an7}\h\hHE UNIFIED CHINA AND BUILT AN EMPIRE. 617 00:39:35,623 --> 00:39:39,001 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hDESPITE A REPUTATION THAT PORTRAYED HIM AS A TYRANT, 618 00:39:39,043 --> 00:39:41,546 {\an7}\h\h\h\hQIN SHI HUANG HAS EMERGED AS A RULER 619 00:39:41,588 --> 00:39:45,467 {\an7}WHO TRANSFORMED THE WORLD \h\h\h\hHE WAS BORN INTO. 620 00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:47,635 {\an7}[SPEAKING CHINESE] 621 00:39:47,677 --> 00:39:49,804 {\an7}\h\hXu Weimin, translated: HIS ACHIEVEMENTS OUTWEIGH 622 00:39:49,846 --> 00:39:52,807 {\an7}ANY OF HIS FAILURES. 623 00:39:52,849 --> 00:39:54,642 {\an7}SOME SAY THAT HE WAS TOO HARSH 624 00:39:54,684 --> 00:39:56,311 {\an7}AND THAT HIS MASSIVE \hBUILDING PROJECTS 625 00:39:56,352 --> 00:40:00,147 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hMAY HAVE SPED UP THE FALL OF THE QIN EMPIRE. 626 00:40:00,189 --> 00:40:01,607 {\an7}OTHERS ARE EVEN MORE DISMISSIVE, 627 00:40:01,649 --> 00:40:07,280 {\an7}SAYING HE BURNED BOOKS \hAND KILLED SCHOLARS. 628 00:40:07,322 --> 00:40:09,282 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT IF WE LOOK AT HIS ENTIRE REIGN, 629 00:40:09,324 --> 00:40:10,951 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWE CAN SEE THAT HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE 630 00:40:10,992 --> 00:40:13,828 {\an7}TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS A NATION. 631 00:40:13,870 --> 00:40:16,122 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN MY VIEW, HE CERTAINLY WASN’T THE TYRANT 632 00:40:16,164 --> 00:40:18,708 {\an7}THE HISTORICAL RECORDS \hCLAIMED THAT HE WAS. 633 00:40:21,085 --> 00:40:22,712 {\an7}Narrator: 210 B.C., 634 00:40:22,754 --> 00:40:27,092 {\an7}12 YEARS AFTER CHINA \h\h\h\hWAS UNIFIED. 635 00:40:27,133 --> 00:40:29,636 {\an7}QIN SHI HUANG WAS ON ANOTHER QUEST, 636 00:40:29,677 --> 00:40:32,221 {\an7}THIS TIME FOR IMMORTALITY. 637 00:40:34,724 --> 00:40:39,145 {\an7}NOW 50 YEARS OLD, THE EMPEROR \hWAS EXHAUSTED FROM OVERWORK 638 00:40:39,187 --> 00:40:41,856 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND WEAKENED FROM INGESTING MERCURY PILLS, 639 00:40:41,898 --> 00:40:44,567 {\an7}\h\h\hWHICH HE BELIEVED WOULD MAKE HIM IMMORTAL. 640 00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:51,991 {\an7}♪ 641 00:40:52,033 --> 00:40:55,495 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hON A HOT SUMMER DAY, DURING A TOUR OF EASTERN CHINA, 642 00:40:55,536 --> 00:40:58,456 {\an7}THE EMPEROR DIED... 643 00:40:58,498 --> 00:41:04,629 {\an7}NOT IN HIS ROYAL PALACE, \h\hBUT IN HIS CARRIAGE. 644 00:41:04,671 --> 00:41:07,299 {\an7}THE EXACT CAUSE OF DEATH \h\hWAS NEVER REVEALED, 645 00:41:07,340 --> 00:41:09,217 {\an7}THOUGH IT’S THOUGHT \hMERCURY POISONING 646 00:41:09,258 --> 00:41:13,387 {\an7}LIKELY PLAYED A PART \h\h\hIN HIS DEMISE. 647 00:41:13,429 --> 00:41:16,974 {\an7}THE EMPEROR’S BODY WAS RETURNED TO THE QIN CAPITAL 648 00:41:17,016 --> 00:41:19,435 {\an7}AND THEN LAID TO REST \h\h\hIN HIS MAUSOLEUM 649 00:41:19,477 --> 00:41:23,690 {\an7}UNDER THE MAN-MADE MOUNTAIN \h\h\h\hIN NEARBY XIANYANG. 650 00:41:23,731 --> 00:41:28,694 {\an7}♪ 651 00:41:28,736 --> 00:41:30,905 {\an7}THE FUNERAL PROCESSION \h\h\h\hENTERED A TOMB 652 00:41:30,947 --> 00:41:33,741 {\an7}THAT WAS THE STUFF OF WONDER. 653 00:41:33,783 --> 00:41:36,953 {\an7}A LAVISH, DIVINELY INSPIRED \h\h\hREPLICA OF HIS EMPIRE 654 00:41:36,995 --> 00:41:39,206 {\an7}AWAITED HIM UNDERGROUND-- 655 00:41:39,247 --> 00:41:40,749 {\an7}A WORLD HE BELIEVED 656 00:41:40,790 --> 00:41:47,255 {\an7}HE WOULD RULE IN THE AFTERLIFE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR ETERNITY. 657 00:41:47,296 --> 00:41:50,216 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hRECORDS FROM HISTORIAN SIMA QIAN CLAIM 658 00:41:50,258 --> 00:41:56,264 {\an7}\h\hTHAT IT TOOK 700,000 WORKERS 38 YEARS TO BUILD THE MAUSOLEUM. 659 00:41:56,305 --> 00:41:59,767 {\an7}\hJOINING HIM IN THE AFTERLIFE WERE MANY PRICELESS TREASURES, 660 00:41:59,809 --> 00:42:02,270 {\an7}INCLUDING RARE BIRDS \h\h\h\hAND ANIMALS, 661 00:42:02,311 --> 00:42:04,271 {\an7}AS WELL AS HIS CHILDLESS WIVES, 662 00:42:04,313 --> 00:42:08,192 {\an7}ALL SEALED WITH QIN SHI HUANG \h\h\h\hIN HIS BURIAL CHAMBER. 663 00:42:13,489 --> 00:42:16,117 {\an7}A RULER WHO DREAMED \h\hOF IMMORTALITY, 664 00:42:16,159 --> 00:42:18,953 {\an7}\h\hHE ALSO HAD AN ARMY OF TERRA-COTTA WARRIORS 665 00:42:18,995 --> 00:42:22,332 {\an7}BURIED NEARBY TO PROTECT HIM \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE AFTERLIFE 666 00:42:22,373 --> 00:42:25,209 {\an7}AND ENHANCE HIS LEGACY. 667 00:42:25,251 --> 00:42:28,463 {\an7}\h\h\h\hXu: QIN SHI HUANG HAS HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE 668 00:42:28,504 --> 00:42:31,924 {\an7}OVER THE LAST 2,000 YEARS \h\h\hOF CHINA’S HISTORY. 669 00:42:31,966 --> 00:42:33,634 {\an7}MANY OF THE SYSTEMS AND POLICIES 670 00:42:33,676 --> 00:42:35,636 {\an7}THAT HE ORIGINATED \hDURING HIS REIGN 671 00:42:35,678 --> 00:42:38,848 {\an7}ARE STILL IN PLACE TODAY. 672 00:42:38,890 --> 00:42:40,642 {\an7}Duan: HE IS THE ONE FIGURE 673 00:42:40,683 --> 00:42:44,353 {\an7}\h\hWHO CANNOT BE LEFT OUT OF ANY RECORD OF CHINESE HISTORY. 674 00:42:46,606 --> 00:42:49,442 {\an7}Narrator: JUST FOUR YEARS AFTER QIN SHI HUANG DIED, 675 00:42:49,484 --> 00:42:53,738 {\an7}THE DYNASTY HE ESTABLISHED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOLLAPSED. 676 00:42:53,780 --> 00:42:58,451 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT THE NATION HE CREATED LIVED ON AND STILL EXISTS TODAY. 677 00:43:00,578 --> 00:43:04,040 {\an7}\h\hCHINA IS A COUNTRY OF 1.4 BILLION PEOPLE, 678 00:43:04,082 --> 00:43:06,918 {\an7}COMPRISING 55 DIFFERENT \h\h\h\h\hETHNIC GROUPS, 679 00:43:06,959 --> 00:43:10,087 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHO SPEAK 120 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. 680 00:43:13,382 --> 00:43:17,386 {\an7}HOME TO THIS RICH DIVERSITY \hFOR THE PAST 2,000 YEARS, 681 00:43:17,428 --> 00:43:20,514 {\an7}IT’S REMAINED ONE NATION. 682 00:43:20,556 --> 00:43:22,516 {\an7}Riegel: WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND 683 00:43:22,558 --> 00:43:28,606 {\an7}THAT THE BOUNDARIES OF EMPIRE \h\h\hTHAT YING ZHENG CREATED 684 00:43:28,648 --> 00:43:34,070 {\an7}ARE MORE OR LESS THE BOUNDARIES OF MODERN-DAY CHINA. 685 00:43:34,112 --> 00:43:36,906 {\an7}\h\h\hNarrator: CHINA NOW ENJOYS THE GREATEST ECONOMIC PROSPERITY 686 00:43:36,948 --> 00:43:38,616 {\an7}IN ITS HISTORY. 687 00:43:38,658 --> 00:43:41,286 {\an7}SCHOLARS TELL US THE ESSENTIAL \h\h\h\hPRINCIPLES AND BELIEFS 688 00:43:41,327 --> 00:43:43,037 {\an7}OF QIN SHI HUANG 689 00:43:43,079 --> 00:43:46,791 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE STILL WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THE NATION. 690 00:43:46,833 --> 00:43:49,294 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSchonebaum: I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT 691 00:43:49,335 --> 00:43:53,214 {\an7}PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT \hLEGACY OF QIN SHI HUANG 692 00:43:53,256 --> 00:43:56,426 {\an7}IS THE IDEA OF EMPIRE ITSELF. 693 00:43:56,467 --> 00:44:01,222 {\an7}♪