Background
In 230 BC, the Qin state began conquering other states as part of a unification plan. Qin's army successfully annihilated the weakest of the Seven Warring States, Han. Two years later Zhao was also conquered.
In exchange for peace, King Xi of Yan had earlier forced his son Crown Prince Dan of Yan to be held hostage by the Qin, but Prince Dan returned knowing that Qin was far stronger than Yan and would attack it later.
Jing Ke was originally from the State of Wey (衞). He was a scholar proficient in the art of the sword. His homeland of Wei was absorbed by Qin, and Jing Ke fled to Yan. A Youxia named Tian Guang (田光) first introduced him to Prince Dan. There Jing Ke accepted Prince Dan's hospitality, who as a last resort decided to send an assassin against the King of Qin. The plan was to either kidnap the king and force him to release the territories from his control; or failing this, to kill him. The expectation in either case was that Qin would be left disorganized, enabling the other six major states to unite against it.
Read more about this topic: Jing Ke
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