Zhao Gao - Coup Following Qin Shi Huang's Death

Coup Following Qin Shi Huang's Death

At the end of the reign of the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, Zhao was involved in the death of Marshal Meng Tian and his younger brother Meng Yi. Meng Tian, a reputable general and a supporter of the Emperor's oldest son Fusu, was stationed at the northern border, commanding more than 200,000 troops for the inconclusive campaign against the Huns. Following the sudden death of Qin Shi Huang at the Shaqiu prefecture, Zhao and the Imperial Secretariat Li Si persuaded the emperor's second son Huhai to falsify the emperor's will. The fake decree forced Fusu to commit suicide and stripped Meng Tian of his command. Harboring hatred for the entire Meng family due to his prior sentencing by Meng Yi, Zhao destroyed the Meng brothers by convincing Huhai to issue a decree that forced Meng Tian to commit suicide and have Meng Yi killed.

Qin Er Shi, who viewed Zhao Gao as his teacher, became the next Qin emperor.

Zhao Gao also killed Li Si, ironically executing him via the "The Five Pains" method, Li's own invention. The method consisted of having the victim's nose cut off, cutting off a hand and a foot, then the victim was castrated and finally cut in half in line with the waist. He also executed Li Si's family down to the third generation.

In 207 BC, rebellions rose one after another across China. Zhao was afraid that the Second Emperor might make him responsible for the uprisings. To preempt this, Zhao forced the emperor to commit suicide and installed his nephew, Fusu's son Ziying as the new emperor. (Note: Some scholars pointed out that Fusu's son might be too young to plot the demise of Zhao Gao and Ziying might be a brother of the First Emperor instead.)

Ziying soon killed Zhao and surrendered to Liu Bang. The Qin Dynasty collapsed, three years after the death of Qin Shi Huang, and less than twenty years after it was founded.