Ying Zheng was born to rule the world. Crowned king of Qin—China's westernmost kingdom—six rival kings stood between him and a unified empire. He invaded Qi, the Land of the Devout, looking for a mythical device that could bring down the power of the gods. After surviving an assassination attempt by a childhood friend the Red Prince, he retaliated by destroying the Prince's kingdom. This volume tells the full story of the life, legends, and laws of the "First Emperor." It exposes the intrigues and scandals of his family—his mother's plot to overthrow him, a revolt led by his stepfather, and the suspicious death of his half-brother—explores the immigration crisis that threatened to destroy his kingdom, and provides a terrifying glimpse of daily life in a land under absolute rule.
Jonathan Clements is the author of many books on East Asian history, including biographies of emperors and empresses, statesmen and warriors, foreign visitors and outcast rebels. His works have been translated into over a dozen languages, including French, Spanish, Korean and Dutch, and he achieved a rare distinction when his book on the First Emperor of China was itself published in Chinese.
