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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Family Career and standing Places and affiliations Works and attributed material References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Zheng as a ruler. This record brings together 14 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Zheng
政
Zhèng
Title
First Emperor
始皇帝
Shǐhuángdì
Personal name
Zheng
政
Zhèng
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Life and dates Age Attested activity Source Date: Text: 始皇七年Western Year: BC 240
Source Date: Text: 始皇九年Western Year: BC 238
Source Date: Text: 始皇十九年Western Year: BC 228
Source Date: Text: 秦昭王五十年Western Year: BC 257
Source Date: Text: 秦王十年十月Western Year: BC 237
Source Date: Text: 莊襄王即位三年Western Year: BC 247
Family
Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.
Child of Lü Buwei (呂不韋) Kinship Term: father / 父Parentage: biologicalSubject Role: fatherObject Role: son
Child of Mother of Zheng Kinship Term: mother / 母Parentage: biologicalSubject Role: motherObject Role: son
Child of King Zhuangxiang (莊襄王) Kinship Term: son / 子Parentage: claimedSubject Role: fatherObject Role: son
Works and attributed material Kind: letter ·
Role: author ·
Other Person Id: Lü Buwei (呂不韋) ·
Quoted: trueReferences in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 85 Biography of Master Lü Buwei · 14 passages
姬自匿有身，至大期時，生子政。
The woman concealed the fact that she was already pregnant. When her time came, she gave birth to a son, whom they named Zheng.
趙亦奉子楚夫人及子政歸秦。
The state of Zhao then escorted Zichu's wife and his son Zheng back to Qin.
莊襄王即位三年，薨，太子政立為王，尊呂不韋為相國，號稱「仲父」。
King Zhuangxiang reigned for three years before his death. The crown prince, Zheng, ascended the throne and elevated Lü Buwei to the position of prime minister, addressing him with the honorific "Second Father."
秦王年少，太后時時竊私通呂不韋。
As the King of Qin was still young, the Queen Dowager secretly resumed her liaison with Lü Buwei from time to time.
始皇帝益壯，太后淫不止。
As the young king grew into manhood, the Queen Dowager's appetites remained unabated.
始皇七年，莊襄王母夏太后薨。
In the seventh year of the First Emperor's reign, Empress Dowager Xia, the mother of King Zhuangxiang, died.
始皇九年，有告嫪毐實非宦者，常與太后私亂，生子二人，皆匿之。
In the ninth year of the First Emperor's reign, someone informed on Lao Ai, revealing that he was not truly a eunuch and that he had been carrying on an illicit affair with the Queen Dowager. He also revealed that they had secretly borne two sons, both of whom they had hidden.
於是秦王下吏治，具得情實，事連相國呂不韋。
The King of Qin ordered his officials to conduct an investigation, and they uncovered the full truth. The affair implicated the prime minister, Lü Buwei.
秦王十年十月，免相國呂不韋。
In the tenth month of the tenth year of the King of Qin's reign, Lü Buwei was dismissed from the office of prime minister.
及齊人茅焦說秦王，秦王乃迎太后於雍，歸復咸陽，而出文信侯就國河南。
When Mao Jiao, a man from Qi, remonstrated with the king, the King of Qin relented and welcomed the Queen Dowager back from Yong to Xianyang. He then sent the Marquis of Wenxin to take up residence in his fief in Henan.
秦王恐其為變，乃賜文信侯書曰：「君何功於秦？
The King of Qin feared that Lü Buwei would stir up rebellion. He sent the Marquis of Wenxin a letter that read, "What service have you ever rendered to Qin?
秦王所加怒呂不韋、嫪毐皆已死，乃皆復歸嫪毐舍人遷蜀者。
Now that both Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, the targets of the King of Qin's wrath, were dead, the king allowed all of Lao Ai's retainers who had been exiled to Shu to return.
始皇十九年，太后薨，謚為帝太后，與莊襄王會葬茝陽。
In the nineteenth year of the First Emperor's reign, the Queen Dowager died. She was given the posthumous title of Empress Dowager and was interred beside King Zhuangxiang at Zhiyang.
秦王驗左右，未發。
The King of Qin conducted inquiries among those close to the case but had not yet acted.