Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Qin, Ying Zheng

Here is the exhaustive biography of Shi Huangdi (始皇帝), personal name Ying Zheng / Zhao Zheng (嬴政 / 趙政) (259 BC – 210 BC), the First Emperor of a unified China and founder of the Qin dynasty, incorporating historical records. He appears in Koei titles mainly as a supernatural antagonist in Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid 2 (Dynasty Warriors Multi Raid 2) and related spin-offs, far outside the Three Kingdoms timeline.

Historical Career

Born in 259 BC as the son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin (and, according to some accounts, of the merchant Lü Buwei), Ying Zheng ascended the throne of Qin as a boy and, under the guidance of capable ministers such as Li Si, systematically conquered the remaining Warring States. In 221 BC he completed the unification of China, abolished the old feudal titles, and proclaimed himself Qin Shi Huangdi — the First August Emperor of Qin. He standardised weights, measures, currency, axle widths and the written script; began the linking of earlier walls into what became the Great Wall; constructed vast road networks and the Epang Palace; and ordered the burning of books and the burying of scholars who opposed Legalist orthodoxy. His rule was marked by extreme centralisation, heavy corvée labour and harsh Legalist law.

Obsessed with immortality, he dispatched expeditions in search of elixirs and consumed mercury preparations prepared by alchemists. He died in 210 BC while on an inspection tour in the east, aged about 49–50. The chief eunuch Zhao Gao and the chancellor Li Si suppressed the news of his death, forged an edict ordering the suicide of the crown prince Fusu, and installed the younger son Huhai (Qin Er Shi). Within a few years the Qin dynasty collapsed under popular revolt; Zhao Gao later forced Huhai’s suicide, and the last Qin ruler Ziying surrendered to the rebel Xiang Yu, who destroyed the capital Xianyang.

Portrayal in Koei Games

In Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid 2 Shi Huangdi is revived after the chaos of Lü Bu’s revolt and becomes the principal antagonist. Endowed with mystical powers, he seeks to create an “undying, eternal empire,” resurrects ancient heroes and gods, and can transform between an elderly form, a younger self, and a gigantic beast. He does not appear in the main Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel or in the core Dynasty Warriors story set in the late Han / Three Kingdoms period; his presence is confined to the Multi Raid / spin-off continuity and occasional cameo or fantasy modes.

Family, Friends and Enemies

Father: King Zhuangxiang of Qin (officially); some traditions claim Lü Buwei was the biological father.

Mother: Lady Zhao (Zhao Ji).

Sons: Fusu (crown prince, ordered to suicide after the emperor’s death); Huhai (Qin Er Shi); others.

Key ministers: Li Si (chancellor); Zhao Gao (eunuch who later dominated the court and engineered the succession).

Principal historical opponents: the six other Warring States (especially Chu, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Han, Qi); later the rebel leaders Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang who overthrew Qin.

Shi Huangdi (始皇帝) — Historical Timeline

Historical Note

Qin Shi Huang is a towering historical figure of the late Warring States and early imperial periods, more than four centuries before the events of the Three Kingdoms. He is remembered both as the unifier who created the template of the Chinese empire and as a ruthless autocrat whose Legalist policies, forced labour and quest for immortality left a legacy of fear and monumental achievement. In Koei games he appears only in fantasy / Multi Raid contexts as a resurrected tyrant with supernatural powers; he has no role in the historical or novel narratives of the late Han and Three Kingdoms.