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墨書 Inktalez
She is the only woman who knows the identity of Qin Shi Huang's biological father, the stunning Empress Dowager mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian.
She possesses the charm of Mi Bazi but lacks its intellect, and could have wielded immense power to become a legendary Empress Dowager.
However, due to her infatuation, she not only attempted to overthrow the dynasty for a man but also sought to kill her own son, Qin Shi Huang. She is known as China's first Empress Dowager, Zhao Ji.
So who exactly was Qin Shi Huang's biological father? Why did Zhao Ji want to kill her own son, Qin Shi Huang, also known as Ying Zheng?
Sima Qian has two evaluations of her.
First, she was an excellent dancer; second, the Empress Dowager was excessively indulgent.
Sima Guang's assessment of Zhao Ji in the Records of the Grand Historian describes her as extraordinarily beautiful.
In summary, she possessed beauty that could rival that of a rising star and had exceptional talent in singing and dancing. The Records of the Grand Historian document this, yet it does not explain why.
Zhao Ji's true surname remains unverified. Historical records indicate that the term "Zhao Ji" originated from the lengthy historical novel The Romance of the Eastern Zhou States, hence historians also refer to her as Zhao Ji.
She was born in Zhujiagang, Handan of the Zhao State. Some say she was the daughter of a wealthy family in Handan, while others claim she was a low-status dancer.
However, it is more credible that she was a dancer from the lower social strata because if Zhao Ji were indeed a daughter of a prominent family, she would not need to rely on dancing for survival and certainly would not have married Lü Buwei as a concubine.
At that time, Lü Buwei was an extremely low-status merchant; in ancient society, merchants ranked last among the four occupations, just slightly above slaves.
The disparity in her background may be largely attributed to Qin Shi Huang's status as China's first emperor, who likely engaged in efforts to embellish his mother's origins after sweeping away the Six Harmonies.
Zhao Ji's life of joys and sorrows revolved around one man's political machinations: the wealthy merchant Lü Buwei.
During King Zhao of Qin's reign, Zhao State defeated Qin State's attacks twice under the command of the renowned general Lian Po. After these defeats, Qin State was forced to send Prince Lord An Guo's son Yi Ren (later renamed Zichu) to Zhao State as a hostage.
Lord An Guo had over twenty sons; Zichu was born out of wedlock and ranked in the middle. His mother Xia Ji was not favored and lived like floating duckweed, unable to assert herself. At that time, conflicts between Qin and Zhao were frequent, so Zhao State did not treat Zichu with respect; he lived in hardship with little hope for his future.
Just when he was feeling despondent, he encountered Lü Buwei, a jeweler with keen political insight.
At that time, Lü Buwei was doing business in Handan, Zhao State, when he encountered Zichu. He saw that this grandson of King Qin was in a very poor situation, lacking even the basic necessities and transportation for his travels. Thus, a bold and astonishing plan emerged in Lü Buwei's mind.
After returning home, Lü Buwei asked his father, "How many times can one profit from farming?"
Lü Buwei's father thought his son was discussing business with him and replied casually, "Just a few times."
Lü Buwei then asked, "How many times can one profit from the jewelry business?"
His father answered, "Hundred times at most."
Lü Buwei continued to inquire, "Then how many times can one profit from establishing a ruler?"
At this moment, Lü Buwei's father was somewhat stunned and slowly said, "Countless times. What do you want to do?"
Lü Buwei replied, "An extraordinary person is like a rare commodity; one can hoard it and wait for the right moment to sell it at a high price."
This is the origin of the idiom "a rare commodity can be hoarded," which Lü Buwei created.
After convincing his father, Lü Buwei immediately invested himself in the grand business of supporting a ruler.
Lü Buwei first sought to befriend Zichu and then persuaded him to vie for the position of crown prince. He took advantage of Lord An Guo's favorite, Lady Huayang, who had no sons, investing all his wealth into Zichu to pave the way for Lady Huayang to adopt Zichu as her son.
Thus, under Lady Huayang's persuasion, Lord An Guo agreed to her request and inscribed a Jade Token to establish Zichu as the heir. With this, Lü Buwei's first step had already achieved success.
As a businessman, Lü Buwei understood that to maintain a strong partnership, he needed to grasp more of his partner's weaknesses. Therefore, he invited Zichu to his home for drinks with the intention of employing a beauty trap to entice Zichu with the charming Zhao Ji.
When Zhao Ji was called out to dance for entertainment, she indeed captivated Zichu with her enchanting performance.
Subsequently, Zichu could not resist and requested Lü Buwei to give Zhao Ji to him.
Although presenting Zhao Ji from Handan was also part of Lü Buwei's plan, he felt some reluctance in his heart since they had shared a bond as husband and wife for a day and Zhao Ji was so alluring.
However, Zhao Ji was the most important piece in this gamble, so he resolutely gave her to Zichu.
Zhao Ji gave birth to a son, Ying Zheng, who would become Qin Shi Huang, ten months after marrying Zichu.
The plan went as smoothly as Lü Buwei had anticipated; Zhao Ji was favored by Zichu due to her son and was made his consort.
However, the good times did not last long. In the fiftieth year of King Zhao of the Zhao state, the Qin army attacked Handan and besieged the city. The Zhao state suddenly decided to execute Zichu and his entire family, who were hostages from the Qin state.
At this critical moment, only Lü Buwei and Zichu managed to escape from Handan and were eventually escorted back to the Qin state.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ji and her son lived a hard life on the run. In 251 BC, when the Zhao state was forced by circumstances to send them back to the Qin state, this mother and son had already been in exile for six years.
During these six years, in order to survive and find food, Zhao Ji may have relied on her beauty to attach herself to one powerful figure after another or hidden with her son among the chaotic streets. Perhaps part of Qin Shi Huang's suspicious and sensitive nature stemmed from this experience.
Upon returning to the Qin state, Zhao Ji welcomed a moment of glory. Her father-in-law, King Qin Xiaowen, officially ascended the throne but died three days later, leading her husband to take the throne as Zhuangxiang of Qin.
It is puzzling that Zhuangxiang of Qin ascended the throne in his thirties but died just over two years later, allowing thirteen-year-old Ying Zheng to take over.
Thus, Zhao Ji became the powerful queen mother of the Qin state.
Once a woman flaunting her charms in Handan, she now stood above all others.
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