China, pt. 1 -- Making the Middle Kingdom
Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
The Death of the Emperor
After much anticipation, the emperor did die in 210 b c. Huge discontent at the harsh discipline and the long terms of forced labor had been building up. The administrators around the royal palace were very afraid what would happen when people found out that this supposedly divine ruler had actually died. And they kept the death secret for a long time, fearing rebellion and chaos. But as word got out, none the less, revolts broke out among regional nobles, among peasants and also among opportunistic bandits. So in a panic, the palace staff declared the emperor's younger son as the second emperor. But they couldn't maintain control of the empire, and internal wars and revolts went on for about eight
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