The Qin Empire, Book Five: Iron and Blood Civilization, Volume Two

Backed by a civilization governed by law and relying chiefly on warfare, King Ying Zheng of Qin weathered countless storms, conquered the Six States, and completed the great unification, establishing a unified civilization. China's first great unified empire came into being.

Lü Buwei hung copies of The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lü at the four gates of Xianyang, publicly offering a thousand pieces of gold for every character changed. Wang Jian, Li Si, and Meng Tian formed an alliance with the King of Qin, creating a new political core. Lü Buwei's retainers debated beneath the city walls, while the people openly challenged The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lü, sparking a great public debate over the principles of governance. King Ying Zheng accused Lü Buwei of "undermining the laws, disrupting the government, and misleading the people," stripped him of his office, and forced him to take his own life in Luoyang.

Afterward, King Ying Zheng officially began building the empire. In the first stage, he purged the military and government, promoted new talent, and brought a large group of young generals and leading officials together as a new generation of power. He also invested heavily in the Zhengguo Canal, a hydraulic project in the heartland of Qin, turning the Qin River plain into a land of abundance. In the second stage, he launched a succession of wars to unify China, telling the story of the Six States' gradual destruction. In the third stage, the King of Qin ascended the throne as emperor and took the title First Emperor. He established a complete framework for Huaxia civilization, launched the great Yinshan campaign to drive out the Xiongnu once and for all, and built the Great Wall and other massive projects. In the fourth stage, the First Emperor diligently toured the realm, became gravely ill from overwork, and relied on the strange arts of alchemists for treatment. During his sixth tour, he suddenly fell seriously ill and died on the road at Shaqiu.

A massive power vacuum emerged in Qin, as ambition and intrigue began to stir.