The Six Ministers' Command

[The story behind Qin’s conquest of the Six Kingdoms] In 221 BCE, Qin finally completed the great unification. The world saw only the glory of that moment, not the generations of effort put in by the Qin people over six reigns, nor the resolve and terrible sacrifices of the Six Kingdoms. War is not fought on the battlefield alone. The court and the martial world, Heaven’s will and the people’s hearts, beliefs and strategies, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants: all these things had a major impact, and every state had its own schemes. Time and again, life or death, victory or defeat, hung by a thread. One reversal could change history. During the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Qin formed a special squad. The squad repeatedly performed extraordinary feats, helping Qin survive every crisis that hung in the balance. At its largest, it had no more than eleven members, each using as a codename the surname of one of the powerful families that took turns ruling Jin during the Spring and Autumn period. The Eleven Surnames of the Six Ministers! But as the saying goes, “Xiao He made it, and Xiao He broke it.” In the end, this squad also brought the powerful Qin to ruin! Liu Bang ascended the throne, and the Western Han was founded. A new realm under Heaven! The people enjoyed peace for several generations!