Su Heng was born in the Su family of Pinyang. His ancestors were from a family of farmers and scholars. His grandfather had been an official in the Wei State. Later Qin destroyed Wei. His grandfather did not want to surrender to Qin, so he lived in seclusion in Pinyang and made a living by farming and teaching. His father, Su Jing, was once elected as a village official based on his good calligraphy and superficial understanding of Qin laws. Although his official position was low, he was honest and upright. He usually solved problems for his neighbors and was quite prestigious in the local area. Only three years ago, Pinyang County Magistrate forcibly levied "military tax" from the people in order to plunder the people's support. In fact, it was to enrich his own pockets. His father Su Jing couldn't stand what the County Magistrate did, so he stepped forward and led his neighbors to the county government to appeal. However, he was framed by the County Magistrate for "inciting people's hearts and resisting the government." He was dismissed from his position and sentenced to death with a cane.
