Editing Qin Shi Huang (section)

==Final years==
===Death===
[[File:Qin tours.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Imperial tours of Qin Shi Huang]]
In 211&nbsp;BC, a large meteor is said to have fallen in [[Dong Commandery|Dongjun]] in the lower reaches of the [[Yellow River]], and someone inscribed the seditious words "The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided" ({{lang|zh|始皇死而地分}}).<ref name="LiangY">Liang, Yuansheng. (2007). ''The Legitimation of New Orders: Case Studies in World History''. Chinese University Press. {{ISBN|962-996-239-X|978-962-996-239-5}}. p. 5.</ref> The Emperor sent an imperial secretary to investigate this prophecy. No one would confess to the deed, so all living nearby were put to death, and the stone was pulverized.{{sfn|Sima|1993|pp=35 & 59}}

During his fifth tour of eastern China, the Emperor became seriously ill in Pingyuanjin ([[Pingyuan County, Shandong]]), and died in July or August of 210&nbsp;BC, at the palace in Shaqiu [[prefecture]], about two months travel from Xianyang,{{sfn|Sima|2007|p=82|loc="In the seventh month on ''bingyin'' the First Emperor passed away at Pingtai in Shaqiu."}}<ref>Xinhuanet.com. "[http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-03/20/content_2719803.htm " ''中國考古簡訊：秦始皇去世地沙丘平臺遺跡尚存.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318222506/http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-03/20/content_2719803.htm |date=18 March 2009 }} Xinhuanet. Retrieved on 28 January 2009.</ref> at the age of 49.

The cause of Qin Shi Huang's death remains unknown, though he had been worn down by his many years of rule.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barme |first=Geremie R. |year=2009 |title=China's Flat Earth: History and 8 August 2008 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0305741009000046/type/journal_article |url-status=live |journal=The China Quarterly |volume=197 |pages=64–86 |doi=10.1017/S0305741009000046 |issn=0305-7410 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731043507/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/china-quarterly/article/abs/chinas-flat-earth-history-and-8-august-2008/DEAE427889CEE683C39CB4AC48209E0B |archive-date=31 July 2022 |access-date=24 June 2020 |hdl-access=free |hdl=1885/52104 |s2cid=154584809}}</ref> One hypothesis holds that he was [[Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning|poisoned by an elixir]] containing [[mercury (element)|mercury]], given to him by his court alchemists and physicians in his quest for immortality.<ref name="wright">{{cite book|title=The History of China|year=2001|last=Wright |first=David Curtis|publisher=Greenwood |isbn=978-0-313-30940-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofchina00wrig/page/49 49]|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofchina00wrig/page/49}}</ref>

===Succession===
Upon witnessing the Emperor's death, Chancellor [[Li Si]] feared the news could trigger a general uprising during the two months' travel for the imperial entourage to return to the capital Xianyang.{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}} Li Si decided to hide the emperor's death: the only members of the entourage to be informed were a younger son, [[Qin Er Shi|Ying Huhai]], the eunuch [[Zhao Gao]], and five or six favourite eunuchs.{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}} Li Si ordered carts of rotten fish to be carried before and behind the wagon of the Emperor, to cover the foul smell of his body decomposing in the summer heat.{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}} Pretending he was alive behind the wagon's shade, they changed his clothes daily, brought food, and pretended to carry messages to and from him.{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}}

After they reached Xianyang, the death of the Emperor was announced.{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}} Qin Shi Huang had not liked to talk about his death and had never written a will.<ref name="Tung">Tung, Douglas S. Tung, Kenneth. (2003). ''More Than 36 Stratagems: A Systematic Classification Based On Basic Behaviours''. Trafford Publishing. {{ISBN|1-4120-0674-0|978-1-4120-0674-3}}.</ref> Although his eldest son [[Fusu]] was first in line to succeed him as emperor, Li Si and the chief eunuch Zhao Gao conspired to kill Fusu, who was in league with their enemy, general [[Meng Tian]].<ref name="Tung" /> Meng Tian's brother [[Meng Yi]], a senior minister, had once punished Zhao Gao.{{sfn|Sima|2007|p=54}} Li Si and Zhao Gao forged a letter from Qin Shi Huang commanding Fusu and General Meng to commit suicide.<ref name="Tung" /> The plan worked, and the younger son Hu Hai started his brief reign as the Second Emperor, later known as [[Qin Er Shi]] or "Second Generation Qin".{{sfn|Sima|2007|pp=15–20, 82, 99}}