When opportunity knocks, what was his next move?
Emperor Qin shihuang‘s early journey to become a king in the Qin state（2）
The idiom of 奇货可居 Qí huò kě jǖ from the 《史记》Shǐ jì” Records of the Grand Historian” which suggests that profitable opportunities can be found in unusual goods or circumstances.
In the previous chapter, Lü Buwei 吕不韦 reluctantly made a difficult decision and bestowed his loved dancer, Zhao Ji, upon Ying Yiren. He did so because He had a positive outlook on this young prince’s future！
When opportunity knocks, what was Lü Buwei’s next move?
How did Lü Buwei bring about Ying yinren’s transformation？
Regarding Lü Buwei’s social role, he was a merchant from the Wei state, grew tired of seeking only trade profits and set his sights on a more ambitious pursuit: political power.
When he came across Yingyiren, he saw it as the perfect chance to pursue his aspirations. He convinced Ying yinren to join his plans, and donated a lot of money to improve Ying yiren’s life and social net work.
Ying Yiren also committed to granting Lü Buwei power if they could achieve their objectives.
Furthermore, Ying Yiren’s father, the Lord of Anguo 安国君, he was previously a long waiting crown prince before finally ascending to the throne.However, he became ill and passed away just three days after his coronation during his reign.
When it comes to the personal life of this king who reigned for only three days, despite having multiple wives and children, his favorite consort was Lady Huayang 华阳夫人, a woman of esteemed background from the powerful state of Chu 楚国, renowned for her beauty and intelligence. Sadly, Lady Huayang was unable to bear children.
Although Ying Yiren was one son of the king, his birth mother 夏姬 Xia ji lacked favor, and he himself received little attention from his father. Consequently, he was chose and sent away as a political hostage, far from the headquarter, and his future looked bleak!
By the way，in ancient Chinese, "jun君” is an official title for man. ‘Ji 姬” is a suffix used to refer to beautiful women including female dancers and singers.
Lü Buwei recognized a central issue concerning the two figures in the royal circle: both Ying Yiren and Lady Huayang were confronted with uncertain futures.
He believed that if they were to team up, they could complement each other’s strengths effectively.
Lü Buwei's particular plan involved building a strong friendship by sending valuable gifts to Lady Huayang’s brother and sister. Once he had established a close bond with them, he would use this relationship to alert Lady Huayang about potential challenges in her future and subtly suggest the idea of adopting a son for her old age.
Meanwhile, Lü Buwei consistently provided financial support to facilitate Ying Yi ren’s image makeover, focusing on two key aspects.
Step one, acknowledging and appreciating Lady Huayang’s Chu heritage, Ying Yi ren adopted the name “Zi Chu” and embraced Chu-style attire.
Step two, through extensive networking in the State of Zhao, Ying Yi ren built a strong public reputation and crafted an image as an esteemed gentleman.
After getting things warmed up, Lü Buwei set up a meeting between Lady Huayang and Ying Yiren. With both parties having their interests and groundwork established, Lü Buwei’ s Series “A seed round” financing can be considered complete.
Subsequently, Lady Huayang began to sway the king’s opinion, eventually pledging to pass the future throne to Ying Yiren, thereby rejuvenating the entire “investment”.
With Ying Zheng’s father, King Ying Yiren, assuming the throne of Qin in 250 BC, his political ally Lü Buwei took on the role of Prime Minister.
Lady Huayang was promoted to the position of Queen Mother as she wished. What a win-win situation for all of them!
In 251 BC, at the age of nine, Ying Zheng, later known as Emperor Qin Shi Huang, returned to the state of Qin with his mother.
Technically, Ying Zheng and his mother Zhao Ji had indeed acquired influential supporters including Ying yinren，Lady Huayang and Lü Buwei.
However, the palace buzzed with intrigue as Zhao Ji and her son found themselves confronted by a new adversary: Ying Yi ren’s biological mother, 夏姬 Xia Ji. Originating from a small state of Han, Xia Ji had endured neglect from her husband and had to share her son with Lady Huayang.
Now that her son finally had become the ruler of Qin state, despite not holding the power of the harem by herself, she aimed to strengthen her position by organizing Ying Yi’s second marriage and choosing a bride from the Han State.At the same time, she kept a watchful eye on Zhao Ji and her son, who had moved from the Zhao state to the Qin State.
The environment for Zhao Ji and her son was filled with challenges and uncertainties due to these power struggles and rivalries within the palace.
Despite having Zhao Ji, Ying Yi ren had another son with a woman from Han state, resulting in the young Qin Shihuang having a half-brother named Cheng Jiao.
The contrasting backgrounds caused conflicting values between the two brothers, leading to mutual harm. This story will have to wait for another time.
Thankfully, Zhao Ji was Ying Yi ren’s first wife. Furthermore, Lü Buwei’s long-term plan was to support Ying Zheng as the future ruler, and Lady Huayang also aimed to reduce Xia Ji’s influence from the Han group.
Consequently, amidst the conflicts of various factions, Zhao Ji became the queen, and Ying Zheng, as the legitimate son, naturally and logically became the heir apparent.
After the unexpected death of Ying yin ren just three years into his reign, the 13-year-old monarch was placed on the throne through the arrangement of Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji, who was elevated to the position of Queen Dowager, assumed the role of regent under Lü Buwei’s direction.
Lü Buwei himself assisted Ying Zheng in governance and is historically known as the “仲父 Zhongfu.” In ancient times, “仲” was used to refer to the father’s younger brother, “仲父” is akin to the role of a second father, and it was a highly respectful title for prime ministers and important officials appointed by the emperor.
Before turning 21, young Ying Zheng didn’t have real political power.During his mother's period of freedom and splendor, how did Queen Dowager Zhao Ji govern?
Keep reading to discover what unfolded next in the historical series!🌺