James Baquet The justly-revered first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, unified the nation for the first time, and expanded its borders. He also enacted major economic and political reforms (including unification of the country’s various writing systems), consolidated the Great Wall, and built a massive new national road system. But some of his reforms came at a price. Over a century after the Qin emperor’s death the Han Dynasty official Sima Qian reported in his “Records of the Grand Historian” the “burning of books and burying of scholars” — namely, the live burial of some 460 Confucian scholars in 212 B.C. Historians today doubt the details of this story, but it is certain that Qin suppressed Confucianism in favor of his own official governing philosophy, called Fajia or “Legalism.” This anti-Confucian stance gave rise to a legend among the people. The cause of Qin’s death at age 49 is unknown (some say he was poisoned), but it is certain that it took place at the palace in Shaqiu Prefecture (in today’s Xingtai City, Hebei) — a place that has been built into the legend. On his last tour through his empire, they say, Qin Shi Huang came to Qufu and the tomb of Confucius (who had died over two and a half centuries earlier). Against the advice of his officials, the emperor demanded that the tomb be opened so he could see what was inside. A passage was dug into the grave; in the main chamber they found a coffin made of new-looking wood. But in an inner chamber stood a bed, a table with books and clothing, looking as though someone were living there. The emperor sat down on the bed and, looking down, saw a pair of red silk shoes. In good humor, the emperor put on the shoes, picked up a bamboo staff leaning against the wall, and walked out. Suddenly, there appeared before his eyes a tablet reading: “O’er kingdoms six Qin Shi Huang his army led,/To open my grave and find my humble bed;/He steals my shoes and takes my staff away/To reach Shaqiu — and his last earthly day!” Alarmed, the emperor had the grave closed again, but died suddenly when he reached Shaqiu. No wonder Qin insisted he be buried under the protection of the Terra Cotta Army! Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. accurately, fairly 2. highly respected 3. a type of earth, clay 4. position, point of view 5. ways of improving something 6. a box for burying a person 7. put into effect 8. lowly, not proud 9. a room 10. put down, quelled | 