In this episode of pplpod, we profile Ying Zheng, the man who conquered the Warring States in 221 BC to become Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. We explore how he abolished the feudal system to establish a centralized empire, standardized Chinese writing and currency, and mobilized laborers to build the precursor to the Great Wall,,.

We also examine his reputation as a tyrant, discussing his strict Legalist rule, the infamous burning of books, and the alleged burying of scholars,. The episode details the dramatic assassination attempts he survived—including attacks by a diplomat with a dagger and a musician with a lead-weighted instrument—and his desperate, fatal search for the elixir of life,,. Finally, we look at his enduring legacy, from the administrative system that lasted millennia to the clay army built to guard his ...