Expert: Jennifer - 12/16/2008

Question
Why did the prime minister go against Shi Huangdi's will of having the first son as the emperor?

Answer
Hi Gretchen,

There are actually 2 theories for why the prime minister went against Shi Huangdi's will of having his first son as the emperor. The first theory is that Shi Huangdi's son was not on good terms with the prime minister. Therefore, after the son ascended the throne, he might find fault with the prime minister and thus put him to death.

The second theory is that the prime minister wanted to be the emperor himself or continue to retain his power. Therefore, he feels that by not letting the first son ascend the throne, he might be able to make use of the second son, whom he felt was less capable than the first. Then the new emperor would need to thank and rely on the prime minister and thus shower him with more power, gifts and wealth.