Fusu

Fusu (died c. August or September 210 BC¹) was an ancient Chinese prince during the Qin dynasty. He was the eldest son and heir apparent of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, until his forced suicide due to a usurping conspiracy by his younger brother Huhai, chief eunuch Zhao Gao and chancellor Li Si.

Life

After being deceived by two alchemists while seeking prolonged life, Qin Shi Huang supposedly ordered more than 460 scholars in the capital to be buried alive, though an account given by Wei Hong in the 2nd century added another 700 to the figure. Fusu objected to the mass executions and counselled that, with the country newly unified and enemies still not pacified, such a harsh measure imposed on those who respect Confucius would cause social instability.² However, he was unable to change Qin Shi Huang's mind and, as a de facto exile for defying his royal father, was instead sent to the northern frontier at New Qinzhong (新秦中) in 212 BC to serve as an army supervisor under Meng Tian, who was commanding a 300,000-strong border garrison after defeating the Xiongnu nomads in the Ordos Basin in 215 BC.

Qin Shi Huang died from sudden illness during in Autumn 210 BC. Before his unexpected death, Qin Shi Huang issued a final on his deathbed to recall Fu Su back from the frontier and have him take care of the . However, chief eunuch , who was in charge of safekeeping and announcing the edict, was a bitter enemy of Meng Tian's brother and thus afraid that the ascension of Fu Su would lead to his own political downfall. Zhao Gao convinced Fusu's youngest brother, Prince , to falsify another edict and claim the throne, and also managed to persuade , who had been feeling threatened politically by the rise of Meng Yi as a more brilliant bureaucrat in the Qin court, to partake in the scheme. The three conspirators then suppressed all information regarding Qin Shi Huang's death and rushed the imperial convoy back to the capital , using an to impersonate the dead emperor in the carriage and masking the with a nearby wagon carrying . Once arrived back in the capital, Zhao Gao forged a fake decree naming Huhai as Qin Shi Huang's successor, and sent a to the northern garrison ordering Fusu to commit suicide.