A Thousand Pieces of Gold by Adeline Yen Mah

Author:Adeline Yen Mah
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins

Although Chen’s fame and fortune lasted for barely six months at the end of his life, his name became legendary and his exploits emerged as a major influence after his death. He is now remembered for having led the first peasant uprising in China and for possessing the self-confidence to proclaim early on the democratic belief that kings and generals are made, not born.

Chen’s ideas probably arose from the teachings of Confucius. Even as a penniless peasant, Chen had lofty ambition and high aspirations, exemplified by the proverb yan que yong you hong hu zhi, “little sparrow with dreams of swans.” Confucius taught that rulers should exist only for the welfare of the people. If a ruler abuses his power, then his mandate of Heaven will be withdrawn and given to someone else. During the early twentieth century, Dr. Sun Yatsen’s revolutionary party was once described as the Association for Changing the Mandate of Heaven.

Why did a poor peasant like Chen She with hardly any education or military expertise succeed against the same Qin forces that had defeated the armies of all six former states?

Chen’s success took place against the backdrop of the heavy taxation and exactions wielded by the Second Emperor. The Qin monarchs never understood that success in conquering a nation does not automatically mean success in ruling that nation. As long as the First Emperor was still alive his government was tolerated and he was personally admired for his many accomplishments. This changed at his death.

Although the Qin officials feared the Second Emperor, they also held him in contempt because of his incompetence, extravagance, and total reliance on Zhao Gao. Circumstances surrounding the suicide of Prince Fu Su were widely perceived as being suspect. All three participants of the plot at Sand Hill had corrupted themselves. In order to silence dissent, they could only resort to terror.

Chen started by fabricating miracles to legitimize himself as a leader. His rebellion was at first directed not at the Second Emperor but only at his own immediate superiors. It proved to be just the catalyst needed to ignite a wholesale uprising. The outcome probably surprised no one more than Chen. Conditions at that time were ripe for mutiny, and his timing could not have been more perfect. Far from being endowed by Heaven, Chen was merely present at the right place, doing the appropriate thing at the correct time.

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