He Survived Some of History’s Most Colorful Assassination Attempts
When the future Chin Shi Huang king began his campaigns of conquest, the royal family in the state of Yan fretted because they realized that Chin armies would eventually show up at their borders. When that day arrived, Yan simply lacked the strength to stand against them and resist their onslaught. Since military resistance was not an option, the crown prince of Yan decided to avert that showdown by having the ambitious Chin king assassinated.
The Yan prince sent two emissaries to the Chin court, bearing presents to its fearsome king: the severed head of one of his enemies, and a beautifully illustrated map in an exquisitely decorated case, that contained a concealed dagger. When one of the emissaries, Jin Ke, ascended the throne to offer the king his present, he suddenly whipped out the dagger, and launched himself at the king.
The only weapon in the throne room was a ceremonial sword worn by the king – none of his courtiers was armed, as bearing weapons in the king’s presence was illegal. So a farcical scene ensued, as the Chin king ran around the throne room, attempting to unsheathe his ceremonial sword from its scabbard, while being chased by the dagger wielding Jin Ke. The only attendant who came to the king’s aid was his physician, who raced behind the would be assassin, smacking him with his doctor’s bag. It finally ended when the king managed to pull out his sword and wound Jin Ke, slowing him down long enough for armed guards to reach the throne room and finish him off.
All of Jin Ke’s relatives and friends went into hiding, fearing retaliation from the Chin king. One of them was a musician named Gao Jianli, who hid his lute, changed his name, and became a waiter. However, his boss overheard him singing one time, and recommended him to the Chin king. The king summoned Gao to the court, but while he was playing the lute and singing, somebody recognized him.
Upon being informed of the musician’s true identity, the king, who liked his talent, decided to go easy on him: instead of having him executed, he simply had his eyes put then. He then offered him a job as the court’s musician. Gao Jianli had little choice, but was understandably resentful of his new boss for putting out his eyes. So the blind musician played and sang for the king, gradually sidling closer each day. Then one day he weighted his lute with lead, and when he thought the moment was right, took a swing, hoping to smash the king’s head. Unsurprisingly, he missed – he was blind, after all. The king had him executed, and from then on, would not allow anybody from Yan to come anywhere near him.
As to the kingdom of Yan, its royal family’s fears were realized. Even if the Chin king had not planned on attacking, the failed assassination attempt gave him all the excuse he needed. In 226 BC, Chin invaded Yan, and destroyed its armies. The king of Yan sought to appease the invaders by ordering the execution of his own son, and sending his head to the Chin king as an apology. The apology was accepted – temporarily. In 222 BC, the Chin invaded what was left of Yan, destroyed their remaining forces, captured their king, and annexed their kingdom into the Chin state.
The First Emperor survived yet another bizarre assassination attempt, when a former Han minister named Zhang Liang vowed vengeance after the Chin conquered Han. He sold everything he had in 218 BC, hired China’s strongest man, and commissioned a specially manufactured 160 pound metal cone. He then hid in ambush, atop a mountain outcrop overlooking a road frequently travelled by the emperor. When the imperial entourage passed by, the strongman hurled the cone at the lavishly decorated imperial carriage, crushing it and killing its occupants. It was a decoy, however, and Chin Shi Huang had actually been traveling in another, inconspicuous carriage.