153 Abalone’s Stench

A6.46

When he arrived at the Ferry Ping Yuan, he fell ill. The First Emperor hated to talk about death, and so none of his ministers dared to talk about it. But his illness became more serious, so he wrote an imperial edict with the imperial seal and sent it to Prince Fusu, saying: "Come back quickly to attend the funeral and bury me in Xianyang." The edict was sealed and was placed with the Imperial Chariot Officer Zhao Gao, but did not handed over to the messenger. On the Bingyin day of the seventh month, the First Emperor died on the Shaqiu, the Dunes, platform. Prime Minister Li Si was afraid that the news of the Emperor's death outside the palace would cause disturbances among the princes and the whole country, so he kept it secret and made no announcement. The coffin was on a conditioned carriage, and the eunuchs who had been favored before stayed to accompany it, and the food were delivered to the carriage as usual. All officials reported their affairs as usual, and the eunuchs approved their reports from the carriage. At that time, only his son Hu Hai, and Zhao Gao and five or six favored eunuchs knew that the emperor was dead. Zhao Gao had taught Hu Hai calligraphy and prison laws and legal affairs, so Hu Hai favored him privately. Gao, Prince Hu Hai, and Prime Minister Si conspired to destroy the seal given to Prince Fusu by the First Emperor, and falsely claimed that Prime Minister Si received the Emperor's will in Shaqiu and made his son Hu Hai the crown prince. He also sent a letter to Prince Fusu and Meng Tian, ​​accusing them of crimes and granting them death. The details are in the biography of Li Si. They then traveled from Jingxing to Jiuyuan. It was hot summer days, and the carriage gave off a foul smell, so Zhao Gao ordered the accompanying officials to load one dan (approximately 30 kg) of abalone into their carriages to cover up the stench of the corpse. 

至平原津而病。始皇恶言死，群臣莫敢言死事。上病益甚，乃为玺书赐公子扶苏曰：“与丧会咸阳而葬。”书已封，在中车府令赵高行符玺事所，未授使者。七月丙寅，始皇崩于沙丘平台。丞相斯为上崩在外，恐诸公子及天下有变，乃秘之，不发丧。棺载辒凉车中，故幸宦者参乘，所至上食。百官奏事如故，宦者辄从辒凉车中可其奏事。独子胡亥、赵高及所幸宦者五六人知上死。赵高故尝教胡亥书及狱律令法事，胡亥私幸之。高乃与公子胡亥、丞相斯阴谋破去始皇所封书赐公子扶苏者，而更诈为丞相斯受始皇遗诏沙丘，立子胡亥为太子。更为书赐公子扶苏、蒙恬，数以罪，赐死。语具在李斯传中。行，遂从井陉抵九原。会暑，上辒车臭，乃诏从官令车载一石鲍鱼，以乱其臭。