In 221 BC, Qin Shihuang swept across Liuhe and established the Qin Empire, the first feudal dynasty in Chinese history. Qin Shihuang, who believed that his merits were higher than those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, carried out large-scale construction projects near the capital Xianyang and mobilized a large amount of manpower and material resources to build many palaces, the largest of which was the Epang Palace.
We know that Qin lacked an orthodox name when it unified the world. On the one hand, the ancestors of Qin raised horses for the Zhou Dynasty, and their status was very low, and they were looked down upon by the traditional vassal states and people of the Central Plains; on the other hand, It can be said that its founding was relatively late, and it was closely integrated with Xirong in many aspects. Therefore, it was called Hulang, which means not blooming. Therefore, it had no confidence in culture. It unified the world purely by force. Therefore, just like a rich man entering a city, he must show his wealth and dignity by hanging many gold ornaments around his neck. The State of Qin is no exception. If it wants to show its nobility, reach a dominant position, show pomp and respect, Afang Palace is a good choice.
There is also a bizarre folk legend. It is said that King Yingzheng of Qin fell in love with a woman from Zhao State, whose name was Afang. After Emperor Qin unified the world, he wanted to make her his queen, but he was opposed by all the ministers. Just because she is Zhao's daughter. Afang hanged himself in order not to embarrass Ying Zheng. Emperor Qin named it Afang Palace in memory of the woman he loved deeply.
Ying Zheng felt unprecedented warmth in this Zhao woman. He felt that this Zhao woman was destined to accompany him. Later, Ying Zheng often came to see Zhao women. Over time, Ying Zheng fell deeply in love with her, and she also fell in love with Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng promised the daughter of the Zhao Kingdom that if he became the emperor to unify the world in the future, he would make her the first queen in the world.
Later, Ying Zheng returned to Qin with the help of Lu Buwei and others, and successfully became the king of Qin after the death of his father, King Qin Zhuangxiang. After Ying Zheng came to power, he sent a large army to destroy the six kingdoms and established the unified Qin Dynasty, becoming the first emperor of Qin who was unprecedented and unprecedented.
The name "Afang Palace" is just a nickname. At first, Qin Shihuang hadn't decided what to name the palace. Since the palace happened to be close to the mountains, he named it temporarily. For Afang Palace, his idea was to give it a name worthy of it when it was officially repaired. But contrary to expectations, Qin Shihuang died before the construction of Afang Palace, so no one came to name Afang Palace. The name of Afang Palace followed the name of Qin Shihuang and was passed down from generation to generation.
Efang Palace, the Great Wall, Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum, and Qin Zhidao are known as the “Four Major Projects of Qin Shihuang”. They are the landmark buildings of China’s first unification, and they are also physical symbols of the beginning of the formation of the Chinese nation.