Who Really Destroyed the Qin Empire? | 4-Hour Epic on Lü Buwei, Bai Qi, Li Si & More

What really destroyed the mighty Qin Empire?
This 4-hour deep dive unravels the fate of China’s first dynasty through the eyes of six controversial figures—men whose ambition, betrayal, and power struggles helped shape and ultimately shatter one of history’s most iconic empires.

From Lü Buwei, the cunning merchant-turned-kingmaker, to Zhao Gao, the manipulative eunuch who twisted truth into terror—each left a scar on Qin’s rise and fall. You’ll also meet the scandalous Lao Ai, the war god Bai Qi, the tragic reformer Li Si, and the infamous assassin Jing Ke.

This is not the story of emperors. It’s the story of the men behind the throne—the power brokers, the generals, the rebels, and the shadows.

???? Featuring:
– Lü Buwei: Merchant, schemer, and the man who engineered the royal bloodline
– Lao Ai: A lover-turned-coup leader whose scandal nearly toppled the palace
– Bai Qi: Ruthless general responsible for one of history’s bloodiest massacres
– Jing Ke: The would-be assassin whose failed mission became legend
– Li Si: Legalist genius who unified China’s system—and fell to palace politics
– Zhao Gao: Eunuch tyrant who coined “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse”

If you’ve only heard of Qin Shi Huang, you’ve missed the real drama.

00:00 Lü Buwei: The Merchant Who Made a King
07:59 Lü Buwei's Gambit
15:57 Lü Buwei's Fall: 3,000 Scholars & Chu's End
23:56 Lü Buwei's Downfall: Poison & Power
31:54 Lao Ai: Scandal, Lust, and a Coup That Failed
39:53 Lao Ai's Rebellion: Bloody Qin Purge
47:50 Bai Qi: The God of War Who Killed 400,000
55:49 Bai Qi's Brutal Chu Conquest: Ying Falls
1:03:47 Bai Qi's Downfall: Duyu's Tragic End
1:11:44 Wei's Plight
1:19:43 Changping Aftermath: Skull Temple & Diplomacy
1:27:40 Bai Qi's Flood: Yan's Doomed Defense
1:35:39 Jing Ke: The Man Who Tried to Kill Qin Shi Huang
1:43:38 Jing Ke's Mission: Suicide & Sacrifice
1:51:37 Jing ke's Assassination Attempt: Yan's Fall
1:59:35 Jing Ke's Assassination: Poison & Palace Intrigue
2:07:34 Jin Ke's Assassination: Coded Music Twist
2:15:33 Jing Ke's Assassination: Brutal End
2:23:32 uncover those connections those patterns...
2:31:30 Jing ke's Fate: Music's Hidden Message
2:39:28 Li Si: From Legalist Visionary to Political Victim
2:47:26 Li si's Downfall: Faction, Intrigue & Death
2:55:24 Conflicting Histories
3:03:23 Lisi Downfall: Poets, Laws, & Cautionary Tales
3:11:22 Lisi Downfall: Zhao's Masterful Trap
3:19:20 Zhao Gao's Deer: A Twisted Reality
3:27:18 Zhao Gao's Linguistic Trap & Wangi Palace
3:35:15 Zhao Gao's Downfall: Zing's Counterplot
3:43:12 Zhao's Ascent: Lii's Fatal Miscalculation
3:51:09 Qin's Dark Secrets
3:59:08 Final Thoughts: The Price of Power

???? Related Videos (Shorter Edits):
Lü Buwei and the Mysterious Origins of Qin Shi Huang
???? https://youtu.be/qU9JWE7qtLo
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoJugSfg37JvXzoEupLnoL8z6wT-2u_6D
???? God of War: The Rise and Fall of Bai Qi: https://youtu.be/d0zKboJSlFA
???? Bai Qi: China’s Ruthless War Machine Who Never Lost a Battle: https://youtu.be/_Lhs3fwxXYc
???? How Zhao Gao and Hu Hai's Power Struggles Ruined the Qin Dynasty： https://youtu.be/VaOj8YDMdkU
????Jing Ke https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoJugSfg37JtYU2ugqlx1NOEItj6w8STP
???? Lao Ai https://youtu.be/a4w1eZS4PFc
???? Back to the Present: What Would a CEO Do?

Imagine you’re running a billion-dollar empire—and your leadership team includes Lü Buwei, Lao Ai, Jing Ke, Bai Qi, Li Si, and Zhao Gao.

Who would you promote? Who would you watch closely? Who might betray you?

The Qin Empire’s rise and fall wasn’t just about armies—it was about people, politics, and power plays. Just like today's boardrooms.

???? Leadership insights from history:
- Spotting ambition vs. loyalty (Lü Buwei)
- Containing personal scandals (Lao Ai)
- Managing unpredictable risks (Jing Ke)
- Choosing when to win—or quit (Bai Qi)
- Building systems... and losing control (Li Si)
- The danger of unchecked ambition (Zhao Gao)


???? This video is based entirely on primary Chinese-language historical sources.
???? All research, reading, and scriptwriting were done by @ChinaLivingLegends in Chinese.
???? Modern AI tools (Notion, Xmind, NotebookLM, translation, voice) were used solely for productivity — the insights and narrative are fully human-curated.
???? © All rights reserved. Please do not reupload or reuse this content without permission.
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