Curious contradictory traits of the "first" emperor's rule

 After completing the conquest of China started by his predecessors, king Zheng of Qin works hard to create a new mythology for his rule. On 43m &b and 44t, he explains taking the power from Zhou thanks to the mutual succession of the Five Powers (Zhou fire, Qin Water). Shrewdly, he invokes the controlling cycle (Water extinguishes Fire which melts Metal, that cuts Wood, which conquers Earth, that controls Water). In a puzzling way, while invoking the natural cycle of change, he simultaneously imposes a vision of fixated singularity: his dynasty is supposed to last for 10, 000 generations. From this singular view which denies the cycle of change, diversity is seen as divergent and therefore a capital crime. Through punishment Zheng claims to forge an era informed by practicality and refuse the old traditions, yet he borrows many traditional ideas. Furthermore, (49m, 53t), after claiming 10, 000 generations for the Qing, he decides that he will become immortal (new attempt to forcefully stop the cycle of change) and resorts neither to practical sense nor to verified traditions, but to speculative divination and dubious magic for it. The initial cult of self-glorification of the stone inscriptions (46, 47,50, 52,60) is supported by a peculiar religious pursuit of self-deification. While at 45t weapons are confiscated from the civilians and most of his policies seem to be based on the supremacy of brute force, when it comes to himself, he looks for the nurturing aspect of the Five Elements cycle (Metal nurtures water with minerals), by embracing the immutability of the mountain (Metal) in his trips and the stone inscriptions and (63) Mercury (liquid Metal) for his tomb. While his stone inscriptions talk about the population being of one mind and will (47) and all pursuing goodness in his lands, one reads about forced labor done with hundreds of thousands of people convicted for made up crimes. Finally, although the practice of “following in death” was banned by Duke Xiang (22), the tomb builders and all his concubines who delivered no sons were buried with him (63). 

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