Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor · chapter 2 of 5
A Boy Called King
十三岁的大王
At thirteen, Zheng is king of Qin with a chair too big for him and a dream too big for anyone. Twenty years later, he wants a new name.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，有七个国。秦国有一个大王，叫嬴政。他才十三岁。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu qī gè guó. Qín guó yǒu yí gè dàwáng, jiào Yíng Zhèng. Tā cái shísān suì.
Long ago there were seven countries. Qin had a young king named Ying Zheng. He was only thirteen.
- King Zheng 李斯，这个椅子太大了！我的脚到不了地！
Lǐ Sī, zhège yǐzi tài dà le! Wǒ de jiǎo dào bu liǎo dì!
Li Si, this chair is too big! My feet can't reach the floor!
- Li Si 大王，您会长大的。请看这张地图。
Dàwáng, nín huì zhǎng dà de. Qǐng kàn zhè zhāng dìtú.
Your Majesty, you will grow. Now please look at this map.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- King Zheng 地图？上面有七个国。
Dìtú? Shàngmiàn yǒu qī gè guó.
A map? There are seven countries on it.
- Li Si 对。秦国是红色的。
Duì. Qín guó shì hóngsè de.
Yes. Qin is the red one.
- King Zheng 红色的最小。那个蓝色的，好大！
Hóngsè de zuì xiǎo. Nàge lánsè de, hǎo dà!
The red one is the smallest. That blue one is huge!
- Li Si 是的。七个国天天打，人们很苦。
Shì de. Qī gè guó tiāntiān dǎ, rénmen hěn kǔ.
Yes. The seven countries fight every day, and the people suffer.
- King Zheng 为什么要打？
Wèishénme yào dǎ?
Why do they fight?
- Li Si 因为每个大王，都想要更多的地。
Yīnwèi měi gè dàwáng, dōu xiǎng yào gèng duō de dì.
Because every king wants more land.
- King Zheng 那不好！我不要七个国。我要一个国！
Nà bù hǎo! Wǒ bú yào qī gè guó. Wǒ yào yí gè guó!
That's not good! I don't want seven countries. I want one country!
- Li Si 一个国？大王，那很难，也要很久。
Yí gè guó? Dàwáng, nà hěn nán, yě yào hěn jiǔ.
One country? Your Majesty, that is hard, and it will take a long time.
- King Zheng 我不怕难。你有好主意，我有……我有一个大椅子！
Wǒ bú pà nán. Nǐ yǒu hǎo zhǔyi, wǒ yǒu… wǒ yǒu yí gè dà yǐzi!
I'm not afraid of hard things. You have good ideas, and I have… I have a big chair!
- Li Si 哈哈，大王有大椅子，就有大主意！
Hāhā, dàwáng yǒu dà yǐzi, jiù yǒu dà zhǔyi!
Ha ha, a king with a big chair has big ideas!
- King Zheng 说好了！我们一起做。
Shuō hǎo le! Wǒmen yìqǐ zuò.
It's a deal! We'll do it together.
- Narrator 二十多年过去了。
Èrshí duō nián guòqù le.
More than twenty years went by.
- King Zheng 李斯，看地图！现在有几个国？
Lǐ Sī, kàn dìtú! Xiànzài yǒu jǐ gè guó?
Li Si, look at the map! How many countries are there now?
- Li Si 一个，大王。地图上只有红色。
Yí gè, dàwáng. Dìtú shàng zhǐyǒu hóngsè.
One, Your Majesty. There is only red on the map.
- King Zheng 七个国，变成了一个国！
Qī gè guó, biànchéng le yí gè guó!
Seven countries have become one!
- Li Si 大王，您做到了！人们不用再打了。
Dàwáng, nín zuò dào le! Rénmen bú yòng zài dǎ le.
Your Majesty, you did it! The people don't have to fight anymore.
- King Zheng 是啊。可是我还在想一件事。
Shì a. Kěshì wǒ hái zài xiǎng yí jiàn shì.
Yes. But I'm still thinking about one thing.
- Li Si 什么事，大王？
Shénme shì, dàwáng?
What is it, Your Majesty?
- King Zheng 昨天我看了一封信。那些字，我不认识！
Zuótiān wǒ kàn le yì fēng xìn. Nàxiē zì, wǒ bú rènshi!
Yesterday I read a letter. I couldn't read those words!
- Li Si 那是齐国人写的。他们的字，和我们的不一样。
Nà shì Qí guó rén xiě de. Tāmen de zì, hé wǒmen de bù yíyàng.
That was written by someone from Qi. Their writing is not the same as ours.
- King Zheng 还有钱！楚国的钱，秦国的钱，都不一样。
Hái yǒu qián! Chǔ guó de qián, Qín guó de qián, dōu bù yíyàng.
And money! The money of Chu and the money of Qin are all different.
- Li Si 是的。买东西的人，常常很累。
Shì de. Mǎi dōngxi de rén, chángcháng hěn lèi.
Yes. People who go shopping get tired out.
- King Zheng 还有一件事。以前，七个国都有大王。
Hái yǒu yí jiàn shì. Yǐqián, qī gè guó dōu yǒu dàwáng.
There is one more thing. Before, all seven countries had a king.
- Li Si 是的，大王。所以呢？
Shì de, dàwáng. Suǒyǐ ne?
Yes, Your Majesty. So?
- King Zheng 我不想再叫大王了。我要叫——皇帝！
Wǒ bù xiǎng zài jiào dàwáng le. Wǒ yào jiào — huángdì!
I don't want to be called king anymore. I will be called… Emperor!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why can't Zheng's feet reach the floor?
“他才十三岁。”……“这个椅子太大了！我的脚到不了地！”
- Why do the seven countries fight?
“因为每个大王，都想要更多的地。”
- What does young Zheng want?
“我不要七个国。我要一个国！”
- What is on the map after twenty years?
“一个，大王。地图上只有红色。”
- What new name does Zheng choose for himself?
“我不想再叫大王了。我要叫——皇帝！”