陈胜
Here is the English translation of the title: **"The Peasant Who Dared to Be King"**
A conscripted soldier who ignited the revolution that toppled the Qin Empire — then became its first victim.
Chen Sheng was born into a poor peasant family in the late Qin dynasty, an era defined by relentless forced labor, draconian Legalist laws, and widespread discontent. In 209 BCE, he was conscripted alongside hundreds of other peasants and assigned to lead nine hundred convicts northward to the frontier. During the march, torrential storms trapped the troops near Dazexiang. Exhausted and drenched, Chen Sheng addressed his men with a rousing speech: 'Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born of superior seed?' This bold declaration ignited the first large-scale revolt against the Qin regime. Joining forces with Wu Guang, Chen Sheng proclaimed himself King of Greater Chu. The uprising spread rapidly across the eastern provinces, and his forces captured several strategic towns. However, his leadership soon faltered — he grew arrogant, alienated allies, and Wu Guang was killed in an internal conflict. As Qin forces counterattacked, Chen Sheng's army suffered repeated defeats. In a tragic end, he was assassinated by his own chariot driver, a trusted subordinate who had turned against him. Though the rebellion failed, it lit the fuse that led to the Qin dynasty's collapse.