In 209 BCE, the Qin Dynasty was conscripting peasant laborers across the land. On this day, a group was hurrying from Yangcheng (present-day Dengfeng, Henan) to Yuyang (present-day Miyun, Beijing), with over nine hundred newly recruited peasants who were to guard the frontier. Unfortunately, as they reached Daze Township in Qi County (near present-day Liucun, Suzhou, Anhui), a torrential downpour forced them to find shelter nearby.
Among the group was a man from Yangcheng named Chen Sheng, who had long believed he would achieve great things and had made a pact with his companions that when they attained wealth and status, they would not forget each other. They all mocked him for overestimating himself, but Chen Sheng said nonchalantly, "How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan!" This time, he was conscripted to guard the frontier and even became a leader, but seeing that they could not reach Yuyang on time, he grew anxious and fearful. Under Qin Dynasty law at the time, failing to report to the frontier on schedule meant execution. So he went to find another leader, a man from Yangxia (present-day Taikang, Henan) named Wu Guang, to discuss a plan.
Chen Sheng's reasoning was that rather than arriving late at the border outpost and facing execution, it was better to seize the opportunity to launch a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty, which might offer a slim chance of survival. Wu Guang found this argument reasonable and agreed to join him in the uprising. The two then made preparations to make it appear that the rebellion had divine approval, as the common people of ancient times held great reverence for the gods; if they could rally under the banner of heaven, many would surely join their cause. Indeed, through their careful orchestration, the impoverished masses suffering under Qin oppression came to see Chen Sheng as a heavenly savior sent down to rescue them, and they proclaimed him king. The people spontaneously crafted wooden weapons, cut down bamboo poles, and tied branches to them as flags, everyone brimming with enthusiasm—the populace had long endured the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty.
More and more people joined the rebel forces. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led the commoners to first capture Qi County, then within a month they seized five more places: Zhi County (west of present-day Suzhou, Anhui), Zan County (west of present-day Yongcheng, Henan), Ku County (north of present-day Zhecheng County, Henan), Zhe County, and Qiao County (present-day Bozhou, Anhui). The small spark ignited at Dazexiang had grown into a blazing fire, spreading across the Central Plains.
Chen Sheng was no mere brute; he clearly understood that a successful uprising required sound military strategy. At that time, the rebel forces had already seized control of many areas between Anhui and Henan, and their numbers were steadily growing. They now had six to seven hundred chariots, over a thousand cavalry, and tens of thousands of infantry. Chen Sheng planned to next attack Chen County (present-day Huaiyang, Henan). Chen County held great strategic importance, playing a key role throughout various dynasties. During the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods, it served as the capital of the Chen State; in the late Warring States period, the Chu State also made it their capital. After the Qin Dynasty unified the realm, Chen County was designated as a commandery seat. If the rebels could capture Chen County, it would be a heavy blow to the Qin Dynasty, so Chen Sheng did not hesitate to lead his troops directly there. Upon learning of the rebels' movements, the county governor and magistrate of Chen County panicked, unsure of what to do. They were not fit for battle; before the peasant army even surrounded the city gates, the two had already fled far away, leaving only the deputy governor to defend the city. The deputy governor prepared for a fierce fight, but the Qin troops stationed in Chen County had already been terrified by the rebels' momentum and had no strength left to resist. Before long, Chen County's defenses were breached, the deputy governor was killed by the enraged populace, and the rebel forces firmly secured this key military stronghold.
Chen Sheng soon declared himself king, establishing a state called "Zhang Chu" with its capital at Chen County, thus founding the first peasant revolutionary regime in Chinese history. The common people expressed their support for Chen Sheng, eager to overthrow the brutal Qin dynasty and rescue all those who were suffering. At this point, Chen Sheng fulfilled the ambition he had set in his youth—to accomplish a great undertaking.
After the establishment of the regime, the entire nation was in turmoil, with daily reports of popular uprisings in various regions, all under the banner of "Zhang Chu." The peasant revolts grew increasingly intense, and some remnants of the Warring States nobility seized this opportunity to openly oppose the Qin dynasty rulers, among whom notable leaders included Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Xiang Liang, Ying Bu, and Peng Yue.
Looking at the "Zhang Chu" banner fluttering across the Central Plains, Chen Sheng's morale soared even higher. He discussed with Wu Guang and other leaders and decided to shift the main offensive westward, gradually advancing toward Xianyang. Wu Guang was appointed as the Deputy King (false king), leading the majority of the rebel forces to directly attack Xingyang (west of present-day Zhengzhou, Henan), then proceed through Hangu Pass toward Xianyang. Song Liu was tasked with attacking Nanyang and then using a pincer tactic to strike the Guanzhong region. Chen Sheng appointed Wu Chen, Deng Zong, Zhou, and Zhao Ping as generals. Some led troops northward, crossing the Yellow River to seize the former Zhao region (present-day northern Shanxi and southwestern Hebei), then moved south to attack Jiujiang Commandery and occupy the Huainan area. Others attacked Guangling (northern present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and the former Wei region (northeastern Henan connecting to southwestern Shanxi), thereby capturing the entire area from the lower Yangtze River to the south of the Yellow River, including Daliang. At this point, the peasant uprising reached its climax, with the rebel forces fighting bravely and capturing one place after another.
However, Wu Guang's attack on Xingyang met with resistance and made little progress for a long time. Xingyang was a crucial gateway to the Guanzhong region; capturing it would mean taking control of Guanzhong. Moreover, not far from Xingyang was the location of the Qin army's granary. If the rebels could seize the grain supplies, they could not only fill their own food shortages but also cripple half of the Qin army's fighting strength. Therefore, Xingyang had to be taken. After learning that Wu Guang's offensive was stalling, Chen Sheng immediately appointed Zhou Wen as a general and ordered him to bypass Xingyang through the Hangu Pass while the Qin army was pinned down by Wu Guang, with the mission of advancing straight into Xianyang.
The great army led by Zhou Wen fought through every barrier, eventually advancing to within over a hundred li of Xianyang's city walls, with many local people along the way joining the ranks as the army passed, swelling the force to over one hundred thousand soldiers and more than a thousand chariots.
It was not until this moment that Qin Ershi, Hu Hai, finally awoke from his life of luxury and indulgence. The rebel forces were at their peak, and this pleasure-seeking emperor was frantic with worry, yet he could think of no way to respond. All the troops in Xianyang had been dispatched elsewhere—where could he find soldiers to fight now? Zhang Han then suggested to Qin Ershi that they should deploy the hundreds of thousands of laborers working on the Lishan tomb. After some thought, Qin Ershi agreed that this was the only option left. So he appointed Zhang Han as Grand General, leading this makeshift army to resist the rebels. At that time, Zhou Wen had halted his forces for reorganization when a large Qin army suddenly appeared. Caught off guard, the rebels were driven out of Xianyang. The two armies faced off at Caoyang Pavilion (present-day northeast of Lingbao, Henan), but the rebels were ultimately no match for the Qin forces and retreated to Mianchi (in western Henan). To make matters worse, the rebels' food supplies ran out, and their battles suffered continuous defeats. After holding out for over ten days, with annihilation imminent, Zhou Wen had no choice but to draw his sword and take his own life.
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Han attacked Xingyang. Because Wu Guang had a minor conflict with one of his subordinates, that subordinate actually killed Wu Guang, which happened to give the Qin army an opening, and as a result, all the rebel forces defending Xingyang were killed in battle.
From then on, the rebel army began to fall into internal strife, and coupled with Chen Sheng's failure to establish sound management policies, their uprising became disorganized, with many territories being seized by forces from former feudal states. Chen Sheng's own mindset also shifted, gradually alienating him from the masses, leading to his isolation and eventual death at the hands of his own charioteer.
Within just a few months after the establishment of the Zhang Chu regime, Chen Sheng was killed. Although the leader was lost, anti-Qin movements sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain across the land of China, so Chen Sheng's contributions cannot be overlooked. The Dazexiang Uprising lifted the curtain on the peasant movements at the end of the Qin Dynasty, delivering a direct blow to the Qin regime, and the Qin Dynasty was soon to fall.