Editing Jing Ke (section)

=== The attempt ===
[[File:Assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang.jpg|thumb|295px|Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang; Jing Ke (left) is held by one of Qin Shi Huang's physicians (left, background). The dagger used in the assassination attempt is seen stuck in the pillar. Qin Shi Huang (right) is seen holding an imperial jade disc. One of his soldiers (far right) rushes to save his emperor. Stone rubbing; 3rd century, [[Eastern Han]]]]
Concealing the dagger inside the map [[scroll]], Jing Ke and [[Qin Wuyang]] represented the Yan as [[ambassador]]s and met with King Zheng.<ref name="gongtong72" />  Qin Wuyang reportedly became so nervous that he acted almost paralyzed when entering the palace, and Jing Ke managed the excuse that his partner had never set eyes on the grace of [[Emperor of China|Son of Heaven]].<ref name="sima">Sima Qian. Dawson, Raymond Stanley. Brashier, K. E. (2007). The First Emperor: Selections from the Historical Records. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-922634-2}}, {{ISBN|978-0-19-922634-4}}. pp. 15–20, 82, 99.</ref>  Other sources suggest Jing Ke described Qin Wuyang as a rural boy who had never seen the world and was suffering a [[cultural shock]].<ref name="gongtong72" />  The panicked Qin Wuyang was then barred from moving up the palace, and Jing Ke was ordered to present the map alone.

Jing Ke approached King Zheng and politely presented the map scroll.  When the King Zheng unrolled the map, Jing Ke immediately seized the revealed dagger, grabbed the king's clothes and attacked him, who somehow managed to back away from the initial thrust by tearing off a sleeve in the process.  While King Zheng leapt to his feet and fled from his attacker, he desperately attempted to draw his own sword hanging from his belt, but was unable to do so while running as it was a very long ceremonial sword.  None of the other Qin officials within the vicinity were armed and able to stop Jing Ke, and the guards were all stationed outside the palace and were unable to immediately reach the scene.<ref name="gongtong72" />  In the confusion Jing Ke began to close in on the king, who struggled to get away from the assassin by circling behind a pillar.

Seeing the king in grave danger, a royal physician named Xia Wuju (夏無且) grabbed his own medicine bag and hurled it at Jing Ke,<ref name="gongtong72" /> which slowed down the assassin just enough to allow King Zheng to recover some distance.  Reminded by cries from other officials, the king managed to shift his longsword behind his back and successfully unsheathe it from behind.  Now armed, he immediately turned back and struck Jing Ke [[hamstringing|in the thigh]], effectively immobilizing him.<ref name="gongtong74">王恆偉. (2005) (2006) 中國歷史講堂 #2 戰國 秦 漢. 中華書局. {{ISBN|962-8885-25-1}}. pp. 74–75.</ref>  The injured Jing Ke [[knife throwing|threw his dagger]] at King Zheng in desperation, but missed. The king then proceeded to stab Jing Ke eight more times, mortally wounding him.  Knowing it was hopelessly over, the dying Jing Ke sat with his legs stretched forward and apart (a posture then considered very rude), and used the last of his strength to taunt King Zheng with abuses.  At this point, the guards had arrived at the scene to finish off both Jing Ke and the fleeing Qin Wuyang.<ref name="gongtong74" />

It was recorded that right after the incident, King Zheng sat on his throne [[catatonic]]ally holding the sword, before he recovering and thanking the physician Xia Wuju for attempting to stop the assassin.