China's Heirloom Seal: He Shi Bi or Lantian Jade?

In 221 BCE, Qin Shi Huang defeated the six rival states and created China's first empire. Later books say that he ordered a square jade seal to represent rule over the whole realm. The inscription usually associated with it reads, "Having received Heaven's mandate, may its rule last forever." Whoever possessed the seal could claim to have received the Mandate of Heaven, the right to rule granted by Heaven.

The origin story already contains a serious mix-up. He Shi Bi is the name of a jade linked to Bian He, a man from the state of Chu. Lantian jade refers to jade associated with Lantian, a region in what is now Shaanxi. He Shi Bi is a named object in Bian He's story. Lantian is a place name and a material description in other records. The two names are not certain alternate names for one stone.