# Trying to recall a story about historical (or perhaps mythical) ruler who died **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252 "2020-11-10T23:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/1 "2020-11-10T23:16:49Z")
I dimly recall some story about a historical (or perhaps mythical, or maybe fictional) ruler who was so feared by his subjects and courtiers that when he died, they did not dare approach him for some period of time (days?), and only gathered the courage to do so once the effects of decomposition began to show. What am I recalling here? ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/2 "2020-11-10T23:29:44Z")
Might it have been Stalin? In the movie “Death of Stalin” everyone around him pretty much refuses to believe he might actually be dead, knowing that he had no obvious successor and whoever dares proclaim himself such will instantly be a marked man. It was played for laughs, but I can imagine the galloping paranoia of anyone in that room. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/3 "2020-11-10T23:35:22Z")
Thanks, but I don’t think so - I think it was a king or an emperor, possibly having died whilst seated on his throne (but my imagination might have added that detail) ---
**Author:** ![smilingbandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@smilingbandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingbandit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/4 "2020-11-11T00:01:50Z")
I tried to find something but couldn’t come up with anything quite like that apart from the death of Stalin. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/5 "2020-11-11T12:09:35Z")
Yes, Stalin’s death. First a French comic book and after an American film. Basically, he went to bed and didn’t appear the following morning. His personal guard broke the door and found him lying on the floor. Since Stalin was planning to purge some of the ministers, they took their time to bring medical aid ( 24 h) and he died of the aftermaths of a cerebral attack. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/6 "2020-11-11T14:04:43Z")
The story I am thinking of is definitely not Stalin. It was a Chinese emperor, or Babylonian king, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/7 "2020-11-11T16:40:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The story I am thinking of is definitely not Stalin. It was a Chinese emperor, or Babylonian king, or something like that. Perhaps [Qin Shi Huang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#Death_and_post-mortem_events)? > [@](#): > > After the Emperor’s death, Prime Minister [Li Si](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Si), who accompanied him, became extremely worried that the news of his death could trigger a general uprising in the Empire.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#cite_note-Firsteselect-3) It would take two months for the entourage to reach the capital, and it would not be possible to stop the uprising. Li Si decided to hide the death of the Emperor, and return to Xianyang.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#cite_note-Firsteselect-3) Most of the Imperial entourage accompanying the Emperor were left ignorant of the Emperor’s death; only a younger son, [Ying Huhai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_Huhai), who was travelling with his father, the eunuch [Zhao Gao](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Gao), Li Si, and five or six favourite eunuchs knew of the death.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#cite_note-Firsteselect-3) Li Si also ordered that two carts containing rotten fish be carried immediately before and after the wagon of the Emperor. The idea behind this was to prevent people from noticing the foul smell emanating from the wagon of the Emperor, where his body was starting to decompose severely as it was summertime.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#cite_note-Firsteselect-3) They also pulled down the shade so no one could see his face, changed his clothes daily, brought food and when he had to have important conversations, they would act as if he wanted to send them a message.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang#cite_note-Firsteselect-3) > > Eventually, after about two months, Li Si and the imperial court reached Xianyang, where the news of the death of the emperor was announced ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/8 "2020-11-11T16:45:48Z")
Getting closer (and that’s an interesting one I hadn’t heard of), but the story I am recalling was of a ruler who was feared for (something like) a habit of disproportionately punishing those who disturbed his rest, and so when he died, his servants feared he might only be asleep, and would not go near him for fear of the possible punishment. Only when decay set in were they confident enough to check. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-recall-a-story-about-historical-or-perhaps-mythical-ruler-who-died/925252/9 "2020-11-11T20:19:17Z")
There is also Queen Sunandha of Thailand, who drowned in front of all her court, since touching her was taboo…