The First Emperor of Qin made five inspection tours across his vast country. Each time he climbed a famous mountain, a stone inscription was made to eulogize his achievements. The Second Emperor of Qin followed his father's footstep. On his visit to Mt. Tai, a holy mountain in east China, in 209 BC, he added these lines to the other side of the stone block that had born his father's inscription:

Emperor said, “These stone inscriptions were made by the order of the First Emperor. As his successor, if I don't clarify the fact, future generations may take them by someone later, devaluating his exploits.” Prime Minister Li Si, Feng Quji and Grand Censor De said, “We dare to suggest engraving your regard alongside.” The suggestion was approved.

After many years of unknown whereabouts, the stone block was unearthed in 1088 with 146 out of its 222 characters legible. When it was rediscovered in 1815 from the ruins of Tai Temple, only ten characters from the added part of the inscription, highlighted above, survived on three pieces of broken stones.

The calligrapher of both parts of the inscription was Li Si, the then prime minister and one of the creator of small seal script. His characters are dignifiedly rectangular with strokes structurally balanced, and his brushwork is gracefully stretching, producing a streaming effect, especially in curved lines. There have been many calligraphers versed in this style, but none of them outstripped him. He also left behind a short essay on handwriting, Brush Technique, the very first practical discussion on Chinese calligraphy.