In 210 BC, he accompanied his father on a trip to Shaqiu, where his father died suddenly. Under the advice of two officials Zhao Gao and Li Shi, he forged a fake decree of his father, which ordered his brother, the heir Ying Fu Su, to commit suicide and appointed himself to be the heir.
Being the second emperor of Qin Dynasty, he was not able to contend with nationwide rebels. He depended on Zhao Gao so much that he himself acted like a puppet emperor. In 207 BC, the Qin dynasty was on the brink of collapse and Zhao Gao was afraid that Ying Huhai would ask him to take the blame. Therefore Zhao Gao and others teamed up to force Ying Huhai to commit suicide.
A son of Ying Fu Su, Ying Ziying was made king of Qin by Zhao Gao. Ziying soon killed Zhao Gao and surrendered to Liu Bang one year later.