Qin shi huang destroyed most of the opposing ideology and political books. Archaeologist are discovering books in well preserved pre qin dynasty graves. Like lost taoist classic 太一生水 that explored the idea of water in cosmic formation instead of gas.
https://baike.baidu.com/item/太一生水/16745487
Some more majority of ancient chinese were illiterate, only the elite and rich can afford the time and money to go to school.
nope, he didnt. he did confiscate the books of other political ideologies. but he kept all the technical books around. esp those on agriculture and medicines.
most of the socalled 'destroyed books' were 'rediscovered' again in western han dynasty. that goes to show the story of him destroying books ish just confucianists smearing.