Chapter 8 Chapter Five: The New Situation of the Military-National Struggle: The Beginning and End of the Warring States Period

After the Spring and Autumn Period, until the 26th year of Qin Shihuang's unification, there were a total of 246 years, and later generations will refer to it as the "Warring States Period". The historical records of this period were all destroyed due to the burning of books by the Qin court.In the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian became the historical record, which has no basis for suffering. The preface of the Six Kingdoms Table in Shiji said: "Since Qin was proud, he burned the poems and books all over the world, especially the Shiji of the princes, who ridiculed them. Afterwards, the poems and books will be seen again. But Shiji only stored the Zhou Dynasty, so it was destroyed. There are only records of Qin, which do not contain the sun and the moon, and their writing is somewhat lacking, but there are still some who can be read. Yu Yin of Qin, following the Spring and Autumn Period, started the king of Zhou and Yuan, and expressed the current affairs of the six kingdoms." According to Shi Gongben, Qin Ji It is a last resort to report the current affairs of the six countries.However, before Qin Xiaogong, he was secluded in Yongzhou and did not form an alliance with the Chinese princes. The Chinese princes met him with Yi Zhai.At that time, there were few negotiations between Qin and the countries in the East, so Qin's records of the things in the East must be omitted and there are many mistakes.Today's six countries are represented by those who have nothing to carry before Qin Xiaogong.Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty was the Tongjian, entrusting King Weilie of the Zhou Dynasty for 23 years, from the end of Zuozhuan to the beginning of Tongjian, there was a gap of 64 years in the middle, and there is no detailed chronicle.In addition, although Tongjian entrusted Wei Lie for 23 years in the first Zhou Dynasty, the records are very sparse, and the records can only be obtained and detailed after the 35th year of King Xian of Zhou Dynasty.Therefore, Gu Yanwu's Rizhilu said that in the 133 years, there was a lack of history and literature, and archaeologists were confused about it.

In the Jin Dynasty, a bamboo book was discovered in an ancient tomb in Jixian County. There were 15 chronicles in it. It was actually the only chronicle in the East before the Qin Dynasty, but it was also lost later. Therefore, the historical events of this period, compared with the previous period, are somewhat unclear. Roughly speaking, the history of this period can be divided into two periods, the former and the latter. The first period is the decline of the patriarchal feudal state in the Zhou Dynasty. This comes from the situation of the dictatorship of officials in the late Spring and Autumn Period.The Jin Dynasty was divided into three families, Qi usurped the Tian family, Lu Ze Sanhuan was stronger than the domestic family, and the public house was only like Xiaohou.The power of the guard is declining day by day, and he demotes his title to Marquis.Wu was destroyed in Yue, Chen and Cai were destroyed in Chu, Zheng was destroyed in Han, and the twelve princes in the Spring and Autumn Period listed in Shiji, only Chu and Qin can continue to maintain their important positions.Generally speaking, in the culture of the patriarchal feudal countries in the Spring and Autumn Period, the highest ones were Lu and Wei, followed by Qi, and then Jin.Qin and Chu were seen as barbarians in Zhu Xia from the beginning.

Lu and Wei used culture to maintain the traditional dignity of the patriarchal feudal state at that time, while Qi and Jin used force to maintain the traditional status of the patriarchal feudal state at that time.Chu and Qin represent opposing forces.Among the countries, the more deeply fettered by feudal traditional culture, the more difficult it is to improve, so Lu and Wei were weak and weak.Those who are less constrained by traditional feudal culture are easier to improve. Therefore, Qi and Jin successively dominated the Spring and Autumn Period, and they could not be like Lu and Wei. In the future, the internal organization of the country must be changed rapidly, from a patriarchal feudal state to a new military state. Qin and Chu were less influenced by feudal traditional culture, so their countries can be changed without internal monarchy. Following the improvement, it became the new military country Yan.

The most important thing is that the kings of Qi and Jin usurped the reunification and maintained the hegemony of feudal culture for more than 200 years since the Spring and Autumn Period, so they took a break. The chains of the peace alliance of Zhuxia have been broken, and the countries are striving to transform into a new military state, so that they can survive under the new situation of struggle among the countries. During this period, the old international situation of the Spring and Autumn Alliance of City and Wall has been destroyed, and the new situation of the military-state struggle has not yet been completed, and it will become a transitional period in the middle.That is, from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the death of Marquis Wu of Wei, a total of 90 years.The former period can also be said to be the hegemony period of the Yue State; the latter period is the period when the Three Jins were separated and the Wei State was gradually prosperous.

The second period is the period of mutual struggle after the establishment of the new military state. This period can be divided into four periods: the first period is the period when King Hui of Liang ruled for hegemony, or the period when Liang and Qi contended for power.This period was thirty-seven years from the first year of King Hui of Liang to King Xiang of Xuzhou in Qi and Wei. Marquis Wen and Marquis Wu of Wei Cheng spent a long period of domestic construction, appointed Li Ke and Wu Qi, and became the first new military state after the Warring States Period.Located in the Central Plains, it is also an important area for the Fourth World War.Claiming to inherit the state of Jin, he was the first to rise up to seek hegemony; he moved the capital to Daliang to fight for the situation.The second plan is to unify the three Jins and restore the heyday of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period.Unfortunately, when Zhao and Han were defeated, they were all followed by Qi Cheng.After Liang was defeated by Qi again, he met Xuzhou Prime Minister in Qi.Divide the hegemony equally.

The second period is the period when Qi Wei, Xuan, and Min succeeded Liang to dominate, and it can also be said to be the period when Qi and Qin competed for power.This period was forty-eight years from Qi and Wei Xiangwang to Qi's destruction of Song Dynasty. Qi Zitian and Zhuan were proclaimed Marquis, passed on to two generations, until they became Wei Wang, defeated Liang Guo twice, and then became king after Liang Hui.His son Xuan Wang succeeded him, and the country flourished.At that time, Qin was also getting stronger, using Zhang Yi to separate Liang and Chu Yigu Qi.As a result, a balance of power between Qin and Qi was gradually formed.But Qi Zhizhi invaded Yan in the north and Song in the south to expand.When King Min of Qi destroyed the Song Dynasty, the international balance of power broke down, and the situation changed drastically.

The third period is the period when King Zhao of Qin succeeded Qi and became strong, and it can also be said to be the period when Qin and Zhao became strong.During this period, it took twenty-nine years from the time when Qi destroyed Song Dynasty to when Zhao Handan was besieged. King Xuan of Qi destroyed Yan, the international balance of power was shaken, and all countries looked around uneasy, King Xuan finally did not dare to swallow Yan.When King Min of Qi destroyed the Song Dynasty, the international balance of power was destroyed again. The Yan people rose up and took the opportunity to take revenge. Le Yi joined forces from Qin, Wei, Han, and Zhao to enter Qi.When King Min died, Qi Sui was in a state of slump, and Qin was the only one strong.At that time, Zhao Guo Jing Wuling Wang Hufu rode and shot Zhongshan, and the country's power suddenly flourished.At that time, those who had the strength to resist Qin in the east pushed Zhao, so there was the Battle of Changping, Zhao was defeated by Qin, and Qin merged with the world.

The fourth period is the period of Qin destroying the Six Kingdoms.This period is from the 26th year of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty to the 36th year of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty. Attached is the table of Zhou emperors in the Warring States period: From the patriarchal feudalism before the Spring and Autumn Period to the new military state in the Warring States Period, there were drastic changes in political and social aspects. The first is the implementation of the system of prefectures and counties. Counties and counties directly under the government replaced the hereditary land acquisitions of nobles.

The system of prefectures and counties has been seen in the Spring and Autumn Period.Jin usurped the rule from Quwo, Xian Gong was forced by the Huan and Zhuang clans, and killed all the princes; Li Ji's rebellion cursed "sons without herds", so Jin had no princes.And the land is growing day by day, so the county system was implemented.At the time of Qinggong, the six ministers weakened the public house, and wiped out the public clan, divided the town into ten counties, and each made its son a doctor.The Jin Dynasty has implemented the county system for a long time, so the three families were divided into Jin Dynasty, which became a new country of prefectures and counties.Chu also practiced the county system for a long time, abolished the public family at home, and merged foreign affairs, which were the two reasons for the destruction of the feudal system and the implementation of the county system.The county is the frontier military region first, which is smaller than the county.And the counties in the back are getting bigger and the counties in the abdomen are getting smaller, which is also a phenomenon that should be expected in the development of a military country.

The government orders of counties and counties are controlled by the central government, and the orders of county and county guards are not hereditary, and the actual service performance is regarded as appointment and dismissal. This is the point where the county system is completely different from the patriarchal feudal system.Since then, the feudal system of the aristocratic and privileged class has gradually transformed into a government ruled by bureaucrats. Therefore, following the rise of the prefecture and county system, the first is the change of the power of the aristocratic Shiqing and Youshi.

In the patriarchal feudal era, the power of the monarch could not exceed the encirclement of the clan.Therefore, the positions of the monarch, the Qing, and the doctor are separated by only one, and the abolition of the monarchy often depends on the general will of the Qing and the doctor.In a country with a county system, the monarchy is gradually freed from the shackles of kinship. On the one hand, it is the evolution of the monarchy, and on the other hand, it is the gaining power of officialdom. Secondly, there is the gradual separation of the military and the civilians. Zhai Huang said: "The king wants to attack Zhongshan, so I go to Leyang. Zhongshan has been uprooted, and there are no envoys to guard it, so I go to Li Ke." The division of duties between generals and guards is the idea of ​​dividing the army and civilians.In the feudal era, nobles were military commanders, and there was no such distinction. There is also a new system of food and salary. If it is not with the fief, the officials will have to eat their salary.Wei Chengzi is the younger brother of Marquis Wen, and "eating and earning a thousand bells", so he has no seal of land.According to the biography of Zhao She in the Historical Records: "She, Zhao Zhitian's officials collected rent and taxes, and the Pingyuan monarch's family refused to leave. Zhao She ruled them by law and killed nine people who used the Pingyuan monarch's affairs." Weakening the country will weaken the country. The princes will increase their troops, and the king will be rich? 'Pingyuan is a wise man, and he speaks to the king, so that he can govern the country." According to this, even if the nobles of the Warring States had a feudal city, they still had to pay rent and taxes to the public, which is the same as the Spring and Autumn Period Feudal fiefs are different. Those who eat salary must be employed, and those who have salary but no job are the only ones who are able to support talents at that time. This started from Wei Wenhou's Yu Zixia, Tian Zifang, and Duan Ganmu's Lun, and flourished in Qi's Jixia system, which is a sign of the emergence of the concept of virtuousness instead of relatives and nobles. The second is the abolition of the well field system. In ancient times, a hundred miles was a big country, and within a hundred miles, there were cities, towns, mountains, swamps, forests, and abandoned borderlands, which could not be fully cultivated.Even if all the cultivation is done, it is only ten thousand wells, nine million mu.In the meantime, there are still various levels such as monarch, minister, doctor, and scholar, each with its own land.Then the prince of a hundred miles has no land, just like the owner of the later generations.Its people are like today's tenants.It is not difficult to divide the fields and select them.That is to say, if a farming and animal husbandry company in modern times encloses land for reclamation, it must assign a certain number of acres to each family, and it is not allowed to be arbitrary.Therefore, farmers under the feudal system had no annexation, no rich and poor.If there has been annexation of the rich and the poor, the feudal system will no longer exist. As the enfeoffment of noble lands was gradually canceled, the arable land directly under the state gradually expanded. As a result, the small-scale wells in the former aristocratic enclosures had to be liberated into whole farmland. Shang Yang abandoned the wells and opened fields to seal the frontiers. The "fields" are the banks of the fields, and the "frontiers" are like a large wall, which is the main symbol of the feudal division of the ancient aristocrats.The wells on one side are isolated from each other in this grid line.Now that politics has changed from feudalism to counties and counties, we can open up the grid lines, eradicate the walls of the fields and banks, and turn them into one.This is Li Kui's teaching of "doing one's best". The formation of a large farmland is the destruction of feudal wells. Another reason for the destruction of the well field system is the change of taxation method. Probably the first kind of "assistance" method of the public land system. There are wells in Fangli, and the wells are 900 mu, of which it is public land. The eight families all privately own 100 mu of public land.Those who enter the public land belong to the public, and those who enter the private land belong to the private.The most important meaning of this system is that the ownership of the land belongs to the nobles and the monarchs.The so-called "within the four seals, is it the king's land; the hair that eats the soil, is it the king's ministers" also.A square well of nine hundred acres is a standard description.Within a well, the main one is public land.Logically speaking, it is precisely because of helping to cultivate the public land that one can enjoy the harvest of the private land.At that time, the aristocrats specially set up agricultural officials. During the Ming Dynasty, they identified soil, selected grain seeds, taught crops and sympathized farmers, and patrolled the fields to supervise farming.Because Gai Zheng regards all the four letters as his personal property, he is diligent in teaching and teaching.But the peasants are weak in intelligence and power, and without the guidance and support of the nobles, they can't improve their private land.Therefore, nobles and peasants lived in peace under this system. Secondly, it is "paying taxes for the mu". Those who pay taxes per mu will abolish the public land and transfer the tax to private land, and the rated rate will be collected depending on the actual income of the mu of the land.As the aristocrats have more and more fields, they live in extravagance and prostitution, and are lazy all the time, refusing to take care of farming.But the peasant class is becoming more and more wise and capable, so they each do their best in the private fields, while the harvest of the public fields has deteriorated.So the public land was abolished, and the tax was paid on the basis of the mu.If this is the case, there is no need to do everything well, and there is no need to strictly accept it.Although it is convenient for the collection of large quantities, it is the first sign of the abandonment of the well field system. Taxes based on mu can only recognize the land, not the people, so the land can be bought and sold freely, and the ownership of the land is transferred invisibly, and it becomes the cultivator's own, and the annexation also follows. The third is the rise of the peasant army. In the feudal era, the nobles were the big landowners of the fiefs, and at the same time they formed an armed group. The organization of the army in the Spring and Autumn Period is the clan system.In the battle of Chengpu, Jin had the "Chinese army royal family"; in the Yanling battle, Chu had the "Chinese army royal family".Chu Ruo'ao's family had "six soldiers", and Jin "Le and Fan Yiqi's clan Jiagong Xing", it can be seen that an army is a clan. The manufacture of military weapons, such as chariots, armour, and the breeding of war horses, etc., are all a kind of business for the nobles to maintain their status, and the common people are unable to participate. Zheng Zhuanggong attacked Xu and "sent troops to Taigong".Duke Yi of Wei defended Di, "enabling the people of the country to receive armor".Zheng Zichan "received soldiers to ascend to the top".King Wu of Chu "taught his master how to defeat Sui".This is all the evidence that the Jiazhan weapons are not among the people.In the fifteenth year of Xi's reign, "Jin made state soldiers"; in the fourth year of Zhao Dynasty, "Zheng made Qiu Fu";However, it is still the nobles, don't let the craftsmen make it, it is not made by the people. Farmers plow the fields and pay taxes, and in case of war, they requisition carts and cattle to capture their husbands, which is called "fu".Peasants are only attached to the army, and have no right or qualification to be formally assigned to the army. According to Wu Ziyun: In the state of Chu, "the corpses of the thorns are raised, and the merchants, farmers, workers, and merchants are invincible." This farmer is not an army.In the Battle of Chengpu, there were "Yu Ren", and Zuo Xianggong had "Yu Wei" in the 30th year of Zuo Xianggong.Yuren is the equipment and husband's strength that accompany the army. The aristocratic class gradually became more luxurious and comfortable, and the international wars gradually expanded and became more intense. The formation of peasant armies became a new need.Chariot battles gradually evolved into foot battles, which is a sign of the alternation between the noble army and the peasant army. The major battles recorded in Zuo Zhuan, such as the battle of Qin and Jin "Han", the battle of Jin and Chu "Chengpu", "Bi", and "Yanling", and the battle of Jin and Qi "An" were all aristocratic battles at that time. The war can be said to be an artistic war.However, the Jin Dynasty was the Royal Di and had infantry.Zheng also had infantry, and until the Warring States period, it was mainly peasant infantry. The Three Jins and the Tian family usurped the throne by officials, and the old aristocrats lost their status, and gradually established a system of winning officials by military merit. In the second year of Zuo Ai, Zhao Jianzi swore to the crowd: "Those who conquer the enemy will go to the high officials to receive the county, and the low officials to receive the county, and the land of one hundred thousand people will be reduced. Those who are exempted will go to the servants, which is the first sound of Shang Yang's "admiration of the first merit".Su Qin said about Qi: "The best of the three armies, the soldiers of the five families, advance like sharp arrows, fight like thunder, and fight like wind and rain." And Xunzi's article on soldiers: "Qi people are long in martial arts, and their skills are also good. If you get one, you will be rewarded Zijin and gold, there is no reward." This is Qi Yishang's first contribution.The soldiers of the five families are suspected of being the first leader of the Qin Dynasty and belonging to the five families. Wu Qi was in Chu, and Shang Yang was in Qin, and they also strictly enforced the new law of replacing nobles with military merit. He raised up the prime minister of Chu, made him the third emperor, and received his juelu to support the fighters.Shang Dun, Prime Minister of Qin, set the 20th rank of nobility, that is, the system of the fifth rank of nobles in ancient times.All of these want to regard soldiers as the new nobles. In the past, nobles were warriors, but now warriors are nobles.The training of the peasant army and the abolition of the well field system are the two key points for the new military state to seek prosperity and strength, which is to promote the collapse of the patriarchal feudal clan. The fourth is the development of industrial and commercial metropolises. In the Spring and Autumn Period, business and industry were all hereditary to the officials, and they were used by the nobles, not the free business of the people. In the sixteenth year of Zuo Zhao, Zheng Zichan told Jin Han Xuanzi: "My ancestor, Duke Huan, and the merchants all came from Zhou. The common people eat their food, the businessmen eat the officials, the Zao Li eats the food, and the officials feed the food." In the 22nd year of Zhao Dynasty, the royal family was in chaos, "Shanzi League has hundreds of workers in the Ping Palace. Hundreds of workers rebelled and defeated the Shan family's palace. Dongyu in the counter-attack.” Du’s note: “Where all the workers are located. There is Yu Township in the southeast of Luoyang.” It is known that businessmen are all in the middle of the country, hereditary, and they are eaten by officials, and they only go to the nobles. The feudal aristocracy gradually collapsed, while free traders gradually emerged. Zigong "does not obey orders but breeds goods", that is, he is free to do business.Later, people like Fan Li, Duan Ganmu, and Bai Gui all relied on their positions in the government to engage in new businesses as traders. The old aristocracy declined, and "merchants" and "soldiers" took their place.And commercial metropolises are also emerging one after another. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the middle period of the Warring States Period, it lasted three to four hundred years. The population multiplied, the cultivated land was gradually opened up, and the nomadic Rong and Di were gradually assimilated, or eliminated, or avoided. This is the reason for the sudden prosperity of commercial cities at that time.Citing its authors, such as Linzi, Handan, Daliang, Ying, Tao and so on.During this period, due to the traffic relationship, Tao developed specially, and the rest are the capitals of all countries. Most of the eastern countries gradually shifted from commercial capital to literary and officialdom, and the only country that always rewarded agricultural wars was Qin. So it went so far as to annex the East. The fifth is the liberation of the forbidden land of Shanze. Those related to commercial development also included the liberation of forbidden areas, which was also a very important change at that time. In the feudal era, the aristocratic fiefdoms, except for wells, were probably all listed as forbidden land, and farmers could only live by farming. Zhou officials have Shan Yu, Lin Heng, Chuan Heng, and Ze Yu, all of whom are in charge of guarding Shan Ze.The Qi language also said: "Zhe Li Sanyu," Yan Zi Chunqiu said: "The trees in the mountains and forests, the deer guard them. The scorpions in the lake, the boats and sharks guard them. The salary of the bushes is steamed, and the Marquis of Yu guards them. The salt mirage of the sea, pray Keep it." This is the private property of the noble fiefdom.What Mencius said, "Wen Wang's government, Ze Liang has no restrictions", and Yan Ying said, "Mountains and forests are beautiful, not only for their own interests", are both theories. Peasants gradually left the cultivated land, invaded the forbidden land, and sought new careers, and the nobles could not stop them. Its first eyes are thieves, just like Uncle Zheng Zi "raised the soldiers to attack the thieves".If the attack cannot be stopped, it is a last resort to impose a kind of expropriation.Therefore, the levy of "conquering merchants" is the levy of "conquering and punishing", and the ancients regarded industry and commerce as profiteers.In the Qin and Han governments, the division of duties between "Da Si Nong" and "Shao Fu" was carried out. The Da Si Nong was in charge of the land rent, which was collected by the state, and the Shao Fu was in charge of the taxes of the mountains and marshes, which was privately entered by the royal family. This concept of forbidden land also evolved. The differentiation of new industries and the advancement of private industries are also reasons for the promotion of free commerce. For example, fishing, salt cooking, charcoal burning, iron mining, coin casting, logging, and various new production enterprises all began when farmers invaded forbidden areas. The sixth is the use of money. Due to the development of commerce, the use of currency has flourished, and it is also a new form. According to the Zuo Zhuan, the gifts, bribes, redemptions, and fears of the monarchs and ministers of various countries are mostly for chariots, horses, brocade, bells, tripods, and treasures.It has been 155 years since the end of the Spring and Autumn Period that King Qin Huiwen of the Six Kingdoms "began to issue money" in the second year.At that time, the eastern countries already had money and goods, In short, the Spring and Autumn Period and even the Warring States Period were the most dramatic period in Chinese history.In terms of politics, many small patriarchal and feudal countries have turned into a new military state with several central governments unified.In terms of society, under the system of nobles' imperial business and nobles' private well fields, it has become the free industry of agriculture, industry, commerce, and soldiers for future generations.More importantly, it is the rise of civil free scholarship.