Chapter 5 Section 4 "The people are prosperous with Yin, and the country is prosperous and strong"

The political purpose of Shang Yang's reform can be summed up in four words: governance, wealth, strength, and king.As it is said in the "Book of Shang Jun": "The strong must rule, and the ruler must be strong. The rich must govern, and the ruler must become rich. The strong must become rich, and the rich must be strong." "Strong must be king."After Shang Yang’s reform, the state of Qin basically abolished the enfeoffment system politically and established the prefecture and county system; economically, it also basically abolished the slave owner’s ownership based on the well field system and established the landlord based on private ownership. The land ownership system has achieved the obvious effect of making the country rich and the army strong, thus achieving the king's career.

Due to the implementation of the policy of emphasizing agriculture, suppressing business and encouraging farming wars during the reform, farmers actively engaged in production, the feudal economy was developed, the production level was improved, the material was rich, and the household was sufficient.Because military merits are rewarded and private fights are strictly prohibited, the people "have the courage to fight in public" and are willing to go out to fight for the country, charge forward, and dare not fight for self-interest.The Qin army expanded in number and enhanced its combat effectiveness.In Qin State, a gratifying scene appeared that "the people are prosperous in Yin, and the country is prosperous and strong" ("Historical Records Biography of Li Si").

The implementation of laws and regulations such as Shi Wu Lian Zuo and the military merit system promoted the establishment of a new feudal ruling order in Qin.In particular, Shang Yang advocated "clear law" and tried his best to make every decree well known. "The women and babies of Qin all speak of the laws of the Shang monarch" ("Warring States Policy · Qin Policy 1").The society changes customs and customs, "the way does not pick up what is lost, and the people do not take it arbitrarily".The township is under great rule, and the people of Qin State are full of joy.

After the reform, the state of Qin "governed the country and strengthened its army, and its land was vast and the ruler was respected" ("Han Feizi Raid, Robbery and Murder of Ministers"). In the battles with Han, Wei and other countries, there were frequent success stories.The princes were very afraid. In 358 BC, the second year of Shang Yang's reform, the Qin army defeated the Korean army in the Xishan area.In 355 BC, Qin Xiaogong and Wei Huiwang met in Duping (now east of Chengcheng County, Shaanxi).When several countries in the Central Plains were fighting fiercely, in 354 BC, Qin took the opportunity of Wei and Zhao to attack each other and captured Shaoliang in the west of Weihe.In 352 BC, Shang Yang took advantage of the opportunity of the Wei State to visit the east and had no time to defend the west, so he led the Qin army to invade Hedong and occupied Anyi, the former capital of the Wei State.In this year, Shang Yang took up the post of Daliang Zao and was in charge of military and political power.In 350 BC, the year of Qin's second political reform, Wei returned to his division to counterattack Qin and regained some lost ground. He once besieged Dingyang in Shangjun (now Yichuan, Shaanxi).In view of the changes in the war between the East and the West, Qin Xiaogong and Wei Huiwang repaired it in Tongtong (now Huaxian, Shaanxi).Wei used his great achievements to command the world, and he called himself king.In 344 BC, King Hui of Wei met with the monarchs of Han, Song, Wei, and Lu in Fengze (now northeast of Kaifeng, Henan).Qin Xiaogong also sent his son and young officials to attend, and they once made a pilgrimage to Zhou Tianzi together.After Shang Yang's reform, Qin rose up in the west as a powerful country, which made the Kanto states look at each other with admiration and broke the situation that the vassal states did not form alliances with it for a long time.

In 342 BC, Wei Guo attacked Han, and Han asked Qi for help.In the battle between the Qi and Wei armies in Maling (north of Pu County, Shandong Province today), Prince Shen of Wei was captured, General Pang Juan committed suicide, and the Wei army suffered a disastrous defeat.The next year, Qi, Qin, and Zhao jointly attacked Wei.The Wei army sent troops to counterattack Qin, but was defeated again.At this time, Shang Yang suggested to Duke Xiao that the state of Wei was beset by enemies on several fronts and its strength was exhausted. If he wanted to take the opportunity to attack Wei, Wei must move eastward.Then we can "according to the solidity of the west of the river, and go east to the princes, this is the business of the emperor".Xiao Gong nodded and called it the best policy.With the power of tigers and wolves, Qin annexed the princes.In 340 BC, Qin sent Shang Yang to attack Wei.Wei Guo sent his son An to lead his troops to a decisive battle with the Qin army.Prince Yinzhong Shangyang's "meeting alliance" plan was captured alive on the spot, and the Wei army failed again.King Wei Hui had to dedicate the land of Hexi to Qin State for peace.King Hui said regretfully, "I didn't listen to Uncle Cuo at the beginning!" But it was too late.Shang Yang defeated Wei Guo and returned in triumph.Duke Xiao named him in the fifteenth city of Shang and Shang.In 338 BC, the State of Qin continued to attack the Anmen of the State of Wei (now south of Hejin, Shanxi), and captured Wei Cuo, the general of the State of Wei.From then on, the state of Qin "has a vast land when its troops are in motion, and the country is rich when it rests, so Qin is invincible in the world and stands up to the princes" ("Warring States Policy · Qin Policy III").