Before the Warring States period, the various princes competed for annexation and contended for the throne. Qin Xiao Gong recruited talents.
The fate of the world is unpredictable, and prosperity does not necessarily last forever. The Xia Dynasty once flourished under Emperor Yao and Shun, but today it is the Southern Sea that shines brightly as a symbol of China's glory, spanning five thousand years in the blink of an eye.
The Zhou Dynasty originated from the Western Rong and Northern Di tribes, occupying the Central Plains to inherit the orthodox tradition. However, when the Zhou king's virtue declined and his power waned, the vassals became powerful. The Spring and Autumn period saw the rise of five hegemons who took turns ruling.
Among the five hegemons, Jin was the most prosperous, but its vast territory and strong rivers eventually led to its decline and division into three states: Han, Wei, and Zhao. The Jin royal house never recovered from this downfall, a case of self-destruction.
The Qin state originated from the Western Qiang and Di tribes, with brave warriors on the western borders. It was only after Duke Wen of Chu achieved hegemony that the Qin state began to be recognized as one of the vassal states. However, the Qin rose rapidly and eventually became a powerful kingdom, an example of how decline can lead to prosperity.
By the time of the Warring States period, the Zhou royal house had shrunk to the point where it was no longer even comparable to the small state of Zhongshan. This is an example of how prosperity does not necessarily last forever.
In the past, the 1,800 states established by King Wu of Zhou had dwindled to just a few dozen, with half of them already absorbed into the Chu state and becoming part of the two-thousand-year-old division between north and south in China. At this point, only eight states were qualified to contend for hegemony: Chu, Qin, Qi, Wei, Zhao, Han, Yan, and Yue.
The Wei state had initially gained the upper hand, possessing geographical advantages and a strong population, reenacting the Spring and Autumn period's pattern of hegemony. However, the Chu state had been seeking to unify the vassals under its rule since King Zhuang's time, while the Qi state had been striving for dominance since Duke Huan's rise to power. The Qin state, on the other hand, sought to inherit the Zhou tradition and occupy the Central Plains to dominate the world.
It seemed that Wei's King Hui would have to face challenges from Chu, Qi, Qin, Zhao, and Yue. So, who would be qualified to take over King Hui's hegemonic crown? The answer was obvious: among the contending states, only Chu, Qi, and Qin were eligible.
Since the time of King Xuan of Chu, there had been a period of peace and rest. At that time, the power of the three Jin states (Wei, Zhao, and Han) and the two states of Qin and Qi was increasing daily, competing with each other, especially Wei and Qi were flourishing. King Huiwen of Wei launched eastern and western campaigns, invading south and fighting north, becoming the overlord of the world, dominating the whole country.
At that time, Chu and Qin were related by marriage, supporting each other, jointly resisting the southern invasion and western campaign of Wei and Qi, and won victories in Shangluo and Sishui. In the fifth year of King Xuan of Chu, the three Jin states (Wei, Zhao, and Han) launched a western campaign against Qin, Qin fought with Wei and Zhao in Shanbei and Hexi, and with Wei and Han in Luonan. The three Jin states joined forces, defeating the Qin army repeatedly, the Wei army took Huayin and Tongguan in Hexi, the Zhao army captured Yuguang and Yan'an in Shanbei, and the Han army took Lingbao to Tongguan.
In the southeastern part of Shaanxi, the armies of Wei and Han joined forces, greatly defeating the Qin army in Luonan, pointing their swords at Shangzhou. When King Xuan of Chu heard the news, he immediately raised an army of 100,000 men, passing through Wuguan (Wu Pass) and Shangdu (Danfeng), to Shangzhou, engaging in a great battle with the combined forces of Han and Wei.
The next year, the combined forces of Chu and Qin, numbering 180,000 men, defeated the 200,000-strong combined forces of Wei and Han at Danyang in Shangzhou, and also greatly defeated the combined forces of Wei and Han in Luonan that same year. The Wei army retreated to Tongguan and Anyi, while the Han army retreated to the three rivers area in Luodi.
At that time, Chu was a great power, with a vast territory of over 3,000 miles, and an army of over 700,000 men, having been related by marriage to Qin for generations. Therefore, King Xuan of Chu gave the area north of Shangzhou to Duke Xian of Qin, who was deeply grateful.
Later, King Xuan of Chu led his army northward, fighting with the Wei army at Luyang and Yuzhou, greatly defeating the Wei army, retaking Luyang and Yuzhou, and besieging the Wei army in Xuchang. The Qin army fought with the Wei army at Shimen and Shaoliang, although the Qin army was greatly defeated by the Wei army, they still could not retake the land west of the river.
Years later, Qin Xiangong died and his son Xiaogong took over at the age of 21. In the first year of Qin Xiaogong's reign, there were six powerful countries east of the rivers and mountains of Qin: Qi Weiwang, Chu Xuangong, Wei Huiwenwang, Yan Daowang, Han Aihou, and Zhao Chenghou stood together. There were still more than a dozen small countries between Huainan and Sishang. Chu, Wei, and Han shared borders with Qin. Wei built the Great Wall from northwest of present-day Shaanxi Huaxian to north along the Luohe River basin, passing through Jingbian and Yulin, northeast to the Hequ area, occupying the land of Shangjun in the north. Chu had Hanzhong and Shangyong in the south, with Ba Wu and Qianzhong. The Zhou royal house was weak, and the vassals competed for hegemony, competing to annex each other. Qin was still a remote and backward country in Yongzhou, subject to Wei's bullying in the east and relying on Chu's support in the south, unable to participate in the alliances of the Central Plains vassals. Therefore, Qin Xiaogong worked hard to govern, lived frugally, widely bestowed favors, recruited soldiers and bought horses, and clarified rewards and punishments. He also issued a proclamation to the world saying: "In the past, my Qin Mugong governed from Qishan to Yongzhou, cultivated virtue and used military force, took Guanzhong and Shanbei, pacified the Jin chaos in the east, with the Yellow River as the boundary, and dominated the Rongdi in the west, expanding the territory by a thousand miles. The Son of Heaven enfeoffed him as a viscount, and all the vassals congratulated him, laying the foundation for the great enterprise of our state. This is a glorious and honorable thing! In the past, when my predecessors were not at peace, the country was in internal turmoil and had no leisure to attend to external affairs. The three Jin states attacked and seized the land west of the river from my ancestors, and all the vassals looked down on Qin and its people. This is a hateful thing! When Xiangong took over, he pacified the borders, moved the capital to Xianyang, and wanted to launch an eastern campaign to recover the former territory of Mugong and restore his policies. I often think of my ancestors' intentions and feel pain in my heart. If there are guests, officials, or scholars from all over the world who can come up with a strange plan to make Qin strong and prosperous, I will respect their seniority and share the land with them, enjoying the good fortune together." Then, he sent troops to besiege Xianyang in the east and behead the Rongdi king in the west. However, Wei Huiwenwang was the strongest in the world at that time, and Qin Xiaogong had no power to resist him, suffering repeated humiliation from the state of Wei.
When Wei Yang heard about Qin Xiao Gong's decree to unify the world, he immediately sold his pots and pans, borrowed money from all sides, and managed to meet with Qin Xiao Gong. Wei Yang was originally a native of the state of Wei, but for the sake of fame and wealth, he did not hesitate to sell out his wife, children, and ancestors, and changed his surname to Wei and his name to Yang, in order to show his loyalty.
Earlier, he had met with King Hui Wen of Wei through an introduction, and in order to curry favor with the king, he had severed his ties with the state of Wei and changed his surname to Wei and his name to Yang. However, after listening to Wei Yang's so-called methods for enriching the country and strengthening its military, King Hui Wen said: "Have you not heard that those who are benevolent have no enemies, and those who are righteous can overcome any obstacle?" He then dismissed Wei Yang.
Wei Yang went to the state of Qin, where he again changed his surname to Qin and his name to Yang, becoming Qin Yang. As a result, Qin Xiao Gong summoned him and gave him an important position. Thus, Qin Yang began to reform the laws and punishments, subjecting the people of Qin to all sorts of cruel and inhumane treatment.
The result of this was that the officials became more brutal and the punishments more severe, treating the people of Qin as nothing more than tools for killing and conquest. The military victories of Qin Yang were merely a means of gaining fame and wealth, with no regard for human life or dignity. As a result, the state of Qin and its army earned the reputation of being a nation of tigers and wolves, and a band of fierce warriors.
However, did this really make them invincible? The ministers Gan Long and Du Zuo disagreed, saying to Qin Xiao Gong: "If we want to expand our territory eastward and form alliances with other states, we must first eliminate the misunderstandings that the people of the central plains have towards us. We should practice great righteousness throughout the world, spread virtue and kindness among all people, and gain a reputation for benevolence and trustworthiness in all four seas. This is the true way to enrich our country and strengthen its military."
But Qin Xiao Gong was eager for quick gains and did not listen to the advice of Gan Long and Du Zuo.
