The Book of Lord Shang on the Wealth of States

The State of Qin during Shang Yang's time was the weakest period for Qin. There were many countries stronger than Qin at that time. However, in the later period, under Shang Yang's reforms, Qin gradually became stronger, surpassing other countries, and eventually becoming the most powerful country in the late Warring States period.

Just like a person wanting to gain wealth in an impoverished situation, it is not easy, and to gain a large amount of wealth is even more difficult. The same applies to a country. It is challenging for a country to develop when it is weak, and it is easier to develop further in a stronger direction after becoming powerful. When Shang Yang entered Qin, Qin was only a vassal state on the northwest border that was ignored by other countries. Shang Yang eventually gained strong support from King Xiao of Qin, and Qin began to flourish with comprehensive and thorough reforms, becoming vibrant.

Without Shang Yang's reforms in the State of Qin, the old system could not be abolished, and sooner or later the old system would drag Qin into an abyss. Even Gan Long, the leader of the conservative faction at the time, had a clear understanding of Qin's poverty and weakness. If Qin did not implement new policies and remained conservative, it would eventually perish. Therefore, although Gan Long opposed reform, he was different from other conservatives. He did not blindly oppose, but advocated for limited reforms, supporting reforms with boundaries without touching the ancestral system.

Without the comprehensive and thorough reform carried out under the cooperation between Duke Xiao of Qin and Shang Yang, there would be no powerful Qin State in the future. Without the strong Qin army support led by Gongsun Yan, it would also be difficult to defeat the State of Wei. Without the support of Qin State's strong national power, Zhang Yi would find it challenging to persuade other states to serve Qin State. Without the increasingly powerful Qin State after Shang Yang's reform, Fan Ju's strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking neighboring ones" would also be difficult to implement. Therefore, the victory in the Battle of Changping would not be achievable! If Qin State were not powerful, Lv Buwei, as a merchant, probably would not engage in opportunistic behavior and would not spend a large amount of money to support the foreigner Yiren with the status of a hostage.