Shang Yang's drastic reforms achieved great results, but he also offended many people. The reform seriously damaged the interests of the nobility. During the years when Shang Yang assisted Qin Xiaogong, the emperor's relatives hated him very much and wished they could eat his flesh raw and skin him alive.
As a reformer, Shang Yang offended the upper class of society, while as a punisher, Shang Yang offended the lower class of society. After more than ten years of reforms, Shang Yang made himself the target of public criticism. If Qin Xiaogong gives up and returns to the west, Shang Yang will lose his support.
After Shang Yang came to power, many people recommended talents to Shang Yang. Meng Langao once recommended Zhao Liang to Shang Yang. After Shang Yang met Zhao Liang, he thought Zhao Liang was a talented person and expressed his hope to make friends with him. However, Zhao Liang humbly refused, on the grounds that Confucius said that only those who recommend virtuous people and are supported by the people will become officials; if the person who assists the monarch is not a virtuous person, even if the monarch achieves hegemony and is a saint supported by the people, he will become an official. Will retire.
These words were clearly based on Confucianism, so how could Shang Yang listen to them? Zhao Liang also said that occupying a position that does not belong to one is greed for position, and possessing a reputation that does not belong to one is greed for fame; if one accepts Shang Yang's hospitality, he is a person who is greedy for fame and position.
Shang Yang was willing to make friends with Zhao Liang, which meant that he wanted Zhao Liang to become an official in the court. Zhao Liang not only refused, but also said something that implied that Shang Yang was unworthy. Naturally, Shang Yang could hear the implication.
After hearing the implication of Zhao Liang's words, Shang Yang got straight to the point and asked Zhao Liang if he didn't like the way he governed Qin. Zhao Liang is a Confucian scholar, and his speech is subtle and tactful. He said that one who can listen to the opinions of others is called smart, one who can self-examine is called Ming, and one who can restrain oneself is called strong.
In order to implement the reform smoothly, Shang Yang took drastic measures and insisted on his own way, thus offending many powerful people. Zhao Liang said this because he hoped that Shang Yang would reflect on himself, restrain his inner impulses, and listen to the opinions of others. Zhao Liang also quoted Yu Shun's words and hoped that Shang Yang would be a humble person. Zhao Liang's advice was well-intentioned, but it was completely inconsistent with Shang Yang's temperament.
If Shang Yang was a humble gentleman, he would not have made Qin rich and powerful in just more than ten years. As a reformer, Shang Yang was bold and resolute, and it was impossible for him to slow down the pace of reform.
Facts are the most convincing, and a series of facts can prove Shang Yang's achievements. Before the reform, the customs of Qin were similar to those of Rong and Di. Father and son were in the same family, and men, women, old and young lived in the same room. After the reform, the people knew the difference between men and women, lived in separate houses, worked diligently in farming, and were accustomed to war. The people became rich and the country became strong, and the country's strength could compete with big countries such as Qi and Wei.
In the history of the Qin State, Baili Xi, the official of Wuxi, assisted Qin Mu Gong to achieve hegemony, and the people praised him. Shang Yang made the weak Qin state become a powerful country. He thought that his achievements were comparable to Baili Xi's, so he asked Zhao Liang who had more merits than Baili Xi.
Confucianism attaches great importance to the education of benevolence and virtue. Shang Yang compared himself with Baili Xi, which was in line with Zhao Liang's wishes. Zhao Liang said that a thousand sheepskins are not as good as a fox's armpit, and the echo of thousands of people is not as good as the righteous outspokenness of an upright man. King Wu of Zhou opened up the avenues of speech and absorbed different voices, and the country prospered; King Zhou of Shang blocked the words of loyal ministers and listened to only one side, which led to the country's ruin. If Shang Yang wanted to hear the truth, he should first exempt upright people from the punishment for speaking out.
At that time, the Qin State had a law that prohibited people from discussing reforms in private. Zhao Liang was afraid of being punished and made it clear before telling the truth.
Shang Yang said that all good words are false, and true words are like good medicine. Although they taste bitter, they are helpful in curing diseases. If Zhao Liang can speak outright all day long, it will help his development, and he should make such friends.
Since he could be exempted from the punishment for speaking out, Zhao Liang began to speak sternly. Baili Xi started from poverty. He heard that Duke Mu of Qin was recruiting wise men, and he did not hesitate to sell himself as a slave and feed cattle for a year. After hearing this, Duke Mu of Qin used five sheepskins to redeem his life and promoted him to the top of ten thousand people. While Baili Xi was assisting Duke Mu of Qin, he conquered Zheng, went on an expedition to Chu, and supported the king of Jin three times. These were all his achievements. Bailixi persuaded people with his virtue and taught him enlightenment. The country of Ba came to pay tribute. The princes and ethnic minorities from all over the world came to pay homage, and more wise men came to seek refuge.
What makes Shang Yang even more unmatched is that during his reign, Baili Xi did not travel by car, braved the cold wind and scorching heat, traveled all over the country alone, and shared the joys and sorrows with the people, so he was loved by the people. Baili Xi was kind to the people of Qin. After his death, men, women, old and young wept bitterly, and the whole country mourned him. During the mourning period, children did not sing or play, and those who were pounding rice were too sad to make corresponding calls.
Zhao Liang kindly praised Baili Xi's benevolence in order to compare with Shang Yang's torture. First of all, Shang Yang relied on the recommendation of the eunuch Jing Jian, so he had a bad reputation; secondly, he did not seek the welfare of the people, but carried out large-scale construction and built palaces, which was not considered as a contribution to the country; finally, the punishment was too harsh, and he treated the people as nothing, and punished them boldly. The prince's supervisors and teachers not only aroused public anger but also offended the powerful.
Confucianism firmly believes that the people are the material that can be made, and they should be educated rather than commanded. According to Confucianism, education can be deeply rooted in people's hearts, and it is more effective for people to imitate the behavior of their superiors than to accept orders. Shang Yang used severe punishments to implement reforms, which was contrary to the law and accumulated too much slander.
After Shang Yang was sealed in the land of Shang and Shang, he not only did not know how to restrain himself, but also became more and more powerful. The powerful people were forced to a dead end by Shang Yang. This move made the situation worse. After Gongzi Qian's nose was cut off, he stayed in seclusion for eight years. Gongsun Jia's face was covered with ink and became hideous. Shang Yang blindly tortured and punished people, which greatly lost the hearts of the people.
In order to reform, Shang Yang offended the powerful, causing deep resentment. In order to protect his own safety, Shang Yang would be followed by more than a dozen strong chariots when he went out, accompanied by countless heavily armed warriors for protection. If protective measures are missing, Shang Yang will never dare to go out. Shang Yang's travels are in sharp contrast to Baili Xi's travels, which shows that Shang Yang has fallen into the dilemma of "burning all the bones".
Zhao Liang meant that Shang Yang was already dead, and he advised him to retreat bravely, return the fiefdom of Qin, resign and go into seclusion. If Shang Yang did not retire as soon as possible, once Qin Xiaogong gave up and returned to the west, Shang Yang, who had lost his protection, would definitely be retaliated against.
There are many tragedies in life, one of which is that the speaker is earnest and the listener is contemptuous. Zhao Liang's analysis was reasonable and meticulous, and he explained the entire situation of Qin clearly. However, Shang Yang's purpose was to assist Qin Xiaogong to dominate the Central Plains, and he would not stop when enough was enough, let alone retreat.
In Shang Yang's mind, his career had just begun, and reform was only the first step in a journey of a thousand miles. It was absolutely impossible for him to stop after taking the first step.
Shang Yang stared into the distance with sharp eyes, but he didn't know that he was above the firewood. Once the firewood catches fire, his soul will inevitably return to the west and his body will fly into the sky.
Five months after Zhao Liang's conversation with Shang Yang, Duke Xiao of Qin passed away. Qin Xiaogong said goodbye to the increasingly powerful Qin State. When he was dying, he seemed to have seen Shang Yang's dusk. Duke Xiao of Qin needed Shang Yang, and Shang Yang needed Duke Xiao of Qin even more. Without Shang Yang, Qin would not have risen rapidly; without Qin Xiaogong, Shang Yang's reforms would have been impossible to implement.
After the death of Duke Xiao of Qin, Prince Hui Wenjun successfully ascended the throne and was known as King Hui of Qin. Shang Yang once punished the prince's supervisor, Gongzi Qian, and his teacher, Gongsun Jia. Prince Qian was very vengeful, so he relied on the new king to gather a group of gangsters to falsely accuse Shang Yang of rebellion. Shang Yang's reforms offended many powerful people, and he almost even asked the prince for his crime, so no one stood up to speak for him.
In a country ruled by men, the king's likes and dislikes can decide everything. The powerful people whose interests had been violated hated Shang Yang deeply, and King Qin Hui also had no good impression of Shang Yang. Since Gongzi Qian and others sued Shang Yang, King Qin Hui followed suit and repaid Gongzi Qian and Gongsun Jia for being punished on his behalf, and ordered the arrest of Shang Yang.
The backer fell, and Shang Yang was surrounded on all sides. King Hui of Qin, Prince Qian and others were standing on the same boat. If they were captured without mercy, they would be seeking death, so Shang Yang decided to flee.
It was already evening when we fled to the border. The exhausted Shang Yang planned to stay in the hotel for one night and travel again tomorrow. Although Shang Yang was very famous in the Qin State, the people only knew his name but not his person. The people on the border even only knew about the reform but did not know what "Shang Yang" was.
The store owner asked Shang Yang if he had household registration and other relevant documents. Shang Yang was dumbfounded. During his first reform, he strictly managed household registration and compiled household registration in units of "wu" and "shi". The purpose was to allow people to take root in the local area, work hard and practice fighting. After the reform, Qin's population mobility was very small, and the people had to keep to themselves. Shang Yang fled in a hurry and did not bring any relevant documents. The store owner said that Shang Yang strictly stipulated that if he accepts people without documents to stay in the store, the store owner will be punished.
The law is very strict. Even if the shopkeeper is very brave and dares to let Shang Yang stay in the shop, his neighbors will not dare not to report it, because failure to report will be punished. After Shang Yang's reform, the people of Qin were in danger and did not dare to break the law, nor did they dare to allow people with the same "what" as themselves to break the law because they would be implicated.
Faced with the shopkeepers who strictly abided by the laws, Shang Yang did not feel the joy of the success of the reform. Instead, he raised his eyes to the sky and sighed with emotion: "Oh, this is the end of the law!" ("Historical Records: Biography of Shang Jun")
Faced with rejection, Shang Yang finally realized that his reforms were too harsh and completely eliminated humanity and human feelings. Faced with a rejection, Shang Yang let out such a heartbreaking sigh. The reform has been implemented for more than ten years. During this period, many people have been harmed by the hardness and sharpness of the reform. Their understanding has become deeper and their resentment has become stronger.
Shang Yang saw that the situation had reached this point and regretted that it was useless. He knew that the most important thing was to escape. As long as he can strive to keep Qingshan, he can definitely come back again. The west is the territory of the Qin State. If you flee to the west, you will be captured before you escape from the Qin State.
The world is vast and vast, but there is no place for Shang Yang to stand. As an ambitious reformer, the results of the reform betrayed him. Shang Yang had mixed feelings in his heart, and he couldn't explain the reason in his anxiety.
The Qin State betrayed its gratitude, and Shang Yang was so angry and anxious that he panicked and fled to the Wei State. In terms of geographical location, the State of Wei is very close to the State of Qin, so it is most convenient to escape into the State of Wei. However, for the sake of Qin Xiaogong's imperial cause, Shang Yang repeatedly led troops to attack the Wei State, and even used deceitful means to deceive the prince Xian, causing the Wei State to cede the land west of Hexi to seek peace.
The people of Wei were disgusted with Shang Yang's treachery and refused to accept him. Looking at the closed city gate, Shang Yang seemed to see that the last life-saving straw had rotted away.
There were pursuers and the road ahead was cut off. Shang Yang turned around and fled to other small countries. As soon as Shang Yang left, Wei suddenly thought that Shang Yang was a fugitive from Qin. If he did not send him back, he would offend Qin, so he forcibly sent Shang Yang back to Qin.
Wei did this because he was afraid that Qin would take advantage of this and provoke another war. After Shang Yang's reforms, the Wei State was far from being a rival to the Qin Dynasty, and they did not dare to provoke him, but only tried their best to please him. Secondly, Shang Yang was not an ordinary person. After he fled to other countries, if he was reused to implement new reforms, Wei would have another powerful enemy.
King Hui of Wei once disobeyed Gongshu Cuo and was defeated by the Qin army. He regretted it and wished he could kill Shang Yang. Now that there was a chance to make amends, Wei decided to use Qin's hand to kill Shang Yang to vent his hatred.
After the death of Qin Xiaogong, no king in the world knew how to make good use of Shang Yang. This was Shang Yang's sorrow and the king's sorrow.
After being forcibly sent back to Qin, Shang Yang knew that escaping was not an option. He immediately ran back to the merchant town and launched an army to rebel. Qin's army was trained by Shang Yang and was very powerful. Shang Yang did not dare to attack rashly. Instead, he led Shang Yi's subordinates north to attack Zheng. Zheng is a small country with no one in the court and no generals in the army, so it is easy to conquer.
However, the State of Qin pursued Shang Yang fiercely. Shang Yang attacked Zheng, and the Qin army caught up and attacked the Shang army. There were not many subordinates in Shang Yi. Faced with the fierce attack of the Qin army, the troops were unable to resist the enemy and were crushed into powder. Shang Yang died in the battle.
In the battle of Lingchi in the state of Zheng, Shang Yang truly realized the bravery of the Qin army. In the previous few battles when he led troops, Shang Yang stood on the same front as the Qin army. He only saw the motivating effect of rewarding military achievements on soldiers, but failed to realize it personally. It was not until he died in battle that Shang Yang realized for himself the motivating effect of rewarding military merit on soldiers.
In order to vent their hatred, the powerful man tore up Shang Yang's body in a car and displayed it to the public. The chariot-breaking punishment is to tie the victim's head and limbs to a carriage. When the time comes, the executioner gives an order, and the carriage driver whips his horse at the same time, and the five carriages gallop in five different directions. The human body was torn apart immediately.
Lian Sifa harmed the people of Qin, and Shang Yang also suffered greatly from it. King Hui of Qin acted according to Shang Yang's logic and killed Shang Yang's family. Sima Qian said: "Shang Yang was by nature unkind, mean and cruel, and acted ruthlessly without leaving any room for mercy. He was eventually killed by his notoriety."
The reformer died, but the results of the reform are still there, and Qin continues to move forward amidst the results of the reform.
