Plain History of the Dynasties - (Full Two Volumes)

Author: Sima Qian (Western Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In the "Biography of Shangjun," Shangjun was the son of a concubine of the Prince of Wei, surnamed Gongsun, named Yiwang, whose ancestors originally bore the surname Ji. When Gongsun Yiwang was young, he was fond of the study of criminal law and served as a Zhongshusi under the Prime Minister of Wei, Gongsun Zuo. Gongsun Zuo knew him to be talented but had not yet had the chance to recommend him to the King of Wei when he fell ill. The King of Wei personally came to visit his condition and asked, "If anything happens to you, what should the state do?" Gongsun Zuo replied, "My Zhongshusi, Gongsun Yiwang, though young, possesses extraordinary talent. I hope Your Majesty will entrust the affairs of the state to him." The King of Wei remained silent. As he was about to leave, Gongsun Zuo dismissed his attendants and said to the King of Wei, "If Your Majesty does not appoint Gongsun Yiwang, you must kill him—under no circumstances should he leave Wei." The King of Wei agreed and then departed. Gongsun Zuo summoned Gongsun Yiwang and apologized, saying, "Just now, when Your Majesty asked me who could serve as the Prime Minister of Wei, I mentioned your name. However, I can see from your expression that you will not agree with this. Acting first in loyalty to the ruler and then considering the subject, I asked Your Majesty to say that if Gongsun Yiwang is not appointed, he should be killed. Your Majesty has agreed. You must leave quickly, or you will not escape death." Gongsun Yiwang replied, "If Your Majesty does not follow your advice in appointing me, how could you possibly follow your advice in killing me?" Thus, he did not leave. After the King of Wei left, he said to his attendants, "Gongsun Zuo is very ill—what a pity! He asked me to entrust the affairs of the state to Gongsun Yiwang. Is this not too absurd?" After Gongsun Zuo's death, Gongsun Yiwang heard that the Duke of Qin had ordered the selection of talented individuals across the state to revitalize the of Duke Mu of Qin, reclaiming the lands lost to the east. He went west to Qin and sought an audience with the Duke of Qin through his favorite minister, Jing Jian. After meeting with Wei Zhaoyi, Wei Zhaoyi spoke for a long time, but the Duke of Qin grew drowsy and yawned, unable to listen to his words. After the conversation, the Duke of Qin berated Jing Jian, saying, "Your guest is nothing more than an arrogant fellow—how could anyone possibly appoint such a person?" Jing Jian then reprimanded Wei Zhaoyi, who replied, "I tried to persuade the ruler with the ways of the Five Emperors, but he could not grasp my meaning." Five days later, Jing Jian again requested the Duke of Qin to summon Wei Zhaoyi. Wei Zhaoyi met with the Duke of Qin again, but this time he spoke even more, yet still failed to impress the Duke. After the conversation, the Duke of Qin again berated Jing Jian, who in turn reprimanded Wei Zhaoyi. Wei Zhaoyi said, "I tried to persuade the ruler with the ways of the Three Kings, but it was still not accepted. Please let him summon me again." Wei Zhaoyi went to meet the Duke of Qin once more. The Duke of Qin found his words compelling and, despite this, still did not accept his proposals. After the conversation, the Duke of Qin told Jing Jian, "Your guest is quite good—I can discuss matters with him at length." Wei Zhaoyi said, "I persuaded the Duke of Qin with the ways of the Five Hegemons, and I see that he is ready to adopt them. If he summons me again, I will know what to say." Wei Zhaoyi went to meet the Duke of Qin again. The Duke of Qin engaged in a lively discussion with him, unconsciously shifting his knees closer to Wei Zhaoyi. The conversation lasted for several days, and the Duke of Qin did not feel tired. Jing Jian asked, "What is it that has won the favor of our ruler? He is very pleased with you!" Wei Zhaoyi replied, "I persuaded him with the ways of the Five Emperors and Three Kings, urging him to establish a prosperous era like that of Xia, Shang, and Zhou. But the ruler said, 'That is too long—I cannot wait. Moreover, every wise ruler hopes to gain fame during their reign, how can they remain silent for decades or even centuries before achieving imperial greatness?' So I persuaded him with methods that would benefit the state and strengthen its military. He was very pleased with this. But it cannot compare to the virtue of Yin and Zhou." After appointing Wei Zhaoyi, the Duke of Qin wanted to change the system, but the Duke feared that this would lead to criticism from the world. Wei Zhaoyi said, "To hesitate in action is to fail to gain fame; to hesitate in decision is to fail in achievement. Moreover, actions superior to the common are bound to be criticized by the masses; those with unique insights are sure to be mocked by others. Fools fail to see the obvious, while the wise foresee what is to come. One cannot consult the people on the origins of affairs but can only share the joy of success afterward. Those who pursue high virtue need not conform to the customs of the world; those who achieve great deeds need not consult the common folk. Therefore, the sage need only strengthen the state without imitating the old ways; he need only benefit the people without adhering to the old rites." The Duke of Qin said, "Well said." Gan Long countered, "Not so. The sage need not change customs to enlighten the people, nor the wise need to alter laws to govern the state. To educate the people in accordance with their customs is to succeed without effort; to govern the state by following established laws is to ensure the officials grow accustomed and the people remain stable." Wei Zhaoyi replied, "Gan Long speaks from the perspective of the common folk. The common people cling to old customs, while scholars cling to the knowledge in books. These two types can be loyal to the state and follow the law, but they cannot be discussed with about matters beyond the established norms. The rites of the Three Dynasties differed yet all achieved the Kingly Way; the laws of the Five Hegemons varied yet all achieved hegemony. The wise make laws, while the foolish are governed by them; the virtuous change rites, while the mediocre are bound by them." Du Zhi said, "One cannot change established laws without a hundredfold benefit, nor replace tools without tenfold efficiency. To follow ancient rites is to avoid error; to adhere to old rites is to avoid deviation." Wei Zhaoyi replied, "There is no unchanging way to govern a state. For the sake of the state's benefit, one need not imitate the old ways. Thus, King Tang and King Wu of Zhou did not follow the old ways yet achieved the Kingly Way, while Xia Jie and King Zhou of Yin did not change their old rites yet were destroyed. Those who oppose old laws are not to be blamed, while those who follow old rites are not to be praised." The Duke of Qin said, "Very well." Thus, he appointed Wei Zhaoyi as the Left Zhongshang and finally issued the command to reform the laws. He ordered the people to form "Shi" groups of ten households and "Wu" groups of five households. If one household committed a crime, the other nine must report it, or all would be held accountable together. Those who did not report criminals would be executed by beheading, while those who did would be rewarded as if they haded an enemy's head. Those who concealed criminals would be punished as if they had surrendered to the enemy. Households with two or more adult males who did not separate would have their taxes doubled. Those who achieved military merit in the army would be enfeoffed with titles according to their achievements; those who fought in private disputes would be punished according to the severity of the case. Agriculture was encouraged, and those who excelled in farming and weaving, yielding great harvests of grain and silk, would be exempt from corvée labor or taxes. Those engaged in commerce or who became poor due to laziness would be enslaved and serve in the government. Members of the imperial family without military merit would not be counted among the nobility. The hierarchy of ranks and titles was clearly defined, with land, property, clothing, and attire allocated according to each family's rank. Those with military merit would enjoy glory, while those without, even if wealthy, would lack honor. After the new laws were formulated but before they were announced, to ensure the people's trust, a three-meter-long pole was erected at the southern gate of the capital, with a notice stating that whoever moved it to the northern gate would be rewarded with ten gold pieces. The people were astonished and dared not act rashly. The notice was then changed to state that whoever moved it to the northern gate would be rewarded with fifty gold pieces, demonstrating the state's sincerity. Thus, the new laws were finally implemented. After the new laws were implemented in the countryside for a year, thousands of Qin people came to the capital to complain about them. At this time, the heir apparent violated the new laws, and Wei Zhaoyi said, "The new laws cannot be implemented smoothly because those in high positions have violated them." He was about to severely punish the heir apparent, but as he was the heir to the throne, he could not be punished directly. Instead, he punished the heir apparent's tutor, Gongsun Qian, and his master, Gongsun Jia, who was also given a scarification punishment. After this, the new laws were fully enforced in Qin. Ten years after the new laws were implemented, the people of Qin were delighted. Lost items on the road were no longer picked up, there were no thieves in the mountains, and every household was prosperous and well-fed. The people were brave in fighting for the state and not greedy for personal gain, so the villages and towns were well-governed. Those Qin people who had previously complained about the new laws now came to praise their benefits. Wei Zhaoyi said, "These are all troublemakers who disrupt moral education." He then exiled them to remote cities. From then on, no one dared to criticize the new laws.