Dynasties of ChinaWarring States periodEastern Zhou royal family
Reign 425–402 BCE
During his reign, Wei Wenhou made reforms to strengthen his power. In 403 BC, he appointed Han, Zhao, and Wei as princes, and "Zizhi Tongjian" begins with this.
Ji Wu is the son of King Kao. During his twenty-four years in office, the strength of the three Jin Dynasties grew rapidly, among which the Wei State was the most prominent: Wei Wenhou, a corporal of Li Xian, took Zi Xia as his teacher, paid tribute to Tian Zifang, Duan Ganmu, and appointed Li Kui, Wu Qi, Xi Menbao, Le Yang and others to reform and strengthen themselves. They seized the Qin State's Hexi territory, attacked Zhongshan, and became the most powerful country in the early Warring States period. The Qin State in the West was weak at this time and began to implement reforms such as "initial grain lease".
In 403 BC, the King Weilie officially appointed Wei Si, Zhao Ji, and Han Qian as princes, recognizing the fact that the three families were divided into Jin. "Zizhi Tongjian" compiled by Northern Song Sima Guang begins with this incident, believing that the emperor has broken the etiquette and his status cannot be easily faked. According to "Historical Records", in the same year, the Nine Cauldrons of the Zhou Dynasty were shaken. The following year, King Weilie died, and his son Ji Jiao succeeded him as King An.
When King Weilie was in power, Emperor Zhou was no longer able to control the world, and the rise of the three Jin Dynasties did not depend on the attitude of the royal family. He appointed Han, Zhao, and Wei as princes, which was equivalent to acknowledging the fact that the Qing officials divided the kingdom in the name of the emperor. After that, the Tian family replaced Qi and the princes became kings one after another. Sima Guang took this year as the beginning of "Zizhi Tongjian" and criticized the emperor for destroying his own status; from another perspective, this was also a sign of the transformation of the patriarchal feudal order into a territorial state system.
PoliticsAscension to the throne
King Kao passed away and Crown Prince Wu ascended the throne. At this time, the Jin State existed in name only, and the three families of Han, Zhao, and Wei each operated fiefdoms. Among them, the Wei State rose rapidly under the governance of Wei Wenhou.
CultureWei Wenhou Lixian
Wei Wenhou worshiped Zi Xia, a disciple of Confucius, as his teacher, and paid homage to Tian Zifang and Duan Ganmu. Every time he passed the inner gate of Duan Ganmu, he would pay tribute with Shi. From this, Wei State gathered a large number of talented people and became the cultural center in the early years of the Warring States period.
EconomyLi Kui Reform
The Wei State appointed Li Kui to preside over the reform, promoted the "teaching of using the land to its best advantage", and encouraged intensive farming. It also implemented the "flat buying method", in which the government purchased surplus grain in good years and sold it at a fair price in lean years to stabilize grain prices. According to legend, it was compiled into six chapters of the "Dharma Scripture".
SocietyXi Menbao Zhiye
Wei Wenhou appointed Xi Menbao as Yeling. He got rid of the bad custom of local shamans and elders using "He Bo to marry a wife" to make money and harm the people. He also enlisted the people to dig 12 channels to divert water from Zhangzhou to irrigate farmland.
Lasting legacyThe ruins of Yecheng are in present-day Linzhang County, Hebei Province; the story of "Xi Menbao's Governance of Ye" was selected into primary school Chinese textbooks.
MilitaryWu Qi takes Hexi
Wei general Wu Qi led his army to attack Qin, captured the land west of Hexi and built a city to garrison it. Wu Qi was appointed as the guard of Xihe. The Qin State was forced to dig trenches and build fortifications along the Luoshui River, and lost a large area of land on the west bank of the Yellow River.
MilitaryWei Wuzu
Wu Qi was training "martial soldiers" in Wei State. According to "Xun Zi", those who were selected were required to wear three layers of armor, wield a twelve-stone crossbow, carry fifty arrows and three days of rations, and travel hundreds of miles in half a day.
EconomyRenting crops in the early Qin Dynasty
Duke Jian of Qin implemented the "initial taxation of grain" and levied a physical rent tax based on acres of land. This was similar to the "initial taxation of acres" in Lu State, which objectively recognized the private ownership of land. The year before, Qin also began to allow officials to carry swords.
MilitaryLe Yang destroyed Zhongshan
Wei Wenhou sent Le Yang to attack the Zhongshan Kingdom, and it took three years to conquer Zhongshan. Le Yang's son was killed in Zhongshan and was cooked into meat soup and sent to him. Le Yang sat under the tent and drank a cup to show his determination.
MilitaryThe Three Jin Dynasties defeated Qi
The Allied Forces of the Three Jin Dynasties attacked Qi and invaded the Great Wall of Qi. The inscription on the handed down Piaqiang Bell is dated to the 22nd year of the King Weilie. It records that the Korean general Piaqiang accompanied his army "when they entered the Great Wall, they met at Pingyin first" and was rewarded for his merits.
Lasting legacyThe ruins of the Qi Great Wall run across the central part of present-day Shandong Province, with a total length of more than 600 kilometers. It is one of the earliest existing Great Walls in China.
PoliticsThe three Jin Dynasties were appointed as marquises
The King Weilie appointed Wei Si, Zhao Ji, and Han Qian as princes. The three families were officially promoted to princes from the Jin Dynasty officials, alongside the Jin kings. The three families were recognized by the emperor for their promotion.
Lasting legacySima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian" begins in this year. The book is still the basic classic for studying ancient Chinese history.
SocietyJiudingzhen
According to "Historical Records·Zhou Benji", the "Jiuding earthquake" occurred in the 23rd year of King Weilie. The ancients used the nine tripods to symbolize the destiny of heaven. Later generations often compared this phenomenon with the division of the three families into the Jin Dynasty, and regarded this phenomenon as a sign of the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty's ritual system.
PoliticsKing Weilie passes away
King Weilie died, and Zijiao succeeded him as King An. After the three Jin Dynasties were classified as princes, the Tian family came to replace Qi, and the princes became kings one after another. The appointment of the emperor gradually became a tool for the strong to justify themselves.
Ming Si, the founder of Wei State. Corporal Li Xian appointed Li Kui, Wu Qi, Xi Menbao, Le Yang and others to reform and strengthen themselves, seize the Qin State's Hexi and attack Zhongshan, making the Wei State the most powerful country in the early Warring States period.
A famous divination businessman, a representative of the Confucian "literature" department. After Confucius died, he lectured in Xihe, and Wei Wenhou became his teacher, which had a great influence on the inheritance of Confucian classics.
He studied under Zi Xia and refused to be an official. Wei Wenhou always pays homage to Shi every time he passes through the inner gate. According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn period", Qin once held back its troops because Wei treated wise men with courtesy.
Wei Wenhou, the prime minister, presided over the political reform, promoted the "Teaching of Using the Earth's Strength" and the "Pingping Bian Method", and is said to have compiled the "Dharma Sutra" and was regarded as the pioneer of Legalism.
People who defend the country are good at using troops and share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. In the Wei State, he captured the Qin State's land west of Hexi, appointed him as the guard of Xihe, and selected and trained Wei soldiers. Later, he was squeezed out and went to Chu State.
The superstitious custom of "Hebo marrying a wife" was broken, and twelve canals were dug to divert water from Zhangzhou to irrigate the fields, making Ye land rich.
He was ordered to attack and destroy the Zhongshan Kingdom. His son was killed in Zhongshan and was cooked into meat soup and sent to him. He ate it in public to show his disregard for personal feelings. After the victory, Wei Wenhou showed him a box full of memorials slandering him.