The Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period was an age when slavery crumbled and a new system took shape.
Many forces had brought about that change, but one was decisive: in the struggle for supremacy, states that clung to the old ways fell behind. Unable to contend with their rivals, they were gradually cast aside. It was a clear example of prosperity giving way to decline, of the strong and weak falling into separate ranks—perfect for explaining the cycle of rise and fall.
Everyone gathered in the Palace was broad-minded and well-informed. They grasped Chen Cuo's meaning at once, and King Zheng of Qin was no exception.
Yet the king's expression remained calm. He nodded slightly and said, "What you describe is indeed why Qin State rose to power. That only proves my mighty Qin will remain strong, for the reasons behind its rise have not changed. Qin first rose from the Wei River and reclaimed Hexi. In the future, mighty Qin will march east and south, annexing the lands of every other state!"
As he spoke, his eyelids lowered slightly. "Or do you, like the others, believe mighty Qin rules with harsh policies and wages war without restraint? Yet under those harsh policies, Qin State grows stronger and its population grows larger! Through those wars, its territory only expands!"
The others found his words persuasive. If the causes of Qin State's strength remained in place, and had already reversed its decline to forge mighty Qin as it stood today, why would it weaken in the future so long as it maintained its present order?
The king's words seemed to win over not only those in the hall, but even the great power filling it. That power gathered around him in an unending stream.
But then Chen Cuo smiled,