At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Zhou royal family existed in name only, and feudal lords fought for more than two hundred years. The Central Plains was torn apart: the Qi State in the east was rich in fishing and salt, and its economy was prosperous but its military strength was declining; the Chu State in the south had a vast territory, and its people were strong but there were constant internal feuds among the nobles; the Zhao State in the north was "riding and shooting in Hufu" After the reform, the military power was greatly boosted, but its vitality was severely damaged by the Battle of Changping; while the Qin State in the west had "abandoned the well fields, focused on agriculture and mulberry trees, and awarded military merits" after Shang Yang's reform, and its national power soared. By the time Ying Zheng succeeded to the throne, it had the absolute strength to sweep the six countries and unify the world.
