The feudal power system established by the Qin dynasty laid the basic foundation for the political structure of later Chinese feudal dynasties. In addition, the policies and systems that divided the country into districts, districts and hukou at that time also had a great impact on the development of the next generations. When posterity looks back on Qin Shi Huang’s journey to unify China from a modern perspective, they must also recognize that this glorious path has timeless inspirational power. The Qin people were originally just horse breeders for the Zhou royal family, then rose to the status of vassals in the Zhou Dynasty (795 BC-771 BC). So why is it that Qin Shi Huang – the king of an ordinary vassal state – was able to unify the six countries and become one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history? Historians say that the secret lies in the weapons of the Qin army: The Qin army possessed powerful weapons, far superior to other vassal countries. Prior to the unification of the six states, the kingdom of Qin was a prosperous vassal state through the reform of the “Transformation of Shangyang” (implemented twice in 356 BC and 350 BC). This reform greatly increased the productivity of Qin society and promoted the development of weapons to a certain extent. Experts said that in the excavation sites of the terracotta army, bronze weapons account for a very large proportion. While the forging and metallurgical technology of the other vassal countries were still quite backward, the state of Qin – a country that valued weapons – had made great progress in this field. Earn copper The bronze swords unearthed next to the terracotta warriors are the clearest evidence of the advancement in forging and metallurgy techniques of the Qin Dynasty. After research, it was found that these bronze weapons were superior to the other six vassal states, the main reason being that the Qin state at that time had mastered the method of making alloys. Their craftsmen also tried to apply the proper proportions of alloys to the military field. Some experts believe that the ratio of copper to tin in the weapons of the Qin army at that time was very reasonable and scientific, especially the tin content was much higher than before, helping bronze weapons. of the Qin army was much harder and sharper. It can be seen that these swords not only have anti-rust treatment, but their length is also about 20 cm longer than swords in other countries. Qin Crossbow The second most notable weapon is the Qin crossbow. The Qin crossbow was developed by the Qin state on the basis of the bow and arrow, but its damage is far beyond the ordinary bow and arrow. Conventional bows and arrows have a limited range, low accuracy, and can only shoot one shot, so soldiers are easy to fall into the attack range of the draft. To improve this problem, the Qin crossbow was born. Through a series of design reforms, the Qin crossbow’s hit rate has been greatly improved. Furthermore, crossbow design parts and components are also standardized and uniform across the country. As a result, when a weapon is damaged, it can be quickly replaced or repaired to immediately return to combat. In addition, the Qin crossbow also has a user-friendly design, minimizing the possibility of soldiers injuring themselves. Three-sided arrow Another notable weapon is the three-pointed arrow that the Qin army used. Thanks to the excellent craftsmanship of the Qin Kingdom craftsmen, this arrow has extremely strong penetrating power. It possesses a unique three-sided design that reduces drag to a minimum after firing. This is also a weapon that other vassal countries do not have. Precisely because of possessing weapons much more sophisticated than those used by the armies of other vassal states, New historians argue that the Qin Dynasty possessed “divine objects” that should not have existed at the time. In addition, the principle of standardizing the manufacture of weapons throughout the territory of Qin also helped soldiers improve their combat capabilities. It can be seen that at that time, the Qin Dynasty was ahead of other vassal countries in both economic and technical aspects. It is not surprising that the Qin Kingdom became the ultimate victorious state and unified China.

Meituan is China’s largest food delivery app. (Photo: QZ) A big storm hit after Meituan founder and CEO Wang Xing posted a poem from the Tang Dynasty on social media last week. The article on the Fanfou website has since been deleted, but Meituan confirmed it contains the poem “The Book Burning Pit” by author Zhang Jie written more than 1,100 years ago to satirize Qin Shi Huang. According to historical records, Qin Shi Huang quelled dissent in the country by digging huge holes, burning books not approved by the government, and burying scholars to prevent people from condemning him. Some comments on social media suggested that Wang may have posted the poem to implicitly criticize the Chinese government, which is holding back the country’s largest technology firms. Others compared the post to Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s speech last year, when he smacked China’s central banks and financial regulators for using outdated methods. Jack Ma’s speech seems to have angered the authorities. Ant Group’s historic IPO was also suspended at the last minute. Meituan and many other “big players” such as Alibaba and Tencent have been fined or investigated and monitored for several months now for violating monopoly or affecting consumer rights. The poem, which is more than 1,100 years old, further reveals the predicament that awaits companies like Meituan. Meituan stock fell 13% from May 6 to May 11, wiping out nearly $30 billion in market capitalization. Currently, the stock recovered slightly, gaining 2.5% at the close of the session on May 12. CEO Wang later posted an explanation, saying that the poem was about Meituan’s competitors. “The Qin Dynasty was afraid of scholars, but Liu Bang and Xiang Yu – the people who overthrew the Qin Dynasty – were not educated. That reminds me that the most dangerous enemies are not the people expected. Alibaba focused on JD.com and then Pinduoduo surpassed in terms of users. Similarly, Ele.me is seen as Meituan’s biggest competitor, but what really shocks the entire industry might be a certain business, business model that hasn’t caught our eye yet.” In April, Meituan and dozens of other companies were warned when Alibaba received a record $2.8 billion fine. Chinese authorities said Alibaba was fined for behaving like a monopolist. They also tell businesses that if they don’t address monopolistic behavior, they will be similarly punished. Later, China’s State Market Regulation Authority opened an antitrust investigation against Meituan for “exclusive trading arrangements”. The company was summoned by many agencies, including the Shanghai authorities, about the interests of customers. According to analysts Fitch Ratings, regulatory risks with China’s internet sector tend to escalate. The agency has not ruled out any fines with other companies after what happened to Alibaba. One netizen commented: “The poem is very suggestive. Wang Xing posted it at a critical period of the Big Tech crackdown. This is clearly inappropriate action. Wang may mean his rivals, but investors don’t think so. This is a very sensitive moment.” Du Lam (According to CNN)