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Why Could Qin Shi Huang Achieve Such Great Feats?

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang, in less than 20 years, swept through the six states, unified China, and became the first emperor, ushering in a new era in Chinese history. Why did the other six states fail to achieve hegemony despite their armies? Was it because their soldiers were not strong enough, their armor not sturdy enough, or their national power insufficient? At that time, the state of Chu was wealthier than Qin and had greater overall national strength, yet it was defeated by Qin. You may not know that when Qin was first established, it was sent by the Zhou emperor to guard the frontier against nomadic invasions. In that environment, it was a barren, impoverished land, constantly harassed by nomadic horsemen. However, through over 200 years of diligent efforts by both the military and civilians, and especially through the reforms of Shang Yang, which established a reward system that fully mobilized people's enthusiasm, Qin not only made barbarian tribes like the Xiongnu flee at the sight of Qin soldiers, but also defeated the once-arrogant states of Chu, Qi, and Wei from a position of weakness.

What is particularly worth learning from for future generations is the Qin military's incentive system. Because of this system, soldiers could take off their armor and charge bare-chested into battle without hesitation. So what was this incentive system? Shang Yang's reforms stipulated: A Qin soldier who beheaded an enemy "jiashi" (an enemy officer) would receive one rank of nobility, "gongshi," one qing of land, one house, and one servant. The more heads they took, the higher the rank. The proof was the enemy's head. After battle, soldiers would cut off the heads and bring them back to camp as evidence.

If a soldier killed two enemy "jiashi" in battle, his parents, if imprisoned, would be immediately released. If his wife was a slave, she could become a commoner. Killing five enemy "jiashi" would grant him servants from five households. After a victory, minor officials were promoted one rank, and senior officials three ranks. In the army, due to different ranks, even the meals differed. A third-rank noble (zanniao) received one dou of polished rice, half a sheng of sauce, and a bowl of vegetable soup. A second-rank noble (shangzao) could only eat coarse rice, while ordinary soldiers without rank were lucky to fill their stomachs. Military merit titles could also be passed on to sons. If a father died in battle, his merit could be credited to his son. One person's military achievement benefited the entire family.

This broke down the grand dream into small dreams that everyone could achieve, creating a win-win situation that accumulated over time. Even Liu Bang was able to defeat Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, by relying on the land and people of Qin to complete the unification and establish the Han Dynasty.

Seeing such incentive policies, if you were transported back to Qin more than 2,000 years ago, wouldn't you be eager to join the army and win merit for the country? Think about how high the cost is now to buy a house, marry a wife, and raise children. With a normal income, you couldn't afford a house even if you saved for 30 years without spending. In Qin, a soldier could get a 500-square-meter property, one qing of land, and a servant for cutting off one enemy head—wouldn't that be fantastic? For ordinary soldiers, especially those who had not yet regained their freedom from slavery, they could exchange their bravery for freedom and liberation, receiving high rewards. Who wouldn't strive to be first? They weren't going to a battlefield; they were going to a gold mine. They turned war-weariness into love of battle, even fighting each other over heads!

It is worth noting that the Qin army was not a barbaric, illiterate force like the Yuan army or the Xiongnu. They practiced writing and wrote letters to their distant families during breaks in fighting. In that era, few could even write their own names, indicating that this army had a relatively high level of cultural literacy.

Why Did Midea Appliances Achieve Sales Exceeding 100 Billion?

Is there an army today that achieves great feats in the business world like the Qin army? Let's look at Midea Group. Forty years ago, it was a small village factory with an investment of only 5,000 yuan, but now it has achieved annual sales exceeding 100 billion yuan. In the air conditioning field, it defeated the giant Gree; in washing machines and refrigerators, it surpassed Haier; in soymilk makers, it caught up with the industry pioneer Joyoung; and in the microwave oven industry, it competed with the giant Galanz. One important reason is that Midea gives its business divisions full authorization, even allocating marketing budgets of tens of millions to the divisions. The boss, He Xiangjian, only sets basic sales and profit targets, and the excess profits go entirely to the sales team. This greatly boosts employee motivation. Some sales models earn annual salaries of over one million yuan. For high-level technical R&D personnel, they can be offered an annual salary of 1 million yuan upfront, and the company also awards 7.5 million yuan in bonuses to individuals and teams. This greatly stimulates the creativity and enthusiasm of R&D staff, enabling Midea to continuously develop new home appliances and gain core technological advantages. With such a powerful incentive system, Midea is now advancing toward the Fortune Global 500! So what can enterprises learn from Qin Shi Huang's military merit system?

Establishing a Good Incentive System and Model Leads to Invincibility

The Qin army fought not only with powerful weapons and proper command, but also because soldiers were willing to risk their lives. Why were these people willing to fight for you? Of course, it was to gain promotion and wealth, to change their destiny. Similarly, in business, a reasonable incentive and distribution system helps companies grow better and faster. Midea is exactly like this, building its development on a win-win foundation, uniting all employees to create the Midea business. Similarly, Wahaha's great success is due to its establishment of a joint distribution system with distributors, ensuring they make steady profits—a community of shared interests.

This reflects a basic proposition: the purpose of an enterprise is to make a profit, but not only for the boss and shareholders. It should bring well-being to more employees and create value for consumers, thereby achieving greater returns. I hope more enterprises will establish their own incentive systems, not only focusing on material rewards but also on spiritual rewards, cultivating employees' abilities in all aspects, setting ambitious goals, and becoming as invincible as the Qin army and Midea!

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