Shang Yang, originally named Wei Yang, was a statesman from the State of Wei during the Warring States period. Serving as Prime Minister under Duke Xiao of Qin, his remarkable achievements earned him the fief of fifteen towns in Shang, hence his title Shang Yang.
From a young age, Shang Yang was fascinated by the study of law and governance—an ancient discipline focused on ruling through clear rewards and punishments. He fled to the state of Qin to become its prime minister only out of necessity. At the time, his father, Wei Shu Cuo, served as prime minister of Wei. When Wei Shu Cuo fell gravely ill, the King of Wei came to visit. The king asked, "If your illness cannot be cured, who in the court can take your place?" Wei Shu Cuo replied, "My son, Wei Yang, can replace me." But the king, who disliked rule by law, was displeased by this recommendation. Seeing the king's frown, Wei Shu Cuo understood and, to prove his loyalty, said, "Since you will not use him, have him killed! Do not let him flee to another state and serve them." Upon hearing this, Wei Yang escaped to Qin.
In the state of Qin, King Xiaowen employed him. He repeatedly urged King Xiaowen to implement national reforms. King Xiaowen heeded his advice and appointed him as prime minister. He established a series of new laws, abolishing the old ones that upheld noble privileges. This became the famous "Shang Yang's Reforms" in history.
He firmly advocated for equality before the law, insisting that anyone who rendered meritorious service to the state should be rewarded. He encouraged farming and weaving, exempting those who produced more from corvée labor, and argued that the hereditary aristocratic system should be abolished, replaced by a hierarchy of ranks based on military merit. Shang Yang declared, "The law must be strictly enforced, with no room for personal favor—only the law shall be the standard." His reforms faced fierce opposition from the nobility, but with the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, the new policies were swiftly implemented.
Thanks to Shang Yang's vigorous implementation of reforms, the people's motivation to produce soared, the army's discipline became strict, and soldiers were eager to fight. Social customs grew honest, order was stable, doors were left unlocked at night, and no one picked up lost items on the road—the state of Qin grew stronger by the day.
Later, the idiom "no one picks up lost items" came to describe a prosperous society with good public morals.
Source: *Strategies of the Warring States*, Chapter "Strategy for Qin I"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "道不拾遗" came to describe a prosperous society with good public morals.