In the history of our country, the ancients used extremely accurate words, so there must be a difference between Jun and Hou. To put it simply, Hou is more distinguished than Jun. Although both of them have a back cover, the gap is too big. Then the problem is coming. The great contribution of Shang Yang's political reform was sealed in the land of Shang Yang by Qin Xiaogong and named Shang Jun. Wei Ran was named an Hou, Fan Ju was named an Ying Hou, and Lv Buwei was named Wen Xin Hou. Although they all contributed, they were far less than Shang Yang. Why is their status higher than Shang Yang's?

This requires understanding the title system and some historical events in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were five titles: public, Hou, Bo, Zi and public. The status of early vassal States was not ranked by strength, but by the title of monarch.

Qin, Chu, Qi, Song and Guo, which of the five vassal states is higher or lower?

According to our understanding, Qin, Chu and Qi are first-rate, Song is second-rate and Guo is second-rate, but this is not the case. Song, Guo first class, Chyi Chin second class, Chu fourth class.

Song Guo and Guo are vassals. The former is a descendant of Shang Tang, and the latter is Zhou Wuwang's uncle. They were all molded into dukes by Zhou Wuwang. There were only seven dukes in the first generation, and then it increased continuously.

Qi is a vassal state of Jiang Ziya, and Jiang Ziya was named Hou by Zhou Wuwang, so Qi is a vassal state.

Chu has the lowest status, and the monarch is just a viscount. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, Chu was regarded as a barbarian. The vassal States went to Gyeonggi to offer sacrifices, and the king of Chu could only burn a fire.

Qin appeared at the latest. At first, it was only a vassal of the Zhou royal family. Because it helped Zhou Ping move eastward, it was promoted to a vassal state. The first monarch, Qin Xianggong, was a marquis, so Qin was a marquis country.

Wang Youquan, a vassal, sealed his land to a scholar-bureaucrat, but his title should not exceed his own. For example, Qi is a marquis himself, so you can't make a courtier a duke or marquis, you can only be lower than yourself.

Back in Qin, Qin Xiaogong was just a marquis. He could not make Shang Yang a marquis, and the status of "Jun" was only slightly lower than that of "Hou". This is the biggest reward that Qin Xiaogong can give to Shang Yang, which is enough to reflect Shang Yang's contribution.

With the decline of the Zhou royal family and the rise of the vassal state, in the later period, everyone ignored the rules set by Zhou and began to publicize their titles. The landmark event is that Wei, Han, Zhao, Yan and Zhongshan are kings, that is, they recognize each other as kings, and Zhou's authority disappears.

When Wei Zhao and Han were divided into Jin, the monarchs of the Three Kingdoms were just Marquis, and now they are called kings on an equal footing with Zhou Ping.

By the end of the Warring States, all seven kings of the Warring States were kings, and Qin was king during the reign of King Qin Huiwen (lineage: Qin Xiangong, Qin Xiaogong, King Qin Huiwen, Qin Wuwang, King Zhao Xiang of Qin). Qin and Ying Zheng are kings, so it is natural to wait for others. If Shang Yang lived in the era of Qin Huiwen and Qin, it would be possible to be a Qi Huangong with his contributions.

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