Within the six directions, all is the Emperor's land. To the east he has reached the sea, to the west the flowing sands. To the south, beyond the northern gate, and to the north, beyond great Xia. Wherever man has set foot, none fail to submit. The virtue of Qin shines bright, its might fierce and strong. Its grace extends so far that even cattle and horses are blessed.
— Lángyá Stone Inscription (Inscribed by Li Si, Chancellor of Qin)
After the Shang Yang Reforms, the State of Qin established nationwide the basic national policy of rewarding farming and warfare: "Rewards are not overlooked for any commoner, and punishments spare no high official. The interests of the world are concentrated in one place." The rulers of Qin used the harsh and ruthless Legalist philosophy, mobilizing the full strength of the nation with rewards and punishments as their two handles, and devoted themselves to the grand and brutal wars of annexation during the Warring States period. From Duke Xiao of Qin to the unification of the empire under Qin, over a span of more than 150 years, the Qin army, known as the "Tiger-Wolf Forces," fought hundreds of large and small battles against the Eastern states, annihilating over 1.5 million troops from the six states. On battlefields where "millions lie dead and blood flows for miles," the cold-blooded Qin people stepped on the bones and blood of the people of the six states to walk the path to unification.