 The system of 20 (initially fewer) “ranks of merit” introduced by Shang Yang was one of the most daring acts of social engineering in human history. This system became the cornerstone of social life in Qin. The lowest ranks were distributed for military achievements, particularly decapitating enemy soldiers, or could be purchased in exchange for extra grain yields; successful rank-holders could be incorporated into the military or civilian administration and thereafter be promoted up the social ladder. Each rank granted its holder economic, social, and legal privileges; and since the ranks were not fully inheritable, the system generated considerable social mobility (see details in Loewe 1960 and 2010; Pines et al. 2014: 24–26; Pines 2016b). The new system attempted to unify the social, economic, and political hierarchy under the government’s control, which in turn required the elimination of alternative avenues of enhancing one’s socioeconomic and political status. This latter concern is strongly pronounced throughout the Book of Lord Shang: