within his reach. He then set to work to reform the civil and military administrations, as the sole means by which snch dreams of aggrandisement could be realised. He drew up a severe code of laws, but before publishing it he resorted to the follovnng device in order to secure the confidence of the people. He issued a notice that any one who could carry a certain wooden pole from the market-place \o one of the city gates would receive ten ounces of silver. This offer was increased from ten to fifty; and at length a man came forth and performed the feat, and to the astonishment of all received the promised reward. Then the laws were promulgated, and enforced with such impartiality that even the guardian and the tutor of the Heir Apparent were both punished with branding for failing to keep their young charge in the paths of duty and decorum. The patriarchal system, under which sons brought their wives to live under the parental roof, was abolished. The old agrarian regulations, known as ^ QQ j^, by which every square U of land was divided into nine portions, one of which was given to each of eight families who joined in tilling the ninth for the public treasury, are said to have been then abrogated, and the |(^ ^ regulations, under which individual ownership obtained, were put in their place. The tithing system was introduced, and also many other important reforms. The capital was transferred from Yung to Hsien-yang. At first Wei Yang met with much opposition; but in the end his reforms prevailed, and it was popularly said that under his rule the people of Ch4n became so virtuous as not even to pick up articles found lying in the streets. In B.C. 340 Wei Yang seized the opportunity of a defeat of the Wei State by the combined forces of Han and Ch4 to organise an expedition against the former, now in a crippled condition. Even thus he did not meet its forces in fair fight, but first treacherously seized ^ -^ JpP Eung-tzti Ang, the enemy's commander, and then let loose
