Shang Yang was a politician of the Qin state. He was very wise and forward-thinking(有远见的). He worked out several reform plans for the state, including focusing on farming and giving rewards(奖赏) to soldiers who were successful during war.
But at the beginning, these reforms were not easily carried out. Only a few people in the state understood Shang's talent and the advantages of his plans. Most people had little trust and confidence in him.
To solve this problem, Shang came up with an idea. He ordered some soldiers to put a thin wooden pole at the south gate of the Qin state capital. This attracted many people. Then, in front of the crowd, he said loudly: "People of Qin, whoever takes this pole to the north gate will get a reward of 10 gold pieces."
It was a simple task and the reward was big. Some time passed and no one stepped forward. They all thought that Shang was joking. Hearing no answer, Shang stepped forward and said, "I will increase the reward to 50 gold pieces."
The words sounded even more unbelievable. Finally, a man from the crowd came forward to take the pole. He put the pole on his shoulders and walked to the north gate. True to his word, Shang paid the man 50 gold pieces.
Soon, the people were saying that Shang was a man of his word. When he began promoting(推行) his reforms, the people followed and did not question him.
Under the great reforms, Qin grew strong and united all the states, becoming the first empire of China. Later, people drew the Chinese idiom “立木取信” from this story.
