Li Kui

Li Kui (455–395 BC) was a Chinese hydraulic engineer, philosopher, and politician who served as minister and court advisor to Marquess Wen of Wei (r. 403–387 BC). In 407 BC, he wrote the *Canon of Laws*, which is said to have been a main influence on Shang Yang and served as the basis for the codified laws of the Qin and Han dynasties. His political agendas and the *Book of Law* deeply influenced later thinkers such as Shang Yang and Han Fei, who developed the philosophy of Legalism based on Li Kui's reforms. Li Kui was in the service of the Marquis Wen of Wei even before the state of Wei was officially recognized. He was appointed as Chancellor of the Wei-controlled lands in 422 BC to begin administrative and political reforms, making Wei the first of the Seven Warring States to create a bureaucratic government. Li Kui's reforms included the institution of meritocracy for selecting officials, undermining the nobility and enhancing government effectiveness. He recommended Ximen Bao for overseeing Wei's water conservancy projects and Wu Qi as a military commander. He also gave the state an active role in encouraging agriculture and instituted the 'Law of Equalising Purchases' to manage grain prices and prevent famine. He codified the laws of the state into the Book of Law. The reforms led to Wei's dominance in the early Warring States era. Li Kui's ideas inspired later reformist thinkers, and Shang Yang brought a copy of the Book of Law to Qin, which became Qin's legal code. Along with Ximen Bao, he oversaw canal and irrigation projects in Wei.