▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Q in ▁ach ieving ▁strateg ic ▁domin ance ▁over ▁the ▁other ▁six ▁major ▁states . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁reign , ▁Q in ▁captured ▁the ▁Ch u ▁capital ▁Y ing ▁in ▁ 2 7 8 ▁BC , ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁X ir ong ▁state ▁of ▁Y iqu ▁in ▁ 2 7 2 ▁BC , ▁sla ugh tered ▁a ▁ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 - strong ▁Z ha o ▁army ▁at ▁Ch ang ping ▁in ▁ 2 6 0 ▁BC , ▁and ▁over th rew ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Z hou ▁dynast y ▁in ▁ 2 5 6 ▁BC . ▁ ▁These ▁ag gress ive ▁territorial ▁exp ans ions ▁and ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁weak ening ▁of ▁other ▁rival ▁states ▁p aved ▁the ▁path ▁for ▁Q in ' s ▁event ual ▁un ification ▁of ▁China ▁three ▁dec ades ▁later ▁by ▁his ▁great - grand son ▁Y ing ▁Zh eng . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁As c ension ▁ ▁Prince ▁Y ing ▁Ji ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 3 2 5 ▁BC ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁King ▁H ui wen ' s ▁more ▁lower - rank ed ▁conc ub ines , ▁Lady ▁Mi ▁( <0xE7> <0xBE> <0x8B> 八 子 ). ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁sh u ▁child , ▁Prince ▁Ji ▁was ▁given ▁low ▁priority ▁in ▁the ▁royal ▁line ▁of ▁succession , ▁and ▁as ▁an ▁under age ▁child ▁was ▁not ▁granted ▁a ▁f ief ▁because ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Q in ▁employed ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁mer it ocracy ▁that ▁demanded ▁that ▁even ▁princes ▁ear n ▁their ▁own ▁lands ▁through