Li Kui was in the service of the
Marquis Wen of Wei even before the state of Wei was officially recognized, though little else is known of his early life. He was appointed as Chancellor of the Wei-controlled lands in 422 BC, in order to begin administrative and political reforms; Wei would therefore be the first of the
Seven Warring States to embark on the creation of a bureaucratic, rather than a noble-dominated, form of government. The main agendas of Li Kui's reforms included: • The institution of meritocracy, rather than inheritance, as the key principle for the selection of officials. By doing this, Li Kui undermined the nobility while enhancing the effectiveness of government. He was responsible for recommending
Ximen Bao to oversee Wei's water conservancy projects in the vicinity of
Ye, and recommending
Wu Qi as a military commander when
Wu Qi sought asylum in Wei. • Giving the state an active role in encouraging agriculture, by 'maximising instruction and agricultural productivity' (盡地力之教). While the precise contents of this reform are unclear, they could have included the spreading of information about agricultural practices, thus encouraging more productive methods of farming. • Instituting the 'Law of Equalising Purchases' (平籴法), wherein the state purchased grain to fill its granaries in years of good harvest, to ease price fluctuations and serve as a guarantee against famine. • Codifying the laws of the state, thus creating the Book of Law. The text was in turn subdivided, with laws dealing with theft, banditry, procedures of arrest and imprisonment, and miscellaneous criminal activities. ==Legacy==