Don’t always follow the same guiding ideology when governing a country. If you want the country to develop and prosper, you cannot stick to old rules. Therefore, Shang, Tang, and Zhou Wu became kings without following the ancient laws, and Xia, Yin, and Shang dynasties perished because they did not change etiquette. Those who oppose the ancient laws (and seek changes) cannot deny them; those who follow the ancient laws and do not know how to adapt them are not worthy of praise.

This sentence expresses the thoughts of Shang Yang’s Legalists and calls for reform.