Why did Qi Huangong Xiaobai rule instead of becoming king?

I think the question you want to ask is, why doesn't Xiao Bai call himself king or emperor after he has the power to dominate? There are many reasons. We can compare the Qi State with the later Qin Empire, and the answer is clear at a glance. It is true that under the management of Guan Zhong and Xiao Bai Qi Xin, Qi has great strength. Since they started the conquest of rites and music, it was from princes rather than emperors, and Zhou Tianzi only played the role of providing titles for those rising overlords. But compared with the later Qin state, this is unintentional or very different. In the end, Qi Huangong can only claim that he is public, but he can't further claim that he is lonely, because he has no power. Because of rumors, he obeyed the etiquette only because Qi Huangong didn't claim to be king in the end. As we all know, there were five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, and Qi took the lead, but its dominance did not last long, nor did it have the strength to annex the world. Qi can shock the rest of the countries at most, but it can't unify the six countries like Qin. After all, strength is the foundation of everything, especially in the competition between countries. Qin was finally able to unify the whole country, sweeping Liuhe pickup truck, and its strength surpassed that of the six countries. The benefits brought by Shang Yang's political reform to Qin State are enormous and far-reaching. Even if Shang Yang was finally cracked, the statutes it established had penetrated into the body of Qin State, making it develop at a high speed. Qin is stronger than other countries militarily and economically. Qi has also changed, and Guan Zhong has implemented it. However, the changes in Qi were not thorough and did not shake the foundation. Therefore, Qi can only seek hegemony and vassals for the time being, and cannot establish a unified country. Of course, Qi Huangong can only be a duke. It's been a long time. I hope we can continue our discussion.