Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 256 The building is about to collapse, and the accumulated problems are as heavy as a mountain.
An eerie silence fell over the warm pavilion.

Only the charcoal fire burned persistently in the copper basin, emitting a soft "crackling" sound.

The lights on the Cai River outside the window were reflected on the window frame, the light and shadow flickering and swaying, as if they too were restless and uneasy because of these startling words.

Ouyang Xiu's hand, which was holding a cup, stopped in mid-air.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard similar words, but coming so bluntly, so resolutely, and so uncompromisingly from Wang Jiefu, who had just arrived in Beijing and was known for his "indifference to fame and fortune," carried a completely different weight.

He frowned slightly, and a look of worry flashed in his eyes.

As a participant in the Qingli Reforms and having lived through that tumultuous period, Ouyang Xiu was well aware of the turbulent waves and potential bloodshed that lay behind those six words.

Yan Jidao, who had been leaning against the armrest with the air of a lazy nobleman, involuntarily sat up straight.

His eyes, which were accustomed to lingering in poetry, songs, and romantic tales, began to scrutinize this unassuming yet astonishingly eloquent new official in the capital.

His father, Yan Shu, actually had dealings with Wang Anshi.

Yan Shu and Wang Anshi were both from Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi. Yan Shu was thirty years older than Wang Anshi. When Yan Shu served as the Privy Councilor, he greatly admired Wang Anshi, who had just passed the imperial examination. He once invited Wang Anshi to a private banquet and predicted that "your future fame and position will definitely surpass mine."

However, to be fair, Yan Shu had countless students and former officials. Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, and others were all promoted by Yan Shu. There were many people who had dealings with Yan Shu. Yan Shu only invited Wang Anshi to dinner alone once. This relationship could not possibly extend to his youngest son, Yan Jidao.

Moreover, it's quite difficult to talk about "relationships" with Wang Anshi.

Zeng Gong's smile had vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

As his introducer and friend, he knew Wang Anshi's ambitions well, but Wang Anshi's frankness and sharpness at this moment still gave him a jolt, and he subconsciously felt a pang of worry for Wang Anshi.

Kaifeng Prefecture, this place is a deep and murky place.

Cheng Hao remained calm, while the younger Cheng Yi beside him could hardly hide his disgust. He pursed his thin lips and leaned forward slightly, as if he wanted to refute something, but was stopped by a look from his brother.

As for Zhang Zai, he was gazing at the starry sky from the window.

As Lu Beigu watched this scene, only two words came to his mind.

--coming!
The Wang Anshi from history textbooks, who defied public opinion and was determined to reform, the stubborn prime minister who believed that "heavenly changes are not to be feared, ancestral laws are not to be followed, and public opinion is not to be heeded," is now sitting right in front of me, resoundingly proclaiming his declaration!

Everyone stared at him without speaking. Wang Anshi seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, or perhaps he was aware of it but didn't care.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a perfectly cooked piece of roasted camel hump, and calmly put it into his mouth, chewing it as if his earth-shattering declaration was nothing more than a casual discussion of the weather.

His movements even carried a sense of uninhibitedness, forming a strange contrast with the do-or-die spirit in his words.

Just as the suffocating silence was about to crush the warm pavilion, a soft laugh rang out.

"Ah."

Yan Jidao glanced sideways at Wang Anshi.

"The moment Prince arrived in the capital, he wanted to 'change customs and establish laws,' his ambition was astonishing. But I wonder, how do you intend to change these 'customs'? And how do you intend to establish these 'laws'? Will you emulate Shang Yang's act of moving a log to establish trust, or Wu Qi's act of stripping titles and clarifying the law? In Kaifeng Prefecture, and even in the capital city of Tokyo, nobles, imperial relatives, powerful officials, and clerks are deeply entrenched, and a single move could affect the whole situation. Does Prince have a foolproof plan?" Yan Jidao's strong reaction was well-founded.

Because everyone else present was from ordinary families, but Yan Jidao was from a proper noble family.

Wang Anshi's statement about "the powerful and wealthy being arrogant and domineering," whether intentional or unintentional, must have made him feel uncomfortable.

This banquet was sponsored by Yan Jidao.

So Wang Anshi, an official from out of town, had just arrived in Kaifeng, ate his food, and then dared to mock him. Given Yan Jidao's temperament, it would be strange if he didn't retort.

Wang Anshi swallowed the food in his mouth, put down his chopsticks, casually wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with a cloth, and met Yan Jidao's gaze without flinching.

"Good question."

Wang Anshi declared loudly: "How can customs be changed? The first step is to eliminate extravagance, reject empty talk, and emphasize practicality! Scholars and officials talk about Confucius and Mencius all day long, but in practice they only seek personal gain; they consider composing poems about the wind and moon elegant, and governing the world and helping the people vulgar. If such a trend is not eliminated, any reforms and efforts to strengthen the country will be nothing but a mirage!"

Yan Jidao's already fair face turned even paler with anger.

What does it mean to "consider composing poems about the wind and moon as elegant, and consider governing the world and helping the people as vulgar"?

Wang Anshi, however, paid no attention to any of this. He paused, glanced at everyone present, and continued speaking.

"As for how to establish laws, the key to a good law lies in its implementation, not in its cumbersome formalities. The most urgent task is to establish clear laws, select honest officials, conduct rigorous assessments, and verify the actual performance of officials, so that laws are consistent, rewards and punishments are clear, and orders are strictly enforced!"

"Those powerful and influential people who abuse their power to exploit the common people and evade taxes and corvée labor should be brought to justice and treated equally! Those clerks who manipulate the law and embezzle funds should be severely punished without exception, and their henchmen should be cut off!"

"As for the deeply entrenched and complex situation? Precisely because it is so complex and complex, we must get to the root of the problem! If we are timid and hesitant because of its power, then the accumulated problems will never be resolved! Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! If we try to be perfect in everything, we will achieve nothing!"

Wang Anshi's words were resounding and forceful, without the slightest hint of retreat or tact, and filled with the resolute determination of "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me."

"Is Your Highness's statement too hasty?"

A voice rang out; it was Cheng Hao.

"Changing customs" means transforming traditions and shaping people's habits. It is not something that can be accomplished overnight, nor can it be achieved quickly through harsh laws and punishments. It should be based on education and cultivation, and carried out gradually. "Legislation" also needs to be assessed according to the times, in accordance with human feelings and natural principles. If it is handled too hastily, it may lose its original purpose and create chaos. For example, a doctor, when the disease has reached the incurable stage, also needs to strengthen the body's foundation and nourish the body's vitality, and administer medicine slowly. Strong medicine may be effective quickly, but it is easy to damage the root cause.

Cheng Hao's words represent another way of thinking.

The reforms should be moderate, gradual, and focused on moral education.

This stands in stark contrast to Wang Anshi's emphasis on "swift and decisive measures" and "breaking with the old to establish the new."

Wang Anshi immediately retorted: "That is wrong! The disease has reached the point of no return. If we continue to follow the rules and regulations and try to strengthen the body's foundation, I'm afraid the vital energy will not be consolidated before the patient dies! The world today is like a building about to collapse, with accumulated problems as numerous as mountains. Only by taking drastic measures and scraping the bone to remove the poison can we save the critical situation."

"Education and moral cultivation are fundamental, but without strong laws to restrain powerful figures and rectify official corruption, education will be nothing but a castle in the air. With public resentment boiling, the national treasury empty, and powerful enemies surrounding us, how can we afford to 'take our time'? At this critical moment, we must act decisively and seek swift results!"

(End of this chapter)