Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 290 Zhang Heng's Writings
Then, everyone looked at the second article that had been posted, which was Su Zhe's article.

Although Su Zhe's essay was not as eloquent as his brother Su Shi's, it was still a well-structured and respectable examination essay. It was well-supported by evidence and classical allusions, with a complete overall structure and equally impressive language.

With the brilliant works of the Su brothers, Su Shi and Su Zhe, there was little controversy regarding the criteria for evaluating Han Jiang.

Su Shi's writing is indeed excellent, but he also got carried away while writing and made up allusions on the spot.

Su Shi himself immediately admitted to this.

According to the rules, no matter how well it is written, it cannot be given an A grade.

Otherwise, in the future, everyone will be writing articles based on "Wozki's teachings," and citing classical texts will lose their meaning.

This is a matter of principle, and Han Jiang certainly cannot be ambiguous about it.

The essays by Lin Xi and Zhang Dun that followed were indeed on par with those by Su Zhe; they were all "very good but not perfect" exam essays.

When Zhang Heng's article was posted, all eyes, both inside and outside the pavilion, immediately focused on it.

This article, which was rated as "lower A", is clearly a cut above the work of Lin Xi and Zhang Dun.

"Rewards are meant to encourage good deeds, not to curry favor, but to continue the life-giving mechanism of heaven and earth; punishments are meant to deter evil, not to establish authority, but to make up for the deficiencies in the teachings of the sages. Therefore, the Book of Documents says, 'When in doubt about a crime, treat it lightly; when in doubt about a merit, treat it heavily.' The meaning is not about leniency or severity, but about embodying the compassion of heaven and fulfilling the subtleties of human affairs. This is the source of loyalty and kindness."

Zhang Heng begins by succinctly revealing the essence of punishment and reward, elevating them from simple tools of reward and punishment to a grander level of "continuing the vitality of heaven and earth" and "supplementing the teachings of sages," endowing them with a sacred mission that resonates with the creation of heaven and earth and the great way of sages.

Subsequently, it began to expand.

He precisely quoted the phrase "When in doubt about a crime, treat it lightly; when in doubt about a merit, treat it heavily" from the Book of Documents, and profoundly pointed out that its essence lies not in the debate between leniency and severity, but in "understanding Heaven's compassion and doing one's best in the subtleties of human affairs," which is "the origin of loyalty and kindness."

This sentence acts like a stabilizing force, firmly anchoring the core of "honesty and integrity" as an understanding of the ways of heaven and the utmost care for human affairs, making the article righteous in its purpose and solid in its foundation.

"In the past, when the sage kings established punishments and rewards, they always put compassion first. When Yu saw a criminal get off his chariot and wept, he asked him questions. This was not because he condoned the crime, but because he knew that those who were suffering from hunger and cold and whose education had not yet reached them were all due to the failure of the ruler's virtue. When Cheng Tang loosened the net on three sides, he prayed, 'If you want to go left, go left; if you want to go right, go right,' thus opening up a path to life and guiding people to reform themselves. When the Zhou dynasty was at its peak, the prisons were empty. This was not because the punishments were lax, but because the virtue of the Zhou dynasty had spread, and the people were ashamed to break the law. This was the transformation of loyalty and kindness."

In the second paragraph, Zhang Heng uses substantial historical facts as building blocks to construct the tower of his argument, layer by layer.

From Yu the Great weeping and questioning the guilty, to Cheng Tang releasing the net to demonstrate benevolence, to the Zhou dynasty's empty prisons, he sketched an ideal picture of a sage king who took benevolence as the foundation and education as the priority, thus achieving "the transformation of loyalty and kindness".

These anecdotes not only corroborate the opening argument, but also vividly demonstrate the noble form of "honesty and integrity" in practice.

"The ills of later punishments and rewards have largely lost their original intent. Qin law was like solidified fat; those who discarded ashes were punished. Yet, Chen Sheng's single call to arms brought the world to its knees. This is because severe punishments deterred wrongdoing, but wrongdoing only increased; generous rewards encouraged merit, but merit only became more deceitful. In the Han dynasty, Zhang Shizhi punished those who violated the emperor's orders. Emperor Wen wanted to execute him, but Shizhi upheld the principle that 'the law is shared by all under heaven,' and ultimately stopped the matter by imposing a fine. Without Shizhi, the emperor's anger would have been unrestrained, and the meaning of the law would have vanished." In the third paragraph, Zhang Heng shifts his focus, bitterly criticizing the ills of later punishments and rewards—the loss of their original intent.

Using the harsh laws of Qin, which ultimately led to the downfall of the empire, as a negative example, the text profoundly reveals the paradox that "strict punishments deter wrongdoing, but wrongdoing only increases; generous rewards encourage merit, but merit only becomes more deceitful." This is further contrasted with the positive example of Zhang Shizhi during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, who argued for the rule of law with reason. This vividly demonstrates that punishments and rewards that lack the "foundation of loyalty and kindness" are not only ineffective but also the source of chaos.

"Therefore, the ultimate expression of loyalty and kindness lies in understanding that 'punishment and reward are secondary, while benevolence is fundamental.' The Book of Rites states, 'When hearing cases involving the five punishments, one must consider the kinship between father and son and the righteousness between ruler and subject.' In the early Han Dynasty, Ti Ying was exonerated, and the world praised her for her benevolence. If the harsh laws of Qin had been followed, even if the prison officials were competent, the dismemberment of limbs and the severing of human relationships would have destroyed the vitality of the people. Thus, Gao Yao clarified the punishments to assist in education, and Guan Zhong established decrees to maintain the state. The application of punishment and reward is like a blazing fire. If it is fueled by benevolence and virtue, it will shine brightly and illuminate everything; if loyalty and kindness are abandoned in favor of tyranny, even if it blazes brightly, it will eventually burn to ashes."

"The way of Heaven is to bring life in spring and to bring peace in autumn, which is nothing but benevolence; the king's governance, with its punishments, rewards, and celebrations, all contain great virtue. In the past, Duke Jing of Song could not bear to transfer disasters to his ministers. Those who govern should extend this heart to the whole world, so that the people can feel as if they are bathed in the spring sun. Then the practice of drawing lines on the ground to make a prison can be restored, and the rule of law with no punishments will not be far away."

After laying a solid foundation of historical facts, Zhang Heng naturally revealed his core viewpoint.

This means that "the ultimate in loyalty and kindness lies in understanding that 'punishment and reward are secondary, while benevolence is fundamental.'"

This argument goes straight to the root of the matter, positioning punishment and reward as "minor" while establishing benevolence as the "foundation" of governing the country, clearly defining the primary and secondary relationship between the two.

He further explained by quoting the meaning of "hearing the case according to the principles of justice" from the Book of Rites, and combining it with the historical fact that Ti Ying's rescue of her father in the early Han Dynasty moved the world and prompted the abolition of corporal punishment. He argued that if the Qin dynasty's cruel methods were followed, even if the prison officials were competent, their cruel punishments of "severing limbs and breaking human relations" would be "damaging the vitality of the people" and would fundamentally violate the natural order of nurturing and educating people.

Its most brilliant touch lies in the exquisite metaphor: "The application of punishment and reward is like a blazing fire. If it is fueled by benevolence and virtue, it will shine brightly and illuminate everything; but if it abandons loyalty and kindness and instead displays power, even if it blazes brightly in the sky, it will eventually burn to ashes."

This is both a summary of historical lessons and a warning to those in power, thoroughly analyzing the relationship between punishment and reward and benevolence.

In the conclusion, Zhang Heng elevates the perspective to the level of the natural order of Heaven, pointing out that punishments and rewards should also embody the essence of "utmost benevolence," just as the seasons cycle. He then cites the story of Duke Jing of Song's reluctance to shift blame onto his ministers, urging rulers to extend this benevolence to the world, so that all people may feel as if bathed in a spring breeze, ultimately envisioning the highest ideal state where "the practice of drawing lines on the ground to imprison people can be restored, and the rule of law through punishment is not far off."

Looking at Zhang Heng's article as a whole, its intention is pure and grand, closely adhering to the principle that the essence of "loyalty and honesty" lies in benevolence and education. The argument is meticulous and profound, readily drawing upon the examples of sage kings and historical lessons, contrasting the positive and the negative, and progressing layer by layer.

It can be said that his writing demonstrates profound scholarship, rigorous thinking, and a steady demeanor, perfectly embodying the pinnacle of combining traditional Confucian classics with historical analysis. It is a standard and exemplary examination essay.

This article is basically on the same level as Su Shi's articles, which do not use allusions.

However, despite its brilliance, it ultimately climbed to the top on the existing and well-established "right path".

When the sixth article, Lu Beigu's article, appeared, with its more unconventional theme, sharper reasoning, direct focus on the core of "curing the root cause," and a certain subversive nature.

Zhang Heng's perfect, moon-like form inevitably became the backdrop for the rising sun that was about to burst forth.

(End of this chapter)