Chapter 18 Fourth, the emperor's mind
The date when Wang Anshi last saw Song Shenzong in the court hall is unknown.The atmosphere that day seemed to be the same as usual, so Wang Anshi talked about the arrangement for Lu Jiawen.At that time, Lu Jiawen had returned to the capital and participated in the struggle between Wang Yu and Lu Huiqing, but he was not held accountable.Therefore, Wang Anshi suggested appointing this person as a bachelor of Jixian Academy, and the emperor's reply was to let it go.
As a result, it took half a month to let go.
Therefore, on this day, Wang Anshi repeated the old saying.His Majesty the Emperor still refused to make a statement, but turned around in a daze.Everyone was afraid to speak, but Shenzong turned his face and asked: I heard that Mr. Xiang wants to resign, has it been a long time?
Wang Anshi was caught off guard, bowed his head and replied: Yes.
He also said: Your Majesty insists on staying, and dare not leave immediately.
The hall was so quiet that one could hear a heartbeat.
The emperor said nothing more, and Wang Anshi quickly left the phase.
This matter has not been accepted by official history, so it is hard to tell whether it is true or not.Logically speaking, it seems that there should not be such an embarrassing scene.After all, the ancestral family law left by Emperor Taizu is to rule the world with the scholar-bureaucrats.Therefore, from Taizong to Shenzong, the successive emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty treated the court ministers with courtesy, and the level of political civilization was far higher than that of the Ming and Qing dynasties.Confucius advocated that "Emperors and ministers should be courteous", and it should be said that it was implemented in the Song Dynasty.
In fact, Wang Anshi's remuneration after resignation was not low.In the first month of the first year of Yuanfeng (1078), more than a year after he was dismissed, he was named Shu Guogong, and more than a year later, he was changed to Jing Guogong, and he was called "Wang Jinggong" from then on.Even when he died of illness, although the opposition was already in power, he was still given the title of Taifu posthumously.
Song, is polite.At least, for now.
However, politeness does not mean full of joy, Song Shenzong may have long been dissatisfied with Wang Anshi.Of course the responsibility lies with Wang Anshi.As we all know, this person is known as the "Shouxianggong" title, he is dead-minded, he only talks about things and doesn't look at people, he is also stubborn in front of the emperor, he drives pigs straight in the alley when he talks, and doesn't match his own clothes and clothes. The hat is as unkempt as it is, which often makes the emperor and his colleagues embarrassing.
There are countless such cases.For example, when Xining discussed the Market Change Law and the Exemption Law from five to seven years ago, when the emperor or others asked a question, Wang Anshi would answer and refute it, and he could not even ask.When it comes to excitement, he either accuses his colleagues of forming a party for personal gain to undermine reforms, or criticizes Shenzong for not knowing good from bad and right from wrong.
Such a style, who can stand it?
Therefore, when Shenzong dismissed Wang Anshi for the first time, although there were all kinds of reasons mentioned above, I am afraid that he did not have such considerations: Anshi, Anshi, go back to Jiangning to be calm and calm, and change your bad temper!Changed, I still use you.
Unfortunately, Wang Anshi did not change.
In fact, after his comeback, Wang Anshi was not insensitive.It is said that he once said to those close to him: Now the Holy Majesty treats me as long as I get five points.It's a pity that Jiangshan is easy to change and his nature is hard to change. He still remains the same, saying whatever he wants to say, even getting emotional when he wants to get angry, and taking sick leave when he wants to.
In Wang Anshi's case, this may be due to both his insistence on doctrine and his trust in Shenzong.He once said two or three months after his comeback: The reason why I dare to speak out is because your majesty can tolerate my ministers' remonstrance.Otherwise, even if An Shi has ten guts, how dare he forget the old saying of being wise and protecting one's life?However, although His Majesty is comparable to Yao and Shun in self-cultivation and morality, he is not as good as Tang Taizong in distinguishing right from wrong.If those who dare to speak out cannot be rewarded, and those who make mistakes cannot be punished, how can we ask everyone to tell the truth?
After hearing this, Song Shenzong also laughed.He said: Taiwan officials only have to be scolded, criticized and dismissed for investigation. How have they ever been rewarded?It's hard to find anyone willing to do it now.
Wang Anshi said: I don't know if it was the same in Tang Taizong's time?
This can of course be passed on as a good talk.It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, and His Majesty's patience was limited.What impressed him the most was November of the eighth year of Xining.At that time, Prime Minister Han Jiang and Deputy Prime Minister Lu Huiqing had left their posts, and the court was in urgent need of manpower, but Wang Anshi asked for sick leave again.Shenzong sent people to visit seventeen times a day, but it didn't work.
The emperor had to ask what happened.
Wang Anshi's answer was to severely punish those who opposed the new law.
Shenzong was very embarrassed.He said: According to reports, the people are also complaining.
Wang Anshi said: Don't the common people also complain when there is cold wind in winter and heavy rain in summer?What's so remarkable and worth the fuss about?
Shenzong said: Can there be no cold wind and heavy rain?
Wang Anshi was unhappy and continued to fall ill.
This time, Shenzong accommodated Wang Anshi again. As long as he recommended people, they would be reused, and Wang Anshi's power reached its peak.However, this does not mean that the emperor has no shadows, no thoughts, no bumps in his heart.
That's right, whose country really belongs to the Great Song Dynasty?
Song Shenzong's heart was overwhelmed, and Lu Huiqing also came to add fuel to the fire.In June of the ninth year of Xining, Lu Huiqing, who was forced by Wang Yu and others to completely turn against Wang Anshi, said this in the memorial: Please think about it, how does Your Majesty treat Wang Anshi, and Wang Anshi treats him like this? What kind of people promise themselves?Can the three cardinal guides and five constant principles, the great righteousness of monarchs and ministers, and political rules be abolished because of him alone?
The emperor is likely to be nervous.
We don't know if the emperor thought of July in the fifth year of Xining at this moment.At that time, a small official named Guo Fengyuan wrote to the imperial court on a whim, requesting that the etiquette of Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi be changed from monarch and minister to teacher and student. Forbidden.
I really don't know which nerve is wrong.
Shenzong was extremely displeased at that time.He told Wang Anshi that this must be a frivolous and shallow guy.But Wang Anshi said: talent is rare!
Ok?What's the meaning?The emperor could not but be vigilant.
If Shenzong still remembered the fourth month of the seventh year of Xining, he would be even more terrified.At that time, the drought was serious, the government and the people were uneasy, and he himself was unwilling to eat and sleep, but Wang Anshi said that the flood and drought constants were nothing to worry about, and he refused to share my worries in the slightest.Ok!Since you are not even afraid of the destiny, you must not care about the emperor.
Don't think about it, the prime minister must be replaced.
There is no doubt that Shenzong's psychological activities in late October of the ninth year of Xining are only known to him, and what is said here is all speculation.However, Wu Chong, the privy envoy, and Wang Gui, the political adviser, took over, which can explain the problem very well.In fact, although Wu Chong and Wang Anshi are sons and daughters of relatives, he didn't take Wang Anshi's behavior seriously.The official history also made it very clear that Wu Chong served as prime minister because he was neutral and selfless.
As for Wang Gui, it is Amitabha.This person was appointed as a political adviser on the same day that Wang Anshi paid his first visit to the prime minister. Before that, he worked with Wang Anshi and Sima Guang in the Imperial Academy.In August of the first year of Xining, the two were arguing over one matter, but Wang Gui told Shenzong that it made sense from different perspectives, but His Majesty ordered it.
After becoming prime minister, Wang Gui became more well-behaved, never talkative, and obeyed the emperor's command in everything.He defined himself as going to the hall to receive the imperial edict, entering the hall to receive the imperial edict, and leaving the hall to have received the imperial edict. He was known as the "Three Decree Prime Minister".
Emperor Shenzong was very satisfied.
This is where Deng Wan and the others misread Song Shenzong.That's right, both Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi advocated political reform and centralization.However, Wang Anshi concentrated power for the sake of reform, while Song Shenzong did it for the sake of centralization.Therefore, when he has achieved centralization, he cannot tolerate decentralization.Wang Anshi must also leave, even if the court and years without Wang Anshi become very boring, there is nothing to mention.
In fact, although in order to implement reforms, Shenzong repeatedly sent people who Wang Anshi disliked to other places, and finally made Wang Anshi's family dominate, but this is by no means Shenzong's ideal model, nor is it the traditional model of the Song Dynasty. .What Zhao Song officials like most is that the ministers in the court are neither monolithic nor tearful, and there are always people who express different opinions, and then the emperor will make the final judgment and arbitration.
This is probably the so-called "Emperor's Art"!
However, there were basically no major disturbances in the Northern Song court before, and because both the literati and the emperor understood the ancestral family law, they carefully maintained the balance in all aspects.Fu Bi understood this point, but was disturbed by Wang Anshi; Shenzong understood it even more, but was disturbed by Sima Guang.Because according to Shenzong's idea, it is best for Sima Guang and Wang Anshi to be in court at the same time.Even if it takes turns to sit in the village, it's not bad.
The question is, if Sima Guang became prime minister, must he be very good?
It's also hard to say.
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