The Story of Wang Anshi and Su Shi

I really don't know much about this history, but I found it for you:

Scholar's Competition and Blind Date —— From the feud between Wang Anshi and Su Shi

Once upon a time, the struggle between literati seemed to be a big problem for the intellectual class, and there were few good medicines for thousands of years. In fact, if only a few scholars disagree, they will argue and quarrel, and there will be no bloodshed and death, which has nothing to do with others; If this quarrel has nothing to do with state affairs, society and people, so be it. "What's the matter?" But in fact, under normal circumstances, China has always pursued the principle of "learning to be an excellent official". Intellectuals are "rulers" after all, at least their opinions will have an impact on the emperor's old son. In this way, as soon as they fight, the world will suffer, bleeding will not die, and social shock is inevitable, especially when obscene men attack honest people, and the outcome is even more terrible.

The Northern Song Dynasty was also a dynasty in which scholars struggled with each other and failed to save energy. The dispute between Ren Zong and Fan (decoration) and Lu (decoration), and the dispute between Ying Zong and Pu Yi (Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu versus Lu Hui and Fan Chunren) has been ups and downs for decades. As for the dispute between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, it was a major policy that influenced several emperors in the late Northern Song Dynasty. However, unlike other dynasties, most of the contending scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty thought they were gentlemen of later generations. All disputes were political views, which did not involve personal morality or friendship. Some fights were followed by extraordinary friendship, which was also a great sigh. This is the relationship between Wang Anshi and Su Shi.

Both Wang Anshi and Su Shi are accomplished young people. Wang Anshi was a scholar at the age of 22, and Su Shi's younger brother Wang Anshi 16 years old. 23 years old, admitted as a scholar. Both of them are regarded as the talents of pillars, and they are famous in the world for their poems, ranking among the "eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties". The real confrontation between them began in the second year of Xining, Song Shenzong (1069). At that time, the Su brothers returned to Beijing after their father's funeral, and Su Shi was appointed as the right judge of the Zhi History Museum and Kaifeng House. Wang Anshi, who was trusted by Zongshen and served as prime minister of Zhongshu, vigorously promoted the New Deal reform policy. In this way, two great writers are officials at the same time, and the controversy arises from this.

Originally, in the face of poverty and weakness in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was the will of the people to carry out reforms aimed at enriching Qiang Bing. Wang Anshi's courage to carry out reform with "insufficient words, insufficient ancestors and insufficient fears" is also admirable. But the key question is, in the face of the complicated social situation, the China people, especially the bureaucrats and scholars, who "take conservatism as their nature and govern by doing nothing as their great religion" (Liang Qichao's words), are the reform actions radical or gradual? Wang Anshi's thought is urgent, whether it is to use new people or to implement new laws, it embodies the bold and extraordinary style. As for Su Shi, it is not that he does not advocate change. He just hopes not to "rush" because "things will be easy if there is a corresponding law, and people will not be surprised if things change gradually." So it is difficult to match the political views of two people. The late philosopher Zhu commented: "The same is true of Ning's political reform. Dongpo also wanted to do everything that Gong Jing (later named Jing Guogong by Wang Anshi) changed. When I saw Gong Jing making trouble, I went to hit him. " This is very fair and to the point. Try to make a brief analysis of "reforming the imperial examination" and you can see the difference between them.

At the beginning of the reform, in order to select courageous and knowledgeable new people, Wang Anshi insisted on reforming the imperial examination, holding schools, stopping all poetry and prose in the imperial examination, and striving to be a righteous, rational and strategic scholar. This drastic change in the official selection system, which has been implemented for more than 400 years, will undoubtedly cause shock to scholars, and Emperor Zongshen is also very worried. Su Shi is a person who can't express his displeasure when something happens, and immediately wrote a letter against this decree. Zong Shen was very moved after reading the letter and immediately summoned him. Su Shi took the opportunity to directly remonstrate: "Your majesty is too eager to seek treatment, too broad to listen, and too sharp to enter people. I hope that your majesty will wait for the matter and then respond. " Although this statement sounds a bit shocking, Zong Shen expressed his willingness to consider Su Shi's suggestion. Only because of Wang Anshi's insistence, the "imperial examination reform" was finally implemented. But what about the result? In his later years, Wang Anshi reflected that this law "originally wanted to turn a scholar into a scholar, but did not mean to turn a scholar into a scholar." It seems that he also realized the bias of the policy.

As we all know, the result of the dispute between scholars in the Ning Dynasty was both losses: Su Shi could not live in the DPRK, so he had to ask to be released as the magistrate of the Hangfu, and later the Wutai poetry case put him in prison and his life was on the line; Wang Anshi, on the other hand, was attacked by the old and new factions, and eventually resigned and retired to Jinling to concentrate on his studies and indulge in landscapes.

The strength of character appears in times of crisis, especially when a former opponent falls into a well. When "Wutai Poetry Case" happened, the new school figures searched for chapters and broken sentences, and Luo Zhi was accused, hoping that Su Shi would not be killed immediately, but Su Shi was forced to confess the crimes imposed on his head under torture. In this situation, let alone the princes of the dynasty, even Su Shi's relatives and friends were silent and nobody cared. But just then, the Wang brothers bravely stood up and spoke. At that time, Wang Anli, Wang Anshi's younger brother, said to the emperor, "Since ancient times, a magnanimous monarch has never offended people with words. History is motivated by talent, and when it is brought to the law today, I am afraid that future generations will say that talent cannot be tolerated. " Wang Anshi, who belongs to Lao Linquan, also wrote to the emperor: "Is there anyone who kills talents in the Holy Family?" He looks like a chivalrous man! At this point, the hatred of political enemies has been completely exhausted, and only the forgiveness and kindness cherished by literati have risen in my heart!

Su Shi survived and was reduced to use in Huangzhou forever. Five years later, he was recalled from Huangzhou Chensuo to Beijing and went around Jinling to visit Wang Anshi. At this time, Wang Anshi was old and sick, and recently lost his beloved son, and he was sad. In the past, when you were a prime minister, lofty Su Shi seldom visited, and it was even more difficult to meet because of different political views. Now when you are worried, the two meet and make up the wine! Wang Anshi thanked Su Shi for his generosity from the bottom of his heart. He invited Su Shi to move to Jinling as a neighbor. Although Su Shi, who has not yet seen through the world of mortals, declined Wang Anshi's good intentions, the chanting between the two great poets left us a lot of touching warmth.

Two years later, Wang Anshi died. Zhe zong posthumously conferred the post of Wang Anshi's teacher, and Su Shi made a decree to draft it. Essay praise: "magnificent prose is enough to decorate everything, surpass everything, and move everywhere." Later generations all know that this conclusion is not only used to evaluate Wang Anshi. !