vrcanaries Chapter 104 Moral Exemplars Sima Guang and Old Wang
Chapter 104 Moral Exemplars Sima Guang and Old Wang
The sixth year of the Jiayou reign of the Northern Song Dynasty
At this time, Su Shi had not yet been appointed to a post outside the capital and was still a newcomer to the officialdom. His official document arrived—he was to be appointed as the judge of Fengxiang Prefecture, while his younger brother Su Zhe was to stay in the capital to take care of their father.
Before parting, Su Shi and his family drank and made merry in the courtyard, with the light screen placed in the very center of the table.
When Su Shi, Su Zhe, and others heard about the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, their eyes widened in shock, they sobered up considerably, and a sense of panic gripped them.
These people seemed to be frozen in place, constantly imagining: the current situation is relatively stable, but even after four dynasties, no matter how weak, the country should not be destroyed and the family should not perish!
Moreover, less than thirty years after Emperor Zhezong's death, the Northern Song Dynasty was gone. As for the Southern Song Dynasty that Miss Lin mentioned, it was probably because the capital was captured and the emperor was taken prisoner!
Was there really no way to prevent the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty?
.......
Here, Su Shi is deeply immersed in the news of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, while the people of another dynasty are gathered together listening to Lin Ke speak.
The common people had never heard of anyone rising to a high position before. Even though Lin Ke had been around for quite some time, they were still amazed, and their work efficiency had increased!
One of the burly men said with a smile, "This King Zhezong is such a good boy. I wish I had such a filial son!"
Hearing this, the man who was mending clothes next to him twitched his lips slightly, couldn't help but lightly punch him a few times, and laughed loudly: "Dream on! You don't even have a wife, yet you dare to want a filial son!"
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed. For them, politics and imperial power were completely irrelevant.
They only ask for a peaceful life, free from natural disasters and wars; that's all they ask for.
.......
Lin Ke paused for a moment in the live broadcast room before continuing. She knew that Emperor Zhezong's early death was always a great pity. If it had been him, the Northern Song Dynasty would not have been ruined by Emperor Huizong!
"As I said before, no matter how stubborn Sima Guang and Wang Anshi were in politics, their sense of morality was extremely high."
"They are the kind of people who read the classics from childhood but did not become bookworms or go astray. Both of them became gentlemen by following the teachings in the books."
"For example, Sima Guang's wife, Zhang, never had any children, but in an environment where having multiple wives and concubines was common, Sima Guang refused to take any concubines, making him a model of male virtue!"
"As for Old Wang, it is said that his second son, Wang Pang, had a wife named Pang, and they had a son. For some reason, Wang Pang always said that the child did not look like him. He would scold and threaten the child, and he would often quarrel with Pang, causing chaos."
"Old Wang also knew it was his son's fault, so he made them divorce and remarry Pang."
A wealthy merchant's wife from the Ming Dynasty: Looking at it this way, they are both good people!
A scion of a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: So all those rumors about Wang Anshi, like that he didn't like to bathe, are false, right?
Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty: ...
"When Emperor Shenzong first ascended the throne, he discovered that the national treasury was empty, and as emperor, he could only be a frugal person."
"However, in order to curry favor with the emperor, the censors frequently made accusations, implicating Ouyang Xiu and Han Qi. He gradually realized that the officials in the court were all capable of causing trouble but lacked ability. Under these circumstances, Wang Anshi arrived with his reforms."
"After all, the Song Dynasty still had to pay a considerable amount of protection money every year, even though this protection money was useless and they were still attacked."
"Wang Anshi's proposed new laws were also aimed at making money, but Sima Guang's opinion was that the state should not compete with the people for profit. From then on, these two factions clashed!"
"Actually, from their perspectives, neither of them was wrong, but it's hard to say whether they were actually related to the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty."
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty (taken another arrow): Damn it! ...
General Judy, the Northern Expeditionary Army: The national treasury is empty, and we can't even fight a war. I know this all too well!
The fat Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi: Father, I'm covering for you!
Liu Zhuzhu from the Han Dynasty: It's true that you can't fight a war without money! Speaking of which, the Song Dynasty was rich. Can you give me some ideas on how to make money?
Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty: ......
"On another note, in order to negate Wang Anshi's reforms, the Yuanyou Dynasty smeared Wang Anshi in many places when compiling the 'Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong of Song,' in a way that was so absurd that it seemed ridiculous to read."
"Lu Dian, who once co-authored the work, was a mild-mannered and neutral person. Although he had followed Lao Wang, he did not agree with everything Lao Wang did. Even he would get angry at the handlebar height of this kind of work."
"Furthermore, after comparing the New Party's findings with historical records, they discovered more than thirty fabricated facts. As a result, those involved in compiling the materials, such as Lü Dafang and Huang Tingjian, were demoted."
A scion of a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: They can fabricate this???
A money-loving little girl from the Tang Dynasty: Old Wang looks so pitiful!
……
"That's not the most outrageous part. What's even more speechless is that in order to shift the blame for the fall of his country and firmly pin it on Wang, Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty even wrote the history book from the perspective of a minister of the Yuanyou era."
"What kind of people are these? They all rejected the new laws. So most of the historical records after the Southern Song Dynasty are negative about Wang. Wang was really miserable. Not only was he smeared, but he also carried the infamy for hundreds of years because of a reform."
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention, this Emperor Gaozong of Song is Zhao Gou, also known as Wanyan Gou."
During the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Northern Song Dynasty
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin immediately launched into a torrent of profanities, his speed astonishing, while the palace maids and officials beside him dared not even raise their heads.
Zhao Guangyi, who was hiding in the Empress Dowager's palace, dared not even leave the palace gates.
I thought that if she talked about a good emperor, my brother wouldn't think of me. I never expected that brat Lin Ke would bring up Zhao Gou!
What a Wanyan Gou! He has none of the spirit of his ancestor! He even dragged his ancestor down with him! I'm so angry!
……
Lin Ke couldn't help but get angry at the thought of Wanyan Gou. After calming down for a moment and taking a few deep breaths, she slowly said, "We'll talk about Wanyan Gou next time. In short, that guy isn't even human, oh no, he's not even an animal!"
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: I agree with that!
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: What on earth did this person do that incurs the wrath of both heaven and man?!
Yongle period
Zhu Di saw Emperor Wu of Han's comment and wanted to reply, but he couldn't send the message after typing for a long time. Frustrated, he threw the small screen aside.
At the same time, he also realized that things that Miss Lin hadn't mentioned couldn't be released in advance!
Sigh, when will it be the Ming Dynasty's turn again?!
……
"Chang Tun and Tsai Bian's successful revenge has made many in the New Party feel that they did a good job. However, this is just the beginning. Next, the old party should prepare for the offensive of the New Party's three leaders!"
"First of all, when Zhang Dun and others started firing their cannons, I ask you, who was the most vocal in the Chegaiting Poetry Case? And who advocated abandoning Xihe Road? And who gave Empress Dowager Gao the idea of 'changing the mother's status to that of the son'?"
"In short, all those old scores are recorded in the New Party's little notebook, and no one can be let off the hook!"
"Meanwhile, ministers such as Lü Dafang, Liu Zhi, Liang Tao, and Liu Anshi successively embarked on the path of demotion and collectively moved closer to the Lingnan region."
"Lingnan is famous for its lychees. Some say that the end of the Song dynasty was the lychee season. Su Shi lived in that place. I wonder if he would sing: 'Lingnan welcomes you, for you have opened up new horizons for us officials...'"
A young man from a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: Hahahaha, that's kind of funny!
A spoiled brat from the Tang Dynasty: I wonder if that place is fun!?
Northern Song Dynasty officials: ...