vrcanaries Chapter 79 The New and Old Parties
Chapter 79 The New and Old Parties
The fourth year of the Xining reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song
Su Shi had just finished writing a memorial about the drawbacks of the new laws when he suddenly heard his own name appear on the light screen next to his table.
The Wutai Poetry Case? Was it orchestrated by Tsai Ing-wen?
Why didn't Miss Lin explain clearly, just glossing over the matter?!
I can't stay in the capital any longer.
These intellectuals are getting more and more out of control. They should just ask to be transferred to a post outside the capital. I wonder what happened to my brother after that.
Su Shi pondered for a while, and then Lin Ke's voice rang out again from the screen.
……
"As the saying goes, 'Leave a way out for yourself, so you can meet again in the future.' Cai Que went so far as to target the old party and Wang Anshi in order to curry favor with Emperor Shenzong. Will he face retribution for everything he did after the emperor's death?"
"I believe he himself has considered this point; sometimes, people won't go to great lengths to survive unless they're driven to desperation."
"However, this idea was shattered after he became the second prime minister (in 1082 AD). As his power grew, so did his fear of death, and what caught him off guard was that Emperor Shenzong's health was gradually declining."
"So at that moment, he realized with absolute clarity that it was time for him to leave himself a way out."
A civil official of the Ming Dynasty: Actually, from his own perspective, apart from his opportunistic pursuit of power, he didn't have any major problems.
"Therefore, Cai Que selected an official from the old party, named Xing Shu. He had been a retainer of Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu, and had been demoted in his early years for opposing Wang Anshi's reforms."
"Now that the emperor intends to reconcile the conflict between the new and old factions, and given that he has gained Cai Que's favor and is willing to act as a mediator between the two parties, many old faction officials were able to return to the court in the following years."
"To achieve a more effective outcome, Cai Que adopted a humble posture before Emperor Shenzong, even having Xing Shu write a letter urging Sima Guang to return to court. Ultimately, their efforts were not in vain, and relations between the old and new factions eased somewhat."
"The reason for this is probably that many officials who opposed the new laws served in the reformed Song Dynasty system for more than a decade, especially lower-level officials. It must be said that Wang Anshi did have some merit; after these lower-level officials became familiar with the new laws, they all eventually came to appreciate them."
Optimistic Su Dongpo: I admit I did raise my voice a bit when I spoke to Lao Wang back then!
Zeng Gong, the Master of Nanfeng from the Northern Song Dynasty: Count me in!
"Of course, this doesn't mean the new law is entirely correct. People from the New Party, such as Tsai Chueh and Chang Tun, have also discovered many problems with the new law and its personnel policies."
"For example, Wu Juhou, Huo Xiang, and Wang Zijing, all capable financial officials during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, shared a common trait: they were particularly adept at using various means to plunder the people's wealth."
"In places like Jingdong and Fujian, they amassed wealth through means such as monopolizing iron, horses, tea, and salt, thereby exploiting the people."
"As the saying goes, 'The iron horses of Jingdong and the tea and salt of Fujian,' when oppression reaches its limit, resistance is inevitable. Thus, the local people rose up in rebellion, their slogan being to throw these corrupt officials into the furnace and burn them to death."
"Wu Juhou was once a capable subordinate of Zhang Dun, but even Zhang Dun himself had this assessment of Wu Juhou: 'The people of Jingdong (Beijing) wish they could tear him apart.' He was also clearly aware that the Jingdong iron cavalry and the Fujian tea and salt trade would cause harm every day if they were not reformed!"
An old farmer in the Tang Dynasty: Why is it always the common people who suffer?!
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: Hmph, if this happened in our Ming Dynasty, we'd chop up all these people!
Judy, the Great General Who Conquers the North: Hehe, Dad's right.
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty: But officials in the late Ming Dynasty were also very corrupt!
Zhu Bajie of the Ming Dynasty: You son of a bitch...@%...Believe it or not, I'll mess with your ancestors!!!
Judy, the Grand General Who Conquers the North: Believe it or not, we'll mess with your ancestors too!
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty: All he ever says is this! He doesn't let people speak the truth!
"And just one month after Emperor Shenzong's death, Cai Que and Zhang Dun arranged for Huang Lü, the Censor-in-Chief, to impeach officials regarding the iron cavalry of Jingdong and the tea and salt issues of Fujian."
"While Emperor Shenzong's death gave New Party officials an opportunity to make amends, it also disrupted the existing balance."
"Furthermore, the later Empress Dowager Gao was neither familiar with political affairs nor had a political foundation, so she needed to find a reliable minister to help her maintain control of the court."
"As the saying goes, 'When the ruler is young and the country is in turmoil, a woman may rule from behind the curtain.' Zhang Dun is strong-willed and assertive, and there is a risk that power will slip away from her. Therefore, she doesn't trust the members of the New Party."
"Meanwhile, the old party members such as Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhuo enjoyed deep political prestige and great fame. These old party officials had also contributed to the Song Yingzong era. Therefore, compared to them, the Gao family was more willing to be close to the old party."
A student preparing for the imperial examinations during the Tang Dynasty: I wonder if this has anything to do with Cai Que's extreme methods.
A scion of a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: He acts in extreme ways and has questionable character, but he is highly capable, and she looks down on him!
A spoiled young master from the Tang Dynasty: So, the New Party is hard for her to control!
……
"On the other hand, the Empress Dowager Gao's recall of Sima Guang was different from Emperor Shenzong's recall of Sima Guang."
"As the emperor with power, Emperor Shenzong could ensure that Sima Guang wouldn't cause trouble by recalling him. His aim was to reconcile the conflicts between the old and new factions and then implement the new laws."
"Empress Dowager Gao only hoped to leverage Sima Guang's prestige, but she couldn't fully control him. This gave Sima Guang, the man who smashed the water jar, enough power to realize his political ideals."
"Sima Guang actually lacked experience as a local official, and after Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, he spent many years writing history in a cellar, so he never came into contact with the new laws."
"For example, while most people had already been exposed to the new laws, Sima Guang was still stuck in the early years of the Xining era, when the entire court was opposing Wang Anshi's reforms."
Optimistic Su Dongpo: The internet's down! How terrifying!
Popular science expert Xi: Even happy knows this meme!
A scion of a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty: One can imagine Wang Anshi's feelings at the end of his life...
Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty: ...
"What I find outrageous is that Emperor Shenzong of Song died in March of the eighth year of the Yuanfeng era, yet Sima Guang, still in Luoyang in April, had already submitted several memorials requesting the abolition of the Baojia system, the Exemption System, and the Military Command System. This seemed to indicate that he was about to cause trouble."
"What do you think the court will become if we let such a respected and virtuous old minister, who opposes the new laws and is rather stubborn and radical, lead the government?"
"However, in the eyes of the New Party, the Prime Minister is Wang Gui, and the Vice Prime Minister is Cai Que. Both of them are from the New Party. Moreover, there are many New Party officials in important positions. Therefore, facing Sima Guang's aggressive approach, the New Party will not be too weak."
"However, in May, Wang Gui suddenly passed away. Although Cai Que became prime minister, the old party's power suddenly increased. Therefore, with their support, Empress Dowager Gao decisively bypassed the new party officials in the two government offices and directly appointed Su Zhe, Zhu Guangting, and others as censors."
Zhang Dun: ? ? ? Where are my teammates?
The optimist Su Dongpo: Hey! Su Zhe! My younger brother!
Su Zhe, a professional at reselling goods: Can't compare to my brother!
"As a result, Huang Lü, the Censor-in-Chief of the New Party, was gradually marginalized. Once these old party members controlled the Censorate, they would launch a final offensive."
"In the first year of the Yuan You era of the Northern Song Dynasty, which was also the intercalary second month of that year, a litigation office was established, presided over by the newly appointed Censor-in-Chief Liu Zhi."
"Regarding all the wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice from the Yuanfeng era, all those instances of torture, forced confessions, and abuse of power by the former Dali Temple, Kaifeng Prefecture, Censorate, and even the Imperial City Guard will be investigated one by one."
"And Cai Que, who was responsible for the various major cases during the Yuanfeng era, is also entering the final countdown of his life."