Chapter 1002: Personnel changes, and exchanges become ancient and modern (two updates combined into one)
Chapter 995: Personnel changes, and exchanges become ancient and modern (two updates combined into one)
March of the 10th year of Xining.
Wang Anshi once again offered his resignation on the grounds that his son Wang Yu was ill.
As usual, the officials refused and gave Wang Anshi leave, allowing him to care for him at home.
However, Wang Anshi no longer agreed, and he went to court five times, and finally ordered him to be dismissed from his position as prime minister, and appointed as the governor of the Zhennan Army to judge Jiangning Prefecture.
At the time of the decree, Wang Anshi was living in Dingli Courtyard.
He also lived here when he retired as prime minister for the first time, and he still lives in this courtyard now, looking at the beautiful spring scenery in the garden and composing a poem.
No one was seen on the river for a long time, and the dust and dirt of ten years were trapped in my dream.
Diligence untied the lilac knots and released the spring among the branches.
This poem is imitated by Lu Guimeng (On the river, no one cares about me, and I am drunk in the clouds for ten years. I work diligently to untie the lilac knots, and let the branches spread to celebrate spring).
He stayed in Dingli Temple again and remembered the previous poem. At this moment, he was sitting under the lilac tree and reading the letter sent by Zhang Yue.
This letter can also be regarded as Zhang Yue's first-class reply to the fact that Wang Anshi was in the house and he was vaguely entrusted by the government.
For Zhang Yue, government affairs are not the most important thing. What is more important than government affairs is "state affairs".
This was what Zhang Yue ordered Chen Guan to do after he entered the capital. The two of them added and deleted it seven times, often discussing it for half a day. Until today, Zhang Yue wrote a letter to Wang Anshi.
What is said to be a letter is actually included in the volume.
Just like when Zhang Yue came to the capital alone, he submitted his article to the ministers, asking for their approval and recommendation. At that time, Zhang Yue submitted his article to Wang Anshi three times, and even visited his home in person to seek his favor.
As time passed, Zhang Yue wrote to Wang Anshi again, as if he was in the same state of mind when writing.
In the letter, he described himself as hesitant as a student asking for a teacher. Wang Anshi sighed slightly when he saw this. After so many years, Zhang Yue is still so respectful, cautious, and mellow.
The title of Zhang Yue's letter is "Mencius also talks about profit".
Wang Anshi laughed when he read Zhang Yue's question.
It is well known that Wang Anshi was the person who admired Mencius the most. People at that time ridiculed Wang Anshi for having the same views as Mencius, but the only difference was that one talked about profit all the time, while the other never talked about profit.
Therefore, Wang Anshi couldn't help but smile knowingly when he saw Zhang Yue's "Mencius Yan Li".
The distinction between justice and benefit is the first thing for Confucians.
The distinction between righteousness and benefit comes from Mencius, a chapter in "Mencius".
Mencius met King Hui of Liang.
The king asked, old man, will you benefit my country even if you come from a thousand miles away?
Mencius replied: Why should a king talk about profit? He is just benevolent and righteous.
This is the first sentence of the first chapter of Mencius, and anyone who has read Mencius will know it.
Zhang Yue said that the Book of Changes, the first of the Five Classics, has one hundred and eighty-four advantages and twenty-eight disadvantages.
According to the Book of Changes, Yuan Henry Zhen can be beneficial or disadvantageous.
The I Ching, regarded as the first of the Five Classics and the ancestor of various schools in China, teaches you how to "use your body".
The Book of Changes studies how to 'pursue good fortune and avoid evil' and how to 'achieve good fortune and good fortune'. This idea can be said to be integrated into the blood of every Chinese people and is shared by the three religions and nine streams.
If Mencius denies "profit", he also denies the "Book of Changes", the first of the Five Classics.
What is benefit? What is righteousness?
Mencius said that the "righteousness" mentioned by Mozi is to do things that benefit the world even if your head is scratched and your feet are bruised.
What Yang Zi said about "profit" is to pluck a hair to benefit the world and not do it. If you want me to pluck a hair to benefit the world, I won't do it either.
Mozi's "righteousness" is "selflessness". If everyone is not self-interested, there will be no self-interest in the heart to benefit the world.
Yangtze's "profit" is "selfishness". Only if everyone benefits themselves and completely disadvantages others, can the world benefit.
Mencius criticized Mozi and Yangzi for not using the "medium-purpose" way, but for adhering to the one. The way of adhering to the one is a thief, and using one will discard a hundred.
The "righteousness" mentioned by Mencius is different from the "righteousness" mentioned by Mozi.
Mencius' "righteousness" is the way of "neutral use", which takes into account both self-interest and benefit to others. But the way of "righteousness" is not to compromise and reconcile, how to use it appropriately? It must start from "sincerity", which is "benevolence and righteousness".
What is ‘benevolence and righteousness’?
Benevolence and righteousness means "big benefit", "far benefit", and what "benefit" does King Hui of Liang have for our country? The "profit" mentioned by our country is "short benefit", "near benefit".
Everyone knows short-term profit and near-profit. If there are a hundred pieces on the ground, you don’t need to teach anyone how to pick them up.
But because picking up these 100 yuan, if it is seen by the owner or the owner, it will be beneficial and harmful. Or there will be neither, and the idea of getting something for nothing and waiting for something will be born, which is harmful.
The reason why people become addicted to gambling is because they start to win money from gambling.
Therefore, Mencius's "benevolence and righteousness" is to advise King Hui of Liang to abandon "immediate benefits" for "distant benefits". Only "benevolence and righteousness" is "far benefits", and do not give up the big for the small.
This is where Mencius conforms to the "seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages" in the Book of Changes.
To achieve self-interest through altruism is the Confucian "righteousness". However, Zhu Xi, a later generation, saw that others did not understand, so he quickly added in a hurry, "If you don't seek benefit, you will be self-interested."
If Confucius defined what ‘benevolence’ is, then Mencius defined what ‘righteousness’ is.
Mozi's "righteousness" of sacrificing himself and dedicating himself to others is very noble and great, but most people can't do it. Mencius' "righteousness" is the practical way to balance "interest and righteousness".
The principle of "pursuing advantages and avoiding disadvantages" in the Book of Changes is that "a house that accumulates good deeds will always be blessed, and a house that accumulates bad deeds will have residual disasters."
It's just that later Confucian scholars one-sidedly opposed "righteousness" and "benefit".
Therefore Zhang Yue wrote to Wang Anshi that Mencius also talked about "profit".
Wang Anshi read Zhang Yue's book and agreed with it in his heart. Sima Guang criticized himself for being "a master of Ji Lian" and violated the "ambition of Mencius".
Wang Anshi counterattacked: "The government of the previous kings was carried out to promote benefits and eliminate harm, not to cause trouble; to manage the world's finances, not to collect profits."
Later, Wang Anshi and Zeng Gongliang said, "What Mencius said is beneficial is to benefit our country. For example, to prevent and control boils, it benefits our body and ears. When a dog eats a person's food, check it, and if there is hunger in the wild, it will breed. This is the so-called
Political affairs. Political affairs means financial management, and financial management is the so-called righteousness'.
Zhang Yue used the Book of Changes to 'seek benefits and avoid harm', and Mencius' 'speech of benefits' essentially supported Wang Anshi, and also showed that if he was in charge of the [state affairs] in the future, this would not change.
Zhang Yue only wrote half of the letter here, and then explained why "benevolence and righteousness" did not work.
Laozi said, "When the great principles fail, there will be benevolence and righteousness; when wisdom arises, there will be great hypocrisy." Zhuangzi said, "As long as the saint does not die, there will be great thieves."
Neither Laozi nor Zhuangzi were interested in the Confucian set of "benevolence and righteousness", and even scorned it.
Is Laozi and Zhuangzi wrong? Or is Confucius and Mencius wrong?
Doing what you say is not the same thing. If you want to achieve the goal of "benevolence and righteousness", you cannot promote it in the name of "benevolence and righteousness".
Otherwise, the more you advocate "benevolence and righteousness," the more hypocritical the world will be. Whatever you advocate, it will weaken. The moment you exert your strength, you will go astray, and "the effort will be weak."
To practice "benevolence and righteousness", one must oppose the movement of Tao.
Heaven and earth are unkind and regard all things as stupid dogs. It is precisely because of their unkindness that they are benevolent to all things.
Therefore, the way of humanity must follow the way of heaven, and government must not be "benevolent". Legalists are the ones who see this most thoroughly.
Han Feizi once said, "When the ruler is over the people, he will sacrifice his life if there is trouble; if there is peace, he will do his best."
For the king, the role of the common people is that if the king is in trouble, the people will die for the king. If nothing happens, the people will work until death to support the king.
Legalists' words are not nice to hear, but they hit the nail on the head and every sentence is the truth.
"Harm is born from kindness, and kindness is born from harm." Resentment is born from kindness. On the contrary, there are many people with Stockholm syndrome.
Under severe punishment, a grateful heart emerged.
Therefore, when governing a country, we should pursue "benevolence and righteousness", but we cannot just govern the country by "benevolence and righteousness". It must be supplemented by Legalism.
When Wang Anshi saw this, the paper trembled slightly in the spring breeze.
Wang Anshi thought to himself, if he had met Zhang Yue twenty years earlier, he would have taken him under his wing. Why would he have entrusted Lu Huiqing and Zeng Bu to him?
Unfortunately, there is no if
…
In the deep palace.
Gao Taotao was hearing Zhang Maoze's report.
"Although this Wang Yu lives in Tianzhang Pavilion and is waiting to be ruled, his reputation has always been bad."
"Wang Yu had a mean and severe temperament. He often called himself Lord Shang (Shang Yang) and considered himself a hero. He often advised Wang Anshi to kill ministers who could not survive and drive out the old party."
"When Wang Anshi came to power, it was this person who instigated him to get rid of the mature and prudent people and use more new and clever young people in his sect. He ordered all students in the imperial, prefecture and county schools to take Wang's classics as their teachers."
"After Wang Anshi resigned as prime minister, this person used Wang Anshi's orders to ask Deng Wan and Lu Jiawen to impeach Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing. Zhang Yue didn't know where he learned about this, and he wanted to go to the palace to confront Wang Anshi."
"But when things came to a head, he suddenly went to Wang Anshi's house, and then the misunderstanding was eliminated."
Gao Tao said: "I read it right. Zhang Yue is really a person who understands the general situation. If it were Lu Huiqing who came to confront Wang Anshi, he would definitely lose both sides."
Zhang Maoze said: "Zhang Yue is indeed a virtuous person, but I don't know if he will follow An Shi's views and continue the reform in the future!"
Hearing this, Gao Taotao was silent for a moment and said: "If selfish people dominate the country, the world will be selfless. Selfless people will dominate the country, but it will become selfish in the world. Let's take a look. If Zhang Yue were more worldly, he would be more selfish in the near future.
A few favors will do the trick."
"You bring Zhang Yue's wife to the palace for me. She had a very enjoyable conversation with me last time."
Zhang Mao left in front of Gao Taotao.
He looked back at the palace. Once Wang Anshi left, even Empress Dowager Gao now took the initiative to show her kindness to Zhang Yue.
…
When the imperial edict arrived at Dingliyuan, it was already dusk.
Wang Anshi had mixed feelings when he learned that he was to be dismissed as prime minister.
When I look down, I am like the setting sun in front of me, sinking towards the west. But looking at Zhang Yue, I am like the rising sun, which will rise slowly in the east tomorrow.
But what?
People and affairs undergo metabolism, and exchanges become ancient and modern.
Back then, a monk told me that when I was so proud, I just needed to rest!
This is also true!
Today Wang Anshi looks at the clove again.
Clove is good for cleansing the body, looks good and smells good, but if it is used as medicine, it should be broken into pieces, otherwise it just looks good and smells good.
He had been famous in the world for thirty years, and he went to Beijing to carry out political reform, and he did not hesitate to break his body to pieces to change the way of the world. Wang Anshi was prepared to lose his reputation, and he did not want to be alone.
But after ten years of reigning in the country, he was so kind to the king that he could still retire with honor. His successor Zhang Yue could still respect him Wang Anshi so much and take care of his reputation again and again. What more could he ask for?
As for where the new law will go from now on, I will leave it to the sages of this generation, and I will be like a flower in the past!
In the Dingli Courtyard, the spring breeze did not speak, and lilacs bloomed on the branches.
Wang Anshi became poetic again and thought about it for a long time before he wrote: "Remembering the old traces is unforgettable. There are green trees, green vines and water. I heard that Jinglu is better now."
, so that I can return home with the remaining principles’.
After reading it, Wang Anshi felt that this poem was just mediocre and ultimately not as good as "Between Jingkou and Guazhou, there are only a few mountains between Zhongshan. The spring breeze is green again on the south bank of the river. When will the bright moon shine on me again?"
We have been together for a long time, and the poems we wrote are far inferior to those before we were together. I don’t know if Zhongshan can pick them up now.
Wang Anshi thought with full self-deprecation.
…
The officials in the palace are admiring the spring in the imperial garden.
When the officials learned that Wang Yun's time was running out, they were very sorry and said to Shi De: "Wang Yun is so talented that I deeply cherish him. Please send someone to Wang Anshi's house to ask Wang Yun what he has to say to me."
Shi Deyi is called.
The official paused and asked again: "I asked Wang Anshi before who could replace him, but he didn't answer. This time, can you ask Zhang Yue for me again? This matter must not be made public. You must ask it personally before letting him know.
Wang Anshi answered in a book."
Shi Deyi said yes again, and then said with a smile: "Although Wang Anshi had different political views on Zhang Yue, he had high expectations for him before he resigned as prime minister."
"Yes!" The official nodded and smiled.
Looking at the spring outside the palace, a few birds are making spring noise in the treetops.
…
A few days later, Wang Anshi resigned from office and returned to Jiangning with his son Wang Yu.
Before leaving, Wang Anshi twice declined the post of envoy and prime minister.
Officials once sent envoys to the palace to ask Wang Anshi if he had any explanation for state affairs or who he could recommend to take his place.
Wang Anshi replied at that time, "I have put the government's trust in public affairs and will no longer talk about government affairs."
And the three prime ministers Wang Gui, Yuan Jiang, and Zhang Yue led hundreds of officials to the palace to see each other off. It should be noted that no one can receive such treatment after the prime minister has been dismissed.
However, Wang Anshi regarded him as normal and even closed the door behind closed doors, causing all officials to be rejected.
The next day, Wang Anshi, wearing only cloth clothes and a hat, left Bianjing on a donkey. Wang Anshi lay half-ly on the car and looked at the scenery of Bianjing.
It rained heavily a few days ago and the water in the Bianhe River was high.
The tired Wang Yu looked out the window and said to his wife in a self-deprecating tone: "This time, Zhang Duzhi is satisfied."
"I wonder if he will follow Lu Jifu's example and take revenge on me after returning to Jiangning?"
After saying this, Wang Yu coughed heavily several times.
…
When Wang Anshi left Beijing, the Seventeenth Mother was changing Zhang Yue's clothes into a brand new purple gauze court dress.
Zhang Yue closed his eyes, as if he was resting his mind. After Shiqi Niang dressed Zhang Yue neatly, she looked left and right and then said with a smile: "Okay."
Zhang Yue opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, only to see in the bronze mirror a senior official in purple robes and gold belt who was less than forty years old.
Zhang Yue looked at the adoring eyes of the Seventeenth Mother aside, and couldn't help but curiously asked: "What's wrong?"
Seventeenth Mother smiled and shook her head: "Nothing?"
After a pause, Seventeenth Mother said, "Yesterday Empress Dowager Gao summoned me into the palace and had a conversation."
"I know, what did you say?"
"It's nothing, it's just a woman's talk. By the way, I mentioned that the late emperor, who was still a member of the Thirteenth Regiment, was elected as the crown prince."
Zhang Yue smiled slightly and said, "I didn't say anything else."
"Gone."
Zhang Yue nodded and said, "I'm going to court!"
Zhang Yue walked out of the palace and mounted his horse, and his entourage surrounded him across the street and headed straight to the palace.
The morning wind blew on his face, Zhang Yue's eyes were fixed on the road ahead.
At this moment, shortly after dawn, the sky and the earth are still gray. At this moment, the streets are sparsely populated. Zhang Yue is riding his horse. The spacious feeling is like a person driving alone in the early morning through the deserted streets, as if the whole world is his own.
Generally, the entire Bianjing city has its own runway.
Arriving at the palace gate, the officials came in sparsely on horseback, but when they saw Zhang Yue, they all stayed aside.
Zhang Yue rode his horse straight forward without stopping.
When they arrived in front of the palace gate, the officials dismounted and handed over their mounts to their attendants to walk into the palace. However, Zhang Yue continued to ride his horse forward. When passing through the long corridor of the palace gate, the forbidden attendants also bowed and saluted respectfully.
When the officials on the left and right saw Zhang Yue, they all stopped and bowed to see him, with a look of awe in their eyes.
When Zhang Yue passed by, the officials on the left and right talked about it one after another.
"Zhang Gong must be even more proud now!"
"I guess you probably heard something from the palace!"
"There is indeed some news, but I dare not lie. We will know when the dust settles."
"In fact, after the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the government, he should recommend Zhong Shu Ping Zhang Shi, and Zhang Gong should be the candidate."
"Isn't it Yuan Houzhi?"
"This matter is not for outsiders to say, but for the official's sacred heart to choose which husband-in-law. How can Yuan Houzhi be better than Zhang Gong! But Zhang Gong is too young, and he has been in Zhongshu for less than half a year. Suddenly,
Pingzhangjun's state affairs are too urgent."
"Whether Zhang Gong is fair or not, Deng Wan and Lu Jiawen will be in trouble."
"Yes, once the Prime Minister leaves, these two people will become like grasshoppers after autumn."
Several officials laughed.
…
In front of the main hall, Deng Wan and Lu Jia asked what the two of them seemed to be arguing about, but as soon as they saw Zhang Yue at the palace gate, they all stopped arguing in unison.
"I've met Mr. Zhang!" the two said while avoiding each other.
Zhang Yue glanced at them and nodded, then walked past the two of them.
After Zhang Yue left, Deng Wan and Lu Jiawen's smile turned frosty.
Deng Wan said: "Da Langjun has said several times that the one who will abolish the new law in the future will definitely be Zhang San! He wants us to be careful about Zhang San!"
Lu Jia asked: "What's the point of being careful? The prime minister has already resigned! You and I should have already found a way out!"
Hearing this, Deng Wan laughed bitterly and looked at Zhang Yue, who was dressed in purple, holding up the hem of his official robe, slowly entering the palace and saying: "Which Fujianese can you say can stay in the position for a long time? Even Sima Twelve said that Fujian people are so cunning.
Dangerous people."
"If he ascends to the position of prime minister and excludes you and me in office, it will also be a matter of retaliation. He is no different from Lu Jifu. How can his position be stable?"
Deng Wan saw that the rising sun was shining golden light on Zhang Yue who was slowly entering the palace. At this moment, he couldn't help but admit that in terms of demeanor, there was no other person in the world who could compare to Zhang Yue at this moment.
Lu Jiawen also looked up and said, "Don't look at Zhang San, but think about you and me."
The moment he entered the palace, Zhang Yue looked down at the slow steps.
This principle of being an official is just like benevolence and righteousness.
Straight is curved, curved is straight.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yue entered the palace. After a while, Wang Gui, Feng Jing, Yuan Jiang, Zeng Xiaokuan and others arrived one after another.
The chamberlain came out to send a message and asked several ministers to go into the reception hall first to talk to the officials.
The official read Wang Anshi's letter several times and hid it in his sleeve. After a while, he told the arriving ministers: "Wang Qing has returned to Jiangning, but after he leaves, who can succeed him?"
"The appointment of the prime minister is like the pillar of the sky. You must be cautious. I have thought about this matter again and again. If you have any candidates in your mind, you may as well tell me!"
Wang Gui, Feng Jing and others were silent.
Seeing that all the ministers refused to answer, the officials were about to take out Wang Anshi's letter and announce it.
But at this moment Zhang Yue stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I dare to recommend someone!"
The official was surprised when he heard this, and then asked: "Who does Zhang Qing recommend?"
Zhang Yue said: "I recommend Han Jiang!"
Ps: Some of the ideas in this chapter come from "Seven Lectures on Mencius" by Mr. Nan Huaijin.
