Han Shizu

Chapter 2189 Renzong Chapter 6 Wang Anshi is here

It was already dusk, and the flashy and noisy nightlife of Luoyang City had just begun. In the Guangzheng Hall, Fan Zhongyan, who had worked hard for the emperor and the country, was still toiling in the government hall.

The eleventh year of Zhengtong was the sixth year of Fan Zhongyan's administration. Five years had passed in a flash, and the empire had gone through another round of trials and tribulations. The court had a new look, and Fan, who had entered his sixties, had white hair on his temples.

In the dark night, the lights in the prime minister's hall were flickering, and dozens of officials, servants, and scholars were also accompanying Prime Minister Fan, working overtime and sorting out official documents. These people were about thirty years old, and their backgrounds were different, but they had good backgrounds and most of them had undergone a certain amount of work experience.

Although not all of them were promoted by Fan Zhongyan, they all had strengths recognized by him, and these people are the elites of the current Han Empire with promising prospects, and are the reserve of future high-ranking officials of the empire.

However, being in such a position, one comes into contact with prime ministers and ministers every day and handles national affairs. While being in the spotlight, the pressure and competition one endures are far beyond ordinary people's imagination.

Especially when the person sitting in the position of Shangshu Ling is a powerful person like Fan Zhongyan, even if you are not a party member, you have to be influenced by him and try your best to perform, such as this habit of "working overtime".
Even those imperial elites who were well-mannered, aware, and magnanimous would become physically and mentally exhausted if they persisted for a long time, even though Fan Zhongyan never asked them to do more work beyond their duties.

These people, on the one hand, longed for the prime minister's attention and promotion, but on the other hand, they were intolerable to the prime minister's style of work. Even some officials and talented people who were deeply grateful to Fan Zhongyan for his recognition and support were looking forward to his early retirement.

Why bother? You are not tired, but everyone else is! As long as you step down, you, Mr. Fan, will once again be a wise minister and famous prime minister known all over the world, instead of a "powerful prime minister" who is subject to criticism and discussion.

Among these officials in the prime minister's hall, there was one man whose temperament stood out from the crowd. As a bureaucrat, he was not very old, only about 30 years old, but he always gave people a feeling of being sharp.

His name was Wang Anshi. He was the top scholar in the second year of Zhengtong and also the youngest top scholar in the empire since the Kaibao era.

Over the past hundred years, the Han Empire has formed a variety of factions, large and small. The "Gan faction" originated in the western route of Jiangnan. Although it is only a branch of the Southern Ministers and has a weaker influence, it also has a long history and has produced many celebrities, even prime ministers.

The most famous ones are Zhong Mo and Wang Qinruo. Although Zhong Mo was not a native of Jiangxi, he was regarded as the founder of the Gan School by later generations because of his many years of service in the Jiangnan West Circuit during the Kaibao period, where he made many contributions to the political system, culture and education.

As for Wang Qinruo, he served in four dynasties and served as a prime minister for twenty years. He was a high-ranking official and once had great power over the world, and even got involved in the position of Shangshu Ling. The most crucial thing was that he made great contributions to Shizong's succession to the throne during the transition from "Kangzong to Shizong".

Although Wang Qinruo later fell into disgrace due to his collusion with eunuchs, his reputation and status among the southern officials of the Gan faction remained unshakable. His disciples and students still play a role in various parts of the empire and pass on his influence.

His career experience has inspired countless younger generations. You should know that Wang Qinruo did not enter the officialdom through the imperial examination. Although he was helped by noble people, he had a strong "poor family" color. He was a typical and benchmark of "entering the officialdom from the clerk" in the imperial political arena, which was almost admired by all the corrupt officials in the world.

Wang Anshi was also from Jiangxi Province. He was dubbed a child prodigy and a genius since he was young. He was gifted and intelligent, and he lived up to his qualifications. He loved reading and learning.

When he was a little older, he followed his father on official trips to various places. This experience was particularly crucial to his growth. Not only did he come into contact with local customs and folkways, but he also learned the strengths of various schools of thought. He had studied in the four most mainstream schools in the south of the Han Empire, namely Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian and Jiangsu. His progress and thinking were even better than those of some professors.

Before he came to Beijing, Wang Anshi, who was less than 20 years old, had already gained great fame among the scholars and schools in the south. After coming to Beijing, he was admitted to the University Hall. During this period, he was also noticed by Ouyang Xiu and studied ancient Chinese literature.

The University of Political Science and Law was the place where Wang Anshi stayed the longest to study, because it was the place where he truly came into contact with the empire's highest institution of learning and the upper echelons of power. The University was also far more than just a place for studying, and it focused more on the cultivation of the ways of being an official and the ability to govern.

In this regard, even with Wang Anshi's talent, he could not be as comfortable and at ease as drinking sweet wine. So-called talent and learning are important, but interpersonal relationships and practical experience are not so easy to accumulate.

However, this also seemed to have completely aroused Wang Anshi's enthusiasm and interest in politics. During that period, it happened to be the late years of Emperor Shenzong, and the struggle for the throne had caused chaos in the government and people's hearts were unstable.

The University Hall, located in the royal gardens, was the highest institution for training elite forces in the empire. It was a place with a strong political atmosphere. The young and energetic Wang Anshi was no exception, and thus he wrote many satisfying articles criticizing current affairs.

Although he seemed a little immature in the eyes of veteran politicians, his talent and wisdom had already impressed many people. Of course, he also caused disgust from many people, especially the children of the powerful.

For example, Xiao Fu, the grandson of Xiao Gong, a prime minister of two dynasties and a close minister of Emperor Shizong, was also gifted and studious. He once studied under Liao Changhao, a master of Xiangxue. Xiao Fu loved to debate with Wang Anshi the most, but he lost more than he won. In the end, he was often at a loss for words and left in anger.

There are many similar examples. When Wang Anshi was young, he was arrogant, intelligent, and aggressive. For this reason, after the second year of Zhengtong, when the palace examination was evaluated, many ministers, including Yan Shu, the then Minister of Rites, suggested that he should suppress his edge, because a rough jade needs to be polished.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Anshi would not even be able to enter the first class of the imperial examination, let alone the top scholar. However, Liu Weizhen had been on the throne for a year at that time. Although he was young and gave up power, he was not without his own ideas.

Liu Weizhen did not agree with the "polishing theory". He believed that the imperial court had always selected officials based on their talent, learning, and intelligence. How could it be unfair to take age into consideration and suppress them arbitrarily?

When the emperor made this clear, Wang Anshi, the 23-year-old top scholar, was freshly crowned. The emperor may not have had a favorable impression of Wang Anshi, and he did not even know him well. But we must know that Liu Weizhen was also a young man at the time, and he was facing a group of old officials.
By now, Wang Anshi had been in the government for ten years. His career was very stable, and he followed the rules and procedures, basically following the inherent bureaucratic training system and rhythm of the court. After he really entered the officialdom, he realized that although the Political Science and Law University was very close to the court, the difference between them was so great that it was difficult to measure.

After diving into the big dye vat of the imperial court, his talent and erudition were unable to break free from the political vortex, and he had to hide his edge, as he would realize after suffering a few losses.

We still have to thank Fan Zhongyan. If Fan had not vigorously promoted and cultivated talented people after he became prime minister, Wang Anshi might still be editing books and writing articles in the Three Libraries, or waiting for orders in the Hanlin Academy, where it would be almost impossible for him to be summoned in the orthodox era.

Therefore, Wang Anshi was grateful to Fan Zhongyan. Fan Zhongyan's thoughts, political style, and conduct deeply influenced Wang Anshi and affected him in all aspects.

As the night deepened, the subordinates presented the memorials submitted by the various ministries and local prefectures, which had been sorted, annotated, and proposed, to the prime minister. The desk facing Fan Zhongyan was full again, which was a daunting feeling.

"It's getting late, put this chapter aside and go back to the house to rest!"

Wang Anshi was the last to come in, also holding a stack of memorials in his hands. Upon hearing this, he gently placed them on the table. Then, looking at Fan Zhongyan, who was still buried in his papers with a worried look on his face, he could not help but bow and clasp his fists, saying, "Sir, it's getting late. Please take care of yourself and rest early!"

Hearing the voice, Fan Zhongyan raised his head and saw that it was Wang Anshi. A smile appeared on his wrinkled old face: "It's Jiefu! You go back first. I still need to finish reading this audit!"

After saying this, he lowered his head again. Seeing this, Wang Anshi's face was moved, and his eyes were a little hot. Taking a deep breath, calming his mind, Wang Anshi bowed to Fan Zhongyan and said, "Sir!"

Noticing something strange, Fan Zhongyan raised his head again, looked at him, and asked, "What's the matter?"

Wang Anshi said in a deep voice: "I have been promoted by the Prime Minister and have been in the central government. What I see and hear are all national affairs. However, with my humble eyes, it is like looking at a mountain in the clouds and not seeing its true appearance.

Over the past ten years since I came to Beijing, I have not seen the scenery outside the capital, have not heard the voices of the common people, and have not understood the sufferings of the common people. I beg you to send me to another place."

Hearing his request, Fan Zhongyan was surprised at first, then showed a satisfied expression, thought for a while and said: "This is as it should be. Jiefu can have such a heart, which shows his ambition to serve the country!"

After a little thought, Fan Zhongyan said, "The security of a country depends first on the selection of officials, second on the rules and regulations, and third on the financial planning and people's livelihood. So, there is a vacant position of deputy director of taxation in the Jianghai Customs, so I'll leave it to you!"

The Jianghai Customs was the first of the five major customs in the empire. After half a century of development, the annual customs duties and various administrative revenues had reached a breakthrough of 10 million guan. One Jianghai Customs was equivalent to five Suzhou prefectures.

During the years that Wang Anshi was at the center of the government, he had a deep understanding of the political and economic system of the empire, and naturally knew the importance of the Jianghai Customs. He was surprised and delighted to receive such an arrangement, and at the same time, he felt that he was valued. This was definitely a key turning point in his career.

"Thank you, sir!" At this moment, Wang Anshi could only express his gratitude with a long bow.

Fan Zhongyan immediately gave Wang Anshi a note, and after the current affairs were handed over, he went to find Wang Xianggong to confirm. Wang Xianggong refers to the prime minister, the Minister of Personnel Wang Shilin, who was the real core of the imperial party in the orthodox era and a trump card for the orthodox emperor to check and balance the court.

Looking at Wang Anshi's back as he left, Fan Zhongyan's eyes revealed deep worry and a complicated look. After a long time, he sighed with regret.

The Jianghai Customs is a big piece of fat meat, so naturally there are wolves surrounding it. Since taking office, Fan Zhongyan has made many reforms to the empire's finances and taxation, especially the "new thing" of the customs, which he has vigorously rectified and cracked down on corruption and illegality. This is one of the reasons why the annual revenue of the Jianghai Customs has reached a historical high.

However, Fan Zhongyan knew that what he was attacking were only some superficial problems, and some problems in the bones could not be solved by relying on the court system. Arranging Wang Anshi to the Jianghai Pass was tantamount to pushing him into the wolf's den. Whether he could persist was a big question mark.

However, with his personality and talents, Fan Zhongyan secretly hoped that he could bring some different changes to the Jianghai Customs and even the entire imperial customs system. Wasn't it the same when Emperor Shizong used Fan Xiwen?
It is difficult to achieve success even if things go smoothly.
(End of this chapter)