Chapter 133: The Answer

From Wu Anchi's perspective, Zhang Yue simply smiled and nodded in return.

At this moment, the people in the stove pavilion were arguing incessantly, while Zhang Yue put down his essays and walked toward Wu Anchi.

Wu Anchi smiled and asked, "Everyone is in the middle of a heated debate, why is Brother Zhang alone reciting essays?"

Zhang Yue initially intended to feign ignorance and flatter Wang Jinggong a few times. But upon second thought, given his interactions with the Wu family, he ought to have some understanding of who Wu Anchi's father-in-law was; wouldn't acting otherwise be rather hypocritical?

However, it was true that he genuinely liked the man's writing, so what was there to be embarrassed about?

Zhang Yue simply adopted the demeanor of someone who "has a deep understanding of this gentleman's essays" and said, "Brother Wu, I humbly believe that among the notables of the present day, apart from Academician Ouyang, Master Wang's essays are second to none."

"Oh? Is that really your view?"

Zhang Yue replied, "In the past, I always loved *The Reminiscence of Zhongyong* and *The Record of Mount Baochan*, but reading *On Reading Lord Mengchang's Biography* recently has filled me with even greater admiration."

Seeing Wu Anchi's slight perplexity, Zhang Yue chanted with a smile: "The world universally praises Lord Mengchang for his ability to attract men of talent, and talented men for this reason flocked to him, ultimately relying on their strength to escape from the tiger-and-wolf-like state of Qin. Alas! Lord Mengchang was merely a leader among cocksure roosters and dog-stealing scoundrels; how could he possibly be considered capable of acquiring talent? Otherwise, possessing the might of Qi and having acquired even a single man of true talent, he ought to have been able to face south and check Qin—what need would there have been for the strength of roosters and dogs? The very fact that cocksure roosters and dog-stealing scoundrels issued from his gates is precisely why true men of talent did not arrive."

Saying this, Zhang Yue looked at Wu Anchi's expression and added, "Reading that very last line is just like 'an old clerk rendering a judicial verdict'—it truly makes one slam the desk in applause!"

This piece, *On Reading Lord Mengchang's Biography*, was less than a hundred characters long, but reading it gave one the distinct sensation of peeling back cocoon silk layer by layer. After four or five twists and turns, the final sentence felt nothing short of a divine stroke of inspiration!

At the same time, Zhang Yue had another implication in mind.

Did Wang Anxtong not use the example of Lord Mengchang as a warning to be cautious in choosing one's associates?

Weren't you, Second Young Master Wu, doing the exact same thing within the Imperial Academy?

Wu Anchi genuinely agreed, saying, "Indeed. Since ancient times, people have praised Lord Mengchang for his skill in acquiring talent, but how can the gentleman and the petty person ever coexist?"

"Therefore, to dwell with the virtuous is like entering a room fragrant with orchids, and in time one becomes fragrant of oneself; to dwell with the wicked is like entering a market stinking of salted fish, and in time one becomes stinking of oneself. Mozi grieved over the dyeing of silk—this is precisely what is meant. Hence, the gentleman must be cautious in his choice of companions!"

Hearing this, Wu Anchi smiled and said nothing more. Zhang Yue thought to himself that this Second Young Master Wu was terribly difficult to get close to; it seemed that befriending him would be no easy task.

With these thoughts, Zhang Yue returned to his seat. Yet he heard the clamor in the hall growing increasingly intense. These Imperial Academy students really dared to say anything; they had actually gone so far as to criticize the Qingli Reforms all the way up to the Emperor himself.

Good lord, they had some serious nerve.

The prevailing atmosphere of the Song Dynasty was precisely like this. It was not just the Imperial Academy students who acted this way; even the officials were much the same.

Back then, the Imperial Memorial Office Case, which directly led to the failure of the Qingli Reforms, featured an official who wrote a piece of arrogant verse that was simply boundless in its wildness.

Lines like "Drunkenly reclining in the northern pole, I command the Emperor to support me; Duke Zhou and Confucius are driven as my slaves." Let us omit the latter half, but the former half actually demanded that the Emperor himself lend a physical arm to steady him.

As for why the Qingli Reforms ultimately failed, many people attributed the cause to Emperor Renzong of Song constantly vacillating and failing to see it through to the end.

Yet Zhang Yue felt that Song Renzong was somewhat wronged by this interpretation.

The Qingli Reforms were, in reality, a premature endeavor.

At the time, following the agonizing trials of the war against Western Xia, Emperor Renzong hastily resolved to carry out reforms. He recalled Fan Zhongwen and Fu Bi to the central government to implement the new policies. Song Renzong originally believed they would immediately produce a practical and feasible policy, but after much deliberation, Fan Zhongwen finally submitted a ten-point proposal, which later became known as the "Ten Points of Fan."

Every single one of Fan's ten points targeted the greatest problems facing the Song Dynasty at the time: the three redundancies (redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and redundant expenditures).

From the moment Fan Zhongwen and Fu Bi entered the power center until their eventual departure, the reforms lasted barely a year before failing.

Why was that?

Song Renzong had never been prepared for reforms from the very beginning. The failure of Fan Zhongwen's reforms made him realize that the timing for reform was still not ripe. Officials argued that "the scope is too grand, and those discussing it deem it difficult to carry out."

With far too many people in opposition, genuinely pushing forward the reforms would shake the very foundations of the state.

Why did the redundancies exist?

Frankly speaking, they were designed by the rulers of the day themselves in the first place. The three redundancies were established to solve a series of problems, and now if you were to abolish them, had the original problems been solved in return?

To abolish them without a solution was to shake the foundational bedrock.

Furthermore, there was the issue of inadequate preparation. Song Renzong had never intended to reform in the first place; it was only after being battered and bruised by Western Xia that he allowed Fan Zhongwen to give it a try. After the new policies had been in effect for a while, they discovered what it meant when "things that don't weigh four ounces on the scale suddenly can't be held down by a thousand catties"—the problems were far more numerous than anticipated.

The "Ten Points of Fan" could hardly be called drastic, yet the deep-seated abuses they exposed were shockingly startling.

Faced with such a multitude of problems, Fan Zhongwen and Fu Bi continuously called for expanding the authority of the chief councilors in order to push through the reforms and thoroughly suppress the opposing factions.

Yet expanding the authority of the chief councilors once again touched upon the foundational bedrock.

In the end, the reforms failed, but Song Renzong kept those who had supported the reforms back then—Fu Bi, Han Qi, and Ouyang Xiu—firmly in the imperial court, where they continued to receive heavy appointments.

As for the policies of establishing schools in prefectures and counties and promoting the Imperial Academy during the reforms, they remained intact. The Imperial Academy, where the reformist faction resided, consistently received preferential policy support.

For instance, this time the Directorate of Education's provincial examination quota was increased from four hundred and fifty to six hundred, yet the Imperial Academy students numbered barely over seven hundred. Even adding the students of the Guangwen Pavilion, the total was only a little over a thousand.

This achieved a ratio of almost one successful candidate for every three examinees.

Just think about the ratio in Fujian and Zhejiang, where it was one successful candidate for every one hundred examinees.

The predecessors plant the trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.

When Wang Anshi carried out his reforms, he drew upon Hu Yuan's students to serve as the backbone of the New Party. However, after Wang Anshi came to power, the new crop of Imperial Academy students opposed the reforms, something Wang Anshi had never anticipated.

After everyone had discussed for a while without hearing a word from Zhang Yue, Xiang Qi suddenly looked over and asked, "Third Young Brother, what is your view on the Qingli Reforms and this ten-thousand-word memorial?"

Up until then, Zhang Yue had only been paying attention to literary style and wording, temporarily ignoring matters of statecraft.

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "How could someone as young as I presume to voice opinions? Right now, I barely have enough time just to study writing."

The people nearby chuckled. If Zhang Yue had simply left it at that, it might have passed, but Xiang Qi persisted, saying, "Third Young Brother, that's not playing fair. Good or bad, right or wrong, you should at least give us a general outline!"

Zhang Yue thought to himself that the Imperial Academy placed an extremely heavy emphasis on debating political views; if he truly said nothing, he would instead be looked down upon by the others.

He decided to offer a perspective that would offend no one. Setting down his book, he smiled and said, "Then let me attempt a word or two. If I speak amiss, I hope you all will not laugh."

"Please speak."

Zhang Yue said, "When I was reading, there was a phrase that deeply resonated with me. Prime Minister Li Wenting (Li Hang) once said, 'I have no other ability as Prime Minister; I merely refuse to alter the laws and institutions of the imperial court, and I use this to repay my country.' When we first hear these words, we might think that despite being Prime Minister, Li Wenting did not actually attend to affairs."

"In truth, the most ruinous thing a Prime Minister can do is to neglect the fundamentals of governance, repeatedly altering the institutions of the dynastic ancestors merely to court favor and reap praise, ultimately resulting in a bloated and redundant mass of officials and soldiers. That is the greatest abuse of all."

"Today's expenditures are without restraint, financial resources are depleted, and both public and private spheres are distressed. If one traces every single one of these matters back to their root, it is entirely because the Prime Ministers of the past were unable to observe the old regulations and presumptuously caused alterations."

Once Zhang Yue finished these words, they failed to stir up any ripples among the crowd of Imperial Academy students.

Liu Ji offered a perfunctory smile and said, "Third Young Brother speaks well."

With that, everyone resumed their discussions. Zhang Yue thought to himself, how could these Imperial Academy students possibly understand such things?

Meanwhile, Wu Anchi's gaze flickered on the sidelines.

The following day was the first day of the lunar month, and Wu Anchi returned home from the Imperial Academy.

Over these past few days, not only had his father-in-law, Wang Anshi, returned to the capital, but even his father, Wu Chong, had returned from Shaanzhou to the capital to report on his duties.

Wu Anchi had specially found a spacious and comfortable residence in the capital for his father-in-law to rest, but Wang Anshi declared that it made no difference where one lived, and stubbornly insisted on staying at the Zhaoji Hostel right next to the Imperial Academy.

Seeing that his father-in-law preferred to stay in public lodgings, Wu Anchi had nothing more to say and prepared to go over to pay his respects and offer greetings, only to find the door barred against him.

It turned out that after submitting his ten-thousand-word memorial, Wang Anshi had caused a sensation throughout the capital. Numerous officials and scholars came to pay visits, though some also cursed him for purely looking for trouble.

Yet, to demonstrate the sincerity and attitude of his memorial, Wang Anshi refused to receive any external guests whatsoever before receiving a reply from the Son of Heaven. He simply treated even his son-in-law as an outsider and refused to see him altogether.

After being turned away at the door, Wu Anchi still bowed repeatedly outside his father-in-law's gate before finally letting out a sigh of relief once he returned home.

Upon returning to the mansion, Wu Anchi first went to see his wife.

Lady Wang was Wang Anshi's eldest daughter. Although her appearance was not particularly striking, her literary talent and brilliance were exceptionally high, something that even Wu Anchi felt fell short of her.

Lady Wang helped Wu Anchi change his clothes and said, "There is a family banquet tonight. You should go pay your respects to Mother first. Now that the Fifteenth Sister is married off, Eldest Brother is out of the house all day, and you are studying at the Imperial Academy, the household has become much more desolate."

Wu Anchi said, "Isn't the Seventeenth still here?"

Lady Wang shook her head and said, "You still don't know Mother? She has always kept the Seventeenth at a distance while treating others as close kin."

Wu Anchi remarked, "What do you mean by keeping her at a distance? Now that the Fifteenth Sister is married, it will soon be the Seventeenth's turn. But with her temperament... finding her a good husband's family is truly going to give Father and Mother a headache."

Lady Wang said, "You are timid and submissive when you're outside, yet back at home you criticize the Seventeenth."

Wu Anchi smiled and said, "I am only hoping she marries a good husband. Oh, by the way, how are things handled regarding the Eldest Uncle's affairs?"

It turned out that two months prior, Vice Councilor of State Wu Yu had passed away from illness.

Lady Wang replied, "Eldest Uncle's funeral arrangements have all been properly settled. Academician Ouyang has now been entrusted to write his epitaph. As for the Emperor, remembering his many years of loyal assistance, he has already issued an imperial decree to grant his sons official posts through the privilege of hereditary protection."

"However, there are several members of Eldest Uncle's household who do not hold official posts, so this matter has been deferred to our household. Father might ask you and your brother tonight whether you have any intention of accepting such hereditary protection. What are your plans?"

Lady Wang looked at Wu Anchi's expression and said with a trace of disappointment, "I knew I shouldn't have asked you at a time like this."

Wu Anchi looked into Lady Wang's eyes and said, "My wife, you know as well as I do how difficult the examination halls are. Having an official rank granted to one means becoming an official first. Even with hereditary protection, one can still take the locked-hall examinations later on and strive to earn the genuine status of a palace graduate."

Lady Wang said, "I originally had this same thought, but seeing that you agreed without even a moment's hesitation, I fear that once you receive this protected rank, you won't have any intention of striving for the palace examinations anymore..."

Wu Anchi said with dissatisfaction, "My wife, the way you talk is sounding more and more like the Seventeenth."

That night, a family banquet was held at the Wu residence.

Wu Chong had served as an official for twenty years, yet he had not yet reached the age of forty.

He had passed the palace examinations at the age of seventeen, which could be considered youthful success. Afterwards, his official career was further boosted by the patronage of his several elder brothers, making his path remarkably smooth.

While at the Ministry of Herd Management, Wang Anshi wouldn't even drink the wine offered by Bao Zheng. Yet someone as haughty as Wang Anshi held his colleague Wu Chong in immense respect, viewing him as a close friend. Not only did he affectionately address him as "Brother Chongqing" in his poetry, but he also married his beloved daughter to Wu Chong's second son.

Wu Chong's appearance could be described as strikingly handsome and refined, and his wife, Lady Li, was likewise the daughter of the renowned statesman Li You, making it an exceptionally well-matched marriage of equal social standing.

At tonight's family banquet, Wu Anshi, Wu Anchi and his wife, and the Seventeenth Miss were all present. As for the several young children, they were being held by servants while eating at a separate small table nearby.

No one at the main table dared to speak loudly until Wu Chong mentioned that the Ministry of Personnel intended to grant official posts to Wu Yu's descendants through hereditary protection, assigning them according to seniority as libationers in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, evaluation officials in the Court of Judicial Review, or correctors in the Academy of Scholarly Worthies, among other posts.

Wu Anchi recalled discussing the three redundancies at the stove pavilion that very day, and he deeply felt the ills of bloated officialdom. The core evil of redundant officials stemmed precisely from the abuse of hereditary protection. Therefore, one of the ten points proposed by Fan Zhongwen was to "curb unearned privileges," aiming to root out the abuses of protected official posts.

For instance, the protected official posts received by the Wu family members were all capital and court official ranks. Although they only corresponded to the final three lowest rungs of unranked officials—the fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second grades—they were still far above ordinary selected-person official ranks.

Even among a whole cohort of palace graduates, only a handful could initially be appointed as capital and court officials; all others had to start out by serving as selected-person officials.

When his fellow students at the Imperial Academy were lambasting the evils of redundant officials and protected appointments that day, he had remained completely silent.

Wu Anchi knew deep down inside that they were right, but when such a matter fell directly upon one's own head, was it ultimately right or wrong?

From then on, there would be no need to bitterly study poetry and books, and one wouldn't even need to pass the palace examinations before being sent off to serve in remote prefectures and counties; he could simply remain right here in the prosperous Bianjing.

Hearing Wu Chong state that he intended for his two sons to receive these protected appointments together, the stone that had been weighing down the bottom of Wu Anchi's heart finally landed safely.

Wu Chong said, "Regarding this matter of hereditary protection, until the official decree is formally issued, neither of you is to breathe a word of it. The rest of you must also keep your mouths shut."

Everyone at the table replied in assent.

Wu Chong continued, "Even with hereditary protection, the court will not immediately assign you duties; waiting two or three years is entirely possible. During this time, both of you are to stay at home and study, and you are not permitted to go out."

Seeing that the atmosphere had grown somewhat solemn, Lady Li turned to her two sons with a smile and said, "Just keep your father's instructions firmly in mind—the dishes are getting cold!"

Wu Chong nodded slightly and picked up his chopsticks to serve himself some food, prompting the rest of the family to finally begin eating.

After taking a few bites, Wu Chong began testing his two sons on their learning and political affairs. Wu An诗 answered poorly and received several stern reprimands from Wu Chong. The others at the dining table could not help feeling nervous and apprehensive.

When it came to Wu Anchi's turn, before he could even reply, the chopsticks in his hand slipped and fell to the floor.

Wu Chong could not help shaking his head. After a maid replaced Wu Anchi's chopsticks, he asked, "Have you read that ten-thousand-word memorial your father-in-law submitted to the Emperor?"

Wu Anchi replied, "I already read it yesterday while at the Imperial Academy."

"What is your view on it?"

Wu Anchi broke out in a sweat.

Wu Chong reproved him, saying, "You haven't even answered yet and you're already like this. You need to offer genuine insight; when you enter the imperial court in the future and the dignitaries ask you questions, even if you can't offer a fully practical and workable solution, you must at least speak with substance."

Wu Anchi replied, "This son believes that the primary principle in governance is still 'valuing simplicity'."

"How so?"

Wu Anchi said, "Valuing simplicity means simplifying government administration, and it means being concise yet lawful."

"Acceptable," Wu Chong remarked.

Wu Anchi pondered for a moment before saying, "When this son was reading today, I encountered the words once spoken by Prime Minister Li Wenting (Li Hang): 'I have no other ability as Prime Minister; I merely refuse to alter the laws and institutions of the imperial court, and I use this to repay my country.' This son... this son was deeply moved..."

Wu Chong was momentarily stunned, stroked his beard in contemplation for a moment, and then smiled, saying, "Since Second Brother entered the Imperial Academy, his discernment has indeed grown somewhat!"