Schlimme Dinge passieren oft

Kapitel 17

He cried out to her in anguish, "You'll regret it if that happens!"

She ignored them all, leaving only a figure with fluttering gauze sleeves, bathed in the cold moonlight, like a bewitching flower spirit.

As dawn broke, he dragged his weary body to the Fu Ning Palace to request an audience with his father, the Emperor. He knelt down and respectfully kowtowed, saying, "I wish to marry Miss Xiang."

After that, Wanji was taken out of the palace by the Cao family to live at her parents' home to await marriage. When Xu saw her again at a royal family banquet, she was now the Princess Consort of Dongyang. He looked at her, but she seemed completely unaware, sitting upright with her eyes fixed straight ahead, her face expressionless, and she never made eye contact with him.

He knew very well that the best way to retaliate and vent all his resentment was to reclaim his right to the throne. To this end, he devoted himself tirelessly to studying according to his father's demands, to the point that even his father couldn't bear to watch and would often send palace maids to urge him to rest. His sharp edges softened considerably; he gradually learned to speak tactfully and diplomatically, ceasing his insistence on things that would displease his father. He began to participate in politics, diligently handling every task assigned to him, earning considerable praise. He was also exceptionally respectful to his grandmother and parents, satisfying everyone and garnering praise for his transformation. But inwardly, he sneered: See how easy it is to meet their demands.

Finally, on his deathbed, his father decided to name him Crown Prince. Upon hearing this news, his eyes welled up with tears, overwhelmed with emotion, but he immediately stood tall against the wind, stubbornly raising his head, making the tears that were about to spill disappear without a trace. From that day forward, he would be an incomparably strong and ambitious emperor, and would not allow anyone to perceive that he also had moments of vulnerability.

After ascending the throne, he quickly promoted Hao to the title of Prince of Chang, and later transferred him to the title of Prince of Qi. He used the gesture of bestowing favors upon Hao to emphasize the difference in their current status: he was the ruler, and Hao was the subject. The ruler could bestow titles and rewards upon his subject at any time, but he could also take away everything that the subject possessed at any time.

Hao was clever. After being enfeoffed as the Prince of Chang, he submitted a memorial requesting to resign his official title and serve as a mourner for his father, Emperor Yingzong, thus concealing his brilliance to protect himself. But how could Xu easily agree? He had finally gained the upper hand in this protracted war with Hao, how could he let Hao withdraw so quickly? He hadn't had enough fun yet.

He also took many concubines.

Empress Xiang was actually a very good and virtuous woman, like most young ladies from scholar-official families. She even understood a bit of politics and could occasionally help him analyze the national situation. While his grandmother and mother firmly opposed his reforms, his empress stood firmly by his side. He was grateful and respected her greatly. But it was only respect; they treated each other with the utmost courtesy.

Treat each other with the utmost respect. Every time I think of this phrase, I find it utterly ridiculous. What truly loving couple would treat each other with the same respect and affection as guests? So many loveless marriages are buried alive under this cold, seemingly harmonious phrase.

So he took in many concubines, hoping to find some new solace. He was still disappointed. Among them were many stunning beauties and exceptionally talented women, yet he still couldn't love them. He knew the fault wasn't with them; they might not have been inferior to Wanji. The fault lay in timing. They were always too late. So many spring blossoms and autumn moons, so many tender years—how could they possibly catch up with him and allow him to relive them?

Perhaps, loving one's country is worse than loving a beautiful woman. Beauty cannot last, but a country can last forever.

Fortunately, he still harbored a deep ambition to revitalize the nation, and now he finally had the opportunity to completely transform the Song Dynasty, which had been impoverished and ailing under the rule of his elders who had restrained him since childhood. He abandoned a group of so-called virtuous ministers whom his grandfather and father regarded as pillars of governance, and boldly appointed the aloof, unconventional, and progressive Wang Anshi to lead the reforms. In an instant, the political landscape changed dramatically, shocking and enraging the old guard both inside and outside the court. He knew this would happen. He awaited the rainbow after the storm.

Many times, he thought he had forgotten the woman named Wanji. But had he really forgotten? He knew it was a lie. Her image would often surface in his mind whenever he heard or saw anything related to her. For example, whenever Hao applied to leave the palace, his first thought was that if Hao's request was approved, Wanji would be even further away from him.

After marriage, Wanji was like a lotus flower growing in the middle of the water to him, something he longed for but could not obtain.

Then...then one day, she died.

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Long rain

On New Year's Day of the fifth year of the Xining era, Zhao Hao was ordered to go to the western frontier to meet with Wang Shao to plan the recovery of the Hehuang region. Zhao Xu did not send anyone to see him off; only the Princess of Shu, her husband, Wang Pang, and a few other close relatives came out of the city to bid him farewell. After he left the capital, it rained continuously for more than ten days, the sky was dark, and the sun did not shine for a long time.

At this time, the reforms were reaching their climax, and as people gradually adapted, local opposition was not as strong. The past two years had generally seen favorable weather across the country, so the implementation of the Green Sprouts Act and the Irrigation Act did indeed benefit agricultural production, and the court's revenue increased accordingly. The old party officials, led by the Privy Councilor Wen Yanbo, lacked new strategies to continue their opposition to Wang Anshi. Seeing the prolonged rain in the first month of the lunar calendar, they connected this to the concept of "celestial anomalies" and secretly plotted with Kang Ying, the Director of the Astronomical Bureau, to use this as a pretext to bring down Wang Anshi. On the nineteenth day of the first month, Kang Ying submitted a memorial to Emperor Shenzong, Zhao Xu, stating that the prolonged overcast skies and the out-of-range stars indicated that Heaven was dissatisfied with the court's policies and laws, and therefore Wang Anshi should be dismissed.

That evening at the family banquet, Wang Anshi reflected on how prolonged rains could easily lead to floods, severely impacting agricultural irrigation. He found Kang Ying and others' exploitation of the situation particularly distasteful, and couldn't help but feel sullen, sighing repeatedly. His younger brother, Wang Anguo, seeing this, secretly sneered and deliberately asked, "What worries you, elder brother?"

He was accustomed to contradicting Wang Anshi. Wang Anguo, courtesy name Pingfu, was intelligent and learned, excelling in poetry and prose, but he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations in his youth, which gradually made him arrogant. After Wang Anshi rose to prominence, Wang Anguo was recommended by his friends Han Jiang and others, and was granted the title of Jinshi by Emperor Zhao Xu.

However, he never wanted to curry favor with his elder brother's power, nor did he wish to endorse his political views and decisions, thus drifting further and further away from Wang Anshi in thought. He was once sent to Xijing (present-day Beijing) as a professor at the Imperial Academy, where he was influenced by Fu Bi and Sima Guang, who lived there, and became even more dissatisfied with the New Policies. After completing his term and returning to the capital, Zhao Xu, out of respect for his brother, appointed him as a compiler at the Chongwen Academy, intending to promote him further. He summoned him and tested him with words, asking, "You are known for your extensive learning, but what do you think of Emperor Wen of Han?"

Wang Anguo replied, "He was a rare good emperor after three generations."

Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "Although he is talented, he couldn't think of legislation and system reform, so he can't be considered a sage ruler."

Wang Anguo knew the emperor wanted him to praise the emperor's wisdom and the benefits of the reforms, but he refused to agree, arguing instead: "Emperor Wen came from Daizhou, entered Weiyang Palace, and swiftly and effectively resolved the crisis; such a feat could not have been accomplished without talent. Furthermore, heeding Jia Yi's advice, he treated his ministers with integrity and governed the people with law, thus fostering a climate of propriety and righteousness throughout the land, allowing the people to live in peace and prosperity, and rendering the penal code virtually ineffective. Therefore, Emperor Wen's talent surpasses that of others."

Zhao Xu immediately realized that this man's thinking was completely different from his brother's, and asked again, "Wang Meng assisted Fu Jian, and although the country was small, his orders were always obeyed. Why is it that now that my empire is so vast, I find it difficult to command people?"

Wang Anguo replied, "Wang Meng taught Fu Jian to kill people with harsh punishments, which is why the Qin dynasty lasted so short. Now there are treacherous and wicked men in the court who will surely mislead Your Majesty. If Your Majesty takes the examples of Yao, Shun, and the Three Dynasties, how could your subjects disobey you?"

The "treacherous and wicked person" he referred to was primarily Lü Huiqing, Wang Anshi's most trusted and relied-upon reform minister at the time. While Zeng Bu, another key assistant to Wang Anshi, was intelligent, he lacked independent thought, whereas Lü Huiqing was quick-witted and eloquent, performing far better. Previously, when Sima Guang served as a Hanlin Academician, he often used historical allusions to satirize the reformists during his lectures at the palace, vehemently criticizing their ideas. Lü Huiqing, who was serving as a lecturer at the Chongren Hall, would immediately refute him with classical allusions and arguments, ultimately silencing him. Eventually, Sima Guang would refrain from speaking lightly in his presence, thus earning Lü Huiqing Wang Anshi's high regard. However, Lü Huiqing was cunning and lacked magnanimity. Members of the old party, seeing his rise to prominence through his association with Wang Anshi, viewed him as a treacherous and wicked person, and held him in contempt. Wang Anguo shared this view and frequently advised his brother to distance himself from him, but Wang Anshi ignored him.

Zhao Xu increasingly felt that his words were blunt and sharp, with every sentence subtly criticizing the reform faction. So he asked again, "How is your elder brother's rule viewed from the outside?"

Without hesitation, Wang Anguo replied, "I hate that they didn't know how to judge people and were too eager to amass wealth."

Zhao Xu was greatly displeased and abandoned his plan to promote him. He asked Wang Anshi why his own brother would so vehemently oppose the reforms. Wang Anshi simply stated that Anguo was simple-minded and straightforward, easily swayed by the people in Xijing. Zhao Xu thought of his own brother Zhao Hao and immediately felt a deep understanding.

Seeing that the emperor disregarded his words, Wang Anguo knew he had no hope of achieving anything politically, so he devoted himself to poetry and sensual pleasures. He rarely commented on the actions of Wang Anshi and his son, but if he saw them make a mistake, he couldn't help but criticize them harshly.

When Wang Anshi heard Anguo's question, he knew Anguo was deliberately provoking him, but he didn't get angry. He simply said calmly, "I'm just worried about water conservancy. It's been raining for days, and I'm afraid it will cause floods. The danger in the two river basins goes without saying, but if this continues, I'm afraid the vast Juye, Daze, and Liangshanbo areas, which cover eight hundred li, will also be flooded. I wonder if Pingfu has any good solutions?"

Wang Anguo replied lazily, "I don't have a good solution, but the 'silting up' method you've been using these past two years is said to be very effective. Draining the water from the lakes creates fertile land. In that case, why not drain the water from Liangshan Marsh and turn it into farmland? Then we won't have to worry about the lakes flooding anymore, and we'll have fertile farmland. Wouldn't that be an incredibly beneficial thing?"

The "silt-retaining" method was a crucial part of Wang Anshi's agricultural irrigation laws. It involved using the method of diverting water from lakes and rivers to allow the silt deposited in the rivers to flow into farmland, transforming barren land into fertile fields. In the third year of the Xining era, this method was used to repair the Nanli Weir in Jizhou (present-day Juye, Shandong) and the Malingbo Weir in Puzhou (present-day Pucheng, Shandong). After draining the accumulated water, approximately 4,200 hectares of fertile land were obtained. In the summer and autumn of the fourth year of the Xining era alone, more than two million shi of wheat and beans were harvested.

Wang Anshi initially thought the idea made sense, but upon closer examination, he discovered a significant problem. He then said, "This plan is good, but where should the water from Liangshan Marsh be drained to?" Since the plan was to divert the water, there needed to be a river near the lake to receive the diverted water and eventually send it eastward into the sea. Liangshan Marsh clearly lacked such conditions.

Pang Di, who had found Wang Anguo's words laughable, finally couldn't hold back when his father-in-law asked such a question. He spoke sarcastically, but his expression was serious: "We can dig a large pond near Liangshan Marsh, the same size as Liangshan Marsh itself, and then we can collect the water discharged from Liangshan Marsh, right?"

Everyone except Wang Anguo and his brothers burst into laughter upon hearing this, and even Wang Anshi couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile. Wang Pang almost doubled over with laughter, saying to Anguo, "Uncle, you should really consider Adi's suggestion; it's indeed reasonable!"

Wang Anguo's face alternated between pale and flushed, filled with rage. He already felt his nephew's attitude towards him was utterly disrespectful, completely disregarding him. Now, to be publicly humiliated by his nephew's wife was even more disgraceful, and his anger was hard to quell. He wanted to retaliate, but then reconsidered and forced himself to suppress his anger, coldly saying to Pang Di, "My nephew's wife is indeed quite clever. Discussing mere water conservancy matters would hardly showcase your talent. Now, with the prolonged rains, the Director of Astronomy, Kang Ying, claims it's due to your father-in-law's defying Heaven's will and demands the Emperor dismiss him from his position as prime minister. What are your thoughts on this?"

Pang Di's words were merely a spur-of-the-moment remark, not intended to be harsh towards Wang Anguo. She immediately realized her mistake and regretted them, trying to find a way to remedy the situation. Hearing her uncle's question, she knew he was ostensibly seeking her opinion but secretly intended to bring up the matter of court officials attacking her father-in-law for acting against the will of Heaven, thus displeasing the whole family. Therefore, she rose, bowed, and said, "I spoke rudely just now; please forgive me, Uncle. As for matters of the court, how dare a mere woman speak lightly?"

Wang Anguo sneered, "You two are a perfect match in terms of talent and appearance, and you're always so carefree and unrestrained. What is there that you wouldn't dare to say?"

Wang Pang was immediately displeased and said, "My wife only speaks reasonable and wise words, unlike some people who only spout hurtful and nonsensical nonsense."

Wang Anguo continued to argue: "If that's the case, then I'll listen attentively to Madam Wang's reasonable advice. How should we deal with Kang Ying's matter?"

Seeing the increasingly awkward atmosphere, Wang Anshi was about to offer some words of comfort when Pang Di calmly replied, "This matter is not difficult."

Everyone knew Wang Anguo was deliberately making things difficult, and they were all secretly amazed and surprised that Pang Di actually had a solution. Wang Anshi then asked, "What brilliant plan does my virtuous daughter-in-law have?"

Pang Di had actually thought of a solution to this matter long ago. She originally intended to tell her husband privately and ask him to pass on the message to her father-in-law, but unexpectedly, her uncle asked her about it in public. At first, she was polite and yielding, but seeing that he was so persistent, she also became a little unhappy. She thought that this man was being aggressive, and it would be good to put an end to his arrogance in front of everyone, so she decided to speak her mind.