Eyes Charming - Chapter 36
Wang Anshi was deeply troubled by the plight of the displaced people and feared that the old party would use this opportunity to blame the reformists for the disaster. He was filled with worry day and night, yet he was at a loss for what to do. Seeing this, Wang Pang advised his father, “The streets of the capital are now teeming with displaced people, and tens of thousands more are constantly pouring in from outside the city. The Futian Court can only shelter a fraction of them. If we let this continue, the number of displaced people will only increase, not only affecting the security of the capital but also giving the old party ammunition to point the finger at us, saying that all these displaced people are ruined and forced into exile because of the flawed reforms. Therefore, Father, you must act decisively and order the Imperial City Guard to immediately expel the displaced people wandering the streets from the capital. From now on, strictly guard the city gates and prevent them from entering the city, in order to maintain the stability of the capital.”
“That’s not right! The refugees are already very unfortunate because of the natural disasters. They come to the capital hoping to rely on the emperor’s grace to make a living. How can we not even give them a place to stay?” Wang Anshi was unwilling to adopt this inhumane suggestion.
Wang Pang insisted, “Father, you cannot abandon the greater good for the sake of womanly compassion. If you continue to accept refugees and allow them to cause trouble in the capital, this will inevitably become a major reason for the old party to attack us. At that time, Father will be unable to defend himself, which will ruin the great reform plan. If the Emperor listens to slander and regards the responsibility for the refugees as Father’s fault and the reform, then our years of reform efforts to strengthen the country and enrich the people will be wasted, and the country will return to its previous state of decline. That would be a great misfortune for the people!”
Wang Anshi pondered his son's words and found them to be reasonable. Moreover, there was no other way at the moment, and the peasant uprising was an urgent problem that needed to be solved. With no other choice, he had to accept the suggestion.
On March 20th of the seventh year of the Xining era, the Imperial City Guard began to mobilize the Imperial Guards to expel all the refugees from other places from Bianliang City.
On March 26th, Prince Qi, Zhao Hao, was ordered by the Empress Dowager to travel outside the city to the mausoleums of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Yingzong to offer sacrifices and pray for rain. On his return journey, he saw a continuous stream of refugees pouring in from all directions, most of them ragged, emaciated, and barely recognizable as skin and bones. They dragged their children along, moving slowly and unsteadily, as if a gust of wind could topple them at any moment. They surged to the city gates, where the guards stood watch, refusing to let a single person in. Zhao Hao and his entourage rode to the city gates, whereupon the guards opened them to let them in. Upon seeing this, the refugees rushed forward, vying to enter. The guards shouted to stop them, and when the refugees ignored them, they turned their spears on them. Blood splattered, finally quelling the commotion, but then cries of anguish and grief filled the air, a truly tragic scene.
Zhao Hao angrily asked the gate guards, "Why did you resort to violence and harm them?"
The soldiers hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, please calm down! We had no choice but to do this. The Imperial City Guard had already issued an order, not only strictly prohibiting refugees from entering the city, but also expelling those who had entered before."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao spurred his horse into the city and circled it once. Sure enough, he saw the city heavily guarded by imperial guards, who, on horseback, brandished whips and searched and chased after the refugees. The refugees either ran and hid, cried and pleaded, or cursed angrily, creating a chaotic and noisy scene throughout the city. Reaching the Anshang Gate on the left side of Bianliang City, he saw several imperial guards escorting a group of refugees towards the gate. These refugees were mostly the elderly, women, and children; some had tears streaming down their faces, some looked dazed, and they walked slowly and hesitantly. One thin woman, already staggering, finally gave way and collapsed to the ground. Immediately, an imperial guard rode over and lashed her with his whip. With a sharp crack, the woman's clothes flew off her back, her skin split open, revealing a gruesome bloody gash. But she was too weak to get up and remained motionless on the ground. A thin, disheveled little girl who had been walking beside the woman among the refugees immediately cried out and clung to her. The imperial guards, while scolding her, raised their whips again. The little girl shook the woman desperately, calling for her mother, and was unable to continue walking. The whip, however, was raised mercilessly, ready to strike again…
"Stop!" Two voices rang out from different directions, both filled with anger.
The imperial guard was stunned upon hearing this. He looked around and saw an official in a black robe with a wide belt standing on one side, and a young prince on horseback on the other! He recognized Zhao Hao's princely attire. He immediately dismounted and knelt down.
Zhao Hao frowned and rebuked, "They are all poor, weak women and children. You, as the Imperial Guards of the capital, have no compassion whatsoever. What crime do you deserve for treating innocent people so cruelly?"
The Imperial Guards explained, "Your Highness, please forgive us. We were only acting under orders. The higher-ups were demanding that we expel all the refugees within a few days. If we were to act any later, we would not be able to complete the mission, which is why we took such forceful measures."
Again, he was acting on orders. Hao sighed helplessly. He ordered his attendants to take out all the money he had with him and distribute it to the group of refugees.
The official in the black robe with a wide belt had already helped the woman up. The group accepted the reward money, and left with tears in their eyes and profuse thanks—still heading towards the city gate.
The official asked Hao's attendants about his identity and then came over to pay his respects. He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a dignified appearance, and his demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant, yet very polite.
Seeing that he had just indignantly rebuked the imperial guards who were wielding whips, Hao felt a sense of goodwill towards him and asked in a gentle tone, "Who are you?"
He replied, "My name is Zheng Xia, and I serve as the supervisor of security at the gate."
Hao smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Just now you stopped the Imperial Guards and personally helped the refugees. Your benevolence is evident. There are not many officials in the capital like you who are upright and love the people."
Zheng Xia said, "I am ashamed. I am just a minor official guarding the city gate, and what I can do for the common people is really limited. I have long heard of His Highness Prince Qi's virtuous reputation, and seeing it today, I can confirm it is true. His act of helping strangers and giving generously is enough to prove His Highness's virtue."
Hao sighed, “What I have seen today is probably just one of countless tragedies. One person can be saved from the whip, but in the end, it is impossible to save all the refugees in the world.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xia boldly raised his head and looked directly at Zhao Hao. After a moment, he asked, "Does Your Highness truly wish to save all the refugees in the world?"
Hao nodded and said, "That's for sure."
Zheng Xia's eyes lit up with joy, and he said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness, I'll be right back."
Having said this, he turned and went back to the city tower, returning shortly with a scroll in his hand. He then took out a memorial from his sleeve, and presented the scroll and memorial above his head to Hao, saying, "This painting depicts the suffering and misery of the refugees, which I have been working on for the past two days and nights. I urge Your Highness to present this painting and memorial directly to the Emperor for his perusal. If the Emperor can see the suffering of the people from this painting and find a way to alleviate their plight, then Your Highness will have saved all the refugees in the world."
Zheng Xia was a native of Fuqing, Fujian, and was thirty-three years old at the time. He had been well-versed in Confucian classics since childhood and passed the imperial examination at a young age, eventually serving as a judicial officer in Guang Prefecture. Wang Anshi greatly admired his talent, repeatedly praising and encouraging him. Zheng Xia was grateful and considered Wang Anshi a close friend. After completing his term, Wang Anshi transferred him to the capital to serve by his side, frequently having the opportunity to discuss national affairs and academic matters directly with the prime minister. He greatly admired Wang Anshi's character, knowledge, and courage, but did not entirely agree with his policies and laws. Once, when Wang Anshi asked for his opinion on the new laws, he bluntly stated, "The Green Sprouts Act, the Exemption from Corvée Labor Act, the Baojia System, the Market Regulation Act, and the military campaigns on the borders do not seem to be considered good policies." Wang Anshi, appreciating his talent, did not take offense. In February of the second year of the Xining era, Wang Anshi wanted to transfer him to the "Regulations Department for the Administration of the Three Departments" to participate in organizing the reform work, but he declined, citing his "lack of familiarity with the Green Sprouts Act and the Exemption from Corvée Labor Act." In April of the sixth year of the Xining era, Wang Anshi was appointed to oversee the compilation of the "New Interpretations of the Three Classics" at the Bureau of Classical Studies. He wanted to transfer him to the bureau to assist in the compilation, but he declined again, saying that he had "not read much and was not worthy of the honor of being a compiler." Wang Anshi was inevitably disappointed. He had originally intended to promote him to the position of compiler, but since he was so unwilling to align himself with the New Party, he only made him a minor gatekeeper, Jian'an Gatekeeper.
This year, witnessing the daily plight of the displaced people from the city walls, he was deeply troubled and filled with anxiety. He thought that this scene was the result of the long-standing abuses of the Green Sprouts and Exemption from Corvée Labor laws, which he had initially disapproved of, now exacerbated by the natural disaster. These laws had caused the displaced people to be displaced, unable to find homes or protect themselves, and now, even in the capital, they had nowhere to stay, constantly fleeing from the whips of the Imperial Guards, with some even lying dead in the streets. These tragic scenes weighed heavily on his mind, and finally, he picked up his brush and painted the scene of the displaced people, naming it "The Refugees' Picture." He also wrote a memorial to the emperor, intending to directly impeach the new laws.
He wasn't unaware that this action was far too dangerous; a slight misstep could lead to his execution. Furthermore, by impeaching the new laws, he was essentially going against his former mentor, the prime minister Wang Anshi. He wasn't afraid of Wang Anshi's wrathful retaliation, but rather of seeing the disappointment in Wang's eyes after witnessing his "ungrateful" behavior. However, the suffering of the displaced people he had witnessed firsthand compelled him to continue writing, painting, and submitting memorials. He decided to gamble his life, taking a huge risk on the fate of the nation.
At the end of his memorial, he wrote: "Your Majesty, if you observe my plans and follow my words, and if it does not rain for ten days, I beg you to execute me outside the Xuande Gate to punish my crime of deceiving the Emperor."
As was customary, memorials submitted by officials to the emperor had to be reviewed by the chief ministers first, so the usual procedure could not be followed. After preparing the scrolls and memorials, Zheng Xia wanted to present them directly to the emperor. However, his official rank was too low to allow him direct access to the palace for an audience. Later, he went to the side gate of the Secretariat-Chancellery and offered money to an acquaintance to arrange a direct presentation to the emperor, but the person dared not agree, refusing him by saying, "All documents submitted through the gate must be reviewed by the chief ministers." So he guarded the paintings and memorials day and night, but did not know how to get the emperor to see them. Fortunately, he had now met Prince Qi, Zhao Hao, the emperor's younger brother, who could naturally be entrusted with this matter.
Zhao Hao took the item presented to him, unrolled the scroll, and was greatly shocked. He then sighed and said to Zheng Xia, "Please rest assured, I will absolutely not fail you."
Heavenly Changes
In the past few days, Emperor Zhao Xu in the Funing Palace has been deeply worried about the drought and the influx of refugees into the capital. He is restless and has been sighing all day long in the palace. Amid the suspicious whispers of the palace servants around him, he vaguely hears the word "celestial change" being mentioned repeatedly.
He didn't believe in ghosts or gods, and didn't think that weather changes were closely related to his laws and policies. Droughts and floods were common occurrences and not enough to be an excuse for divine retribution for misrule. Last time, when the old party members blamed the reforms for the prolonged rains, wasn't Wang Anshi successfully defused the situation? This drought should also be an unavoidable natural disaster and unrelated to the implementation of the new laws.
However, the drought has dragged on for far too long, a full ten months, which is indeed a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Could this truly be a warning from Heaven? Had he really done something wrong? He couldn't help but begin to doubt, but even so, why not punish him alone instead of harming all living beings? If this was truly Heaven's will, it was far too cruel.
Finally, he decided to bow his noble, proud, emperor-like head to the legendary will of Heaven, humbly begging for divine mercy and… forgiveness if he had done anything wrong. Call it a last-minute attempt to seek help, or a desperate measure, he simply didn't want to helplessly wait for divine intervention any longer. He wanted to do something, even if it was ineffective, as long as it alleviated some of the intense anxiety in his heart.
He summoned Han Wei, a Hanlin Academician, and said to him, "It has been raining in October, and I am extremely worried day and night. You shall convey my decree: From today onwards, I will punish myself by reducing my meals and avoiding the palace, in accordance with ancient customs, in order to win back the Emperor's favor."
Han Wei knelt down and remonstrated, saying, “Your Majesty’s concern for the natural disasters and your sacrifice of food and avoidance of the palace are ordinary acts of kindness by a monarch, but they are probably insufficient to respond to the celestial changes. The Book of Documents says, ‘Only the former kings were upright and their affairs were rectified.’ I dare to urge Your Majesty to seriously examine yourself, face up to your mistakes, issue an edict to widely solicit opinions, and let people of the world speak frankly and offer honest advice in order to clear up any obstructions.”
Zhao Xu exclaimed in surprise, "Are you asking me to admit to the world that I have made mistakes in my governance?"
Han Wei solemnly kowtowed again and said, “I have heard that recently, officials in various counties responsible for collecting the Green Seedling Tax have been too eager to collect money, often whipping and extorting borrowers, and even forcing them to cut down mulberry trees for firewood to exchange for money. The people, suffering this hardship during a drought, naturally find it unbearable, leading to displacement. The Baojia system has indeed affected the livelihoods of farmers, depriving them of time to work and earn a living in order to train soldiers. Your Majesty’s military campaign to recruit the Western Barbarians is a good thing, but this remote land is far too poor in resources, yet the court has acted without hesitation and with great zeal. As for the Equalization of Transport and Market Exchange systems, they compete with the people for profit, causing widespread resentment. It is wise and insightful of past rulers to take responsibility and issue an edict seeking honest advice. Now, with natural disasters and widespread fear, I hope Your Majesty can issue an edict of self-reproach in a timely manner to appease the people, calm their anxieties, and quell dissent.”
Zhao Xu remained silent for a long time before finally sighing, "Your suggestion is not without merit. Then I will trouble you to draft an edict of self-reproach for me."
At noon on March 28th, Emperor Zhao Xu summoned high-ranking officials to the Fu Ning Hall. Wang Anshi, the Chancellor, Wu Chong, the Deputy Privy Councilor, and Feng Jing, the Vice Chancellor and Councilor of State Affairs, had already arrived. The former Privy Councilor, Wen Yanbo, had fiercely criticized Wang Anshi for establishing the Market Exchange Office for profit the previous year, arguing that scholars should not prioritize commerce and profit, especially when the state establishes a trading institution to compete with ordinary people. He stated, "Even the gentry and officials cannot tolerate the pursuit of profit in the market. How can a great nation so eagerly seek profit?" Wang Anshi, in turn, joined forces with Han Jiang to oust him and established the Four Courts of Judicial Review to strip him of his military power. Wen Yanbo, indignant, requested a transfer and was ultimately appointed Grand Minister of Works, concurrently serving as Attendant-in-Ordinary, Military Governor of Hedong, and Prefect of Yanghe. Emperor Zhao Xu appointed Chen Shengzhi as the new Privy Councilor, and Chen also arrived at this time to wait within the hall.
Zhao Xu, dressed in his everyday robes, sat down without a crown, his hair only bound with a silk scarf. He looked tired and somewhat haggard, lacking his usual imperial aura. He sat alone for a long time before finally resting one hand on the table before him, rubbing his forehead, and slowly and hesitantly picking up the imperial edict. In an extremely somber tone, he read aloud: "I have only recently begun to understand the ways of the world and am ignorant of politics. My governance has been flawed, disrupting the harmony of Yin and Yang. Since winter, drought and famine have ravaged the land, and the entire realm has suffered greatly. I have repeatedly ordered officials to reduce their regular meals and present themselves in the main hall, hoping to fulfill my responsibilities and avert disaster. However, as the days have passed, there has been no response. The suffering people are on the verge of death." "I rose in the middle of the night, shaken and restless, forever pondering my faults, yet knowing no way to avert them. Perhaps I have failed to heed reason? Perhaps the lawsuits are not handled with due leniency? Perhaps the taxes have been levied excessively? Perhaps loyal advice and honest words are confined to the emperor's ears, while flattery and obstruction have been used to advance personal gain? Why has this auspicious atmosphere not lasted long? I hereby grant all civil and military officials, both within and outside the capital, the authority to speak frankly about the shortcomings of the government. I will personally review these reports to examine their appropriateness and to assist in governing the state. The three Grand Masters, you must diligently and attentively supervise and ensure the fulfillment of my will!"
Upon hearing the imperial edict, Wang Anshi's face turned ashen and his expression became solemn, while the other senior officials exchanged glances, then lowered their heads and stared at the ground, not daring to utter a sound.
Zhao Xu gave a wry smile, put aside the imperial edict, looked at Wang Anshi, and asked, "What does Mr. Jiefu think?"
Wang Anshi bowed again, then raised his head and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask what the title of this edict is?"
Zhao Xu said, "The edict of self-reproach can also be called an edict to widely solicit honest opinions."
Wang Anshi asked again with great emotion: "What crime has Your Majesty committed? Why do you issue an edict to blame yourself? What is the meaning of seeking out honest advice? Has Your Majesty never listened to honest advice before?"
Zhao Xu was taken aback and was speechless.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Wu Chong stepped in to defuse the situation for the emperor, saying, "Today's change is because Your Majesty is distressed by the disaster and the suffering of the people, and is therefore blaming yourself. We hope that Heaven can understand Your Majesty's love for the people and send down rain as soon as possible to relieve the drought."
Wang Anshi glared at Wu Chong and said, "The celestial anomaly is nothing but alarmist talk from ordinary people. Floods and droughts are natural phenomena that can occur at any time. Even the ancient wise rulers Yao and Tang could not avoid them. They are neither warnings from the gods nor related to human affairs." He then turned to Zhao Xu and said, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, there have been years of abundant harvests. Although it has been October without rain, there should be no major harm. Rain will come sooner or later. What we should do now is continue to implement the new laws. Your Majesty must not listen to the superstitious and divisive words of petty people and doubt the new laws. The new laws have already begun to show results. We must not shake their foundation at this stage."
Zhao Xu frowned and said, “I have heard that the current Green Sprouts Tax, Exemption Tax, and Exemption Tax levied by the Market Exchange Bureau are all too heavy. The people are suffering unbearably, and the coercion of the relevant officials is increasing day by day, leading to widespread resentment. From close ministers to the Empress Dowager’s family, everyone says that this is a corrupt policy. I think it is probably time to improve the administration of the people.”
At this moment, Feng Jing, the Vice Chancellor, responded, "I have also heard that there are many complaints from the people about this." Feng Jing was the son-in-law of Fu Bi, an old minister who had opposed the reform from the beginning. After the famous ministers of the old party successively retired or were sent to other places, he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor by Zhao Xu. He was a major representative of the old party in the ruling body, and those who were dissatisfied with the reform flocked to him.
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Anshi angrily retorted: "The scholar-officials are unable to fulfill their ambitions, so they criticize the new laws. Feng Jing alone has heard complaints. I wonder where he heard them from among the common people? Perhaps he heard them from the people of the courtiers and their families who have been robbed of their profits from exploiting the people by the Green Sprouts Law and the Market Exchange Law? I also have eyes and ears among the common people. Why have I not heard any complaints from them?"
Zhao Xu immediately stopped him, saying, "Your words go too far." He knew that Wang Anshi's targeting of his close ministers and the imperial family was not entirely unreasonable. Those who had jointly impeached Lü Jia, the head of the Market and Exchange Bureau, for "illegally violating market regulations" were precisely the princes and nobles of the imperial clan and the imperial family whose families operated businesses within the Market and Exchange Bureau. They were among those whose interests had been most severely harmed by the establishment of the Market and Exchange Bureau. However, hearing Wang Anshi so openly and brazenly criticize those around him in front of him greatly displeased him.
Wang Anshi then reported to Zhao Xu: "I also believe that we should indeed improve personnel management, change the officials of the two offices, three departments, the remonstrance office, and the censorate, and replace those who are not capable with suitable talents, so as to facilitate the great cause of reform and achieve its goals."
Zhao Xu asked him calmly, "In your opinion, which people should I choose?"
Wang Anshi replied, "I believe that Lü Jiawen, the Director of the Market and Exchange Bureau, Deng Wan, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, Shu Dan, the Supervising Censor, and Li Ding, the Co-Presiding Judge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, are all capable of being entrusted with important responsibilities."
They were all members of the New Party who obeyed him blindly. Zhao Xu thought to himself, "This is going too far. I said I wanted to improve personnel management because I felt the New Party was too arrogant and its actions were too overbearing. Therefore, I wanted to appoint a group of members of the Old Party to restrain and control them, and to prevent the bad situation caused by their impulsive actions. Now they are climbing up to me by following my words, openly demanding that I appoint all members of the New Party. Many people call him tyrannical, but he is like this in front of me. It is clear that the Old Party's evaluation of him is not entirely slander."
Anger then rose uncontrollably from the depths of his heart. Zhao Xu coldly said to his usually obedient prime minister, "The matter of improving personnel matters can be discussed later. I will issue an edict to solicit honest opinions and collect and review the remonstrances from various regions before deciding on what to do."
Wang Anshi understood that this edict actually represented a wavering of Zhao Xu's trust in him. It was the first time that he had completely stood on the side of the old party and expressed a full-scale doubt about his new policies. The so-called "seeking frank opinions" was his conscious effort to "mix different opinions" and no longer regard the ideas of the new laws as the only standard.
His heart was struck a heavy blow, and tears welled up in his eyes. He knelt down again, kowtowed, and bowed once more, firmly and clearly reiterating the spirit of his new policies to Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty, changes in the heavens are not to be feared, ancestral laws are not to be followed blindly, and popular opinions are not to be heeded!"
Zhao Xu was momentarily surprised: he never expected that he would finally speak out about the spirit of "three inadequacies" in person!
Shortly after Wang Anshi assumed power, he publicly expressed his views on these "three insufficiencies." Sima Guang, Fan Zhen, Chen Jian, and other members of the old faction then used the opportunity of examining officials to include these three phrases as exam questions, concluding with "I wish to hear your explanation," requiring candidates to write rebuttals. When they presented the questions to Emperor Zhao Xu for approval, Zhao Xu was astonished, saying that absolutely no one in the court would dare to say such a thing, and ordered a different exam question. Later, he personally tested Wang Anshi, asking if he had heard such words. Although Wang Anshi answered "no," he immediately explained in detail the principle that "ancestral teachings are not to be followed blindly, and popular sayings are not to be heeded," believing this statement to be reasonable and not a fallacy. As for "heavenly changes are not to be feared," although he did not explicitly say it was correct at the time, his later words and actions proved that it was indeed a proverb he believed in. Now, facing the threat of "heavenly change," the resurgence of "common opinions," and the emperor's doubts about the new laws and policies, he finally spoke to the emperor in person to reiterate his attitude and determination to uphold the new laws to the end.
Looking at Wang Anshi's aged face, etched with wrinkles from years of worry for the nation, his increasingly frail body, and his gaze, filled with concern yet still revealing unwavering conviction, Zhao Xu slowly succumbed to a feeling akin to being moved. This man was a trusted minister, a loyal subject, a mentor, and a close friend. For many years, they had worked hand in hand, striving to change the nation's impoverished and ailing state and revive the Song Dynasty passed down to him by his father. Now, the reforms were beginning to show results, and Wang Anshi's contributions were undeniable. However, his ideas were too progressive, and his words too shocking. Sometimes, even Zhao Xu himself was terrified, unsure whether he should heed them entirely. For example, these few sentences… Zhao Xu slowly pondered these three startling words: "Changes in the heavens are not to be feared, ancestral laws are not to be followed blindly, and popular opinions are not to be heeded." Alas, should he believe him? Should he listen to him, disregarding changes in the heavens, ancestral laws, and the opposition of others, and continue to trust and support him?
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boiled beans
That night, Zhao Xu accompanied his mother, Empress Dowager Gao, to Qingshou Palace to visit Empress Dowager Cao, who had been unwell recently. Upon entering the palace gates, they saw the Empress Dowager wiping away tears and sighing frequently. Her younger brother, Zhao Hao, stood beside her, also with a sorrowful expression.
Emperor Zhao Xu and Empress Dowager Gao were both greatly alarmed and immediately rushed over to ask the Empress Dowager why she was weeping. The Empress Dowager took a scroll from a table beside her and handed it to Zhao Xu, saying, "Please take a close look, Your Majesty."
As Xu unfolded the scroll, all he saw was the tragic plight of the displaced people. One after another, emaciated and pitifully frighteningly thin people wailed in the streets, barely clothed, chewing on roots and swallowing dirt, selling their children along the way, collapsing in agony as soldiers chased and pursued them…
"This, this..." Xu's voice and the hand holding the painting trembled. "Who painted this? Who presented it to me?"
Zhao Hao stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This painting was drawn by Zheng Xia, a minor official in charge of the Imperial Security Bureau, and entrusted to Your Majesty for your perusal. Currently, the capital is filled with impoverished refugees who have fled famine from various places. Most of them were originally ordinary farmers with homes and land, but due to natural disasters, they suffered crop failures and were unable to repay the high taxes on seedlings and corvée labor, forcing them to abandon their homes and wander to the capital. They beg for food in the capital, barely clothed and starving, living worse than ordinary beggars. Moreover, there are too many refugees entering the capital, and the Futian Court cannot accommodate them. The refugees scattered throughout the city have become a major problem, so recently the Imperial City Guard sent the Imperial Guards to expel them, using harsh and cruel methods, just like the scene depicted in the painting."
"You presented this? You deliberately brought it to show the Empress Dowager and me?" Xu suddenly sneered. "I know a little about the situation of the refugees. It's natural that those fleeing for their lives will suffer from hunger and cold, but how could anyone in the capital city be so hungry and cold that they have to sell their children? I also know that Wang Anshi has been ordering the Imperial City Guard to find ways to disperse the refugees these past few days. The Imperial Guards will certainly act in an orderly and lawful manner. How could they treat good people like bandits? I'm afraid that someone is just trying to stir up trouble and deliberately had a minor official exaggerate the situation by drawing a picture that depicts the refugees on the streets as if they were in hell, in order to slander the new laws and defame the new party." He then threw the picture on the ground, flicked his sleeve, and sat down in his chair.
"Your Majesty!" Hao reported again, "The various tragic scenes depicted in this painting are all things that Zheng Xia personally witnessed on the Anshangmen city tower these past few days. Every stroke is true. Moreover, on my way back from leaving the palace to the imperial mausoleum the day before yesterday, I also personally witnessed the suffering of the refugees. Indeed, there were imperial guards who disregarded the lives of the refugees and drove them away like cattle and sheep with whips."
Xu looked at him indifferently, his tone as cold as ever: "Even if there are refugees, even if they are living in misery, even if the Imperial Guards were too hasty in their evacuation and injured people, what does that prove? Refugees are caused by natural disasters, and have nothing to do with human affairs or the new laws."
"Your Majesty," the Empress Dowager advised, "while the laws of our ancestors may not always be perfect, their long-standing implementation must have its reasons. They should not be easily changed. Even if changes are necessary, they should be made gradually and with utmost caution, only altering one or two aspects at a time. To implement new laws now is like a sudden shift between the extremes of summer and winter; how can people adapt? I have heard that the Green Sprouts Act and the Exemption from Service Act among the new laws cause the most suffering for the people. During times of natural disasters, the poor suffer even more. Officials in various regions are using the new laws to amass wealth, seeking only profit and money, completely disregarding the people's hardships. How can this be allowed! Now that there is a prolonged drought, it is better to believe the saying that Heaven is sending a warning. It would be better to abolish the Green Sprouts Act, the Exemption from Service Act, and other new laws that affect people's livelihoods."
Xu shook his head and said, "Grandmother, the purpose of my new laws is to strengthen the country and enrich the people. The Green Sprouts Law and the Exemption from Service Law are intended to benefit the people, not to make them suffer. The new laws have begun to show results in the past few years. Currently, the poor are only suffering due to occasional natural disasters, which have nothing to do with the implementation of the new laws. The new laws cannot be abolished."
The Empress Dowager sighed, “You seem to have been completely tamed by Wang Anshi. You listen to whatever he says. Of course, Anshi’s talent is excellent, and I admire him greatly. However, his implementation of these new laws is as if he has a grudge against the wealthy. Almost all of his laws cause the wealthy to lose money and profits. But it is not about robbing the rich to help the poor. The truly destitute also hardly benefit from it. Those who originally had a little land borrowed money for the green seedlings, but when a natural disaster struck, the interest became a heavy burden, leading to the destruction of their families. Now there are many who resent him. If you want to protect him, you might as well temporarily send him to another place.”
"No!" Xu immediately objected: "Wang Anshi is a good minister who can do practical things for the country. Looking around the court, who else has his talent, courage and boldness to govern the country? The reason why people complain about him is actually because they are jealous of his unique achievements! If he is sent to a post outside the capital, where will I find such a capable prime minister to assist me?"
His tone was forceful, his arms raised and his expression agitated, displaying his usual unruly demeanor. The Empress Dowager was furious, yet speechless for a moment, only clutching her chest and coughing uncontrollably.
Empress Dowager Gao hurried over to comfort the Empress Dowager, then turned back and frowned slightly, scolding, "Why don't you apologize to your grandmother?"
Xu frowned and turned away, ignoring him completely. He was already very displeased to see Hao show the "Refugee Map" to the Empress Dowager, and when he saw that the Empress Dowager was also speaking up for him, implying that his own policy mistakes had caused the refugees' suffering, his stubborn temper flared up. He had always been filial to his grandmother, but at this moment he absolutely did not want to apologize or show weakness.
"The Empress Dowager's kind instructions are indeed wise words, Your Majesty must consider them!" A voice rang out from in front of the Emperor.
Looking up, he saw Hao, his second brother, bowing deeply before him. Hao's gaze held a sincere hope, but lacked the obsequious pleading often seen in courtiers.
Xu did not answer, but looked only at the Empress Dowager and said to her, "Grandmother, you are wise. The reforms of the past few years have indeed been effective. The Green Sprouts Act has restricted the usury of powerful families; the Labor Service Act has allowed farmers who were on rotation to return to their fields; in the past six years, more than 30,000 water conservancy projects have been built, irrigating ten million mu of farmland; the survey of one million hectares of land has curbed the land grabbing by powerful families and increased the actual tax revenue of the court; through the implementation of the Equal Transportation Act, the court has broken the hoarding and speculation of wealthy merchants, controlled the main circulation of goods, and ensured the needs of the capital... Are these not enough to prove the benefits and effectiveness of the reforms? Why do you still insist on dismissing Wang Anshi and abolishing the new laws?"
"Your Majesty, would you please grant me a word?"
It was Hao again. Xu stared at him for a long time before finally nodding slightly.
Hao then reported: "Wang Anshi's reforms were indeed well-intentioned, but the legislative ideas were impractical, leading to significant problems in their implementation and widespread public discontent. Wang Guangyuan, the Prefect of Jingdong, distributed the Green Sprouts Tax, dividing households into five classes. Upper-class households were forced to borrow 15,000 coins, while lower-class households were forced to borrow 1,000 coins, using purely coercive methods. In some places, officials arbitrarily increased interest rates, suppressing the Green Sprouts Tax distributed to the people; interest rates could reach 40% to 60%, and in some places even as high as 100%." Such exorbitant loans are even worse than those for the wealthy! This law, originally intended to benefit the people, is now actually harming them. Furthermore, regarding the exemption from corvée labor, those who were exempt from paying before its implementation—official households, female households, monks and nuns, unmarried households, and households in urban areas—are now legally required to pay twice a year. This is truly unbearable for those with poorer circumstances. The Market and Commerce Bureau has expanded its business scope too much, even taking over small items like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, ice, and fruit, leaving small merchants and vendors with no business and no profit. The Director of the Market and Commerce Bureau, Lü Jiawen, requests the confiscation of the exemption from corvée labor. The new law imposed heavy taxes on all businesses in the capital, even those engaged in menial tasks like carrying water, picking hair, porridge, and tea, levying a third of the tax. This led to market depression and widespread discontent. The drawbacks of the new law were evident. Furthermore, a group of unscrupulous individuals, seeking shortcuts to promotion, constantly flattered Prime Minister Wang, praising the new law's effectiveness while ignoring its actual shortcomings. Although Prime Minister Wang was upright, he was not immune to this deception, believing the new law to be perfect and insisting on its implementation. He even promoted and retained these sycophants, thus undermining the new law's effectiveness. The party is a mixed bag, rife with sycophants. Even Li Ding, the former judge of Xiuzhou, was promoted to his post in the capital in this very way. The current predicament is not accidental; it is the result of the accumulated problems of the six years of reforms combined with the current natural disasters, leading to the displacement of the common people. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and certainly consider the Empress Dowager's advice.” Hao had come prepared with this remonstrance, having spent two days personally inquiring about the people's conditions and livelihoods, and exchanging opinions on the new laws with many officials. Therefore, he spoke eloquently, pointing out precisely the biggest problems and flaws of the reforms.
Xu remained silent. He had heard of these matters before, but now, with his younger brother listing them one by one, they seemed particularly serious, and he found it difficult to completely refute them for the time being. After a long while, he finally thought of a powerful statistic to use in his counterattack: "After the reform, the net increase in fiscal revenue has been considerable, reaching 43 million strings of cash last year, an increase of 7 million strings of cash compared to 36 million strings of cash during the Jiayou era. It is evident that the reform has indeed achieved the goal of enriching the country."
"However, I have heard," Hao paused, seemingly hesitant, but finally spoke, "that the Market and Commerce Bureau recently audited the accounts of recent years' revenues and discovered that over 960,000 taels of tax revenue is missing. According to the reports from the Three Departments, the revenue and expenditure in the sixth year of the Xining era were even less than those in the second year of the Zhiping era..."
"What did you say? Who told you that?" Xu was utterly shocked: the revenue and expenditure of the sixth year of the Xining era were even less than those of the second year of the Zhiping era?!
Hao repeated these words, then added, "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon Zeng Bu, the Commissioner of the Three Departments, to investigate in detail."
Xu sat motionless in his chair, speechless for a long time. When his gaze, which had been wandering on the beam, fell on Hao again, he suddenly flew into a rage, pointed at Hao, and shouted, "Are you saying that I have ruined the Great Song Dynasty? Fine, I am incompetent and foolish, and you are intelligent and wise. I'll give you the throne!"
The words shocked everyone present. The Empress Dowager, tears streaming down her face, maintained a solemn and dignified expression, slamming her hand on the table and shouting, "Your Majesty! What are you saying!"