Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 1

Spring outing

Pang Di first met Wang Pang in the spring of the third year of the Xining era of the Song Dynasty.

As Qingming Festival approaches, flowers bloom and willows sway in the breeze, carrying the fragrance of a light drizzle, the air still chilly despite the changing weather. Outside Bianliang city, a stretch of green hills and clear waters stretches out, and on the verdant paths, a continuous stream of people stroll along the paths to sweep tombs and enjoy the spring scenery.

Among the travelers on the mountain, a young girl stood out. She wore a light green dress, a plain scarf tied at the waist, and a silk robe as thin as a cicada's wing with water-ripple patterns. On her head was a felt hat shaped like a conical hat, with a long white veil hanging down from the brim, obscuring her face. The long veil trailed behind her like a wisp of smoke. She rode a pure white steed, her figure graceful, slowly making her way along the mountain path. Several maids on horseback accompanied her, and a few servants followed closely behind.

As the group reached the mountainside, a sudden gust of wind swept in, causing the white horse to rear up and neigh. The girl held the reins and pulled the horse back, but the felt hat on her head was blown off by the wind and drifted down the mountain.

The young girl turned her head and looked back. Her beautiful eyes were clear and not seductive. Her beauty was like a newly blossoming flower. As soon as she showed her face, all the other beauties in the city were ashamed.

Seeing this, a maidservant asked, "Shall we go down the mountain to find the felt hat for Miss?"

Seeing that the felt hat had already drifted far away and disappeared from sight, the girl said, "The mountain road is winding and inconvenient. It's just an ordinary hat; there's no need to make such a fuss about it. Just take a piece of gauze from your bag and give it to me."

Another maidservant laughed upon hearing this, "That's not how it works. There are often stories in Tang dynasty anecdotes about young ladies leaving behind personal items like silk handkerchiefs and scented fans, which are then found by fortunate and talented men, leading to beautiful tales. If the felt hat left behind by the young lady were indeed found by some talented man, that would be fine. But if it falls into the hands of an ordinary peddler, wouldn't that be a waste of something the young lady once used? How could one not feel sorry for it?"

The young lady privately thought it made a lot of sense, but she frowned and deliberately scolded, "You can't believe you've come up with such ridiculous allusions for such trivial matters!"

The clever and quick-witted maidservant had already noticed the smile in her mistress's eyes. She turned her horse around and asked, "Miss, would you like to stay here and wait, or come with us?"

"Let's go together." The young lady was indeed very concerned about the fate of her hat falling off, thinking to herself, "It would be best if a pure and honest person could pick it up."

They searched all the way to the foot of the mountain before finding someone holding the felt hat with draped gauze, chatting and laughing with his companions.

The young man was about twenty years old, tall and slender, with exceptionally handsome features. He wore a long, flowing white silk robe that billowed in the wind, giving him an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance. However, his complexion was overly pale, and he appeared slightly ill. The person standing beside him was quite different. Although about the same age as the young man in white, he was more agile, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore a light ink-colored brocade robe, bound with a silver belt. One could immediately tell that he was from a noble family, yet he wore a sorrowful expression, as if burdened by something. The two stood side by side, like jade trees in the wind, each possessing their own unique beauty.

The young man in white smiled and said, "It's a rare treat to venture out of the city for a spring outing and to enjoy the delightful spring scenery. I've even found an exquisitely crafted gauze hat, its lining infused with a fine fragrance; it must have been left behind by a beautiful woman. Faced with such a scene, any unpleasantness should be completely forgotten. Brother Hao, why don't we play a drinking game and compose poems on this theme, betting the outcome on tomorrow's court discussion?"

The young man in black was quite surprised: "How does the betting work?"

"Compose half of a poem titled 'Chang Xiang Si' within seven steps, with no restrictions on rhyme. If you do, I will compose the other half according to the rhyme. If you lose, you must second my father's proposal tomorrow; if I lose, I will advise my father not to mention this matter again for three months."

"How can matters concerning people's livelihoods be treated so lightly?" the young man in black said solemnly. "Playing drinking games is fine, but the stakes must be changed."

The young man in white chuckled and nodded in agreement: "How about I use my Xiao Shi Seeking Phoenix Jade Flute to win over the twelve tricolor azaleas in your garden?"

The boy in black agreed, and the young man in white began to count. When he reached "seven," the boy in black raised his head and recited: "Leaving Yangguan, facing the green mountains, new wine flows in the desolate, warm sky, a thousand worries linger."

"The words are good, but they still carry the sorrows of the past, which spoils the mood," commented the young man in white.

The young man in black smiled wryly, "These are my thoughts. I am fully prepared to listen to Brother Yuanze's excellent work."

Just as the young man in white was about to speak, the young lady and her maid, who had been watching for a moment, dismounted and approached him, saying, "The hat in your hand belongs to my young lady. If you return it intact, I will be eternally grateful."

The young man in white looked over at the young lady upon hearing the sound. When their eyes met, he did not look away at her at all, but instead admired her appearance intently, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he was quite pleased with what he saw.

The young lady was displeased, turned her head to the side, and looked angry, thinking, "How dare this person be so arrogant!"

The maid was also very angry when she saw this, so she rebuked her.

The young man in white then said to the maid, "Of course I will return it, but please wait a moment, young lady." After saying this, he went straight to the fortune teller who had set up a stall under the willow tree by the roadside to interpret the characters of tourists' names. He only said, "I'd like to borrow your pen and ink for a moment." Without waiting for the fortune teller's reply, he picked up the pen and wrote a few lines on the veil of his felt hat. He first showed it to the young man in black who was traveling with him. The two smiled at each other and then handed the hat to the maid.

The young lady took the felt hat from the maid and saw that what was being lifted from the veil was the second half of his poem "Longing for You," composed in accordance with the rhyme scheme of a drinking game:

"The little cloud servant girl is actually a beautiful girl, with spring mist on her brows, her beauty is bullying the cuckoo."

Although the poem clearly praises the young lady's beauty, she finds his frivolous and unruly behavior distasteful. She feels that the poem is rather frivolous, and he has placed it on his veil. The young lady finds even the felt hat disgusting, so she throws the hat on the ground and says, "Since it is already stained with ink, what use is it for me?" She then orders her servants to get up and head up the mountain without looking back.

The young man in white smiled and picked up the hat, saying to the boy in black, "Even if you don't want it, wouldn't it be better to just say you wanted it as a gift? Why waste it like this? This item is quite elegant, but unfortunately, its owner doesn't appreciate its charm. What a pity, what a pity."

Because of this lost hat, the two became entangled for half their lives, though no one expected it at the time.

This young man in white is Wang Pang, the son of Wang Anshi, the current prime minister.

Wang Anshi, courtesy name Jiepu, sobriquet Banshan, was a native of Linchuan, Fuzhou. He passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom during the reign of Emperor Renzong, the grandfather of Emperor Shenzong. While serving as a local official in Zheng County and Shuzhou, he made significant achievements, constructing dikes and dams, improving water and land transportation, and lending grain to the people at low interest rates, requiring regular repayment, earning him a good reputation. Later, recommended by officials in the capital, he entered the court as a judge under the Three Departments system. Upon arriving in the capital, he submitted a memorial to Emperor Renzong, advocating emulating ancient reforms to strengthen the country and enrich the people. However, Emperor Renzong ignored it, and Wang Anshi, disheartened, resigned and returned home under the pretext of his mother's death. After Emperor Renzong's death, Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne. Although he summoned Wang Anshi several times to serve again, he consistently declined, refusing to go to the capital. It wasn't until Emperor Yingzong's son, Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu, ascended the throne that Wang Anshi returned to service.

When Zhao Xu ascended the throne at the young age of 20, he was ambitious and eager to implement reforms. At that time, Chancellor Han Qi was a veteran of three reigns, holding a high position and wielding great power. Consequently, some people inevitably spoke to the emperor about his autocratic ways. While Emperor Shenzong may not have entirely believed them, he was wary of Han Qi and was determined to use a newcomer to weaken Han Qi's power. Han Qi, hearing this, sighed and offered his resignation. Emperor Shenzong could not persuade him to stay and appointed Han Qi as Minister of Works and concurrently Grand Councilor, serving as the prefect of Xiangzhou. At this time, several officials brought up the matter of Wang Anshi again, strongly recommending him to Emperor Shenzong, claiming he possessed the talent of a chancellor. Han Qi went to the palace to take his leave. Emperor Shenzong asked him if Wang Anshi was suitable, and Han Qi replied, "Wang Anshi is more than capable as a Hanlin Academician, but not suitable for a ministerial position." Therefore, Emperor Shenzong summoned Wang Anshi to the capital and initially granted him the title of Hanlin Academician.

Wang Anshi gladly entered the court this time. During his dialogue with Emperor Shenzong, he compared the emperor to ancient sage rulers like Yao and Shun, and himself to virtuous ministers like Gaozu, Kui, Ji, Qi, and Fu Yue. He also spoke at length about the principles of learning from the past and reforming the present to manage finances effectively. Emperor Shenzong nodded repeatedly, accepting almost his entire proposal. The following year, ignoring the advice of veteran ministers like Tang Jie, Emperor Shenzong promoted Wang Anshi to the position of Vice Chancellor. Wang Anshi then petitioned Emperor Shenzong to adopt new laws to govern the country. Emperor Shenzong granted the petition and established the Bureau of Regulations for the Three Departments, responsible for planning the country's economy, changing old laws, and regulating the interests of the nation, placing Wang Anshi in charge. Wang Anshi then, together with his confidants Lü Huiqing and Zeng Bu, drafted eight articles of the new laws, namely:

I. Farmland Irrigation. Officials shall be dispatched to various regions to inspect farmland irrigation, reclaim abandoned land, dredge ditches and canals, and appropriately increase taxes. Officials and commoners shall perform the duties together, and no one shall conceal or evade responsibility.

Second, the equalization of transport: all official grain transported by prefectures and counties shall be subject to the principle of "the more expensive the grain, the cheaper the grain, and the closer the grain, the less the grain." If it is known in advance what the warehouses in the capital need to handle, the officials may purchase it at a lower price.

3. Green Seedlings. If farmers do not have money to sow green seedlings, the state will lend them money, with an interest rate of two percent, to be repaid to the state along with the summer and autumn taxes when the grain is ripe.

Fourth, exemption from corvée labor. People paid an exemption fee to the state according to their class and were exempted from corvée labor. The state then used the exemption fee to recruit unemployed people to serve as laborers.

V. Market Exchange. Market exchanges were established in the capital to allow merchants to purchase unsold goods from the government or exchange them with government goods. The government also provided loans to merchants, with interest to be paid and principal repaid within a specified period.

VI. Square Fields. Each square is defined as one thousand paces in each of the four cardinal directions. The land is measured and taxed according to its fertility or infertility, with five grades. The people pay taxes according to the tax rules.

VII. Baojia. Adopting the ancient militia system, ten households form a bao, and five hundred households form a dubao. Each dubao is headed by two officials, a chief and a deputy, who lead the baomen in storing bows and arrows and practicing martial arts.

8. Horse Protection. Official horses will be set up. Every household in the Baojia system who wishes to raise horses may adopt one horse. Those who wish to raise two horses will be subject to annual inspection, and compensation will be provided for any horses that die or become sick.

The first six of the eight new laws were called laws to enrich the country, and the last two were called laws to strengthen the army. The new laws caused an uproar at court. Some opponents saw the difficulties in implementing them and anticipated that the final results might not be as expected; others feared the new laws would harm their own interests, and all vehemently opposed them. Su Shi repeatedly submitted memorials to Emperor Shenzong, pointing out the drawbacks of the reforms in his "Letter to the Emperor" and "Ten Thousand Word Memorial," saying, "Your Majesty is too eager for good governance, listens to too many opinions, and promotes too many people too hastily." He hoped for a more gradual reform, and if reforms were to be implemented, they should be carried out gradually, rather than with the hasty and short-sighted approach of Wang Anshi's reforms. Fu Bi, a veteran official of two reigns, went even further, saying, "Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a short time; you should spread benevolence and kindness, and I wish that for twenty years you would not speak of war." However, Emperor Shenzong blindly trusted Wang Anshi, not only ignoring the advice of several important ministers, but also promoting Wang Anshi to the position of Chancellor in the third year of the Xining era, and fully implementing the new laws.

Many conservative high-ranking officials in the court were demoted and sent to local posts, including Chancellor Fu Bi, Historian Su Shi, Compiler of Documents Su Zhe, and Privy Councilor Wen Yanbo. Some veteran officials, unwilling to align themselves with Wang Anshi, resigned and returned home. Those remaining, though not facing dismissal, lived in constant anxiety. Among them was Pang Gong, a Hanlin Academician who had served three emperors. He was erudite, highly respected, and known for his composure. He was naturally indifferent to fame and fortune, and never involved himself in power struggles. Although he did not agree with Wang Anshi's reforms, his reaction was not as vehement as that of Fu Bi and Su Shi, and thus he was not dismissed. The remaining conservative officials often gathered at his home in their spare time, discussing history and current affairs, occasionally venting their frustrations.

At the end of the year, it was the sixtieth birthday of Pang Gong, and these officials gathered at Pang's residence to celebrate. Unexpectedly, Wang Anshi, upon learning the news, suddenly had a whim to go and find out about the private interactions among the officials and to try to win over a few of them. So he also had a gift prepared and went to Pang's residence with his beloved son, Wang Pang.

Pang Gong and his ministers were all surprised to see Wang Anshi visit. The atmosphere at the banquet was rather awkward, but a few of the more lively ones steered the conversation toward Wang Pang and began to praise him.

Wang Pang, courtesy name Yuanze, was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, possessing a photographic memory. By the age of fifteen or sixteen, he had already written tens of thousands of words, and in his early twenties, he passed the imperial examination. Wang Anshi, always proud of his son, was pleased by the flattery and, stroking his beard, said with a smile, "Although my son Wang Pang lacks talent, he does have a good memory; he can memorize what he reads after only one reading."

Before the words were finished, a cold laugh came from inside the room, and someone loudly proclaimed, "Whose son reads it twice!"

Everyone looked over at the sound, and saw the beaded curtain of the inner room behind Pang Gong lifted, and a handsome young man walked out.

This woman was perfectly proportioned, her makeup too bright red and too pale white, her hair tied up with a crown, wearing a brocade robe and black boots, holding a folding fan in her hand. She was elegant and refined, with an exquisitely beautiful appearance. All who saw her were amazed, and Wang Pang's eyes lit up. He completely changed his previous arrogant attitude of drinking alone and stood up. Only Pang Gong frowned in displeasure, repeatedly saying, "Nonsense! Nonsense!"

The young man bowed to the guests and said, "Pang Di greets all of you esteemed elders."

Sitting next to Pang Gong, Huang Tingjian asked with a smile, "Is this your young master? He certainly has an extraordinary appearance!"

Pang Gong smiled bitterly and remained silent.

Wang Anshi knew that this man must be arrogant and conceited, and that he was resentful of everyone praising Wang Pang, so he proposed that he and Wang Pang gamble on their books. Pang Di readily agreed.

So the officials set a challenge, and Pang Di and Wang Pang competed to recite the contents of famous chapters from the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents, starting from the current dynasty. The two were evenly matched, and recited them calmly and without error.

When it became difficult to determine a winner, Wang Anshi said to ease the tension, "It was I who misspoke; I shouldn't have tried to show off my limited skills before an expert." Huang Tingjian then stood up and said, "I've heard that not only is Young Master Wang well-versed in poetry and literature, but he is also skilled at composing poems and lyrics. Why don't you compose a fine piece now and ask Young Master Pang for his opinion?"

"

Wang Pang glanced at Pang Di, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, and said, "What's so difficult about that?" He asked someone to bring him brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and finished the work in one stroke.

This is a poem lamenting the passing of spring and missing a loved one, set to the tune of "Tired of Seeking Fragrance". The poem reads: "Dew dries towards dawn, a gentle breeze stirs the curtains, a quiet day in the small courtyard."

Orioles sing on the verdant path, startling a carpet of fallen petals. Leaning on the perilous railing, I climb the high pavilion; the crabapple blossoms, glistening with rain, are like rouge. Youthful days have passed again, the time of Qingming. Weary swallows wander, the scenery is breathtaking, a beautiful day, but who will share it with me? I hate being bought off by elm seeds, losing two long years. I remember after the people of Gaoyang dispersed, the fallen flowers and flowing water remained unchanged. This sentiment, facing the east wind, has only grown thinner.

Some people questioned, "This is clearly an expression of cherishing the passing of spring, which doesn't fit the current season!"

Wang Pang smiled and said, "Indeed. This is a poem I wrote after my spring outing during the Qingming Festival this year, to express my longing for someone. I should have composed another poem to suit the occasion today, but since I've specified someone to appreciate it, this is the one that will do." Having said this, he stepped forward to Pang Di, bowed deeply, and said loudly, "Please, young lady, appreciate it!"

Pang Di was taken aback and blushed instantly. She thought that after half a year, and now that she was dressed as a man, he wouldn't recognize her, but he still saw through her disguise at a glance.

The onlookers suddenly realized what was going on and began to congratulate Pang Gong on raising such a talented and beautiful daughter.

Wang Pang then asked the young lady to critique the poem. Pang Di secretly admired Pang's talent, thinking to himself, "What fine writing! Truly the work of a clever and talented man." However, seeing his arrogance, he felt somewhat displeased and, intending to find fault, read it again. He felt the poem was overly ornate and lacked substance. So he said, "Novelty and elegance are its strengths; subtlety and restraint are its weaknesses." He originally had a line, "It's more than enough to achieve high academic honors, but not enough to enjoy a long life." But he felt it was too harsh and held back. Later, in a fit of pique, he picked up his brush and wrote in the margins of the poem:

"He lacks literary talent and strategic acumen."

Wang Anshi was quite annoyed by the woman's blunt criticism, and his face turned very ugly. Pang Gong also felt it was difficult to back down, so he scolded Pang Di: "You are so ignorant and shallow, yet you dare to spout such arrogant words and presumptuously criticize Young Master Wang's masterpiece! Go back to your room and embroider!"

As everyone was trying to figure out how to comfort him, Wang Pang calmly said, "Why is Lord Pang angry? The young lady was praising me; you've misunderstood because she hadn't finished writing her comments."

After speaking, he walked over and took the pen from Pang Di's hand, adding a word to each of the two comments. Wang Anshi and Pang Di immediately smiled and understood.

It turns out that he added the characters "有" (have) and "双" (double) to make the two comments "His writing talent is rare, and his strategic thinking is unparalleled."

The others praised Wang Pang's talent even more. Huang Tingjian, noticing the longing in Wang Pang's poem, guessed he must have feelings for Miss Pang, and thus suggested, "Young Master Wang is accomplished at a young age but still unmarried, and Miss Pang is presumably also unmarried. Since you are a perfect match, why not let this marriage blossom into a beautiful story?"

The two, a talented man and a beautiful woman, were both taken aback upon hearing this.

Wang Anshi laughed heartily, went over and took Pang Gong's hand, saying, "If I were to propose marriage on my son's behalf, I wonder if Pang Gong would agree?"

Pang Gong waved his hand and said, "My daughter is neither talented nor virtuous, and today she has spoken rudely and made a laughing stock. How could she be worthy of your son?" He and Wang Anshi were not on the same page and could not work together, so he was absolutely unwilling to form a marriage alliance between their children. Although he felt that Wang Anshi's marriage proposal at the banquet was just a joke, he was not willing to agree easily.

The very next day, Wang Anshi indeed sent a matchmaker to propose marriage between his beloved son Wang Pang and Pang Di, the youngest daughter of Pang Gong.

Wedding candles

After returning from his spring outing during the Qingming Festival, Wang Pang composed this poem, "Tired of Seeking Fragrance," and taught it to his twelve courtesans to sing and dance. In his leisure time, he would recline on his couch and listen to the courtesans sing and dance. He was always unrestrained and self-admiring, often going to brothels with refined scholars to drink and seek pleasure. All the courtesans and dancers in the brothels knew him as Young Master Wang. He was well past his coming-of-age ceremony, and suitors had long since worn down his doorstep. He simply said that if he were to accidentally marry a common woman, he would rather spend his life immersed in poetry and books, so he had never married. When Wang Anshi first heard "Tired of Seeking Fragrance," he thought it was just a poem exchanged between him and a famous courtesan and didn't pay much attention to it. Later, he discovered that Wang Pang particularly loved this song, and his expression was different when he sang it himself. He then realized that Wang Pang was deeply in love with the person mentioned in the poem. He tried to ask him about it several times, but Wang Pang always changed the subject and never revealed who the person was. It wasn't until he attended the Pang family's birthday banquet and observed Pang's attitude towards Miss Pang that he realized the woman he was thinking of was this girl.

Although Pang Gong disagreed with him politically, he was an upright and unassuming man, whom Wang Anshi privately admired and often sought opportunities to reconcile. Now, seeing his son so enamored with his daughter, Wang Anshi thought it best to arrange a marriage between their families. He reasoned that if Pang Gong's daughter married into the Wang family, Pang Gong's stance might change. Therefore, he was very enthusiastic about facilitating the marriage, sending someone to propose marriage without even consulting his son.

Pang Gong's attitude was quite different. Although the current emperor trusted Wang Anshi implicitly, and Wang's influence was even greater than that of Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei or Wei Zheng to Li Shimin, Pang Gong, having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, was well-versed in worldly affairs and had a keen eye for character. He saw that while Wang Anshi possessed lofty ideals, he was too stubborn, headstrong, and focused on legislation rather than personnel matters. If he were to be taken advantage of by corrupt officials, the reforms would not succeed, and the current prosperity was merely a temporary phenomenon that could not last. Furthermore, while his son, Wang Pang, was indeed talented and learned, far surpassing ordinary scholars, he was too sharp-tongued and extremely arrogant. Most importantly, he had been physically weak since childhood and was unlikely to be a lasting figure. Pang Gong found it difficult to entrust his daughter to him with any peace of mind.

Just as she was about to politely decline the marriage proposal, an unexpected event occurred.

Before the matchmaker from the Wang family had left, a palace eunuch came to the Pang residence to deliver an imperial decree, saying that Empress Dowager Gao invited the young lady to the palace to admire the flowers.