Prime Minister

Chapter 1308 Sima Guang in the Opposition

Chapter 1308 Sima Guang in the Opposition

Luoyang in March.

Xijing of the Song Dynasty.

It has now become the base camp of the old party members.

In the past, Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen followed Bai Juyi's Nine Elders and formed the Seven Friends of Luoyang. Later, Fu Bi and Wang Anshi disagreed with each other in political views, and they formed the Elderly Society in Luoyang, with a total of eleven people.

After Fu Bi left, Wen Yanbo stayed in the Western Capital and took over the leadership of the Elders Association.

Wen Yanbo organized a gathering of senior citizens, which consisted of thirteen people in total. Each of them wrote a poem and ordered the painter Zheng Huan to draw a picture of it at Miaojue Buddhist Temple.

However, Sima Guang thought that the Qiying Society organized by Wen Yanbo was too extravagant. Everyone knew that the Wen family was deeply involved in Zhang Yue's development in Xihe, and that they had obtained Liangzhou and opened up the Silk Road. After Fu Bi's death, the Fu family withdrew from this matter, so the Wen family and the Wu family took over all of this.

The Song Dynasty subsidized the military with millions of dollars every year, and the people of Shaanxi had to do labor for this, but the Wen family took advantage of the court's support and made a fortune.

Sima Guang felt that the money earned by the Wen family was not clean and that the Qiying Society was too extravagant and not something they should have fun with, so Sima Guang set up his own Zhenlu Society.

The rules of the Zhensu Society are very simple: the wine consumed is limited to five elements, and the food is limited to five flavors.

The main theme is hard work and simplicity.

On this day, Sima Guang, Guo Lin, Fan Zuyu and several others drank wine in the bamboo forest of Duleyuan.

Although it is drinking wine, it is actually tea replacing wine.

Sima Guang and Wang Anshi were both people who stopped drinking at banquets.

When Bao Zheng was the Herdsman, he toasted two of his subordinates. After much persuasion, Sima Guang reluctantly drank a glass, but Wang Anshi said he would not drink it.

From ancient times to the present, if you can practice the words "honesty and thrift", no matter how big a mistake you make, others will not be able to bear to blame you.

Wang Anshi's stubbornness is a kind of stubbornness that refuses to compromise, while Sima Guang's stubbornness that can be "flexible" is actually a more terrifying kind of "stubbornness".

Sima Guang's View of the Bamboo Forest said to Guo Lin and Fan Zuyu, two of his beloved disciples: "When Ouyang Wenzhong was in Qian's office (Qian Weiyan's staff), he saw that Luoyang was full of bamboo forests. Every year, more than 100,000 strings of cash were produced in the bamboo forests. In the depths of the bamboo forests, there were small pavilions and leisure halls for people to enjoy without restrictions."

"But in the early years of Mingdao, officials took up axes and cut down bamboo forests regardless of who owned them, whether they were public or private. In the end, the land of Fan Pu Qicuo was turned into a barren hazel garden. Officials, in the name of 'helping the public with an emergency', increased the tax level by level, extorting money without limit, and never stopping. This action is not only unhelpful to the people, but also harmful to the things that are beneficial to the people. It is really not the way of a gentleman to save money and love others!"

"Since the Xining period, such things have been common, but after the Yuanfeng period, no one in the court dared to speak of it."

Guo Lin and Fan Zuyu sighed.

Sima Guang said: "In fact, whether it is Fu Gong's Elderly Society or the Zhenshu Society, they all have the same purpose."

Guo Lin and Fan Zuyu both said, "I don't understand."

Sima Guang said: "Luoyang is a place full of people, and the twenty-four friends of Jia Mi, the secretary of the Ministry of Secretaries, are the most famous."

"Later, there was Shi Chong's meeting in Jingu."

"Why don't we follow this example? Instead, why don't we imitate Bai Juyi's Nine Elders Meeting?"

Guo Lin said: "Whether it is the Twenty-Four Friends, the Jingu Society, or the Qianmu of the past, they all entered and exited the gates of the rich and powerful because of their literary talent."

Qian Weiyen was the son of Qian Chu, the king of Wuyue. When he was stationed in Luoyang, he had Xie Jiang, Ouyang Xiu, Yin Zhu, Mei Yaochen, Su Shunqin and Fu Bi under his command. It could be said that he was a man of many talents in poetry and prose.

Sima Guang nodded and said, "I hope that my sincerity will allow me to make friends with talented people as equals."

Fan Zuyu and Guo Lin vaguely grasped that Fu Bi and Sima Guang organized the Elderly Association, and the purpose of the association was to ensure that there was no distinction between the upper and the lower.

The deeper meaning is 'republic between monarch and ministers'.

When the monarch and his ministers sit together, they can discuss state affairs together, rather than the monarch making decisions alone.

Fan Zuyu and Guo Lin both knew that Sima Guang was extremely loyal, and they hoped that the government would listen to his sincere advice, abolish the new law, and re-advocate the political atmosphere of leniency and peace during the Jiayou period.

Guo Lin said: "Teacher, Zizhi Tongjian is a magnificent work. In the past, Ban Gu wrote Han Shu and Zuo Si wrote San Du Fu, both in Luoyang. Now Zizhi Tongjian is even better than these two books."

"I think that a gentleman does not have to be in the government to spread the truth. If a masterpiece like Zizhi Tongjian can be passed down to future generations, it is also the pinnacle of scholars."

Sima Guang nodded slowly and said, "I don't know what the final result will be after nineteen years of hard work on this book."

"But in the end, it's just about living up to the mission. It's like there's a destiny driving me to do this. To practice these ideas."

“Life is limited even if you study. It is so rare to be able to transcend the world and leave something indelible in the world.”

Fan Zuyu said: "I heard the Queen Mother tell Your Majesty that Master Lu is the Prince's teacher."

"There is also a secret in the palace. His Majesty wants you to return to the court to serve as an official."

Sima Guang said, "Now that the news has come here, there is no secret to speak of. Let's not talk about it anymore."

Fan Zuyu said: "Teacher, perhaps His Majesty has changed his mind?"

"Does your true intention in your heart mean to overthrow the reform and advocate something else? Or is it just because there are villains in the court who are obstructing you?"

Guo Lin also said: "Your Majesty has repeatedly issued edicts to comfort the teacher. As long as the book is completed, he will immediately summon the teacher to the capital."

Sima Guang paused for a moment and said, "Our emperor is a man of profound learning. When he talks to his subjects, he must quote from the classics and discuss the meaning of classics and historical materials. His opinions are bound to be unexpected."

"Since ascending the throne, he has worked hard to govern the country, fearing that there would be something he did not do well. He has taken charge of everything, no matter how big or small the matter is, he personally handles everything."

"What could possibly be hidden from the eyes of such a wise and intelligent emperor?"

Guo Lin and Fan Zuyu were both speechless.

Sima Guang said: "When your majesty first took power, you listened to Wang Anshi's words and followed his advice as if he were the same person. After Wang Anshi was appointed as prime minister for the second time, he only did 50% of the work. Later, the emperor took control of the government, and only after the defeat of the war against Xia, he was forced to appoint Zhang Yue as prime minister."

"If Zhang Yue had not set a five-year term for himself, he would probably not have been able to last even three years. It is so difficult for the monarch and his subjects to rule together."

"So, let alone the fact that I will spend nineteen years compiling the book, even if I do, what good will it do? When Wang Jiefu was dismissed from his post, Li Chengzhi (Li Shizhong) recommended me to return to the court, but I was criticized by Your Majesty as 'a traitor who deceives the emperor'."

After seeing this, Guo Lin and Fan Zuyu knew that Sima Guang was a truly clear-headed person who saw through the emperor.

Unlike other ministers who all said they were "unjustly demoted" and hoped to return to the court one day, the fact was that the government did not want to use Sima Guang.

Fan Zuyu said, "It's a different time, but this time it's the Queen Mother's intention. The emperor is not in good health after all. In this time of crisis, she wants a prime minister like you to return to the court to protect the Song Dynasty."

"After all, even Prime Minister Zhang is no longer in the court."

Sima Guang shook his head and said, "Wang Jiefu's reforms in the past were already a serious problem. Although they have been rectified by Zhang Du in recent years, they have not been cured. Instead, they have made the people greedy for profit. The situation is getting worse and worse and it is difficult to reverse."

"So as long as Your Majesty is unwilling to abolish the reform, I will be restrained and I will not be able to do anything. Only when the people of the world are truly willing to change their ways, and I am elected by the people, can I do something."

"I have a few years left to live. What can I do if I return to the court? But as long as I stay in the court, others will think that I am in cahoots with the two kings of Cai! I will lose my future ideas! It is easy to lose the opportunity. Lu Huishu did not know the time and ruined his reputation."

Fan Zuyu and Guo Lin were both suddenly enlightened.

Sima Guang was not unwilling to make a comeback, but was telling them that he was also waiting for an opportunity.

PS: Happy New Year to everyone! May the New Year be filled with joy! May your family be happy!