Prime Minister

Chapter 553

Yanhe Hall.

Wang Gui stood at the front of the throne like an old monk in meditation, and remained silent.If Zhang Yue hadn't looked at the other person with his eyes open, he would almost have thought that the other person was a wood carving.

Zhang Yue felt that Wang Gui was more like a background wall of human flesh than himself.

As for Sima Guang behind Wang Gui, Wang Anshi argued with each other.

It's normal for ministers to argue in the court, but if there is no major conflict between the two, it's almost a sentence or two and let the officials make a final decision.

As for Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, they were arguing normally with one or two sentences at first, but they became more angry after arguing and arguing.

Sima Guangyin made the greatest contribution to establishing the reserve. From the Renzong Dynasty to today, he has always been awesome. From the first emperor to the present day, he has been given three points.

At the beginning of Puyi, other officials who opposed were demoted from Beijing. For example, Fan Zhen, Lu Huo and other officials who had made great contributions to the establishment of the reserve were all driven out of Beijing. Only Sima Guang could not be driven away. He had to stay in Beijing to revise his books.

In the case of Pu Yi, the Manchu officials all supported Sima Guang.

Now that the new officials have ascended the throne, for the support of the Empress Dowager Cao, they have completely denied the matter of Pu Yi. Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu have disgraced themselves.Sima Guang won again, and he was on the politically correct side from beginning to end.

People can win once, but the hard part is to win every time.

Now Sima Guang can use this momentum to gather party members, but he does not form a party.Sima Guang is far more terrifying than the Lu Yijian that Fan Zhongyan faced back then!
Today is another time, when today's son wants to be a promising king, Sima Guang once again objected, whether he can stand on the politically correct side again.

But it was not the officials who challenged Sima Guang this time, but his best friend Wang Anshi.

The Southern Suburb Ceremony is an important ceremony, and the big ceremony is the same as the big ceremony, and the big ceremony is the same thing
If the emperor dies, he can be promoted to a higher level, and when the emperor's birthday comes, the officials can ask for help from officials for their children.

In the first year of Jiayou, the officials abolished the rules of making up for the festival, which was also a measure to reduce redundant officials.

However, during the grand ceremony in the southern suburbs, the officials can still ask for grace. This is the favor that the officials deserve. The so-called vested interests, as for the rewards from the officials of the two governments, are also reasonable.

When Sima Guang and Wang Anshi first argued, they were very calm.

At this moment, the officials hadn't browsed the memorabilia of the two, so they asked Sima Guang: "Why didn't the academy report the memorabilia of the Zaizhi's resignation earlier?"

Sima Guang said: "Someone asked for leave."

Hearing this, Wang Anshi glanced at Sima Guang.

The official asked again: "What does Wang Qing think?"

Wang Anshi said bluntly: "Everything I wrote is in the memorial. Your Majesty, please consult your ministers extensively before making a holy ruling."

Hearing Wang Anshi's words, the official looked up and asked, "Is there anyone who disagrees?"

Wang Anshi said: "Except for the minister, no one agrees."

Hearing this sentence, the official was shocked, and he couldn't help but look at Sima Guang.

Just now he asked the academy about the approval of the prime minister's speech and rewards. Sima Guang said that except for him and Wang Anshi, everyone else asked for leave and did not go to the college.

But Wang Anshi replied that except for Wang Anshi, the rest of the Hanlin scholars such as Wang Gui and Lu Gong wrote, and Han Wei did not agree.

Zhang Yue thought to himself, according to what Wang Anshi said, this is the second time that the four friends of Jiayou have stood by his side.

But the fact is that only Wang Anshi and Sima Guang submitted the memorial in the academy, and the others did not express their views.

Wang Gui is still in meditation like an old monk, he is the head of Hanlin scholars, does he not agree?

The official said: "The two Qing families have a discussion with me."

According to what Wang Anshi said, Sima Guang seemed to be on the opposite side of everyone for the first time.

But Sima Guang remained calm, and was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the current national expenditure is insufficient and there are many disasters, so we should save unnecessary expenses. The ministers of the two governments can set an example."

Wang Anshi retorted: "Nowadays, the country is rich all over the world, and the suburban gift is only a drop in the bucket. Saving only a few money is nothing more than a detriment to the state. In the past, when the Prime Minister Chang Gun was in power in the Tang Dynasty, the prime minister's meals were provided by the inner kitchen, and more than a dozen people could be used. Chang Gun bid farewell to the emperor. Of course. At that time, people were discussing that the prime minister was in charge of the state affairs. If he could not, he had to resign, not the salary. The two governments resigned for rewards, which is not the case."

"Nowadays, the country's needs are insufficient, so there is no need to work hard on frugality. This is not the top priority."

Sima Guang said: "Chang Gun's resignation is a sense of shame. Isn't it better than those who have no shame and still hold high-ranking officials and generous salaries? Since Emperor Zhenzong, the state has been insufficient. Why is it not a top priority?"

Wang Anshi said: "The lack of national use is because the country does not have people who are good at managing money."

Sima Guang said: "What do you mean by being good at financial management? According to the ancient financial managers, they would like everyone to collect their own taxes. If the people are so poor and displaced as robbers, is it in the interest of the country?"

Wang Anshi said: "This is excessive expropriation, not financial management. People who are good at financial management can make the people not increase the tax and the country use it."

Having said that, although the two of you talk to each other, it is generally a normal debate.

But after hearing Wang Anshi's words, Sima Guang suddenly changed his face and said: "The people don't pay for the country, this is Sang Hongyang's words to deceive Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Sima Qian once satirized Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty because of this. Heaven and earth are born, wealth and everything , all have a fixed number, if you are not in the government, you are in the people."

"Sang Hongyang said that the people don't give money to the country, and don't take it from the people. Where do you take it from? Don't you see that in the last years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a group of thieves rose up, and they were caught by embroidered envoys. This matter can be observed in history. Haven't you seen the lessons from the past? "

Sima Guang's face moved, obviously he was a little angry, and he could distinguish some real anger.

After listening to Sima Guang, Zhang Yue deeply understood what he and Zeng Bu said, why should he be proficient in classics and history?

As for taking history as a mirror, it is not just talk.

Just like the pits I stepped on at the beginning have become my own wisdom in life.

History will never forget, but I don't know if it will overcorrect.

Besides, what Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were arguing about is whether the country has money or not?
No, there is an ideological dispute between them, that is, a dispute over classics and righteousness, arguing over whether to increase income or reduce expenditure.

Opening up sources of income means big government, while reducing expenditure means small government.

Confucianism has always advocated hiding wealth from the people. As long as the people have money, the country will also have money.

During the Warring States period, the tyranny was fiercer than the tiger, and many princes expropriated violently. Therefore, Confucianism advised the monarchs to hide wealth from the people, which is correct.

But Sima Guang still used this statement to simplify the problem.

Facing Sima Guang's long speech, Wang Anshi counterattacked calmly: "I heard that if you want to enrich your family, you will capitalize on the country; if you want to enrich your country, you will capitalize on the world; That is what the official said."

"Why does the imperial court encourage farming and mulberry, and build weirs and dams? This is not from the people, nor from the officials, but from the heaven and the earth. Both the officials and the people benefit from it."

Zhang Yue nodded frequently after hearing this. If a family wants to be rich, it must get money from the society, and if the society wants to be rich, it must get money from natural resources.

In the final analysis, in addition to dividing the cake, there is also making the cake. To develop productivity is to make the cake, and it is the only means of wealth growth.

Sima Guang's idea is to divide the cake, the thinking of zero-sum game.

For example, in the stock market, if there is no dividend from listed companies, it is a zero-sum game.No matter how you play the zero-sum game, you end up cutting leeks.

Wang Anshi said again: "I disagree with Junshi, not only because of the different techniques, but also because of the debate between name and reality. In my opinion, Junshi's theory of collecting profits is nothing more than closing the door with his son, and not There is nothing outside the door. What I do is not to benefit the people, but to finance the country. Today, the country is not enough, not only because of unscrupulous expenses, but also because of the lack of financial management. Since Emperor Zhenzong, financial management has not been possible, so the country Although thrifty but not rich."

Close the door and go to the market with its sons, but no one can enter outside the door.That is, the door is closed, and the father and son trade and do business, and foreign money cannot come in.How can such a family be rich?For a family to be rich, it must take money from society.

Wang Anshi used this sentence to completely fight back. Sima Guangzhi said that if he is not an official, he is a zero-sum game thinking of the people.

Sima Guang said: "Jiefu, what is the name? Confucius said, 'the name must be rectified'. The rectification of the name should be based on the rituals of the Zhou. Apart from collecting profits, the rituals of the Zhou also have the theory of financial management? What is the name of this financial management?"

Wang Anshi said: "there is the truth before the name. Although Zhou Li did not have the name of financial management, it may not be without the reality of financial management. Guan Zhong managed the country's financial management, picking mountains and cooking sea pits, and taking wealth between heaven and earth. See the responsibility of Confucius. Confucius was familiar with the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, but against Guan Zhong, I was sent to the left. How can Guan Zhong’s actions be recorded in the rituals of Zhou?”

The debate between Sima Guang and Wang Anshi was a debate of name and reality.

What Sima Guang said is the Confucian classic Zhou Ritual. As a code of conduct, a scholar's self-cultivation and governance depends on whether all behaviors conform to the Zhou Ritual.That's why Confucius said that 'the name must be corrected', so-called theory guides practice.

Wang Anshi said it was wrong. Things came into existence first, and we named them only after we discovered them.Just because you haven't seen him doesn't mean he hasn't.

Sima Guang said: "What Jiefu did was something that Yao and Shun had never done before, and it was not the way of the previous kings."

Zhang Yue lamented that Sima Guang was amazing, he was worthy of being a master among masters, one sentence was not the way of the former king, and it qualified what Wang Anshi said, and all his efforts just now were in vain.

"What is the way of the former kings? How could there be the way of the former kings in the time of Yao and Shun? Didn't they govern the world?"

Seeing Wang Anshi's refutation, Wang Gui, who had been silent for a long time, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Sima Guang said that saving money starts from being expensive, and what he said is very true. Wang Anshi said that the cost is not much, and it is also very true. Only His Majesty's holy order."

Wang Gui's words are nonsense.

The only effect is to end the court debate between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

Seeing that Wang Gui kicked the ball to him, the official was very happy. He was very satisfied with this debate. The opinions of both sides were fully discussed, and I got something.

As for the judgment, I saw the official said: "I have the same opinion as Sima Guang. Today, the Academy of Sciences refuses to answer the memorial of the minister."

Wang Gui listened to it for a while, what kind of official operation is this, I have the same opinion as Sima Guang, but I choose Wang Anshi's approach.

Just at this time, one person said: "Report to Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's jaws dropped in shock. Zhang Yue, who was the background wall of human flesh, actually spoke!

Ps: The Yanhedian debate is a very important chapter in the history of the Song Dynasty. Like the debate on salt and iron in the Han Dynasty, it represents a change in the country's economic system and national policy.

However, the debate part recorded in the history books was pulled aside by the historian, and only what Sima Guang said was kept. What Wang Anshi said was deleted a lot, so it seems that Sima Guang won.

But Wang Anshi, who is so good at sophistry, would not be easily defeated. Therefore, the author completed the part of Wang Anshi in this chapter, and there is a basis for it.

(End of this chapter)