I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 574 Extra 7: Debate between Friends: Wang Anshi vs. Sima Guang

The sixth year of the Qingli period was the first year of the Qizhou Reform.

August 3rd, late at night.

Qizhou Provincial Government, in the meeting hall.

There was the sound of a heated argument between Wang Anshi, the governor of Qizhou, and Sima Guang, the magistrate.

"Jiefu, this is absolutely not possible! These 156 officials are natives of Qizhou. If you dismiss them all, who will implement the reforms in the counties and towns?"

Wang Anshi curled his lips slightly.

"These people are greedy, they take bribes, they oppress the poor, the state government has distributed monthly allowances to them, but they still refuse to change their ways, they pocket money, they bully others, they put on airs everywhere, and they do things in a crude way. If we don't get rid of them, the great cause of reform will be difficult to achieve!"

"But have you ever thought about this? Without these officials, we will be unable to move forward. If we want to implement the new laws in the four counties and forty-six towns of Qizhou to every household, we cannot do without these people. They are more familiar with the rules of the countryside and know better how to deal with those stubborn and unruly people who oppose the reform!" Sima Guang said patiently.

Wang Anshi's face became increasingly gloomy.

"You mean, without them, our reform in Qizhou would not be successful? I don't believe this!"

"This time, I must teach these people a lesson and make them understand that Qizhou will only get better without them! What they can't do, I will do. Just give me a month, and I can recruit better officials than them!"

"One month? If we leave them for three days, the reform policies of various counties and towns will come to a standstill. And once we anger them, not only will they not support the reform, but they will also hinder it, which will make it even more difficult for us to do it!"

"Most of these officials are local gentry and wealthy families. If Qizhou's reforms are to be implemented, we must build good relations with these people!"

Wang Anshi shook his head.

"No! Brother Jingming once said that reforms below the county level must break the bad habit of 'imperial power does not extend to the countryside, and gentry governs the four directions'. We must rely on laws, policies, and the support of the people to implement reforms, rather than relying on the power of certain gentry families. Otherwise, while reforming, we will also give them greater power. In the future, the lower-class people will still be oppressed, which is contrary to the original intention of our reforms!"

"I understand. That's true. But we don't have the ability to abolish the influence of these officials at the moment. Can't we change them after we have cultivated the people's hearts and minds? If you do this now, you will end up losing both sides..."

……

The two quarreled fiercely, and their voices became louder and louder.

This time.

Wang Anshi wanted to lay off 156 officials.

They basically came from counties, towns and villages, and included county runners, jailers, clerks, village heads, household heads, elders, able-bodied men, village heads, village chiefs, tax collectors, and so on.

These clerks, who were between officials and the people, were also called public officials.

Local officials usually serve for three years, but clerks may hold the same position for their entire lives.

In many places, the village head could serve for more than 20 years and had great power, sometimes even being able to bully the local county magistrate.

In the past, clerks had no salary, and local officials subsidized their monthly allowance.

But now, the Qizhou provincial government pays monthly wages to clerks, and the monthly wages are not low, some reaching two strings of cash a month.

Some clerks saw that the provincial government attached great importance to them and became even more rampant.

After receiving the money, their bad habits did not change. Some of them took the money but did not do anything, some only protected the interests of their own clan, and some procrastinated and made numerous mistakes.

Wang Anshi could no longer tolerate this and felt that these low-level clerks would inevitably undermine the new law in the long run, so he decided to lay off all the clerks who had committed serious faults.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was almost three o'clock in the morning and the quarrel between the two was still very loud.

The two yamen runners on duty outside the door were no longer surprised.

Since these two people came to Qizhou City, they have quarreled almost every five days and fought every ten days, but they will soon make up as before.

……

"Sima Junshi, if you think I'm incompetent, you can impeach me to the court. Now, I am the governor of Qizhou, and the court has granted me the power to handle all affairs of Qizhou! Tomorrow morning, this notice of dismissal must be posted. If anyone objects and makes trouble, I, Wang Anshi, will handle it!"

"If you are afraid, you can just stay in the government office. I, Wang Anshi, will take care of everything if anything happens!"

"You...you...Wang Anshi, you are really stubborn. I, Sima Guang, am not a person who likes to complain. From now on, I will fully cooperate with you. If you cannot maintain stability within a month, resulting in the failure to advance the reform or chaos in the town and village, you must immediately stop this action and proceed in my way!"

"No problem! If I can't solve the problem within a month, I am not worthy of being the governor of Qizhou! You can be the governor and I can be the judge!"

……

After a while.

The two men walked out of the provincial government's meeting hall.

At this time, both of them had smiles on their faces, and then they looked at each other and bowed to each other.

"Brother Junshi, thank you for your hard work today. See you tomorrow!"

"Brother Jiefu, you have worked hard too. See you tomorrow!"

This is the rule Su Liang set for the two of them.

The two can quarrel freely in the conference room, but outside the conference room, they must be united in appearance and have the same goal. There must not be any disputes or sabotage or confrontation.

……

Early the next morning.

A notice listing 156 officials to be laid off in Qizhou was posted on the bulletin board next to the Qizhou government office.

at the same time.

It will also be displayed simultaneously on the public notice walls of all counties and towns.

As soon as this notice was issued, the local clerks who had been laid off became furious and blamed Wang Anshi one after another.

"This...this...this Wang Anshi, is he going to be the local emperor of Qizhou? He actually dismissed me and left me. I want to see how the reform plan is implemented!"

"He...what is he going to do? Doesn't he know that when he comes to Fengjiakou Town, even the prime minister's words are not as effective as mine!"

"These two little brats who are not even thirty years old are really making a fuss! Everyone knows that even the immortals in heaven have to pay homage to the God of Land when they arrive at a place. Now they have offended the God of Land. I will make it difficult for them to move forward!"

"Humph! Without me, the reform plan is just a piece of paper. In less than ten days, the prefect and the judge will beg me to come out of retirement!"

……

soon.

The issue of laying off clerks arose.

A series of problems have emerged in various towns and villages in Qizhou, including "household registration checks have been stopped, land measurement errors have occurred, no one has built the county school, the number of laborers has been incorrect, no one has paid attention to conflicts among villagers, and no one has run the grass market."

It's obvious that these people are causing trouble.

They hoped that Wang Anshi would quickly withdraw the notice.

Wang Anshi was well prepared and immediately dispatched all officials and clerks from the provincial and county governments to be stationed in towns and villages where the problems were serious.

This resulted in a surge in the number of tasks assigned to officials.

At this time, Sima Guang did not blame Wang Anshi. Instead, he fully assisted Wang Anshi and put more trivial and error-prone matters into place.

Five days later.

The towns and villages were becoming increasingly chaotic, and all the new legal reforms had come to a standstill.

Wang Anshi ordered the magistrates of the four counties to send all the difficult official duties to the provincial government.

This caused the documents in the back hall of the provincial government to pile up like a mountain, and the magistrates and county magistrates of the four counties complained bitterly, saying that it was difficult to complete the task.

Wang Anshi had dark circles under his eyes for several days in a row.

If we continue like this, we will probably die before the reform is successful.

Another day.

A clerk hurried to the offices of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

"Wang Zhizhou, Sima Tongpan, it's bad! Because of the land measurement, there was a fight between officials and civilians in Maojiakou Town, Yucheng County, and more than ten people were injured!"

Hearing this, Wang Anshi slowly stood up.

"The Mao family, Mao Yijie, Mr. Mao, is the perfect person to serve as a warning to others!" Wang Anshi said, "Prepare the carriages and horses immediately, call ten yamen runners, and follow me to Maojiakou Town!"

"Yes." The clerk bowed.

At this time, Sima Guang also stood up.

"Jiefu, the Mao family has many members and is a local bully. You have a bad temper and it's easy for you to get into a fight with them. I'll go with you!"

Wang Anshi waved his hand.

"No need. There must be someone in the state government. I am not afraid of a fight. Today, I, Wang Anshi, will be severely beaten, and these clerks will not dare to make trouble!"

"You...you...this group of unruly people don't know how to control their severity...what if..." Sima Guang naturally knew what Wang Anshi was planning.

Wang Anshi smiled and said, "Don't worry. The Qizhou Reform has not yet been completed. I still cherish my life. If my life is really in danger, I can escape with the guards protecting me!"

After saying that, Wang Anshi patted Sima Guang on the shoulder and strode out.

……

In the afternoon, the weather is hot and dry.

A large number of people gathered on a field in Maojiakou Town.

In Maojiakou Town, more than 70% of the people have the surname Mao, and they have the same ancestor. The most senior among them is Mr. Mao, who is over 70 years old, also known as Mao Yijie.

Mao Yijie is a local landlord and also a miser.

He is not a clerk.

But he had five sons, named Mao Zhuang, Mao Yun, Mao Fang, Mao Yin and Mao Jiao, all of whom worked in the government.

Among the 156 clerks who were laid off, these five were all included.

In addition, eight people from Maojiakou Town were also laid off.

The reason why Mao Yijie opposed the government's measurement of his land was that his family had more than 100 acres of land, which was obtained by using public labor. In the past, his family was responsible for measuring the land, but they lied about the area and took the harvest of these fields for themselves.

Now, after the measurement is completed, these more than 100 acres of land will definitely be reclaimed.

This move by the government violated his interests, so he organized his clansmen to oppose it with all their strength.

This is also the reason why Wang Anshi wanted to lay off these clerks.

Deceiving superiors and subordinates, the data is distorted.

Too many low-level clerks sabotaged the overall reform of Qizhou for their own personal interests.

……

When Wang Anshi brought ten yamen runners to the place to measure the land.

Yucheng County Magistrate Tao Quan was leading more than twenty yamen runners in a stalemate with the Mao family.

Mr. Mao, an old man with gray hair and beard, built a thatched hut at the edge of the field. He sat on a big chair, holding a cane, and drank herbal tea leisurely.

Behind him stood his five sons.

When Tao Quan saw Wang Anshi coming, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"Prefect, you are here. I have said everything I could, but they are still trying to stop me!"

When Wang Anshi saw footprints on the hem of Tao Quan's official uniform, he realized that this group of unruly people really dared to beat up an official appointed by the imperial court.

They think that the law does not hold the majority responsible, that numbers alone represent public opinion, and so they can act recklessly.

Wang Anshi's arrival made some members of the Mao family look frightened and then lower their heads.

However, Mr. Mao and his five sons acted as if Wang Anshi did not exist at all and had no intention of bowing to him.

Wang Anshi looked around, then strode up to Mr. Mao.

"Mr. Mao, the county government is measuring the land according to the regulations. I wonder why you are stopping it?" Wang Anshi was the first to bow, his tone gentle, which gave Mao enough face.

Mao Yijie paused for a moment before looking at Wang Anshi. After sizing up Wang Anshi, he feigned surprise and said, "It is Prefect Wang who has come. Please forgive me for my poor eyesight and for not seeing you. My legs and feet are not in good condition, so I will not salute you!"

"You...what did you just say?" Mao Yijie pretended to be confused.

"The county government is measuring the land according to regulations. Why are you stopping it?" Wang Anshi repeated.

"This is my Mao family's land. Historically, only the Mao family has come to measure it. I don't believe in other people's measurement methods. Since Taizu and Taizong, Maojiakou Town has followed this rule. Magistrate Wang has only been in Qizhou for a few months. It's not too much to say that he doesn't know."

Wang Anshi smiled faintly and raised his voice.

"Which is more important, the rules of Maojiakou Town or the rules of the imperial court? Today, I must measure the fields here!"

"You dare! The people of our entire Maojiakou town will not agree!" Mao Yijie suddenly stood up and knocked the ground hard with his crutch.

at the same time.

His five sons all stepped forward, and the people in the surrounding Maojiakou town also looked at Wang Anshi with grim expressions.

Wang Anshi looked around, not afraid of meeting the gazes of these people, and then shouted: "Tao Quan, bring the measuring rope. I want to measure it myself today. I don't want anyone to stop me!"

Tao Quan immediately handed the measuring rope to Wang Anshi.

At this time, Mao Yijie's five sons raised the long sticks in their hands.

The yamen runners behind Wang Anshi immediately drew their swords and glared at the people who were trying to use force.

Wang Anshi waved his hand at the yamen runners, signaling them to put away their swords.

Here, there are only more than thirty yamen runners, but there are two or three hundred members of the Mao family. If a real fight breaks out, the government office will have no chance of winning and the conflict will only be exacerbated.

Wang Anshi held the measuring rope and looked at the people who raised their weapons against him.

"My fellow countrymen, do you know what the Qizhou Reform means?"

"If the reform succeeds, it means Qizhou will be promoted to a prefecture and become a more prosperous place than Qingzhou. It means that more than 200 prefectures in the whole Song Dynasty will learn the way of reform from Qizhou. It means that we can ensure that all people in Qizhou will no longer suffer from hunger. It means that the number of places in Qizhou that can participate in the provincial examination will increase several times. It means that the business here will be more prosperous, you will have more money in your pockets, and the prefecture government will have more tax revenue to build bridges and roads for the people, so that everyone's life will get better and better..."

"This is a great thing. It is a blessing for all the people of Qizhou. What good will it bring to you if you resist the new law? Will you end up well if you go against the court for your own selfish reasons?"

After saying this, Wang Anshi took two steps forward.

At this time, one of Mao Yijie's sons strode out and pointed a long stick at Wang Anshi.

"Try taking another step forward!" he said viciously.

Wang Anshi looked at him and looked around.

"Do you know the consequences of beating me? Do you know the consequences if I die here today?"

"All of you who hold weapons are accomplices, and you will all go to jail! Have you ever thought about who will take care of your parents, your wives and children? In the future, your children and grandchildren will be banned from taking the imperial examinations, and your daughters may even become courtesans."

"If I die, the reform will continue, but the place where the reform is attempted will no longer be Qizhou. The court will intensify the punishment of all violent people. You and your descendants will become increasingly poor. Is this the life you want?"

Wang Anshi's words caused the audience to fall into silence. Most people lowered their heads. Even two of Mao Yijie's sons had trembling legs.

"Cough cough!"

Mao Yijie coughed twice and looked at Wang Anshi.

"Wang Zhizhou, we are not going against the court, nor are we going against you, and we are certainly not against the reform. We are just after these one hundred acres of thin land. These fields are a drop in the bucket for Qizhou. Let us measure these fields ourselves today, and the matter will be settled. We will definitely fully support other measures of the reform!" Mao Yijie smiled.

These words showed that he was admitting his weakness.

After all, he was just a township landlord and had never seen the world.

Wang Anshi shook his head slightly.

"You... do you really want to fight to the death?" Mao Yijie's tone became tough again.

Wang Anshi looked around.

"Mr. Mao, you have three choices right now."

"First, lead your clansmen home immediately and let the government measure the land. I will pardon all of them."

"Second, you and your people must kill me. Only by killing me will I not order the land here to be measured."

"Third, if you don't retreat and don't dare to use force against me, I will use force against you. You are the leader in disrupting the state government and blocking its work. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, you will be punished with at least twenty strokes of the cane."

"At your age, twenty strokes of the cane are enough to kill you. After you die, I can use you as a negative example to shock the counties and towns. I can report to the court and ask for rewards, saying that I have eliminated a landlord bully in Qizhou, and your Mao family will be cursed forever. Any of your descendants who dare to oppose me will be arrested and sentenced to two years of hard labor!"

"It would be very easy for me to get rid of you. Do you think the court trusts you or me?"

"You choose! You only have one chance today. If you don't kill me today, I will send troops next time!"

Wang Anshi put his hands behind his back and looked around, but no one dared to look him in the eye.

As the saying goes: The arrogant are afraid of the stupid, and the stupid are afraid of those who are not afraid of death.

Wang Anshi was gambling with his own life.

Tao Quan, the magistrate of Yucheng, looked at Wang Anshi with admiration. This was the first time he had seen such a fearless official.

Mao Yijie's lips trembled.

He was afraid.

He was also afraid of death, afraid of being infamous for eternity, and afraid of destroying the entire Maojiakou Town.

He hesitated for a moment, then threw away his cane and bowed to Wang Anshi, saying, "Wang Zhizhou, I was wrong. From now on, I am willing to fully cooperate with the government's official duties!"

After saying that, Mao Yijie knelt on the ground.

His five sons quickly knelt on the ground, and the people of Maojiakou Town also knelt on the ground one after another. Everyone felt like they had been to the gates of hell.

……

After this incident.

The number of clerks causing trouble in Qizhou suddenly decreased a lot.

at the same time.

Sima Guang immediately drafted a notice to recruit clerks.

Except for the clerks who were laid off, all literate young and middle-aged people who were interested in working in the government office could sign up. After being examined by the provincial government, they could take up the office. After passing the three-month probation period, they could serve for one year.

……

A month later.

The reform work at the grassroots level in Qizhou counties and towns not only returned to normal, but was also several times more efficient than usual.

This made all the Qizhou officials feel much more relaxed.

This day, late at night.

On the roof of the back hall of the Qizhou government office, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang lay quietly, looking at the moon.

Sima Guang nudged Wang Anshi's shoulder with his elbow and said in a voice almost as soft as a mosquito's: "You are right."

"what?"

Wang Anshi looked at Sima Guang with confusion on his face.

"You are right!" Sima Guang shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What?" Wang Anshi asked again, pretending not to hear clearly.

"I say, you, the stubborn governor, must have been a bull in your previous life, a stubborn bull that won't turn back until it hits the wall!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Suddenly, the clear laughter of two people could be heard from the roof.

This pair of enemies with complementary personalities have become each other's confidants and indispensable to each other during their quarrels.

(End of this chapter)