Chapter 242 Goodbye, Friends
The more I learn about Anshi, the more I realize he truly is a remarkable man. Look at the biographies of figures in history books—whether loyal or treacherous—and most of them are stereotyped, with similar personalities. Anshi stands out, one-of-a-kind. Even the best novelist couldn't create such a unique character. Regardless of his successes or failures, the fact that such a figure appeared a thousand years ago undoubtedly adds color to history and makes that era even more endearing. Jing Gong's personality and thoughts are seamless, quite modern, and relatable. It's just that a thousand years ago, most people felt a sense of distance from him, just as we feel a sense of distance from them. It's a pity that Jing Gong was born in the wrong era.
I have heard that the legacy of a scholar is that ridicule, hardship, insult, and setbacks cannot change his conduct; universal condemnation cannot alter his resolve. Even if his strength is limited and luck is against him, he will act despite knowing it is impossible, fulfilling his resolve and pursuing his path. He will do so and will never regret it until his death.
Liang Qichao said, "Throughout the ages, great men have occasionally appeared. This is your reflection!"
When the Duke was active, he stood alone in this world, his brilliance like Chang Geng, illuminating the brightness of our dynasty. When the Duke rested, white clouds vanished from the sky, torrential rain returned to the mountains, illuminating the light of China. His profound learning enabled him to discern the views of a hundred schools of thought; his far-sightedness and wisdom enabled him to transcend the vulgarities of popular opinion. With his head held high, he faced the world with a majestic and heroic vision, yet his vision extended to future generations. A wise man is not tolerated by his friends, a brave man is not tolerated by the times. A rare talent, yet he was tarnished by the world's disgrace. This was the Duke's misfortune, but the Song Dynasty's fortune.
Throughout history, we can see that there is only one person who, despite thousands of years, has taken on the responsibility of serving the world without compromise, never degrading himself, and with a steadfast devotion and integrity as great as ice and snow, yet has achieved his goal. His achievements are like grass and trees, forgotten in history, yet despite the changing times, our admiration for him remains as fresh as ever. His knowledge may have been incomplete, his laws may have had flaws, but his generosity, his willingness to shoulder the responsibility, his ability to correct the world's customs, and his sacrifice for his ideals, like a stone in the vast ocean, a peak piercing the sun, will forever be remembered by future generations.
Sima Guang, this scoundrel, "changing the son for the mother" is a joke in itself. Looking through all the Confucian classics, there is only "A woman should obey her father at home; if she has no father, she should obey her elder brother. After marriage, she should obey her husband; after her husband dies, she should obey her son." Where did Sima Guang come up with the idea of "changing the son for the mother"?
Moreover, it was the young Emperor Zhezong who ascended the throne, and Empress Dowager Gao was merely a regent behind the scenes. On what basis did she interfere in state affairs and tamper with her son's decrees? Simply because of her role as a mother?
Neither of these arguments made sense. Sima Guang felt they were sufficient, while Gao Taotao felt they were excessive. In her mind, any further discussion of this matter would be a challenge to her dignity. Did she really need anyone's approval for anything she wanted?
Sima Guang got what he wanted and actually started to implement the new law three months after Shenzong's death.
The first blow he struck was against the Baojia Law. Only by reading the original text of the decree abolishing the law can one understand his madness and nonsense.
Excerpt from the main original sentence: "Since the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, the militia system has been corrupted. For both defense and attack, soldiers have been recruited for long expeditions, and the people have never learned to fight. The country has enjoyed peace for over a hundred years, and the elderly with white hair have never seen the world of war. Suddenly, the people in the fields are all wearing military uniforms and holding weapons, rushing across the fields. The elders sigh, thinking it a bad omen."
This is the central idea. First, he said that the Chinese had not trained for over 100 years, so there was no need to do so again. Why? This cannot be explained by simple, inflexible reasoning alone. Only by considering the closing remarks at the end of the memorial can we understand what kind of waste he considered his own people.
Now let's focus on the second point, the part about "the country being at peace, but now it is considered an ominous sign." This is the theoretical basis for his abolition of the baojia system. Because the prevalence of martial artists was making the elderly men in the countryside uneasy and considered it an ominous sign, he wanted to abolish it.
Anyone with a bit of common sense would be so angry that they would jump around. Even if he is not a great master of history, he should not say such stupid things just because he has been an official for more than 40 years.
For a minister of state to base his deliberations on the pleasures of a rural, ordinary old man is truly absurd. When did human society progress to this point? Was the Northern Song Dynasty truly a paradise on earth? Would major national policies be decided by ordinary people through a show of hands? Everyone at the time knew the answer, yet Sima Guang insisted on saying so. Some, like Empress Dowager Gao, actually listened and implemented it... Now you understand the meaning of shamelessness.
Compared with the two original texts below, the one above is nothing.
In the next paragraph, Sima Guang discusses money: "The imperial court often sends envoys to inspect the country, and wherever they go, they offer rewards and gifts, spending tens of thousands of dollars in gold and silk. This is all done by whipping the common people, collecting them by the pound, the pound, the foot, the foot, and the foot, and then spending them like dirt."
This is simply a lie. As a great historian, he should be familiar with the documents and materials of the Chinese dynasties for more than three generations. So why did he selectively ignore the materials of the Song Dynasty?
The baojia system was implemented to reduce the number of troops and thus military spending. While there were expenditures associated with the baojia system, these were all charged to the Emperor Shenzong's imperial treasury and military funds saved from reducing the number of troops, leaving not a single cent untouched by the Ministry of Revenue. How could this be considered wasteful? Check out the detailed breakdown. For example, in the fourth year of the Xining reign, military spending saved over 1.6 million guan (approximately 1.3 million guan), while the baojia system cost over 1.3 million guan (approximately 300,000 guan) in savings, leaving a surplus of 300,000 guan.
This is just the statistics from the capital; if applied to the entire country, the savings would be even more astonishing. Is the Baojia system a costly or cost-saving system? Is there still room for debate?
Before reading this last paragraph, please take a deep breath and don't get too angry. The original text is as follows: "...the people in those distant lands make their livings out of riding and shooting, and their customs are to attack and fight. From childhood until adulthood, they have no other occupations. The Chinese people, for the most part, work in the fields. Although they are given weapons and taught how to strike and pierce, and even in the training grounds, they sit, stand, advance, and retreat in a seemingly orderly manner, if they are forced to meet the enemy, drums sound, and arrows fly, they will flee to the north in defeat, as can be predicted, without a doubt."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
