Chapter 2197: Renzong Chronicles 6: Wang Anshi Is Here

It was already dusk, and the glittering, clamorous nightlife of Luoyang was just beginning. Inside Guangzheng Hall, Fan Zhongyan, who exhausted his heart and mind for the sovereign's realm and the peace of the state, was still toiling away in the Hall of State Affairs.

The eleventh year of Zhengtong had already entered the sixth year of Fan Zhongyan's stewardship of the government. Five springs and autumns had passed in the blink of an eye, and the empire had weathered another round of storms. The court had taken on a new face once more, while Fan, now entering his sixtieth year, found his hair already turned to frost.

In the dark of night, within the chancellor's hall, lamps flickered in profusion. A dozen or so secretaries, attendants, and academicians kept Fan, the Chief Chancellor, company on overtime duty, sorting through official documents and memorials. These men, all around thirty years of age, came from varied backgrounds, but none were of ordinary origin, and most had passed through considerable practical training in office.

Though not all had been promoted by Fan Zhongyan personally, each possessed strengths that had earned his recognition. These men were the elite of the current Great Han Empire, with boundless prospects—the empire's reserve pool of future high officials.

Yet, positioned as they were, coming into daily contact with chancellors and ministers, handling matters of state in their daily work, they drew attention even as they bore pressures and competition far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Especially when the one occupying the seat of Director of State Affairs was a power-holder like Fan Zhongyan—even those who were not his partisans could not help but be influenced by his radiating presence and strive desperately to distinguish themselves, such as this habit of "working overtime."

Even for elites of the empire with such cultivation, awareness, and bearing as these, persisting over the long term wore them out in both body and mind—even though Fan Zhongyan had never demanded that they do more work than their duties required.

These men, on one hand, yearned for the chancellor's regard and promotion; on the other, they found his work style hard to endure. Indeed, some officials and talents who had deeply benefited from Fan Zhongyan's patronage secretly hoped he would step down sooner rather than later.

Why bother? You may not be tired, but everyone else is! If you would only step down, you, Lord Fan, would once again be the worthy minister and famed chancellor praised throughout the realm, rather than a "power-hungry chancellor" subjected to attacks and criticism.

Among these subordinate officials of the chancellor's hall, one man's bearing stood out like a crane among chickens. As a bureaucrat, he was not old—around thirty years of age—but he always gave one a feeling of sharply exposed brilliance.

His name was Wang Anshi, the top scholar (zhuangyuan) of the second year of Zhengtong, and the youngest zhuangyuan the empire had produced since the Kaibao era.

Over more than a hundred years, the Great Han Empire had formed numerous factions of all sizes and varieties. The "Gan clique," originating from the Jiangnan West Circuit, was but a branch of the southern officials and wielded relatively weak influence, yet it had a long and storied history, producing no few famous figures, even chancellors.

The most famous were Zhong Mo and Wang Qinruo. Although Zhong Mo was not a native of Jiangxi, due to his many years of service in the Jiangnan West Circuit during the Kaibao era, where he made great strides in consolidating governance, culture, and education, he was regarded by later generations as the founding figure of the Gan clique.

As for Wang Qinruo, he served four reigns, spent twenty years as a minister, reached the pinnacle of officialdom, and at one point wielded influence that shook the realm—even reaching for the post of Director of State Affairs. Most crucially, during the transition between "Kangzong and Shizong," he maneuvered skillfully and rendered meritorious service in securing Shizong's succession.

Although Wang Qinruo later fell from grace for colluding with inner-court eunuchs, his reputation and standing among the southern officials of the Gan clique remained unshakable. His disciples and students continued to exert influence throughout the empire, perpetuating his legacy.

His career path inspired countless juniors. One should know that Wang Qinruo had not entered office through the imperial examinations. Though he was not without patrons who lifted him up, the "humble origins" coloring about him was extremely pronounced. He was the typical model and benchmark of "rising from clerk to official" in the empire's political arena—a figure deeply admired from the bottom of their hearts by countless petty functionaries across the realm.

Wang Anshi was also a man of Jiangxi. From childhood, he had been labeled a child prodigy and a genius, naturally brilliant and quick-witted. He did not disappoint his gifts, devouring books with passion and learning to sharpen his intellect.

As he grew older, he traveled with his father on official postings throughout the realm. This experience was especially crucial to his development—not only did he encounter the customs and conditions of the people in various regions, but he also absorbed the strengths of every school of thought. Of the four major schools of the south—Gan, Xiang, Min, and Su—which were now the most mainstream in the Great Han Empire, he had studied at each, and his progress and insight even surpassed some of the professors who taught him.

Before even entering the capital, Wang Anshi, not yet twenty, had already earned a considerable reputation among the southern literati and scholarly schools. After arriving in the capital, he naturally passed the entrance examination into the Grand Academy, where he was also noticed by Ouyang Xiu and studied classical prose under him.

The Academy of Politics and Law was where Wang Anshi spent the longest period of study, for it was there that he truly came into contact with the face of the empire's highest institution of learning and its upper-class magnates. The Academy was far more than mere scholarship—it placed greater emphasis on cultivating the ways of officialdom and the arts of governance.

And in this regard, even with Wang Anshi's natural gifts, he could no longer handle things with effortless ease, as if drinking sweet wine. So-called talent and learning were certainly important, but interpersonal relationships and practical experience were not so easily accumulated.

However, this seemed to thoroughly ignite Wang Anshi's passion and interest in politics. During that period, coinciding with the late years of Shizong's reign, the struggle for the succession was fierce, the court was in disarray, and the people's hearts were unsettled.

Located within the imperial gardens, the Grand Academy, as the empire's highest institution for cultivating elite talent, had always had a strong atmosphere of political discussion. The young and fiery Wang Anshi naturally could not exempt himself, and so he wrote no few spirited essays criticizing current affairs.

Though in the eyes of old politicians these essays were somewhat immature, the brilliance of his talent and intellect had already dazzled quite a few people. Naturally, they also earned him the disgust of many—especially the sons of the powerful and noble.

Take Xiao Fu, for example—the grandson of Xiao Gong, a chancellor under two reigns and a pillar of Shizong's court. He too was exceptionally gifted, studious, and talented, having studied under the great Xiang school master Liao Changhao. Xiao Fu was the one who most enjoyed debating with Wang Anshi, but he lost more often than he won, and in the end, he would often run out of arguments, fling his sleeves, and storm off in a huff.

There were many similar examples. The young Wang Anshi was exactly like this—arrogant in his extraordinary wit, sharp-edged, and aggressively imposing. It was precisely for this reason that during the palace examination evaluations after the great examination of the second year of Zhengtong, many ministers, including the then Minister of Rites Yan Shu, suggested that his edge should be tempered—precisely because he was uncut jade, he needed polishing.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Anshi would not have made even the first tier of the jinshi list, let alone become zhuangyuan. However, at that time, Liu Weizhen had been on the throne for a full year. Though young and willing to delegate power, he was not entirely without ideas of his own.

Facing the "theory of polishing," Liu Weizhen did not concur. He believed that the court selected officials based on talent, learning, and practical wisdom—how could one quibble over age and arbitrarily suppress someone? That would be unjust.

When the Emperor made this attitude clear, Wang Anshi, the 23-year-old zhuangyuan of the Great Han, was freshly minted. The Emperor may not have had any particular fondness for Wang Anshi, nor even understood him in any depth, but one must know that Liu Weizhen himself had been a young man back then, facing a court full of old ministers.

By now, Wang Anshi had been in office for ten years. His career had been very stable—so stable that it followed the standard course, basically proceeding according to the empire's established bureaucratic cultivation system and rhythm. Only after truly entering officialdom did he come to realize that while the Academy of Politics and Law was close to the court, the gap between them was immeasurable.

Once he plunged headfirst into the great dye vat of the court, his talent and erudition could not extricate him from the political vortex. His sharp edge had to be sheathed—a few losses taught him that.

He still had to thank Fan Zhongyan. Had it not been for Lord Fan's vigorous promotion and cultivation of talented men after becoming chancellor, Wang Anshi might still be compiling books in the Three Institutes, or awaiting appointment in the Hanlin Academy—waiting for an "appointment" that in the Zhengtong era would almost never come.

Thus, toward Fan Zhongyan, Wang Anshi felt genuine gratitude. Fan's thinking, his political style, his conduct—all deeply infected Wang Anshi and influenced him in every way.

The night deepened. One by one, the staff brought in the memorials from the various ministries and local circuits and prefectures that had been sorted, annotated, and drafted for discussion, presenting them to the chancellor's hall. The desk set sideways to Fan Zhongyan's was piled full again—a sight that inspired awe.

"It's late. Leave the memorials and return to your residences to rest!"

Wang Anshi was the last to enter, carrying a stack of memorials in his hands as well. Hearing this, he gently set them down on the desk, then looked at Fan Zhongyan, who remained buried in his paperwork with white brows knit in worry. Unable to help himself, he bowed with clasped hands and said: "Chancellor, it is late. Please take care of your health and rest soon!"

Hearing the voice, Fan Zhongyan looked up. Seeing it was Wang Anshi, a slight smile appeared on his wrinkled old face: "Ah, Jiefu! You go back first. I still need to finish reviewing this audit!"

With that, he buried his head again. Seeing this, Wang Anshi's expression moved, and his eyes grew somewhat hot. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he bowed to Fan Zhongyan: "Chancellor!"

Sensing something unusual, Fan Zhongyan looked up again, gazed at him, and asked: "Is something the matter?"

Wang Anshi said in a low voice: "This subordinate has been promoted by the Chancellor and often serves at the center of power. All that I see and hear concerns matters of state, yet viewed through my humble and limited eyes, it is like sitting and gazing at cloudy mountains—I cannot see their true form.

In the more than ten years since I entered the capital, I have long ceased to see the scenery beyond the capital's borders, no longer hear the voices of the common folk, no longer know the suffering of the masses. This subordinate humbly requests to be posted to the provinces."

Hearing this request, Fan Zhongyan was first surprised, then showed a satisfied expression. After a moment's thought, he said: "This is as it should be. That Jiefu has this intention shows a true ambition to govern the world and serve the state!"

After a brief deliberation, Fan Zhongyan said: "The governance of the state rests first on official selection, second on laws and regulations, and third on finance and the people's livelihood. As it happens, the Jianghai Customs has a vacancy for a Deputy Grand Minister of Works for Taxation—I'll keep it for you!"

The Jianghai Customs was the foremost of the empire's five great customs houses. After half a century of development, its annual customs duties and various administrative revenues had already broken through to ten million strings of cash. One Jianghai Customs was worth five Suzhou prefectures.

Having spent these years at the center of power, Wang Anshi had gained a fairly deep understanding of the empire's political and economic system, so he naturally understood the importance of the Jianghai Customs. Receiving such an arrangement, he was both surprised and delighted, and also felt a sense of being valued. It was absolutely a pivotal turning point in his career.

"Thank you, Chancellor!" For Wang Anshi at this moment, only a long, deep bow could express his gratitude.

Immediately, Fan Zhongyan wrote out a note for Wang Anshi. Once he had handed over his current affairs, he was to go and settle matters with Chancellor Wang. Chancellor Wang referred to the minister and Minister of Personnel Wang Shilin—a true core member of the Zhengtong emperor's faction, and a trump card the Zhengtong Emperor used to balance the court while ruling from on high.

And as he watched Wang Anshi's retreating back, a deep worry appeared between Fan Zhongyan's brows. His gaze was very complex. After a long while, he finally let out a melancholy sigh.

A piece of fat, dripping meat like the Jianghai Customs naturally had wolves circling all around it. Since taking charge of the government, Fan Zhongyan had carried out many reforms of the empire's finances and taxation, especially regarding "new things" like the customs houses, which he had vigorously rectified, cracking down on corruption and illegality. This was one of the reasons the Jianghai Customs' annual revenue had reached an all-time high.

But Fan Zhongyan knew full well in his heart that what he had struck at was only skin and flesh. Some problems at the bone were not things that could be solved by court institutions. Sending Wang Anshi to the Jianghai Customs was tantamount to pushing him into a wolf's den. Whether he could hold out was a big question mark.

Yet given his personality and abilities, Fan Zhongyan secretly harbored expectations, hoping he might bring some different changes to the Jianghai Customs and the empire's entire customs system. Back then, hadn't Emperor Shizong used him, Fan Xiwen, in just the same way?

A smooth and easy path never produces a man of substance.