Chapter 2207: Renzong Chronicles 16: Family and State

"The master has returned to the residence!"

Under the evening sun's adornment, Huating City seemed draped in a dreamlike garment—gorgeous and dazzling. Shanghai was a foul-smelling city, but that absolutely did not include Huating City. Here, there was only refined elegance, dancing pavilions, and singing stages.

Ever since Wang Anshi had taken up his post in Shanghai, in order to facilitate governance and rectify the chaos, he had moved his office back to the old government compound in the port district, handling affairs nearby, observing the people's conditions, and listening to their voices.

This measure naturally made the high officials and grand ministers of the Shanghai government quite uncomfortable, even dissatisfied—after all, how could the port district's hardware facilities and environmental conditions compare with Huating?

But there was no help for it. When the top leader had made a decision, how could subordinates refuse to follow, especially a top leader like Wang Anshi? Although Wang Anshi had not forced the matter.

However, Wang Anshi's household residence remained situated within Huating City. The residence was an official mansion specially built by the Shanghai government for the mayor when Huating City had risen to prominence—quite imposing.

After all, a dignified city lord could not be too shabby. Toiling for the hundreds of thousands of scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, and good common folk within the city, living a bit better was only fitting—this was also a measure of displaying authority.

If the ruling class wanted to wallow in decadence and pleasure, they could always come up with sufficiently high-sounding reasons! Although Wang Anshi disapproved of such things, since it was an established precedent, he could not rashly break it, so he still settled his family there. What he cared about more was whether he could practice his governing philosophy and whether it would affect his aim of applying learning to practical governance.

In the three years since taking office, Wang Anshi returned to the official residence in Huating City only two or three times a month. Today, taking advantage of the successful conclusion of the abacus competition, with the autumn breeze just right and his spirits high, Wang Anshi returned to the residence once more.

His return was naturally a joyful event for the men and women, stewards, and servants of the household—they were just short of hanging lanterns and festooning the place with colored silk. Upon his return, his wife, Lady Wu, led a crowd of inner-chamber wives, concubines, sons, and daughters to welcome him.

His gaze swept across and landed on a young man. Rarely, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and his tone could not help but carry delight: "Yuanze!"

The young man was quite handsome and refined, clearly from a distinguished family. With composed bearing carrying a confident spirit, he stepped forward under Wang Anshi's gaze, bowed, and said: "Your son pays respects to Father!"

His name was Wang Pang, the eldest son of Wang Anshi, eighteen years of age. Inheriting Wang Anshi's natural gifts, he had been clever since childhood, with extremely strong learning ability and skill in composition. Influenced by his father, he was very interested in political discourse and administrative studies. Though young in years, when discussing affairs and judging people, he often had astonishing insights.

During Wang Anshi's tenure in the southeast, Wang Pang had accompanied his father on his official travels—learning the classics in early childhood, entering official schools in his youth, and at fifteen, passing the entrance examination to Loujiang Academy. Owing to the influence of Emperor Shizong, this was the best school in Jiangnan Circuit and the reserve talent pool for Jiangnan's officials.

And Wang Pang had only recently graduated from Loujiang Academy with first place in the academy examination. Although he was always busy with official duties, Wang Anshi had also poured considerable effort into his eldest son, and Wang Pang's return filled him with great joy.

"Yuanze, now that you have graduated, what plans do you have next?" In the reception hall, after a round of inquiries, Wang Anshi asked calmly.

Upon hearing the question, Wang Pang did not answer but instead asked in return: "May I ask what guidance Father has?"

Wang Anshi said: "If you wish to apply your learning to practice, you may enter the Jiangnan government offices to hone your administrative abilities and accumulate experience; if you wish to continue your studies, you may go to the capital and enroll in the Academy of Politics and Law. After five or six years, when your scholarship, insight, and experience have all matured, you may naturally sit for the imperial examinations and, excelling in your studies, enter officialdom!"

The two directions Wang Anshi pointed to were in fact different paths to the same destination—the key lay in those four words: excel in studies, enter officialdom. Of course, this was different from ordinary scholars. Though the Great Han Empire flourished in all things and all industries prospered, becoming an official and wielding power remained the ultimate career goal for the vast majority of people—provided they had the opportunity.

The development of productive forces and the rise in economic standards had indeed brought about the emergence of a class of industrialists and merchants, but the expansion of the privileged bureaucratic class was even larger and broader.

And for true bureaucrats who had fought their way up like Wang Anshi, their descendants could naturally enter schools, sit for examinations, and participate in politics far more easily than ordinary people. Those threshold problems that restricted the development of scholars across the realm basically did not exist for the children of the privileged—how far they could go simply depended on their overall political quality.

In just a few words, Wang Anshi had in fact arranged Wang Pang's entire "study-then-official" plan before he sat for the imperial examinations. Following these two paths, barring unforeseen circumstances, Wang Pang's future starting point in officialdom would only depend on what rank he achieved in the examinations.

And Wang Pang's qualification to sit for the imperial examinations had already been obtained back at Loujiang Academy. By now, the Great Han's imperial examination system had undergone great changes from its original form. The two-tier examination system at the circuit and prefecture levels in the localities was still in operation, granting ordinary scholars across the realm the qualification to travel to the capital for the joint examination.

However, by the late Shizong period, the sources of the court's capable officials and competent clerks had become "diversified." Among them, the highest success rates came mainly from two sources: first, the various administrative and legal academies across the regions; second, every government office at or above the county level nationwide had fixed recommended examination quotas for each examination cycle.

The clever Wang Pang could understand the intent behind his father's arrangement. However, after a moment's deliberation, he clasped his hands and said: "Father's painstaking efforts move me to tears of gratitude! Only, I have already made an appointment with my classmates and close friends—I plan to go out on a study tour!"

Hearing this, Wang Anshi's brows furrowed slightly. He looked at his eldest son and saw that his demeanor was composed and his gaze calm—clearly this was not a whim but a long-considered plan.

He did not directly refuse. After pondering for a moment, Wang Anshi asked: "Where do you plan to go?"

Wang Pang said: "Your son plans first to return to our hometown (Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi), then head south to Fujian to seek instruction from the Min school of learning, pass through Guangnan northward to Changsha to visit Yuelu Academy, then travel west to Jiannan, and all the way northwest from there..."

Hearing Wang Pang's description, Wang Anshi clearly became interested. In a tone of reminder, he said: "If what you say is so, the journey is long, and the time cannot be short. The hardship and danger along the way, I fear, are beyond what you can imagine!"

Wang Pang said with fervor: "Of the Great Han in books and official documents, your son has heard and seen too much. I precisely wish to use a journey of a thousand li to verify what I have learned and known. Moreover, I am still young—this is exactly the time to promote learning through travel and broaden my horizons. Otherwise, when I enter the court as an official in the future and am busy with official duties, even if I have the inclination, it will be difficult to find the leisure."

Seeing his confident bearing, Wang Anshi could not help but smile. He suddenly felt that letting him go out and see the world was not a bad thing. He said: "According to your plan, it is already ten thousand li. Even if I gave you a year or two, you might not be able to complete it! Even if you can persevere, can your classmates and close friends?"

To this, Wang Pang smiled and said: "Classmates are not necessarily fellow travelers. If on this journey I can find a bosom friend who can walk with me to the very end, would that not be a great delight?"

"Since you have already considered it carefully, then go. Your father will not stand in your way. But as for your mother—you go and tell her yourself!" Wang Anshi said.

"Thank you, Father!" Wang Pang bowed solemnly.

Late at night, Wang Anshi remained in his study, unwilling to return to the bedroom for a long time. The truth was that his wife, Lady Wu, was weeping and wailing, making it hard for him to cope. But with a parent's deep love for his child, he could hardly rebuke her—he could only hide away for some peace.

Behind the desk, Wang Anshi read a letter with a serious expression. The letter came from Luoyang, sent by his younger brother Wang Anli. Wang Anshi had many brothers; perhaps his own brilliance was too dazzling, causing people to often overlook the talents of his other brothers.

Take Wang Anli, for example—last year's imperial examination, he had placed first in the Law branch. And from Wang Anshi's understanding of this brother, even if he sat for the Classics branch, he could rank among the top. At present, Wang Anli was observing governance at the Censorate, serving as a "reserve censor."

And this letter from Wang Anli, besides expressing brotherly affection, was more for seeking advice and pouring out his heart. The court had always been a big dye vat—only now, after countless rinsings, this dye vat had become quite murky.

A dye vat that had not been cleaned for a long time was somewhat agonizing for Wang Anli, who had just entered officialdom with his heart full of ambition to serve the country. What he had seen and heard over more than a year had formed a tremendous impact on Wang Anli.

From between the lines, Wang Anshi could feel his brother's restless indignation. While sighing at his lack of experience, he could not help but feel worry rise within his heart.

For instance, what Wang Anli mentioned: the Chief Chancellor monopolizing power, endless factional strife, corruption and embezzlement, extravagance becoming the fashion—and vaguely hinted at, the Emperor's laziness in governance, indulgence in women, and favoritism toward eunuchs...

All these circumstances made Wang Anshi feel extremely heavy when he took up his brush to reply. Then, the very next day, Wang Anshi received another piece of grievous news: the chief minister and Censor-in-Chief Bao Zheng had passed away. He mourned and lamented deeply.

From this moment on, a thought had quietly taken root in Wang Anshi's mind: the Great Han Empire needed to change!