met free Chapter 135 A woman dresses up for the man she loves
Chapter 135 A woman dresses up for the man she loves
Chapter 135 A woman dresses up for the man she loves
Wang You never imagined that the imperial court's financial shortage had reached such a severe level.
Later generations have had mixed opinions about Wang Anshi's reforms, with most of those who supported and praised him simply admiring his courage to implement them.
While his reform strategies were not necessarily belittled, most people did not approve of them.
Great figures have even described him as an idealist.
Simply put, he's too idealistic; it would be great if things could develop according to his wishes.
However, Wang Anshi's reforms did not solve the fundamental problems of the Song Dynasty, and failure was inevitable.
Wang You also agrees with this view.
Those who criticize Wang Anshi's reforms argue that they exacerbated internal conflicts within the Song Dynasty.
However, considering the current situation, the Song Dynasty has reached a point where it cannot afford to change.
Although Wang Anshi's reforms exacerbated internal conflicts, they also gave the court a much-needed respite.
Without Wang Anshi's reforms, the imperial court would have used other methods to alleviate financial pressure, which would have exacerbated internal conflicts as well.
Although Wang You did not agree with Wang Anshi's reform strategy, he never belittled Wang Anshi's role.
Those who believe that Wang Anshi's reforms exacerbated the contradictions are putting the cart before the horse.
It's like someone who's almost out of money for food, and someone gives him an idea.
This idea seems good on the surface, but it actually has a lot of hidden dangers.
The person who followed the other's instructions ended up with a disability.
Then a bunch of people criticized the person who came up with the idea, saying he had done a lot of harm.
But when these people are cursing, they forget that even when people who are short of money can't afford to eat, they will still find ways to fill their stomachs.
Without that person's advice, he might have resorted to theft, robbery, fraud, and deception.
The final result won't be any better, and may even be worse.
The problem itself is there, and the fact that you tried to solve it but failed does not mean that the problem is gone.
"Nothing is impossible to a willing mind."
Wang You said, "As long as the approach is right, there will always be a solution to any problem."
Wang Anshi did not want to directly solve the problem of excessive redundancy, but the failure of Fan Zhongyan made him realize the difficulty involved.
However, the problems facing the imperial court were urgent, and there was no room for trial and error.
His method may only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, but that's how you treat a stubborn problem: first alleviate the symptoms, then consider addressing the underlying issue.
Wang You believed that Wang Anshi was not so superficial as to fail to see that the new laws he formulated could only alleviate the problems of the Song Dynasty to a certain extent.
But the Song Dynasty was like a patient who was terminally ill, its body already extremely weak.
A fundamental cure would take too long and might not even be successful.
Given the state of the Song Dynasty, it might not even last until that day.
While treating the symptoms cannot fundamentally solve the problem, it can provide some relief, giving the Song Dynasty a chance to address the root cause.
Frankly speaking, if Wang Anshi's reforms had achieved their intended goals, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to then use the momentum of his great victory to address the problem of excessive bureaucracy, extravagance, and redundancy.
"But he oversimplified the problem. The problem facing the court was not about curing an illness."
"The symptoms are a continuation of the root cause, and treating the symptoms may not be much easier than treating the root cause," Wang You said.
"Does Ziqian think we should start with addressing the issues of excessive redundancy?"
Zhao Sheng sighed, "But the difficulty is too great."
"Then it depends on Your Highness's courage."
Wang Youping said calmly, "Throughout history, how can reform succeed without bloodshed!"
In his view, the reason why neither Fan Zhongyan's new laws nor Wang Anshi's reforms achieved the expected results was largely because the emperors they supported did not kill anyone.
It's not that killing someone guarantees success, but without killing someone, success is definitely impossible.
It is said that killing is not the solution to problems, but when there is no other way to solve a problem, killing is the best solution.
There are many examples of reforms aimed at strengthening the country during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Although they all ultimately failed, they simply failed to maintain their effectiveness.
It was indeed successful at the beginning, and the expected goals were achieved.
The Li Kui Reforms exemplify this; without them, the State of Wei could not have become the first hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period.
However, because the old nobles of Wei were not completely eliminated, the regime could not be sustained, and the old nobles eventually restored their power, leading to the decline of Wei once again.
However, Li Kui's reforms were not about reasoning with the old aristocracy and getting them to accept the reforms.
Instead, he killed many people, making others afraid to stop him.
Shang Yang's reforms resulted in the deaths of many people, and his eventual death was ultimately intended to appease them.
However, none of the two reforms in the Song Dynasty resulted in any deaths. No one died because of the reforms, whether they were on the side of support or opposition.
Even officials who supported the reforms were merely demoted after the reforms failed.
The Song Dynasty's system of demoting officials was even more ridiculous.
As mentioned earlier, in the Song Dynasty, official positions and duties were separate, and being demoted was equivalent to being demoted, but it did not actually affect one's treatment.
Even after being demoted, Fan Zhongyan still received the salary of a prime minister.
However, compared to other positions, there is no prime minister's appointment and no official allowance.
In addition, serving as prime minister also grants one a host of honorary titles, which are also paid for.
Although it's significantly less, it's still enough to maintain their affluent lifestyle.
Moreover, even those who are demoted can be reinstated one day.
No matter how much you fuss about something, it won't kill you; at most, you'll temporarily lose power, not completely.
If our side wins, we can not only restore our original status, but also gain tremendous benefits.
Even if we fail, it will only mean a temporary period of dormancy.
So, who would be afraid?
Some people are willing to take risks for their own interests. Now, to protect their own interests, who would back down even if they know they won't die?
Zhao Sheng looked at Wang You in shock upon hearing this. If these words were to get out, it would surely cause a sensation.
Wang You would also be condemned by all the scholars in the world.
"Ziqian, you are also a civil official. Aren't you worried that if you set a precedent by killing civil officials, you might one day become one of them?"
Why be afraid?
Wang You smiled and said, "The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty. If you do nothing wrong, you naturally have nothing to fear from ghosts knocking on your door."
Zhao Sheng fell silent upon hearing this. What Wang You said was true, but were all the officials in the court who opposed the reforms necessarily corrupt?
"Your Highness, the Song Dynasty values civil affairs over military affairs because it is afraid of a situation like the Tang Dynasty where regional powers were divided and controlled by their own people."
At this time, the "three redundancies" problem in the Song Dynasty was tantamount to the regional separatism of the Tang Dynasty.
Wang You said, "No dynasty in history has ever fallen for the same reason. Later dynasties would learn from the lessons of the previous dynasties."
But even after learning from past mistakes, new problems will inevitably arise.
Civil officials keep saying that military generals are the source of cholera and need to be guarded against, while also shouting that the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed. Don't they find that ridiculous?
Those officials in the court who opposed the reforms were like emperors in the Tang Dynasty who, realizing the potential for regional separatism, wanted to limit the power of the regional military governors, arguing that it was an ancestral law that could not be changed.
After a long silence, Zhao Sheng sighed and said, "Ziqian, I've been out for a while now, it's time for me to go."
Wang You's words had a huge impact on him.
He knew perfectly well that Wang You was right, but that's what emperors of the Song Dynasty had always done.
"I'll see you off, Your Highness," Wang You said, offering no further assistance.
Since Zhao Sheng had asked, he had said everything he should and shouldn't have said; whether or not to use it was no longer his concern.
To reiterate, if an emperor is worthy of being assisted, he will try to do something for the era.
But if the emperor is incompetent, living a carefree life is not necessarily a bad thing.
He didn't have such lofty ideals; he felt his ambitions weren't being realized, so he became depressed and such.
"No need to see me off, I have a way to leave."
Zhao Sheng gave his guard a wink, and the guard went to the window, opened it a crack, and cautiously peered outside.
After observing carefully for a while, he opened the window a little wider, stretched his hand out of the window, and made a gesture. A moment later, a ship caught up from behind, and the two ships were almost side by side.
Then the ship's window opened, and a thick wooden plank was handed over. The guard also opened the window completely and moved a stool to the window.
"Your Highness, you may leave now."
"Ziqian, I'm leaving now."
Zhao Sheng stepped onto a stool, and with the help of his guards, climbed onto the window, then stepped onto a wooden plank to reach another ship.
Wang You:
He was at a loss for words. It had to be said that Zhao Sheng's way of walking made it very difficult for anyone to spot him.
After the guards had gone over, the wooden planks were removed.
"Ziqian, I will seriously consider what you have to say."
After Zhao Sheng finished speaking, he ordered the windows to be closed, and then the boat accelerated and overtook the boat that Wang You was on.
Wang You shook his head and closed the window.
"Sister Minglan, aren't you curious about what Second Brother is doing upstairs?"
On the first floor of the cabin, Mu Jie'er and Minglan sat facing each other. Watching Minglan make tea, Mu Jie'er asked a question.
"My cousin must have his reasons for doing this. Sometimes it's better not to know than to know."
Minglan smiled slightly, without raising her head, and focused on making the tea.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairs, and the two of them looked in the direction of the sound.
"Second brother, you've finally come down. Can we go up now?" Mu Jie'er asked.
"Okay, wait—"
Wang You wanted to suggest going up together later, but Mu Jie'er ran up instead.
"Cousin, are you thirsty?"
Minglan held up her teacup and said, "I just made this tea, cousin, please try it."
"I am indeed a bit thirsty."
Wang You had been talking so much upstairs that he was incredibly thirsty, so he took the teacup and drank it.
Minglan blushed slightly and withdrew her hand; Wang You had touched her hand when he took the teacup.
Wang You finished his tea in a few gulps and laughed, "Your tea-making skills are much better than before. Did you learn from the palace maids?"
Wang You knew that the Sheng family had hired Granny Kong to teach his daughter manners.
Madam Feng originally wanted to send Mu Jie'er over, but Wang Min felt bad for his sister and refused.
"Um.
""
Minglan smiled and said, "If you like it, cousin, then I'll make another one."
He reached out to take the teacup.
"Minglan!"
Wang You held Minglan's hand and looked at her, saying, "If you don't like these things, you don't have to force yourself. Let the maids do them."
"Cousin, there are still people here."
Minglan tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. Her face flushed red as she spoke.
"There's no one here," Wang You said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Minglan turned her head and saw that Mu Jie'er's maid had gone upstairs with her.
Xiao Tao turned around and looked at the wall, as if she were reflecting on her mistakes.
The stone at the cabin door looks into the distance, as if admiring the scenery.
Wang You pulled Minglan down to sit, still not letting go of her hand.
Minglan's hands didn't look fat, but they felt plump to the touch, making him want to play with them carefully.
"Cousin, let go."
Minglan blushed so much her body went limp, and she said in a barely audible voice.
Wang You chuckled inwardly. He hadn't used much force; if Minglan wanted to pull back, she definitely could.
But he could feel that Minglan wasn't using any force in her hand.
"Did you remember what I just said?"
Wang You said, "If you don't like these things, you don't have to do them. Just let the maids do them."
"I didn't like it before, but now I like it," Minglan whispered.
She used to hate doing needlework, making tea, and arranging flowers.
No matter how much you hate it, you still have to learn it.
These are the things a woman must learn to demonstrate her virtue.
Since the marriage was arranged, when she was learning these things from Granny Kong, she didn't know why she no longer felt the same annoyance as before.
If Wang You knew what Minglan was thinking, he would definitely say that it was because she was rebellious.
More precisely, it's a rebellious mentality.
Normally, even if one doesn't like what Minglan learned, one wouldn't necessarily find it annoying.
But she was used to being cautious in the Sheng family. Even with the protection of Old Madam Sheng, she felt somewhat repressed after hiding her talents for so long.
No one wants to wear a mask of pretense forever.
Even adults, who are used to this kind of hypocrisy, still have time to be alone and relax.
Although Minglan could relax in front of Old Madam Sheng, the external environment put a lot of pressure on her.
The Sheng family was like a prison, which made her feel disgusted with some things.
Just like Minglan's love for polo, it's not necessarily because the sport is so attractive to her.
Instead, she was going to leave the Sheng family while learning polo.
Riding a horse across the polo field gives her a feeling of freedom and relaxation.
When she leaves the Sheng family and does these things again, she naturally won't feel annoyed.
Moreover, women dress up for those who appreciate them.
When you do something for someone you like, you won't feel annoyed; instead, you'll feel very happy.
"I heard that your two older sisters are also studying together. There haven't been any conflicts, have there?" Wang You asked.
"no."
Upon hearing this, Minglan looked up curiously and asked, "What did you say to Fifth Sister earlier, Cousin? Now Fifth Sister has Fourth Sister completely under her thumb."
"I just told her how to upset my fourth cousin," Wang You said with a smile.
Don't let Rulan's seemingly carefree and quick-tempered appearance fool you.
In reality, Rulan simply didn't know how to deal with Molan. Every time Molan provoked her, she would get angry and say things she shouldn't have, falling into Molan's trap.
The reason for this was that every time she brought up the matter of the illegitimate daughter, Mo Lan would look extremely angry.
She said that Mo Lan wouldn't get angry about other things, but after being provoked by Mo Lan, she impulsively used her status as an illegitimate daughter to anger Mo Lan.
Wang You simply told her about Mo Lan's little scheme and how to upset Mo Lan.
After Rulan tried it and saw that it was indeed so, she naturally wouldn't fall for Molan's trick.
After listening to Wang You's story, Minglan didn't know what to say.
Wang You's grasp of Mo Lan's thoughts was too accurate, and she naturally knew it too.
It's just inconvenient to say.
After all, Rulan can't keep secrets. If she tells the truth and sees that it has an effect, Rulan will definitely make a fuss, and then Molan will hold a grudge against her.