Kang Zhen: In the last episode, we said: Song Shenzong changed Su Shi's appointment from Huangzhou to Ruzhou, and Ruzhou is now in Linru, Henan. Then we also said in the last section that this represents a political tacit understanding between him and Song Shenzong, but in order to really get out of this political shadow, Su Shi has to meet another big shot. Who is this person? Is Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi is the leader of innovation and political reform, but he, like Su Shi, has also experienced ups and downs on the long road of innovation and political reform. During the six years from the third year of Xining in Song Shenzong to the ninth year of Xining, Wang Anshi was appointed as prime minister twice and was dismissed twice. So this reason is very complicated, so it should be said that in this process, some cronies appointed by himself betrayed him, and his 33-year-old son died before him. All kinds of political struggles and the grief of losing his son in old age made Wang Anshi desperate, and he asked the emperor not to be the prime minister again. So in his later years, he retired to Jiangning, now Nanjing, and lived in the Mid-Levels Garden, never caring about the world. Like Su Shi, Wang Anshi's life experience in the political turmoil is also full of twists and turns. Let's be fair, Wang Anshi practiced political reform and wanted to enrich the country and strengthen the people. This is right. Moreover, Wang Anshi was also one of the greatest political reformers and political thinkers in ancient China, so the reform he promoted did not achieve the desired effect and achieved the desired results due to various complicated reasons. This does not mean that he promoted innovation. The tragedy of Wang Anshi's reform is not his own, but a tragedy of the whole Northern Song Dynasty.
voice-over: Su Shi opposed Wang Anshi's stormy reform and advocated that the reform should be gradual. Therefore, he was excluded and hit by Wang Anshi's political group, and Su Shi was therefore tottering and suffering in the officialdom. But at this time, Wang Anshi had lost his scenery and lived in Jiangning. Su Shi's fate seems to have changed slightly, so why did Su Shi want to see Wang Anshi, who had already lost the power of prime minister? Is he trying to settle scores or is there another mystery? ?
Kang Zhen: Su Shi can come to Jiangning this time. It should be said that there are realistic political considerations subjectively. Why do you say that? We said that you can calculate an account. When Su Shi left Huangzhou, it was certainly a good thing, but as we said before, he was also a frightened bird. After leaving Huangzhou, he did arrive in Ruzhou. How to get to the next road? Song Shenzong was only 33 years old, and he was 47 years old. According to the normal algorithm, he will still be under the rule of Song Shenzong for a long historical period, so he must consider his political future in the next ten years or even decades. Wang Anshi is indeed not the prime minister now, and he was dismissed twice. But who can predict that he will not be the prime minister for the third time under the rule of Song Shenzong? Even though he won't be prime minister again, Wang Anshi, as the ideological leader of reform and political reform, still has a great influence, and his subordinates are all over the government and the people. Therefore, Wang Anshi is not just a person, but a political force. ? So whether out of consideration for his political future or for his family and children, it is necessary for Su Shi to come to Jiangning. What will happen if these two former political enemies meet? At the end of June, Su Shi's boat arrived in Jiangning, so when Su Shi stood by the river and watched Wang Anshi riding a little donkey slowly coming towards him, he felt that Wang Anshi had changed a lot. The once highly effective prime minister now looked lonely, more like a lonely old man. When Su Shi saw this scene, his heart was both sour and moved, and he had an unspeakable taste. He hurried to meet him, and Wang Anshi got off the saddle, and the two men came together quickly, just as often described in novels: two great figures and two pairs of warm big hands were tightly held together. This meeting was very difficult. Su Shi started with a joke and said: Su Shi dared to wear a casual dress today, and the casual clothes of rural Ye Fu came to visit the Prime Minister. Wang Anshi held Su Shi's hand and clear voice laughed. What did he say? Say these red tape, these trivial etiquette is set for people like you and me? The implication is that the grievances between us are all related to the country, the world and the country. As for us personally, we are rather good friends who know each other. There are two poems that are very well said, which are called "The brothers who robbed the waves are here, and when they meet, they laugh and forget the enmity." Now, 63-year-old Wang Anshi and 47-year-old Su Shi are not brothers, but not brothers. They used to be political enemies who attacked each other face to face. There are many grievances between them, but these grievances have never been personal grievances. Their grievances are all for the sake of the world's utilitarianism. Moreover, as contemporary great politicians, writers, thinkers and scholars, they are actually literature and scholars. We only noticed their political opposition before, but few people thought that as two scholars and two talented poets, they also had such a deep affection for each other.
Voice-over: According to historical records, the relationship between Su Shi and Wang Anshi is very subtle. As a generation of literary masters, they are both noble and talented elites of the times, and they appreciate each other very much. Their diametrically opposite political views and positions are just that. If Su Shi is a man who only calculates promotion and has no political stance, he will certainly not be frustrated in his official career. If Wang Anshi was only a persecutor with no political morality, he would not have spared the emperor and rescued Su Shi in the Wutai Poetry Case. Now, these two former political enemies have met in a cloth-style equal communication. Then, after more than a month of getting along day and night, what kind of communication will there be between them? Different from other literati in politics, Su Shi, despite his ups and downs in his official career, has never been passive, but has always maintained a positive enthusiasm for the national economy and people's livelihood. Wang Anshi is no longer the prime minister, but his political influence still exists. So what did Su Shi get from Wang Anshi when he met this time and was bent on making a comeback in his official career?
Just now, Su Shi met Wang Anshi, who had resigned from his post and lived in seclusion. After their ups and downs, they finally let bygones be bygones and got along well with each other. Then, in the next month or so, how can Su Shi get to know the old prime minister who has been far away from officialdom again?
Kang Zhen: In the subsequent communication with Wang Anshi for more than a month, Su Shi gradually saw what kind of person Wang Anshi was, so what did he see? For a very small example, once he talked to Wang Anshi about some right and wrong in the past imperial court. After the talk, it was very exciting at that time, and his voice just fell. After that, Wang Anshi said to Su Shi without hesitation and anxiety: What we said today came from the mouth of the old lady and came to the ears of Zi Zhan. Don't mention it to any third party. He has been completely afraid of political struggle. Where is this? So Su Shi wrote with emotion in his poem, how to write it? "Riding a donkey, he went into the wilderness, and I wanted to see Mr. Wang when he was not ill. Advise me to try to ask for a three-acre house. I feel ten years late from the public. " What do you mean? Wang Anshi, an old prime minister who retired at home in his later years, was riding a little donkey with a sickly face, walking alone in the wilderness and never seeing the elegant demeanour of that year again. When the old prime minister saw me, he advised me to stay in Jiangning, a local place, and it was better to buy some farmland houses, settle down and be neighbors. I think it would be great if we lived next door ten years earlier. It should be said that it was this meeting in Jiangning that really gave Su Shi a new understanding of the relationship between Wang Anshi and himself. For example, in the past, he was also very prejudiced against Wang Anshi. He always felt that Wang Anshi was against himself and was prejudiced against himself. In fact, he was not. Apart from the political opposition, Wang Anshi admired Su Shi very much. After Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, whenever someone passed by or came to Jiangning from Huangzhou, Wang Anshi always asked him: Is there any punch line for Zi Zhan recently? Because he knows that Su Shi has too many witticisms. Once, Su Shi wrote a new article, which soon spread to Jiangning. The people who came gave it to Wang Anshi. At that time, it was dusk. Wang Anshi couldn't wait for his family to light candles and lights. He took the article under the eaves and read it in one breath with the faint light of dusk. He said while reading: Oh, Zi Zhan is really a dragon among people. His evaluation is very high, but he has to be careful what he says. There is a word "dragon" in it. When Su Shi's black materials are being processed in front, some people say that there is a "dragon" in Su Shi's poems, which shows that he attaches great importance to Su Shi's literary talent. Su Shi and Wang Anshi stayed in Jiangning for more than a month. After leaving, can you guess what Wang Anshi said about Su Shi? Therefore, temporary political prejudices and opposing opinions are temporary, and evaluations like this are long-term and long-term evaluations of a person, which are easily branded in the hearts of future generations.
voice-over: the meeting between Su Shi and Wang Anshi was peaceful and friendly. They resolved each other's gratitude and grudges for many years with an open mind and extensive knowledge. Scholars have always despised each other, but they have become a typical blind date in the history of China literature. So, through this meeting, Wang Anshi, who is far away from officialdom, will have what influence on Su Shi who always wants to make a comeback in his official career? How will Su Shi evaluate Wang Anshi's personality and knowledge?
Kang Zhen: In the past, Su Shi thought that Wang Anshi was learned, but these kinds of knowledge were inevitably unconventional. We can still remember that he always satirized the "wave" of the water wave, and Wang Anshi said it was the skin of the water. He said that the "slippery" in skating was the bone of the water, satirizing Wang Anshi. This time he learned that Su Shi has two poems. What are these two poems? "The frozen jade building is cold and millet, and the light shakes the silver sea and dazzles the flowers." What do you mean? It's hard for ordinary people to understand, thinking it's a description of the general scenery in winter. He showed it to Wang Anshi, and Wang Anshi understood it at a glance, saying that you used two allusions in Taoist classics here. Which two allusions? In Taoist classics, Jade Tower is used to describe people's shoulders, and Yinhai is used to describe people's eyes. The meaning of two poems is to shrink people's shoulders in winter, and the light of "just shaking the silver sea" makes people's eyes dazzle. The meaning itself is very simple, but if you don't understand these two allusions, you think that you are talking about the Jade House and the Silver Sea, but in fact it refers to people's shoulders and eyes. Su Shi has to admit that since these two poems were written, no one knows that there are such two allusions hidden here. He has to admit that Wang Anshi is really learned. Song people write poems by learning, and the poems are full of little burdens of learning, just waiting for you to open them. Without learning, you can't open them. If you can't open them, you don't know what they mean. If you don't know what they mean, you won't learn, and you can't understand other people's poems. Su Shi used to think that Wang Anshi was opinionated and stubborn, and he didn't listen to other people's opinions, right? Sometimes it's really boring. In fact, this time, it's not entirely true. For example, once he discussed the current political situation with Wang Anshi, he said to Wang Anshi, "You have great political influence. You should bravely put forward your opinions to the emperor and the rulers about some inappropriate measures and malpractices in politics." Wang Anshi said: You see, I have retired from my old age and returned home. I am not in my place and I don't want to make irresponsible remarks. In fact, he is a little timid at heart, afraid of being involved in political struggle. Su Shi was very unhappy after hearing this. He said that what you said was wrong. The so-called failure to seek his own government was a minister's attitude of treating the monarch with ordinary courtesy. Why? Because the monarch is just an ordinary gift to me, but you are different. How did Song Shenzong treat you today? That is to treat you with extraordinary courtesy, so you should treat the current home with extraordinary courtesy and great dedication, so you should do it and do it well. Let's put aside Wang Anshi's character before, strike the table, you say me, you don't look at yourself! Are you qualified to talk about me? But now Wang Anshi is not like this. He sincerely apologizes, saying that you are absolutely right. I will tell your opinions truthfully to today's home, and he can also listen to others' opinions. It's just that before, because you always wore colored glasses and red glasses, you saw that his whole body was red, and wearing blue glasses, his whole body was blue. What did you wear today? Wearing a transparent one, I found that he was colorful, with all colors. He was a nice old man. More importantly, the meeting between Su Shi and Wang Anshi this time, although it is not like politicians in the international community always sign a memorandum when they meet, they always sign some agreements, and then they don't abide by these agreements after they finish. The point is that this meeting is a sign of harmony, which is the most important thing. Su Shi later wrote a letter to Wang Anshi, and wrote a letter after he left. What did you say in the letter? "I've been under the door for a long time, but I've never done this. I've never heard of it before, and it's very comforting." How do you say this? He said that I wanted to study under your door for a long time, and I never had a chance. After this long-term contact with you, I found that many of your teachings benefited me a lot. It was an honor to meet you. You should know that when the ancients said to study abroad, that meant to be his student. There are polite words in this statement, but there is also something that makes people feel meaningful. This is a language of reconciliation. In fact, we all know that they are both students of Ouyang Xiu, who are originally students of the same school. Why did he become a student of Wang Anshi again? This is a gesture. If you lower your gesture, others will think that you are more valuable. What should you do if you lift yourself higher than the sky? There is no way out, so I have to send you to hell. So he is a gesture, a harmonious gesture, a gesture that can be accepted by Wang Anshi.
Voice-over: The meeting in Jiangning made Su Shi see Wang Anshi, a writer and scholar, and a friendly and peaceful person who was detached from politics.