Brother Su Shi was in favor of the reform at first, but later he also wavered. He hit Wang Anshi from behind, scolded Wang Anshi, and advised him not to do "things against human feelings" but to "make the saints do it". The Tao is restored to the world."

Su Shi represents the conservative faction, and he must have an attitude of not daring to go too far when it comes to radical ideas. They will not mess with the things of their ancestors, not to mention that it violates the interests of the conservative faction. . Who would do something that does not benefit their own interest group?

In fact, the real problem is that the Song Dynasty formed a relatively large clique climate. People with the same political opinions protect each other, and each recommends friends they trust and builds relationships with them. As a result, the public is abolished and private, turning it into a large self-interested group. The so-called "the wise are in office and the capable are in office" is a major principle of ancient Chinese politics.

Extended information:

Why Wang Anshi was besieged for his reform:

Wang Anshi loved reading as a young man, was good at writing articles, and his discussions were refined and self-confident. When he was the magistrate of Yin County, he lent official valleys to farmers in an attempt to reduce loan sharking, which was very effective.

After being promoted to Duzhi Magistrate, he also wrote thousands of words to explain the affairs of the world and advocated political reform. He came to prominence during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty. He was appointed as a political governor and established the "Three Departments of Establishment and Regulations".

This is a general reform agency that carries out comprehensive reforms centered on financial rectification. In the third year of Xining's reign, he was appointed as Pingzhangshi (prime minister) under Tongzhongshu's family. Later, he was named Duke of Jing, so people also called him "King Jing Gong".

From participating in political affairs to becoming prime minister, Wang Anshi successively implemented reforms and actively promoted new laws such as green crops, equalized transportation, market changes, exemption from labor, and farmland water conservancy. During the implementation of the new law, there was a fierce struggle with the so-called die-hards represented by Sima Guang. Wang Anshi praised Shang Yang's achievements in history and said, "Today's people can't do anything but Shang Yang. If Shang Yang can order the government, it will be carried out." At the same time, he denounced Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi for their retroism, saying that they were "vulgar Confucians who don't know how to change."

In the struggle against the so-called die-hards, Wang Anshi had three famous sayings: "There is no need to fear changes in the sky, no law for the ancestors, and no sympathy for the people's words." This means that the changes in the celestial phenomena are not worth fearing, and the ancestors are not worth fearing. The tradition cannot be used as a basis, and there is no need to worry about other people's opinions. The slogan "Three Insufficiencies" clearly conveys Wang Anshi's spirit of daring to break through traditional thinking.

As a result, it aroused fear and uneasiness among the die-hards at that time. Sima Guang repeatedly wrote to Wang Anshi, vigorously defending the old system and demanding an end to the reform. He said that adjusting the country's administrative structure would usurp the powers of the original officials; sending people to various places to implement the new law would cause trouble and disturb the people; organizing national fiscal revenue would It means competing with the people for profit;

Not accepting advice means rejecting remonstrance. He also accused Wang Anshi of "abandoning the way of the sages and going against the will of the world" and causing the world to "disturbed." Some people even said that the occurrence of drought was the result of the implementation of the New Deal that violated heaven and was Wang Anshi's fault. They said, "If you go to Anshi, it will rain."

In this regard, Wang Anshi did not show weakness. He replied to Sima Guang and said: "Some people say that they are ordered by the master, discuss laws and regulations, and revise them in the court, and then teach them to officials, not to invade officials; to carry out the government of the previous kings, to promote benefits and eliminate disadvantages, not to cause trouble; to manage the world's finances. , not for the sake of conquest and profit; in the theory of warding off evil spirits, the Zui Ren people (i.e., the Cheng people) do not want to refuse advice." As for the "constants of floods and droughts", Wang Anshi said frankly that "Yao and Tang were inevitable."

At the same time, he also used the fact that comets appeared several times during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty without any disasters to demonstrate that "the astronomical changes are endless, the changes in human affairs are endless, and orders are passed down from top to bottom, whether far or near, how can it not be coincidental?" , this is why it is not trustworthy.”

Brother Su Shi was in favor of the reform at first, but later he also wavered. He hit Wang Anshi from behind, scolded Wang Anshi, and advised him not to do "things against human feelings" but to "make the saints do it". The Tao is restored to the world.”

Due to fierce opposition from the die-hards, Wang Anshi had to resign as prime minister, and the reform ended in failure. After the death of Song Shenzong, Sima Guang and others came back to power, and Wang Anshi's reform measures were completely cancelled. In his later years, Wang Anshi ended his official career and lived in Jiangning (now Nanjing).

After his death, Shao Bowen, a Taoist in the Southern Song Dynasty, wrote an article "On Distinguishing Adultery" in Su Xun's name, in which he made a personal attack on Wang Anshi: "Those who are inhumane in everything are rare. He is a great traitor." At the same time, he used the method of satirizing the past and the present to curse Wang Anshi as "the one who misled the common people in the world".

In fact, Wang Anshi was neither corrupt nor bending the law. Even the clothes he wore were torn. Lice crawled on his collar and on his collar, which made the emperor amused. He is not particular about eating. He only eats the dish closest to him for three meals a day. In a sense, he can be called a "virtuous".

The real problem is that the Song Dynasty formed a relatively large clique climate. People with the same political opinions protect each other, and each recommends friends they trust and builds relationships with them. As a result, the public is abolished and private, turning it into a large self-interested group. The so-called "the wise are in office and the capable are in office" is a major principle of ancient Chinese politics.

But in many cases, it is difficult to distinguish between worthy and non-virtuous people, and between good people and non-good people. Under the hijacking of cronies, good guys and bad guys often form a party. The good guys become the brand, and the bad guys are ready to take action. This is one of the great paradoxes of so-called meritocratic politics.

People's Daily Online - Why is Wang Anshi's reform repeatedly besieged?