Although Wang Anshi's famous reform-Ningnian Reform failed, his ability and talent to preside over such a huge national and comprehensive reform can be seen.
Therefore, later generations praised him. However, there was a man who looked down on Wang Anshi at that time. He thought Wang Anshi was a traitor, so he wrote an article "On Distinguishing Traitors". This man is Su Shi's father Su Xun. Su Xun, Su Dongpo, Su Zhe and his son, collectively known as the "Three Sus", are all eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties.
Su Xun, Su Shi's father, disagreed with Wang Anshi at the first sight. The old teacher in Su Xun sneered at Wang Anshi and hated him, even though Wang Anshi was in full swing at this time.
From "On Distinguishing Traitors", we can see the old teacher's antipathy to Wang Anshi. In Distinguishing the Year of the Traitor, Mr. Su Xun compared Wang Anshi's behavior of "disheveled, eating dog food and talking about poetry and books with his head buried" to inhumanity, taking Shan Juyuan's foresight of Wang Yan and Guo Ziyi's foresight of Qilu as examples.
Wearing dirty clothes, eating pig and dog food, unkempt as a prisoner, smelling like a beggar, but talking about poetry, books, gifts and music. It is human nature to wash your face and pay attention to personal hygiene. Anyone who behaves inhumanely rarely becomes a big rapist.
Therefore, the old teacher in Su Xun thinks that Wang Anshi's success will be a traitor and endanger the country.
The old teacher Su Xun's point of view is very reasonable. Don't despise small things, big things are accumulated by small things. "Preventing micro-duration" has long been a famous saying that the ancients regarded as a standard. As Wu Chucai, a Qing man, said, "Seeing a little knowledge can be a way to observe people through the ages."
The question is, is Wang Anshi such a slovenly person?
Yes, Wang Anshi is an otaku. He has two things in his life: reading and working.
Wang Anshi never engages in recreational activities after work. He stayed at home and read. He is addicted to books and forgets to eat and sleep. He stands, sits, sleeps, eats, goes to the toilet and walks. He holds a mobile phone like a low-headed man, so that he is often late for work until two or three in the morning the next day.
Wang Anshi's greatest feature is that his life is extremely sloppy and he doesn't pay attention to personal hygiene. It is said that he hasn't changed clothes for a month, and his clothes are covered with oil stains. Wang Anshi often doesn't take a bath, wash his face, brush his teeth, rinse his mouth or comb his hair. His body stinks and has bad breath. I guess no one wants to talk to him. Even if there is, it is likely to cover your nose.
So when he was working in Yangzhou municipal government, his boss, Han Qi, the mayor of Yangzhou, spoke highly of him. Once he couldn't stand it, he said, "Young people should not stay up late, don't party, don't drink, don't go to KTV to find a lady, and learn more while they are young." He didn't agree or explain. Whatever you say.
Another time, when everyone was discussing state affairs, a louse suddenly climbed onto Wang Anshi's beard. By this time, Wang Anshi was already the prime minister. Unfortunately, this scene happened to be seen by Song Shenzong. Song Shenzong wants to laugh, but he is the emperor and can't laugh, so he can only laugh secretly.
Another prime minister, Wang Jue, also saw it, but he didn't say it, and he was probably embarrassed to say it. But when Wang Anshi saw Song Shenzong laughing, he was a little confused and difficult to speak. So after he got out of court, he asked the emperor what the baron was laughing at. Wang Jue said he had lice on his beard. Wang Anshi blushed on the spot. Although I don't pay much attention to personal hygiene, I can't. It can be seen how untidy he is, which is unparalleled.
Of course, this logic of judging people's political quality by living habits and personal shortcomings is debatable. But from the point of view of conception, The Traitor Discrimination is indeed a masterpiece in ancient China literature. Literary talent is even more remarkable. It depicts the various manifestations of "people today" to the maximum extent, in one go, like a waterfall. Its sharp writing and rigorous argumentation cannot but make people marvel.
The theme of Distinguishing Traitors is actually to vilify Wang Anshi and oppose the "new party", that is, Wang Anshi's Xining reform. We know that Xining's political reform was opposed by many people, including Su Shi and Sima Guang.
Of course, this is another story.
In fact, throughout the ages, there are many untidy people all over the world. Especially those philosophers in ancient Greece, such as Socrates, and Socrates is worse than Wang Anshi. Socrates also paid no attention to personal appearance. He drinks all day and quarrels with others.
Those thinkers and philosophers like to immerse themselves in their own world and do some strange behaviors. Maybe this is the genius on the left and the madman on the right.