Wang Anshi's Selected Works Translation

Author: Wang Anshi (Northern Song Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-04-01
Features: Wang Anshi (1021—1086), styled Jiefu, was from Linchuan (now Fuzhou, Jiangxi). He came from a middle and lower-level bureaucratic family. Before the age of twenty, he followed his father Wang Yi, who served as a local official, to places such as Shaoguan, Jiangning (now Nanjing, Jiangsu), Yangzhou, Kaifeng, and many areas within what is now Jiangxi Province. At the age of twenty-two, he passed the imperial examination and became the acting judge of Huainan Fu (located in what is now Yangzhou, Jiangsu). From then until he entered the court at the age of forty as the judge of the Three Departments of Revenue, he held various positions for an extended period of eighteen years, including magistrate of Yinxian, deputy magistrate of Shu Prefecture (located in what is now Qianshan, Anhui), judge of the Herdsmen's Court, magistrate of Changzhou, and inspector of criminal affairs in East Jiangnan Circuit (located in what is now Nanjing, Jiangsu). Due to his lifelong love of learning, extensive experiences, and ambitious aspirations to rival the ancient sages Shidu and Xie, Wang Anshi, during his tenure as local officials, paid close attention to social investigations and made attempts to promote reforms. He gradually gained a deeper understanding of the social ills that contributed to the "accumulated poverty and weakness" of the Northern Song Dynasty and began formulating plans for their rectification. In the third year of Emperor Renzong's reign (1058), he wrote a lengthy memorial titled "Memorial to Emperor Renzong on Affairs," in which he boldly proposed comprehensive reforms in response to the Northern Song Dynasty's situation of being "concerned about the state within but fearful of foreign tribes without." Although this memorial was not adopted by Emperor Renzong, it had a significant impact on society. Soon after Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, he appointed Wang Anshi as Vice Chancellor (Chanzhongshu). Following Wang Anshi's recommendations, the "Institution for Establishing and Implementing Policies of the Three Departments" was established. As a result, policies such as those related to farmland, water conservancy, green sprouts, equal distribution, village guards, tax exemptions for laborers, market exchanges, horse protection, and land surveys were successively implemented, marking the beginning of the famous Reform Movement. This movement was the largest of its kind in the later period of China's feudal society. However, it encountered strong opposition from conservative officials who represented the interests of wealthy gentry, large landowners, and prosperous merchants. Additionally, due to rampant corruption in local administration, the actual results of the new policies fell far short of the original expectations when implemented through bureaucratic institutions and some opportunistic individuals. Wang Anshi himself was forced to resign as chancellor twice—once in the seventh year of the Xining era and again in the ninth year. His second retirement lasted for a decade. After Emperor Shenzong's death, the new policies were quickly abolished, and Wang Anshi died of grief and frustration.
This small collection selects twenty-four representative works from Wang Anshi's writings that are relatively accessible and representative. The original texts are based on the 1959 edition of the Collection of Master Linchuan published by the Commercial Press Shanghai Editorial Department, with collation conducted using the 1974 edition of the Collection of Master Wang Gong (Longshu Edition) published by the Shanghai People's Publishing House. Each piece is accompanied by a brief introduction, notes, and a modern Chinese translation. Since the publication dates of most of the selected articles are unknown, the arrangement follows the Collection of Master Linchuan without separating dated and undated works.