Biography of Su Shi: The Transcendence of a Sage in Adversity

Author: Wang Shuizhao et al. / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-03-01
Features: Su Shi unconditionally stood on the side of the anti-reform faction. Su Shi and his brother returned to the capital in the second month of Xining Year. Su Shi was restored to the positions of Chamberlain of the Hall and Director of the Historiography Bureau, and was assigned to judge the Office of Official Seal Issuance (an institution responsible for issuing official credentials). Su Zhe was appointed as the Judge of Daming Prefecture. Faced with the great changes in the court, Su Shi was momentarily confused. Prior to this, as a scholar concerned with the people's suffering and dedicated to rectifying the times, Su Shi's thoughts had always been aligned with the reformist trends of the time. He hoped the court would be vigorous and proactive in reforming corrupt policies. The "Advances on Policy" and "Advances on Argument" (each consisting of twenty-five essays) written for the "Zhi Ke" examination in the fifth year of Jiayou and the "Thoughts on Governance" written while serving in Fengxiang in the eighth year (1063 AD) vividly expressed his political ideals for reform at that time. In these essays, he first pointed out the severe social crisis hidden beneath the peaceful facade: "The world has the name of peace and stability, but lacks the substance of peace and stability." He said that the current worries were external, the Liao and Western Xia, and internal, the common people; the Liao and Western Xia were not yet a major concern for the court, but their raids could potentially trigger internal turmoil, while the common people truly held the fate of the nation in their hands. He profoundly understood the primary and secondary positions and mutual influence of class contradictions and ethnic contradictions. He passionately called for "purging and revitalizing to stand out distinctly," repeatedly elaborating on the idea of "the heavens move ceaselessly, and the nobleman should constantly strive for self-improvement" from the "Book of Changes," hoping that the Son of Heaven would "arouse his vigorous and healthy majesty in one day" and dare to reform. These political essays were deeply influenced by the Rongzong scholars of the Warring States period in terms of style, characterized by boundless eloquence and effortless argumentation. Once published, they spread throughout the land, fueling the reformist and becoming models for examinees in imperial examinations. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the saying "If you master Su's writings, you eat mutton; if you don't, you eat vegetable soup" was popular. Now, facing the urgent social crisis, Emperor Shenzong truly "aroused his vigorous and healthy majesty" and attempted to turn the tide, supporting Wang Anshi in carrying out reforms on a broader scale. However, the stormy reform movement deeply unsettled Su Shi. In fact, his thoughts were already filled with opposing factors between reform and anti-reform, and this inherent contradiction made him hold almost entirely different political views in different political environments. During the "Zhi Ke" examination, when Emperor Renzong was in his later years, after the failure of the "Qingli New Policies," the court was filled with a political atmosphere of adhering to tradition and stagnation, and the desire for change stirred within Su Shi's heart. Therefore, he was dissatisfied with the status quo and repeatedly called for reform. However, when reform truly arrived, the turbulent political situationd another aspect of his thoughts, and he began to advocate for quietude and non-action, with concerns about the prospects of reform and fear of excessive change. Moreover, his long life of scholarly study had limited his perspective, and his three years in Fengxiang had not given him the experience of independent leadership. He lacked an understanding of the fundamental causes of social problems and failed to see the positive, progressive, and reasonable aspects of Wang Anshi's reforms. Therefore, in the initial stages, he silently watched and contemplated everything happening before him. As the reform movement unfolded, the two factions of reformers and anti-reformers gradually became clear, and amidst the bustling scene, Su Shi, who already held differing political views, was further influenced by public opinion and the actual flaws that emerged in the implementation of the new policies. Additionally, his personal connections with the elderly and high-ranking officials such as Ouyang Xiu, Han Qi, and Fu Bi all prompted him to unconditionally stand on the side of the anti-reform faction. In the fifth month of Xining Year, Wang Anshi prepared to reform the imperial examinations, abolishing the poetry, prose, and Confucian classics exams, and replacing them with examinations on Confucian classics and policy discussions for scholars. Meanwhile, considering the flaws of the imperial examination system in selecting talent, he planned to establish schools and gradually replace the examinations with education. Emperor Shenzong was somewhat hesitant about this reform proposal and thus ordered the scholars in the imperial academy to participate in discussions. Su Shi immediately wrote "Memorandum on Schools and Imperial Examinations," expressing his strong opposition. The essay was deeply reasoned and eloquent, and Emperor Shenzong was greatly impressed after reading it. Emperor Shenzong had always been particular about literary style and valued historical studies. This outstanding scholar, who had made a name for himself with poetry and prose in Jiayou Year 2, had left a deep impression on him, and he had long heard the praise of his grandfather, Emperor Renzong, as "two prime ministers." At this moment, while admiring the strong yet graceful, profound yet not calligraphy of Su Shi's memorial, Emperor Shenzong thought, "Since ascending the throne, Su Shi had been at home observing mourning. In recent months, I have heard that he has completed his mourning and returned to the capital. Due to my busy affairs, I haven't had the chance to meet him individually. Regarding the reform of the imperial examinations and the establishment of schools, I have always felt there were some shortcomings. After reading his arguments, I truly feel enlightened. It seems that Su Shi is indeed a rare talent." With this thought, he immediately issued an order to summon Su Shi. Su Shi came promptly at the emperor's command and, after paying his respects, saw Emperor Shenzong's calm demeanor and gentle words, which slightly eased his anxious heart. Although he had only been back in the capital for less than three months, he had already heard and witnessed many people who had offended the emperor by opposing the new policies. He didn't know how his "Memorandum on Schools and Imperial Examinations" would be received by Emperor Shenzong. Now, seeing that the emperor had no intention of blaming him, Su Shi breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, he heard Emperor Shenzong say, "Su, my dear minister, do you think there are any mistakes in the current policies? Even if it is my personal fault, it is not harmful to speak frankly." Emperor Shenzong's sincere and earnest tone deeply moved Su Shi. For years, hadn't he dreamed of such a moment? Therefore, without the slightest hesitation, he replied loudly, "I believe that with Your Majesty's innate ability to understand things without learning, you are not in need of clarity, diligence, or perseverance, but you should be cautious about being too eager for governance, listening to too many opinions, and acting too hastily. I hope to calm and wait for things to come, and then respond accordingly." Emperor Shenzong was greatly startled upon hearing this. Since the conception of the reform, he had heard countless objections, and Su Shi's words seemed to strike him particularly. He reflected on himself and realized that since ascending the throne, he had indeed been plagued by a very urgent and anxious mood. He had listened to too many opinions and promoted a large number of reformist elites like Wang Anshi. To push forward the new policies, he had also shown great courage, decisiveness, and ambition in overcoming obstacles. Had he gone too far? Was it truly the case that "one is too eager for governance, listens to too many opinions, and acts too hastily"? After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Shenzong said, "These three sentences of yours, I will think about carefully." Then, he added in an encouraging tone, "All in the imperial academy should deeply consider the chaos and order of governance for me and reveal nothing." After the meeting, Su Shi was overjoyed and immediately shared the experience of the summons with his colleagues and friends. He felt as if he had seen hope of turning the world around. This incident was soon heard by Wang Anshi, who was naturally displeased. He knew that although the reformist cause faced numerous obstacles, as long as Emperor Shenzong remained firm and unwavering, it would surely succeed. He worried that Su Shi's words might have a negative impact on the emperor. In reality, Wang Anshi's concerns were entirely unnecessary. Although Emperor Shenzong admired Su Shi's talent, he did not change his goals because of his words. Reform was the greatest cause of his life, and he would never give up easily. Therefore, his true reliance remained on Wang Anshi, who possessed the political will and vision of a statesman. Regarding the reform of the imperial examinations, it was ultimately Wang Anshi's words that solidified Emperor Shenzong's resolve. The following year, the poetry and prose exams were abolished, and scholars were selected based on Confucian classics and policy discussions, though some details in the implementation were adjusted to Su Shi's suggestions. In Wang Anshi's eyes, Su Shi was merely a scholar. Although his empty arguments could not sway the, they still had considerable influence on public opinion. However, Su Shi had already left a very good impression on Emperor Shenzong. Soon after, to address the inefficiency and complexity of the affairs of the Zhongshu Shengdang, the court established the "Institution for Compiling the Regulations of the Zhongshu Shengdang" to reform the civil service system and improve administrative efficiency. Emperor Shenzong immediately thought of Su Shi. One day, he said to Wang Anshi, "I want to assign Su Shi to compile the 'Regulations of the Zhongshu Shengdang.' What do you think?" Wang Anshi strongly objected and frankly said, "Su Shi and I have always had differing views on learning and opinions, and he is not suitable for this position." Seeing that Emperor Shenzong still wanted to insist, he added, "If Your Majesty wants to compile the 'Regulations of the Zhongshu Shengdang,' all the officials in the court have opposed it. Su Shi is unlikely to defy the wishes of the majority to work with us on this task. Even if he does, he will constantly express different opinions and ruin the matter." However, regarding Su Shi, Emperor Shenzong often sighed over the difficulty of finding talent and still wanted to make full use of him. Therefore, in November, he again proposed appointing Su Shi to compile the "Records of Court Affairs." This position was the closest to the emperor and served as his personal attendant. Wang Anshi firmly opposed it once again.