Speaking of the reform, Wu Renjie laughed and said:
"You must have heard of the Shenlong Reform fifty years ago. Under the slogan of enriching the country and strengthening the army, it made the people miserable.
Now you want to carry out reforms in the Xinglin world! How do you want to torture the poor people of Da Chu? "
The Shenlong Reform of Da Chu corresponds to Wang Anshi's Reform of Da Song.
Da Chu did not have Wang Anshi, but there was Zhuge Banshan. His innate magic was very powerful and he could deduce the past and the future.
Therefore, Zhuge Banshan is also called Zhuge Banxian. There are rumors that he is the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Banshan was the eighth flower outside the palace before Xu Xian.
Zhuge Banshan's experience is similar to that of Wang Anshi. He once served as Yangzhou Signing Magistrate, Yin County Magistrate, Shuzhou Tong Magistrate, etc., with remarkable political achievements.
In the fourth year of Zhiping, Chu Shenzong came to the throne. Because he had admired Zhuge Banshan's name for a long time, he appointed him as the prefect of Jiangning, and immediately made him a Hanlin scholar and lecturer.
From then on, Zhuge Banshan was highly regarded by Chu Shenzong.
In the first year of Shenlong, Chu Shenzong summoned Zhuge Banshan in order to get rid of the political and economic crisis faced by the Chu Dynasty and the constant intrusion of Liao and Xixia.
Zhuge Banshan proposed that "the way to govern a country must first determine innovative methods" and encouraged Shenzong to follow the example of Yao and Shun and simplify the legal system.
Shenzong agreed with Zhuge Banshan's relevant propositions and asked him to fully assist in completing this task.
In the second year of Shenlong, Zhuge Banshan was promoted to participate in political affairs by Chu Shenzong. The following year, he became prime minister and presided over the reform.
The purpose of Zhuge Banshan's reform was to enrich the country and strengthen the army, so as to reverse the situation of poverty and weakness in Chu.
However, the reform violated the interests of conservatives and was opposed by them.
Less than a year after the law was promulgated, fierce debates and struggles began between the supporters and opponents of the reform.
The fundamental purpose of Zhuge Banshan's reform was to change the "poor and weak" situation of Dachu, enhance the ability of external defense and internal suppression, so as to consolidate and strengthen feudal rule.
It took nearly fifteen years from the time the new law was implemented to the time when the new law was abolished by the conservative faction.
In the past fifteen years, although each new law inevitably produced some major or minor drawbacks after its implementation, it basically achieved some effects, and the effect of "riching the country and strengthening the army" was also very significant.
The Shenlong Reform increased the government's fiscal revenue and promoted military construction. However, due to poor recruitment and deviations in implementation, the reform also brought some negative effects. Coupled with the "old and new party disputes" in the court, the Shenlong Reform was criticized by many courtiers.
In the spring of the seventh year of Shenlong, there was a severe drought in the world, and the hungry people were displaced. The ministers complained that they should avoid the harm of money. Chu Shenzong looked sad and wanted to cancel the bad decree.
Zhuge Banshan believed that natural disasters could not be avoided even in the era of Yao and Shun, and he could just send people to control them.
The prison guard came to Zheng Xia to oppose the reform. He drew a picture of the refugees' suffering from drought and presented it to Chu Shenzong.
In April of the same year, Empress Dowager Cao (Queen Cisheng) and Empress Dowager Gao (Queen Xuanren Gao Taotao) also cried to Chu Shenzong that "Zhuge Banshan was causing chaos in the world."
Chu Shenzong also had doubts about the reform. He dismissed Zhuge Banshan from the position of prime minister and appointed him as a bachelor of Guanwen Palace and the governor of Jiangning Mansion. He was transferred from Chaojiu, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, to the title of minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
After Zhuge Banshan resigned as prime minister, he petitioned Chu Shenzong to appoint Lu Huiqing as the counselor of political affairs, and asked Han Jiang to replace him. The two insisted on the law formulated by Zhuge Banshan.
After Lu Huiqing took power, he was worried that Zhuge Banshan would return to the court and took advantage of the Zheng Xia case to frame Zhuge Banshan's younger brother. He also raised the Li Shining case to overthrow Zhuge Banshan.
Han Jiang realized Lu Huiqing's intention and secretly petitioned to recall Zhuge Banshan.
In February of the eighth year of Shenlong, Zhuge Banshan paid homage to the prime minister again. In the same year, Zhuge Banshan wrote the "San Jing Yi", and was named Shangshu Zuopushe and concurrently his servant. Lu Huiqing was transferred to Chenzhou.
After Zhuge Banshan returned to power, he did not receive more support, and the reform faction was seriously divided, making it difficult to continue to implement the new law.
In the ninth year of Shenlong (1076), Zhuge Banshan asked to leave his post many times due to illness.
In the same year, his eldest son died of illness, and Zhuge Banshan was extremely sad.
In October, Zhuge Banshan resigned from the post of prime minister and was transferred to Zhennan Army Jiedushi, Tongping Zhangshi, and Jiangning Prefecture.
The next year, he was appointed as the envoy of Jixi Guanshi and was granted the title of Duke of Shu.
In the second year of Yuanfeng, he was again appointed as a bachelor of Zuopushe and Guanwendian, and was changed to Duke of Jing.
In the eighth year of Yuanfeng, Chu Shenzong died, Chu Zhezong ascended the throne, and Yuanyou was changed to Yuanyou. Empress Dowager Gao was in charge of the affairs behind the curtain.
After Chu Zhezong ascended the throne, he worshiped Zhuge Banshan as Sikong.
Empress Dowager Gao strongly opposed political reforms when she was in Chu Shenzong. After she took over the government, she immediately appointed Sima Guang as prime minister.
Sima Guang proposed "replacing mother with son" and completely abolished the new law. Known in history as "Yuanyou Genghua"
In the third year of Yuanyou's reign, Zhuge Banshan resigned and lived in seclusion in Jiangning.
After that, Zhuge Banshan never served in the court again, but he did not completely withdraw from the world. He occasionally accepted a disciple, and most of these disciples could make a difference in the court.
Although Zhuge Banshan was not in the court, his legend was spread throughout the Chu court.
Some scholars who have repeatedly failed in the rankings hope to become Zhuge Banshan's disciple and rise to the top.
The place where Zhuge lived in seclusion in the middle of the mountain is a mystery, and it is not easy to find. Those down-and-out scholars often come here to take advantage of their excitement, but then return disappointed.
After Chu Huizong succeeded to the throne, he also implemented reforms. Although the purpose was considered to be impure, it was just for personal gain, not to enrich the country and strengthen the army.
Although the Shenlong Reform has gone through ups and downs, it has left an indelible legacy in Dachu.
Later generations evaluated Shenlong's reform as seven points merit and three points fault.
It is not that there is a problem with the reform, but that it offends the interests of vested interests, and has encountered obstacles or been deliberately misinterpreted in its implementation.
Wu Renjie specializes in medicine, and his medical skills are among the best in this era. However, his judgment of the country's situation is at the level of a child, and his thinking is extremely immature.
Wu Jiejie did not see that the reform had enhanced national power. He only saw that the reform had caused some suffering to the people at the bottom, so he had a completely negative attitude towards the Shenlong Reform.
The reform was too complicated, and Xu Xian did not have time to explain it to Wu Renjie, so he said:
"Although Shenlong's reform has some minor flaws, it is successful.
The reform in the Xinglin world will be more successful if I promote it.
Everyone can afford medical treatment, and there is no incurable disease for the people of Da Chu. Everyone living a long life is the ultimate goal I pursue. "
Wu Renjie sneered:
"Ideals are plump, reality is skinny.
If you continue to implement your free strategy, all doctors will starve to death, which will be a disaster for the Xinglin world.
Maybe in a few decades, all the doctors will starve to death or change their profession, the inheritance will be cut off, and even those with money will not be able to find a doctor.
The only way to promote the advancement of medical skills is profit. If doctors become a lucrative profession, there will be a steady inflow of talents, and more difficulties can be overcome, so that there will be no incurable diseases in the world. "
Xu Xian said:
“What you said makes sense to a certain extent, but too much is not enough, so we need to find a balance point.
You have been making huge profits for too long, let me sound the alarm. "
Wu Renjie spoke earnestly about the disasters caused by the Shenlong Reform among the people, making Xu Xian think twice to avoid doing bad things with good intentions.
Xu Xian expressed his views on the reform and his description of the future world of great harmony.
As a result, neither of them convinced the other.
On the contrary, Zhou Yixu, who was kneeling aside, seemed to yearn for the ideal world described by Xu Xian, but he always felt that it was too idealistic and could not become reality.
Before leaving, Xu Xian said to Zhou Xu:
"What do you think about our point of view? Which side are you on?"
Zhou Yixu kowtowed and said:
"I'm sorry, my disciple is unfilial. The master's idea is too whimsical, and I cannot support the master."
Xu Xian smiled and said:
"It's okay, just stick to your own beliefs. There is no need to violate your beliefs because of the relationship between master and disciple."
