kvmb Chapter 170 Wang Fangqing's family, Zhang 9-ling continued to be included in Zhang Shuo's
Chapter 170 Wang Fangqing's family, Zhang 9-ling continued to be included in Zhang Shuo's
Today, Xiao Si has invited Mr. Wang and his family.
Zi'an said: Please introduce yourself.
Wang Fangqing said, "I come from Xianyang in Yongzhou. I am the great-grandson of Wang Bao, the Duke of Shiquan, who was the Junior Minister of Works in the Northern Zhou Dynasty."
Xiao Si added: "Wang Bao? Alas, he was not from a poor family. He came from a prominent family in Jiangzuo and was well-versed in history and literary creation."
He passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty and, although not particularly outstanding, he served as Secretary Assistant, Literary Official of the Prince of Xuancheng, and Prefect of Ancheng.
He was transferred in 551 to Jiangling, and later became the Prefect of Nanping.
After Emperor Yuan of Liang ascended the throne, he was appointed as a court attendant.
In 553, he was promoted to Left Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. The following year, Jiangling fell, and Wang Bao entered Western Wei, where he was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry and Grand Master of the Three Excellencies.
During the reign of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou, he was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace.
Between 561 and 565, he served as Grand Master of the Palace, rose through the ranks to become Junior Minister of Works, and was appointed Governor of Yizhou. Just listing his major positions is overwhelming.
Zi'an nodded:
"That's right. In the Liang Dynasty, he was a court poet, famous for his 'Yan Ge Xing'. His poetic style was on par with Yu Xin in the Northern Dynasties, and gradually turned into a simple and vigorous style. His poems, such as 'Crossing the North River' and 'Farewell to Pei Yitong,' are melancholic yet powerful. Wang Bao was also good at using parallel prose... He was definitely from a prominent family. Mr. Wang, please continue."
"Haha, our family originally came from Langya, but later moved south to Danyang, and that's how we became a prominent family in Jiangzuo."
Wang Bao added:
"Back then, when I moved north into the pass, my family settled down in Xianyang."
Zi'an was stunned:
"Little Si, your Roundtable Party is amazing! I thought this was one of our brothers, but you even invited your great-grandfather?!"
Wang Fangqing, however, disagreed and went on to explain:
"Brother Zian, this is my grandfather, Wang Zi, who once served as the Assistant Commandant of the Imperial Guards during the Sui Dynasty."
Zi'an shook his head, thinking to himself, "This is really impossible."
Xiao Si suppressed a laugh and interjected, "Hello, Mr. Wang Zi! You mean Cai Jia Ding, right? Pronounced zi, the kind of ding with a narrow mouth and a constricted top?"
Wang Zi nodded.
At this moment, Wang Fangqing's uncle, Wang Hongrang, interjected:
"I was quite famous back then; I even served as a drafter in the Imperial Secretariat during the Zhenguan era."
Wang Fangqing continued, "This is my uncle, Wang Hongrang."
Zi'an greeted him directly, asking, "This wouldn't happen to be your father, would it?"
Wang Fangqing nodded and said, "Good eye, my father is Wang Hongzhi."
Xiao Si added, "Uncle Wang, I know you are a friend of Prince Li Yuanchang of Han. Prince Li Yuanchang hunts without restraint, and you once earnestly wrote to him to offer your opinions."
He nodded and pointed to the person next to him.
"This is Li Yuanchang."
Zi'an feigned surprise upon hearing this.
Li Yuanchang said to Wang Fangqing:
"I stopped hunting immediately after reading your father's letter."
Wang Fangqing sighed:
"But my father was gradually alienated and excluded because of this, and later became friends with the King of Jing... So I think it's better not to make suggestions to change anything casually."
The incense stick had burned out, and Zi'an realized the interview was over, so she returned to the courtyard.
Zi'an asked Xiao Si, "Why did you decide to interview Wang Fangqing last night?"
Xiao Si said, "When Zhang Jiuling was 13 years old, he gave his writing to someone. And that person had a discerning eye and was generous in praising Zhang Jiuling."
Zi'an nodded: "I thought Zhang Shuo was Zhang Jiuling's first benefactor."
Xiao Si said, "The prime minister at the time, Zhang Yue, would indeed praise Zhang Jiuling to everyone he met, and even took the initiative to give him a copy of the Zhang family genealogy."
Zi'an asked, "Zhang Shuo was demoted; shouldn't he have been implicated?"
Little Si blurted out:
“I personally don’t like Zhang Shuo because I used to be Mei Xiaosi, but my influence was only a tiny bit. When people talk about Zhang Shuo, they think of impressive labels like ‘three times he became prime minister’ and ‘dominating the literary world’.”
Yu Zhanmo, having finished his shooting practice, also got excited and joined the discussion:
"At that time, officials selected through the imperial examination system and officials under the Nine-Rank System were practically from two different worlds."
Officials who passed the imperial examinations relied on their actual abilities, while officials under the Nine-Rank System relied on their family background and personal character.
Therefore, it's illogical for officials on both sides to dislike each other and for them to cooperate harmoniously.
Zi'an agreed: "Brother Yu really knows the ins and outs of officialdom like the back of his hand."
Yu Zhanmo continued, "Zhang Shuo, a man who came from the imperial examination system, couldn't escape this problem even after entering the court. The path he chose was 'forming cliques and suppressing dissent,' which, to put it bluntly, meant 'forming factions, favoring his own people, and suppressing those who disagreed.'"
Xiao Si nodded: "So, we can make a preliminary inference that, for his own and his allies' benefit, Zhang Shuo will definitely try to eliminate those 'dissidents' when necessary, even if they are really capable, even if his allies are just mediocre. That's why he was very pleased to meet Zhang Jiuling."
Qu Youjiu, who was practicing his sword nearby, chimed in: "I understand the matter of fame. Although Zhang Shuo is not as famous as Li Bai, he served as prime minister three times and was good at manipulating public opinion among literati. This is an important reason why he became famous in the mid-Tang Dynasty."
Yu Zhanmo responded:
"People as carefree as Brother Qu are rare. He regards the useless as the most useful, which is why the saying 'Everyone has their own talents' resonates so deeply with people."
However, most people valued strength, and there weren't many people at the time whose overall strength was comparable to Zhang Shuo's. Those who could pose a threat to him included Yao Chong, who had also served as prime minister and was considered one of his mortal enemies.
Xiao Si said, "Naturally, the court needs checks and balances. Zhang Shuo and Yao Chong have many differences in political views, and their relationship is not very harmonious in private."
Zi'an said with a smile:
"Ah, it's that thing we were talking about the other day, the thing about how even if Yao Chong is dead, we still had to give him a little abacus and have him spar with it."
Yu Zhanmo said, "And Yuwen Rong."
Xiao Si nodded: "Yes, he shares the same surname as you and was also Zhang Shuo's political enemy. Zhang Shuo had been advising Emperor Xuanzong of Tang throughout his life, which is why Emperor Xuanzong decided to reinstate Zhang Jiuling."
Zi'an said, "After trying out several positions, he rose through the ranks and found that the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice was very suitable for him. Emperor Xuanzong told him not to submit memorials publicly, but to communicate with him directly in private."
Xiao Si continued, "And the ban on private minting of coins that Zhang Jiuling wanted to abolish right from the start was proposed by Yuwen Rong. It is clear that Zhang Jiuling was indeed aligned with Zhang Shuo's faction."
Xiao Si added, "Tomorrow I will tell you about Yuwen Rong and Pei Yaoqing. This is precisely the political maneuvering of our emperors."
Zi'an laughed at her: "Oh, you've only been empress for a few days, and you already know the techniques of 'our emperors'?"