Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 666
After a lapse of 93 days, Fan Ning finally returned to the capital. It was already the beginning of December, and the north of the Huaihe River was frozen. Their last journey was to return by horse-drawn carriage.

The family was finally reunited. Both Fan Zhener and Fan Jing became dark and thin, which made their mother feel bad. During dinner, the family collectively scolded Fan Ning.

Fan Ning was full of joy, and his emotions were not affected at all. Just half a month ago, Cao Xiu gave birth to a son for him. This is his sixth child. The homonym of Zhou is named Fan Zhou.

Now Fan Ning has four sons, Fan Jing, Fan Chu, Fan Qi, and Fan Zhou. According to Fan Ning's idea, the eldest son Fan Jing will go to Bei Dao to inherit the throne, and the second son Fan Chu will stay in Song Dynasty as an official after studying. Fan Qi followed Mingren and Mingli along the business route.

He hasn't made up his mind about Fan Zhou yet, but he is the grandson of the Cao family. Not surprisingly, he is following the military route.

When there are more sons, daughters become treasures. When eating, Fan Ling'er sits on the left and Fan Zhen'er sits on the right, sandwiching their father, making everyone dumbfounded.

After dinner, Fan Ning sat in the room and slowly read the newspaper. Some important events were known during dinner, such as Ouyang Qian's father Ouyang Xiu who was appointed as a political adviser.

Speaking of which, Ouyang Xiu has to thank Fan Ning, his son-in-law. When Fan Ning arranged for people to make binoculars, he made a pair of high-degree glasses by the way, which greatly solved Ouyang Xiu's myopia problem.

In fact, glasses existed as early as the Yuan Dynasty. It is recorded in "Marco Polo's Travels".

Another major event was a serious conflict between Song and Liao.

Fanning was poring over the record of the conflict with his newspaper.

The incident happened in mid-September. The envoys of the Liao Kingdom in the Song Dynasty proposed to the court that they demanded a million heads of Xixia sheep.

Emperor Yelu Hongji of the Liao Dynasty became furious and ordered [-] garrison troops from Datong Prefecture in Xijing to attack Yulin County in an attempt to take away the grain hoarded by the Song Army in Yulin County. They also dropped nearly [-] corpses and withdrew to Xijing.

In fact, this battle has torn up the armistice agreement. The third article of the armistice agreement is very clear. No matter where the Song and Liao parties are in conflict, as long as there is a conflict of more than 500 people, the armistice agreement will become invalid.

It's just that neither side has made this point clear, and they seem to be pretending to be confused. Perhaps winter is coming, and ice and snow cover up everyone's emotions.

At this time, Aya walked to the door and said: "Officer, there are guests visiting outside the door."

Fan Ning was taken aback. Did anyone visit him just after he came back today?

"who is it?"

Aya handed Fan Ning a letter of worship, and the left servant of Shangshu shot Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi came to visit him, which was a bit unexpected to Fan Ning. He thought for a while and said, "Please wait in my study outside!"

"Officer, the outer study is very cold, and it may take a long time to warm up."

"Then invite him to the guest hall."

Fan Ning thought for a while and said, "Let Jing Er invite him in."

Although Fan Jing was only 12 years old, he was very sensible and courteous, and was praised by everyone. Fan Ning asked his eldest son to meet the guests, which was considered to be enough face for Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi did come uninvited, he was very anxious, there were several reforms that could not be passed in the court, not to mention the test of the Queen Mother, even in the Zhizheng Hall.

Fan Ning was absent, and the six members of the Zhizheng Hall, Fu Bi, Wang Anshi, Han Jiang, Sima Guang, Zeng Gongliang, and Ouyang Xiu, lost three to two in all three votes. Han Jiang abstained, and Fu Bi, Sima Guang, and Ouyang Xiu voted three times. For Wang Anshi and Zeng Gongliang.

Now that Fan Ning is back, if he can be persuaded and Ouyang Xiu is Fan Ning's father-in-law, then the situation will be reversed.

Wang Anshi knew in his heart that Fan Ning was not the same as Fu Bi and Sima Guang. Fu Bi and Sima Guang were conservatives, while Fan Ning was a reformer. Ouyang Xiu was also influenced by his son-in-law and turned into a reformer.

Although my own reformists are different from reformists, as long as we can talk well, I believe we can seek common ground while reserving differences.

What's more, he and Fan Ning have a deep relationship. They used to be friends, and later they were colleagues. Wang Anshi hoped that the visit tonight would be fruitful.

At this time, a young man walked out of the mansion, bowed to Wang Anshi, and said, "My nephew, Fan Jing, sees Wang Xianggong!"

Wang Anshi was startled, "You are."

"My father, Fan Zhiyuan, specially asked my nephew to invite Wang Xianggong into the mansion."

Zhiyuan is Fan Ning's nickname, which was given to him by Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty, but it is rarely used. Fan Jing can't directly call his father's name, so he uses the nickname.

Wang Anshi was deeply moved. He was Fan Ning's son, and he was able to welcome guests on behalf of his father at a young age.

He nodded quickly, "So it's my nephew, I'm really sorry to disturb your father's rest."

"Where! Father needs to change clothes, so he can't come out of the mansion to greet him in person, please forgive me, Mr. Wang."

"Yes! Your father gave birth to a fine son."

"Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Wang, please come with me."

Fan Jing led the way with a lantern, and Wang Anshi couldn't help asking, "How old is my nephew?"

"Reporting to my lord, my nephew is 12 years old!"

Wang Anshi nodded. If he was a few years older, he would definitely marry Fan Ning. Unfortunately, his youngest daughter has already been promised to this year's new Jinshi Cai Bian.

After a while, the two came to the VIP hall, and Fan Ning was waiting in front of the hall. He stepped forward and smiled apologetically, "I don't know if the elder brother came, but the younger brother is rude."

"Hey! I came here uninvited, my good brother is tired on the pommel horse, but I interrupted the rest, I was rude."

"Since you're here, you don't have to be polite, brother, please sit down in the hall."

Fanning said to his son again: "Go to study!"

"Farewell, baby!"

Fan Jing bowed deeply to Wang Anshi again, then turned and left.

Wang Anshi kept watching his back disappear, and he stroked his beard and said with emotion: "You are only 12 years old and you are so knowledgeable and polite. You have a demeanor. My virtuous brother gave birth to a good son!"

Fan Ning smiled slightly, "I thought my brother would feel that time flies by like water."

Wang Anshi was startled, and then burst out laughing. The two went to the hall to share the seats of the guests and the host, and a maid came to the hall to offer tea.

Wang Anshi sighed and said: "I was the county magistrate in Yin County, and my brother was still a student of the county school. I brought a group of classmates to Yin County. In a blink of an eye, 20 years have passed. Time really flies by like water."

"My brother is only 50 years old! He is in his prime, and it is time to show his ambitions."

Wang Anshi smiled wryly, "The interests of all parties are too involved, and I am hindered by Fu Bi and Sima Guang, which makes it difficult for me to move forward. I have no desire to serve the country, but I cannot display my ambitions."

Fan Ning took a sip of tea and said lightly: "In fact, everyone has their own aspirations. Back then, Fu Xianggong and my grandfather jointly promoted the Qingli New Deal. He also hoped that the Song Dynasty would be innovative and vigorous. Why is he now a conservative? Brother, have you considered the reason?"

"People's minds change."

Wang Anshi stared at Fan Ning sharply, "Back then you taught me how to reform the law and told me that the essence of the reform was to divide the pie. In Yin County you supported me to implement the Green Crop Law, but now you firmly oppose the Green Crop Law. Isn't this your change? ?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "The original intention of the Green Crop Law is to solve the heavy burden of farmers buying seeds and borrowing usury loans when the crops are not harvested. I agree with my brother's one-size-fits-all approach."

"Then what do you say about the young crop method?"

"If I were to implement the Young Crops Law, I would set up an official money shop directly under the Ministry of Households, and spread it to every county. The imperial court stipulated the interest on borrowing money, and the money shop would lend money to farmers at low interest rates. No guarantor was needed. Farmers used own land as collateral”

"and many more!"

Wang Anshi interrupted Fan Ning, "You mean the land is mortgaged, what if he doesn't have land?"

"If he doesn't have land, he is a tenant. Shouldn't the tenant's problems be solved by his owner? If the owner has no money, then the owner will use the land as a mortgage to borrow money to buy seeds, and the rich households in Baojia cannot guarantee it. "

Fan Ning did not give Wang Anshi a chance to refute, and continued: "It is still possible to implement the Young Crop Law now, but the Baojia Law has been replaced by the Militia Law, and it is impossible to implement the Baojia Law. If brother uses my idea to implement the Young Crop Law, I am responsible for convincing the Queen Mother and Fu Xianggong to support them."

Wang Anshi sighed for a while and said, "Now farming doesn't make money. Everyone goes to work in workshops in the city. It is difficult to recruit tenant farmers in the countryside. The gentry and landlords coax the tenant farmers. The land rent is very low. There is no basis for the Young Crops Law to be implemented. With the militia law, the immunity law and the Baojia law, I can only give up."

Fan Ning laughed again: "Actually, I am more supportive of several reforms introduced by my brother, such as the Market Change Law, which limits the monopoly control of big businessmen on the market, the Farmland Water Conservancy Law, which encourages the construction of water conservancy, and the Square Land Average Tax Law to re-measure land. I am sure that the land is fertile, and there is the Art of War, which we have implemented long ago, and the establishment of the Taixue, etc. I support all of these, but there are some reforms, I still hope that my brother will be cautious, and I will not talk about the Green Crop Law and the Baojia Law. I don't agree with the method of equal defeat. There is too much room for manipulating interests. There are 10 people in the upper and lower levels. Every official and subordinate must be a good official. ?"

Wang Anshi didn't want to argue with Fan Ning about the method of losing the game today. He came here for a special matter.

After pondering for a moment, he said: "I want to change the education method of the Song Dynasty, and change the way that students all over the world only study for the imperial examination, and what they learn is useless. I hope to apply what I have learned, but the court opposes it very much. Many scholars scold me for being contemptuous of Confucianism. The Zhizheng Hall failed to pass three votes, and I hope to win the support of my virtuous brother."

Fan Ning happened to be reforming education in Beidao, and he suddenly became interested, and said with a smile: "Brother, why not tell me in detail, what is the reform, I am willing to listen."

Seeing that Fan Ning was interested, Wang Anshi immediately lifted his spirits, and hurriedly said, "First of all, I want to implement reforms from the school's settings."

(End of this chapter)