What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
Su Rui (苏辙), courtesy name Ziyu, was a famous writer and prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, and one of the "Eight Greats of the Tang and Song Dynasties". In addition, Su Rui also has a more widely known identity - the younger brother of a generation of literary heroes Su Shi.
Under the mighty light of Su Shi, Su Rui almost became a transparent person, so that in addition to the label of "Su Shi's younger brother", later generations knew very little about him. But in fact, in the real history, Su Rui is also only eight years old in literature, and politically it is far superior to Su Shi and ranks in power.
(Portrait of Su Rui)
In the second year of Jiayou (1057 AD), Su Rui and his brother Su Shi were in the same way as Ke Dengjinshidi, and in this year, Su Rui was 19 years old. (Note: This article involves age, according to the old custom to use imaginary age, the same below.) ）
In the sixth year of Jiayou (1061 AD), Emperor Renzong of Song planned to hold a subject examination in August. The examination of the system of subjects here is an irregular unconventional examination held in the period of China's feudal society to select "extraordinary talents", and in layman's terms, it is to select the best among the young scholars in the high school examination, and the high school students directly reuse the promotion, which is much more difficult than the examination, and is the highest level of civil servant examination in the Song Dynasty.
(Su Rui and Su Shi stills)
For the students of the world, the subject examination is undoubtedly a key battle to embark on the career path, but at this juncture, Su Rui is unfortunately infected with the disease, which is very serious, and I am afraid that I will miss the examination in August. Unexpectedly, the next "plot" has a huge turnaround.
When Han Qi, the chancellor of the imperial court, learned of the news of Su Rui's illness, he actually went out of his way to meet Song Renzong and said: "Official, I think this year's candidates belong to Su Shi and Su Rui brothers who are the most talented, and now that Su Ru is sick and cannot participate, the gold content of this examination will be greatly reduced. (From Song Li Li's "Discussion of Teachers and Friends": "In this year's summoning department, the soldiers are the most prestigious for Su Shi and Su Rui, and now I have heard that Su Rui is even ill and has not been able to try.") One of the brothers of such a man is not allowed to try, not even in the hope of the people, and wants to limit it to the limit. ” ）
(Han Qi stills)
The civil service examination was higher than that of the imperial examination, because one of the candidates was ill, and the prime minister actually suggested to the emperor that it be postponed, and this kind of thing could only happen in the Song Dynasty, which "did not kill the scholar doctor", otherwise, Han Qi would have died a hundred times earlier. Han Qi's brain opening was already very shocking, and what was even more shocking was that Song Renzong actually agreed--well, Su Rui, a young man, I think it is not bad, it is a pity that he can't take the subject examination, then wait for him, the subject examination is postponed.
So, what kind of results did Su Rui, who had so high hopes, achieve in this subject examination? That's another, more interesting, more famous, more worth telling story.
(Su Rui and Su Shi)
In the sixth year of Jiayou's examination, the title of the question was designated as "Imperial Trial System Of Science and Technology". The answers of Su Shi and the Su Rui brothers are very famous in history, among them, Su Shi's "Imperial Trial Production Of Science" gave birth to the idiom of the day and night, and Su Rui's "Imperial Trial Production of Science and Technology" is more well-known.
In the "Imperial Trial System of Science and Technology", Su Rui used the metaphor of 6 notorious emperors in history as a metaphor, and pointed out the four major sins of Song Renzong: the first was, he was lazy in political affairs; the second was absurd; the third was, he abused the people's wealth; and the fourth was good and great. The final conclusion was that Song Renzong had no ability to govern and was not a good emperor.
(Song Injong stills)
To be fair, although Su Renzong's answer sheet was sharp in words and brilliant in literature, boldly exposing the bad habit of whitewashing Taiping at that time, most of his criticism of Song Renzong's duties was exaggerated, you know, Song Renzong can be called the most virtuous monarch in history, even if there are shortcomings, it is not as unbearable as Su Renzong's mouth.
Fortunately, Emperor Renzong's benevolence was not blown out, and instead of punishing Su Rui, he also said: "I ask for a soldier with a straight word, and a soldier tells me with a straight word. ”
The subject examination is divided into many subjects, such as the literary and literary Yalike, the Erudite Hongzi Subject, and jiayou six years this time opened the straight talk extreme advice section, as the name suggests, is to open up the way of speech, recruit talents and advice. Therefore, Song Renzong said: "Since we seek wisdom with blunt words, we cannot be deposed because of blunt words, otherwise what will the people of the world say about me?" ”
In the end, under the protection of the examiner Sima Guang and the third division envoy Cai Xiang, Su Rui was in the middle and high school of the examination, and soon after he was appointed as the provincial school secretary and the military governor of Shangzhou.
(Empress Cao and Song Renzong stills)
It was after this examination that Emperor Renzong of Song gleefully said to Empress Cao, "Today I will have two prime ministers for my descendants!" "The two prime ministers in Song Renzong's mouth, namely Su Shi and Su Rui, are the two brothers. Later, only Su Rui was really able to do the slaughter, and although Su Shi was outstanding in literature, his official was actually far less powerful than his younger brother Su Rui.