Wang Anshi was a famous politician and literary scholar during the Northern Song Dynasty. His wife, Wu, came from a family of eunuchs, and many of the family were jinshi. Wu grew up in a scholarly middle school, received a good education, and her poetry was appreciated. Although she was not as famous as Li Qingzhao and Zhu Shuzhen, she also had a certain reputation at that time. Although not seen much of her poetry today, some fragments have survived. Wu's literary talent also influenced her two daughters, and Wang Anshi's eldest daughter also wrote a poem expressing her longing for her mother's family. However, a person's talent is not necessarily related to character.
Wang Anshi's wife Wu's character is indeed unflattering. Although she has a certain literary talent, her character does not conform to the family background of Shuxiangmendi, nor is she worthy of her husband's status as prime minister. There is a story about this, when Wang Anshi deposed as prime minister, he was demoted to Jiangning as prefect. After he volunteered to retire, the family needed to move out of the prefectural office and return to their private home. There is a rattan bed in the Yamen that is owned by the public, but Wu likes this bed, and when she moves, she asks the next person to move the bed home. Wang Anshi persuaded her to return the bed, but Wu did not listen. In the end, when the prefect Yamen's messenger came to ask for it, Wu still ignored it. Wang Anshi had no choice but to lie on the bed in his shoes, and after the bed was soiled, Wu agreed to return the bed to the government. This kind of greedy and cheap, short-sightedness and even disregard for national law is quite a serious problem.
In addition, there is another record in the "Records of Dongxuan", Wu's younger brother Wu Sheng lived in the Xingxiang Hall of a certain temple when he was visiting Nanjing. This spacious and elegant hall is often borrowed by Nanjing officials to hold ceremonies. One day, the emperor's birthday, Nanjing officials gathered in the Xingxiang Hall to celebrate the emperor's birthday, and asked Wu Sheng to move to another room and move back after the ceremony. Wu Sheng was troublesome, not only did not move, but also cursed. Some officials could not bear this breath, and when the ceremony was over, an arrest warrant was issued. Wu Sheng was frightened and ran into Wang Anshi's mansion to hide. Several officials went to see Wang Anshi and told him about Wu Sheng's insults to officials. Wang Anshi was angry when he heard this, and let them enter the house to arrest people. However, Wu prevented them from entering, and loudly rebuked the officials, claiming that although Wang Anshi was no longer the prime minister, the people in their house did not dare to be presumptuous, so these officials did not dare to pursue the matter. Wang Anshi was also helpless and could only give up. This story shows that Wu's brutal and violent character made officials dare not speak to her, so they had to stop.
Wu's brutal personality also influenced her daughters. Wang Anshi's eldest daughter Wang Kuan married Wu Anzhi, and the two had a son. This child is smart and clever, and is loved by Wang Anshi. However, when he grew up, he showed unusual rebellious behavior. Together with his cousin Wu Chu, he conspired to rebel and recruit troops. However, their plan was revealed, and Wu Kan, Wu Chu, and Zhang Huaisu were arrested and executed in advance. This incident became a turning point in the fate of the Wang Anshi family, after the descendants of the Wang family thriving in the political and literary circles, but since then there have not been any celebrities.
Morally speaking, Wang Anshi himself is a perfect person. He is not greedy for money, not lustful, does not oppress others, and does not pander to power. When his ideas for changing the law are opposed, he tries his best to persuade others with reason and effectiveness, and when he cannot be persuaded, he will not attack or frame the opponents. However, there is a problem with his homeschooling, otherwise how could there be a greedy, short-sighted and violent wife, and a daughter who constantly blows the wind on her husband?
In short, the impact of a good wife on a family is profound. Wu's greedy, short-sighted and violent character affected the fate of the Wang Anshi family. A good family education is also very important, it can shape people's character and values. The unfortunate experience of the Wang Anshi family reminds us that the importance of family education cannot be ignored.