Wang Anshi And Emperor Shenzong & Wang's Experience And Moods In His Late Years

Wang Anshi and Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty were similar in their political thoughts, so their relationship was beyond an emperor and his minister—they were like friends. Shenzong's full-hearted support ensured that Wang Anshi could carry out his New Deal smoothly. Nevertheless, as the course of reforming going on, strong pressure from conservative, the Song Dynasty's unique policy of ministers with different politics interfering with each other, the power conflicts between emperor and prime minister, and divarication on some crucial decisions, all had eroded the relationship between Wang Anshi and Shenzhong. In such conditions, it was almost impossible for Wang Anshi to attain any achivement in politics any more. He retired without other choice. Living by the Zhongshan mountain after retiring, Wang Anshi worried about the future of the New Deal, but he was reluctant and unable to go back to administration. That is an important fact affected Wang Anshi's mood and feelings in his late years.Wang Pang, an excellent young man with great talent, was Wang Anshi's eldest son, and also his father's right hand in learning and politics. Unfortunately, he died very young. His death almost broke down the father's spirit. Wang Pang was Wang Anshi's another son. He was not outstanding as his elder brother, though his verses had ever got contemporary critics' praise. His awful mental disease made his only son to death and destroyed his family. It seems that Wang Pang died young too, perhaps earlier than his father. Wang Pdng and his brother left no offspring. Wang Anshi's two daughters were also literarily talented. Both of them lived far away from their old parents, and had had no opportunity to accompany and take care of them for many years, even till the death of Wang Anshi. That is also an important fact affected Wang Anshi's mood and feelings in his late years.Living in Jinling , namely Nangjing, where Zhongshan mountain located, retired Wang Anshi discarded the bias of politics and consorted with various litterateurs such as well-known conservative Su Shi, and abandoned the bias of literature, began to write about affection of two sexes, on which he used to look down, with the style ci that he despised when he was prime minister. All those suggests that after shaking off the yoke of officialdom, Wang Anshi tried to obtain the freedom of soul and go back to be an ordinary litterateur.