Chapter 315: The Dao of Supervision |
What was the highest principle of capital?
Was it primitive accumulation?
Was it monopoly?
Was it exploitation?
No.
These were merely capital’s basic operations. The highest principle of capital was doing charity.
Just as Marx had said, capitalism came into the world dripping with blood and filth from head to toe.
It was inherently evil, and if it did not disguise itself with goodness, it would quickly perish.
The world’s most powerful capitalists would make others believe they were good people.
All he needed was the reputation of “charity.”
This reputation could package many otherwise questionable deeds in bright and attractive wrapping, preventing suspicion.
Zhang Fei desperately needed this institution to complete preparations in places he could not reach, so that it might produce miraculous effects in the future.
However, at this moment, the court officials had completely cast Zhang Fei to the back of their minds. In the past, seeing his charity flourishing so vibrantly, they would have surely tripped up Zhang Fei and given him some grief.
But now they truly had no such leisure, because the “great villain” Wang Anshi had already bared his fangs.
Based on the principle that things are most difficult in the beginning, the opposition voices in court rose wave upon wave.
They hoped to exert maximum pressure on Wang Anshi from the very start, lest he act with complete impunity.
The conservative faction was quite powerful, controlling the Remonstrance Bureau, the Censorate, and the Court of Penal Review—the nation’s three major supervisory departments.
However, as the saying goes, a snake cannot move without a head. Wen Yanbo controlled the Censorate, Zhao Bian controlled the Remonstrance Bureau, and Sima Guang controlled the Court of Penal Review.
These three great figures all held reservations about the Balanced Delivery Policy. They had dissatisfactions but also acknowledged certain aspects. Crucially, they all recognized that Wang Anshi’s itemized listing of corrupt policies followed by corresponding reforms was reasonable and well-founded, while their side lacked concrete evidence.
But many officials firmly believed that the Balanced Delivery Policy would grant the Transport Commissioners unprecedented power with no department able to supervise them, which would destroy the Song Dynasty’s founding principles.
Officials like Liu Shu and Qi Hui seized every opportunity to pressure Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo, hoping they would take the lead in opposition.
Sima Guang was at his wit’s end. Today he had convened a meeting at the Court of Penal Review, originally intending to review with judicial officials the advantages and disadvantages of the prosecution, investigation, and judicial system, and to prepare plans for gradual implementation in local areas.
But from the start, officials like Liu Shu and Qi Hui had derailed the discussion.
They argued that while they were being so cautious, considering everything thoroughly and ensuring mutual supervision among prosecution, investigation, and judiciary, Wang Anshi was not doing the same—so what was the point of their approach?
Sima Guang felt like cursing. The process was already slow enough, yet instead of working with full dedication to quickly implement it locally, they were here engaging in endless bickering.
At this moment, Xu Zun suddenly declared: “This is not supervision.”
Everyone turned to look, their expressions of disgust clearly visible.
This great eccentric again!
Good heavens!
When would this oddball ever agree with them just once?
Sima Guang asked: “What do you mean by this, Judge Xu?”
Xu Zun replied: “The supervision they speak of seeks to fragment power to achieve mutual checks and balances.”
Your summary is quite good! Liu Shu immediately asked: “Is this wrong?”
Xu Zun answered: “That depends on what matter it’s applied to. Everyone agrees that corruption in the current tax-in-kind system exists. Regardless of what method you use to reform it, you must first unify authority. Otherwise, with such complex affairs—if you don’t establish a single office to oversee this matter, it simply cannot be accomplished.
If you fragment power, it will only result in the same situation as many existing offices—there will be bureaucratic redundancy, making it worse than no reform at all. The way of supervision lies in ensuring the work is done well, not in preventing the other party from doing the work at all.
Whether you gentlemen agree or not, I am too poorly learned to say much more, but using supervision as an argument cannot stand.”
Sima Guang nodded slightly.
Liu Shu argued: “Judge Xu speaks reasonably. The way of supervision lies in ensuring the work is done well. I dare ask Judge Xu—with such complex affairs, who can provide supervision? Do you know what the Capital requires? Do you know the conditions in various localities? In the end, it will all be up to the Transport Commissioners to decide, which will inevitably breed corruption.”
Xu Zun smiled and said: “From Academician Wang’s standpoint, his mandate is to eliminate corrupt practices. As for how supervision should be conducted, that has nothing to do with Academician Wang. Academician Wang has never said that the Censorate and Remonstrance Bureau are forbidden from providing supervision. Nor has he petitioned His Majesty to abolish all supervisory offices.
If supervision cannot be carried out, the problem lies in the insufficient capability of those doing the supervising, not in Academician Wang. We cannot expect Academician Wang to accommodate the supervisors by prioritizing supervision in formulating national policy—that would be utterly ridiculous.
As supervisory officials and law enforcement officers, we should find ways to conduct supervision ourselves, rather than expecting the other party to cooperate with our supervision. What difference would that be from putting on a show or engaging in private collusion?”
Xu Zun had claimed he was not good at debate, which was truly modest of him—his reasoning was actually exceptional even within the court.
This discourse on supervision left Liu Shu and the others completely bewildered.
The subject of supervision was passive, not active. Having the subject deliberately stand motionless before you while you watched—could that be called supervision?
True supervision meant following wherever the person went, keeping watch. That was real supervision.
The Censorate, Remonstrance Bureau, and Court of Penal Review all had the authority to supervise the New Policies. If they could not supervise effectively, that was due to their own insufficient capability—Wang Anshi was not in charge of supervision.
Unable to argue with Xu Zun, Qi Hui said: “Are you saying that you support Wang Anshi’s reforms?”
Xu Zun immediately replied: “I am merely discussing the matter at hand. I also recommend strengthening supervision of the New Policies, but supervision is within our jurisdiction and has nothing to do with Wang Anshi. We should find ways to conduct supervision, rather than demanding that Wang Anshi’s legs be broken simply because he runs too fast for us to keep up—that would only demonstrate our incompetence.”
Sima Guang nodded repeatedly: “Judge Xu speaks reasonably. We should find ways to administer supervision.”
Liu Shu immediately responded: “But there are many improper aspects in the formulation of the New Policies well.”
Xu Zun fell silent.
At a training ground in the western part of the city, on a field normally used for military drills, goal posts had been set up at both ends, and twenty-four fools were frantically chasing after a small leather ball.
More than ten people stood on the sidelines watching.
“Goal! Goal! Finally scored!”
“Excellent!”
Two young men jumped and cheered.
Suddenly, a whistle sounded.
Zhang Fei ran toward the person who had just scored, grabbed him, and began cursing: “Do you have any brains at all? I’ve told you countless times—at the moment you receive the ball, your body cannot be ahead of the defensive players’ position. You’re really something else, practically blocking the opposing goalkeeper. Are you trying to be clever?”
The player protested: “What kind of rule is that? It makes no sense.”
“Hey! You dare argue with the referee?”
Zhang Fei immediately pulled out a red card.
“What does that mean?”
“Get out!”
“Brother San, Brother San, let me substitute for him.”
Ma Xiaoyi called out excitedly from the sideline.
Zhang Fei glanced back at him: “If substitutions were allowed, how could this be called punishment? And stop your damn shouting over there. Continue!”
“But we’re short one person!”
“That’s what the idiot gets for questioning this referee.”
“You moron, a corner kick means you kick the ball away, not carry it with you.”
“Referee! That guy grabbed my shirt.”
“Didn’t see it.”
“Are you blind?”
“Get out!”
“Ouch!”
“What are you doing? Are you playing ball or kicking people?”
“He was grabbing our player just now and you didn’t care, but when we kick someone you interfere. How unreasonable!”
“Get out! Alright, alright, take a break. You bunch of idiots are really going to be the death of me.”
Zhang Fei wiped his sweat as he walked to the sideline, sat down in a chair, picked up a large bowl of water and poured it into his mouth, panting and cursing: “Damn, I never thought being a referee would be so exhausting. Shouted myself hoarse.”
“Zhang San!”
Xu Zhiqian hurried over: “This… this football of yours won’t work. It has absolutely no entertainment value.”
Fan Zheng also approached, saying anxiously: “Zhang San, I think Miss Xu speaks truly. If we invest money in this, we might lose everything. It’s completely inferior to the football before, and no one would watch it.”
After watching for so long, not a single proper goal had been scored. No one knew what those people were doing—all brute force with no skill whatsoever. There was simply no entertainment value to speak of.
“I think it looks quite interesting.”
Ma Xiaoyi suddenly jumped forward.
Cao Dongdong also said: “I also feel that this football has a different kind of appeal compared to previously.”
Fan Zheng asked: “What kind of appeal?”
Cao Dongdong chuckled: “Old football can get quite boring sometimes, just kicking back and forth. This football is different—you can grab people, you can bump into people. It’s quite interesting.”
Xu Zhiqian winked at Zhang Fei, as if to say, “You’re not going to believe these two boys over Fan Zheng and me, are you?”
Zhang Fei smiled: “Let’s give it a try. Once they become more skilled at playing, I’ll organize a charity match. We can see everyone’s reaction then—it won’t cost much money.”
Fan Zheng nodded: “Alright! Since Brother San has such confidence, let’s give it a try.”
Xu Zhiqian said: “I think it will definitely make people laugh at us.”
Zhang Fei smiled: “Laughter takes ten years off your life. If we can make the audience laugh, that’s also a kind of success!”
Ma Xiaoyi chuckled: “Brother San, I have to play when the time comes.”
Cao Dongdong immediately said: “I also want to personally take the field and play.”
Zhang Fei smiled: “No problem.”
Just then, a patrol officer hurried into the training ground. “Deputy Police Commissioner, this subordinate has urgent matters to report.”
“What is it?”
Cao Dongdong asked.
The patrol officer immediately whispered something in Cao Dongdong’s ear.
“Really?”
Cao Dongdong blinked, then immediately said to Zhang Fei and the others: “You didn’t buy any peaches today, did you?”
Fan Zheng asked: “Why does the official ask this?”
Cao Dongdong said: “I just heard news that many spoiled peaches have appeared in the market, and some citizens got diarrhea after eating them.”
Zhang Fei frowned: “Really.”
