Chapter 73: Long Lost Pals
Zhang Fei looked at Sima Guang with a dumbfounded expression. “Academician Sima, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sima Guang approached, his face carrying a smile, but his sharp eyes seemed to say, ‘Don’t act innocent in front of me, we’ve crossed swords before.’
Zhang Fei coughed awkwardly. “Perhaps… perhaps Academician Sima means that he is someone to strike at the heart. That makes sense. After all, he had already restricted my right to litigate, and yet he still wanted to harm me, to annihilate me. That’s truly striking at my heart!”
Sima Guang chuckled. “He didn’t strike at anyone’s heart; he only dug his own grave. Sigh… After working together for so many years, I’ve only now come to realize how narrow-minded he is.”
Zhang Fei smiled. “Blame it on my humble status. If I held a higher status, maybe things wouldn’t be like this.”
“Haha!”
Sima Guang laughed heartily, neither confirming nor denying. “Since you have such insight, why did you reject Wang Anshi’s goodwill?”
Zhang Fei was puzzled. “Reject his goodwill?”
Sima Guang said, “I heard that Wang Anshi intended to recommend you for official position, but you refused. Many people aspire to be officials but can’t become one. Given such a golden opportunity, why didn’t you treasure it?”
Zhang Fei looked genuinely surprised, then sighed half-seriously, “I have neither fame nor family background. Even if I entered officialdom, I’m afraid I would only be running errands for others. Instead of enduring frustration in government, I’d rather stay in the private market and enjoy my freedom.” “Enjoy your freedom?”
Sima Guang shook his head. “You’ve offended so many people; I’m afraid it’s hard to enjoy freedom.”
Zhang Fei countered, “But entering officialdom might lead to a worse fate. The stone by the latrine, though stinky and hard, is left untouched. The delicate, expensive porcelain cup on the table, however, is bound to be shattered eventually, just like the porcelain cups in the house of Director Wang.”
Sima Guang chuckled and nodded. “Actually, I agree with you. I also believe that the status of a pen-in-cap is more suitable for you now. Entering officialdom might restrain your talents and hinder your future.”
Zhang Fei looked puzzled. “Since when did Academician Sima care so much about me?”
Sima Guang glanced at him. “What? Do you think I’m unreasonable or petty?”
“Of course not.” Zhang Fei then asked, “Does Academician Sima finally agree with the judgment regarding Ayun?”
He knew from history that Sima Guang had always been discontented with the decision in the Ayun case.
That was also the cause of their disagreements.
Sima Guang snorted, “Don’t even think about it. With the Ayun case, I may have lost, but I wasn’t wrong. You merely won; you were not proven right.”
Zhang Fei clasped his hands together, “Thank you, Academician Sima, for your understanding. Actually, I didn’t aim to prove myself right; I just wanted to repay the debt of saving my life.”
Sima Guang nodded with a smile, “I know. After recent events, I’ve come to realize that you’re not a bad person, and at such a young age, you dare to stand up against the powerful for justice. It’s truly admirable. It’s no wonder Xu Zun values you.”
Is this old fox trying to manipulate me? Zhang Fei chuckled, “Academician Sima suddenly praising me like this, I’m genuinely flattered!”
Sima Guang chuckled, “It seems you complain whether I criticize or praise you. What do you want?”
Zhang Fei hurriedly said, “Well, then, praise is fine.”
Sima Guang continued, “Regarding the Li Si case, the restraint of litigation rights, as well as the matter with Wang Wenshan, I support you. I also hope you can utilize your talents to help more oppressed people seek justice.”
A hint of doubt flashed in Zhang Fei’s eyes, but he sighed deeply, “I would like to, but I can’t even enter the courtroom now, let alone fight for justice for the people.”
Sima Guang glanced at him.
Feeling a bit guilty under his gaze, Zhang Fei asked, “Why is Academician Sima looking at me like this?”
Sima Guang chuckled, “Wang Wenshan has been expelled from the capital, yet you’re still not giving up, coming over here early in the morning to kick him while he’s down. Initially, he only restrained your litigation rights, but you went after his interests by implementing property reforms, making him unable to sleep at night. How could you be willing to be unable to litigate? My guess is that you’ve already obtained litigation rights, or you’re about to.”
Wow… How long has this old fox been observing me? Zhang Fei hurriedly said, “Academician Sima is overestimating me. I was just trying to survive, not picking a fight.”
Sima Guang said, “Alright! I’ll help you obtain litigation rights. It’s just a matter of raising my hand.”
“Oh? Um, it’s nothing. I don’t deserve rewards for nothing. Besides, it’s just a minor issue. I wouldn’t dare to trouble Academician Sima.” Zhang Fei smirked.
He wanted to handle this himself. If Sima Guang helped, it wouldn’t feel right. Plus, he already had obtained litigation rights. It was just a matter of when to surprise them.
Sima Guang pointed at Zhang Fei, “You…!”
He’s clearly trying to win me over. What does he want from me? But I’ll put that aside for now. After all, I don’t have much to lose, and if he wants to win me over, I’ll get something out of it first.
Zhang Fei didn’t mind being used because it just proved he had value. Glancing at Sima Guang, he sighed, “Even if I regain those litigation rights, there’s only so much I can do. It might not even be enough to support my family.”
Sima Guang asked, “What do you want, then?”
Zhang Fei said, “Actually, I’ve had a bold idea for a while, but I’ve been too afraid to act on it. With Academician Sima’s support, I would have nothing to fear.”
Sima Guang looked at him puzzled, “What idea?”
Zhang Fei said, “Tax audits.”
Sima Guang looked at him with confusion, “Tax audits?”
Zhang Fei nodded, “Actually, criminal cases are few and far between, and these cases pose no threat to the country. What truly causes disputes is money. And the most important one of all is taxes.
I just want to use my understanding of tax law to specifically help people with their tax calculations, and to provide legal guarantees as to the extent of their tax liability, thus easing the burden on the people.”
He spoke in a veiled manner, but Sima Guang understood immediately. If this plan succeeded, it would limit the occurrence of arbitrary and unlawful taxation.
It was like building a wall to defend those in the private sector.
This was ingenious!
And it aligned perfectly with Sima Guang’s political philosophy.
After pondering for a moment, Sima Guang looked up at Zhang Fei in astonishment. “You came up with this?”
Zhang Fei nodded.
Sima Guang asked again, “How did you come up with this?”
If one were to put things generously, this idea was truly for the benefit of the people at largeand its benefits exceeded litigating all unjust cases in the world.
Zhang Fei hesitated, “I hope Academician Sima won’t make fun of me for saying this!”
“Speak!”
“The wealthiest merchants in the world are mostly large landowners, for a simple reason: land can produce food and cloth, both of which are necessities of life for everyone. Apart from that, taxes are also indispensable.”
“I see!”
Sima Guang suddenly realized. Everyone had to pay taxes. If someone stepped forward to guarantee them and succeeded, they would make a fortune. He had no more doubts and chuckled, “I didn’t expect you to have such a talent for business.”
“Not at all!” Zhang Fei laughed innocently. “But Academician Sima would also know, it’s not easy. If…!”
Before he could finish, Sima Guang interrupted, “I will definitely support you. I look forward to the success of this matter.”
His tone was very decisive.
Zhang Fei hurriedly bowed, “Thank you! Thank you!”
But he was muttering to himself. It seemed like Sima Guang really wanted to win me over. But was it because of my talent or my appearance…?
Sima Guang glanced at him and suddenly asked, “By the way, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you about, but I haven’t found the opportunity.”
“I dare not! I dare not!” Zhang Fei quickly replied, “Academician Sima, please feel free to ask.”
His tone sounded different.
Sima Guang asked, “How did you persuade Wang Anshi to agree to back the housing loan plan in the first place?”
Zhang Fei was taken aback, not expecting Sima Guang to ask this. He said, ” I appealed to his principles and reasoned with him. Regarding housing loans, it would benefit the officials, the merchants, and the government. How could Academician Wang, who serves the country and the people, refuse?”
Sima Guang stroked his beard and smiled, “I wasn’t referring to the pros and cons of the policy.”
“Then what did Academician Sima mean?”
“Based on my understanding of Wang Anshi, he should have first thought about having the government handle the house loan instead of entrusting it to merchants.”
It seemed that among colleagues, there was not only animosity but also an intimate understanding of each other’s political agenda.
Zhang Fei nodded, “Academician Wang did mention this.”
Sima Guang hurriedly asked, “How did you persuade him then?”
Zhang Fei answered truthfully, “I was the one who proposed the idea, and my condition was to let the businessmen handle it. Although Academician Wang is stubborn, he’s reasonable too. If he took my advice but didn’t agree to my terms, it wouldn’t be the conduct of a gentleman.”
Sima Guang slapped his thigh excitedly, “I see!”
Zhang Fei looked at Sima Guang with surprise. What was there to be so excited about?
Little did Zhang Fei know, Sima Guang had been pondering this issue for days. At first, he thought Wang Anshi had changed his political leanings, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t the case. Therefore, he speculated that this idea must have come from Zhang Fei. He was curious about how Zhang Fei managed to persuade Wang Anshi. After all, he rarely succeeded in persuading Wang Anshi.
Sima Guang didn’t notice Zhang Fei’s gaze and continued, “If you had agreed to Wang Anshi’s proposal, perhaps he would have offered you an even more generous reward?”
Zhang Fei’s eyes gleamed as he replied, “My success today is because I have never done anything harmful to the country and the people. If this matter were handed over to the government, it would be tantamount to competing with the people for benefits. The people’s interests are the government’s interests. The people are like the river: the river can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.”
“Well said!”
Sima Guang suddenly became excited. “Such simple reasoning, yet Wang Anshi just cannot understand it.”
Pretending not to understand, Zhang Fei asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“He…”
Sima Guang waved his hand, “It’s not related to you.” Then, he looked at Zhang Fei with admiration, feeling like they were long lost pals. He gently patted Zhang Fei’s arm, “As long as you remember what was said today, I will support you.”
Zhang Fei hurriedly expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Academician Sima.”