page_title: Crow Terrace Poetry Trial
section_title: Wang Anshi's New Policies: initial implementation
hierarchical_section_title: Crow Terrace Poetry Trial / Wang Anshi's New Policies: initial implementation
caption_attribution_description: English: Obverse and reverse of a Tian Xi Tong Bao coin from the Northern Song Dynasty.
context_page_description: The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial was a trial on charges including treason and lèse majesté that occurred in the year 1079 of Song dynasty era in Chinese history. "Crow Terrace" refers to the nickname of the Imperial Office of the Censorate, which prosecuted the case, citing Sung Criminal Code, Article 122: "Denouncing the Imperial Chariot". The most prominent figure of the dozens accused was the official and artist Su Shi, whose works of poetry were produced in court as evidence against him.
  The trial was a major landmark in the struggle for free speech, in medieval China. The trial resulted in Su Shi's conviction and exile, as well as the conviction of over thirty other individuals, who faced varying punishments including fines and official reprimands. The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial had the significant effect of dampening subsequent creative expression and set a major negative precedent for freedom of speech, at least for the remainder of Song Dynasty China.
context_section_description: Although theoretically, the emperor was the final and absolute authority in Chinese politics during the Song dynasty, in actuality many factors importantly affected events: these included other politically influential persons such as the emperor's in-laws and other relatives and also party politics. Party political division at the time was severe: Wang Anshi led a group of "reformists", also known as the "New Policy party", whose ideas were perhaps ahead of their time. Su Shi was part of the politically-opposed "conservative" group, later known as the "Yuanyou party", after the era-name during which they had exercised most power. Wang Anshi's New Policies had their ups-and-downs in imperial favor, but initially he was able to sweep the political field of oppositional voices. Sima Guang, the main oppositional leader retired to Luoyang, as did various others in his faction. Su Shi's patron Ouyang Xiu (1007 – 1072) was demoted, exiled, and eventually permitted to retire. Su Shi was not identified as a main leader of the opposition party and was exiled as governor of Hangzhou, which in itself was not the worst place to be sent, or the worst position for someone pursuing a career in politics, but it forbade his appearance at court, and consequentially denied him direct influence or interaction with the imperial government, at the national level.
caption: Much of Wang Anshi's New Policies had to do with fiscal issues. Shenzong's support of them had much to do with the aspiration to expand the imperial sway beyond the current borders. For this, much cash would need to be forthcoming. Pictured here is the obverse and reverse of a Tian Xi Tong Bao (1017–1022) coin, typical for much of Chinese history. The holes could be used to string coins together into convenient groups. Song dynasty monetary policies also included experimentation with paper notes.
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