Questioning the Authenticity of WANG An-shi's “Three not-worth' s”

Most recent works on WANG An-shi Political Reform agree on the authenticity of WANG An-shi's formulation which runs as follow: No need fearing the changes of the physical world; no need to follow the example of ancestors' policies and values; no need worrying about the public opinion. The formulation is seen as an embodiment of the spirit of the political reform. Considering the then political and cultural environment, WANG An-shi was nevertheless not likely to have formulated the three not-worth' s which edicted the traditional political culture of the Beisong Dynasty. Judging from the failure to find such expressions as the three not-worth' s in his speech before and after the political reform as well as the source of the arguments, the formulation was fabricated to defame and attack WANG An-shi by the opposition factions.