This story takes place during the Qingli era of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The esteemed scholars Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu proposed reforms to Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, urging him to "boost agriculture, reduce corvée labor, and clarify promotions and demotions." They argued, "The court faces internal strife and external threats, the treasury is depleted, and the people are overburdened. If we prioritize farming, lighten the people's duties, reward and punish fairly, and curb land annexation, the nation will soon be prosperous and strong." However, Chancellor Ly Yijian and Xia Song immediately opposed them, telling the emperor, "The Western Xia conflict has subsided, and bandits have been eliminated. The realm is at peace—Your Majesty must not heed such deceptive words."
Emperor Renzong of Song, stroking his beard in deep thought, reviewed the memorials submitted by Fan Zhongyan and his colleagues.
A month passed, and the memorial vanished into the sea like a stone.
Upon learning that Lu Yijian and others were opposing him, Ouyang Xiu angrily declared, "These people do not worry about the empire, yet they forbid others from doing so. If I do not root out these villains and remove these abuses, I will never rest!"
Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu recommended Su Shunqin for the posts of Collator in the Academy of Scholarly Worthies and Supervisor of the Memorials Office. Accepting the mission, Su Shunqin repeatedly submitted memorials to Emperor Renzong, urging reform of corrupt practices and criticizing Lu Yijian and others for clinging to outdated ways, which had drained the state treasury. Su Shunqin's father-in-law, Du Yan, serving as Grand Councilor and Privy Councilor (the emperor's chief advisor), closely coordinated with him to overhaul governance. Together, they pointed out current ills to Renzong, stressed the necessity of reform, and recommended their own talents. At last, the call for reform grew louder and gained momentum.
However, unexpectedly, Imperial Advisor Liu Yuanyu, seeking to curry favor with Lu Yijian, bribed some people to spread rumors outside: "Su Shunqin, Fan Zhongyan, and Ouyang Xiu are forming a private faction, plotting rebellion."
They launched false accusations against Su Shunqin to strike at his patron Du Yan. Meanwhile, they maneuvered behind the scenes, fabricating a list of "crimes" to impeach Fan Zhongyan and others before the emperor. For a time, rumors swirled inside and outside the capital, like dark clouds threatening to crush the city. Emperor Renzong, swayed by the slander of Lü Yijian and his faction, dismissed Su Shunqin from office and ceased to favor Fan Zhongyan. Soon after, the emperor decreed punishment for the alleged conspirators. Those implicated were either transferred to distant posts, demoted, or stripped of their positions entirely. In that period, the number of officials daring to speak on state affairs in the court dwindled to a mere handful.
Under mounting political pressure, Fan Zhongyan and his reformist colleagues were collectively dismissed from their government posts, with Fan himself requesting an assignment outside the capital. And so, a grand yet arduous political reform movement, after repeated and painful struggles, ultimately collapsed in failure.
Afterward, the rumor-mongers rushed to spread the news, celebrating their "victory." Liu Yuanyu, unable to contain his joy, said to Lü Yijian, "I have already rounded them all up for you."
Later, the idiom "catch all in one net" came to be used to describe capturing everyone or completely eliminating them.
Source: Wei Tai (Song Dynasty), *Dongxuan Records*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "一网打尽" came to describe capturing everyone or completely eliminating them.