Part 6 Imperial Examination
Yi Qi studied hard since he was a child. After ten years of poverty, Yi Qi's parents and teachers all hoped that he would achieve success in his official career.
For Yi Qi, the best way to become an official is to take the imperial examination exam.
The imperial examination is an examination system in ancient my country that selects officials through subject examinations. The imperial examination system is a relatively reasonable talent selection system for the country. For scholars like Yi Qi, it provides a way to "escape poverty" overnight and quickly "make a career" in the golden world. As the saying goes, "Be a farmer in the morning and ascend to the emperor's hall in the evening."
But the selection of talents by the imperial court was not so fair in the early days.
In the pre-Qin era, talents were recommended to the emperor by princes, and there was a saying that they were selected in rural elections.
In the Han Dynasty, , in order to select ruling talents, there was an inspection and promotion system, which also required local recommendations. In the Western Han Dynasty, was most prosperous in promoting the virtuous, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was most popular in in promoting filial piety and incorruptibility. Especially in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the recommendation of talents was controlled by wealthy nobles. Among the top-grade talents, there were no children from poor families at all.
Until the Sui Dynasty, the imperial court began to hold imperial examinations to select talents. The great inventor of this imperial examination system was Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty Yang Guang. From then on, the imperial examination has influenced future generations for thousands of years.
In the Sui Dynasty, established two subjects, Jinshi and Mingjing. The Tang Dynasty inherited the Sui system, and added Mingfa, Mingzi, and Mingshu subjects, with Jinshi and Mingjing as the main subjects. The Jinshi department focused on literature and vocabulary, while the Ming Jing department focused on classics. Tang Dynasty people Jinshi and the first were named Zhuangyuan or Zhuangtou. This title is still used today to refer to the first placers in various examinations.
People who were on the same list inscribed their names at the Wild Goose Pagoda of Ci'en Temple in Chang'an, which was called the inscription meeting. The banquet was held at the Qujiang pavilion, which was called the Qujiang Club. He also visited famous gardens and appointed two young men on the same list as "flower explorers" to explore famous flowers.
It was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that the imperial examination developed into what we are familiar with.
At that time, in order to qualify for the formal imperial examination, the talented scholars had to first take the child examination. Those who participated in the child examination were called Rutong or Tongsheng. After admission, they were called students, and they were commonly known as scholars. This is just the starting point of fame.
The formal imperial examination is divided into three levels: rural examination, joint examination and palace examination.
Provincial examinations are usually held every three years in provincial capitals. Since they are held in the autumn, they are also called autumn examinations. Those who take part in the provincial examination are called scholars. Those who pass the examination are called juren, and those who come first are called Jieyuan.
The examination was held in the Ministry of Rites in the capital in the spring of the second year after the provincial examination, so it was also called Li Wei or Chun Wei. Those who participated in the examination were Juren, and those who passed the examination were called Gongshi , and the first place was named Huiyuan. The main content of the exam is eight-part essay . The title of the eight-part essay comes from the Four Books and Five Classics. The structure has a certain formula, the number of words is limited, and the syntax requires pairing.
The palace examination is an examination conducted by the emperor, and the examination policy questions. Those who participate in the palace examination are Gongshi, and those who win are collectively called Jinshi. The palace examination is divided into top three admissions. The first person will be awarded the title of Jinshi, the second person will be given the Jinshi background, and the third person will be given the same Jinshi background. The famous Zeng Guofan was born as a Jinshi with the same title. It is said that one time Zeng Guofan washed the feet of his concubine, and his staff made a joke about him: "I washed the feet of Mrs. Ru, and I was born with the Jinshi."
Let’s talk about our imperial examination. Only three people are admitted to the first class, the first place is the number one pick, the second place is the second place, and the third place is the third overall pick. The first place in the second class is commonly known as Chuanlu.
Here is the so-called "three consecutive hits". He is the first Jie Yuan in the provincial examination, the first Hui Yuan in the Hui Yuan examination and the first champion in the palace examination. It's equivalent to ranking first in the province, first in the national examination, and winning the favor of his elder in the emperor's examination, giving him another first.
In the history of our country, there are 15 people who have won three yuan in a row. I checked the historical data seven times.
Part 6 Imperial Examination
Yi Qi studied hard since he was a child. After ten years of poverty, Yi Qi's parents and teachers all hoped that he would achieve success in his official career.
For Yi Qi, the best way to become an official is to take the imperial examination exam.
The imperial examination is an examination system in ancient my country that selects officials through subject examinations. The imperial examination system is a relatively reasonable talent selection system for the country. For scholars like Yi Qi, it provides a way to "escape poverty" overnight and quickly "make a career" in the golden world. As the saying goes, "Be a farmer in the morning and ascend to the emperor's hall in the evening."
But the selection of talents by the imperial court was not so fair in the early days.
In the pre-Qin era, talents were recommended to the emperor by princes, and there was a saying that they were selected in rural elections.
In the Han Dynasty, , in order to select ruling talents, there was an inspection and promotion system, which also required local recommendations. In the Western Han Dynasty, was most prosperous in promoting the virtuous, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was most popular in in promoting filial piety and incorruptibility. Especially in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the recommendation of talents was controlled by wealthy nobles. Among the top-grade talents, there were no children from poor families at all.
Until the Sui Dynasty, the imperial court began to hold imperial examinations to select talents. The great inventor of this imperial examination system was Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty Yang Guang. From then on, the imperial examination has influenced future generations for thousands of years.
In the Sui Dynasty, established two subjects, Jinshi and Mingjing. The Tang Dynasty inherited the Sui system, and added Mingfa, Mingzi, and Mingshu subjects, with Jinshi and Mingjing as the main subjects. The Jinshi department focused on literature and vocabulary, while the Ming Jing department focused on classics. Tang Dynasty people Jinshi and the first were named Zhuangyuan or Zhuangtou. This title is still used today to refer to the first placers in various examinations.
People who were on the same list inscribed their names at the Wild Goose Pagoda of Ci'en Temple in Chang'an, which was called the inscription meeting. The banquet was held at the Qujiang pavilion, which was called the Qujiang Club. He also visited famous gardens and appointed two young men on the same list as "flower explorers" to explore famous flowers.
It was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that the imperial examination developed into what we are familiar with.
At that time, in order to qualify for the formal imperial examination, the talented scholars had to first take the child examination. Those who participated in the child examination were called Rutong or Tongsheng. After admission, they were called students, and they were commonly known as scholars. This is just the starting point of fame.
The formal imperial examination is divided into three levels: rural examination, joint examination and palace examination.
Provincial examinations are usually held every three years in provincial capitals. Since they are held in the autumn, they are also called autumn examinations. Those who take part in the provincial examination are called scholars. Those who pass the examination are called juren, and those who come first are called Jieyuan.
The examination was held in the Ministry of Rites in the capital in the spring of the second year after the provincial examination, so it was also called Li Wei or Chun Wei. Those who participated in the examination were Juren, and those who passed the examination were called Gongshi , and the first place was named Huiyuan. The main content of the exam is eight-part essay . The title of the eight-part essay comes from the Four Books and Five Classics. The structure has a certain formula, the number of words is limited, and the syntax requires pairing.
The palace examination is an examination conducted by the emperor, and the examination policy questions. Those who participate in the palace examination are Gongshi, and those who win are collectively called Jinshi. The palace examination is divided into top three admissions. The first person will be awarded the title of Jinshi, the second person will be given the Jinshi background, and the third person will be given the same Jinshi background. The famous Zeng Guofan was born as a Jinshi with the same title. It is said that one time Zeng Guofan washed the feet of his concubine, and his staff made a joke about him: "I washed the feet of Mrs. Ru, and I was born with the Jinshi."
Let’s talk about our imperial examination. Only three people are admitted to the first class, the first place is the number one pick, the second place is the second place, and the third place is the third overall pick. The first place in the second class is commonly known as Chuanlu.
Here is the so-called "three consecutive hits". He is the first Jie Yuan in the provincial examination, the first Hui Yuan in the Hui Yuan examination and the first champion in the palace examination. It's equivalent to ranking first in the province, first in the national examination, and winning the favor of his elder in the emperor's examination, giving him another first.
In the history of our country, there are 15 people who have won three yuan in a row. I checked the historical data seven times. Cui Yuanhan of the Tang Dynasty (according to historical records, the first person to win the Three Yuan Dynasty), Wu Yihuang, and Zhang Youxin; l3 Wang Tang; Meng Songxian of the Jin Dynasty; Wang Zongzhe of the Yuan Dynasty;
The imperial examination system was the fairest form of talent selection possible in the feudal era. It expanded the social level of talent introduction in the feudal country and absorbed a large number of people from the middle and lower classes into the ruling class. It provides a new upward path for the lower class of society, shakes the clan system , and promotes the development of culture. Completely breaking the hereditary blood relationship and the monopoly of the family played a vital role in the stability and development of China's feudal society .
Part Five Official System
Yi Qi was diligent and studious, lived up to expectations, and got the first place in the Jinshi examination. After winning the first prize, Yi Qi's future training direction is to become an official. Yi Qi's father hopes that he will become an official in the central government, that is, a Beijing official, which has great power.
Our ancient central government system was established differently in the past dynasties, and it went through a process of change. The trend of this change is that the emperor's power is getting bigger and bigger, and the officials' power is getting smaller and smaller.
During the Warring States Period , the central government included military generals and ministers, who respectively held the civil and military power of the country. For example, in the well-known story of "The Harmony between Generals and Prime Ministers", King Zhao Huiwen made Lian Po his general, and Lin Xiangru his prime minister. The two were at odds at first, but later put aside their personal grudges and focused on serving the country. This shows that the two of them have great power. The discord between military commanders and ministers has a great influence on national politics.
In the Qin Dynasty, the power of these two people was divided and became the separation of powers. Under the emperor, there were the Prime Minister's Palace, the Taiwei Palace and the Yushi Dafu Temple, which were officials in charge of government affairs, military affairs and supervision respectively.
During the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the power of these three people was further evaded, and the actual power to handle government affairs was vested in an institution called Taige. "Although there are three ministers, everything belongs to Taige."
In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was decentralization and restriction between institutions. The Taige was divided into three. One was responsible for receiving the emperor's decree, called Zhongshu Province; one was responsible for review, called Menxia Province; the other was responsible for execution, called Shangshu Province. In this way, the emperor's power would be even greater.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this phenomenon of emperor centralization became even more obvious. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty abolished the departments that received orders and managed the government affairs himself, selecting only capable and trustworthy ministers to assist. During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, the Military Aircraft Department was established as a team to assist the emperor. At this time, the emperor's power was unprecedentedly powerful.
The Six Ministries were established in the Sui Dynasty and passed down through generations thereafter. The Six Ministries system as the central administrative agency has basically remained unchanged. The responsibilities of the six ministries are roughly as follows:
the Ministry of Personnel, in charge of the appointment and dismissal, administration, performance appraisal, promotion, etc. of officials;
the Ministry of Households, in charge of land, household registration, taxation, finance, etc.;
the Ministry of Etiquette, in charge of ceremonies, Imperial examinations, schools, etc.;
Ministry of War, in charge of military affairs across the country;
Ministry of Punishment, , in charge of criminal law, prison litigation, etc.;
Ministry of Industry, , in charge of engineering, construction, farming, water conservancy, etc.
The head of each department is called Shangshu, and the deputy head is called Shilang. There are departments under the department, the head of the department is called Langzhong, and the deputy head of the department is called Yuanwailang.
The comparison of the six officials in the six imitations of "Zhou Rites" is:
Officials of the Ministry of Finance - Tianguan Otsukazai
Hubu Shangshu - Diguan Dasitu
Libu Shangshu - Chunguan Da Zongbo
Military Affairs Shangshu - Xia Guan Dasi Ma
Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment - Qiuguan Dasikou
Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry - Dongguan Dasikong
Confucius is the Qiuguan Dasikou of Lu State , who is in charge of law and punishment.
These are the evolution of the central government system. Parents hope that Yi Qi will be an official in the central government and be close to the center of power.But our protagonist Yi Qi would rather be a local official and benefit a certain country.
The evolution of the local government system is related to the division of local administrative regions. From the Warring States Period to the Qin Dynasty , it was the second level of counties and counties. The chief executive of a county is called a county governor, and the chief executive of a county is called a commander or chief. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the chief executives of prefectures and counties were called governors or prefects, and the county-level chiefs were collectively called orders. In the Song Dynasty, the chief executives of prefectures and counties were called magistrates, and the county-level magistrates were called magistrates. The Ming and Qing Dynasties also had similar systems.
Our protagonist Yi Qi. He followed his inner thoughts, and after several years of training, he became a local magistrate in a county. He worked diligently and made the people live and work in peace and contentment. He himself was promoted, his official career was smooth, and he rose to prominence. After making great contributions to the country, he was awarded a title by the emperor.
was knighted in the Zhou Dynasty, and there were five other princes, uncles and men. In the following dynasties, the titles of knights were different, and they were roughly divided into two modes: royal knights and knights of different surnames. Generally, people with the same surname are often granted the title of king, and those with different surnames are often granted the title of Duke Bo Zi Nan. People of the opposite sex were also granted the title of king, such as the famous Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, who first served as an official in the Northern Zhou Dynasty and was a powerful minister in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. He was granted the title of Duke Sui and later the King Sui. There is also Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, who first served in the Sui Dynasty, was named Tang Gong, and was later named Tang King.
Our Yiqi career is successful, but what about love and family, we will talk about it in the next issue...
But our protagonist Yi Qi would rather be a local official and benefit a certain country.The evolution of the local government system is related to the division of local administrative regions. From the Warring States Period to the Qin Dynasty , it was the second level of counties and counties. The chief executive of a county is called a county governor, and the chief executive of a county is called a commander or chief. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the chief executives of prefectures and counties were called governors or prefects, and the county-level chiefs were collectively called orders. In the Song Dynasty, the chief executives of prefectures and counties were called magistrates, and the county-level magistrates were called magistrates. The Ming and Qing Dynasties also had similar systems.
Our protagonist Yi Qi. He followed his inner thoughts, and after several years of training, he became a local magistrate in a county. He worked diligently and made the people live and work in peace and contentment. He himself was promoted, his official career was smooth, and he rose to prominence. After making great contributions to the country, he was awarded a title by the emperor.
was knighted in the Zhou Dynasty, and there were five other princes, uncles and men. In the following dynasties, the titles of knights were different, and they were roughly divided into two modes: royal knights and knights of different surnames. Generally, people with the same surname are often granted the title of king, and those with different surnames are often granted the title of Duke Bo Zi Nan. People of the opposite sex were also granted the title of king, such as the famous Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, who first served as an official in the Northern Zhou Dynasty and was a powerful minister in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. He was granted the title of Duke Sui and later the King Sui. There is also Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, who first served in the Sui Dynasty, was named Tang Gong, and was later named Tang King.
Our Yiqi career is successful, but what about love and family, we will talk about it in the next issue...
