The ancients regarded being named on the Golden List as one of the four great joyous events in life, which shows that the people attached great importance to the imperial examination. In a sense, the imperial examination system also affected people's lives and changed people's va

A long drought brings sweet rain, meeting old friends in a foreign land, a night of flowers and candles in the bridal chamber, and a name on the gold medal list.

The ancients regarded being named on the Golden List as one of the four great joys in life. This shows that the people attached great importance to the imperial examination. In a sense, the imperial examination system also affected people's lives and changed people's values. In the ruler's praise and Under the influence of the social environment, reading has become the most valuable thing.

1. Why ancient students were obsessed with scientific examinations

1. Scholars had a natural sense of mission for the country

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty , it inherited the imperial examination system of the Sui Dynasty and broke the gentry employment system of the Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties. was famous for its unique The characteristics of his background attracted a large number of intellectuals and greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of students to enter politics. Scholars who come from all over the country to take the exam every year all have great ambitions, hoping to gain fame and make contributions to the country by passing the examination. Although passing the imperial examination is not the only way to become an official, for students who study hard in the cold window, the purpose of studying is to achieve the goal of "contributing to the world". Passing the imperial examination and becoming an official is the right way to realize the value of one's life.

2. The rulers give preferential treatment to those who succeed and the world respects those who succeed.

Once you pass the Jinshi examination, you can become a middle- and senior-level official and gain the qualification to enter the upper class society. The emperor would also personally entertain them , such as the "Qujiang Party", "Tanhua Banquet", etc. After Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty, Jinshi from Xinzhong could also go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda of Ci'en Temple to inscribe their names as a souvenir. For scholars, this was a great opportunity. A great honor.

Through the rank and order function, one can be looked upon highly by the people and receive courtesy and respect from others. After winning the imperial examination, the scholar's worth skyrocketed, and there were countless people who fawned over him. For example, Lu Zhao, a Jinshi scholar in the Tang Dynasty, was originally a poor boy. On his way to the scientific examination, he was humiliated by the governor of Yuanzhou because of his poverty. Later, when Lu Zhao returned from the imperial examination, the governor of Yuanzhou held a banquet to welcome Lu Zhao. In sharp contrast.

2. The psychology of passing

1. Complacency and extreme joy

Meng Jiao "After Admission": The dirty past is not enough to boast, but now the dissolute thoughts have no limit. The spring breeze is proud of the horse's hoofs, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day.

Perhaps they thought that they would be able to honor their ancestors, have a smooth and smooth career, be transformed from commoners into nobles, and live a life of fine clothes and fine food. Therefore, after passing the exam, the students' joy was beyond words. Among the passing poems, the most famous is Meng Jiao's "After Admission". Meng Jiao failed twice and only passed the imperial examination at the age of 46. "The spring breeze is proud of the golden horseshoes, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day." His proud mood is vividly expressed in the poem.

There are also some students who are complacent and feel that they have realized their ideals in life. They feel as if glory, wealth, success and success are all just like taking things from a bag, so they are arrogant about everything. This can also be glimpsed in the poems written by students after their graduation. .

Li Xu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote "Ji Dihou presents a bosom friend in the court": In the early morning, drums played carols, and thunder and dragons greeted Lu Chen. The gold plaque hangs high as a jade palace, and the brocade clothes are immediately put on the family forest. Every time a real pearl is trapped in dust and mud, a sick crane is often invaded by ants. Today I know God’s intention and teach Xue how to live a happy life.

Li Xu compares himself to a pearl buried in dust and mud, and a sick crane bullied by ants. Finally, the sky has the vision to allow him to become a Jinshi and avenge his previous humiliation. This kind of arrogant mentality is very common among young people who have achieved success at a young age, and some students who have passed the exam have offended the officials because of it. Historical records record that during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Xiao Yingshi passed the Jinshi examination, so he relied on his talent and was arrogant. Once when he was out drinking and reciting poems, there was a violent storm. Xiao Yingshi hurriedly looked for a place to take shelter from the rain. He happened to meet an old man in purple clothes. Seeing the old man's loose appearance, Xiao Yingshi made rude remarks. Later, when he saw that the old man had brought his bodyguard, he He quickly inquired about the identity of the old man. Later, I found out that the old man was the official minister, and I realized that I had made a big mistake. In order to apologize, Xiao Yingshi asked to see the old man several times, but the old man did not meet him. Later, he wrote a long article to express his apology, and then the old man met him and scolded him.

Xiao Yingshi

2. Feeling proud, avenging shame

The Tang Dynasty selected officials through a combination of examinations and recommendations, which to a certain extent made it easier for officials in the court to influence the results of the imperial examinations. In the second year of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was busy enjoying himself, so he handed over the imperial examination matters to Li Linfu, the Minister of Rites, . Li Linfu in turn handed over the imperial examination matters to his subordinates Song Yao and Miao Jinqing. It happened that this year Zhang Xi, the son of the emperor's favorite Zhang Yi, took the scientific examination. In order to curry favor with Zhang Yi, listed Zhang Xi, who turned in a blank test, as the first place, while other young people with real talents and practical knowledge ranked first. Talent can only take a back seat.

In addition to this situation, when students are preparing to take the scientific examination, they will also be looked down upon because of their poor family background. The two students Huang Po and Lu Zhao who went to take the scientific examination together were both Juren. Because Huang Po's family was well-off and Lu Zhao's was poor, Yuanzhou's governor Cheng Yingyuan was short-sighted and held a banquet to honor Huang Po's practice, leaving Lu Zhao in the dust. aside. Later, Lu Zhao, the number one scholar in high school, returned to his hometown in glory, and Cheng Yingyuan held a banquet to honor Lu Zhao. Lu Zhao also wrote a special poem "Racing Poetry" to satirize the sycophantic villain.

Because students were unfairly treated and ignored before the scientific examination, after passing the exam, students can’t help but feel ashamed.

3. A mixture of sadness and joy, with thousands of emotions

After the scholars succeeded, in addition to the ultimate joy, there are also some scholars who have a mixture of sadness and happiness, with a lot of emotions. In order to pass the exam, they stayed away from their hometowns and stayed under the influence of others, but suffered cold looks from them. There were also some students from poor families who became destitute on the way and died in a foreign land. The tragedy in this is self-evident.

In the Tang Dynasty, Gongcheng Yi and the latter once wrote a poem: "Every ten years have failed, and half of the family has become dust."

I have failed in the scientific examination for ten years, but I finally passed it, and half of my family members are no longer alive, how can Can it not make people feel sad. The mood of those who passed the exam in their later years is even more desolate. They have spent half their lives chasing fame, wealth and official career, and finally their dreams have come true. They should be happy, but thinking that they are already over fifty at this time, they can't help but burst into tears. In the past ten years, I have been like a duckweed floating in the wind on the water. will become famous as I grow old. How long will it last for as beautiful as me?

The poet of the late Tang Dynasty Wei Zhuanghtml wrote a poem "Meeting Soochow students" when he was nearly 60 years old in 1999: In the past ten years, everything has been different, and the white prime minister's body is full of tears every time. When you grow old, you don’t know how beautiful flowers are. When you are messy, you only feel that you are drunk and passionate. There is little spring in the poor alleys, but the moon shines brightest in the noble families. And if you smile at a statue, you should be able to see the level of peace before it fades.

3. The psychology of failure

The competition in the annual imperial examination is fierce, and the number of people admitted to the Jinshi is limited. There are about 1,000 candidates every year, and only about 20 people succeed. The vast majority of students are destined to fail. What is the mentality of failed students?

1. Lamenting that talents are not recognized

The imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty included examinations and recommendations, so the selection of scholars through the imperial examination was not absolutely fair. Most of the admitted students were students recommended by celebrities, and there were very few students from poor families. The imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty were usually held in Chang'an, the capital of China, or Luoyang, the eastern capital, and sometimes they were held in both places at the same time. Students traveled thousands of miles from all over the country to take the exams. The journey was long and expensive. After just a few trips back and forth, all their belongings were wiped out. After unfortunately failed, in order to gain time to prepare for the next scientific examination, most people also chose to stay in the capital, either staying in monasteries or staying with relatives and friends. There were also down-and-out students who were kicked out of their boarding houses and had no place to go, so they had to live in stables. Life is difficult, dependent on others, and the world is bleak. The pain in the hearts of the students is self-evident.

In the Tang Dynasty, it was not enough for students to be knowledgeable. In the Tang Dynasty, selection was not based on a single test. In addition to reviewing students' examination papers, examiners would also decide whether to admit students based on their daily works and reputation. Therefore, before the examination, students must write their works on the scroll and present it to people with status in the society at that time, asking them to recommend it to the Minister of Rites who presides over the examination. This is the Xingjuan. In the late Tang Dynasty, the atmosphere of the imperial examination was very bad, and the practice of relying on the lintel to write papers before the examination was prevalent. However, most students had no reference in the imperial examination. The unfairness of the imperial examination forced them to bow to the cruel reality.

No one quoted, life was difficult, ideals were shattered, full of enthusiasm finally ended up in the end of the career, and the mentality of underachieving students emerged spontaneously.

2. Ashamed and frustrated

For ancient intellectuals, their highest ideal was to enter official career through scientific examination. The support of social policies and the ardent expectations of family members have invisibly increased the psychological burden on students. However, there are many applicants every year, but only one in a hundred is admitted. For most applicants, failure is an inevitable result. If a student repeatedly fails, not only will the student feel ashamed, but the student's family will also feel embarrassed.

The shameful psychology of failed students and their families can be glimpsed in the poems about failed students. For example, Du Gao's wife Zhao in the Tang Dynasty once wrote in "Husband's Descendants": " Now I am ashamed of your face. If you come, you will come at night" , straightforwardly writes about the wife’s shameful psychology. Cen Shen also expresses what he wrote in "The Play Title Closes the Door": " I am a commoner when I come, and I am a commoner when I go. I am ashamed to see the officials in Guancheng, and I still return to the old way." There is also Lu Lun's "Behind the Fall" "Gui Zhongnan Bieye" wrote: " A fallen feather is ashamed to speak of one's fate, and one is forced to speak when others are forced to do so." This all reflects the mentality of being unable to meet relatives and elders because of failure.

Shame is a common psychology among students after they fail. It actually reflects the inferiority and depression in the hearts of students who fail. Although most students still choose to continue taking the scientific examination after failing, the result of repeated failure is even more harmful to the students. It is psychological destruction, which is also the tragedy of ancient intellectuals.

3. Returning to the mountains and forests

In the Tang Dynasty, it was the common pursuit of students to pass the imperial examination and become an official, to demonstrate what they had learned throughout their lives, to make contributions to the country, and to realize their own life value. In order to realize their pursuits, there are many students who have repeatedly failed. Most of them have a strong sense of fame and career beliefs. Some people can stand out, For example, Cao Ye took the exam ten times before passing the imperial examination, Chen Xiu won the imperial examination at the age of 72, Hu Guangyuan passed the imperial examination at the age of 83... There are also people who despaired of the imperial examination path after repeated setbacks, and finally chose Retreat to the mountains and forests.

In the eyes of ancient literati, seclusion was a sign of noble personality, and it was also a spiritual haven for literati. Whether it is to be depressed and amuse oneself, or to retreat into the mountains and forests, it is essentially a weak resistance of intellectuals when they are unable to deal with the injustice of reality.

4. Going to the opposite side of the imperial court

For ambitious students, the right path to the peak of life is to enter the imperial examination through the imperial examination. However, the competition in the imperial examination is fierce, and officials control the imperial examination, destroying the order of the imperial examination, making the students have a long-term hardship Efforts in vain. In the face of social injustice, some students choose to avoid the world passively, while some students become mentally distorted after encountering injustice. They regard personal gains and losses as the standard of right and wrong, turning their hatred of the examiner into hatred of the imperial court, harboring dissatisfaction with the imperial court. And angry, he went to the opposite side of the imperial court, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate against the imperial court.

For example, Li Shanfu of the Tang Dynasty chose to seek refuge with the feudal shogunate after being repeatedly frustrated in the scientific examination. He incited the shogunate's son Le Congxun to kill the examiner Wang Duo who had deposed him and his family. There was also the "White Horse Disaster" in the late Tang Dynasty. Li Zhen, who had repeatedly failed to succeed, massacred court officials with hatred. Later, scholars pointed out when studying the White Horse Disaster that most of the victims were officials related to the imperial examination. .

summary

Cruel competition is a psychological and physical test for readers. Compared with the social environment in which ancient scholars lived, modern scholars have many more personal choices and outlets than ancient scholars. But regardless of ancient and modern times, the original intention of scholars to contribute to society and the country is the same. It is precisely because of the continuous pursuit of people with lofty ideals that we can continuously inject fresh blood into the country and maintain the vitality of the country.

Reference:

"Full Tang Poetry"