What was the annual income of ancient Xiucai? Not as poor as you think
Processing"Mole ants"What's wrong? The income of artists in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Danpi embroidered clothes, colorful. Mo Zhongshu, you don't know the path Xiucai is going to take, how many years Xiucai has held the lamp and held the lamp, how many times he has failed the list, experienced the lowest point in his life, and finally finished reading with honor, obtained the privilege of tax exemption, taught them to support their families, and live a good life. It seems that the era of Xiucai in the Ming and Qing dynasties was not as poor as imagined.
i.The name Shucai is derived from the spring breeze and apricots.
Xiucai"The term first appeared in "Guanzi-Xiao Kuang" to refer to a person with outstanding ability. In the Han Dynasty, Xiucai became a subject in the imperial examination system. Xiucai is second only to filial piety and integrity, and candidates are required to have both ability and political integrity. It can be seen from this"Xiucai"The weight of the word.
After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented the inspection system, the election pattern of Xiucai Province and Xiaolian County was formed nationwide. A group of talents came to the fore and injected fresh blood into the palace management. They left their homes and went to other places to serve as officials. This system continued until the end of the Sui Dynasty.
Before the founding monarch Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented the appointment system, the selection of ** was based on the wishes and standards of the ministers in the palace, and the opportunistic nature was very obvious, and it was difficult to pick out people who really had both ability and political integrity.
The introduction of the appointment system meant the establishment of an institutionalized method of selecting civil servants. People are starting to value the inner qualities of people rather than their faces and eyes. This was undoubtedly a turning point for the feudal dynasty. At the institutional level, a political ecology of selection and appointment has been established, so that honest, industrious, studious, and talented scholars have the opportunity to enter the official career through the imperial examination.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made great efforts to achieve this. He sought out ascetics to pave the way for conversation; He strictly investigated corruption and simplified the court institutions; He vigorously developed agricultural production, thereby strengthening the country's financial resources and laying the foundation for the smooth implementation of the imperial examination system.
As a result, Xiucai came into being and became an important part of the probation system. The Xiucai examination and the filial piety examination are parallel, and have become one of the two main ways for scholars to enter the official career. The main difference between the two exams is that the Xiucai section is recommended by the governors of each province, while the filial piety section is recommended by the county magistrates. The two departments complement each other and share the important task of selecting and cultivating talents.
Xiucai has very strict requirements for candidates, not only to have good moral character and strong ability, but also to have a certain reputation and influence in the province. Because the standards are so strict, the examination focuses not only on knowledge, but also on character and ability. Those who pass the examination are often recognized as sages and celebrities in the city. At the same time, it also serves as a positive guide, motivating students to prepare for their careers and prepare for the development of the country and society.
During the hundreds of years of the implementation of the probationary system, a large number of outstanding talents emerged, who made important contributions to the political stability and development of the Han Dynasty and even the following centuries. Among them, the most famous and distinctive is Zhang Liang.
Second, the implicit hard reading of life, the market reviews of Xiucai in layers of obstacles.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Xiucai ranked first among the six arts. The level of the imperial examination has risen instead of falling, and the requirements for ability and intelligence are getting higher and higher, and the difficulty is also increasing.
Wang Bo, a literary scholar in the Tang Dynasty, was admitted to the Jinshi at the age of 17. He deeply felt that his studies were difficult and once sighed:"If you can't learn to be famous, you vow not to return"。This sentence expresses the hearts of countless frustrated candidates.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the situation was even worse. The imperial examination is divided into district examination, county examination and court examination**, which is unprecedentedly more difficult. Oh my God, the imperial examination is getting older and harder. Zeng Guofan's father, Zeng Linshu, went through a lot of hardships to realize his dream of taking the imperial examination at the age of 43. Zeng Guofan himself passed the imperial examination seven times, and this perseverance is admirable.
Those who pass the college examination are recruited as members of the student choir, commonly known as Xiucai. Those who pass the annual examination and the temple examination are expected to be promoted to the next level of the prefectural examination. These obstacles have stifled the aspirations of many scholars, and at the same time, they have also made countless tenacious and unyielding university scholars shine.
Behind the sigh of the Tang Dynasty writer Wang Bo is the deep despair of thousands of scholars on the road to the imperial examination.
The imperial examination is like a high mountain, layered on top of each other, and behind these four words, there are countless joys and sorrows of life trajectories. Some people are well-willed, and some people leave the scene halfway. Sweet and sour, intertwined.
If you want to fly higher, you need to rely on God most of the time. This statement is not an ordinary materialist tone. People are often more important than time.
It is easy for a prodigy like Wang Bo to dream of becoming famous overnight, but the more talented a person is, the more modest he must be and avoid extravagance. Every failure on the road to growth is an opportunity to improve your personality. The general of the defeated army can command the future.
The last thing we should do now is to give up. There are always countless turning points in life. Persist or give up halfway, ultimately up to you.
Among the literati of the Tang Dynasty, there were many people who were willing to bury themselves in mediocrity and not show their faces. Whether it is the poverty of their families or the frequent wars, they cannot escape their despair.
Perhaps what we need most now is the encouragement of those around us. Each of us has a monster full of resentment and sadness in our hearts. It can easily destroy our sanity when we are at our most vulnerable. What we need most at this moment is warmth and understanding – even a simple piece of advice can help.
As the saying goes, it's hard to get started. How far a person can go depends largely on how much he can bear.
Thirdly, workers want to do a good job, and artists like privilege.
Enter"Hida"Not only is it popular with students, but it is also an escape from the fate of ordinary people.
The most important of these are heavy taxes and light levies. Each Xiucai has dozens of hectares of tax-free land and does not have to go to the river to find work. The peasants gave their land to Xiucai to ease their burden.
In addition, Xiucai's voice in the local area has also greatly increased, he is easily recognized by the public, and often cooperates with local **. It can be said that the show is the link between the upper and lower feelings, and it has affected many local affairs.
They don't have to kneel when they see the magistrate, and they are protected by the law more than ordinary people. When the people in the village see Xiucai, they have to call them respectful"Master Xiucai"。Xiucai's status is obviously not low.
On the one hand, Xiucai passed the examination, which reflects the country's concern and respect for scholars. This is of positive significance for encouraging students to continue their studies and work hard.
On the other hand, it also illustrates the importance of local chiefs in the society of the time. They were responsible for all aspects of rural affairs and were often the bridge and link between the state in collecting taxes, conscripting troops, and issuing orders. Such an important social position allowed many local celebrities to participate in the imperial examinations and gain privilege and influence through the Xiucai examinations.
Among them, the right to tax exemption and exemption from labor is particularly direct and clear. Even some poor students, after passing the imperial examination and receiving tax exemptions, were able to escape poverty and devote themselves to their studies.
In addition, privileges such as not having to kneel and taking special care of criminal cases also strongly encouraged poor students"Reading at night"。This has played a positive role in encouraging the middle and lower classes to reform and change their fate, and has also brought continuous impetus to the imperial examination activities. Many students from humble families finally shined under this extra attention, and many prime ministers and generals also emerged from the imperial examinations.
It is also somewhat one-sided to think that these privileges create vested interests and hinder the upward mobility of other social groups. The ultimate purpose of these privileges is to enable these literary talents to give back to the country and society, rather than for personal gain. If the imperial examination is completely rejected, it will also discourage many outstanding scholars from poor backgrounds.
Fourth, the imperial examination and the first, return to the hometown.
The family has set up a one-time reward for young students who pass the Xiucai exam. For each prefectural and palace exam, they can get an examination allowance of 1,000 yuan. Students with high grades also enjoy regular communal meals.
These incomes** can meet people's urgent needs. Add to that gravediggers, astronomers and special school teachers, and survival is still possible.
However, the closest to the salary is the rural teachers. Teacher Xiucai can earn more than 100 taels of silver a year. In comparison, the annual salary of an ordinary teacher is only more than thirty taels.
This shows that those who pass the Jinshi examination not only honor their ancestors, but also expect them to live a successful life. Those who fail exams and live in poverty are just for dramatic effect.
The reward received by this family can be described as a kind of moral support and encouragement. For many readers from poor families, this money is undoubtedly a blessing in disguise.
The State and judicial examination allowances more directly reflect the intentions of the State to educate scientists. The distribution of these examination allowances has somewhat reduced the financial burden on the middle and lower class ulema, allowing them to concentrate on preparing for the exams through hibernation and hard study.
If a student achieves excellent results in a university exam and is rated as:"Sponsored Students", then regular food aid from public finances would be just the icing on the cake. For some poor students, this directly means that their basic survival is guaranteed, and they no longer have to worry about food and clothing.
Once their lives are secured, they can concentrate on their education and prepare for the higher levels of the city, parliament, and imperial exams. This kind of support at the level of the national system is of far-reaching significance in motivating the middle and lower classes to change their fate and increase social mobility through the imperial examination. Many of the ** who finally won the title of champion started from the lowest students and walked to the pinnacle of life step by step.
In addition, Xiucai's teaching income is also quite high. This provided an economic basis for many learned and talented literati to pursue their ideals. The status of educators also provided a place for literati to showcase their knowledge and experience and pass it on to future generations.
Many literary giants, such as Su Shi and Pu Songling, have taught in the provincial capital. This humble but noble vocational education has educated countless students and helped to establish a tradition of excellence in the humanities and disciplines that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Mo Zhongshu, do you now understand how wonderful an artist's life is?
It was through the efforts of these great scholars that they were able to get back on their feet. The state respects them and is a reward for their efforts. If they are admitted to the show, they will be able to support their families, so why should we be stingy with fame?
Hanlin has deep roots and fragrant culture. You and I are the fruit of this big tree. Work hard for your dreams, maybe the one who wins won't lose more than the one who loses.