When announcing the birth of a new nation, the first task facing him was as important as choosing a name for a newborn baby – naming his dynasty. It's not just a name, it's a sign that has been passed down from generation to generation, and it means a lot.
Zhu Yuanzhang's choice is full of deep meaning. His decision to choose "Ming" as the name of the dynasty was widely discussed. Some say that this is because he was a member of the Ming Sect; Some people believe that this is a feng shui consideration - to use the "fire" of the south to balance the coldness of the "water" element of the north. But whatever the truth, the name undoubtedly shows Zhu Yuanzhang's hope for the future and his respect for Chinese culture.
Zhu Yuanzhang's ambitions don't stop there. He also wanted to find a glorious ancestor for himself to strengthen his legitimacy. Although he called himself "Huaiyou Buyi", showing a heroic spirit that can achieve great things from a humble background, he knows that such a title can only be said by himself, and if others dare to repeat it, the consequences will be unimaginable. He once thought about recognizing Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty as his ancestor, but due to the close historical distance, he finally gave up this idea.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, China was in turmoil. Zhu Yuanzhang clearly realized that in order to stabilize the country, it is necessary to first restore production and rebuild people's livelihood. He attached great importance to agricultural issues and implemented a series of measures to encourage farmers to reclaim wasteland, such as exempting them from taxes for three years, which greatly promoted the recovery of agriculture.
In order to promote agricultural development, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a policy to send people who committed non-capital crimes to work in the fields, which not only brought a positive impact to the society, but also many of the people who were sent to farm were **, especially in Fengyang, there were more than 10,000 ** to plant seedlings, and the story behind this will be expanded later. Zhu Yuanzhang also ordered a drastic reduction in taxes in most of the region, except for a doubling of taxes in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which had supported his rival Zhang Shicheng, a policy that reflected his vengeful character. At the same time, he was extremely hostile to merchants, which may have been related to the fact that he was deceived by rice merchants during his childhood, thus restricting the merchant community. This act not only changed the model of commercial-dominated economic development since the Song Dynasty, but also had an impact on China's long-term development, which we will later do.
In terms of establishing a political system, Zhu Yuanzhang basically followed the system of the Yuan Dynasty, setting up Zhongshu Province and equal institutions on the left and right to be responsible for national affairs, with six departments under its jurisdiction. At the time, many people thought that the Ming Dynasty would follow the official system of the Yuan Dynasty, but what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.
The highest honor for a reader
In the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination system bloomed with unprecedented brilliance and became a highlight of that era. While the history of the imperial examination dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties, it reached a new level during the Ming dynasty. Compared with the Tang and Song dynasties, the number of students enrolled in the imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty increased significantly, causing thousands of scholars to squeeze their heads for a half-official position and take reading as the starting point of their careers. These scholars eventually became the cornerstone of the Ming Dynasty's civil bureaucracy.
The imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty were divided into three levels. The most basic level is the college examination, and the participants are collectively referred to as Tongsheng, and the age range of Tongsheng is very large, from young people to old people in their seventies and eighties. The college examination is mainly held in the state and county, and those who pass the examination are awarded the title of "Xiucai". However, it is not easy to become a Xiucai, and the examination results are divided into six grades, and only those who have the highest grades can be awarded the title of Xiucai, and only those with particularly good grades are eligible to participate in the more advanced "Admission" exam. After becoming a Xiucai, you are no longer an ordinary commoner, and you enjoy certain privileges, such as exempting one person from conscription, and you don't have to kneel when you see the county official, but there is still a long way to go before you become a **.
Next is the Township Examination, which is a unified examination at the provincial level and is held every three years. Those who pass the township test are called lifters, and lifters are eligible to become **. However, just becoming a lifter does not guarantee that you will be able to become a lifter, and you need to wait for the existing vacancy. Therefore, even if you go through a difficult exam to become a lifter, if you want to finally become a champion, you still need to continue to work hard and wait for the opportunity.
Imagine that you travel back in time to the Ming Dynasty and attend a memorial service for a **. If you notice someone secretly looking at the door, with an unconcealable joy on their faces, then these people are likely to be lifters, and they are not here to take revenge, but because the vacancy of ** gives them hope. This explains why a character like Fan Jin goes crazy after passing the exam — the sheer shift in stress and hope is enough to break anyone.
On the long road of the imperial examination, the person who won the first place was called Xie Yuan, and they were the first step of the imperial examination. Once you become a lifter, it means that you are ready to leave the provincial capital and set out for a higher goal, the capital. But before you head to the capital, don't forget to pack your bags and get your writing tools ready, because in February, you'll be facing one of life's biggest challenges – the exam.
The examination is an exam that only qualified people can take, and your competitors will be elites from other provinces. The imperial court will select 300 tribute students from among them, but please note that these people cannot be called jinshi yet, and they still have one last hurdle to pass. The first place in the examination is called Huiyuan, which is the second step of the imperial examination.
Before moving on to the next stage, let's review the examination room environment in the Ming Dynasty. The examination room there, or the Tribute Courtyard, is far from being as comfortable as a modern examination room, but more like a small cell. There are thousands of single rooms in the Gongyuan, each of which is so small that candidates entering the examination room are subject to a rigorous body search and are only allowed to carry the necessary writing and lighting tools. Each person is given three candles, and once the number gate is closed, the candidates begin their lonely and arduous journey to the exam. Under these conditions, candidates not only have to complete the answers, but also spend the night in a small space, which is undoubtedly an extremely challenging experience.
Despite the difficult environment, it is under these conditions that many candidates, with their loyalty to their country (or their desire for personal advancement), and their strong willpower, write brilliant essays. None of this is easy, but for those who aspire to change their destiny through the imperial examination, every difficult journey is a necessary way to move towards their dreams.
The imperial examination is not only the threshold for scholars to enter the officialdom, but also the road to glory that they pursue. The palace examination, as the last of the three levels of the imperial examination, is the ultimate test for candidates to face the emperor's direct examination. The candidates bowed their heads and carefully answered the emperor's questions, their future entirely dependent on their performance in this moment. The results of the palace examination are divided into three grades, and the most enviable are the top three in the first class, namely the Jinshi and the first, which are the champion, the top eye, and the tanhua. Next is the second class of the Ci Jinshi origin, and then the third class of the same Jin Shi origin. The champion, as the highest honor in the imperial examination, is the dream goal of every candidate.
Although the imperial examination provides a way to become a leader, candidates who have just passed the palace examination can usually only obtain lower official positions, such as the county chief of the eighth grade, and there is still a long way to go from a higher official position. However, for them, being able to become ** is already an achievement worth celebrating.
In the process of pursuing the highest honor in the imperial examination, although the champion is rare, what makes scholars dream of it is the "Lianzhong Sanyuan" - the culmination of the triple honor of Xie Yuan, Hui Yuan, and Zhuangyuan. This requires not only great knowledge, quick reflexes, and even good looks, but also great luck. Historically, there are very few people who can do this, and in the 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty, only one person has achieved this great cause and has become a legendary figure praised by future generations.
Since the establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang dynasties, until the end of the Qing Dynasty, only 14 talented people have been awarded the supreme honor of "Lianzhong Sanyuan", which are distributed in different dynasties: two in the Tang Dynasty, six in the Song Dynasty, one in the Jin Dynasty, one in the Yuan Dynasty, and two each in the Ming and Qing dynasties. These elites are undoubtedly the bright stars in the long river of history and deserve our deep admiration.
It's important to note that the historical record isn't entirely accurate at some point. Accounts of the Ming dynasty are particularly noteworthy, as there is only one mention of a person who was in the middle of the three yuans, but in fact, there were two in the Ming dynasty. Especially in the Hongwu period, Huangguan of Anhui Province once created this brilliant achievement. Unfortunately, due to political reasons during the Yongle Jing Dynasty, Huang Guan became the object of jealousy of the Yongle Emperor, resulting in his name being erased from the Dengke record and Han Kezhong changed to the first place. Therefore, in most historical records, it is difficult for us to see the name of Huang Guan. Here, we should justify the name of this loyal scholar Huang Guan and commemorate his outstanding achievements not only in politics but also in academics.
The order of the officials
During the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination became an important way to climb the social ladder, gradually replacing the original hereditary system of aristocracy. As time passed, more and more ordinary people became ** through the imperial examination, which not only changed the social structure, but also gave birth to a powerful civilian force. This group of civil officials, with their wisdom and knowledge, has built a complex network, and their influence can not only reach the imperial power but also penetrate into the people, like a huge shadow**.
Let's take a closer look at the internal structure of this group. First of all, the passers of the imperial examination were divided into two categories: jinshi and juren. Once admitted, Jinshi goes straight into the bureaucracy, while it takes more effort and luck to lift people. They have to take up to three exams, and if they can't become famous, they still have a way to save their country by registering and waiting for their chance. This kind of waiting sometimes lasts for decades, until there is a vacancy left by the death of **, and they have the opportunity to be selected as officials by the "big pick".
Interestingly, one of the criteria for "big picking" turned out to be appearance. Just like modern police identify suspects, lifting people to be lined up and scrutinized. At this time, people with mediocre appearances have almost no chance, and they can only return in vain. And those lucky ones who were chosen, although they did not become Jinshi, were still regarded as capable people on the list, and they, like Jinshi, were respectfully called "Qingliu".
A delicate conversation is unfolding about identity, status and educational background. Imagine that during a chance encounter in the lobby of the military headquarters, the conversation between the five ** people—A, B, C, D, and E inadvertently lifted the veil of social hierarchy and dignity at that time.
A, the squire of the military department, is in a high-ranking position in the third rank; B, Rite Department Langzhong, Wupin**; C, a member of the criminal department, is also a five-grade; Ding, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, is also a five-grade student; And E, although he served as a senator of the political secretary and ranked in the fourth rank, as a person from a high background, his social status was different. Among these five people, except for Wu is a lifter, the rest are all from Jinshi.
In this case, E's cleverness is reflected in his sensitivity to the occasion and his clear awareness of the boundaries of identity. He realized that despite being ranked second in official rank, in this circle of pride in his education and origin, his status as a person was slightly inadequate compared to that of Jinshi. Therefore, when the conversation turned to a topic related to Jinshi, he chose to withdraw at the right time, avoiding possible embarrassment, just as in a highly educated party, people with different educational backgrounds may feel out of place because of the topic.
Immediately after that, the ** began to discuss the year of their junior sergeant, which was not only to compare who was older, but also a manifestation of social etiquette. Here, C was the most senior Jinshi in the three years of Hongwu, and although some of them might surpass him in terms of official position or age, according to the rules of the time, they had to show respect to C. This respect based on the year of the imperial examination reflects the importance that Ming Dynasty officialdom attached to knowledge and seniority.
When the discussion turned to exam rankings, a seemingly calm but competitive scene unfolded. A, B, and C each proudly shared their achievements until D announced that he was a Gurgis, an identity that immediately attracted the respect of everyone. This very special status means that they not only passed the imperial examination, but were also elected as members of the Hanlin Academy, served as the emperor's close ministers and secretaries, and participated in the discussion and decision-making of national affairs. This is not only a symbol of academic achievement, but also a sign of power and status.
This social hierarchy and order of respect, determined by the rank of the imperial examination, reflects the great importance that Ming society attached to knowledge, academic achievement, and its ability to serve the state. Those who achieved excellent results in the imperial examinations, especially the champions, Bangyan, Tanhua and Shujishi, not only had a high status in the officialdom, but the grand spectacle of their return to their hometowns was also a kind of social recognition and celebration of their personal achievements.
This recognition is not only reflected in personal glory, but also penetrates into social culture, and becomes the driving force that spurs people to pursue academic progress and serve the country. The imperial examinations and the honors that came with them were like a mirror that reflected the values and social structure of Ming society.
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