Chapter 970 Wang Zheng (Part 2)
When Mao Bang arrived in Bianliang, he moved into his own house in Xuanrenfang.
The house was given by King Liang.
At that time, Bianliang had a large number of labor households, so they directly "prostituted" these laborers, built a large number of residences, and gave them to civil and military officials.
The location of Xuanrenfang is average, not far from Dingding Gate and not close to the palace city, but it is good for middle and lower-level officials.
Even if I become a high-ranking official in the future, if I don't have an official residence, I will still live here. It can be passed on to descendants after death. This kind of two-entry house with front and back courtyards in Gaindu City is unusual and very popular.
After checking in, Mao's wife directed the servants to carry the luggage and the maid to sweep the courtyard with a cheerful face.
Several Xianbei soldiers took the horse to the stable and washed it carefully.
Several other people stood at the door with weapons, heads held high, and curiously looking at the famous Bianliang City.
I'm just a little disappointed, there are too few people!
Mao Bang did not look too much at the mansion where he only lived briefly, but took four guests to the study for a chat.
"This matter is rather urgent. It must be settled before the winter months. It only takes four months." Mao Bang made it clear and said directly: "For more than ten years, the selection of officials has not been smooth, and there are still many prefectures and counties where the official Shangque. Officials rely more on becoming official. In some places, even filial and honest people and talented people cannot be promoted every year, and there are even military personnel who have entered the official position, causing chaos. As the saying goes, there is no rule, and this is what the king is worried about. "< br>
Several people listened carefully.
None of their backgrounds were high. Except for the two who were descendants of small and medium-sized noble families such as the Sun family and the Xu family of Gaoyang, the other two were of lower status: one was the son of a powerful man, and the other was from a wealthy businessman family.
The officialdom of the Jin Dynasty was dominated by scholars, but if you say that ordinary people are not qualified to be officials, then I have to say that you are spreading rumors. It is obviously possible, but in fact they are very rare.
However, the actual situation is such that over time, people really think that only scholars can be officials.
In the ninth year of Taikang (288), Emperor Wu issued an edict: "Order the internal and external officials to promote their pure talents and eliminate the cold elements."
Did you see that one is to ask officials to recommend, and the second is to recommend "Hansu".
Hansu is also a scholar!
There may be some poor people who don't have enough to eat, and some powerful people who can eat a lot of meat and fish, but poor people like the former can be officials, while local powerful people like the latter can turn a county upside down with just a stomp of their feet.
Those who had the strength to rebel could not enter the palace, but declining scholars could serve as officials. This seemed to be a problem from the perspective of national stability.
"Keep it up." Mao Bang looked at the person on the lower left and asked, "I asked you to sort out the official resumes since the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Have you finished it?"
Sun Rong and Sun Qizhi untied the baggage beside him, took out a book, and said with a wry smile: "All the princes are in the book. I checked day and night, and ran to Luoyang five times, and finally got it done. After checking the files, At this time, my eyes were dizzy. ”
Several people in the audience laughed.
Mao Bang took the book and flipped through it casually at first, then carefully reviewed the last page.
After reading for a long time, he put down the booklet, pondered for a long time, and said: "The selection of officials in the dynasty is not as good as that of Cao Wei."
The book compiled by Sun Rong himself certainly knew what Mao Bang was talking about.
Most of the archives of the Cao and Wei Dynasties have been lost, so he could only check the history books and found out that there were 247 people who were included in the official history, and 100 of them came from humble backgrounds, accounting for about 40%.
Some of the archives of the state and dynasties were damaged or lost, but the overall record is relatively rich. According to the last statistics, only 10% of the records were officials who were Han.
"Your Majesty said that we should 'seek truth from facts', and that's true!" Mao Bang sighed: "They say that the scholars of this dynasty control the path to advancement. If you go and ask, everyone will not admit it. This is sophistry."
This is like two people arguing. One person says that this dynasty belongs to the rich and powerful families, and the other person immediately refutes it by citing examples of poor families and even civilians serving as officials.
One is not enough? two.
Two is not enough? There are ten.
But once the data came out, the truth became clear.
Ninety percent of the officials are middle- and high-level nobles, and only one tenth is for people of low or low rank. There are tens of thousands of officials in the country. If you can cite a thousand counterexamples, what does that mean?
"However, there are many talented people who have been officials for a long time." Mao Bang opened the book again and said: "In Cao Wei, there are more than eighty famous ministers and generals in the four directions, and there are sixty people who have a low life. Up to the present day, there are - —Well, many famous ministers.”
When talking about the second half, Mao Bang paused.
However, although it is not as good as the three-quarters of the important ministers of Cao Wei who were from humble or powerful backgrounds, there are indeed many in this dynasty. In addition, after a hundred years of management during the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Han Su ministers in the Cao Wei Dynasty were already members of a high-ranking family.
But to be honest, the overall ability of officials from Hansu background is indeed much stronger.
They have also experienced a complete and systematic education. Even if their family fortunes decline, at least the generation that has just declined can still rely on their parents and even their family to obtain a good quality education.
At the same time, they don't have the same bad habits as the children of high-ranking families. They are relatively pragmatic, highly motivated, willing to endure hardships and even take risks, and work hard with all their heart. They are indeed a very good source of officials.
When Shao Xun was in Chenliu, he vigorously promoted the children of Dong, Wu, Wang, Bian and other families, and it felt good to use them.
This time, he wanted to form a fixed rule so that scholars with low Sustainability could have a way to advance, instead of relying on his own personal advancement.
"In addition to ordinary scholars, your Majesty also wants to give people with outstanding martial arts a way to enter the officialdom." Mao Bang said again: "I know you are not happy to wait, but this matter must be done, and it must be done even if it is not done -"
While he was talking, a servant whispered outside the door: "Official, the Prime Minister has summoned you."
Mao Bang was stunned for a moment, then stood up quickly. After thinking for a while, he picked up a document and said to the four guests: "It is beneficial to you and others to select poor scholars, and it is not good to you and others to select warriors to serve as officials. But in the world, How can you just take benefits without giving back? You and the warriors should work together on this matter."
After that, he left in a hurry.
******
Wang Yan was granted permission by Shao Xun to work in the side hall of Guanfeng Hall of Liang Palace. This is now the Prime Minister's Palace of Liang State.
When Mao Bang Jingtong came in, Lao Wang was admiring the flowers and trees in the courtyard.
Seeing the visitor, Wang Yan pointed to the precious trees that had been transplanted, then pointed to Maobang, and said with a smile: "I've seen the beautiful trees of Yaolin."
Mao Bang bowed deeply and said, "The Prime Minister has given you too much praise."
Wang Yan smiled and said nothing, walking around among the bamboos, trees, flowers and grass with his hands behind his back.
Mao Bang stood by the side, waiting quietly for him to speak.
"I heard that you studied under Liu Yuanqing (Liu Han) of Yan State?" Wang Yan stopped and asked.
"I will follow the King of Liang," Mao Bang corrected.
Wang Yan laughed and said: "Taibai's literary career is indeed somewhat impressive." "The king was taught military strategies by heaven, and he was born to know Wang Zuo. His literary talents and martial arts are unparalleled in the world. I only learned them just in case, so that the prime minister can laugh. ." Mao Bang said with a hand.
Wang Yan put away his smile, stopped teasing, stretched out his right hand and said: "Bring it here."
Mao Bang took out the note and handed it over.
Wang Yan sat back on the bed, sniffing the fragrance of flowers, listening to the chirping of birds, and looking at the articles leisurely.
While reading, he pointed with his fingers and shook his head.
Mao Bang waited patiently, without squinting.
After a long time, Wang Yan put down his statement and asked: "Poor scholars generally have low rural character. When they first take up an official position, they often only get a small official. Your humble and powerful method is not a bad way."
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Thinking of this, Wang Yan said again: "Next month, I will invite famous people from various counties to a banquet at Fangzhou Pavilion. You can come too. Recommending Han people should be regarded as a good word and an act, and be praised by the people of the time."< br>
This is going to start a trend.
The method of being humble and powerful is to give opportunities to people with lower status in the system, let them take charge of power, and then be promoted based on merit.
The purpose of driving the trend is to allow senior officials in the states, counties and courts to appoint more Han people and give them the opportunity to become officials. Otherwise, if you are inspected for filial piety and high-ranking officials, you can't get you?
"The Prime Minister's move is like Zhang Sikong." Mao Bang praised.
"Zhang Sikong" is Zhang Hua, a native of Fanyang.
Mao Bang has been in Youzhou for many years, and his ears almost feel calloused when he hears this name. It is so famous.
Zhang Hua was extremely famous and held a high position, and he was more willing to support people who were not high-ranking scholars or people of modest means. "If there is a good person among the poor and low-ranking scholars," he would "extend his reputation for him."
Who are the ordinary scholars and poor scholars who were praised by Zhang Hua? Tao Kan, Shu Xi, Chen Shou, Huo Yuan, Liu Bian, Fan Qiao, etc.
This kind of praise is not just a few nice words. In fact, the "medicine effect" is very powerful.
Some people were directly recruited by Zhang Hua as his staff and entered the official career. Some people immediately became "filial" (Xiaolian) and "xiucai" (xiucai) as soon as they returned to their hometowns, and some were recruited by the great gentry. For son-in-law.
This is what Mao Bang means when he talks about creating a trend.
At that time, there was also Shantao, who also liked to comment on Xiaoshizu and gave him a lot of support.
Most of the proportion of poor officials in the Jin Dynasty was raised by Na Hui.
But after Taikang passed, the situation was different...
"Yongtai, it's a good thing you didn't say that I have the style of Wang Junchong (Wang Rong)." Wang Yan sighed and said: "Actually, according to my temperament, I will probably be the same as Junchong, both suppressed by Taibai. Junchong is dead. Later, I owed a large debt for no reason, all due to Taibai's handiwork."
Mao Bang also thought of what happened back then and smiled secretly in his heart.
Wang Rong is different from Zhang Hua. When Shangshu Zuopushe took charge of the official department, he "had not yet entered the Hansu" and was "just selected by the household transfer".
By the way, he is Wang Yan's elder brother.
"Besides the literati, what about the warriors?" Wang Yan asked again: "The king started his career with martial arts, so he has to take care of the warriors."
"Wushu is accepted as an official school, supplemented by imperial edicts and policies." Mao Bang replied.
"The Imperial Academy is just a decoration. There are very few people who enter the government through this way. The king is coming for real." Wang Yan stroked his beard and frowned, and said: "What is the specific strategy?"
"Five years after entering school today, all martial arts students can be promoted to military positions." Mao Bang said: "If you are appointed as an official of various Cao Cao and prefectures and counties, you can imitate the old system of the Imperial Academy of Han and Wei Dynasties."
"Trial?" Wang Yan asked.
"Exactly."
Wang Yan was silent.
In the fifth year of Emperor Huangchu's reign (224), Emperor Wen of Wei established the Imperial Academy in Luoyang, and the new students who entered the school were called "disciples".
A "disciple" who has been in school for two years will be called a "disciple" if he passes the first test, and those who fail will be dismissed (drop out).
"Disciples" have been studying for two years, and those who have mastered the second classic can make up for the "literary anecdotes" - it is just a "make-up", and they have to wait for the vacancy. After the official vacancy occurs, they have to compete with people who have entered the official position through other channels for this real vacancy. You may not really be able to be an official.
Those who fail will wait for the next year (repeat the grade) and take the exam with the younger generation.
After becoming a "literary anecdote", after serving for two years, you can still try to pass the three classics. Those who pass can be "Prince Sheren", and those who fail will re-examine with the next generation.
After the "Prince Sheren" has been in office for two years, he can try to pass the Four Classics, and those who pass can be called "Mr. Zhong". Those who fail can take the test again after the next generation.
After a "doctor" has served for two years, he or she can try to master the Five Classics. Those who pass the exam can "use it as they please", while those who fail can take the exam again with their juniors.
This was the policy of the Cao and Wei Dynasties. In fact, the paths were very narrow. After the imperial dynasty, it became even narrower and it was difficult to become an official.
In the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty (272 AD), perhaps the officials' children who were admitted to the school felt that they had been cheated, and caused their parents to make trouble. So a senior official reported that there were more than 7,000 Taipei students. What should we do?
Sima Yan issued an edict: "Those who have tried the test will be kept, and the rest will be sent back to the county."
"Liu" may not necessarily lead to an official position. In fact, this path is very narrow.
Theoretically speaking, after ten years and five examinations, people who have been promoted all the way from disciples can "use it according to their talents". In fact, at most, they can reach disciples, and the level of literary anecdotes will eliminate most people.
Because the exam is not the only way to become an official, you will not get this official vacancy.
And after becoming a prince, there is no need to take exams for promotion, so what should I do? Cheng Ji is the prince who sacrifices others. How big is the deed he has done?
"Taibai wants to develop official learning." Wang Yan said: "It is not easy for military officers to master one classic. There are very few who master two classics. Those who can master three classics are rare."
In fact, it is not that there are no workarounds to reduce the difficulty.
It's definitely not possible if you don't pass the exam. How can you prove that you can be a political officer? But using the same test paper as a Taipei student would be too bullying, so you can make some adjustments. After all, this is an on-the-job exam.
As for what level of warriors can be tested, there must be a standard.
But no matter what, the way has been opened. After all, military positions are too single, and senior military attachés who are a bit ambitious all want to switch to civilian positions. This is the so-called "going from general to prime minister."
"Martial arts, Taixue, Guozixue..." Wang Yan looked a little irritable.
Martial arts is like this, and Taixue and Guozixue may also need to be revitalized.
The use of these things, which are ostensibly a way to become an official but are actually a decoration, has the effect of changing the world's official selection pattern, which is quite a shock.
(End of chapter)