Etiquette of welcoming officials in suburbs of late Qing Dynasty

The development of China's ancient official positions can be roughly divided into three periods. The first period was Xia and Shang dynasties, about 1000. During this period, the country was small, the organization was simple, and there was no clear division of responsibilities. The monarch of a country is called "Hou" (hereinafter the title of clan leader) and "Wang". Around the king, the most powerful officials are those who are called "scholars" (also called "Qing scholars" and "Da Shi" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions), and they are often called "witches" in ancient books. These officials are the embodiment of theocracy, and the will of "God" is conveyed to the monarch through them and carried out by the monarch. Oracle Bone Inscriptions is mainly a record of the witch historians' questions about God in Shang Dynasty. Most of Xi He (in charge of the calendar), Dali (in charge of litigation), Taoist (in charge of conveying the monarch's life) and official teacher (in charge of educating aristocratic children) are witches' history. The "three rectifications" in Shangshu Shi Gan are the general names for ruling witches' history. The position of witch history is generally hereditary. Wang's wives, children, uncles and other relatives are also privileged nobles. They often participate in important affairs of the country, such as offering sacrifices and directing operations, but most of them have no clear titles. In Oracle Bone Inscriptions, they are generally only called brooms (wives) and sons. In the late Shang Dynasty, some royal elders called them "father and teacher" and "Shao Shi", who were responsible for assisting and guiding Wang, such as Hibigan. The monarch of Xia and Shang Dynasties also had some servants in charge of housework, called ministers, butchers, Yin and so on. These people are slaves and their status is very low. Because they are favored by the monarch, they are required to manage all kinds of housework, such as meals, clothes, sweeping the floor, horses and chariots, etc., and sometimes they also participate in some political affairs, such as conveying the monarch's orders and managing their homeland.

The second period is from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period, about six or seven hundred years. During this period, the supreme monarch of the country was still the king, also known as the "son of heaven" and "king of heaven". The throne is generally inherited by the eldest son, and the intended heir to the throne is called "Prince", also known as "East Palace". Wang's wife's name is Hou. "Bo (Pu) under the sky, Murphy Wang Tu; Territory, is it a king? " The king is the supreme ruler of the world, the fiefs of governors are called countries, and the fiefs of doctors are called cities. The princes and doctors are all ministers of the emperor. The institution of the royal family is the central government, and the institution of the governor and doctors is the local government. From the central government to the local government, the military and political power is in the hands of Wang's relatives and consorts, and the status of witch history has greatly declined. As far as the central government is concerned, around the king, the clan elders and consorts who occupy the positions of Taishi, Taifu and Taibao (collectively known as the three fairs) have the highest status and the greatest power. The king usually listens to them, and these words have almost the same effect as the king's orders. When the king is young or absent, they can represent the king's power. Military, administrative, judicial, foreign affairs and other positions were separated from the hands of wizards, forming a government department headed by Qingshi, which is in a parallel position with the departments of Shenzheng, education and secretariat of history headed by Taishi Gong. It is also called "Qingshiliao" and "Taishiliao" in bronze inscriptions. Celebrities are the highest chief executive, usually two or three people, who are in charge of military, administrative and diplomatic affairs at the same time. Under the Qing history, there began to be a clear division of responsibilities: Situ (the division of land in bronze inscription) was in charge of land and slaves; Sima is in charge of military taxes and military vehicles and horses; Sikong (Kim plays the foreman) is in charge of important projects, such as building cities and roads. Situ, Sima and Sikong are called "three things" or "three things doctors" in the Book of Songs, and they are all important official positions in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In addition, Scott was also responsible for punishing Shu Ren and serfs, while pedestrians were responsible for receiving guests and other foreign affairs. Taishigong's position is still very high, comparable to that of three officials and officials, but his scope of authority has been reduced a lot, mainly in charge of calendars, drafting important government documents and recording state affairs. Literature and history (also known as "emissaries") are responsible for planning the affairs of Doctor Qing, while Imperial History (also known as "History under the Column" and "History of Keeping Tibet in Shang Dynasty") is responsible for keeping files, while Taibu is responsible for divination, while Zongbo (also known as "Taizong" and "Shangzong") is responsible for ancestor worship etiquette and other affairs, and musicians (also known as "Shangzong") are Those in charge of the royal family affairs are called Za (sometimes called Tai Zai or Jia Zai), those in charge of the royal family's meals are called Fu Shan (bronze inscriptions are also called Fu Shan), those in charge of the royal family's clothes are called Dressing, those in charge of the royal family's chariots and horses are called Taifu, and those in charge of the royal family's horse breeding are called Fun Horses. Zhou Wang directly under the jurisdiction of the area called Wang Ji (J: and, machine). The capital and its suburbs are aristocratic settlements, which are divided into townships, prefectures, parties, ethnic groups, towns and cities. The rural areas in the suburbs are areas where serfs live, which are divided into Sui, County, Bi, Zan, Li, Neighborhood and other organizations. The official position of the vassal state is roughly the same as that of the Zhou royal family. It was the Zhou Emperor who ruled the Qing Dynasty, and they were attacked from generation to generation. But it can only be called "Qing" or "Zhengqing" or "Zhengqing", not "Qing history". Others, such as Situ, Sima, Sikong, Sikou, Pacers, Taishi and Zai, are mostly located in various countries. The doctor's fief was managed by the retainer.

The third period, from the Warring States to the late Qing Dynasty, lasted more than 2,300 years. The general characteristics of this period are: the status of the monarch was greatly improved and the power was highly concentrated. In the whole state institution, witchcraft and the history of aristocratic families do not occupy an important position, while the servants and attendants of the monarch rise to the main position. After the Qin dynasty, the ruling area became wider and wider, the state institutions became larger and larger, and the division of responsibilities became more and more detailed and changed a lot.

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Imperial Examination System in Ancient China

Zuo yandong

The sui dynasty abolished the nine-grade system, and officials of all sizes were appointed by the central government. The selection of scholars is neither recommended by counties nor evaluated by Zhongzheng, but selected by the imperial court through public examinations. Shen Jiji, a person in the Tang Dynasty, truly spoke of this historic change: "The previous generation chose it, and it was all county inspections ... As for Qi and Sui, it was invincible ... and it was attributed to the official departments that had the right to attack the state capital.

Select from outside, recruit people from all over the world, gather in Beijing, and return to Qiu Lai in spring. "This is the real beginning of the imperial examination system." "Biography of Yang Wan in Old Tang Dynasty" said: "He was admitted to Jinshi near Yang Di, and he was still struggling. "The Jinshi subject here is an examination subject, not a recommended subject, which has special significance. The word "Jinshi" first appeared in the Book of Rites, which was originally accepted as a knight.

The Tang Dynasty inherited and greatly developed the imperial examination system created by the Sui Dynasty. Examination subjects are divided into routine subjects and system subjects. Courses are held regularly every year, including more than 50 subjects such as Scholar, Ming Jing, Jinshi, Shi Jun, Faming, Ziming and Shu Ming. Most of the candidates are Ming Jing and Jinshi, especially after Emperor Gaozong. The system design department is a discipline established by the emperor's temporary imperial edict. There are 100 kinds of themes, such as being virtuous and admonishing, having both talent and knowledge, and being practical. There are two sources of candidates for regular courses: one is students, and the other is rural tribute. Born in the capital, state and county academy, sent to the subjects of Shangshu Province, known as students and apprentices. They passed the state and county exams without learning centers, and then they were sent to Shangshu Province. These candidates are called "xianggong" and those who are sent to Beijing by "xianggong" are called "juren". The state and county exams are called jiè (Introduction) exams. It is called "bootstrapping" to require candidates to apply for the exam with certificates. If you pass the exam, the county magistrate will set up a "hometown drinking ceremony" to entertain you. This is called a "road banquet". The examination of Shangshu Province is generally called provincial examination, or not. Ritual exams are held in spring, so they are also called "Spring Guard", which means examination room. At that time, people took the examination of Jinshi, which was called "Ascending Jinshi". Anyone who takes the examination of Jinshi is used to being called Jinshi. Later, the scholar was abolished and often called a scholar. The meanings of Juren, Jinshi and Scholar in the Tang Dynasty are basically the same, which are quite different from those in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The content, form and admission criteria of the examination vary from subject to subject. Scholar: Try five strategies, which are divided into upper, upper middle, upper and lower, and upper middle. Ming Jing Ke: First publish articles, then have an oral exam, ask ten questions about justice, and answer three questions about current affairs. The so-called post, also called post, mainly tests the memory of scripture. The specific method is: "Cover the two ends of Xi Zhi Jing, with only one line in the middle, and cut paper as a post." And it is also divided into four grades. Jinshi Branch: Try five strategies to deal with the current situation, and post a big book (Book of Rites or Zuo's Biography in the Spring and Autumn Period). All classics and strategies are the first, and four strategies and more than four posts are the second. When Gaozong was in Gaozong, he added prose, namely poetry and fu. Since then, the attempt of a poem and the arrangement of a poem have become a kind of customization. There are strict restrictions on the title and rhyme of poetry, and most of them are arranged in five words, six rhymes or eight rhymes, with ancient poems or idioms as the title.

With the word "fu de", the rhyme is limited. This kind of poem is called trial post poem, and it is also called "appropriate fu". Whether you can pass the exam depends not entirely on the achievements at that time, but also on the celebrities recommending awards to the examiners. The person who presided over the examination was Yuan Wailang from the official department. Twenty-four years after Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (736), the Ministry of Rites changed to assistant minister. Sometimes, the emperor temporarily appoints officials such as the Chinese Book Sheren to preside over it, which is called "tribute". When Wu Zetian was in power, she personally took the exam at the Temple of Los Angeles. The candidates can be people with existing official positions, people with regular subjects or ordinary people. At the beginning, there was only one question in the exam, and Xuanzong began to add poetry and fu. The system examination is usually presided over by the emperor himself.

Scholars before and after the general examination were all civilians, known as "white body", "white clothes" and "cloth clothes". Passing the imperial examination is called "Ji", or "Emperor", "Deng", "Deng" or "ZH Nong". Jinshi in Tang Dynasty, known as "Jinshi Di" or "former Jinshi", is the most glorious, regarded as "climbing the Dragon Gate" and honored as "white official" or "white shirt". The first name of a scholar is "No.1 scholar" or "Xiangtou". After the imperial examination, it was called background, that is, initially qualified as an official.

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According to the system of the Tang Dynasty, due to different backgrounds, the newly appointed officials have different grades. Scholar department: from top to bottom, starting from the eighth grade; Grade one and grade nine; Up and down, below grade nine; The first one in the middle, the ninth grade. Jinshi: first, from the nine products; Second, from the ninth grade. Judging from the rules of awarding officials, making subjects is the best, followed by Jinshi, Mingjing and Jinshi. But the most difficult to enter Jinshi is roughly one or two hundred people. Nevertheless, scholars only value Jinshi. People who are not from Jinshi are not beautiful in the end, while those who are from departments are regarded as "variegated". Although Jinshi only got Grade 9 at first, it was easier to get promoted. "The big one is on the stage, and the small one is in any county." Most of the prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty were scholars, especially after the middle Tang Dynasty. Scholars who fail the official department exam or even the routine subjects can only take refuge in our times and act as their aides, and then be recommended by them before they can be awarded other official positions. In addition to routine subjects and institutional subjects, since Wu Zetian, there have been martial arts exercises, which were assessed by the Ministry of War. The examination items include horse-riding shooting, step shooting, weight-bearing and so on. The person with the highest ranking can get the official position, but the selection method is not enough and people don't pay attention to it.

Song Dynasty paid more attention to the imperial examination system, and there were many important reforms. Song Taizu formally established the palace examination system, that is, after the examination of the Ministry of Rites, the emperor presided over the highest-level examination in the hall and decided the admission list and ranking. After the palace examination, you don't have to pass the official examination, and you are directly awarded the official position. Mao also ordered that examiners should not be called "teachers" or "students" after the examination, so that all students became "students of the Emperor". When Emperor Taizong was in power, the imperial examination was divided into five grades and three grades: "learned pure words" was the first; "the ability to think well, the circulation rate of arts and sciences (l incarnation, law)" second; "All arts and sciences are connected" is the third; "Peace in Arts and Sciences" is the fourth; Shallow Arts and Sciences is the fifth. The second category is called "Ji", the third category is called "primitive", and the fourth and fifth categories are called "homology". After the court examination, the emperor held a ceremony to announce the ranking of candidates who entered the imperial examination, and hosted a banquet in honor of Joan Lin Yuan, so it was called the Qionglin Banquet. In the Northern Song Dynasty, palace examination ranked first in the famous list, second and third in the famous list, and the first, second and third in the famous list can be called the champion. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the first name was the champion, the second was the second, and the third was the flower exploration. At the beginning, the champion was no different from the general Jinshi. Later, courtesy gradually increased, giving purple bags, gold belts and boots. The number one scholar is located in the village, and the state and county officials hold a banquet to celebrate, which is more glorious than the victorious general.