Chapter 5 Section 3 Investigation and Examination in the Han Dynasty

On the one hand, the Han Dynasty created Taixue to train and select talents; on the other hand, it established the inspection system to discover and select talents.Through these two channels, the ranks of officials of the Han Dynasty were enriched. The so-called inspection, also known as recommendation, is based on the evaluation of senior officials such as the Sangong Jiuqing and local county guards in the Han Dynasty, and recommends those who have both ability and political integrity among the folk and grassroots officials to the imperial court, and the imperial court grants them certain official positions or promotes them. its official position.

According to "Han Shu Gao Di Ji", Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, once ordered the princes, kings and local county guards to visit people with both ability and political integrity, and sent these people to the capital.If this order is not carried out, and local virtuous people are not promoted, once found out, they will be dismissed from office.In the second year of Han Emperor Wen's accession to the throne (178 BC), he issued an edict to "recommend the virtuous, the upright, the upright and the most admonishing", and this method of inspection and conduct gradually formed a system. Talented people make suggestions on current affairs, and the answers to policies must be sealed and handed over to the emperor to disassemble and read them in person, to evaluate whether they are superior or inferior, and then grant official positions as appropriate.This is the beginning of the Han Dynasty emperor personally presided over the examination to select talents.In the "policy test" in the fifteenth year of Emperor Wen (165 BC), Chao Cuo came out on top and was appointed an official. "Han Shu Chao Cuo Biography" contains: "There are more than a hundred people who have countermeasures, but the wrong one is the high-ranking doctor, so he is a doctor who moved to the middle." 140) ordered the promotion of "virtuous".There are more than a hundred "virtuous" talents recommended this time, and Dong Zhongshu was listed as the top three strategies in this "countermeasure".In the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once again inquired personally, and Gongsun Hongce took the first place in the test.

There are many titles of the examination and examination, which can be roughly divided into two categories: one is the regular subject, which is often held, and it is also called the annual examination, that is, the system that the governors of various states and counties recommend talents to the court according to the prescribed quota every year; Extraordinary subjects, or special subjects and special examinations, are special subjects for selection of scholars temporarily designated according to the needs of the emperor.Ordinary subjects include filial piety, integrity, and maocai; extraordinary subjects include virtuous founder (virtuous literature), Mingjing, Mingfa, filial piety, and boyhood.

(1) Filial piety and integrity: Created in the first year of Yuanguang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), "At the beginning of the prefecture and state, one person was named filial piety and one person was honest" ("Hanshu Wudiji"), that is, filial sons and honest officials One person for each is a subject for checking and educating talents according to the standard of filial sons and honest officials.By the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Xiaolian was "combined into one subject" ("Tongkao·Election VII").It is the most important regular branch in the Han Dynasty's procuratorial system.Due to the different sizes and populations of the counties, the Eastern Han Dynasty implemented the distribution of tribute quotas according to the region and population ratio, roughly one person for every 200,000 people. "Book of the Later Han Ding Ming Biography" records that during the reign of Emperor Hanhe, it was stipulated: "The prefecture has a population of 200,000, and every year there is one Xiaolian; 400,000 people; 600,000 people; 800,000 people; Five people; 1,200,000 and 6 people; less than 200,000, one person at the age of two; less than 100,000, one person at the age of three. official position.If he is not competent, he will be replaced, and the local officials who elected him will also be punished.

The so-called "filial piety" is said to the people; the so-called "integrity" is said to the officials.The purpose of promoting "filial piety and honesty" is to select clean and honest officials, enrich the ranks of officials, and strengthen the power of centralization; on the other hand, it is to promote morality among the people.Under the prosecution system, whether a scholar can become an official generally depends on whether he can be recommended; and whether he can be recommended depends on the public opinion of the people in the village.Selecting scholars by "reputation" is an important feature of the prosecution system.Since Chaju attaches great importance to the reputation of scholars in the countryside, "reputation" has a great relationship with the future of scholars.As a result, there have been endless incidents of scholars pretending to be false in order to seek fame.For example, in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a man named Xu Wu was recommended as "Xiaolian". In order to make his two younger brothers also famous, he proposed to separate the family. He was recommended by the reputation of "Brother Kerang".After his younger brother was recommended, Xu Wu returned the land and property three times to his younger brother, and he won a higher reputation ("Book of the Later Han·Xu Jing Biography").Another example is a man named Zhao Xuan in the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty. After his parents died, he lived in the tunnel tomb and kept filial piety for more than 20 years in order to cheat the name of filial piety. In fact, his five sons were all born in the tunnel tomb.Chen Fan, the prefect of the county, revealed the truth after investigation and verification, and reprimanded him for "confusing the public and slandering ghosts and gods" ("Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Chen Fan Biography").Since the power of procuratorial examination is controlled by local officials at all levels such as prefectures and counties, it is difficult for scholars to be promoted without family background and backing.Under such circumstances, scholars had no choice but to go to the door of the powerful and powerful, making friends and making friends, and the morality of scholars was getting worse day by day.So relying on this system, it is difficult to select real talents. "Baopuzi Shenju" quoted a folk song in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which strongly criticized the corruption phenomenon at that time: "To promote a scholar, I don't know the book; to check Xiaolian, my father lives away; Han Suqing is as clear as mud, and Gao Diliang is as timid as a chicken." .”

(2) Maocai (Xiucai) Department: It was called Xiucai in the Western Han Dynasty, and it was called Maocai in the Eastern Han Dynasty because it was changed from the taboo of Liu Xiuzhi, Emperor Wuguang, to the show.The Maocai Department is mainly to select talents with extraordinary abilities, so it is also called "Maocai Yideng" or "Maocai Exceptional Persons" and so on.The establishment of the Maocai Division began in the fifth year of Yuanfeng Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (106 BC). In the Western Han Dynasty, the Maocai Division was held separately or together with the Xianliang Fangzheng Division.Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty changed it to Suiju. Later, Maocai and Xiaolian were often called and promoted together.However, Xiaolian and Xiaolian are all county-level exams, while Maocai had county-level exams in the Western Han Dynasty, and most of them were state-level exams in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The qualifications for maocai to be elected, although in the Western Han Dynasty, both officials and people were selected, but they must be talented and capable people. It is really difficult for those without considerable talent, knowledge and experience to be selected.The selection of Maocai is really about the promotion and promotion of officials with special talents and extraordinary achievements.Maocai's worship of officials is different from that of Xiaolian. Xiaolian mostly worshiped as Lang at the beginning, and then Lang was promoted to county magistrate.In the Han Dynasty, the rank of the county magistrate is 1,000 shi to 600 shi, while the rank ratio of the doctor is 300 shi, and the rank ratio of the servant is 400 shi.Obviously, Maocai's family background is higher than that of Xiaolian.However, after Maocai was promoted at the age of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it gradually became a routine, and most of the people who were promoted were incompetent. By the time of Emperor Ling, Maocai had become a thing for money transactions. "Palace money" is not allowed to move the official.To move an official requires a lot of money, and for a while, "convert the virtuous and foolish, trade elections", and corruption is rife.

(3) Virtuous Founder Section: The so-called virtuous founder refers to those who are both excellent in virtue and ability.It began in the second year of Emperor Wenwen of the Han Dynasty (178 BC). Since then, the emperors of the Han Dynasty have repeatedly issued imperial edicts.This festival is held after the country encounters solar eclipses, earthquakes, strange astrology, plague epidemics and various natural disasters.According to Dong Zhongshu (179 BC - 104 BC) and others' theory of "Heaven and Man Response", all kinds of disasters are warnings from heaven to the faults of emperors in the world.Because the emperor "governs the people with little virtue and little ability", he must self-examine in order to respond to the sky, respect the talents, open up the way of speaking, and correct mistakes.

Virtuous Founder Section, sometimes called "Xianliang" or "Founder", can also be followed by other titles after "Xianliang Founder", or "Xianliang" and "Literature" can be combined into one subject.The so-called "literature" refers to the Confucian classics, or refers to people who are familiar with the Confucian classics.For example, Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu issued edicts to promote virtuous and virtuous founders, and the winners, Chao Cuo, Dong Zhongshu, Gongsun Hong, etc., were all called "literature of virtuous and virtuous".According to the emperor's decree, it is recommended by senior officials such as princes, princes, three princes, generals, Zhuqing, Zhong Erqianshi, Erqianshi, Sili Xiaowei, state herdsmen, and county guards.The qualifications of the recommendees are mostly incumbent officials and state and county officials, and they are erudite and knowledgeable, and they are well-informed in government affairs. Three Strategies", repeated strategies and trials.The countermeasures are to ask more about the way of governing the country, the changes of the rise and fall of the past dynasties, or questions about the classics and righteousness.Most of the officials awarded after the countermeasures have a rank ratio of more than 600 shi to a rank ratio of 2000 shi.

(4) Mingjing Division: Investigate and select talents who are proficient in Confucian classics.Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty exclusively respected Confucianism, all examinations in the Han Dynasty have attached great importance to Confucian classics, and set up a special subject of Mingjing, which shows that they attach great importance to and vigorously advocate Confucian classics.Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 B.C.) issued an imperial edict to "Ming the affairs of the world and learning the techniques of the first sages" ("Hanshu·Wudiji"), which may be the beginning of the Mingjing Department, but it is clearly dedicated to the Mingjing Department It was in the Eastern Han Dynasty.According to the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty Zhang Di Ji", an edict was issued in the second year of Yuanhe (85 A.D.): "Those who command the prefectures and countries to publish the Ming scriptures must have five people with more than 100,000 mouths and less than 100,000 people." This edict is the Ming scriptures. Specific regulations set up by the department.In the first year of Yangjia, Emperor Shundi of the Eastern Han Dynasty (132 A.D.), it was stipulated: "Those who test the Ming Jing can make up disciples." It is necessary to enter Taixue Zhongbu as a disciple in order to study Confucian classics in depth.This communicates the connection between the examination and the school. Those who fail the Mingjing examination can make up for the disciples of the Taixue, so that they can try the Mingjing again in the future.Emperor Zhi of the Eastern Han Dynasty "in the first year of the first year of the early Han Dynasty (AD 146) ordered the prefectures and states to enumerate the Ming Jing, and those who were over 50 and under 70 years old learned Taixue" ("Book of the Later Han Zhidi Ji").Scholars over the age of 50 who were selected by the imperial examinations were also sent to Taixue for further study, and then took the exams of Taixue.

(5) Department of Ming Law (Governance of Prisons): Investigate talents who study law.In the late Western Han Dynasty, in the face of social crisis, the imperial court emphasized the rule of law. In the second year of Emperor Ping's first year (AD 2), he ordered that "Zhongergan Shiju should rule the prison, and the age of one person" ("Han Shu·Ping Di Ji").During the reign of Emperor Ping, the Chaju Zhijuping (Mingfa Branch) was designated as the annual judging.The opening of this department actually promotes the Confucian rule of virtue, but also does not ignore the rule of law. It emphasizes that the country should pay attention to the selection of talents who understand laws and regulations, and give opportunities for promotion to those who study criminal laws and regulations. (6) Children's Section: The Han Dynasty also set up a special "Tongzi Section", which stipulates that the age is between 12 and 16 years old, and those who can "Broadcom Classics" can be selected into the "Tongzi Section".At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, attention was paid to exceptionally recommending and appointing children with outstanding abilities.According to "General Examination of Literature · Election · Tongke": "Han Xing, Xiao He Caolu said: Taishi test students who can satirize books with more than 9,000 characters are considered history; Yu Shi, Shi Shu Ling Shi." The Eastern Han Dynasty stipulated that children should be between 12 and 16 years old, and those who can "understand the classics" can be selected, and those who are young and talented will worship Tong Zilang and be awarded official positions.For example, Zuo Xiong named Xie Lian and Zhao Jianzhang, who were clever and well-versed in the classics, as boys.At that time, Tongzilang was popular for a while, such as Zang Hong worshiped Tongzilang at the age of 15; The nickname is Wushuang in the World, Jiangxia Huangtong.There is also an interesting anecdote in the examination of Tongzilang: "Sima Lang's twelfth test scripture was Tongzilang. The supervisor was suspicious of Lang's age because of his strong body, so he impeached [hehe] and asked him. Big, although Lang is immature and weak, he has no tendency to look up high, and it is not his ambition to lose his age in order to achieve early success.' The supervisors are different." Because of Sima Lang's tall body, the supervisors suspected that he had concealed his age. Immediately gave a powerful and reasonable answer to the supervisor, which surprised the supervisor. Chaju Boys is a method of discovering precocious intelligence and rewarding gifted children, which shows that China has attached great importance to the cultivation and promotion of talented children and adolescents as early as the Han Dynasty.The establishment of children's subjects did discover a group of wonderful premature talents, but it also made some children prematurely involved in the circle of reading scriptures in order to advance to officialdom, restricting their healthy physical and mental development, and resulting in the so-called "exhausted talents" of some outstanding children. In addition, the Chaju of the Han Dynasty also had the Department of Bravery and Warfare, the Department of Juju (talents in counties and counties that are difficult to govern in the Chaju), You Yike (the talent with the best political performance among the officials in the Chaju), and the Ming Yin and Yang Disasters and Disasters. Taoism, Zhixiao, etc., the subjects are set in a variety of ways, regular subjects and special subjects are combined, and the text and reality are combined.Later, a set of criteria for selecting scholars gradually evolved: "One is high morals, clean aspirations; The fourth is to be resolute and strategic, not to be confused when encountering things, and to be clear enough to make decisions, and then to serve as the third assistant order. Everyone has the deeds of filial piety and integrity." The above is a generalization of the examination criteria for the selection of scholars in various disciplines in the Han Dynasty from a macro perspective.Most of the titles of the imperial examinations in the Han Dynasty were inherited from the subjects of the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system, such as Xiucai (Maocai), Mingjing, Mingfa, Xiaolian, Xianliang Fangzheng and other subjects were also subjects of the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system. The key link of the probation system in the Han Dynasty was the recommendation of the recommender, and the standard of recommendation, such as virtue, did not have a clear measurement standard.In the Eastern Han Dynasty, noble relatives manipulated the procuratorate, entrusted by rich and powerful families, and bribed public officials. Official vacancies can be accommodated, and there are quite a lot of applicants who are not officials. It is even more important that the rich and noble relatives compete for entrustment. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty Zhong Hao Biography" says: "Today, the filial piety that should be promoted is more than the noble relatives' orders." In response to the abuses of the procuratorate system at that time, the Minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty ordered Zuo Xiongyang Jiayuan (AD 132) to write a letter to Chen officials that "those who were born in vain will be praised, and those who will be arrested will be destroyed", "Zhuzi is the same color, Qing Dynasty In the case of "not distinguishing between turbidity and turbidity", it is emphasized that talents must be used, and strict examinations must be used to use talents.Therefore, he made a suggestion: the first thing to limit the age of "filial piety and integrity" in the examination and examination, "if you are under forty, you must not be in the examination and examination", because Confucius said that "forty is not confused".The second is to take a strict test. "All the students test the family law, the civil servants' lectures, and the assistant's Duanmen, refine their reality, to observe the supernatural powers, and to beautify the customs." ("Book of the Later Han Zuo Xiong Zhuan") means that the content of the examination mainly includes Two aspects, one is to study Confucian classics, and interpret them according to their own "teacher's law" and "family law"; the other is to study political performances, documents, etc.First, you have to take the first test in the government office, and then you have to take the second test at Duanmen (later Yushitai).After rigorous examinations, only those with real talents and learning can be selected to change the unhealthy trend at that time.Emperor Shun of Han accepted Zuo Xiong's suggestion.Zuo Xiong played an important role in the reform of the prosecution system.During the examination in the second year (AD 133), after strict re-examination, more than ten people were demoted and dismissed due to wrong elections. Fan Ye [ye Ye], the author of "Book of the Later Han Dynasty", believed that the inspections and examinations were seriously ill at that time, and reform was absolutely necessary. The social atmosphere of the time also played a role. In the Western Han Dynasty, there was no need for examinations for filial piety, but in other subjects of selection, examinations were used to distinguish the merits of scholars.Zuo Xiong's reform strengthened the examination factor in the examination system, and provided a reference for later generations' imperial examination selection system with examination as the core. In short, the Han Dynasty’s procuratorial selection system was mainly based on recommendation, supplemented by examinations, and examinations were conducted on the basis of recommendations. This was an important feature of the Han Dynasty’s procuratorial system.There are many ways to test, roughly as follows: ⑴The emperor's policy test The emperor's own policy test, from Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu to some emperors in the Eastern Han Dynasty, often had words such as "I will personally read" and "I will plan it" in the edicts. ⑵Examinations by the public government.After the reform of Zuoxiong in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the system of re-examination at Duanmen was established, which indicated that the examination was becoming more and more important, and it became an important trend in the development of the examination system in the Han Dynasty. ⑶ Taixue class examination Taixue is not only the highest institution of learning in the country, but also a national examination institution.In addition to being responsible for the teaching and examination of Taixue students, Taixue also allows non-Taixue students to participate in regular exams held by Taixue on behalf of the government, and gives honors or qualifications to intellectuals outside the school based on their achievements, which is one of the important basis for assigning positions. ⑷Children's examinations Individual examinations are given to juveniles and children with excellent intelligence, and exceptions are recommended and appointed. In the Han Dynasty, the selection of ruling talents was mainly based on recommendation, supplemented by examinations.Whether the scout is the right person or not still needs to go through an assessment to test the reality, and finally recruit the candidates according to their talents.This combination of recommendation and examination can measure the selection of talents more comprehensively. It can not only reduce the number of candidates who rely on requests to be selected to a certain extent, but also prevents them from making decisions based on only one paper and ignoring quality. Daily conduct and talent.This is a valuable experience left by the inspection and examination system and examination system of the Han Dynasty to later generations, which deserves our attention.