Chapter 8 Section 2 Development of the Imperial Examination System in the Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty had a long national fortune and a relatively stable political situation, which created conditions for the development of the imperial examination system.On the one hand, the Tang Dynasty required local officials to recommend talents with both ability and political integrity to the imperial court; The selection system became the system of selecting talents ahead of other countries in the world at that time. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he implemented the cultural and educational policy of Yanwu Xiuwen, revived education, expanded schools, built school buildings, and cultivated reserve talents for the country to ensure the quantity and quality of imperial examinations.At the same time, vigorously promote the imperial examination system, open subjects to select scholars, and recruit talents, so as to achieve the purpose of consolidating the Tang Dynasty.He stipulated that Jinshi read a classic and history, and required scholars who took the imperial examination to go to Shangshu Province on the first day of November of the lunar calendar every year, and the examination was completed on March 21 of the second year.Due to the implementation of the guidelines of paying equal attention to schools and imperial examinations, both the school education system and the imperial examination system developed rapidly during this period.

During the Tang Gaozong period, the imperial examination system became more and more perfect, and the number of candidates for scholars was expanded.In the second year of Shangyuan (AD 675), the Gongshi "Laozi" strategy was added.Wu Zetian required scholars who participated in the Mingjing examination to study the "Book of Filial Piety" and "Book of Filial Piety" as part of the imperial examination.Later, she ordered Gong Juren to stop studying "Lao Zi" and study "Chen Gui" edited by her. "Chen Gui" is Wu Zetian's commandment to the ministers to "inform the body and mind", and it is the textbook for the imperial examinations during the period from the second year of longevity (693 AD) to the first year of Shenlong (705 AD).In imitation of Tang Taizong's "Emperor Fan", it is compiled into 12 chapters, including Tongti, Zhizhong, Dao, Justice, Kuangjian, Honesty, Prudence, Integrity, Good General, and Beneficiary, in two volumes, each of which has an annotation to explain it.It was not until Tang Zhongzong was restored that the study of "Chen Gui" was abolished and "Laozi" was re-learned.Wu Zetian didn't pay much attention to school education, but attached great importance to the imperial examination system. She personally asked the tributes in Luocheng Palace, and created the form of imperial examination in the imperial examination.She made people practice martial arts, taking long stack (duo rudder), horse shooting, carbine gun, etc. as the examination content, and selected military talents through martial arts, thus creating a precedent for martial arts.Aiming at the practice of cheating in the examination room, she required that one's name be obscured during the exam, and that one should take a secret test to determine the grade, and created a method of concealing one's name in the exam.She opened a wide range of subject examinations and passed the examinations. "Those with high literary skills are specially awarded as beautiful officials", "started or paid homage to Zhongshusheren, Yuanwailang, picked up relics, and filled in vacancies", "Second and birth" ("Tongdian · Election III").For scholars with humble backgrounds, this is a convenient way to obtain an official, or at least the qualification to become an official.In-service officials can also be promoted quickly through the system examination.

Tang Xuanzong corrected Wu Zetian's practice of neglecting school education and emphasizing imperial examinations, and readjusted the relationship between school education and imperial examinations so that both could develop.In the 21st year of Kaiyuan (733 A.D.), it was ordered that every year's tributes in the world should reduce the "Shangshu" and Ce, and add "Laozi".In the twenty-ninth year of Kaiyuan (AD 741), Chongxuanxue was established in Chang'an, Kyoto, and Chongxuanxue was established in the local states. At the same time, Daoju was added to select talents who are proficient in Taoist works. The method of Daoju examination is the same as that of Mingjing. .In the twelfth year of Tianbao (753 A.D.), "the whole world is ordered to dismiss the tribute from the village, and the princes and scholars of the counties and counties are not allowed to send them away." That is to say, anyone who takes part in the imperial examination must pass the study of the central government school and the local government school. .By the Tianbao period (AD 742-756), the imperial examination system had developed into a complete examination system. "After Kaiyuan, the whole world was clear, and there were no virtuous scholars, and they were ashamed to express their articles. The number of those who responded to the imperial edict was as many as 2,000, and as few as 1,000." ("Ten Tong Classification General Compilation Election Class ")

In the fifth year of Zhenyuan (789 A.D.) of Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty, the examination content of Mingjing was reformed, and the previous examination "Erya" was changed to the examination.In the sixth year of Zhenyuan (790 A.D.), in order to prevent the examiners from cheating, the Bietou examination was implemented, that is, the relatives of the examiners were handed over to the examiners of the Ministry of Officials to take charge of the examination.There will still be minor adjustments in the future.