Chapter 30 The fourth section is a glimpse of the family education of officials in the Tang Dynasty

The Sui and Tang dynasties were the heyday of my country's feudal society.Since the establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui Dynasty, scholars from the middle and small landlord class had more opportunities to become officials, and many civilian ministers who made a difference in politics emerged successively.At the same time, due to the long-term implementation of the imperial examination system, the bureaucratic political system has become stronger and stronger, and there has been a situation in which the literati of "the Manchu dynasty are full of scholars" ("Prodigy Poems") are proud of themselves.Because a large number of scholars "become Tianshelang in the morning and go to the Tianzitang in the evening" ("Prodigy Poems"), when they realize their own value and enjoy the glory and wealth, the big plan behind them is not to leave a rich family property for their children and grandchildren. It is to teach the skills of reading and being an official.They understand from their own experience: "There is no such thing as a general." The imperial examination system has paved the way for the vast number of scholars to reach the Tianzitang from the farmhouse. Therefore, if they want their descendants to be officials from generation to generation, they must strengthen family education. "The golden treasure of the legacy, how can I teach a classic? The brocade scroll of the name book, Zhu Zizuo the court." ("Prodigy Poems") In the era of "everything is inferior, only reading is high", the family of officials with vested interests naturally has incomparable wealth. enthusiasm for tutoring.

For example, "New Tang Book·Fang Xuanling's Biography" records that Fang Xuanling is quite lawful in running his family. He often fears that his children will be arrogant and extravagant. Take one of each as a motto to encourage progress.This was the case for the honored officials in the early Tang Dynasty, not to mention the families of officials in the middle and late Tang Dynasty. Han Yu, a famous writer in the Tang Dynasty, was born in a family of officials.But he became an orphan when he was three years old, and his childhood was difficult, so his uncle Han Hui adopted him.Under the careful nurturing of his brother and sister-in-law, he studied poetry and books, kept a diary of thousands of words, and learned all the six classics and hundreds of schools. He was admitted as a Jinshi at the age of 25.Judging from Han Yu's self-reported learning experience, the education in the family of official officials is very strict, and they also pay attention to learning methods.He said that when he was studying, he "recited the essays of the six arts non-stop, and kept writing articles from a hundred schools of thought", which means that he mainly studied Confucian classics and read books from a hundred schools of thought extensively at the same time.He believes that reading can only be achieved through diligence.He himself has achieved "burning ointment to continue the sundial, and persevering to live in poverty".In terms of learning methods, his experience is: "Those who discuss things must mention their essentials, and those who compile words must understand their mysteries"; "Magnify the inside and let go of the outside"; "Professionalism lies in diligence and leisure, and success in thinking and destruction in following" ("Encouraging Learning").He has accumulated such valuable experience, which has a lot to do with his strict family education since he was a child.

Bai Juyi, one of the three famous poets in the Tang Dynasty, was also born in a family of officials.His father, Bai Jigeng, used to be an official in Xuzhou. He lived with his father in Fuli County, Xuzhou (now Fuliji, Su County, Anhui Province), and received a good cultural education.Later, due to the turmoil and famine, he was forced to move around from childhood.His footprints went to Su, Hangzhou, Xuan, Rao, and Xiangfan in the south, Handan and Taihang in the north, and Luoyang and Chang'an in the west.During the transfer period, his parents still strictly disciplined his studies, asking him to study and write hard, and prepare for taking the imperial examination, and finally passed the Jinshi at the age of 29.

If it is said that the selection of scholars through the imperial examination in the early Tang Dynasty promoted the family education of official families, then at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the family education of official families was almost influenced by the imperial examination. Shows the tendency of imperial examination.