Late Han Zhao Tang

The most important difference between the imperial examination system and the recommendation system lies in whether or not an official recommendation is required.

In the former case, under the imperial examination system, scholars who passed the exams could proceed all the way to the central government to participate in the final examination; in the latter case, under the recommendation system, scholars needed to be recommended by the prefect as filial and incorruptible officials before they could participate in the final examination in the central government.

Therefore, although the imperial examination system was established in the Sui Dynasty, it was actually a system of recommendation and selection under the guise of the imperial examination. At that time, scholars in the Sui Dynasty who wanted to participate in the imperial examination needed to be recommended by officials of the fifth rank or above. Compared with the filial piety and incorruptibility system in the Han and Wei Dynasties, although the number of candidates was expanded, the power of recommendation was still in the hands of the bureaucratic class below the emperor.

During the Tang Dynasty, the stringent requirement of official recommendation was abolished, allowing scholars throughout the land to submit their own applications for the imperial examinations. Therefore, it can be said that the promulgation of this policy marked the establishment of the imperial examination system. Subsequent policies in the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties were simply aimed at perfecting the imperial examination system.

Therefore, for Zhang Yu, the key was to change the underlying logic of the official selection system, and in particular, to prevent county and prefectural officials from getting too involved.

As for Zhong Yao's proposal to retain the recommendation power held by prefectural and county officials, it was purely a political exchange that had to be made during the transition from the recommendation system to the imperial examination system.

After all, for the Tang Dynasty, powerful clans were essential to be won over. While stripping them of their political privileges wouldn't cause catastrophic damage to the Tang court, it would certainly breed resentment. Therefore, it was better to grant powerful clans the privilege of being selected for official positions through the imperial examinations. Especially with tax reforms imminent, powerful clans would have to pay an economic price, and in return, they would undoubtedly receive preferential treatment in the imperial examinations.

The path for children from poor families may not be wide, but it is at least a path to change their fate!
Furthermore, stripping prefectural and county officials of their power to recruit officials not only facilitated centralized power but, more importantly, freed up a large number of official positions. After all, there were only a little over a thousand counties in the entire country, while the number of people entering officialdom was endless each year. If more official positions were not freed up, how would the scholars who had passed the imperial examinations be accommodated?

"How about discussing the tax system?"

After discussing some details of the imperial examination system, Zhang Yu looked at Zhong Yao and asked.

Zhong Yao bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I and the other ministers have already gained some insights. However, when I think about the selection system for officials, I have some minor insights, but I don't know whether I should share them or not."

"But it doesn't matter!"

Zhong Yao composed himself and said, “Since Your Majesty wishes to allow scholars throughout the land to recommend themselves for the imperial examinations and permits prefects to recommend talented individuals, it would be better to strictly limit the social standing of the talented individuals recommended by the prefects, and make social standing equal to taxation. Only sons of high-ranking taxpayers should be recommended by the prefects, while those who pay little tax should not be allowed to take the imperial examinations.”

"This~"

Yang Jun frowned and said, "The prefect recommends candidates based on their virtue, but now the requirement is to limit the candidates to their family background. Doesn't this make it difficult for children from poor families to advance?"

“Children from humble backgrounds can advance through the imperial examinations to become officials, while wealthy families can only avoid the county and prefectural examinations by paying heavy taxes and go directly to the state examinations, and even the provincial examinations!” Zhong Yao said, “Moreover, they are not limited by the social status of the candidates. Do you think that the prefect would recommend scholars from humble backgrounds for official positions?”

"Furthermore, if a scholar from a poor family is talented, why should he worry about not being able to advance in the imperial examinations!"

"The Prime Minister's words are reasonable!"

Guo Tu agreed, saying, "Ordinary people are greedy for profit, so many wealthy families evade taxes. Now, to exempt the prefectures and counties from the imperial examinations, wealthy families will have no choice but to pay heavy taxes. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there were many wealthy families in Yingchuan Prefecture, and the prefect recommended candidates for official positions almost exclusively from these families, not from those from poor families. Therefore, the Prime Minister's order for the prefect to recommend candidates from wealthy families will make them willingly pay heavy taxes."

Linking the status of prominent families with the recommendations of prefects may seem detrimental to the advancement of scholars from humble backgrounds, but it actually ensures that the sons of prominent families do not crowd out the examination slots of scholars from humble backgrounds. Furthermore, because there are thresholds for the exchange of political resources, it ensures that prominent families pay taxes truthfully and do not evade taxes in order to reduce expenditures.

Moreover, as everyone has said, the vast majority of the talents recommended by the prefect are from prominent families. So it's better to be upfront and clearly tell everyone that if they want preferential treatment, they must pay for it. It's better to lay out the rules now than to use power and money to manipulate things behind the scenes.

People don't get angry because of rules, but they do develop resentment because of breaking them.

Zhang Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondering as he said, "If we follow your suggestion, how should taxes be formulated now?"

"Your Majesty!"

Zhong Yao said, "We can follow Lord Jia's suggestion and temporarily implement a three-class, seven-grade household system, but the upper-class households can pay a separate aristocratic tax. Those who can pay the aristocratic tax can have their sons recommended by the prefect to take the state examinations without examination each year. Those who do not pay the aristocratic tax will not be allowed to have their sons recommended and will have to take the examinations together with those from poor families and minor clans."

"If this decree is promulgated, all the prominent families in China will be willing to pay the clan tax, firstly to promote their family's prominence, and secondly to recommend their virtuous sons for official positions."

"As for how to collect the tax, I think it is possible to collect it by one county, one clan, or one household, and pay the tax according to the number of people in the clan. For example, if one male adult pays one shi of grain, then one hundred male adults pay one hundred shi."

“Once China is pacified and the three-tier, nine-grade system is established, we can levy taxes according to Jia Jun’s plan, and also collect a separate clan tax.” Zhang Yu stroked his mustache, looked at Xun You who had been silent, and asked, “The Xun family of Yingchuan rose to prominence in Hanzhong. If a clan tax is implemented now, I wonder if you would be willing to pay it?”

Xun You was taken aback for a moment, then said respectfully, "Although the Xun family is reluctant to be called a powerful clan, we are willing to pay taxes."

Many members of the Xun clan of Yingchuan served in official positions, such as Xun You, Xun Yan, and Xun Kan, who all reached the rank of two thousand shi. Although they humbly do not consider themselves a powerful clan, in reality, the Xun clan of Yingchuan could already be considered a powerful clan.

"Yuan Hao comes from the Tian family of Julu, a family with a distinguished lineage. Is he willing to pay the clan tax now?" Zhang Yu asked with a smile.

"I am unaware of the situation of my clansmen, and I fear I must return home to take stock. If the clan tax can be paid, I am willing to pay it for the clan's members," Tian Feng said.

"good!"

Zhang Yu nodded, quite satisfied with Zhong Yao's proposed "clan tax".

Eliminating powerful clans is undoubtedly wishful thinking. It is often said that Huang Chao eliminated powerful clans on a physical level, or that the imperial examination system eliminated them. However, it is not widely known that powerful clans also existed during the Song and Ming dynasties, when the imperial examination system was at its peak, only under different names, such as families of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) or noble families.

Since the existence of powerful clans was unchangeable, it was better to go with the flow and make those self-proclaimed powerful clans pay taxes. After all, the concept of powerful clans was too broad and lacked specific standards. In response to this situation, the imperial court simply established a standard: the amount of tax paid would be used to determine a clan's status.

With standards in place, prominent Chinese families will likely pay for them to demonstrate their distinction, not only for exemption from exams but also for personal enjoyment.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Since they are aristocratic families, their ancestors must have been illustrious and their family learning must have been profound. Therefore, in my opinion, those who are exempt from the examination should pay a separate fee. For example, if the prefect recommends one person from his clan this year, the clan must contribute twenty shi of grain. If there is no suitable candidate this year, the clan tax can be paid."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at everyone and smiled, “It is not that I am greedy for profit, but that I am considering the interests of you all. Many of you hold titles, and those with titles can enjoy the privileges of being sons of nobles.”

Zhang Yu had a precise grasp of the thoughts of the high-ranking officials and powerful clans. For the founding officials, the clan tax represented their status as powerful clans, but because of the system of appointing sons by rank, they looked down on the qualification of exemption from examinations; while for the local powerful clans, they were willing to pay the clan tax to flaunt their family's distinction, but they did not have suitable sons every year. Therefore, it was simply decided to discuss the clan tax and the qualification of exemption from examinations separately.

As for what the Renzi system is?
It was a system in which the sons of high-ranking officials entered officialdom based on the merits of their fathers and brothers. However, after Zhang Yu's reform, unless they were sons of founding marquises or received imperial decrees, other officials were not eligible to enjoy the system of appointing sons.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yao secretly sighed that his emperor truly understood how to collect taxes. Although the above taxes were not mandatory, they were, for many people, a mandatory taxation.

Such as a "gate tax"?
Which powerful clan in a region doesn't like to enhance its prestige? It's possible that some powerful clans might even raise their clan taxes to differentiate themselves from ordinary clans.

Local powerful families' refusal to pay the clan tax would be perceived by outsiders as a sign of poverty. While clan power wasn't measured by money, money was still a factor in assessing a powerful family's strength.

The clan tax was one shi (a unit of dry measure) per male adult, with 100 men paying 100 shi. If each prefecture had four major clans paying the clan tax, and each clan had fifty male adults, that would mean 200 shi. With over 100 prefectures in the country, this would amount to nearly 30,000 shi of grain annually. While 30,000 shi of grain may not seem like much, it was still a significant source of extra income.

"What are your thoughts, gentlemen?" Zhang Yu asked the crowd again.

Du Ji said, "Your Majesty's proposed aristocratic tax and asset fee are feasible in my opinion. However, the specific details of the collection need to be carefully discussed."

As he spoke, Du Ji added, “Now that Your Majesty wishes to implement a clan tax, in my opinion, Your Majesty should order the creation of a register to include the prominent families of all the prefectures and counties in the land, based on the lineage of their family learning, the prominence of their ancestors, and the amount of their current wealth, and then divide them into five ranks of clans. Each rank is different; in addition to paying taxes, they must also have a distinguished ancestor or a distinguished official position in their current generation.”

Guo Tu enthusiastically said, "I think Lord Du's words are feasible. If households are divided into three classes and nine ranks, how can there be no distinction between high and low among clans?"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Let me consider the matter of classifying officials; the Ministry of Personnel can discuss the other matters first!"

"promise!"

The old saying, "The upper ranks have no poor families, the lower ranks have no noble families," reflects the social context of the Nine-Rank System during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. The system divided families into nine ranks based on their household status, which in turn corresponded to nine ranks of official positions. The upper-ranking noble families held high-ranking official positions and, in order to exclude others, used their influence to marginalize scholars from poor families.

Although Zhang Yu now intends to levy a tax on powerful clans to enrich the national treasury, this does not mean he intends to replicate the nine-rank system of the Wei and Jin dynasties. If powerful clans were to establish their own ranks, it would inevitably affect the atmosphere of officialdom, and consequently Zhang Yu's rule and the livelihood of the people. (End of Chapter)