Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 341 Selection Criteria
Hearing Yan Tingzhi say this, Zhang Dai was dumbfounded, and even after leaving Yan Tingzhi's house, his thoughts were still a bit jumbled.

The son that Yan Tingzhi wanted to entrust to him was Yan Wu, the eldest brother of Du Fu in the future and who served as the military governor of Jiannan after the An Lushan Rebellion.

Well, this kid was born with a violent temper and treated human life like dirt. So much so that when he died suddenly in middle age, his mother was both horrified and relieved, sighing that she no longer had to worry about being burdened by this son and becoming a government slave.

Raising a son for someone else is a heavy responsibility, let alone for someone like Yan Wu, who is a born bad seed.

Zhang Dai really didn't want to take on this hot potato from the bottom of his heart. He even wanted to turn back and persuade Yan Tingzhi to be more magnanimous. He suggested that Yan Tingzhi kowtow to his teacher's wife, saying that he couldn't let his child lose his mother and Yan Tingzhi lose his wife.
However, he also knew Yan Tingzhi's character well. If he dared to offer such advice, it would not only add fuel to the fire, but they might also sever ties. As for Yan Tingzhi actually wanting to entrust his son to him, Zhang Dai was quite surprised, but upon reflection, he didn't really have a better choice.

Although Yan Tingzhi was not from a poor family and his family was quite large, his family traditions were somewhat eccentric. He had a cousin named Yan Anzhi, who was a notorious cruel official during the Tang Dynasty.

Once, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang held a cultural performance at the Qin Zheng Tower for the people of the city to watch. However, the audience made a ruckus and the scene became chaotic and difficult to control, which greatly displeased Emperor Xuanzong.

Gao Lishi suggested summoning Yan Anzhi to maintain order. Upon arriving at the scene, Yan Anzhi drew a line with his hand and declared that anyone who crossed the line would be executed. The grand feast lasted for five days, and not a single person dared to cross the line.

This story may be fictional, but Yan Anzhi's image as a cruel official is vividly portrayed. Yan Tingzhi was already a rare exception among his family, a good shoot emerging from a bad bamboo, so it's only natural that Yan Wu, growing up in such a family, developed such a temperament.

Yan Tingzhi had many friends, but not many were suitable to entrust his son to. Zhang Dai, in terms of family background, his own situation, and most importantly, their relationship, was a relatively suitable candidate.

However, although Yan Tingzhi said that, they were not officially divorced yet, and even if they were, he might not send his son over. So Zhang Dai stopped worrying about it and started to consider the less-than-optimistic situation of the upcoming examination.

After leaving Yan Ting's house, it was already late and curfew was about to begin. To avoid getting into trouble for breaking the curfew, Zhang Dai hurried home.

During his journey, he couldn't help but sigh that although the curfew policy implemented by the Tang Dynasty greatly suppressed the release of urban vitality and hindered the development of citizens' lives and commerce, it did effectively control the occurrence of conspiracies and turmoil.

Even someone like Zhang Dai, who is always up to no good and constantly trying to cause trouble, has to be kept on a tight schedule, working late into the night and returning early from his nine-to-five job. Who could stand that? Moreover, even if any disturbances occur, they are limited to a few neighborhoods and won't spread throughout the city in an instant, giving the city guards ample time to react.

It can be said that the emperors of the Tang Dynasty were quite thorough in preventing peasant uprisings, but they were not good enough in managing their own families, resulting in "their doors being always open," with people and ghosts coming and going through the Xuanwu Gate.

It wasn't until the current sage fixed this bug that his children and grandchildren were completely ruined. Even if one or two decent ones occasionally emerged, they were all petty and cunning, with plenty of scheming and trickery but lacking in great talent and strategy.

Just before the last drumbeat of the street, Zhang Dai returned to his home in Yonglefang. Upon arriving home, he found Pei Guangting and several court officials in the main hall, in addition to his grandfather.

The group had gathered to plan how to help Pei Guangting become prime minister, but the meeting wasn't held at Pei Guangting's home; instead, Pei Guangting was to come to Zhang Shuo's house.

This was not because Pei Guangting suspected his wife of having an affair and dared not bring her home to keep it a secret, but because Pei Guangting was in a relatively weak position in this collaboration. The reason was that Pei Guangting's qualifications were rather weak, especially compared to the other top contenders.

Li Yuanhong, the prime minister, was also hindered by his lack of seniority. In the early years of the Kaiyuan era, he was promoted from the magistrate of Wannian County to the governor of Jingzhao. Later, he entered the court and served as the vice minister of the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel. With such seniority, he was only appointed as the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue when he was selected to serve as the minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Pei Guangting was the son of the famous minister Pei Xingjian, and his mother served as a palace lady for a long time during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. His starting point was not low. Unfortunately, because he married Wu Sansi's daughter, he remained silent for several years after Wu Sansi was killed. He did not return to the court to serve as an official until the Kaiyuan era. After the Fengshan ceremony in the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan, he was promoted to Vice Minister of War. In total, he only served for a little over three years.

Moreover, Pei Guangting did not achieve any outstanding results during his tenure as Vice Minister of War. He was completely overshadowed by Xiao Song, who served in the same department, had made meritorious contributions both inside and outside the government, and had now successfully become Prime Minister.

While the political and personnel struggles of the Kaiyuan era are quite chaotic, they are not as murky as those of the Tianbao era, where even a cunning and exceptional individual like Yang Guozhong could enjoy a period of immense power. Appointing a prime minister still requires certain qualifications, and without sufficient personal ability, even if one becomes prime minister, it is difficult to maintain a foothold in the fierce personnel battles.

For someone with Pei Guangting's qualifications to become prime minister, without a senior and respected minister to guide and promote him, he might not even pass the nomination stage. Take Cui Mian and Lu Congyuan, for example; they have been hovering at the door of prime ministership for many years, just one step away. In terms of qualifications and prestige alone, they completely surpass Pei Guangting.

Therefore, the current cooperation is still mainly led by Zhang Yue, and Pei Guangting still has to follow his arrangements. However, this situation will not last long. As long as Pei Guangting successfully becomes prime minister, the way they get along will have to be adjusted immediately, and Pei Guangting will become the dominant one in the relationship.

This isn't about abandoning someone after they've served their purpose, but rather the awareness one should have in the world of fame and fortune. Frankly speaking, the appointment of such high-ranking officials doesn't involve any favors bestowed upon anyone else. Zhang Yue chose Pei Guangting because he possessed such talent, ability, and potential for advancement. It was a mutual selection, not a one-sided act of charity.

After Zhang Dai entered the hall, he first paid his respects and then obediently sat at the end of the table, listening attentively as Zhang Dai spoke about the matters they were discussing.

Zhang Yue also discussed with Pei Guangting topics related to the selection and examination of officials: "The affairs of the court are not yet peaceful, and the selection of officials is becoming increasingly bloated year by year. The Emperor has issued edicts year after year to search for and select officials from among the common people, which shows that he is very dissatisfied with the selection process."

The candidates currently selected by the selection committee are of mixed quality, making it difficult for the public to discern their merits. Numerous avenues for bribery and favoritism are difficult to prevent, leading some to argue that the current selection process may be as precarious as it was during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. With such a complex selection system, difficulty in promoting talented individuals, and widespread discontent among scholars, how can the world maintain peace for long?
Your late father, the late Duke Wenxi, served as the Director of Personnel Selection during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He was widely praised for his excellence, and the various methods he established for personnel selection are still relied upon today. Liancheng's family has a long and distinguished academic tradition, a significant advantage for you…”

As the saying goes, "like begets like," people often believe that talents and abilities are inherited through bloodlines; if the father possesses a certain skill, the son will inevitably be exceptional as well. While this view is unreliable, it still carries considerable influence.

Pei Guangting's father, Pei Xingjian, was in charge of the selection of officials in the Ministry of Personnel for a long period during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. He also created a series of regulations for the selection of officials, such as the long list of names and annotations. This family background was Pei Guangting's biggest advantage in running for prime minister.

Zhang Yue made this analysis hoping that Pei Guangting could make a difference in this area, rather than being confined to his position as Vice Minister of War. Moreover, Xiao Song is currently serving as Minister of War, and as a prime minister who has just returned from a great campaign, Pei Guangting has no way to compete with him in this regard.

"Regarding the selection of officials, I have also given it some thought and drafted a plan, which I call the 'Qualification-Based Method,' which traces back to the 'Year-Based System' of the Later Wei Dynasty..."

Pei Guangting had clearly thought about this as well, and after hearing Zhang's analysis, he shared his own thoughts.

Zhang Dai sat at the table, listening to Pei Guangting recount his ideas on reforming the selection system. What he described was the merit-based system, which had been praised and criticized throughout history. This system involved officials participating in the selection and appointment process based on their seniority, and as long as they had enough seniority, they could be registered and appointed to office.

This election law, which selects officials based on seniority rather than ability, was extremely controversial and faced tremendous criticism from the outset. Not only the prime minister Xiao Song, but even senior and highly respected officials like Song Jing strongly opposed it.

Pei Guangting was well aware of his own limitations, so after explaining his plan, he sighed and said, "However, this method uses seniority as the criterion, which is clear and straightforward, but I fear that those with ulterior motives might accuse it of being a heretical scheme. If I were to present it to the Emperor now, I fear that before I even receive His Majesty's approval, I would be met with accusations from his followers..."

"Selecting and appointing officials should be done with the aim of making the best use of talents, so that no worthy person is overlooked. This is an old saying. But it is easier said than done! There are so many talented people in the world whose talents are admired by all. If they are not appointed, the world will complain. There are so many important positions, both inside and outside the country, that are eager for virtuous people to come and do their work."
Every year during the selection period, tens of thousands of candidates wander around the capital region, lingering and feeding on their grievances, lamenting their failure to be selected. In recent years, there have been even more people entering officialdom through various means, making it difficult to prevent them from gaining entry. Everyone claims to be talented and craves prominent positions. How can we select them without disappointing the public? Seniority is the clearest and most transparent criterion. This plan is indeed excellent, but it must be kept secret until the matter is finalized!

Zhang said he agreed with the method of selecting people based on qualifications. The reason was simple: the method of selecting people that includes all the virtuous and talented is only an ideal state. In the actual election process, the most common question is why he was elected and I was not? What is his strength compared to me and what is my weakness compared to him?

There's no concrete standard for measuring talent, especially during the months-long selection process each year. How could one clearly assess the abilities of everyone participating in the selection before assigning them a suitable official position? Even Heaven couldn't do that, let alone the selection officials!

There are always people who are full of resentment, self-loathing and frustrated, who want to curse God and defy fate. How can we deal with that?
After Zhang finished expressing his views, he noticed Zhang Dai hesitating to speak, so he pointed at him and asked with a smile, "What else do you have to say?"

(End of this chapter)