Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 14 The Gentry and the Selection of Officials
In the side hall, Huang Tian's spirit tablet was enshrined on the main altar. In front of the altar was a rough pottery incense burner, burning the most common pine and cypress resin. Incense was not usually burned in this hall, but it was specially lit this time for the sake of the third senior brother, Xin Mao'an, who had returned from collecting grain.

Wisps of smoke curled through the hall as the nine members of the master's group knelt in a tai chi circle. Zhang Chengfu and Gao Daonu sat opposite each other, listening intently to the conversation at the head of the table. From those few words, a glimpse of the world of the Han aristocratic class was revealed.

"Mao'an, you spent a long time talking with the Geng family this time... Did you discuss anything else? For example, the major events that have recently occurred in the state?"

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao looked at his third disciple, Xin Mao'an, who came from a noble family, with a gentle expression. This third disciple was from a collateral branch of the Xin clan of Zhongshan. Although he came from an ordinary family, with the support of his master's reputation, he had the right to enter the inner circle and talk with aristocratic families.

Of the remaining seven disciples, apart from the eldest disciple Ma Yuanyi, the other six were not from aristocratic families and would find it difficult to enter the homes of powerful clans, let alone know the latest news about the aristocratic families of Ji Province or the Han Dynasty.

The social circle of the aristocratic class is largely determined at birth. Those not born into it face immense difficulty in gaining entry, and even if they do, they are considered inferior. Even Liu Yu's achievements were looked down upon by the aristocracy; the situation was even more dire for others.

"Major events in the state? Yes, teacher. I've been talking with the head of the Geng family for half a month. The most important thing in Jizhou right now is that the newly appointed governor, Lord Li, is going to inspect the talents in the prefectures and determine the number of candidates for the civil service examination this year. He'll also recruit some sons from the major clans to fill the positions of officials in the various prefectures of Jizhou. It's said that as the newly appointed governor, Lord Li is also planning to show special favor and recommend several outstanding talents to the court!"

Xin Mao'an was in high spirits, and when he mentioned "recommending filial and incorruptible talents", he sat up straight.

Undoubtedly, in the eyes of the powerful clans of Jizhou, this year's great plague and famine were not even considered a "top priority." As long as each family blocked the roads and closed their manors, the number of commoners who died outside was insignificant. In fact, the deaths of many commoners were a boon to the powerful clans, making land acquisition much easier. The real concerns of the gentry were the annual "recommendation of filial and incorruptible officials" and this year's exceptionally lenient "recommendation of outstanding talents" by the new governor!
"The imperial court selects officials through four main channels: recommendation, recruitment, recommendation, and appointing sons..."

Xin Maoan smiled slightly, glanced at his junior brothers below him, and explained in detail.

"These recruitment and recommendation are all aimed at 'virtuous scholars' who are renowned and possess both talent and virtue. Unless they are kind elders from prominent families in various prefectures, or famous scholars like the partisan gentlemen, ordinary gentry should not even think about it."

"As for 'Renzi' (sons of officials with official positions), they are the sons of high-ranking officials with salaries of two thousand shi or above. If they haven't committed any major offenses, they can be directly appointed as Langguan (a minor official position). However, this channel for appointment isn't exactly prestigious. It's mostly reserved for the sons of meritorious nobles, those incompetent direct descendants. Take, for example, the He family, a powerful maternal relative of the Empress Dowager. He Jin, the Prefect of Henan, had just become a two-thousand-shi official and immediately bestowed Langguan positions upon many of his clan's nephews and nieces, making them all 'Renzi'..."

At this point, Xin Maoan shook his head with a smile, a mocking expression on his face. Then, his expression turned serious, and he said solemnly.

"Ultimately, the recommendation system is the proper way for aristocratic families to select and appoint officials! According to the imperial law, upper prefectures and kingdoms with a population of 200,000 or more recommend one person for the civil service examination each year. Those with a population of 400,000 or more recommend two people for the same purpose each year. Lower prefectures and kingdoms with a population of less than 200,000 recommend one person for the same purpose every two years; those with a population of less than 100,000 recommend one person for the same purpose every three years..."

"The population of Ji Province is among the largest in the land. Wei Commandery, Qinghe State, Anping State, Julu Commandery, Changshan State, Zhongshan State, Hejian State, and Bohai Commandery all have populations of five or six hundred thousand, making them large commanderies capable of recommending two individuals for the title of 'Filial and Incorruptible'. The only one with a smaller population is Zhao State, with around two hundred thousand, which only has one quota for 'Filial and Incorruptible'. The entire Ji Province, with a population of four or five million, can produce 17 individuals recommended for the title of 'Filial and Incorrupt' each year!..."

"With a population of four to five million in Ji Province, why only select 17 sons of aristocratic families each year as candidates for officialdom through the merit-based system?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu pursed his lips, deep in thought. At this time, the distinction between "officials" and "clerks" was practically nonexistent, like parallel lines that would never intersect. The positions of "officials" were extremely scarce, with only a dozen or so available each year, clearly reserved for the upper-class gentry and even powerful families. Ordinary gentry and wealthy landowners could only aspire to positions as "clerks," specifically those under the jurisdiction of a prefecture, county, or even the lowest county. As for the common people and farmers, who comprised ninety percent of the population, they remained at the bottom for generations, with absolutely no chance of upward mobility!
"Mao'an, how were the seventeen candidates for the civil service examination in Ji Province allocated this year?"

Tang Zhou, the second senior brother, leaned slightly forward and looked at Xin Mao'an as he spoke. Although a minor official like himself was from a completely different world from those "aristocratic scions" who could be recommended for the civil service examination, this did not prevent him from paying close attention to this news. These "filial piety and incorruptibility" positions reflected the rise and fall of powerful families in various counties of Ji Province, and also symbolized the future and inevitable power of the imperial court!

"Haha! Senior Brother Tang Zhou, if you asked others, the information you get would certainly be inaccurate. But the information I brought back this time was personally told to me by the head of the Geng family, and it was obtained through prior communication with Governor Li..."

Xin Mao'an's lips curled up, and he slapped his thigh and laughed out loud. But he quickly realized that this behavior was somewhat presumptuous and did not conform to the respectful conduct of a Confucian disciple in front of his teacher. He quickly glanced at his teacher Zhang Jiao, who was listening calmly at the head of the table, bowed his head respectfully, and then continued.

"Teacher! The 17 candidates for the 'Filial and Incorrupt' position in Ji Province this year have been almost finalized. The talent selection and verification by Governor Li next is just a formality... well, maybe not. This year, with the 'Outstanding Talent' recommendation, there are extra 'Filial and Incorrupt' slots; perhaps two can be allocated to outstanding scholars from humble backgrounds..."

"Mao'an, tell me more details."

"Yes, teacher! First, in our Julu County, two spots for the title of 'filial and incorruptible' were given, one to the Geng family, a noble family with military merit, and the other to the Ju family, a prominent family in the county. Then, in Qinghe County, the Cui family of Qinghe, a prominent family in the county, took one spot, and the Zhang family of Qinghe, a prominent family in the county, took one spot."

Xin Maoan stretched out his finger and sketched on the soil, marking out all the most important aristocratic families in the nine prefectures of Jizhou, like a clear power map.

"The State of Zhao only had one spot, which was awarded to the Li family of Zhao Commandery, a prominent clan. The Li family is a long-established and prestigious family, descended from Li Mu, a general of Zhao during the Warring States period, and they even had a marriage alliance with the royal family at one time. However, in recent generations, the Li family has declined in strength and has somewhat fallen into disrepair..."

"Changshan State had two quotas. One was given to the Zhang family of Changshan, a prominent local clan, and the other remained vacant, in the hands of Governor Li. The Zhang family of Changshan was also a prominent local family, with generations of intermarriage with the Zhen family of Zhongshan. Most of the local officials in Changshan and Zhongshan came from these two families..."

Upon hearing the name "Changshan Kingdom," Zhang Chengfu's heart stirred. He thought for a moment and then asked.

"Senior Brother Mao'an, are there any aristocratic families with the surname Zhao in Changshan?..."

"Surname Zhao? The Zhao family of Changshan?... "

Upon hearing this, Xin Maoan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "There are no prominent families surnamed Zhao in Changshan Kingdom… but there is a powerful clan surnamed Zhao in Zhending County, the Zhending Zhao Clan. This clan isn't very prestigious, and it hasn't produced any notable figures; it doesn't meet the criteria for a county-level prominent family, at most it just has a large number of members. The Zhending Zhao Clan has never been selected for the annual recommendation of filial and incorruptible officials. Hmm, they're probably on par with the Wang Clan of Quyang in our Julu Prefecture…"

After saying that, Xin Maoan looked at Zhang Chengfu with a puzzled expression and smiled.

"Junior brother, where did you hear about this Zhao family of Zhending?"

"Oh! I heard from the previous disaster victims that the Zhao family of Zhen Ding has an outstanding nephew with exceptional martial arts skills, and it seems his name is simply Yun..."

Zhang Cheng remained calm and answered with a smile. Xin Maoan thought carefully for a moment and then shook his head.

"Zhao... Yun? I've never heard of any Zhao family member with outstanding martial arts skills, nor do I know anyone named Zhao Yun. The Zhang family of Hejian, however, is a prominent clan in Hejian. They have a young man who has just reached adulthood, and his archery and horsemanship are quite remarkable, named Zhang Junyi. It's said that Lord Li plans to promote him to the position of county commandant in Hejian Prefecture, with a rank equivalent to two hundred shi (a unit of grain measure). After a few more years of experience and achievements in capturing thieves and suppressing bandits... given the Zhang family's background, becoming a prefectural commandant with a rank of one thousand shi seems like a natural progression!"

"Commander of a Commandery with a rank of 1,000 shi..."

Upon hearing the official title of "rank of 1,000 shi," the second senior brother, Tang Zhou, sighed inwardly and lowered his head in silence.

Even from prominent families like the Zhang family of Hejian, a county-level elite, a member could steadily rise to the rank of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). Ordinary families from humble backgrounds, or those descended from minor officials, had to start as village clerks with a rank of several dozen shi, enduring years or even decades to become a county clerk with a rank of 200 shi. Reaching 600 shi by the end of one's life was considered an incredible stroke of luck. As for the scions of top-tier families who entered officialdom with a rank of 600 shi immediately, they were figures to be looked up to from afar, completely out of reach.

"Oh! It seems the villagers' rumors are wrong, and I misheard."

Zhang Chengfu smiled shyly and gave an embarrassed bow. Xin Maoan smiled and nodded, glanced at the pensive teacher, and continued his lecture.

"Having discussed Changshan State, the next naturally comes Zhongshan State. Zhongshan State had two quotas for the title of 'Filial and Incorruptible Official,' one of which was given to the prestigious Zhen family of Zhongshan. The Zhen family of Zhongshan has maintained a high official rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) for generations since the Former Han Dynasty, making them incredibly wealthy and powerful! However, the current head of the Zhen family, Zhen Yi, holds only a minor official position as the magistrate of Shangcai. And this time, the quota for the title of 'Filial and Incorruptible Official' was given to his second son, Zhen Yan..."

"I heard from the head of the Geng family that Zhen Yi used his connections with eunuchs to bribe the He family, the imperial clan, in an attempt to send Zhen Yan to He Jin's side as a subordinate official..."

At this point, Xin Maoan said with a mixture of disdain and undisguised envy.

"The Zhen family of Zhongshan, resorting to any means necessary, including currying favor with eunuchs, is truly determined to become part of the corrupt faction! This shortcut to advancement doesn't have a pleasant reputation!"

"The Zhen family of Zhongshan is extremely wealthy..."

Zhang Chengfu lowered his head slightly, images flashing through his mind, recalling some graceful and elegant figures. He calmed his mind and continued listening. Information about these Jizhou gentry was extremely difficult for someone of his background to obtain.

"The State of Zhongshan has one more spot, which Governor Li Gong is holding, but he hasn't decided who to give it to yet. It is said that the Prime Minister of Zhongshan sent someone to try to get a spot for a distant relative of the Liu family in the local royal family, but Governor Li Gong has neither agreed nor disagreed... However, there are so many descendants of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, numbering in the thousands, and the vast majority of them are no different from commoners. Right now, there are very few who can be considered royal relatives."

Mentioning "the Liu clan of Zhongshan," Xin Mao'an shook his head with a smile, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. There weren't enough spots for the gentry to go around, and now a Liu clan member from countless generations removed wanted one? The title of imperial relative of the Liu family was practically worthless—there were hundreds of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of them in the world!
"Needless to say, one of the two spots from Anping was given to the Cui family of Boling, and the other to the Gao family of Anping. Senior Brother Yuanyi must have met with the scions of those two families when he went to Anping to collect grain..."

Senior Brother Ma Yuanyi nodded calmly without saying a word. Xin Maoan smiled and continued.

"East of Anping, the two quotas for the Hejian Kingdom were given to the Zhang family of Hejian, a prominent family in the county, and the Xing family of Hejian, another prominent family in the county. One family is more military and the other is more civil, and both are prominent families in the county. The two families are suppressed by the King of Hejian and their power is limited to one county, which is quite interesting."

"Further east of Hejian lies Bohai Commandery, a major commandery of the time. It has a large population and numerous powerful and influential families. One of the spots for the title of 'filial and incorruptible official' will inevitably go to the Tian family of Bohai. The Tian family of Bohai are descendants of nobles from the State of Qi during the Warring States period, and they have been living in Nanpi County, the commandery's capital, for generations. With their vast landholdings and numerous servants, the Tian family can be considered one of the top families in Ji Province."

"And in this generation, the Tian clan of Bohai has produced an exceptionally outstanding young man named Tian Yuanhao. He is learned and talented, renowned as a child prodigy from a young age, and now in his early twenties, he is already highly regarded in Jizhou. Governor Li, always dedicated to selecting the virtuous and capable, has opened a special avenue for the selection of 'Maocai' (a type of scholar-official), allocating only two spots. One of these spots was given to Tian Yuanhao. The other spot was awarded to Cui Yan, Cui Jigui, an equally outstanding young man from the Cui clan of Qinghe..."

"Tsk tsk, selected as officials based on their outstanding talents, they'll immediately become county magistrates, holding a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). The entire 'shi' (a unit of grain measure) of talent in Ji Province is concentrated in these two!"

Xin Mao'an was filled with longing and yearning for the title of "Outstanding Talent." This was a higher rank than "Filial and Incorruptible" in the recommendation system, and it was a position that was only selected once every few years. Unfortunately, without a top-tier family background, coupled with outstanding scholarship and a renowned reputation, it was absolutely impossible to enter this path to success.

Upon hearing the name "Tian Feng," Zhang Chengfu looked up, lost in thought. The prestigious Tian family of Bohai, the birth of a top-tier scholar, and the renowned renown of his talent throughout the province—perhaps these were the very reasons behind Tian Feng's arrogance…

"As for the other spot in Bohai Commandery, it was given to the Gao family of Bohai. To be honest, the Gao family of Bohai was originally a family of upright officials, but now they seem to favor military merit. It's rumored that many members of the Gao family practice martial arts and archery, but their literary talents are lacking. And since Bohai is close to Youzhou, horses are readily available. The Gao family has even formed a cavalry force of a hundred men; I wonder what their purpose is in spending all their resources on this?"

At this point, the third senior brother, Xin Mao'an, shook his head and sighed. The world is unjust; even the powerful families and clans in various regions have their own agendas, and things have changed!
(End of this chapter)