Chastity Layman

Farewell, Changan.

The boat was sailing along the Bahe River, looking at the White Deer Plateau in the distance, there was a Jingyu ditch, and the cherry blossoms in the ditch were beautifully blooming for ten miles, but at this time Qin Lang didn't have the leisure and ambition to take his concubines and children to enjoy the flowers.

Looking at the Qinling Mountains, which looks like the great Great Wall stretching across the sky, we arrived at Lantian Pass all the way.

Languan was renamed Qingniguan in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and it was moved to Gugaoguan in the Sui Dynasty.

A blue pass connects the north and south of the Qinling Mountains.

Among the staff who followed Qin Lang to the south, some couldn't help but recite poems and prose, all of them flirting.

"Please Wei Gong comment on my work."

Someone even asked Qin Lang to compose a poem.

"Wei Gong was relegated to the celestial world. I haven't heard the masterpieces of poets for a long time. Why don't I compose a poem today?"

Qin Lang was riding a black leopard head. During the Xuanwumen Revolution, this thousand-mile steed charged Qin Lang into battle. A newborn calf was not afraid of tigers. Now ten years later, this horse is still young and strong. It's just that he has been pampered and pampered in Beijing for a long time. His fur is smooth and smooth, he is tall and handsome, but in fact he is already a bit of a spoiled child.

Horses can't be kept idle. They look good when they are idle, but in fact their performance is not as good as before.

Leopard Tou looks handsome on horseback now, but he can't do it on the battlefield.

But Qin Lang didn't feel bad at all, this horse used to be his partner, so it didn't matter if it was raised or abandoned. The leopard swung its head and hoofed, with a haughty and dignified expression, like a king of horses patrolling the territory.

The son, Qin Jun, and his brothers also each rode a tall horse, but they were all descendants of the leopard head, and all of them inherited the blood of the leopard head. They were black and shiny, tall and handsome.

The ten-year-old eldest son, Qin Jun, has the true lineage of the Qin family. He is already very tall at such a young age. He is dressed in vigorous clothes, with a golden mace hanging on his saddle, with a bow and arrows on his back, and he is dressed like a general of the Wu family.

"Grandpa, let's have a song."

Qin Lang laughed.

He does not write many poems now, so there is no need for them, and occasionally, when he is touched by the scene, he happens to think of some well-known famous poems, and he can't help but recite one or two poems.

Because what he recited are considered to be masterpieces through the ages, so Qin Lang's reputation as a poetic immortal has not fallen over the years.

In Languan at the end of March, under the blue sky and white clouds is the Qinling Mountains and Rivers with Qingdai, the mountain flowers are blooming, and a blue river winds through the mountain.

This is a completely different scene from Guanzhong Chang'an.

At this time, he thought of a famous poem by Han Yu.

When he was demoted, he passed through Languan, wrote a famous article through the ages, and moved left to Languan to show his nephew Sun Xiang.

"A letter from the court to the nine heavens, and eight thousand Chaozhou roads in the evening. If you want to eliminate evils for the sage, you will be willing to decline and cherish the dying years. Where is the home of Yunheng Qinling? It’s good to collect my bone miasma by the river.”

Qin Lang finished reciting the poem right away, but there was silence all around.

No one expected Duke Wei to write such a poem. Why did Duke Wei write this poem when he was in the midst of a happy spring?

Wei Gong has not been relegated, let alone the pessimistic thoughts revealed in the poem.

"Why did Duke Wei say that?"

It is said that songs express aspirations and poems express feelings.

But this poem is too abrupt, which makes Monk Zhang Er confused.

Some staff members even couldn't help thinking, could it be that Duke Wei was really demoted from the court this time? In Chang'an, he was demoted from the center because of certain things that angered the emperor?

"Hahaha, look at the way you all search your brains and think hard. Poems are not necessarily all about your own affairs. I just thought of a story about an ancient virtuous minister who passed by Languan after being banished, so I just used his identity to make such a poem."

This explanation was a bit far-fetched, but it made sense, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

These staff members follow Duke Wei not only because of Duke Wei's reputation, but also because they want to gain some experience in government affairs by entering the shogunate of Duke Wei as a step up, especially to accumulate some valuable contacts. It is easier to be recommended by Duke Wei to become an official, or to be promoted.

And it's true.

Duke Wei has always been known for his generosity in supporting his subordinates, and many staff members in Duke Wei's shogunate were quickly recommended by him. Duke Wei's name is very useful. Therefore, whether it is a scholar without official status, or a Mingjing Jinshi with an imperial examination background, many people take the initiative to squeeze their heads and want to enter Wei Gong's shogunate, because this is a shortcut to the south.

Entering the Duke of Wei's shogunate is faster and faster than Mingjing and Jinshi's imperial examinations, especially for some scholars who have neither background nor ability to enter high school. Some people spend half their lives depressed, but as long as they can get If Wei Gong appreciates it, the times will turn around.

In Duke Wei's place, your background is not all important, but your talent is more important. No matter what talent you are, as long as you have a skill, whether it is good at poetry, poetry, crafts and architecture, or bravery Fighting, or being good at arithmetic and financial management, proficient in legal proceedings, etc., can all have a place to play.

Over the years, countless unsuccessful scholars wanted to become Qin Lang's staff and guests. As long as they entered Wei Gong's shogunate, they would immediately receive generous treatment, not to mention a bright future.

Therefore, everyone also hoped that Duke Wei would have a prosperous family and a prosperous official career. These days, although the powerful and noble families like to recruit guests and staff, there are a few who are really kind to the staff and can really arrange the future for the staff.

Some people work for them for a lifetime, and there is no arrangement in the end. Many people just have a good reputation as a corporal, or they just like to raise soldiers for appearance, and they don't really know how to employ people.

Someone once said that the Sui and Tang Dynasties were the last glory of the gentry, and it is true.

Although the Sui Dynasty opened the imperial examination system, Li Shimin carried him forward even more, but in fact, the imperial examination is still only one of the channels for obtaining scholars in the Tang Dynasty, and even the imperial examination accounts for a very small proportion of the country's employment. part.

The imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty have developed more than a dozen subjects. Among the major subjects in the Changke, Jinshi subjects are getting more and more important. As for explaining the subjects of Daoming Buddha, which are specially set up to control Buddhism and Taoism, let alone.

Except for the two subjects of Jinshi and Mingjing, the others have been reduced to the way of selecting officials.

But even for the Jinshi department, now there is a regular system of one subject for three years. After passing the three-level examination system of the county examination, the township examination, and the general examination, the final selection is level by level, scholar, scholar, and Jinshi, but only about 300 Jinshi are admitted for one subject.

For a huge empire, three hundred people are really not worth mentioning, not to mention, these Jinshi admitted through the imperial examination, in addition to the top three in the first class, will be given special attention, and can enter the secretary prison to be a proofreader, orthographic , even if he is a second-class Jinshi, he can only start as a ninth-rank small official in the six departments of the six departments of the three provinces of the capital.

As for the top three Jinshi, these people have to go back to the Guozijian for another year, and then pass the examination by the Ministry of Officials. After passing, they have to practice in the Yamen of the capital for one year. After passing the exam, they will be awarded officials.

But often you still have to be elected, it just depends on whether there is a position for you.

The key reason for this kind of difficulty in candidates is that there are not many places left for these Jinshi in the Tang Dynasty. The county lieutenant started these duties.

As in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is impossible to confer a seven-rank sesame county magistrate for a Jinshi in one middle school, which is impossible now.

The county magistrate is the chief official of a county. Without some real achievements and enough time experience, it is impossible to directly appoint the county magistrate.

Most of the top three Jinshi are arranged to serve as recorders, even Cao Zuo, who may not be a high-ranking official. As far as this is concerned, there is still a quota limit, and more places are reserved for scholars admitted through other channels.

There are several ways to obtain scholars in the Tang Dynasty. The children of high-ranking officials of noble families and relatives entered the officialdom through family background, which accounted for a large proportion. As long as they can become officials of the fifth rank or above, their children and grandchildren have the opportunity to obtain the qualification of family background. , this system can be said to be the greatest care for noble officials, ensuring the birth and continuation of each family dignitary.

The second is the recommendation system, also known as the recommendation system. From the prime minister to the county magistrate, everyone has the obligation and power to recommend talents to the imperial court.

These recommended talents will be awarded official positions after passing multiple assessments. There is also a special quota for recommending imperial examinations, called Xiang Gongsheng.

Officials also have certain responsibilities for recommending talents, so they are not recommended casually. Generally, they recommend talents they know and are familiar with, but more often, officials will also give priority to recommending their relatives, friends, old students, etc. Wait, at least it is to recommend one's own staff and staff. No one will casually recommend people they don't know or even have nothing to do with. This is a political resource, and it is also very valuable. They even have to bear a certain responsibility for recommending, so there is no way It is even more difficult for a poor family scholar to get a recommendation.

Men Yin and recommendation accounted for the vast majority of candidates in the Tang Dynasty, so the imperial examination was just a single-plank bridge. Thousands of troops and horses squeezed it every year, but very few passed, and most of them were not from noble families. My son, I can only hope for the recommendation.

If you want to be recommended by an official, you need to recommend yourself first. The best way to recommend yourself is to be a guest, prove your talent with practical actions, get appreciation and then get a chance to be recommended.

Officials of different levels have different opportunities for recommendation.

Duke Wei's recommendation is the one with the highest gold content.

Entering Wei Gong's shogunate is also a single-plank bridge with thousands of troops and horses, and they only come in after a lot of selection and assessment. Their future prospects, from the moment they enter, are closely related to the fate of the shogun Qin Lang.

Even if they become officials in the future, they will leave Qin Lang's label on them, and it will not change for the rest of their lives. Therefore, their relationship with Qin Lang will be both prosperous and ruined.

That poem was really a bit unlucky and ruined the good atmosphere, so everyone lost the mood to recite poems and fu. Although the poem was indeed a good one, and it was an excellent work, everyone didn't want to mention it again.

After crossing the blue pass, look back at Chang'an.

Let Chengqian take care of himself in Chang'an, and hope he can wake up.