Wu, a novelist in Qing Dynasty, described this phenomenon in detail in The Scholars. Among them, Jin Fan's selection of Zhong Ju is the most impressive: when Jin Fan confirmed that he really won Zhong Ju, he was stunned and finally "ecstatic". This crazy scene after Jin Fanzhong's departure has been known to the world for hundreds of years. However, the book "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty" is very funny about this: "You may be crazy, too." So, why is this? This has to start with the imperial examination system at that time, Jin Fan's personal experience and the great benefits after the senior high school entrance examination.
0 1 On the Imperial Examination System
Speaking of it, the ancient imperial examination system in China originated from the Han Dynasty, and the real imperial examination was implemented from the Sui Dynasty.
From the first year of Yang Di the Great (605) to the thirty-first year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1905), the imperial examination system has existed in the history of China for as long as 1300 years. As a system of selecting talents, the imperial examination system has been followed or changed in various dynasties, but it generally has a relatively complete process system.
The author of The Scholars lived in Qing Dynasty and was created by Jin Fan. But the imperial examination system in Ming and Qing dynasties is basically the same. Therefore, take the imperial examination system at that time as an example: the official imperial examination in Ming and Qing Dynasties was divided into three grades: after the provincial examination, after the general examination, and after palace examination. Before the provincial examination, you must pass the children's examination to qualify for the official imperial examination. Those who take the children's exam are called Confucian scholars or children, and when they are admitted to the school, they are called students, and they begin to be disciplined by people like Zheng Xue. This step means the starting point of "taking the exam to become famous". In addition, students are graded and will be promoted according to their grades. The students with the best grades will be provided with food by the government.
Next, after obtaining the provincial examination, it is also called "Dabi" and "Qiu Wei", which is usually held once every three years in all provinces, also called Dabi. There is also a threshold for taking the rural examination: you must pass the scientific examination held by the provincial academic and political circuit and get good grades before you are eligible to be selected to take the rural examination. After getting the provincial exam, I became a juren.
Then there is the senior high school entrance examination, also known as Li Wei and Chunwei. Because the senior high school entrance examination was held in the Ministry of Rites the following spring after the provincial entrance examination, it was called Gong Shi after the senior high school entrance examination, and it was generally retested after the senior high school entrance examination.
All kinds of exams before the exam are mainly eight-part essay and poetry. There are restrictions and requirements in scope, words, structure, number of words and syntax, which is also the main reason why many literary works criticize the imperial examination.
Finally, of course, it is the court examination that the emperor personally asked, collectively known as Jinshi. Generally speaking, the imperial examination is divided into three classes: the first class is for Jinshi discipline, the second class is for Jinshi origin, and the third class is for fellow Jinshi origin. The first class only admitted three students, namely, the first and the second, Hua Tan. In addition to these three lucky students, they were immediately awarded the Hanlin Academy and the Confucian Academy. The rest of the Jinshi still need to take the entrance examination for selection and appointment, and then screen them according to their grades ... In short, studying for scientific research really has to go through countless levels and tests to get a part-time job.
Jin Fan, for example, studied at an early age, took more than 20 subjects before being admitted to a scholar, and passed the provincial examination at the age of 54, winning fame. Coupled with his living conditions at that time, once he won, he was unhappy and crazy.
Jin Fan before the middle school entrance examination: poor and down, everyone spit on him.
With ardent expectations for fame, Jin Fan tried to take the exam again and again, but failed again and again, and people around him looked down on him and laughed at him. Finally, he was admitted to the scholar at the age of 54, but people thought that the master gave him up out of pity.
Even his father-in-law, Hu, looked down on him. Even after Jin Fan became a scholar, he still insulted him: "worldly treasure", "poor ghost" and "decadent, honest and useless person"; Many words were unbearable, even cursing Jin Fan's mother. What about Jin Fan? Not only was he not angry at all, but Nuo Nuo only said that "father-in-law is very knowledgeable".
This is not to say that Jin Fan is born perfect, but that he is too humble and poor. Moreover, he is bent on studying for the exam, has no skills to make a living, and has no concern for the livelihood of his family. He depends on his mother and wife to support him. From the swearing words of my father-in-law, butcher Hu, we can know the life before going to college: "I didn't know that he had eaten lard two or three times in the past ten years", but when he came back from college in the village, "his family has been hungry for two or three days", and his family has always been so poor that it is often too poor to open the pot, so he saw that his mother was hungry to see clearly, but there was nothing he could do. Finally, according to her mother's instructions, she carried the old hen to sell. It can be said that Jin Fan's family economy is in a desperate situation at this time.
Half-life exams are repeated, life at home is unsustainable, and neighbors are sarcastic and abusive. Under such circumstances, they actually achieved the coveted fame! Jin Fan, who has been chasing fame and fortune for many years, certainly deeply understands the meaning behind "promoting people in high school", including wealth, social status and being sought after. Under the great impact, Jin Fan fainted first. After being rescued, he ran incoherently and fell into the pond. "His hair was unkempt, his hands were yellow and dirty, and he was dripping with water." He continued to go crazy.
Then, what are the benefits after the successful bid, which can surprise Jin Fan to this extent?
Various benefits after winning the bid in 2003.
First of all, social status has improved. This can be seen from everyone's attitude towards him after his promotion: his neighbors all called him "Master Fan", Hu praised him in various ways, and Zhang Jingzhai, a county official who was once called "Wenquxing", personally came to the door to engage in relationships ... In short, some people sent money to the manor, some people wanted to devote themselves to being servants, and some even delivered houses to help the troupe hold a big banquet to celebrate. After Jin Fan was promoted, his social status seemed to improve rapidly overnight. He can be on an equal footing with the gentry and sages, and the economic conditions at home are also rising. No one in the local area dared to laugh at him anymore. Jin Fan really changed his humble and cowardly performance in the past at once, and Zhang Jingzhai was able to get along well with everyone.
Second, there is no tax for juren to serve the corvee. Every dynasty has countless exorbitant taxes and levies, which are exploited at different levels. Even if people work hard every day, they still don't have enough to eat and don't wear warm clothes. With the status of juren, all these things are exempted. In order to avoid taxes, many rich gentry often secretly hang their industries under the name of juren, and the profits naturally accompany juren.
Third, enjoy special treatment: for example, you don't have to kneel and kowtow to officials. Also, if you are not careful about breaking the law and committing crimes, the government can't easily punish those who have fame and fortune, which is equivalent to having an amulet.
Fourth, I have the qualification to be an official. This is of course the biggest advantage. After the scholar gets the juror, he can not only go to Beijing to take the public examination, but also mean that he can start to be an official. At that time, local officials were selected, either from Beijing officials or from juren and Jinshi. If there is a good chance, Juren can be a county magistrate. What is the concept of a county magistrate? At least, this is more than10 million times higher than that before Jin Fan's promotion. It doesn't matter if you don't have a chance to be an official right away. There are generally few county officials, and local squires and juren still have a certain say in the management of local government affairs.
In addition to the main benefits mentioned above, jury status may bring more benefits. It is conceivable that a scholar who struggled in the quagmire of the bottom of society, everyone can rub and ridicule him, endured humiliation for more than 50 years and struggled all day. Finally, in the eyes of all those who humiliated him, he suddenly became an official of "Wenquxing" and added many benefits. This strong contrast is really difficult for ordinary people to control! No wonder Jin Fan became crazy after winning the lottery.
According to scholars, Jin Fan did not immediately become an official. His old mother was so excited about her son's turn for the better that she died before she could enjoy it. Therefore, Jin Fan continued to study and kept filial piety at home. After three years, I will continue to take the exam and get into the Jinshi. After being an official in Beijing for a period of time, he was transferred to Shandong as a "scholar", responsible for rectifying the style of writing and selecting talents from Shandong. It is conceivable that the acquisition of money and things is as simple as lifting a finger. Take the Qing Dynasty as an example. At that time, an official equivalent to Jin Fan could get 5,000 to 6,200 yuan a year just by "keeping money cheap", which was more than 27 times the annual salary of the governor.