When we talk about the imperial examination system in ancient China, we usually think of it as a matter of Confucianism. It seems that scholars who are interested in the imperial examination are all descendants of sages and students of Confucius and Mencius.
hey, actually, this answer is not necessarily right. At least in some special periods, the imperial examination is not just a matter of Confucianism.
First, the imperial examination system started small
Friends who are familiar with history must know that this imperial examination system is an invention patent of Chinese civilization, and it has not been easy along the way. Selecting talents is a very complicated systematic project in itself. From the pre-Qin "selecting from villages" to the "imperial examination system" in the Han Dynasty, and then to the "nine-grade system" in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was not until the Southern and Northern Dynasties that the examination began to take place, and it was the Sui and Tang Dynasties that the imperial examination was truly established.
It seems very simple for us to open the subject examination today, as if it is a natural process, but in fact, its final formation has experienced thousands of years of exploration.
Second, the Imperial Examination in the Tang Dynasty
But in any case, in the Tang Dynasty, our talent examination system was finally settled!
However, compared with the imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Great Tang Dynasty, it is really all-encompassing. There are only more than 5 kinds of general subjects, such as Scholar, Ming Jing, Jinshi, Scholar, Ming Fa, Ming Zi, Ming Shu, Yi Shi, San Shi, Dao Ju, and Tong Zi.
These different subjects not only have different emphases during the examination, but also have different learning directions. For example, Ming Law focuses on laws and regulations, Ming Calculus focuses on mathematical calculation, and History I and History III focus on testing historical knowledge.
How about it? Is this subject like the various professional classifications we took part in the postgraduate entrance examination today? Looking at the classification of disciplines, the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty obviously paid more attention to the cultivation of professionals. There are more than 5 subjects to choose from, so students can give full play to their advantages and choose longboards.
iii. Ming Jing and Tao Ju
Among them, the Tao Ju is worth discussing!
Although we all know that the Lao Li family in the Tang Dynasty believed in Taoism, is this Taoist act really related to Taoism?
hey, it really matters!
when it comes to exegesis, you have to talk about the Ming Sutra first. The so-called "Ming Jing" means learning from the classics. To test this subject, candidates need to be familiar with Confucian classics (especially the Thirteen Classics) and then familiar with them. To put it bluntly, this tests memory to a great extent.
It is precisely because of the high demand for memory that the older you get, the more your memory will decline. If a person is over 3 and has not passed the Ming Classics test, it is estimated that this will be his life. That is why there is a saying that "fifty scholars are less, and thirty people are old." Many awesome characters, for example, Yuan Zhen, passed the Ming Classics Examination before the age of 2, and had already passed the Ming Classics Examination at the age of 14.
As I mentioned earlier, the key reference of Ming Classics is Confucian classics, such as The Book of Rites, Zuo Zhuan in the Spring and Autumn Period, Mao Shi, Zhou Li, Yi Li, Zhouyi, Shangshu, Biography of Gongyang in the Spring and Autumn Period, Biography of Guliang in the Spring and Autumn Period, The Analects of Confucius and Filial Piety, which is also true.
But it doesn't matter, because the Lao Li family in the Tang Dynasty believed in Taoism. In fact, establishing religious belief is not only a superstition of the Lao family, but also has a lot to do with the political stability of the Li and Tang dynasties-the Taoist ancestor of the Lao family, do you ordinary people have it?
since the founding emperor Tang Gaozu, Lao Li's family has had a soft spot for Taoism. In the eighth year of martial arts, Tang Gaozu made a special order to rearrange the three religions: Taoism first, Confucianism second and Buddhism third. Taoism is already supreme, but at this time, it can't enter textbooks.
Soon, the authority of the Tang Dynasty was handed over to Tang Gaozong. Although Li Zhi, the emperor of the Emperor Gaozong, was incompetent, he carried out the national policy of worshipping Taoism very thoroughly. Even in his hands, the saying that Lao Zi became the emperor-the emperor of Xuanyuan, and the old gentleman of later generations-began from then on.
Here, I have to talk about his wife Wu Zetian. When she saw that her husband and the emperor still had this hobby, her ability to cater to it came: "In December of the first year of Shang Yuan (674), twelve opinions were given, and every official was invited to learn Laozi." This is fun. All the officials have learned Laozi. Naturally, in 675 AD, Tang Gaozong "(imperial edict) scholars tried Laozi", and those who studied Ming Classics not only had to learn Laozi, but also had a particularly high position in the study of Confucian classics-it belonged to Shangjing!
At this point, Taoist classics have successfully landed in the scientific research textbook!
The trend of Taoist independence was more obvious in the Xuanzong period of the Tang Dynasty! Li Longji's admiration for Taoism is higher than his grandparents' and grandfathers'. He not only personally annotated the Tao Te Ching, but also issued the Imperial edict to make all roads in Beijing and Guangdong resettle the Temple of Emperor Xuanyuan in the 29th year of Kaiyuan (741). This imperial edict is even more interesting. Not only should all provinces set up temples for Taishang Laojun, but they should also set up a school for worshipping the Xuan in laojunmiao. Those who have learned well can also recommend taking exams in Beijing.
Hey, this marks: From then on, Daoju was officially separated from Mingjing, and it became an independent imperial examination category! Of course, its examination content is also richer. Besides Laozi, Zhuangzi, Liezi, Wen Zi and Geng Sang Zi have been added.
Later, because Laozi is also known as the Moral True Sutra, Zhuangzi was renamed the South China True Sutra (Zhuangzi's South China Real Person), Liezi was renamed the Chongxu True Sutra (Liezi's Chongxu Real Person), and Wen Zi was renamed the Tongxuan True Sutra (Wen Zi's Tongxuan Real Person) and. Don't Confucianism have thirteen classics? This time, Taoism also collected the Five Classics.
Fourth, scholars and Taoists
The eyes of traditional scholars are mostly fixed on the Ming Classics and Jinshi, and the sudden emergence of Taoists has opened up a new way for the majority of candidates to choose.
In those years, many celebrities joined the army of Taoist studies because of Taoist activities.
Bai Juyi, for example, passed the more difficult Jinshi and, but Lao Bai's Taoist studies were not left behind. He once wrote poems such as Reading Laozi, Reading Zhuangzi, Yi Lao and Reading Tao Te Ching. In "Village Resignation to Zhang Yinheng", Bai Juyi also wrote: "A sick man in the Jin village has a wandering life. Just look at Laozi's five thousand words and don't rush to Chang' an. "
Qian Qi also wrote in "seeing Li Qitong off as an official in his hometown": "In a few years, I learned the important things deeply and passed the virtuous barrier in one fell swoop. When the name and Xuanzhu come out, it is appropriate to return to the hometown. "
when it comes to the origin of Tao Ju, I have to focus on Li Shangyin. Li Shangyin, a teenager with a weak crown, didn't have a clear understanding of his talent. Especially after his father died, he was eager to change the status quo. Around the age of 14, he went to Yuyang Mountain, a Taoist resort at that time, to study Taoism. It was also here that he met his first love Song Huayang.
Although Li Shangyin was a scholar in the end, Taoism study did not provide much help for his later career. However, the Untitled series, which makes future generations look hazy, is said to record his youthful love with Song Huayang. This may be the unintentional insertion of Tao Ju.
In fact, many people have reached the peak of their lives through Tao Ju, such as Yuan Zai, Yao Ziyan, Du Guji, Feng Zihua and others.
V. Decline of Daoju
It started with Daoju in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and eventually it went into decline. From the establishment of Daoju in the 29th year of Kaiyuan (741) to its formal abolition in the period of Li Siyuan in the Five Dynasties (93), Daoju * * * lasted for 189 years.
Perhaps the reason why it was abolished was that its idea of inaction was incompatible with the governance in troubled times of the Five Dynasties.