The Imperial Examination was the highest level of the three-level imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty. It was also called the Imperial Examination at the time. It was an examination in which the emperor personally administered the exams to the candidates in the palace. Generally speaking, this examination would not result in demotion.
Gongsheng students will take the Chinese-style examination, but the emperor will probably adjust the rankings in the examination as appropriate.
It's a nice way of saying it, depending on the circumstances. If you want to put it more bluntly, it's actually adjusting according to the emperor's wishes. After the adjustment, the ranking will be the legendary palace examination gold list.
The results of the imperial examination are divided into three grades, namely first, second and third grades.
Yijia is also called Dingjia. There are only three people in total. According to the ranking, they are number one, second place, and top pick. Those who win the first grade are called "Jinshi and rank". These three have their own special characteristics, that is, once they are determined, they can be ranked first without going through
Those who are elected as Shujishi will directly enter the Hanlin Academy to serve. Generally speaking, the number one scholar in the first class will be directly assigned to the Imperial Academy as editor.
Just taller than everyone else.
The number of people in the second class is usually about fifty to eighty, and occasionally there are fewer or more people. Those who are in the second class are called "Jinshi origin". The number of the third class is usually 200 or more, and it is not fixed. Those who are in the third class,
It is called "being born with the same Jinshi". The second and third graders are required to participate in the election of Shujishi as a rule. Those who succeed in the election will be Hanlin officials, the most noble.
There is no need to worry for other candidates who have not passed the imperial examination. They may be awarded officials such as Shi, Censor, Chief, Zhongshu, Xingren, Jushi, Taichang, Guozi, etc., and their future is promising; or they may be awarded government officials, magistrates of prefectures, and county magistrates.
Waiting for foreign officials is also a position of real power.
However, there are differences between these three grades after all, especially because of the old system of "non-Hanlin will not be admitted to the cabinet", so the three Dingjia were called "celestial beings" by people at the time, while the second and third graders who were selected as Shujishi were called
The "half-way cultivators" are, after all, masters of immortality. They are much better than others who are basically unlikely to "become among the immortals".
The palace examination is held on March 15th, about half a month after the examination results are announced. Before the examination is held, the court must first determine a large number of examiners.
This matter has something to do with Emperor Shizong Jiajing. Let me explain. Before Jiajing, the emperor personally presided over the palace examinations. However, Emperor Jiajing was a shameless emperor who wanted power. His characteristic was that he often tampered with the ancestral system. For example, in the palace examinations,
He has changed his attitude here. He often does not conduct examinations in person, but only in name. The actual examinations are still handled by ministers.
Then the ministers who read the examination papers were needed, but since the emperor was nominally presiding over the examination, the other ministers could only condescend to be called "the examiners", which meant that they were just helping the emperor read the examination papers, and had no intention of infringing on the imperial power.
Zhu Yijun had taken two official palace examinations before, namely the Jiaxu Section in the second year of Wanli and the Dingchou Section in the fifth year of Wanli. Due to the young age of the emperor, he only presented his name and did not even show up. Both times, he was the chief assistant of Gu Ming.
Gao Gong acted as the file reader.
But this time, Zhu Yijun asked for the imperial examination in person, and the ministers - especially the cabinet - did not refuse.
The day before the palace examination, officials from Honglu Temple began to set up the throne and Huang's case. Officials from Guanglu Temple were responsible for setting up the examination table and arranging the seats for the candidates. Not to mention the etiquette department who was responsible for printing examination papers and preparing answer sheets. In short,
This symbolizes the highest-level talent promotion ceremony in the Ming Dynasty. Everything must be done by the civil servants themselves, and eunuchs and maidens are not allowed to interfere.
Early the next morning, before the Yin hour passed, under the dark night, the Gongshi who were taking the exam - also called "Chinese-style Jinshi" - were waiting in front of the gate of the Forbidden City, with their eyes open brighter than the lanterns next to them. , so excited that I couldn’t help myself.
What is the purpose of the reading test? Isn't it just for "Being a farmer in the morning and ascending to the emperor's hall in the evening"? Now after many waves and many inhumane examinations, the four hundred elites of the Ming Dynasty finally stood in front of the emperor's home. After completing the last jump of the carp leaping over the dragon gate, just thinking about it makes me tremble with excitement, as if I am shaking.
Moreover, unlike the nervousness and fear of the previous exams, the atmosphere before the palace examination was more of excitement and eagerness to try, because everyone knows that as long as they don't make any mistakes, the palace examination will not expel the candidates, but they will take the test. Ranking rearrangement is a process of "selecting the best among the best".
In other words, even if you do poorly in the exam, you can still be a fellow Jinshi who can be used immediately after ranking, and you can be a Qipin county magistrate. In fact, for many Jinshi, this is much more comfortable than sitting on the bench in Beijing. , especially for those in the same year whose rankings are relatively low in the examination - after all, the selection of the palace is difficult, and even if a Shujishi is selected, he is only the so-called prime minister.
Well... if you save for ten years, you will be a save. If you save for a lifetime, you will be a save. If you think the cabinet is like a Nancheng market, anyone can get in there and have fun?
Let’s think back. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, how many nobles have been at the forefront of the palace examinations, elected as gentry, and extremely noble, but have stayed in the Hanlin Academy drinking tea for decades and achieved nothing?
To be honest, there are many officials like this in the capital. Many of them have been waiting to die like this for most of their lives, and finally become a glorious official. What if you are not lucky enough and fail to find the right position in a certain struggle between big bosses? The rafters that got caught, or the fish in the pond that was affected, simply went home.
This is probably what is meant by the saying that a blessing in disguise is not a blessing, and a blessing in disguise is not a disaster.
And for the vast majority of candidates, who have ups and downs in officialdom and dangerous careers, the most reliable people in the future are actually the same students who are in the same year. Therefore, we, the newbies in the officialdom, must communicate with each other and support each other in order to survive in the officialdom where the jungle is full of monsters and monsters. Stand still.
In fact, after the joint examination, this group of people got together in the same year, and now they are very familiar with each other, but Gao Pragmatic is obviously an exception. He has a mansion in Beijing and doesn't move around much. Now when he looks up, everyone he knows is... I don't know if there are ten.
However, he was not in a hurry, because his name was now famous enough that people in the same year came to visit him. Gao Pragmatic did not rely on others, and used his skills as a secretary to face every newcomer enthusiastically and thoughtfully. We met each other in the same year, no matter whether they were from the south or the north, they could make people feel like a spring breeze and their goodwill would rise sharply.
Originally they were a little worried that the famous Gao Longwen, who not only had a distinguished family background and a prosperous literary reputation, but also did well in the exams, was always absent from the public. Could it be that he was too arrogant and difficult to contact? Now that they saw him, they were extremely worried. Come and see, this man is actually a master of all things, and everyone of his age is convinced by him.
Just as everyone's feelings were heating up rapidly, Mao hour arrived, the bell rang and the door opened. There was silence in front of the palace gate. The tense atmosphere suddenly emerged from the corner, occupying almost everyone's heart - everyone said they didn't care. But who doesn’t want to get a good rank in the exam? If you choose a Shujishi and you are lucky, you may be able to join the cabinet and become a prime minister in the future? So when the matter comes, everyone is full of energy and wants to make the final sprint. Bundle.
Even Xiao Liangyou, Zhang Taizheng and others all looked serious, even a little nervous.
The only person with a calm expression may be Gao Pragmatic - there is nothing he can do about it, he has been in and out of the Forbidden City for more than ten years, and he is as familiar with it as his own home. He can't get nervous even if he wants to!
He just stood so relaxed and comfortable, neither nervous nor frivolous. When the Chinese scholars behind him were so nervous that they were shaking while standing, they all admired him in their hearts - he is worthy of being a famous minister. The emperor's ministers, looking at her appearance, are you afraid that Gao Huiyuan is here for a spring outing?
At this time, the sky broke, and officials of all kinds began to enter the palace. The candidates stood aside in a polite manner, looking at the bachelors wearing python robes and jade belts with reverence; looking at those wearing red official robes with envy. The minister's minister with gold and silver belts looked expectantly at the chief minister in green robes. The minister's heart was extremely eager - Han Chuang had studied hard for so many years and finally reached the stage of being a "dressed beast"!
After the officials had finished entering, the Gongsheng students finally looked away, and immediately a salute officer from the Ministry of Etiquette loudly shouted: "By the Holy Order, the Gongsheng students of Wanli Gengchen Branch are declared to have an audience!"
