The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 216 From Humble Beginnings to Wealthy Family
The steward led the three to the main hall, where Li Xianmu sat at the head of the table.

This was the first time Yu Qian met Li Xianmu. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, without an official hat, but with a jade hairpin in his crown, which gave him a refined and elegant air.

At just over twenty years old, he has already climbed to the pinnacle of power in the Ming Dynasty step by step with one indisputable achievement after another.

"This nephew pays his respects to his master."

The three bowed respectfully, and then Wang Gen's eldest son, Wang Su, clasped his hands and said, "I apologize for troubling you, Uncle, on this trip to the capital. My father has a letter for you."

Li Xianmu took the letter, opened it, looked at Yu Qian, and asked with a smile, "You are Yu Qian?"

"Replying to my uncle, I am indeed Yu Qian."

“I have heard a lot about you.” Li Xianmu said with a smile, “My senior brother has written to praise you many times, saying that you are a disciple who can inherit his mantle, and that you are far superior to these two brothers. He even said that you have the integrity of a famous minister of ancient times and can be entrusted with important matters.”

I heard you greatly admire Duke Wen's integrity and have hung his portrait beside your seat?

Upon hearing this, the Wang brothers blushed, but they weren't unconvinced; Yu Qian was indeed a true child prodigy.

Historical records state that when Yu Qian was seven years old, a monk was amazed by his appearance and said, "This is the prime minister who will save the country in the future."

When Yu Qian was eight years old, he was wearing red clothes and riding a horse. An old neighbor found it amusing and teased him, saying, "Red boy, riding a black horse through the streets." Yu Qian replied, "Son of the Red Emperor, slaying the white snake blocking the way."

These stories all show that he was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and was not an unknown figure.

Moreover, in the competitive environment of Zhejiang, Yu Qian actually passed the imperial examination at the young age of twenty-three in real history, which shows his exceptional talent.

If an ordinary person were teased like this, they would probably feel embarrassed. But Yu Qian said seriously, "Lord Wen Zhonglie abandoned the glory and wealth of the Yuan court and died for the Song Dynasty. Such a selfless act of sacrificing one's life for righteousness is something that we scholars should emulate."

What do we learn from reading the books of sages and worthies? It is precisely this!

He remained calm, as if these were merely expected words that would instantly evoke a sense of goodwill.

"Hahaha, what ambition!" Li Xianmu laughed loudly, "What a fine young man! If the country is in danger, you are the prime minister who can save the day!"

No wonder he was a child prodigy who could write "Ode to Limestone" at the age of twelve.

"Thank you for your praise, Uncle."

Li Xianmu then looked at the Wang brothers, "You two are quite good. Your senior brother dared to let you come to Shuntian Prefecture to participate in the provincial examination, presumably to prepare for next year's metropolitan examination. At your age, you have such knowledge, which is very good."

"Thank you for your praise, Uncle."

Li Xianmu exclaimed, "I am delighted to see such talented young people like you."

Over the years, the School of Mind has gradually taken root and flourished among the common people, and a steady stream of young scholars have entered the imperial court. As the leader of the School of Mind, I am no longer without a source of influence in the court.

There is an old saying among the people—

For the first thirty years, observe how the father respects the son; for the next thirty years, observe how the son respects the father.

The Book of Rites says, "Establish yourself in the right way, make a name for yourself in the next generation, and bring honor to your parents."

There is also a saying that a son's status rises because of his mother, and a mother's status rises because of her son.

This applies to the relationship between parents and children, as well as between teachers and students, and between political parties. If the philosophy of mind were to develop, Li Xianmu, who held a high position in the court, would certainly be powerful and influential, but without a sufficiently strong successor, his policies would inevitably decline after his death.

Upon hearing Li Xianmu's remarks, Wang Su, Yu Qian, and the other two were all deeply moved.

Whether in modern or ancient times, the importance of succession is paramount. In the oldest era of aristocratic lineage, political resources were naturally passed down to the eldest son.

After the reforms prevented the inheritance of official positions, the transmission of political resources mostly remained within families, such as during the era of powerful clans and noble families. However, there were also instances outside of families where political resources were passed down to disciples.

When the imperial examination system flourished and aristocratic families completely withdrew from the historical stage, fewer of their inheritances were passed down to their descendants, because the imperial examination was too difficult, and only true geniuses could pass it.

In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, there was an unspoken rule in the officialdom: the top few in the first and second ranks of the imperial examinations could enter the Hanlin Academy and become probationary scholars. If one did not enter the Hanlin Academy and become a probationary scholar, one could not enter the Grand Secretariat, and even the probability of becoming a minister of one of the six ministries was much lower.

Many people believe that this would lead to the omission of many truly capable people from the common people, and would also reduce the scope of the emperor's selection of cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials, thus weakening the imperial power by the civil service group.

But in fact, quite the opposite, this unspoken rule was tacitly approved by the Ming emperors and even promoted in secret, because this rule was equivalent to raising the threshold for high-ranking officials' talents, which would greatly consolidate imperial power.

Under this rule, it is almost impossible for a family of ministers or cabinet ministers to maintain their power, because it is impossible for every generation to have someone with exceptional talent who can achieve such outstanding results as being among the top in the first or second class of the imperial examinations.

If a family fails to achieve a good ranking in the exams, the so-called "Ministerial Family" will immediately fall into a lower social class and become a second-rate family at the prefecture level when the leader retires or dies.

For example, Xu Jie, the Grand Secretary of Songjiang Prefecture.

He even had a disciple who was a high-ranking official, but he still fell from grace and was humiliated by Hai Rui.

Most people know that politics is about factions.

The fall of a giant is not just about him alone, but involves a large number of people. For example, when Zhang Juzheng fell, nearly three ministers, as well as vice ministers, governors, provincial treasurers, prefects and other high-ranking officials fell, and the number was countless. Among the military generals, a large number, such as Qi Jiguang, were dismissed from their posts.

How many official positions were vacated during a political purge? How much class exchange within the scholar-official class was facilitated?
The reason why the system of "sitting as a teacher" was so developed in the Ming Dynasty was that the path of inheriting top political resources by bloodline families had effectively gone bankrupt in the Ming Dynasty, so they could only find other ways to make up for it.

Wang Gen had a bright future. He had a rich resume, and as long as he followed the established procedures and waited for the vacancies to be filled, he could be promoted step by step to the positions of Vice Minister and Minister. Naturally, he hoped that his two sons could inherit his political position.

But after observing for a long time, he realized it was difficult. His two sons could easily pass the exams and get into the second tier, but he didn't have the ability to become a high-ranking official. He couldn't force them to do so.

At this time, Yu Qian was his only choice. He had observed Yu Qian for a long time and found him to be an excellent candidate in terms of temperament, character, and ability. That's why he recommended Yu Qian to Li Xianmu.

"Yu Qian, your senior brother has entrusted you to me."

You are still a commoner, and coincidentally, I have two sons and several nephews who are currently receiving their early education. If you have some free time, why don't you begin teaching them?"

It was called "enlightenment," but in reality, it just meant having him learn by her side.

Yu Qian was upright, not foolish. He immediately bowed to the ground as if he were half a teacher, saying, "I will never forget the great kindness of my teacher and my great kindness of my uncle."

Both Wang Su and his brother were envious, yet sighed slightly. They both knew that their father's recommendation of Yu Qian to their uncle was not simply an introduction of his nephew.

It should be noted that Wang Gen was one of the bigwigs of the School of Mind, and his successor was to be cultivated as a reserve talent for the School of Mind, requiring a certain amount of resources from the entire school to be allocated to him.

The term "political resources" may carry a negative connotation for many, as it often appears in the form of reaping the benefits, and is filled with dark implications.

But this is actually a neutral term. The resources that a faction feeds people who are truly being groomed as leaders are the kind of extremely tough nuts to crack, but which, once accomplished, will bring them extremely high prestige.

Zhang Juzheng was able to stand out among the Qingliu Party by overcoming many tough obstacles before gaining Xu Jie's approval and inheriting the political power of the Qingliu Party.

At this point, it becomes clear that Li Xianmu rose to power by receiving countless political resources from the emperor. There was another similar figure in history, the famous Han Dynasty general Huo Qubing. However, because both of them were so exceptionally capable, they were able to perfectly complete the tasks assigned by the emperor every time.

"Get up." Li Xianmu waved his hand. "You must seize the opportunity of these past few years. The Neo-Confucianism is still too dominant, so His Majesty is determined to promote the School of Mind to balance the Neo-Confucianism. The imperial examination questions in recent years have all leaned towards the School of Mind."

Under these circumstances, your imperial examination scores should improve somewhat, and if you answer well, there's even a chance of getting into the top rank.

In ancient imperial examinations, it was crucial that the candidates, the emperor, and the examiners were of one mind. For example, Hu Guang, the top scholar in the second year of the Jianwen Emperor's reign, was chosen as the top scholar by the Jianwen Emperor because he clearly opposed the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, in his examination paper.

In ancient times, cheating in the imperial examinations was, in principle, a major case, but often there was no need for cheating at all, because the principles were in the hands of Li Xianmu and his ilk.

In the twenty-third year of the Jiajing reign, the two sons of Grand Secretary Zhai Luan both passed the imperial examination and became Jinshi. People at the time ridiculed, "One Luan (referring to Zhai Luan) is in power, and two phoenixes sing together."

In the fifth year of the Wanli reign, Zhang Juzheng's second son, Zhang Sixiu, passed the imperial examination with the second-highest score.

In the eighth year of the Wanli reign, Zhang Juzheng's third son, Zhang Maoxiu, passed the imperial examination with the highest score, while his eldest son, Zhang Jingxiu, also passed the examination with the highest score.

Zhang Juzheng had six sons. Someone wrote a satirical poem: "The top two scholars all share the surname Zhang, yet their literary brilliance may not shine upon the land of Chu. If the Prime Minister had firmly refused to leave, the sixth son would still have been a third-place scholar!"

Zhang Juzheng may not have leaked exam questions or engaged in cheating in the imperial examinations, but just like the modern phenomenon of "royalty recruitment," sometimes it's quite easy to get someone into a position.

Li Xianmu would naturally prohibit such methods, and the imperial examination system should select those with genuine talent and learning.

Therefore, he earnestly instructed the three of them: "When the time is right, I will write to His Majesty to gradually raise the entry threshold for cabinet ministers and ministers of the third rank and above. In the future, if the Ming Dynasty does not have a special decree from the emperor or special approval from the imperial council, poor performance in the imperial examinations will affect the upper limit of one's official career. So you must all do well in the exams."

Yu Qian's eyes lit up, and with deep admiration, he kowtowed to Li Xianmu, saying, "This humble nephew kowtows to his senior uncle on behalf of the poor families of the world. This is a policy that benefits all generations."

Li Xianmu raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "It seems my junior nephew has guessed what I'm planning to do?"

Yu Qian solemnly and clearly said, word by word:

"Those who pass the county-level examination are not literate."

He was recommended for the civil service examination based on filial piety and integrity, and his father lived separately from him.

His cold and simple appearance was as pure and clear as mud.

Gao Di, a valiant general, was as timid as a chicken!

The Wang brothers immediately became solemn. What Yu Qian was referring to was a folk song from the late Eastern Han Dynasty that satirized the official selection system.

The person recommended to become a scholar was illiterate.

Those recommended for the position of filial and incorruptible officials do not support their parents.

Those selected as humble and innocent were actually as filthy as mud.

Those who were hailed as capable and competent officials turned out to be as timid as chickens.

Li Xian laughed heartily: "You are indeed exceptionally intelligent, able to see the big picture from small details. You have grasped the profound meaning behind my policies."

That's exactly right. Nearly twenty years have passed since the Hongwu era. The sons and nephews of officials who grew up during the Yongle reign have all started taking the imperial examinations one after another, paving the way for them in the officialdom. How can children from poor families compete with those from wealthy families in the officialdom?
If the upper limit for officials from wealthy families could be restricted from the outset, it might give more opportunities to those from humble backgrounds.

Yu Qian already admired Li Xianmu greatly, and upon meeting him today, he felt even more that Li Xianmu possessed the noble character and integrity of an ancient sage. The Li family was one of the top literary families in the world today, yet Li Xianmu cared about students from poor families. How could Yu Qian not admire him?

He felt incredibly fortunate to have entered the core circle of the School of Mind, and believed that his great ambition to eradicate the accumulated ills of the world would surely be realized.

At that moment, Yu Qian thought to himself: If my uncle ever gives me any orders in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!

“However.” Yu Qian hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should speak. Li Xianmu noticed and immediately asked, “Nephew, please speak your mind. There are no outsiders here.”

“Uncle, I’m afraid students from poor families can’t get into wealthy families. I’m worried that your vision might actually benefit the wealthy families.”

Yu Qian's words are true throughout history and across the world: those from humble backgrounds generally cannot outperform those from wealthy families in the imperial examinations, especially in ancient times.

Because the ancient imperial examinations required essays on policy, and those policies were not something that could be passed by writing grand and empty words. They required practical solutions. A poor scholar might never have left his county in his entire life, and he didn't have many books. He didn't understand the affairs of the government or the situation in the country. How could he possibly compare to the children of wealthy families with a long history of scholarship?
Historically, most students from impoverished backgrounds, with the exception of a very few truly exceptional geniuses, did not actually come from farming families, but rather from small landowner families.

For ordinary farmers, the corvée labor alone was enough to kill them, so how could they possibly afford to send them to school?

In fact, Yu Qian regretted it as soon as he said it, because he knew that the problem could not be solved.

Wang Su sighed and said, "Junior brother, truly talented students can overcome all obstacles. Those who are talented but lack talent can still accumulate wealth by passing the provincial examination or the imperial examination, which will provide the next generation with the means to study. They may be able to rise to prominence within three generations."

That's what they say, but everyone knows it's not that easy. It's more likely that the first generation can pass the imperial examination, but the second generation can't even pass the provincial examination.

Li Xianmu originally thought the same way as Wang Su, but now he pondered, "Yu Qian, that's a good question. I have some new ideas."

My late father reformed the imperial examination system, introducing a provincial quota system. Now I have a new idea that may significantly change the current imperial examination system again.

Li Xianmu thought it over and found it more and more feasible. He immediately stood up and said, "No, the autumn examination is approaching. I must go to the palace to see His Majesty immediately. Let's stop here for today."

Yu Qian, Wang Su, and the other two were somewhat bewildered, but they knew that their uncle must have something urgent to attend to, so they all said goodbye.

Li Xianmu also hurriedly left the mansion and headed towards the palace.

(End of this chapter)