Chapter 62: Nine Ranks Official System
Lu Yun ground the tea powder finely, and the water in the sand bottle also boiled.
He poured boiling water into the tea cup while rhythmically stirring the tea whisk, blending out tea paste and tea foam.
Lu Xin also fell silent, stroking his beard as he watched Lu Yun focus on making tea, his expression serene.
“I never imagined Father was once the top scorer in the civil examination,” After finishing making tea, Lu Yun offered the tea cup while saying softly: “I’ve never heard anyone mention it.”
Lu Xin took the tea cup, gently blowing on the milky-white tea foam, and said indifferently: “That’s all ancient history, why bring it up?”
“Hehe…” Lu Yun smiled and said: “So that means Father was appraised as upper middle second rank back then?”
“Naturally.” Lu Xin finally couldn’t hide his pride as he said: “Historically, the top scorers in the civil and martial examinations are all appraised as upper middle second rank.”
Lu Yun nodded. He naturally knew that since the founding of Great Xuan, they had reformed the previous dynasty’s Nine Rank Official System, using examinations to determine officials’ ranks.
The so-called Nine Rank Official System classified those preparing to enter office into nine grades: upper upper, upper middle, upper lower, middle upper, middle middle, middle lower, lower upper, lower middle, and lower lower, then assigned official positions according to the grade. Of course, the lower three ranks had no chance of being assigned positions…
The original Nine Rank Official System determined the grade solely based on the appraisee’s family background and conduct. Family background referred to family origins and status, namely the qualifications, official positions, and nobility ranks of the father and grandfather’s generation. Conduct was the individual’s character and abilities.
Evidently, the appraisal of conduct was highly subjective, mixed with too much personal bias and favoritism. No matter how famous or capable you were, if the appraiser just didn’t like you, they could still give you a scathing review like ‘prizing empty fame, great talent but lacking virtue,’ relegating you to the lower ranks.
For a set of rules to become a long-lasting system, it must minimize subjective appraisals and increase quantifiable objective evaluations. What was the most objective? Naturally, family background. Whoever had the better family background and higher family gate didn’t need to argue red-faced; everyone could just compare them point by point.
My father is a marquis, your father is a count, so my family background is better than yours. Our fathers are the same rank, but my grandfather outranks yours, so my family background is still better than yours…
Evidently, this method best served the interests of the high ministers and noble houses, naturally earning their full support.
Thus, the Nine Rank Official System’s appraisal of talent quickly turned into a competition of family backgrounds. Those with high birth were appraised as high rank. Those with low birth, no matter how capable, could only be appraised as low rank, with no chance of entering the imperial court. This was the so-called ‘high ranks without commoners, low ranks without aristocrats.’
But this method caused endless harm, leaving countless commoner talents without a path forward, harboring resentment against the imperial court. Meanwhile, the aristocrats didn’t need any effort; young men could be appraised as high rank and granted high positions. Aristocrat children naturally stopped studying diligently or practicing martial arts, only knowing to seek pleasure and luxury, quickly becoming parasites ignorant of physical labor or agriculture.
As the aristocrats rapidly degenerated and commoners grew disloyal, the nation naturally decayed at an alarming speed, eventually fragmenting, allowing the Hu People to exploit the weakness, unprecedentedly occupying the Central Plains for three hundred years, nearly extinguishing Han Dynasty Attire!
When the Founding Emperor and his comrades, after enduring countless hardships, finally eliminated the Hu People and rebuilt China, they naturally reflected deeply and vowed not to let the tragedy repeat. Following the Founding Emperor’s intent, they naturally abolished the Nine Rank Official System, adopting a merit-based selection of the wise and capable.
But the Founding Emperor’s proposal faced fierce opposition from the Seven Great Noble Clans, and even the imperial clan was in an uproar. Though the Founding Emperor had the merit of rebuilding the nation, without the Imperial Seal of the State to bolster him, he always lacked that bit of confidence, ultimately compromising—both sides yielded a step, still using the Nine Rank Official System for selection, but in appraising grades, family background and conduct could only determine whether the appraisee was placed in the upper three ranks, middle three ranks, or lower three ranks.
As for which specific rank within the upper three ranks or middle three ranks they would be assigned, it required an examination of their talent and learning. Of course, high rank and middle rank examinations were separate; no matter how well one did in the middle rank exam, they could at most be set as upper middle fourth rank, not rising to the upper three ranks.
By the same logic, no matter how poorly one did in the upper three ranks exam, they wouldn’t fall into the middle three ranks. As for the lower three ranks, since they had no qualification for direct appointment, they didn’t even have the chance to be examined.
Though the distinctions between upper, middle, and lower ranks remained clear-cut, this change was still very positive. It made family background no longer the sole basis for grade appraisal; to obtain the best possible grade, one still needed real talent and learning. Though high ranks still had no commoners, commoner children could, through talent, achieve up to fourth rank appraisal, directly granted official positions by the imperial court—this was something they previously wouldn’t have dared dream of.
Aristocrat children also couldn’t slack off; though the Seven Great Noble Clans could easily secure positions for their children, the grade exam concerned family honor. Those who achieved good rankings would undoubtedly receive the clan’s focused cultivation. Those who shamed the family in the exam naturally couldn’t expect to rise again.
Of course, the former referred to elite children taking the high rank exam. The latter referred to ordinary children taking the middle rank exam… Because children of commoner officials and landlords also entered the middle rank exam, those aristocrat children unable to be appraised as high rank had to compete directly with them. If their scores were worse than commoners, how could that prove aristocratic superiority? Naturally, they would be despised by the family.
As for the lucky ones taking the high rank exam, it wasn’t easy either. Even for top aristocrats like the Seven Great Noble Clans, they could only obtain four high rank quotas each time. The Nine Rank Official System stipulated examinations every three years. That is, every three years, only four children would be appraised as high rank; calling it one in ten thousand was no exaggeration.
If the selected children performed too poorly in the next spring’s high rank exam, those who recommended and decided on the selection would face a barrage of clan criticism, believing the selection was favoritism, not only shaming the clan but blocking others’ futures. If all four children performed poorly, the Elder Council might even propose dismissing the steward in charge!
Of course, if they achieved good rankings, they would become the clan’s focused cultivation targets, with a bright future ahead!
.
“The high rank exam has two parts: civil examination and martial examination.” Lu Xin sipped his tea and said gently: “By convention, the top scorer in either civil or martial exam is appraised as second rank. If one tops both, they qualify for first rank. But that’s almost impossible.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Lu Yun also held a cup of tea, brimming with confidence.
“Don’t underestimate the heroes under heaven.” Lu Xin frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: “Those taking the high rank exam are without exception the top talents of aristocrats under heaven. Whether civil or martial exam, winning the championship is truly difficult. Though my Lu Clan prides itself on scholarly family tradition with literary education surpassing the seven clans, since the founding, we’ve only topped the civil examination twice.”
“Seven exams since founding, that’s not few.” Lu Yun took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.
“Fine…” A bitter smile tugged at Lu Xin’s lips as he said: “But first, you need to become one of my Lu Clan’s four selected candidates.”
“Lu Feng should vacate a quota, right?” Lu Yun said softly.
“Naturally, he’s shamed the clan completely; the Clan Leader has ordered full pursuit, and he can forget about official appraisal.” Lu Xin nodded, then changed the subject: “But competing for his vacated quota is still extremely difficult.”
“I thought the Clan Leader would do a favor and give the quota to Father.” Lu Yun said wistfully.
“Heh, wishful thinking…” Lu Xin laughed and scolded, but in truth, he had strongly wanted to ask Lu Shang for Lu Feng’s vacated quota. But since Lu Shang hadn’t brought it up, how could he ask?
“By now, the whole clan knows.” Lu Yun said with a bitter smile: “Won’t they fight tooth and nail for that quota?”
“Naturally.” Lu Xin nodded, smiling faintly: “But you do have an advantage. Today at the imperial court, that Li Dayin praised you highly; even the Emperor took an interest in you.” He burst out laughing: “What a scheme!”
“Uh…” Lu Yun was slightly embarrassed: “Actually, I wasn’t thinking that much at the time; it was pure desperation.”
“Regardless, you’ve caught the Emperor’s eye.” Lu Xin said in a deep voice: “The Emperor will go to the summer palace next month; he’s decreed for you to accompany him. This is an opportunity any aristocrat child dreams of. Seize it well, and it will greatly help your quota struggle.”
“But it’s also extremely dangerous…” Lu Yun showed no joy.
“Yes.” Lu Xin nodded, his smile fading.
