Preface
Fan Jin, an outstanding figure in ancient Chinese history, unfortunately went crazy after being lifted, and this tragic event sparked countless conjectures and discussions.
If we put his official position in the present, we may be surprised to find that what he did was even more incredible. Today, let's delve into Fan Jin's life experience and destiny and explore the reasons behind his madness!
Imperial Examination: The Ladder of the Poor
For most people, the imperial examination may be just an unfamiliar old term. But in ancient China, it was a far-reaching talent selection system, and it was also the only way for countless poor children to change their fate. This system began in the Sui Dynasty, founded by Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian, and lasted until the 31st year of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty before it was completely abolished, which lasted more than 1,300 years.
The imperial examination is divided into multiple levels, and the competition is extremely fierce. First of all, you must pass the children's examination and obtain the qualification of "children's students" before you are eligible to participate in the subsequent imperial examinations. The imperial examination is divided into four levels: the hospital examination, the township examination, the general examination and the palace examination. Those who can pass all the way and finally win the title of the gold list will be awarded extremely high honors and privileges and become the pillars of the imperial court.
Therefore, for scholars from poor backgrounds, the imperial examination is like a ladder to their official career, and it is their only hope to change their fate. As long as you rely on real talent and learning, it is possible to move from a humble family to a noble person, and realize the dream of "being a Tian Shelang in the morning and ascending to the Tianzi Hall at dusk". It was this system that provided a channel for countless children of poor families to rise and became an important way for the mobility of feudal social classes.
However, the staircase is also lonely and towering. If you want to reach the top, you must pay a price that is unimaginable to ordinary people. Countless scholars struggled for the imperial examination, and even went bankrupt, but in the end, it was difficult to realize their dreams. Their story is like a double-edged sword, which not only creates the talents of the pillars, but also destroys the talents who are not met. And Fan Jin is the epitome of this joys and sorrows.
The dream of the imperial examination of a poor child
Fan Jin came from a humble background and his family was poor. His father died young, leaving only his elderly mother and a younger sister in the family. In order to make ends meet, her mother had to do laundry work, while her sister worked as a maid in a rich family. Fan Jin is the only male in the family, and his mother pins all her hopes on him, hoping that he can change the fate of the family through the imperial examination.
However, the reality is harsh. Although diligent and studious, Fan Jin's talent was not outstanding at that time. Coupled with the poverty of his family and the lack of money to ask for guidance from famous teachers, he was repeatedly frustrated on the road to the imperial examination. He has participated in the county examination many times, but he has always lost his name. Every time he fell into the first place, Fan Jin felt frustrated, but he did not give up, but continued to study hard, hoping to gain fame next time.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Fan Jin is already in his thirties. At this age, many of their peers have already married and had children, starting a family. But Fan Jin is still a scholar, and he doesn't even have a decent pot at home. His wife also chose to leave him because of the poverty of life and Fan Jin's incompetence.
Even so, Fan Jin still did not give up the imperial examination. He understood that for a poor man, the imperial examination was the only way out. He doesn't want to be a poor and sour talent for the rest of his life, and be ridiculed and ridiculed. So, Fan Jin worked harder, immersed himself in hard study every day, and even if life was hard and tiring, he had no complaints.
The hard work paid off, and Fan Jin's efforts finally paid off. At the age of fifty-three, he got his wish and finally won the promotion. When he learned the news, Fan Jin was so excited that he almost fainted. Years of hard work and suffering have paid off in this moment.
However, what Fan Jin didn't expect was that his mother died soon after he was lifted. Perhaps it was the years of hard work and hard work that finally made this strong mother unable to support it. Fan Jin was grief-stricken, he knew that he was able to be where he is today because of his mother's credit.
In order to give his mother a beautiful funeral, Fan Jin almost went bankrupt. He invited many monks to chant sutras, purchased high-quality coffin shrouds, and held a grand funeral. The mother's tomb was also built extremely luxuriously, for fear that she would not be able to let her mother live a good life under the nine springs.
During the period of filial piety, Fan Jin closed the door to thank the guests and concentrated on chanting and praying. According to the regulations at that time, it was not allowed to go to Beijing to take the exam during the period of filial piety. So, in front of his mother's mourning hall, Fan Jin stayed for three years in a row.
Three years later, Fan Jin finally set off for Beijing again to take the entrance examination. This time, he lived up to expectations and became a senior high school sergeant. Since then, Fan has advanced into the official career and has been awarded the position of imperial history. A few years later, he was promoted to Shandong Xuedao and became a member of the party.
The price of a dream come true
From a humble scholar to a high-ranking official, Fan Jin has experienced not only a change in his status and status, but also a great change in his life circumstances. He was once denied and ridiculed, but now he is under one man and above ten thousand. This huge gap is unimaginable and unbearable for ordinary people.
After the lift, Fan Jin's identity and status have undergone earth-shaking changes. The poor scholar who was ridiculed and ridiculed in the past became the "pride of the sky" in the eyes of everyone overnight. Neighbors came to congratulate one after another, and the words of flattery and flattery were so fluttering.
And those dignitaries who used to disdain Fan Jin also looked at him differently at this time. They vied with each other to invite Fan Jin to the banquet and curry favor with him, for fear of falling behind. Fan Jin's father-in-law, Hu Butcher, was even more overjoyed.
He used to hate the poor and love the rich, and looked down on Fan Jin, a poor son-in-law. Now that Fan Jin is in high school, Hu Butcher immediately took his daughter back and persuaded them with good words to reconcile their husband and wife.
In addition to the improvement of his status, Fan Jin's lifestyle has also undergone tremendous changes. The thatched houses of the past have been replaced by spacious and bright houses, the shabby clothes have been replaced by silk and satin, and the coarse tea and light rice have been replaced by delicacies from the mountains and seas. Fan Jin has lived a life of fine clothes and food since then, and he no longer has to worry about firewood, rice, oil and salt.
However, just when Fan Jin was proud of the spring breeze and was about to go to Beijing to take the entrance examination, he suffered the biggest blow in his life - his wife Wang died suddenly on the wedding night. This is undoubtedly a hammer to Fan Jin, he is a person with delicate feelings, and the death of his wife made him miserable.
What was even more unexpected was that just when Fan Jin was ecstatic, there was a problem with his spirit. According to the record of "The Outer History of Confucianism", after Fan Jin learned of the middle move, he clapped his hands and laughed, and then fainted to the ground, and when he woke up, he went crazy, and he didn't know what day it was.
It is not surprising that a person who has been in a high-pressure and restless state for a long time has suffered huge changes and blows. The reason why Fan Jin went insane after the middle lift was not only the sorrow of the times, but also the sorrow of his own person.
This huge gap is difficult for ordinary people to bear and adapt. Although Fan Jin is a high school jinshi, he is already in his fifties after all, and he has long passed the age of establishment. From a poor and sour talent, he became an official of the court overnight, and this huge change in identity made it difficult for him to adapt. Coupled with the sinister career and the temptation of officialdom, Fan Jin, a "nerd", may not be able to deal with it easily.
In addition, Fan Jin's personality is also an important reason for his mental disorder. He is sensitive and suspicious by nature, and lacks the necessary psychological adjustment ability. This kind of personality is more likely to have problems when it encounters great changes.
If Fan Jin could face life after the imperial examination with a more open and open-minded attitude, perhaps he would not have gone insane. But it's a pity that in that feudal society, most scholars like Fan Jin "don't listen to things outside the window, and only read sage books". They lack social experience and the necessary psychological preparation, and when their dreams come true, they are at a loss.
epilogue
Fan Jin's life is like a tragedy. He fought for the dream of the imperial examination for most of his life, and paid a price unimaginable to ordinary people. When his dream finally came true in his twilight years, the huge gap left him insane and unable to extricate himself.
This is not only a personal tragedy, but also a sad portrayal of the entire era. In that feudal society, countless children of poor families were like Fan Jin, struggling for the imperial examination, but in the end, they were physically and mentally exhausted and collapsed.
Their story is like a double-edged sword, which not only creates the talents of the pillars, but also destroys the talents who are not met. Perhaps, it is this tragic ending that makes us cherish today's opportunities and freedoms even more.
We should pursue our own ideals, but we must also learn to regulate our mentality and maintain a healthy mind. Only in this way can we truly realize our dreams, instead of being helpless and confused when our dreams come true, like Fan Jin.