Why did Fan Jin go crazy after the middle lift? Put his official position in modern times, maybe you are also crazy. Since ancient times, the imperial examination system has been an ideal that scholars who are keen on cultural fame have diligently pursued. At that time, Fan Jin studied hard for decades and went through hardships, and finally won the honor in the township examination, which is gratifying. However, when he learned of this exciting news, he unexpectedly fell into a crazy situation. How difficult it is for a person's life's pursuit, but suddenly collapse at the moment when the dream comes true, it is really a sigh. Could it be that fame and fortune put so much pressure on him? Or is there a conspiracy behind this?
1. The evolution of the imperial examination system
Since the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the mainland has begun a system of recommending officials and scholars. At that time, the "Shiqing Shilu" system required villagers from all over the country to recommend virtuous and learned candidates to the ruling class for appointment as officials by the imperial court. However, due to the fact that education was not yet universal, most of the people who knew how to write were members of the ruling family, which made the selection process of scholars monopolized by the aristocracy. In addition, the narrow way to raise people and the inability to obtain the full reflection of talents from all over the country made it difficult for the system to select appropriate officials for the imperial court.
Entering the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the society was in turmoil, and the original "Shiqing Shilu" system was greatly impacted. In order to cope with this situation, the central government began to try to use written examinations and other methods to select talents. In the Han Dynasty, the examination method developed into the "probation system" and the "levy system". However, in the "probation system", it is still mainly recommended by local officials, and the examination is only a supplement, and it does not play a big role. Therefore, the phenomenon of cronyism and gate valves still exists.
It was not until the Sui Dynasty that the rulers began to reflect on the lessons of the previous dynasty and were determined to completely reform the talent selection system. Emperor Wen of Sui ordered the establishment of the "Jinshi Department", requiring that talents be recruited on the basis of examination results. Although the implementation during the Sui Dynasty was not ideal, it marked the official birth of the imperial examination system.
The Tang rulers deepened the reform of this. Since then, if talents from all over the country have talents, they can pass the county and state level examinations, and then the final examination will be conducted by the examinations held by the imperial court, and the characteristics of "self-recommendation and self-advancement" have been established. At the same time, the previous referral system was officially abolished. During the period of Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the style of writing was greatly revitalized, the mind was open-minded, and intellectuals were highly valued, which created an excellent environment for the development of the imperial examination system.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial examination system reached its heyday, and the examination system became complex and huge. In order to unify the format of candidates' compositions, the Ming Dynasty began to implement the "Eight Strands", which fixed the articles into eight parts, requiring candidates to imitate the language and habits of classic masters. The narrow subject matter and stylized writing of the Bagu essay often fail to reflect the real thoughts of the candidates, which further rigidizes the imperial examination.
Although in the long course of development, the imperial examination system has gradually produced some drawbacks, after all, it has played a major positive role in selecting talents, maintaining the mobility of social classes, and promoting the development of education. It is precisely this system that has given rise to batch after batch of outstanding cultural celebrities and capable ministers of governance on the mainland.
2. Understand the uniqueness of China's imperial examination culture
As a treasure of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, the imperial examination system has its own unique charm. Its fairness is undoubtedly one of the most commendable aspects. Different from the past methods of selecting scholars with many gates and cronyism, the imperial examination in order to achieve the purpose of "rewarding hard work and punishing the deposed marquis", opened the door for the children of ordinary people of all walks of life to enter the official career.
No matter what kind of family background you are in, you can become famous as long as you study diligently and play on the spot. According to records, the imperial examination in the Ming and Qing dynasties was an important channel for the high mobility of social classes, and there were many good stories of people from humble backgrounds gaining fame and getting rid of poverty. Especially in the rural social environment at that time, the imperial examination was the only way to help the poor turn over and change their fate.
Take the classic scene in the contemporary film and television masterpiece "The Legend of Yue Fei" as an example. At a young age, Yue Fei was ostracized and bullied by the villagers because his family was in the middle of the road and his ancestors were killed by the Huang Chaojun. Just when he was suffering from the blank eyes, a study tour gentleman encouraged: "Although your family background is not obvious, you can also become a dragon and a phoenix in the imperial examination." Later, Yue Fei studied for more than 20 years, and finally helped Song Huizong regain the territory and became a hero and famous general who made the government and the opposition look up to him.
As the gentleman said, the fairness of the imperial examination system undoubtedly had a great social function at that time, which was conducive to promoting class mobility and realizing the ideal of a brilliant life. On the other hand, the education system in mainland China today focuses more on equal opportunities and creating a fair environment. Countless inspirational children of ordinary people can rely on their personal efforts and wisdom to succeed through the bridge of the college entrance examination.
On the other hand, the imperial examination system has historically nurtured the prosperity and development of traditional Chinese education. Since ancient times, there have been many schools and academies, and teaching and educating people has become a decent profession with great courtesy. From the capital to the borderlands, education is ubiquitous in the Central Plains, and it has become a source of strength to maintain cultural inheritance and pass on the torch.
The imperial examination system has undoubtedly greatly promoted the people's thirst for and attention to knowledge. In ancient times, there was a saying that "swallow hell in one bite and recreate scriptures", which hints at people's ardent yearning and respect for cultural undertakings. Rich and well-read, it is a state of life that is accustomed to it. Unlike the West, which once fell into a dark and obscurantist culture, Chinese culture has always been able to shine on the outside world by relying on the imperial examination system.
As one of the core essences of Chinese culture, Confucian classics have been spread all over the world under this system. The connotation of Confucianism is infiltrated with strong moral feelings and values, and it has become a teacher who has nurtured people's hearts for thousands of years. So far, it is still like a spring breeze and rain, and it is inexhaustible. If the imperial examination is the continuation of culture, then the Confucian classics are the most quintessential and pure drop of this cultural bloodline.
As a shining pearl of traditional Chinese culture, the imperial examination system embodies the spiritual character of ancient students in pursuing ideals and being diligent in learning, and it is also a valuable cultural heritage of the Chinese people. This unique charm and value will forever be engraved in the development process of the Chinese nation.
3. Expose the shortcomings of the imperial examination system
Although the imperial examination system has lasted for thousands of years in China and has played an important role in selecting talents and promoting social progress, in the final analysis, it is a product after all, and there will inevitably be some inherent flaws and shortcomings.
Among them, the most criticized is the Bagu writing that prevailed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Baguwen is created in strict accordance with the layout, terminology, and structure specifications, which is completely a stylized way of writing, which has deviated from the original purpose of the article.
This format has created great constraints on the writing of the article, and the candidates have to follow this rule to write, and they can no longer reflect their true ideas. Some even adopt the practice of rote memorization and patchwork and forgery in order to cope with the exam, which can really be described as a failure in writing.
In contrast to the previous generation's step-by-step approach to reading calligraphy, which focused on teaching students according to their aptitude, the strict constraints imposed on students by Baguwen were almost equivalent to stifling their individual thinking. Once the candidate is trapped in this routine, knowledge can only be a dead thing, not a living learning and application.
As a result, the personality and quality of the examinee were completely ignored in the imperial examination. In the selection of talents, the imperial examination system sticks to the single criterion of writing ability, and it is easy to omit other important qualities, such as the ability to handle things and the skills of craftsmen.
Gu Yanwu, a great thinker of the Qing Dynasty, once said: "From ancient times to the present, heroes and heroes are not meritorious deeds, and they are also disciples who are interested in articles." "What is said is that the country's governance of peace and security can only pay attention to the examination results of talents, and ignore more comprehensive evaluation?
In addition, in the long-term implementation of the imperial examination system, many shortcomings have also arisen, such as fraud, favoritism, and other problems have emerged one after another. Even in the history of the Ming Dynasty, this situation has been recorded. For example, some people pay bribes in order to get high scores; Some invigilators turn a blind eye and accept bribes; There are also examiners who hand-pick henchmen without authorization and operate in the dark......
Although the imperial examination system has a profound impact on the inheritance and development of Chinese culture, it still has its own shortcomings that cannot be ignored. This may be an important driving force for the development of the times, and only by abandoning stereotypes and bad habits can we keep pace with the times and continue to innovate.
Fourth, relive the twists and turns of Fan Jinzhongju's experience
To talk about the arduous course of Fan Jin's life, it is really heart-wrenching and heart-wrenching. He grew up in a poor family. If it weren't for a persistent ambition and perseverance, I am afraid that I would have given up halfway and would not have been able to gain fame.
It is mentioned in the record that when Fan Jin was young, he was already suffering from poverty. The family only relies on their mother to survive, and their lives are almost poor and difficult to maintain. As an independent family, he had to go out early to work hard to support his family.
However, the child had the ambition to read from an early age. In the face of repeated ridicule and opposition from relatives and friends, he never wavered. Even though the family was once out of cooking, and his mother had to sell herself as a prostitute to make ends meet, Fan Jin was still determined to read to the end.
His firm ambition and persistent pursuit of ideals impressed everyone. Even the neighbors who laughed at him had to sincerely admire Fan Jin's heroic integrity and courage to defy difficulties.
There is even a moving record: when Fan Jin was young, his mother died of illness, but he was still unwilling to give up studying, and never hesitated. Later, when his uncle took him in, he said, "Since you don't make a living, I shouldn't care about you!" But Fan Jin is still the same, just reading quietly.
This young man from a poor family but with lofty ambitions finally achieved good results in the township examination with his ardent dedication to learning and persistent efforts, and realized his long-cherished wish for many years. It can be seen that the key to Fan Jin's ability to win the award lies in his persistent pursuit of ideals and enthusiasm for life.
However, when this good news came, people did not expect that Fan Jin would suddenly go crazy. What did this young talent, who won the township test and was envied by the world, go through to make him go crazy overnight? Maybe this is a big joke that God has played on the world. His life's work seemed to have been wasted in vain.
Fifth, uncover the truth of Fan Jinzhong's madness
Just after Fan Jin won the first place in the township test with his outstanding talent and unremitting efforts, people originally thought that he would usher in a turning point in his life and look forward to a bright future. However, unexpectedly, when this exciting news came, Fan Jin suddenly went crazy, which surprised all the relatives and friends present.
Even his relatives and friends were puzzled by this matter, and they even talked about it privately behind their backs. After all, the Fan family has been poor for a long time, Fan Jin has suffered from poverty since he was a child, and he has been determined to study for a long time. However, before the happy event could be fully implemented, he was already insane and delirious. What's going on here? Is it just because of the excitement?
As time went by, as more clues were slowly discovered, I realized that the reason why Fan Jin was like this was because of the shadow of an old incident. It turned out that a long, long time ago, the Fan family suffered a persecution, and his ancestor was framed and brutally murdered by the local Taishou. Although many years have passed, the pain of this past incident has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the Fan family.
In order to seek vent, the Fan family has been eager to gain fame through the imperial examination for generations, and in this way to avenge the shame of their ancestors. Fan Jin grew up under the revenge mentality of carrying such heavy family expectations and the injustice of his ancestors. Therefore, once he passes the fame test, the excitement and pressure that have accumulated in his heart for many years will burst out instantly, and he will fall into a state of madness.
In this case, the people around Fan Jin all advised him to think twice and not to retaliate rashly. But he couldn't extricate himself, and he insisted on avenging the long-standing blood feud for his family. Just when everyone was still hesitating to wait and see, Fan Jin sneaked into the mansion of the Taishou at night, preparing to finish off the other party on the spot. Who knows, but after being discovered, he was severely beaten. He was beaten so badly that his mental state became more and more trance-like, insane, and irrational.
Looking back, the tragic experience of the Fan family back then certainly made people sigh, but the way of revenge was wrong after all. Fan Jin's temporary abnormality may have been caused by the deep influence of this family shadow. If he could have kept a clear head and thought rationally, I believe that his future fate would have gone in a completely different direction.
As the so-called thousands of miles away, until today, what happened to Fan Jin's family also shows us that no person or family should act rashly, and must maintain a relaxed and humble attitude. Pursuing one's own ideals through legal and legitimate means is the best policy.