Chapter 10 Chapter Nine One Hundred Thousand Scholars

one In the recent period, I have become more and more interested in the imperial examination system in ancient China. The reason can be said to be century-old. The twentieth century is drawing to a close, and if there were no sudden misfortunes, we would seem to be a cross-century group.There are always a small number of human beings who can span two centuries, and there are certainly even fewer people who can cross it with a clear mind.To be called clear-headed, at least one must have a relatively complete understanding of the past century, right?Therefore, we have to let our eyes pass through the crowded shoulders of the streets, through the tragedies and comedies that have been solidified for a hundred years, and the whispers and shouts that have evaporated, and go straight to the nineteenth century. The years at the end of the century and the beginning of the twentieth century.There, people of insight with long braids hanging on the heads and long robes and jackets are talking and clamoring for how the Chinese nation will enter the 20th century.Of course they were dissatisfied with China's nineteenth century. When they were looking for the reasons for China's backwardness, they first saw the lack of talents, and the reason for the lack of talents was the scourge of the imperial examination system.

They no longer just discussed in articles like their predecessors, but felt the urgency of time and asked the court to take immediate measures.Empress Dowager Cixi issued an edict in the summer of 1901 to reform the content of the imperial examinations. People of insight believed that the reform of the imperial examination system could no longer solve the problem, and that it should be fundamentally abolished sooner or later.A memorial in 1903 said: As long as the imperial examinations are not abolished, that is to say, schools will not be able to prosper for a day, scholars will never have real knowledge, the country will never have talents to save the times, and China will never become prosperous and powerful, that is, it will never be able to compete with other countries.

Who is speaking these heroic and shocking words?A beneficiary of the imperial examination system, Zhang Zhidong, a Jinshi during the Tongzhi period, and the leader was Yuan Shikai, who was later disliked.So everyone discussed with the imperial court whether it is possible to formulate a tight timetable. In the future, the imperial examinations held every three years will be reduced by one-third each time, and the reduced places will be added to the new schools. The reduction can be completed in ten years .It takes ten years to completely dismantle a system that has lasted for more than a thousand years. The speed cannot be considered slow, but people still can't wait.Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong said that the cultivation of talents is no different than others, and there should be no delay.If the imperial examinations are abolished immediately and schools are established, it will take more than ten years for talents to come out; if we stop the imperial examinations in ten years, then it will take more than twenty years to train talents from new-style schools. China cannot wait twenty years For several years, I have been surrounded by strong neighbors, how can I wait for you!

This time calculation was irrefutable, and the imperial court issued an edict in 1905 to abolish the imperial examination.Therefore, it can be said that, except for a hasty farewell in the first few years, the entire twentieth century has basically nothing to do with the imperial examination system. Many things in the twentieth century could not be summed up calmly because of the hasty conclusion.Immediately after the imperial examination system was abolished, it became a pile of old garbage that everyone reviled, and few people were willing to fiddle with it a few more times.The scolding is of course justified. Children's textbooks include "Fan Jinzhongju" and "Kong Yiji", and opera stages in various places have "Pipa Ji" and "Qin Xianglian", which show the absurdity and cruelty of the imperial examination system. , so that students and audiences of the twentieth century feel a kind of relief after getting rid of this system.However, it is obviously too rash to let these excellent and moving works of art replace modern people's rational judgment on the entire imperial examination system.

The imperial examination system has been implemented in China for 1,300 years, from the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has been closely accompanying the history of Chinese civilization.The direct result of the imperial examinations was the selection of more than 100,000 Jinshi and more than a million Juren.Of course, this huge group will be mixed with many boring or despicable people, but on the whole, it is the basic team of Chinese officials in the past dynasties, including a large number of extremely outstanding politicians and administrators with high cultural literacy. management experts.Without them, some of the most important parts of Chinese history would be lost.There was a popular saying that none of the people who were admitted to the number one scholar in ancient times was learned, but this does not seem to be the case.The requirements for the No. 1 Scholar examination are too special, and it is a fact that it is difficult for more outstanding figures to get the opportunity. But after all, there are a large number of No. 1 scholars such as Wang Wei, Liu Gongquan, He Zhizhang, Zhang Jiuling, Lu Mengzheng, Zhang Xiaoxiang, Chen Liang, Wen Tianxiang, Yang Shen, Kang Hai, It is unbelievable to say that people like Weng Tonghe and Zhang Jian are uneducated.This is just talking about the number one scholar. If the scope is expanded to Jinshi, then a very spectacular list of talents will be issued.In order to select these people, almost the entire Chinese society has been mobilized, and this long-lasting mobilization has created the unique destiny of countless Chinese literati and the unique mentality of the general public, which has become an inherent part of the group personality of the Chinese nation. Branding is by no means something we can disperse with a wave of our hands.Many problems of the imperial examination system have been accumulated and hard to return. In fact, some people have noticed them from the very beginning. Many wise minds have repeatedly thought about, demonstrated, repaired and improved them, including Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Su Dongpo who are well-known in our literary circles. , Wang Anshi, etc., it is impossible to imagine that these cultural masters would be so incompetent, let it be absurd and practice it.

The development of the imperial examination system to the era of Fan Jin and Kong Yiji has indeed done more harm than good, but this kind of sharp historical change is also very profound.Why did the sharp change happen?Is it possible to avoid it?How have all attempts at repair failed?These questions are worthy of our careful consideration.The imperial examination was abolished at the beginning of the 20th century, and of course its disadvantages were also abolished. But have the social issues that it wanted to undertake since its inception been completely resolved?Why do I always have a hunch that there are some topics buried here that are far from outdated?

In my collection of books, there are not many monographs on this topic, and it is easy to find out one by one and concentrate on studying.Read "Tang Dynasty Jinshi's Journey and Literature" by Mr. Cheng Qianfan (Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House), Mr. Lu Wei's "Anecdote about the Imperial Examination" (Liaoning Education Publishing House), "History of the Imperial Examination System" by Mr. Zhang Jinfan and Mr. Qiu Yuanyou (Zhonghua Book Company) ), especially after reading Mr. Fu Congcong's thick book "Tang Dynasty Imperial Examinations and Literature" (Shaanxi People's Publishing House) with blue background and silver stripes, I think about more questions.There are many problems among them that the people of insight at the beginning of the century had no time to think about or even discover them.It's a bit late for us to make up for it now, but it's still too late, and since it's been a long time, our attitude can be calmer.

two When talking about the imperial examination system in ancient China, there is a common misunderstanding that needs to be eliminated, that is, in essence, it is a civil servant selection system, rather than a test system for literary talent and classic interpretation ability.Knowing this, the many complaints about it may be tempered somewhat. We can imagine, if it were not for the imperial examination, how would ancient China choose its own officials?This is a really big question in political science.No matter what kind of regime or strategy, without a reliable and effective official network, it must be empty and fragile; however, it is not enough to be reliable and effective, because the selection of officials is not the same as the selection of craftsmen. If you have no scruples, you must take into account the social and public image of the officials, not only to make the people under management generally convinced, but also to make other officials and even political opponents have little to say, so it is necessary to seek or create a qualification for the officials. It is already troublesome enough to do so, what is even more troublesome is that China has such a vast territory and such a complicated political structure that the number of officials needed is astonishing. Difficulties can be imagined; it was hard to build a network, but due to the large area involved and too many accidental factors, various changes will naturally occur after a while, and overall metabolism will occur after a long time, so it takes hard work Painfully re-finding the thread and re-connecting this series of problems, the emperors of all dynasties and all politicians who wanted to win the Kyushu were so strongly placed in front of them that they could not avoid it.All the difficulties boil down to one point: there is no doubt that there is a need to establish a widely recognized and long-term effective criterion for the selection of officials. Where is this criterion?

Hereditary is one.This method is the most convenient. The previous generation has become an official, and the next generation will continue to do so.This method was basically adopted in Chinese slavery society, and later also partially implemented in feudal society, which is called grace.The disadvantages of the hereditary system are obvious. First, because leadership cannot be inherited, whether the successor can use power as effectively as his predecessors has become an increasingly serious problem; The right to appoint and remove officials disperses political control. Hereditary emphasis on the innate qualifications to be an official came to a dead end, so some feudal lords began to seek the acquired qualifications to be an official, and the acquired qualifications were mainly manifested in two aspects: literary talent and martial arts.On weekdays, when I see talented people, I raise them. The family gradually becomes a warehouse of talents. When they need to be used, they can be assigned to official positions. This is called a supporter. Some monarchs have thousands of patrons at home. .This kind of method has made politicians and cultural people of all ages feel a little moved when they think about it, and they really want to raise a group or want to be raised, but there are many problems when they think about it carefully.Although the eaters have no blood relationship with the breeder, the relationship between raising and being raised is actually an extension of the blood relationship. Those who become officials from being raised mainly carry out the orders of the breeder, and it is difficult to become a fair manager. It is likely that they will add to the chaos.What's more, the emperor's choice of diners, both in terms of standards and review methods, is extremely arbitrary, and far from all the people he raises are talents.As for rewarding officials with martial arts and military merits, it can only be regarded as a reward method, and cannot be regarded as the proper way to select officials, because as we all know, fighting and managing are completely different things.It is not uncommon for samurai to misuse the country.

It seems that seeking acquired qualifications to be an official is a great improvement, but after all, acquired qualifications are not as convincing as innate qualifications. How to make a convincing argument for this qualification has become the key to the problem.Probably in the Han Dynasty, the investigation system began to be implemented, that is, local officials discovered and inspected needed talents at any time, and then recommended them to the government.Inspection and recommendation are the determination of official qualifications, which are much more scientific than the previous methods.However, it is not difficult to imagine that the vision of local officials is very different, and the taste level of the recommendees is also very different. If there is no minimum standard, everything will be messed up.In order to overcome this disorder, in the period of the Three Kingdoms, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the nine-rank Zhongzheng system for selecting officials was formed.In this system, the central government sent a Zhongzheng official who specially selected officials, rated each recommended person into nine grades, and then determined the rank of the official based on this grade.In this way, there are relatively unified judges, and the people who are judged have layers, and disorder moves towards order.

But a discerning person will find out at a glance that the justice of this nine-rank Zhongzheng system depends entirely on those Zhongzheng officials.The thickness of the hearts of these big figures who hold unlimited power in the selection of officials has become the ultimate yardstick of life and death.If they use family background as the main yardstick for dividing recommendation levels, then this seemingly advanced system will also become a variant of the hereditary system.Unfortunately, this is indeed the case. After waiting for a long time to rank, I didn't expect to take it out and see that all the important official positions fell into the hands of the wealthy family. It was in this helplessness that the imperial examination system emerged during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.In my opinion, the biggest advantage of the imperial examination system is that it fundamentally broke the monopoly of political power by the wealthy and aristocratic families, and opened the composition of the national administrative organization to as large a society as possible.The imperial examination system shows such enthusiasm: all talents in this land are likely to be promoted, and they will definitely be able to be promoted. No matter how old or late, as long as they can catch up with the exam, they will always be reserved for you. Chance.Of course, this kind of enthusiasm is greatly discounted in the actual implementation, but after all, it ignited a kind of fast-spreading fire of hope in the land of China, which made countless real and self-confessed talents suddenly excited and accepted competition and selection.The state administration has created an unprecedented affinity with the general public, and its ability to absorb social wisdom has also greatly increased.In the imperial examinations of the past dynasties, poor people from all over the country accounted for a large number, including many sons of the market with low social status at that time.According to "Beimeng Suoyan", a son of a salt merchant named Bi in the Tang Dynasty wanted to take the imperial examination and asked someone to change his name to a more auspicious one. He named him Bi Jian, and Bi Jian accepted it happily without getting angry.Later, not only did he pass the exam, but he was promoted step by step until he became prime minister.This shows that the imperial examination system is indeed inclusive and open, and does not care much about the status of the original family.Bai Juyi expressed this imperial examination principle in an article: Only the virtuous is seeking, how can there be such a lowly person who picks gold over sand and gravel?To save a tree in the pine pine, would you rather be abandoned because of humble ground?But for fear of immorality, you can't demean people. ("Bai Juyi Collection" Volume 67) Another advantage of the imperial examination system is that it clearly regards educational level as the primary condition for selecting administrative officials.The test is mainly to test literary accomplishment and familiarity with the classics of the philosophers. Of course, this kind of test may not be suitable, and more and more negative effects will appear later, but at least in the Tang and Song Dynasties, there is no doubt that the focus of society and personality. Interesting leads were produced.Is a large number of scholars entering politics aggravating the civilization of society, or accelerating the decay of society?I'm leaning towards the former.In addition, because only scholars can become officials, this kind of temptation also greatly expanded the ranks of scholars and objectively broadened the civilized aspect of society. Because the imperial examination system attaches great importance to culture, poetry and prose are required to be written in the examination, so countless candidates from all over the world have to devote themselves to the training of poetry and prose for a long time, which may not be a good thing for literature itself.Some researchers believe that the imperial examinations did not benefit society much but promoted the development of literature in the Tang and Song dynasties. My point of view is just the opposite. I think that the most sorry thing for the imperial examinations is literature.As soon as literature enters the examination room, it is impossible to be a real creation.Han Yu later read the poems and essays he had written in the test papers, and he was shy and restless for several months, and he really didn't want to admit that these things came from his own handwriting.He deduced from this that if the disciples of Qu Yuan, Meng Ke, Sima Qian, Xiangru, and Yang Xiong were chosen, the servants would know how humiliating they were. ("Answer to the Book of Cui Li") But Han Yu did not deny the imperial examination because of this. In the Jinshi examination papers, some good lines occasionally appear occasionally. In my opinion, among the poems written in the imperial examinations for more than a thousand years, the best poems are written by Qian Qi during the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty in "Xiangling Guse Poetry". The two sentences written under the test question: the end of the song is invisible, and the river is full of green peaks. Until the 20th century, Lu Xun and Zhu Guangqian had a dispute over these two lines of poems. I really don’t know how Qian Qi, who was sitting in the examination room, got it by chance of.But with these two sentences, the whole poem is not good.It is understandable that the use of poems and articles as test questions in the imperial examination is not to test the special literary talent of the candidates, but to test their general cultural literacy.The purpose of the test is not to find poets but to find officials.Its significance lies first not in literary history but in political history.For such a long time in China, officials were determined by their cultural literacy, and it is not without warmth today. three However, the imperial examination system actually encountered a series of terrible paradoxes.These paradoxes are not artificially set up, but come from the deep layer of Chinese culture and political structure, which are difficult to eliminate. Therefore, the imperial examination system has gradually become tired, rigid, and ugly in the dilemma.As far as I know, many Western missionaries who came to China in the Qing Dynasty were greatly impressed after inspecting the imperial examination system. They believed that they had discovered a perfect civil servant selection system that even the West had not found, and they eagerly introduced it to the world.But their investigation was superficial after all. They only took a rough look at the procedures and rules of the imperial examination, but failed to see the hidden dangers in the deep dive. Therefore, they could not understand that China, which has such a perfect civil servant selection system, How could it lead to a serious shortage of national management talents, an increasingly embarrassing overall civilized quality, and an increasingly chaotic and impoverished situation? The questions buried in the brown-green pupils of foreign missionaries still have a huge attraction for me today.I know that these questions do not only belong to the imperial examination, but also not only to ancient times. The greatest paradox encountered by the imperial examination system in ancient China arose in the social mentality that surrounded it.It was originally intended to show fairness and deliver encouragement and temptation to as many people as possible in the whole society. As a result, all the land of Kyushu has become an imperial examination arena. The connotation is greatly overweight; it was originally intended to show authority and blocked many informal promotion paths other than the imperial examination. As a result, families and individuals who had no other choice had to regard the imperial examination as a life-and-death political battle, and the rational motive for creating the imperial examination Gradually deformed.The calmness, objectivity, patience, and peace that should be present in the selection of talents are gone, replaced by vigorous anxiety, excitement, panic, and confusion.Isn't it just a little cultural knowledge?Isn't it just to see who is qualified to be an administrative official?It turned out to be so hot all of a sudden, and it was so hot that it couldn't cool down for more than a thousand years, and it almost burned a long period of history. We in China have paid too much attention to superficial etiquette from a very early age. Once a good thing is laid out in an extremely exaggerated way, it will change its taste.As early as the Tang Dynasty, soon after the imperial examination system was formed, too many decorations were added, and too much exaggeration was added, which disturbed the mood of scholars all over the country.There are always a group of people who pass the Jinshi examination every time. Whether it is for the country or an individual, it is necessary to celebrate and publicize it. But somehow, the endless complicated etiquette makes these applicants dizzy.Scholars first have to thank the master (examiner), visit the prime minister, and then visit Qujiang, participate in the apricot garden banquet, Wenxi banquet, cherry banquet, moon lantern banquet, etc. , extremely busy, but also extremely proud.In Meng Jiao's poems, the so-called spring breeze is proud of the horseshoe disease, and you can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day. In Zhang Ji's poems, the so-called twenty-eight people first came to the first place, and their names have been passed down for millions of miles, and they have written all the scenes here.According to Mr. Fu Suicong's textual research, the scholars at that time became Jinshi, and they couldn't cope with the endless and lively ceremonies. Chang'an folks set up a profit-making commercial service organization called Jinshi Group, which was responsible for renting houses for Jinshi, preparing wine and food, and organizing etiquette. Until the road is opened, the whole line is contracted.Jinshi Corps business has been very prosperous. This extraordinarily lively scene strongly contrasts the sorrow of those who failed the ranking.It is normal to lose the ranking, but the proud horseshoes are running by, the loud drums are ringing in the ears, the names of the winners are spread in the market, and the contemptuous eyes are wandering around, they have to bow their heads and sigh .They went back to the inn dejectedly. In the inn, the neighbor who had greeted each other politely yesterday became a new scholar, and the servants were happily packing their bags.There is a rumor that if you can get a new Jinshi shirt, it will be very auspicious for the next exam, so I am cheeky and timidly begged for one from the servant.The results of begging are often boring, and more losers are not willing to do such self-deprecating things, but just shut themselves in the room and write poems.These poems were written very quickly, and they were much more realistic than the poems written in the examination room a few days ago: Every year, the spring is full of shame, and it is forced to return to the east and raise its head lazily. It's not easy to return home, there are so many things in the world to worry about. (Luo Ye) For ten years, the ditch god has been with him, and for half a year, there has been no sound and dust for thousands of miles. Hair on the sideburns like snow, heart like death, still a descendant of Chang'an. (Wen Xian) At the beginning of the fall, everyone weeps and cries, what is the desire for life and career. A branch of osmanthus is sprinkled on the temples, and tears and blood drip down thousands of miles. (Zhao Gu) Why is it so easy for Mo Dao to return home?Why did tears and blood drop to the book of thousands of miles?Because the gains and losses of the imperial examination have become a grand social proposition involving the honor and disgrace of the family, relatives, hometown, and surname, and it is far from a personal matter.Li Pin said that when he first knew when, the whole family would treat him here; Wang Jian said that when a scholar ascended the armor family, the nine clans were glorious and new, all of which were true at that time.Therefore, if a loser wants to go home, whether it is himself or his family members, it is extremely difficult in his heart.According to Qian Yi's "Southern New Book", a scholar surnamed Du failed the imperial examinations many times and was about to go home when he received a poem from his wife: A good man has wonders, Why is it released every year? Now the concubine shames the king, Come at night when Jun Ruo comes! The wife's verses are really harsh enough, but she is shy for her husband, and she is also very sincere in wishing that he would sneak back in the dark.Will the husband who received this poem return home?Therefore, many people insisted on staying in Chang'an, made up their minds to die, and never went home until they got a good name in the exam.The countless family tragedies caused in the middle can be imagined. In the eighth volume of "Tang Yuyan", there is a man named Gongcheng Yi who has been stranded in the capital to take the imperial examinations again and again, and has not returned home for more than ten years.Once he was seriously ill in the city, and people in his hometown rumored that he had died of illness, so his wife came a long way to attend the funeral, and happened to meet him.He saw a rough woman riding on the back of a donkey, she looked familiar, and the woman was also looking at him, but they had been apart for so long that they couldn't recognize each other, so he asked a passer-by to ask him, and found out that they were husband and wife. Crying on the side of the road. The couple finally reunited after a misrepresentation. If there was no misrepresentation and they still failed the exam, this scholar might stay in the capital for a long time until he was very old.Qian Yi's "Southern New Book" recorded such an old man.He must be an old scholar who has tried and failed. He is waiting for the spring exam in the capital. On New Year’s Eve, the whole city is full of joy, but he can’t go home to celebrate the New Year. He is depressed. The crowd mixed in.He didn't want to be regarded as a performer by the music officials after he entered, so he pushed forward the performance team, stumbled around the palace, went around thousands of times, fell several times, and asked him to perform with an oxtail, do various movements, and make a lot of noise. After a whole night until dawn the next day, the old man was too tired to walk, so he was carried back home. He became ill for sixty days, which delayed the spring imperial examinations.It seems that the old man has to survive in the capital.I don't know if this old man still has an old wife waiting in his hometown. How many years have they been apart?I don't know if he has any children. Are these children missing their old father who is alone?On New Year's Eve, when he was circling in the palace, he was obviously exhausted. Why didn't he get out earlier?Could it be that he gained some insight into the pranks of life in the performance of the Nuo opera? Due to the long-term and extensive psychological pressure on the scholars and their families after repeated trials, the feeling of turning around once they win the exam is self-evident.Good news is everywhere, and strange things happen a lot, but as the number of times increases, the strange things get used to and are regarded as normal by people.I was quite surprised when I read a record in "Yuquanzi", but the tone of that record was very calm, as if talking about a small daily matter.A high-ranking local official held a spring feast, and respectfully invited a general and his family to attend.The general's family members were quite large, and he brought a married daughter who married a scholar named Zhao Cong. Zhao Cong had failed the imperial examinations for many years and was poor. She has no face to face people, since today she came to the Spring Society feast with her, she hung a curtain in front of her tent to hide her shame.The banquet was going on, when suddenly a fast horse galloped up and reported the news that Zhao Cong had won the imperial examination, so the general stood up and shouted: Zhao Lang is the first!When the family heard about it, they immediately removed the curtains in front of Zhao Cong's wife's shed, helped her out to sit with everyone at the table, and even dressed her up. During the table, her face was already radiant.What surprised me was that before Zhao Cong passed the exam, his wife was also the general's daughter, and she felt so pitiful because her husband failed, and the general's family took this pity for granted! Even if the family members are like this, the reaction of the candidates themselves is more complicated. Generally, they are ecstatic when they hear the news of passing the exam, and they suspect it is a dream.Overjoyed and suspicious of dreams, he is not like Confucianism (Yao He) when he is mad, so ecstatic that even the gentleness of Confucian scholars is completely lost.Some people are more calm, facing this long-awaited life reversal, savoring yesterday and today happily.Look at that Cao Ye, after getting the good news, the first thing he noticed was the change in the expression of the boy servant, and then he thought about changing his clothes, and from the old clothes, he seemed to be able to see the tear stains left by him when he lost his job a few years ago. He wrote all these In the poem, the thoughts and brush strokes are quite meticulous.Some people pretend to be calm, as if nothing happened. For example, Han Xiehou rode a horse to go to Jiji for the first time. This is the most exciting journey for many Jinshi. He actually wrote this: Lightly cold and rainy, Jiumo is dust-free and mud-free. It's still the same as usual, Hanging whip sleeves across the street to the west. He restrained his self-satisfaction, restrained very chicly. However, the inherent authenticity of this kind of restraint is deeply doubtful, and perhaps Han Xie is indeed an exception.For most scholars, being admitted to Jinshi makes them feel inexplicably relaxed, and the long-term restraint and humility can be greatly relieved. Although the official position has not been conferred, they already have a confident qualification and identity, and they can be more authentic. Express yourself in society.The most jaw-dropping example among them is probably the Wang Lingran recorded in the second volume of "Tang Yu Yan".Wang Lingran, who had not yet obtained an official post, suddenly thought of Gao Changyu, an old acquaintance who was serving as the censor, and immediately wrote a letter to Gao Changyu. The main idea of ​​the letter was: You are now in a rich and honorable place, I have two things to ask you, one is that you can find me a woman within this year, and the other is that you can find me an official position within the next year.I only have two regrets so far. If you help me solve it, I will be grateful: Of course, you may forget things too much and don’t help me. To be honest, since I have passed the rank, I will be promoted to the official position of the court. It's hard to predict, maybe one day I unexpectedly join you in a high position, and I will turn my head to look at you, and you will naturally regret it deeply, and apologize to me, please rest assured, I will give you He has a good face. This scoundrel letter can be used as material for psychological research.Abnormal psychology or social psychology?Both are fine, but I value its social universality hidden behind special words.If the scholars who won the prize had the opportunity to read this letter from Wang Lingran, they might accuse him of being crazy and abrupt, but in their hearts, Wang Lingran may not be alone. Four In the face of the above-mentioned tragedies and antics, we have to say that the imperial examination system, which was conceived with great difficulty by generations of ancient Chinese politicians, caused social and psychological consequences from the very beginning due to the serious inaccuracy of the way it was developed. This evil result is more related to the fate of the nation than other evil results, because it contains the rapid degradation of the personality of the Chinese intellectual group.After the implementation of the imperial examination system, any boy in China knew to take the imperial examination as his life goal from the beginning of literacy. Except for a few teenagers, they would spend a long time for this kind of examination .A saying that became popular in the Tang Dynasty is called Fifty Young Scholars, which means that it is still young to be admitted to the Jinshi at the age of 50. It can be seen that many intellectuals' investment in the imperial examination is lifelong.Such an investment is bound to produce hard character results that not only reach far and wide, but are passed on from generation to generation.Modern cultural historians are always used to researching the philosophical composition of the personality of Chinese intellectuals from the various theories of the pre-Qin philosophers. This is understandable, but according to our personal experience, personality is mainly shaped by the realistic encounters and practical behaviors of a lifetime. The most important realistic encounter and practical behavior of a large number of ancient Chinese intellectuals in their lives was to strive for the imperial examination to become an official. Of course, this will determine their personality more strongly than a certain theory that they have read in pre-Qin classics. The imperial examination system originally wanted to make a selection of Chinese intellectuals, but the selection process turned into a shaping process, and a large part of this shaping was vicious. The imperial examination is like a huge sieve. I wanted to shake it vigorously a few times to sieve good seeds among a lot of particles, but the shaking was too hard for too long, and all the seeds that passed the sieve were all wilted and damaged. The imperial examination is like an exquisite gate, which originally wanted to gather the flowing streams, but the slope was too steep, and all the water was turned into muddy and dirty. In my opinion, the psychological illness and personality inheritance brought by the imperial examination system to Chinese intellectuals mainly have the following aspects: One is the opportunistic psychology.The imperial examination system suspends a temptation that is both far and near for Chinese scholars. Most people are unwilling to completely give up the opportunity that is obviously magnified, but it is impossible to predict when the opportunity will come. The only thing to do is to wait for the opportunity .During the waiting period, you can work hard and humble yourself, and always hide in your heart the day when you will turn around.The proverbs such as eating bitterness and bitterness, you will be a master, you will be a farmer in the court, and you will go to the Tianzitang in the evening, etc., are the popular descriptions of this kind of psychology.People with this kind of mentality have always been praised by all parties in society as having great ambitions, so this has become a fully affirmed social ideology.The psychology of waiting for opportunities can also be called the psychology of suffering and the psychology of turning over.Originally, seeking success through struggle and prosperity through competition is a common law in the world, which is beyond reproach. However, the struggle and competition of Chinese scholars do not pursue natural progress, but hope to make a fortune overnight.Success and failure are cut into black and white, with double failures before and after the cutting line: if you haven’t reached the rank, you don’t even dare to go home;Wang Lingran's mouth was full of pungentness, just because she was still a sufferer a few days ago, and after holding back for so long, she finally had a strong sense of turning over like revenge.Going backwards from this, it can be deduced that the souls of countless gentlemen and gentlemen in the Central Plains may not be as clean as their clothes, and their hearts may not be as detailed as their faces.They have the most amazing tolerance and patience in the world, and they can endure the most embarrassing distress and humiliation, because they know that there will be a chance in the confused distance.However, opportunities are just opportunities, not reasonable value choices, not the ultimate concern of life.Therefore, even behind the generosity and patience, selfishness and hypocrisy are hidden.Occasionally, tolerance and patience will collide with intolerable boundaries, and they will complain and complain, but most of them will not protest explicitly, because all reasonable social competitions are collected and refined into an official competition by the imperial examination system, and only this This kind of competition is highly effective, so Chinese scholars are used to this weird balance: cynical but declaring that they are indifferent to the world, content with poverty and happy life but resentful for being unappreciated for their talents.Generally speaking, their life status is not very good. Whether it is to others or to themselves, they lack thorough dedication and resounding gifts.The melody of their life is relatively simple: expecting in forbearance, forbearance in anticipation. Second, sit on the fence.The imperial examination system has made most Chinese scholars sit on the fence between politics and culture.The imperial examination selects administrative officials. These scholars who were living in poor alleys and groaning all day long, including the old man who strayed into the palace on New Year's Eve and performed all-night Nuo opera, will be able to handle administrative and adjudicate lawsuits once they pass the exam?These Xinke Jinshi who jumped off the horseback in the spring breeze and came out of the drum music of the apricot garden banquet and Wenxi banquet, can mediate money and food and control taxes after being awarded officials?Even if they stay in the central government to participate in cultural administration, do they already have coordination skills and organizational skills?Yes, everything can be forgiven, they are literati and scholars.However, as literati and scholars, they have lost their cultural standard, because since their contact with culture, they have been officials for the purpose of passing the imperial examination, and the purpose of culture itself does not exist.Of course, the poems and prose on the test paper are just means, and the chants they express on a daily basis are often out of the literature itself, because their life feelings are often related to being out of rank and becoming an official.Once climbing the political stage, chanting changed from a means to a pastime, a sign of one's own cultural accomplishment, officials and officials sang to each other, and chatted at banquets.The dignity of culture and the mission of intellectuals only shine occasionally, but fail to respond to everyone.As a result, around the imperial examination, politics and culture formed an entangled vicious circle: if they were not very proficient in politics, they said it was because of culture; if they failed to preserve culture, they said it was because of politics.文化和政治都衹是用狂熱的假相妝點起來的標幟，兩面標幟又互為表裏：從政治角度看是文化，從文化角度看是政治，文人耶？官吏耶？均無以定位，皆不著邊際，都無所謂政治品格，也無所謂文化良知。百無一用是書生，這或許是少數自省書生的自我嘲謔，但在中國，常常因百無一用而變得百無禁忌，雖萎弱卻圓通，圓通在沒有支點的無所作為中。 其三，矯情傾向。科舉既然把讀書當作手段，把做官當作目的，文化學和政治學上的人性內核也就被抽離；科舉的成敗關及家族倫理的全部榮譽，於是家族倫理的親情牽累也就必須顧全大局，暫時割捨，奉獻給那種沒有期限的苦讀、別離、期待。一來二去，科舉便與正常人情格格不入，上文所引一系列家庭悲劇，皆是例證。那些不敢回家的讀書人，可以置年邁的雙親於不顧，可以將新婚的妻子扔鄉間，衹怕面子不好看，這樣做開始是出於無奈，但在這種無奈中必然也會滋生出矯情和自私。《西廂記》雖然描摹了張生一旦科舉高中、終於與鶯鶯門當戶對地結合的遠景，卻也冷靜地估計到此間希望的渺茫，因此為張生別離愛人去參加科舉考試的那個場景，動用了最為悲涼的詞句：曉來誰染霜林醉？總是離人淚！然而《西廂記》長久被目為不經的淫書，衹有鐵石心腸地癡想金榜的男人才被充分讚揚。鐵石心腸不要感情，卻並不排斥肉慾，那位王泠然開口向老朋友提的要求，第一項就是要一個女人。俗諺謂書中自有顏如玉，也是這個意思。要肉慾而不要矯情。又把不要感情妝扮得堂而皇之，這便是矯情中的矯情，中國書生中的偽君子習氣，也大多由此而生。在我看來，科舉制度對社會生活的損害，也是從它離間普通的倫常人情開始的。一種制度，倘若勢必要以損害多方面的正常人情為代價，那麼它就不會長久是一種良性的社會存在。終有一天，要麼因它而阻礙社會的健康發展，要麼有健康發展的社會來戰勝它，別無他途。同樣，一批與正常人情相背逆的人，哪怕是萬人矚目的成功者，也無以真正地自立歷史，並面對後代。應該說，這是科舉制度在中國書生身上留下的又一遺憾。 不知道當年升沈於落第和及第狂潮中的書生，有幾個曾突然領悟到科舉對自己的人格損害？我相信一定會有不少，否則我們就讀不到那麼多鞭辟入裏的記載了。但是，一種由巨大的政治權力所支撐的國家行為，怎麼會被少數明白人的抱怨所阻遏呢？而這少數明白人的明白，又能到什麼程度呢？ 我曾注意到，當年唐代新及第的不少進士，一高興就到長安平康里的妓院玩樂。平康里的妓女，也樂意結交進士，但交談之下，新科進士常常發覺這些妓女才貌雙全，在詩文修養、歷史知識、人物評論等方面不比自己差，當然，她們沒有資格參加科舉考試。面對這些妓女，新科進士們多年苦求、一朝得意的全部內容都立即褪色，唯一剩下的優越衹不過自己是個男人。男人以知識求官職，妓女以美色求生存，而男人的那一點知識，她們卻在談笑中一一降伏。我不知道這些男人，是否因此而稍感無聊？ 男人有家眷而拋捨親情，妓女有感情而無以實現，兩相對視，誰的眼睛會更坦然一點？幸好發現一條史料，說福建泉州晉江人歐陽詹，進士及第後到山西太原遊玩，與一妓女十分投合，相約返京後略加處置便來迎娶。由於在京城有所拖延，女子苦思苦等終於成疾，臨終前剪髻留詩。歐陽詹最後見到這一切，號啕大哭，也因悲痛而死亡。這件事，好像可以成為戲曲作家編劇的題材，而我感興趣的衹是，終於有一位男人，一個進士，在他的人格結構深處，進士的份量不重，官職的價值不高，卻可以為愛情付出生命的代價，即便這種愛情的外部形象並不高雅。他的死亡，以一種正常人情的力量，構成了對許多進士殘缺人格的嘲笑。 科舉制度在人格構建上的諸多弊端，至少不可能被當時的決策者徹底洞悉。他們中有不少人也是從科舉的路途而踏上高位的，無法看透自己和同道們身上的根本性隱疾，但是他們卻感到了科舉制度所遇到的麻煩。就像一屋子喝醉的人誰也沒有意識到自己喝醉了，衹感到桌面的傾斜、杯盤的搖晃。他們開始整治科舉制度，衹在具體操作規程上著眼，出了很多新點子，又遇到很多新障礙，消消停停千餘年，終於沒有走通。 five 縱觀歷史，對科舉制度弊病的發現和整治，大致可分為兩大截：唐宋為良性整治階段，明清為惡性整治階段。在良性整治階段也有惡性衝撞，但就整體而言當時的科舉制度還瑕不掩瑜，種種整治或多或少都帶有試驗性和創建性；在惡性整治階段也有明智的舉措，但機制性的痼疾已多方面發作，任何一種整治都會帶來一系列更嚴重的毛病，於是整治越來越嚴，毛病卻越來越深，再也解脫不了。 如前所述，科舉制度本身是一個嚴肅而深刻的構思，並不像後人所渲染的那樣荒誕不經；那麼，它所暴露出來的弊病也同樣是嚴肅而深刻的，並不像我們想像的那樣易於避免。我在閱讀有關史料時一再地想，如果我們現在要推行一種在全國範圍內定期選拔行政官員的社會考試制度，許多問題照樣會遇到，照樣難於解決。 為此，我想帶著讀者一起回到古代，站在那些頭腦清晰、智力充裕的宰相、內閣大學士、吏部尚書、禮部侍郎和諸多考官的立場上，看看他們在執掌科舉制度時究竟會遇到那些逃不開的麻煩，然後再設身處地地為他們想想有沒有排解的辦法。當頭遇到的一個麻煩，是科舉考試要不要與推薦結合起來。粗粗一想，我們也許會斷然反對推薦，以保證考試的純淨性，但實際上考試的純淨性遠不是選拔的準確性。如果選拔不準確，考試的純淨性又有什麼意義？考試很像西方戲劇中的三一律，必須把一個漫長的活體生命擠壓在特定時間、特定地點、特定程序之中，而這種擠壓又是書面化的。考試前的社會經驗和生命狀態究竟如何？應考者對自己的判斷和期望是什麼？這實在是比書面答卷更為重要的事，需要靠別人推薦和自我推薦來解決。因此在唐代，推薦在科舉考試中佔據很大的地位，算不得作弊。 公元八二八年，崔郾受朝廷之命離長安赴洛陽主持科舉考試，臨行前公卿百官盛宴餞送，太學博士吳武陵在席間向崔郾推薦杜牧，而且當場朗讀了杜牧的《阿房宮賦》。崔郾聽了也大為讚賞，吳武陵就直截了當地說：那就請您讓他做頭名狀元吧。崔郾也不隱瞞，說：頭名狀元已經有人了。一問下來，不僅頭名有了，第二、第三、第四名也有了，杜牧就成了第五名。這事使主考官崔郾很高興，他當即在席間宣布：剛才太學博士吳武陵先生送來一位第五名。 公元八三七年，高鍇主持科舉考試，他平日在當朝高官中最佩服的是令狐絢，於是在一次上朝時便問令狐絢：您的朋友中誰最好？令狐絢不假思索地脫口而出：李商隱。這一年，李商隱及第。連李商隱也知道自己及第主要是因為令狐絢推薦，就把這一事實寫在《與陶進士書》中。 這兩件事，現在說起來實在有點要不得。考試尚未開始，一至五名全定了；主考官不僅接受推薦，而且主動打聽推薦線索。有趣的是，當時大家並沒有覺得這樣做有什麼不好，可以朗聲推舉，可以坦然磋商，可以當眾宣布，可以詳細記述。當然這裡會夾雜著大量的不公平，但如果不是這樣，主考官就不知道杜牧寫過《阿房宮賦》，就不會對李商隱的名字產生特別的注意，這兩位大詩人也就有可能名落孫山。好在我們直到今天還都了解杜牧和李商隱，知道沒有任何一種考試能把他們那樣美麗的才華考出來，因此誰都願意站出來推薦他們。這種推薦究竟是公平還是不公平的呢？照我說，與其是失落了杜牧和李商隱去追求公平，寧肯要保留著杜牧和李商隱的不公平。 事實上，那種拒絕試卷之外的其他信息，只憑試卷決定一切的做法，毛病更多。來應考的人成百上千，試卷堆積如山，閱卷人能夠仔細品鑑的程度是十分有限的。閱卷人都上了年歲，時間趕得又那麼緊，看不了多久就會陷於疲憊和麻木，不會從他們眼裡漏掉一個人才的說法，只是騙騙局外人罷了。在這種情況下，連考官和閱卷人也極想知道一些推薦信息，使他們在試卷的汪洋中抓摸到一些重點審讀對象。對此，在這方面有深刻體驗的柳宗元說得最好，他認為朝廷取士，不妨讓考官們在閱卷前對出色的應試者有所聞（即所謂先聲）： 所謂先聲後實者，豈惟兵用之，雖士亦然。若今由州郡抵有司求進士者，歲數百人，咸多為文辭，道今語古，角誇麗，務富厚。有司一朝而受者幾千萬言，讀不能十一，即偃仰疲耗，目眩而不欲視，心廢而不欲營，如此而曰吾不能遺士者，偽也。惟聲先焉者，讀至其文辭，必目必專，以故少不勝。 柳宗元是我們所信賴的，他的這種說法常然不是在為私通關節辯護。 如果允許推薦，那麼順理成章也應接受應試者的自薦。一般說來，他們比別人更知道自己的優勢所在，在考試之前打理一下平生最得意的作品，尋找社會名流中最能賞識自己的人，搭建與上層社會溝通的橋樑，使自己成為比較引人注意的科舉候選人，在唐代屬於正常之舉。唐代科舉考試中所風行的行卷，便是應試者們自我推薦的一種方式。程千帆先生說： 所謂行卷，就是應試的舉子將自己的文學創作加以編輯，寫成卷軸，在考試以前送呈當時在社會上、政治上和文壇上有地位的人，請求他們向主司即主持考試的禮部侍郎推薦，從而增加向己及第的希望的一種手段。這也就是一種憑藉作品進行自我介紹的手段；而這種手段之所以能夠存在和盛行，則是和當時的選舉制度分不開的。 一度，主考機構也要求應試者把自認為滿意的舊作上繳以供選拔時參考，自我推薦也就變得更加合法。士子們在選編自薦材料的時候不經意地為中國文學史編出了不少珍貴的文集，否則好多詩文有可能早就失散了。例如皮日休的《文藪》和元結的《文編》當初都是為自薦編成的，他們兩人分別都在編定自己文集的第二年進士及第，看來自薦的作用不小。 大詩人王維因自薦而成為頭名狀元的故事載於《集異記》，明代傳奇《鬱輪袍》也講這個故事，聽起來很有趣味。故事說，當初年輕的王維以驚人的文學天賦和音樂才華遊歷於長安上層社會，特別為岐王所看重。科舉考試將至，誰若能成為長安京兆府的第一名人選上送，則極有希望奪魁狀元。王維知道對此事有決定權的公主心中已另有人選，請岐王幫忙。岐王深知王維的才學有競爭力，要他準備好舊詩十篇、琵琶一曲，五天後再來。五天後王維如期而至，岐王拿出鮮麗華貴的衣服要他穿上，共赴公主府第，名義上是向公主奉獻酒樂，王維充作樂師。公主見王維風姿超群，奏曲精妙，大為讚賞，岐王便說，他不只精通音樂，文詞更是無人可比。王維當即把準備的詩卷獻給公主，公主一看更為驚異，說：這些詩，都是我平常反覆誦讀的，一直以為是古人佳作，沒想到竟然出之於你的手筆！於是以上賓之禮，與王維暢談。王維言談間風流蘊藉，詼諧幽默，不能不讓在座的其他賓客深深欽佩。岐王便對公主說：如果今年京兆府第一名由這位青年來承當，就會十分風光。公主說：那為什麼不讓他去應試呢？岐王說：這位老弟心氣頗高，不作為第一人選上送他是絕不會去應試的，但聽說貴公主已決定了別的人作為第一人選。公主笑道：那算什麼呀，也是別人託的。等岐王和王維一離開，公主就召來了當年的考官。於是，王維不僅成了京兆府上報的第一人選，而且果真成了狀元。 歷史學家認為，這個故事在具體情節上的真實性雖然很可懷疑，但《集異記》在記述中所傳達出來的社會氛圍和上層交往關係卻是十分可信的。我對唐代士子自我推薦最感性的了解，來自白居易所寫的一封自薦信。這封信是貞元十六年（公元八○○年）應進士試前寫給當時任給事中的陳京的，所以名為《與陳給事書》，現收在《白居易集》卷四十四內。白居易這封信的大意是： 這些天，您府上拜謁者如林，自薦者如雲，他們的目的很簡單，就是希望您為他們吹噓張揚。我不來拜謁，只差遣家僮送一封信給您，說明我的目的與他們不一樣，就憑這一點，您也該特別關注一下了。我只想誠懇求教，因為無數事實證明，一個人了解別人容易，了解自己困難。很傑出的人，往往自信不足，很糟糕的人，卻又自以為是，幸好有明白的考官，讓他們各歸其位。您是天下文宗；當代權威，因此願意向您袒露我的內心：我白居易是個平民，上無朝廷援助，下無鄉紳抬舉，敢於到京城來應試完全是憑了文章，到時候等考官作出公平裁斷；但我的文章究竟是可進還是可退，向己卻不甚清楚，因此請您幫我裁定一下。特送上雜文二十篇、詩一百首，請您在公餘之暇隨手翻翻。如果覺得可進，請發一句話，我一定加倍努力；如果覺得不可進，也請發一句話，我就甘心退藏。是進是退，我心中已鬥爭多時，現在就等您一句話了。 白居易的這封信寫得不卑不亢。考試在即，究竟自己是不是一塊材料，該不該繼續努力，請名人裁斷一下，即使落第也落個明白，這番理由，說得很得體。但是，詩文就此送上去了，而白居易對自己詩文的自信並不像他信中說的那樣薄弱。請陳京發一句話，我想更多的是希望陳京在讀了詩文之後把話發給主考官。到底發了沒有我們並不清楚，所知道的只是白居易當年果真進士及第。 把以上所舉的杜牧、李商隱、柳宗元、皮日休、元結、王維、白居易的例子加在一起可以得出一個印象，在他們那些年代，科舉考試的文章有很大一部分不做在考場內。考試只是一個契機，圍繞著它，進行一場選拔人才的大動員。人才們自己也踴躍起來，走出苦讀的書房，離別偏僻的鄉邑，踏入京城的社交圈，試著用文化為軸心進行多方面的生命呈示和精神溝通。做法上確實很不規範，但時代的魅力也就在這種不規範之中。有許多事情，規範一旦精密和完滿就不再有讓人喜悅的生命力，科舉制度顯然也是如此；但是能不能因此而永遠拒絕規範呢？又不能，因為原始性的可喜很容易因無序而轉化為可惡，不設置足夠的規範必然會把事情徹底搞糟。這便是人類經常要遇到的兩難；總要告別生氣勃勃的無序狀態，總要迎來防微杜漸的嚴整格局，結果，又總是因整體性失落而走向新的無序。 以科舉考試中推薦的問題為例，既被允許，久而久之自然會有大量陰暗伎倆產生，而即便是王維、白居易、杜牧、李商隱他們那樣的上好詩文也是敵不過陰暗伎倆的，因此當初像他們那樣大大咧咧地自我推薦和被人推薦也就會完全失效，唯一的辦法是制訂嚴密規範來與陰暗伎倆作鬥爭，這是令人沮喪又不得不為之的事。創業之初的健康與大方，終於被警覺和瑣碎所代替。到了宋代，推薦理所當然地被阻止了，為了防止考官接受試卷外的信息，實行鎖院制度，即考官一旦被任命就須住入貢院，斷絕與外界的一切來往，直到放榜的那一天。長的時候，一鎖就是五十來天，也夠悶人的。唐代試卷不糊名，敞敞亮亮地讓考官知道這是那位考生的卷子，宋代就把名字糊起來了，再後來，怕考官認出筆跡，乾脆雇一幫子人把所有的考卷重抄一遍再交給考官，以杜絕作弊的可能。 其實作弊是杜絕不了的。科舉考試決定著一個人的全部升沉榮辱，總會引得不少人拚著性命來做手腳，官方發現後立即採取相應的對策，而一切對策又很快激發出更高明的作弊手段，真是循環往復，日臻精微。我曾參觀過一個中國古代科舉考試的展覽，面對那些實物，強烈感受到自宋以後，作弊和反作弊成了一場士子和官方層層遞進的智力競賽，而競賽的結果是兩方面都走向卑微。士子作弊的最常用方式是挾帶，把必然要考到的《四書》、《五經》、前科中舉範文和自己的猜題習作縮小抄寫後塞在鞋底、腰帶、褲子、帽子裡，一切可以想得到的角角落落都塞，有的乾脆密密麻麻地寫在麻布襯衣裡。堂皇的經典踏在腳底，抖索的肉體纏滿墨跡，一旦淋雨或者出汗，爛紙污黑也就與可憐書生的絕望心情混作一團，一團由中國文字、中國文明、中國文人混合成的悲苦造型。 作弊挾帶的也不見得全是投機取巧的無能之輩。例如一○一二年的一次考試，搜出挾帶者十八人，於是重考，十八人中還是有十二人合格。由此我一直懷疑，許多主持著考試的考官說不定當年也有未被查出的作弊歷史，儘管他們在文化才能上還是合格的。作過弊的考官對作弊的防範只會更嚴，也許是為了掩飾自己，也許是因為深諳訣竅，他們會想出許多搜查挾帶的機智辦法；未曾作過弊的考官則會對作弊者保留著一種真誠的氣惱，一日一有權，氣惱也就化作了峻厲。無論是機智還是峻厲，最終還是要交給看守考場的士兵來操作，有時還公開懸賞，搜出一個挾帶者獎賞一兩銀子。士兵們受此刺激，立時變成凶神惡煞，向全體考生撲來。據說連明太祖朱元璋知道士兵們對應考士子渾身上下細細摸查的做法也大不以為然，對大臣們說：這些都是讀過聖人詩文的人，怎麼能像對付盜賊一樣來對付他們？但是即便朱元璋也無法阻止一種整體機制的必然惡果，明代的搜查更加嚴格。考場門口出現的情景是：上久冰凍，解衣露立，搜檢軍二名，上窮髮際，下至膝踵，裸腹赤趾，防懷挾也。到清代，考生頭上的辮子也要解開來查過，甚至還要察看肛門，實在有辱斯文。為了防止在羊皮襖裡挾帶，規定考生進考場穿的羊皮襖不能有面子，只能把單張羊皮穿在身上，一眼看去，考場內外一片白花花，宛若一大堆紛亂的羊群。這景象在我想來是怵目驚心的，這兒究竟發生了什麼事？一群讀書人，只能以動物的形態，來表白自己對文化的坦誠？只能以最醜陋的儀仗，來比賽自己的文明？ 說起來作弊在唐代也有很多，但那時既然允許推薦和自薦，整體氣寬鬆，不太把這種小手小腳當一回事。詩人溫庭筠就是一個作弊的高手，老是在考試中替別的考生寫文，當槍手，遠近聞名。公元八五八年會試，考官們為了防止他再一次作弊，故意把他的座位另行擺出，直瞪瞪地注視著他，看到他寫完一千多字的文章早早交卷退場了，也就鬆了一口氣。但是萬萬沒有想到，就在這一次，他竟然在考官注視下的不長時間內，為八位考生完成了試卷！這件事聽起來太有傳奇性了，我們怎麼也想不出他是如何完成這項極其艱難的操作的，但這種作弊在當時並沒有懲處得要死要活，在今天聽起來還十分有勁。事情到了清代就不同了，如果有人做槍手替別人考試，查出後在考場門外戴枷示眾三個月，然後再萬里流放。我想，能夠有膽量替別人考試，別人也可以信託他代試的那些人，學問和寫作能力一定高於大多數考生吧，他們應該是有把握中舉而又未能中舉的一群。為什麼有把握中舉而又未能中舉呢？我們完全不得而知，只知道現在這群懷才不遇的讀書人戴著木枷站在考場門外了。天很冷，考場設在北方，時間又是殘冬早春，這些讀書人凍得瑟瑟發抖，他們眼前，一大片穿著白花花單層羊皮的考生在蠕動。 six 一種巨大的不信任，橫亙在考場內外。 由於不信任，推薦和自薦行不通了，代之以越來越苛嚴的防範措施。科舉本是朝廷與文人之間秋波對接、