Zhong Yin was still unclear about Cao Rui's intention, but he was sure that Cao Rui had some purpose.
Since he has come, let him stay in peace; let's listen to what Cao Rui has to say next.
Zhong Yao saw Zhong Yuchi receiving an emperor's reward and supported the cushion with his hand, indicating that he wanted to stand up and bow in respect.
Cao Rui hastily said, "Marshalling does not need much courtesy. You are the elder of the state and should sit in your seat."
Zhong Yao sighed, "I thank the emperor on behalf of my son for the favor. I am advanced in years and fear that my time is limited. In the future, if our family prospers, it may well depend on this young man, Zhong Yu!"
Cao Rui secretly cursed in his heart. You Zhong Taiyi say to rely on Zhong Yu, but do you know that your son Zhong Hui, who is only one year old, will eventually achieve great achievements!
Cao Rui still wore a smile: "Zhong Yuchi is clever and will surely become a pillar of the state. By the way, Marshal, I heard Zhong Yuchi say that Marshal has another young son named Zhong Hui. It might be good to let me see him too."
Zhong Yao instructed Zhong Yu: "Yu'er, the emperor has summoned you. Quickly bring your younger brother out."
Zhong Yu bowed and turned to leave outside.
Cao Rui continued, "I have heard that the Marshall comes from the high gate of Yingchuan and has studied the Spring and Autumn Annals for generations. I am still young and do not know many old affairs of the Western Han Dynasty."
"I hear that Marshal's ancestor was Zhong Hao, one of the 'Four Elders of Yingchuan'?"
Seeing Cao Rui mention his grandfather, Zhong Yao had no choice but to be more explicit.
Zhong Yao cupped his hands together, "Your Majesty is referring to my grandfather. The 'Four Elders of Yingchuan' mentioned include my grandparent, Zhong Hao, as one of them. The other three are Xun Xu, Chen Shu, and Han Shao."
Cao Rui said, "The reputation of a morally excellent family is not empty. As Your Majesty does not seem to remember, Xun Commandery is the grandson of Xun Xu, and Chen Garrison is the grandson of Chen Shu."
Zhong Yao nodded: "The emperor's words are correct. We Yingchuan people only excel in reading and interpreting the classics; we are indeed unable to do anything else."
Cao Rui said, "Reading and interpreting classics also involves the heritage of scholarly learning. The late emperor sent the Minister of Ceremonies Zheng Cheng to teach me the classics, and I have learned much, but I find it hard to grasp the essence."
"The Marshal's family has been studying the Spring and Autumn Annals for generations. Does the Marshal also teach Spring and Autumn Annals at the Imperial Academy?"
That's right, during the Three Kingdoms period, there was a school called Taixue.
In the past, during the chaos at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang city. Not only were the imperial palaces reduced to ashes, but the Taixue (Imperial Academy) was also destroyed and abandoned. Classic texts and articles were scattered, students and teachers fled in all directions, and even the Xi Ping Stone Sutra carved on stones was smashed to pieces.
After Cao Pi became the emperor, thirty years had passed since the destruction of the Taixue in Luoyang. Cao Pi ordered "to sweep away the ashes of the Taixue and repair the broken stone tablets," and a new building was constructed on the original site of the Taixue outside Kaiping Gate. Teachers and students were summoned to return to the Taixue.
During the Han Shun Di period, the Taixue had a scale of 240 houses and 1850 rooms.
During the reign of Emperor Han Zhi, the number of students at the Taixue exceeded 30,000.
Destruction is easy, reconstruction is difficult. It is easy to repair the buildings, and it is easy to recruit students.
But the hardest thing is to rebuild the teaching staff of the Taixue.
According to the official regulations of the Eastern Han Dynasty, to become a Taixue Doctor, which is a teacher within the Taixue, one must be over fifty years old and be a learned Confucian scholar with extensive knowledge of poetry and classics.
During the long war in the end of the Han Dynasty, the academic tradition of the official was broken for more than three decades. Families of prestigious families everywhere were also struggling to survive, so there was no time to study classics.
Great scholars are all without descendants!
Cao Pi ordered the recruitment of great scholars, and in the end, only a meager three individuals met the standards.
It was only three people. Among them, there was the present Taixue Marshal Zhong Yao from the Yingchuan Zhong family.
There was no choice but to relax the age standard, and finally, only 19 Taixue Doctors were recruited.
It was Marshal Zhong Yao who was in charge of the Taixue as a whole, which was a good use of Marshal Zhong's personal strengths.
Zhong Yao saw Cao Rui ask about the Spring and Autumn Annals and said in a serious tone, "I am capable of teaching the Spring and Autumn Annals, and I can also teach the other four classics. There are only two other Taixue Doctors capable of teaching the five classics besides me, and one is Le Xian."
"The remaining Taixue Doctors can only teach one or two classics."
"I am truly worried about the discontinuation of the classics!"
Cao Rui asked again, "According to your Taixue Marshal, how long can the students of the Taixue learn the classics before becoming officials?"
Zhong Yao countered, "Your Majesty believes that the students of the Taixue should become officials?"
Cao Rui was puzzled: "If the Taixue does not raise talent for the state, then what use is it to keep the Taixue?"
Zhong Yao endured the patience and slowly said, "Your Majesty, when selecting talents for the country, there are two principles: 'ability' and 'morality'."
"The Emperor Wu's proclamation on selecting talents stated that one should only select talents based on their abilities. This 'ability' refers to the ability to govern the world."
"Now, when selecting talents through the State and Circuit Examination System, selecting virtuous and clean-minded individuals as national talents to be given official positions, this is the selection based on morality."
"Whether it's 'ability' or 'morality,' they are both characteristics of people. The Taixue teaches classics, which will indeed improve the talent and morality of its students, but it is not a direct way."
"Therefore, I believe that one cannot say that a Taixue student, after three or five years of study, is qualified to be granted an official position to govern the people for the Son of Heaven or to deal with mundane matters. If we truly discuss serving as an official, what should be looked at is talent and morality."
That's right to the point.
Since Cao Pi became the emperor, the selection system of talents in Wei was famous as the "Nine-Tiered Mediation System."
The "Nine-Tiered Mediation System," as the name implies, is a standard for selecting talents for the state that divides people into nine grades.
Each state has a Dazhongzhuan official, who is in charge of evaluating the talents of people in several counties in the state. In each county, there is a Xiazhongzhuan official.
The main duty of the Zhongzhuan official is to evaluate talents. Evaluating talents mainly has three aspects.
One of the aspects is the family background, referring to the credentials, positions held, and ranks of one's ancestors.
The second aspect is the individual's character and ability, which is equivalent to a comment on the individual's morality.
The third aspect is the evaluation, which takes the individual's character and ability as the main basis, combined with their family background, and ultimately gives them a grade.
The core of the Nine-Tiered Mediation System is that the central government appoints Zhongzhuan officials who evaluate talents and determine their grades, which are used for selecting officials in the court.
However, before the introduction of the Nine-Tiered Mediation System, the appointment and removal of officials were much more chaotic, relying mainly on reputation and recommendation.
There were many more factors to be examined, with reputation being the main consideration. There were many methods to improve one's reputation, such as observing mourning rituals.
Yuan Benchu observed mourning for six years, which earned him the title of 'Yuan Benchu, the Model of the World,' and attracted many to follow him.
Zhao Xuan observed mourning for over twenty years solely to increase his reputation and become an official.
Even Cao Cao benefited from this system. Cao Cao's father, Cao Shu, was a Imperial Master, and at the age of twenty, Cao Cao was selected as a 'filial piety scholar,' and went to serve as a linguist in Luoyang.
Today's purpose of Cao Rui's visit was to ask Zhong Yao whether the Taixue could be used for selecting officials.
Zhong Yao finally understood Cao Rui's purpose after hearing this.
For scholars, the most important thing is to become an official. You recommend my son, I recommend your son, and both of our sons can become officials.
Even under the Nine-Tiered Mediation System, local Zhongzhuan officials are still controlled by the gentry and nobility, and one's family background is still a factor in becoming an official.
Now Cao Rui is asking about the Taixue? If the Taixue can also select officials, what will the Nine-Tiered Mediation System do?
