It's already March.
After more than two months of debate among the high-ranking officials in the imperial court, the "Clan Records" finally had an initial version.
Xie was demoted to the second class.
The royal Helian clan (Yuan clan) was ranked as first class.
The families of Cui, Zheng, Li, and Wang remain in the top tier.
Several Xianbei noble families, such as Mu, Dugu, and Lu, were ranked in the second class.
Such a ranking of aristocratic families is already a compromise and concession by various forces.
However, many families are still dissatisfied.
There's no way to please everyone; everyone has their own interests.
Because the inclusion of royalty and nobility led many self-proclaimed noble families to denigrate this edition of the Clan Records as "noble families."
Helian Jue: ...A medal it is!
The Helian family was already a prominent family.
The absolute monopoly of aristocratic families was slightly broken by the compilation of clan records.
Some prominent families have also become aware of this problem.
They sadly discovered that the threshold for aristocratic families had been lowered.
There is no need for a family history spanning two or three hundred years, nor for generations of high-ranking officials.
As long as one holds a high enough official position and possesses a certain amount of real power, one has the opportunity to be selected as a member of a prominent family.
"With the emergence of the Order of the Red Chamber, there will be no more 'noble families' in the world!"
Some of the older, established families roared in grief and indignation.
Xie Yuan: ...
What's this?
There's another powerful weapon.
"The imperial examination system for selecting officials was first established by the late emperor and implemented for several years!"
Helian Jue looked every bit the filial son, saying, "The sage said: 'If one does not change the way of one's father for three years, one can be called filial.'"
"I dare not compare myself to the Sage, but as a son, I should fulfill my filial duty!"
Therefore, he will continue to promote the imperial examination system.
It wasn't to provoke the powerful families, nor to break their monopoly; he was simply a filial son following in his father's footsteps.
Prime Ministers Wang, Cui, and Zheng: ...Do you even believe that yourself? (Reading in the dark)
Unfortunately, the banner of filial piety is really effective.
As subjects, how could they obstruct the emperor from fulfilling his filial duties?
Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher; the Four Cardinal Virtues (propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame) and the Eight Virtues (loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, love, trustworthiness, righteousness, harmony, and peace) were the moral norms that these scholar-officials had always upheld.
They can't contradict themselves.
However, allowing the emperor to "fulfill his filial duties" meant continuing to implement the imperial examination system for selecting officials.
This is a tremendous challenge for their family!
"What challenge? Do the powerful families of today still possess the proud spirit they once had?"
It was Zheng Taifu, who had just taken charge of compiling the book, who saw it most clearly.
He sneered, his tone filled with sorrow and despair, "Because of a clan record, because of a ranking, we people fight each other in public, and behind the scenes we scheme and plot against each other!"
So-called aristocratic families, when they really start arguing, are in no way inferior to those shrewish women in the marketplace.
As the chief editor, Zheng Taifu suffered attacks, slander, and abuse from many prominent families.
Even though Zheng Taifu thought he was very fair, he still ended up with the reputation of being "flattering his superiors".
Alas, his lifelong reputation has been ruined by this.
Perhaps because he had witnessed too many ugly faces of aristocratic families fighting for fame and fortune, or perhaps because he had been criticized too harshly and thus became disheartened, Grand Tutor Zheng was exceptionally clear-headed.
"The clan history was compiled in two months, and we spent two months fighting!"
Noble families are never a monolithic entity.
In the struggle for ranking first, second, and third place, they almost beat people to a pulp.
Many families (who were downgraded) even developed grudges because of this.
Some once-powerful families that had fallen out of the rankings of aristocratic families have transformed themselves into the main force advocating for the imperial examination system to select officials.
Because they were no longer aristocratic families and no longer had privileges.
However, it would take one or two hundred years to regain one's status as a prominent family.
One or two hundred years? Who can guarantee that they and their children and grandchildren will be successful and return to the pinnacle of power?
If they truly possessed such abilities, their family would not have fallen into ruin.
However, although the family had fallen into decline, the children of the family had been studying since childhood, and the family also had a rich collection of books.
If I were to participate in the imperial examination, I dare not say I would definitely win first place, but I would certainly be able to surpass those from poor families or commoner families who do not have much educational resources!
If one passes the imperial examination and obtains an official position, and continues to work hard, one might have another chance to enter the center of power during their lifetime.
Who knows, when the clan history is compiled next time, I might be able to lead my family back to its former glory!
...Just by thinking this way, many impoverished families who thought their future was hopeless suddenly had hope.
Even Grand Tutor Zheng couldn't help but suspect: The Sage must have planned this all along!
By voluntarily proposing to compile clan records, he was as if throwing a bone to all the noble families.
Everyone scrambled for it; some got to eat the meat, while others couldn't even get a bone.
Then, the sage continued to promote the imperial examination system to select officials, emphasizing filial piety as the only virtue.
Although the imperial examination system wasn't exactly a guaranteed path to success, it was still a chance to earn a living!
Those who were defeated before will definitely try every means to catch up!
The aristocratic families, without anyone realizing it, had already been divided up by the sages.
Next, there will be further differentiation, but it will be completely broken!
"Young Master Xie is right, times have changed, times have changed indeed!"
Grand Tutor Zheng thought of that small figure in the court, a seven-year-old child who uttered many profound truths that even adults would never think of.
This is the Great Zhou Dynasty, no longer the Jin Dynasty of several hundred years ago.
As for the aristocratic families, they are destined to become history!
...
Achoo! Achoo!
The chubby boy who used to be a cute little boy, Xie Zhen sneezed several times in a row.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
